Home again

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. I had so many good intentions of documenting my way through Winnipeg (pictured above, circa 1953) which is where I've been for the past week but unfortunately, I found myself in bed for most of the trip. (If you can believe, there were even days that I didn't log onto my computer! The horrors!) Fortunately, I was still able to squeeze in some quality time with family and a few good friends.

One of those visits was with a wonderful friend I had spent many (many) days with in my past. It was so great to see her again. I wanted to tell her how much I missed spending time with her and how I wished that we lived in the same city so we could hang around every so often like we used to but didn't want it to get all weird and uncomfortable. Of all the friends I've ever had, she's the one I connected the most with - a special connection that I've yet to recreate with another. We could spend hours laughing on the phone or sitting in the car chatting away or just sipping drinks in a smokey pool hall. It didn't seem to matter as long as we were there together. I'm just glad that we were able to catch up with one another on this trip and laugh like old times. I hope we'll have more opportunities like that in the future.

I also managed to visit a couple of amazing vintage shops (Ruby Slipper and Vintage Glory) that had been recommended to me and found some really lovely antique compacts - the kind that you might see on Mad Men. I plan to photograph and share them here (some day). As well, my sister took me to one of my all-time favorite restaurants (Mondragon) where H & I shared a delicious vegan burrito, some African peanut soup, a pupusa and a slice of scrumptious sweet potato cheesecake with date icing. On the side, I enjoyed a tasty yerba matte latte. Mmm.

Of course, it was nice to be back home enjoying my Mom's cooking and visiting with my lop-eared bunny, Yoyo. I also had fun digging out some old love letters and pictures that had me in stitches. H loved spending time with her grandparents who tried to spoil her silly and was able to play with some old friends in the neighborhood. On Saturday, we had a little party to celebrate my sister's and cousin's birthdays and nibbled on all sorts of goodies from sushi to Indian dishes to crab legs. Needless to say, my clothes are now a wee bit snug (as if they weren't already!).

Sadly, I wasn't able to see everyone I wished to but hopefully, we'll still have the chance to catch up some time soon...

Hope you've been having a nice week. Take care and talk soon. xo

Fur coats and bikini bottoms

It's funny how quickly I've forgotten about living in Winnipeg and enduring those minus thirty-something (even forty-something) degree temperatures with the windchill. Then again, I'm one of those people who starts wearing layers under their clothing as soon as the mercury dips a few degrees. (I need to be warm at all times, really.) Imagine the irony when I asked a friend in Winnipeg if he thought the weather would be warmer and if the snow would be gone by the end of the month since I was planning a trip home. (As if his answers would really stop me from going to see my family and friends.) Still, despite all of the exposure and experience to the less-than-kind prairie temperatures, I can safely say that it is freezing here today in Toronto.

Time to snuggle up and turn on the fireplace. If my Mom lived here, I might even see if she still had the fur coat and hat she used to wear when I was a child (raccoon, no less...this could be where my fears originated from). Of course, I'm kidding about ever wearing the ensemble. I always thought it was such a ridiculous look (so Linda Evans in Dynasty) but remember the days when everyone wore fur? The horrors.

Like family

We had brunch with some friends that were in town from Winnipeg this morning. Since we had such a great time at Commensal the other night, we thought we would try it out again today. It was great seeing J & M and enjoyed the exchange of stories and laughs. It was like being with family (minus the bickering) and I realized how much I missed seeing my old friends.

I don't ever regret moving to Toronto from Winnipeg but there are days when I do miss certain things such as my family, friends, familiar streets and the ease of driving.

The transportation system in Winnipeg is nothing like Toronto's - there are no subways or streetcars and the bus system is really lacking. I had a car and drove everywhere when I lived in Winnipeg. You could get across town in about 45 minutes and downtown was only about 15 minutes from where I lived. It was effortless. Sometimes I miss being able to hop in my car and drive just 15 short minutes to get to most of my regular destinations. Other times, I just miss how easy it all was.

In addition to driving, I really do miss seeing certain people and spending time with them. I miss the comfort of my parents' home and playing with Yoyo (my and H's lop-eared dwarf bunny). I miss being near my parents and sister (in small doses) and spending time with my cousins. I miss my dear friends and hanging out and laughing with them. Some days, I wish I could just go for coffee or dinner with an old friend or just sit together and watch a movie. Don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying the new friends I'm meeting but there's nothing like sharing a history with someone and having that level of comfort that is only attainable through years of friendship.

So, this is dedicated to all of the special people in Winnipeg that I'm thinking of tonight and all of the familiar streets I once frequented. See you soon. I miss you. ♥ xo

Like being in a meat freezer

It's really cold here today in Toronto. Despite growing up in Winnipeg (where the windchill can dip down to -30 and -40 degrees!), I will never ever get acclimatized to those severe temperatures. I even wore my heavy duty 'sleeping bag' jacket today and layered a pair of sweat pants under my jeans but still, I found it bitterly cold. The only consolation is that it's clear and sunny out. (This is a concession that can often be heard throughout those unbearably cold winter months in Winnipeg.) I'm home now with the fireplace on and the heat cranked up high. I'm also sipping on a double chai spice tea to keep me warm.

I'm feeling restless today (or, as my husband says, still). I wish I was somewhere else; doing something else. I'd love to be somewhere new and exciting with my camera (and family, of course)...taking pictures, holed up at a café and writing in my journal, sitting by the ocean thinking, eating interesting and delicious unknown delicacies, writing letters and postcards to friends about my travels, sipping cocktails to quench my thirst from the heat or meeting new friends abroad. Of course, what I really need to do is get back to my assignment. (Sigh)

I think I'll look through a couple of my vintage letters before I settle into my schoolwork again. It's a little way to brighten my mood.

Hope you're keeping warm wherever you are (in thoughts and in body). Talk soon. xo