41 Days Until Christmas

I love Christmas!  I like the lights, the decorations, wrapping gifts and writing cards.  I enjoy just going into the malls and seeing the glitter and sparkle of decorations.  I have already researched the best Chrismas light tours around our area.  A few weeks ago I went to Red Deer for a Chrismas market but I was excited  about going to a Christmas market at Spruce Meadows.

We had no idea what to expect but we were excited about the day and we were not disappointed.  With tea in hand we found the area.  The grounds were amazing.  It is an equestrian facility that hosts many competitions throughout the year.  When we walked into the main building we were greeted not by horses in the stalls but reindeer. 

Rows and rows of lights lined the ceiling of the complex.  Stall after stall
and booth after booth we toured the whole area.

From locally made treats and crafts to international finds we strolled through the converted barn.   Along the way we sampled chocolate, fudge, soups, cheese and anything else that was offered to us.  I even had my shoes shined..good thing i wore leather ones.  Along the way carollers were either singing on stage or strolling along the aisles.

We thought we would only be there a couple of hours but we used the entire afternoon.  We were definitely put into the Christmas spirit.  With our purchases hanging off our arms we headed back to the vehicle but just had to stop for a memory picture.

On our way through the city we stopped for a nice dinner and snow began to lightly fall.  As I drove out of Calgary Christmas lights were being turned on.  Yes, Christmas is in the air and so this morning I will take down my fall decorations, put them away and wait patiently for a couple of weeks to get the Christmas decorations out.  In the mean time I will make some Christmas shopping lists, work on a Christmas letter and maybe even listen to Christmas music.

Life in Alberta

Living in Isolation for the last two years was an interesting experience.  I can quickly list our visitors from outside our immediate area...Bruce, Lynne and Brad from Swift Current, three of our grandchildren: Sarah, Emma and Jacob and Stephen with his RCMP friend, Andrew.

Life is different here.  It has been very interesting having so many people coming to visit.  We have had family and friends from Ontario, church friends from Swift Current, and Stephen and his friends from the surrounding area.  It has been wonderful but we have missed our Deschambault Lake family.  The boys had been regulars around our table, helped us celebrate special occasions and had played hours of games.  I missed Denise texting or calling asking for sour cream or some other forgotten grocery item.  There was a closeness there that will never be recreated or forgotten.

Thankfully we have Facebook to keep in touch with each other and to share a laugh at a memory.  But, this week we had a special treat when one of our boys was coming to Calgary for a visit.  We were thrilled when Dan and Tiffany decided to take some time to come and visit us.

It was so great to see them, hear about their new experiences and to feed them!  Of course we had to pull the Catan game out and recreate some of those special times.   I am happy to report that I won two out of three games....just like old times.  (Not quite, but it's my blog)

Yes, Three Hills is a great place to live and it looks like it is a wonderful place to visit too.  For reservations please get in contact with me!

The Things I have in Common with Stephen Harper

I'm not really that political but I found a big similarity with the outgoing prime minister this morning when I saw the headlines so I thought it would be a good time for a blog.

First of all we are both in our 50's.  We are both rather "conservative."  He has a super supportive spouse and two children...a boy and a girl.  So we connect in our family life.

I live close to Calgary which is his home riding but we were both born and raised in Ontario.  We have lived in a company home before (perhaps a parsonage is a little different then Sussex Drive but just go with me.). So again I understand the moving out of a home that belongs to someone else.

But the biggest thing is the headline this morning.

Yup, Stephen Harper resigned today and so did I!  Okay, maybe he hasn't done it three times but this time I thought if Stephen Harper calls it quits I might as well do it too.  Effective today I am retired or until something else comes up.  I'm wondering if Stephen and I might get together soon to discuss our future plans.

So any other similarities...we both wear glasses.  He has grey hair....nope not the same there.  (Checked the calendar, hair appointment tomorrow).  

Happy retirement Stephen Harper.  I'm going to clean the house, knit or read.  What will you be doing?

Making the Most Of It

Life goes by way too fast not to enjoy every moment.  When Ron and I have our days off together we make plans to add a new adventure to our memories.  On Monday we started off on a three day trek into the mountains.  It is still hard for us to believe that we live so close to the Rockies.  We drove west as far as we needed so that we could enjoy the view and then south to Waterton National Park.  On our way we saw spectacular views like where the prairie meets the mountains.

When we lived in Swift Current we visited the park but it was very busy and crawling with people....now the visitor center was surrounded by other beautiful creatures enjoying the peace and quiet after a busy summer.

 

We took the scenic drive through the park.  Around each steep corner was another beautiful view of the mountains.  My camera shutter was constantly flicking.  The only problem is that pictures don't really give the sights justice.  You really need to experience it for yourself.



It was such a beautiful day and I so enjoyed spending the day with Ron in the mountains.  A friendly deer agreed to take this picture for us.

