The idea to travel for an year was smoldering in our hearts and minds for a while ant then we said that this was the best time. So we packed up our cares and woes not to mention our furniture, discarded lots, left some stuff with Grant and put the rest into storage. And we were free..... We did look around for a place to come back to--probably in 2016. We will return to Ottawa because we have friends and family here, medical people and probably by that year, all our children will be in Ottawa again.
We left on the 30th of November, 2014--literally left our bed of 42 years in the middle of our bedroom on the 7th floor of the Watergate on Wurtemburg Street. Our car was panting under the weight and amount of stuff in it. One of it was the cradle for our new granddaughter who will be born late January.
We spent the first three weeks at Calabogie relaxing and unwinding. Moving away is a complicated job. Calabogie is a resort about 1 hour west of Ottawa. The first night we joined a group of Calabogieans for a singsong, light up for Christmas, hotdog and hot chocolate and cookies celebration. Nothing like a hotdog to get me in the spirit!!! We met some of the locals as we are wont to do and were invited to join the Loins Club on the following Friday to prepare candy bags for Santa to give the kids at the parade on Sunday. I think a dentist might have donated the candy with an eye to tooth decay.
There was a lovely fold-up table and stools in our kitchen which lent itself to painting. So, I spent the mornings of the first week, experimenting with watercolours. Fun and very relaxing. George spent his time learning to use his new iphone and Windows 8.1 on our laptop computer. Together with our computer guru, we decided to discard our old desktop. We also had lovely walks. The next two weeks included two trips into Ottawa--one to have lunch and take Grant to the airport and the other for medical appointments. I had my annual cardiologist appointment and he said all is well and not to see him for at least a year and if we were out of the country, a year and a half would do. We also had lots of great company, lots of great food, two concerts at the Neat Cafe in Burnstown and visits to the Blackbird Cafe for cake.
One morning, we woke to winter and it was the day we had to go to Ottawa and had tickets for a concert at Neat Cafe. The roads had been cleared but were very snowy. There was a great deal of snow in the parking lot after the concert. Our not-snow tires made trying to leave a tad difficult. George rocked the car successfully and we were on the incline to the highway, when the grip of the tires gave way. He was going to back up when we realized that someone was pushing at the back of our car. My knees still feel week when I think about how close we came to almost running over him. We had no idea he was there. Anyway, we got back to Calabogie Lodge and the guy is still alive.
On December 19, we started our drive to Oak Island, North Carolina where Claire and Noah live. "That Dancing Baby" will live there, too. So we went to visit with Noah and Claire and help prepare the nursery for "That Dancing Baby". Noah's parents and sister were also join us and spend Christmas in NC. The trip down was uneventful except for a rain storm one day which seemed to have the visibility of a snow storm.
We stayed at the "Perfect Little Cottage" which was a 15 minute walk from Claire and Noah's house. The cottage had a lovely front veranda with two rocking chairs and a great sun room off the kitchen. It felt quite southern. The sun did finally shine so we managed a few walks on the beach. There are many lovely beaches near. We had a lovely Christmas watching Claire grow, visiting with the Klein clan and communicating with Grant and Sheryl and Neil who were travelling in Scandinavia.
It is quite amazing to see our daughter preparing to be a mother. She is tired by now but still doing well. There is lots of planning related to this birthing process. I think I wasn't as aware about it all as she and her husband seem to be. I really think that the movie we saw of a woman giving birth and smiling the whole time, made me think it was a breeze. Ha!!!
Lynne organized a fun shower for Noah and Claire and “That Dancing Baby”. Lots of neighbours attended--what a fun creative group. One is an entertainer and was very warm and encouraging to Claire. She talked about having a plaster cast made when she was pregnant with her son. We made balloon animals and did some juggling.
Claire drove us to the airport on December 29 and we landed in Toronto, ready to see the sights. What a city!! I won because I saw the CN Tower first. Our place is on John Street in the middle of everything. AGO is on the end of the street, The CN Tower is at the other end of the street with lots of stuff in between. This place is a loft--which means a long room with the bathroom at one end and then the bedroom, kitchen/dining room/ sitting room and then the balcony.
Friends from Burlington joined us on New Year's Eve. It was cold so we didn't brave the cold at Nathan Philips Square for very long but brought the New Year in with style. Imagine 2015 and we are on a new adventure.
