Our New Addition to the Family

There's a story. There's always a story.
This was my aunt's and uncle's piano. My grandmother offered a piano to both of her children decades ago. I think it was when they bought their houses... or when they got married?...
Anyways...
This piano, apparently, was a used piano from the NAC orchestra (probably a rehearsal piano). It dates back to the 1910's and was made in Ottawa.
My aunt is doing major house renovations and has decided not to keep the piano in her new living area decor. I'm now the new owner! It works well even without tuning. But not to worry, I have a tuner coming over in two weeks to do the job. I love the feel of the keys. I've been playing on a digital piano these last 8 years or so and I really notice a difference. I can really dig into my Romantic-era pieces.

By placing it in Margot's main floor area, I'm hoping I will play more. It's not tucked away in a corner and therefore is very accessible (a few scales here and there while waiting for the water to boil). And yes, I am planning in getting back into piano playing and taking lessons to keep me on track.

Vancouver Island

Our trip was a success!
Vancouver Island in one word: Beautiful.
A colour: Blue.
Travelling with a three year old: up and down. Example of what was challenging: beginning a beautiful hike in the woods and wanting Simon to carry her: "Dans les bras de dada". Example of fun times: letting her play for hours at the beach. It's amazing the hours of enjoyment from a pail and shovel!
The weather: consistently gorgeous: blue skies, sunshine, light breeze, no mosquitoes! A bit frisky in Ucluelet, but that was expected.
Where I would live in a flash: Salt Spring Island. Why? It's quirky, artsy, and they sell snap peas on the side of the road!

We took almost 500 pictures.
We printed out 200 pictures for our super album. Some of you will be lucky to peruse it when we see you.
For those who won't get a chance (and those who want a pre-show), here are some of them:

SALT SPRING ISLAND:

A typical stand on the side of the road.

Ruckle Provincial Park

My favourite walk: Dunbabin Trail

Tree pose among the trees

Ruckle Provincial Park

VICTORIA:

Emily Carr

UCLUELET:

Terrace Beach. Our first stop in Ucluelet.

Terrace Beach at sunset

The Rain Forest Trail

Long Beach in Tofino

Long Beach. So spacious!

A view.

Evening playing at Small Beach in Ucluelet.

View from our Whale Trip

Wickaninnish Beach in Tofino. 

Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet

Stop at Cathedral Grove:

QUALICUM BEACH:

Englishman Falls Trail.

Rathtrevor Park

Doing gymnastics in the sand

Bubblegum Ice Cream (her pick...)

Friday Frivolities: We're Off!

Tomorrow, we'll be on Vancouver Island. The Western-est part of Canada (i think).
10 nights.
4 stops: Salt Spring Island, Victoria, Ucluelet, Qualicum Beach.
3 ferry rides.
2 flights (to cross the country, one there and one back).
1 rental car with a car seat.

Awesome accommodation booked: the #1 rated lodging on Trip Advisor for Uclulet (check it out!); a seaside inn, with sliding doors opening directly on the beach in Qualicum Beach; a cottage in Salt Spring Island which includes a basket of locally made breakfast items (bread, eggs, jam, fruit). So cool!

I'm also looking forward to the following:
-eating ice cream in every location.
-breathing the fresh air in Cathedral Grove.
-making sand castles on the beach with Margot.
-exploring.
-adopting the Western pace of life.

I will share all the details of my trip (including a few pics) on Tuesday Travels on July 23rd.  Stay tuned.

Take care everyone!

Margot says "À bientôt!/ See you later!"

Friday Frivolities: Roller Derby

Last weekend, Simon and I went to a Roller Derby Game. I never knew what Roller Derby was until I saw the movie Whip It!.  I was then intrigued and did a bit of internet research. We do have a league in Ottawa: The Rideau Valley Roller Girls.

It wasn't as chaotic and aggressive as I thought it would be. Actually, it was quite orderly and the contact rules are very strict. It almost looked amicable for a competitive sport. It's great to see a bunch of women of varying ages and sizes having fun on the "rink". There is a nice camaderie between the players, even towards the opposing team.
I think it would be a sport that I would be drawn to if I was a really good skater.

NOTES:
-It's a child-friendly place. Lots of kids running around and playing with balloons. Also, the popcorn is 50cents! Nothing is 50 cents nowadays!
-It gets hot in the arena. Do not wear a wool sweater.
-Bring a lawn chair and sit on the slab (on the ice). It's more comfortable than the bleechers and you are closer to the action.
-The games don't start on time.
-The only way to truly understand the sport is to see it.

If I were a Roller Derby Girl, my name would be Sassy Girl and my number 1977 ;)

Thoughts on a Thursday: Fun Times with Margot

Margot is hilarious! These are some of the things she does:

Making a house or a castle of blocks:

Pulling her dolls on sleighs:

Sleeping on the floor:

Pushing her petit lapin, chat, ours in the stroller when we go for walks. A very slow (and crooked) walk indeed!

Wearing a backpack and carrying a book (I think this one is my copy of Anne of Green Gables) when going to fairs or markets:

And that's just her singing and dancing before she goes to bed. "J'ai tombé dans mon jardin, ça fait mal...". 

Wednesday's Words: A Quote from Yeats

We are happy when we are growing.

                                                                                                   -Yeats

I think that is why it's important to keep the spark alive.

To try new things.

To fail.

To succeed.

To be open.

To say yes more.

Tuesday Travels: Choosing Where to Go

I'm looking forward to our Vancouver Island trip! We're leaving in less than two weeks!!

S. and I settled on our trip out west after our NYC return back in March:

That's us, talking about our summer vacation while chilling on the High Line in NYC

After three nights of being away from Margot, we concluded that we missed the little miss and it would be fun to travel with her this summer. So, we threw our other trip options sans l'enfant -  Turkey, Morocco, Croatia, Italy, even Japan for a brief moment-  out the window. To be honest, Morocco was the only serious country consideration as I even made a pros and cons chart comparing different travel groups/organizations and we were looking into flights with Air Maroc.

When Margot was one, we went out East:

That's her, exploring the wildflowers.

When Margot was two, she stayed with the grandparents and S. and I enjoyed Iceland together:

Isn't this fun?! I completely forgot about my child back home!

This year, we're travelling with Margot to Vancouver Island: Victoria, Salt Spring Island, Qualicum Beach, Ucluelet.

Next year, when Margot will be four, the plan is for her to experience her first transatlantic flight to visit our favourite Béziers residents (actually, our favourite French residents!)

I love the idea of a yearly trip.

Simon works so hard, so I see travelling as a break for him. If not, he wouldn't take his allocated weeks off. And I don't want him to spend his days off as a staycation, puttering around the house. That's not his style and I would feel restless.

After Béziers, I think that in future years, we'll alternate travelling with Margot and without, depending on where we choose to explore. We'll see...