We arrived in Fernie, B.C. in time for supper and had a nice walk around this beautiful mountain town.  Even from our room the view was amazing.  The next morning we did a little drive to see the ski hill and then headed towards Canmore.  We made a stop at Fort Steele and walked through the historic village there.

As we walked around the fort Ron seemed to be attracting cats.  When he knelt down to pet them they jumped up on him and would snuggle around his neck and even followed him like a little puppy would.  I think he must be the cat whisperer.

Along the way we stopped in Radium for a relaxing dip in the hot springs.  It is so nice to travel when the roads are quiet and you have the attractions along the way almost to yourself.

 

When we arrived in Banff we easily found a spot to park and walk the streets.  This was much different then the last few times we visited this beautiful little town.  We looked through a few stores and treated ourselves to some fudge.

The Home Team was ready to play!

From Banff we drove the short distance into Canmore and spent our second night in the heart of the mountains.  It was another wonderful time of making the most of our days off.  When we got home on Wednesday Ron left for two days of training in Edmonton and I worked Thursday and Friday. 

 

Today we woke up to rain and Ron went to work.  I went to Red Deer with a new friend to a Christmas craft show.  Yup, Christmas is coming very soon.  It will be fun this year to have Stephen around for Christmas time.  I certainly will make the most of that time. 

 

The sun is shining now and it has turned into a beautiful day.  I think I will go and make the most of it!

A Balanced Life?

Friday night came and my life was unbalanced or at least my cash drawer was.  I was frustrated and of course late getting home.

• Today my life seems very balanced.  
• Ron and I went for a bike ride, watched some tv and I did laundry while he napped.

Tonight while Ron was at work I started planning our winter vacation.  Ron just called to ask what days to ask for holidays.  Sounds perfectly balanced to me.

Once again I have a five day weekend and Ron and I will travel to the mountains after Ron finishes work early Monday morning and wejust may take a dip at the hot springs.

Yes, I have a very balanced life now ...as long as I stay away from my cash drawer.

Five Day Weekend

As I left work tonight I almost felt giddy.  I'm starting the long weekend early.  It was relaxing this evening to think about not going to work in the morning.  As I crawled into bed I didn't feel as tired as usual because I know that I can have a slower morning.  Ron is finishing up nights tonight and so tomorrow we will be off and running to do errands together.   First we will be headed to Red Deer to pick up some things for the motorcycle, do a little shopping for house improvements and of course a Costco stop to get groceries for the weekend.   We have to be back early in the evening for me to have some magic done by my hair stylist.  She can make gray hair disappear!

On Friday I will get the baking done...pumpkin pie, apple pie and....well, I guess we will see how much energy I have.  On Saturday our guests will arrive with one of them being Stephen!  It is always fun to have family come and I get excited every time.

So tonight I will fall asleep with pumpkins, apples and shopping dancing around in my head.  Happy Thanksgiving and may all your weekends be long ones!

Enjoying the New Schedule

I started this week with my new schedule at work which means I work more according to Ron's schedule.  On Monday, I went to work and it was great because at the end of the day I knew that I had two days off.

On Tuesday, Ron and I left in the morning for Red Deer to get the motorcycle serviced.  It was a tad bit cold...only 4 degrees.  I was layered up and enjoyed the fall scenery.  Yes, the prairie has scenery!  While we waited for the motorcycle to be done we walked and enjoyed a nice brunch.  By then the day had warmed up nicely and we headed west. 

We were able to shed some layers and enjoy the warmth of a fall day.  Once we got past Rocky Mountain House the mountains jumped out at us and you couldn't help but smile at the beauty that surrounded us.  There is nothing like the aqua colour of the mountain lakes and the majestic Rocky Mountains.  We felt like we had the park to ourselves.

Ron would stop when I wanted to but most of the time I snapped pictures happily around him.  We were so thrilled to have such a nice day for a ride.

This was the first time that we had entered the mountains this way.  The Icefield Parkway was spectacular and I am sure that we will be doing it again....next year.  The higher we found ourselves in the mountain the lower the temperature dropped.  We stopped to gear up and reluctantly I gave up the camera for my gloves but even though the temperature had fallen the sights around me kept me happy.

One final stop before heading home was Stephen's.  It was so nice to be able to call him and say put the tea kettle on.  We warmed up with a hot cup of tea and made it home around 9:00 p.m.   It was a perfect day to have off.

On Wednesday we headed into Calgary for the day.  Ron had a first of getting his hair cut and a hot shave by a barber at a men's only shop.  He quite enjoyed the experience.

We spent the rest of the day getting the tires changed on the truck and a little bit of shopping.  On our way home I just had to stop to take a picture of the prairie field wrapping up for winter. 

 

And the sun set on another beautiful day...

I think I am going to like this work schedule!