Oh Canada, eh!

Multi cultural days at the Dhahran Women's Group draw the biggest crowds of the weekly meetings. Some friends and I had agreed to make a presentation this fall about Canada.

We gave an overview of Canada coast-to-coast, then focused on Alberta and Calgary. We all call Calgary home in one way or another, although we originally hail from southern and northern Ontario, BC and Alberta. Each of us still has kids living in Calgary.

We decorated the room in red & white with balloons, napkins, tablecloths, posters, and other stuff we'd brought back here in our suitcases. We gathered information, made slideshows and PowerPoint presentations, and had a trivia quiz with prizes. We served matrimonial squares, butter tarts, and nanaimo bars of course. The aprons were going to be my Christmas gift to each friend, but they got them early for our day.

I'm sure we boosted Tourism Canada with our presentation about our "Home and Native Land".

Preparing the food

The Presentation

Lynne, Cathy, Pam & Michelle

Central Europe Trip

Druing the Eid holiday in September we headed off to Central Europe with friends Don & Lynne. Brian was our trip planner & co-ordinator, and he did a fantastic job of balancing majestic cities, scenic countryside, and cultural opportunities. We started in Prague, then drove through the countryside of Czech Republic and followed the Danube Valley into Vienna. We continued along the Danube to Budapest, Hungary for a few days. From there we drove through Slovakia and Poland into Krakow. We completed the loop by continuing to drive through Poland back to Prague. It was a great trip!

I love to take pictures of people, particularly photos that capture 'real life'. Here are a few.

Making the most of our way home

It's about time I updated this blog. Here are a few photos of our travels on our way home last summer. We stayed a few days in Germany with a couple we'd met last year while trekking in Nepal. We also visited some beautiful cities and World War I battle sites in Belgium and France.

Doing what we like to do on our trips - Brian confirming the route and its history, and Pam collecting photographic memories.

What is Belgium known for? Waffles, chocolate and lace. We did our best to support the local economy, and it was certainly no hardship.

Bruges, Belgium is one of the most beautiful cities we've ever visited.

Sunset at Dunkerque

Every Canadian knows the poem "In Flanders Fields" and everyone from my generation can recite it from memory. "In Flanders Fields the poppies blow...." We visited the site where John McCrae wrote this immortalized poem and Pam signed the guest book.

Brian is reviewing the history of Vimy Ridge, where Canadians beat the odds and the enemy during the battle here in World War I.

Summer Fun

This summer we had a great time in Calgary. As the family gets larger, more spread out, and more established with their own lives (jobs, school, etc) it becomes more difficult to gather everyone together. But we managed it this summer - everyone came to Calgary. I arrived first and after just a couple of days there, I flew to Kamloops to visit Dad & Deanna.

We had lots of good old family time - spent looking at photo albums, dinners together, choosing library books & reading them, doing puzzles, cooking, swimming, and just enjoying time together.

Elaina is modeling her new princess dress-up from Saudi.

Usually I bring a supply of shoes for our granddaughters, but this year it was fun to share with my daughters. It's easy since we pretty much all wear the same size.

What fun to teach Elaina to play 'Old Maid'. She caught on to the game quickly, but not the idea of not divulging what's in your hand. She's certainly not ready for Las Vegas yet.

We also spent a lot of time at nearby parks with the girls.













One Sunday afternoon we had a picnic with friends, the Waltons, at North Glenmore Park. What a great time - just like old times, but with the next generation.

We ended our time in Canada with a visit to Ontario. First we made a quick stop to visit Claudette in Kenora and enjoy the world's best pyrogies. Then a reunion with some of Brian's cousins in Ontario and a visit to Amesdale.

What's this?! Brian using a luggage cart!

Our summer ended with a week in Belgium & Germany on our way back home, but I'll save that for another time.

Calgary Stampede

I'm back and we had a great time in Calgary. It was Stampede Week while we were there so we took in a few breakfast and dinners as well as a day at Stampede Park. For those who have never been to "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" I must explain that it truly is a 10-day event that transforms the entire city into a western theme. One of the most amazing events is the multitude of pancake breakfasts and hot dog/burger suppers that are set up for free in hundreds of shopping mall parking lots around the city. Many are complete with petting zoos, pony rides, line dancers and of course country singers. We introduced Elaina & Erin, Mike and Jared to Calgary Stampede hospitality. (I had come prepared with cowgirl boots for the girls from Saudi Arabia - no they don't have cowboys here - but they love 'glitzy' things.

We spent a day together at Stampede Park. The barns are always a hit for the kids and everyone loves the midway (well almost everyone) but from these photos, you'll notice that one of our favourite activities was sampling the full range of fair junk food - and I didn't even post the rest (corn dogs, ice-cream, popcorn, etc)

What a great time. More later on some of our other fun.