we always like to cheers together and being 1330 miles apart doesn’t stop us although it took a bit of direction from the kids for me to get my mug in the right spot, lol…
there were lots of treats and great minds thinking alike as we all opened Chapters/Indigo cards…
technology has made such a difference in our lives…
my dad insisted on turnip water to make the gravy… felt it added just the right flavour… so I cook turnips for every holiday meal, lol… and I’ve also passed along the need for this important ingredient to others;-)…
of course when I ordered the turnip I got two good sized ones, lol…
happily I was able to give one to a friend…
I peeled and cut up the other one and after boiling it, saved the water for gravy, and mashed it up…
had a bowlful and put some away to go with Sunday’s dinner;-)…
had a busy day yesterday… makes me laugh, because usually my days are quietly spent at home reading and watching tv…
started with our aquasize class in the morning… even though it was very cold outside… lots of fun as the session was filled with holiday music that many sang along to…
from there we were off for lunch at the Falafel Place… perfect timing as most people were nearly done as we arrived… had falafel with hummus and salad… it was yummy…
home to spend time listening to Christmas music and reading…
then, a dear friend came by with fish and chips for our dinner… and brought Christmas presents;-)…
I was so excited to spend time with them that I completely forgot to take a photo of my meal, lol…
after we finished our dinner we had cookies and a wonderful visit…
last night we went to The Leaf at Assiniboine Park…
I’ve been waiting ages for it to be finished… the Conservatory closed in April 2018, which feels like a long time ago… this was our view as we stepped into the space… possibly the waterfall is splashing a bit more than expected as there are a few areas that are wet, lol…
it didn’t disappoint;-)… the tropical biome is lovely and I expect it will look even more beautiful as times goes on…
the technology always interests me and they have done a great job of hiding the fire extinguishers but making them easily available…
the space is big and bold with the tall waterfall and large pond…
we spent a lot of time watching the koi… they were beautiful colours and huge… I was struggling with a bit of fish-envy…
I am looking forward to visiting next in the daytime…
the Mediterranean biome was reminiscent of the CMHR building with lots of stone… and it was possible to touch most of the plants;-)…
the display area was cute with many poinsettias, seasonal decorations and places for group photos…
the poinsettias were a sweet reminder of the old Conservatory at Christmas time…
the view looking down from the catwalk was wonderful although I felt a bit nervous with the height, so my grandson took all the pictures, lol…
the Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden at the top of the building was nice…
it was late and dim so we only spotted a couple of butterflies that were resting… I definitely need to visit it in the daytime as well…
it wasn’t too full of visitors, and there were a number of staff (likely many were volunteers) to get you in and around the site…
there was a place to leave your coat (unattended) before entering the biomes, which was great as the space is warm;-)… there is ample parking and you can purchase tickets online or as you enter… you need your membership card, with ID, just like at the zoo…
a wonderful treat and I can hardly wait to visit again😊…
it was around zero, so today’s project involved hooking up the extendible hose in the basement and then topping up the hot tub…
in the process of connecting the hose I had to go out to the garage for a washer… at which point I discovered that the garage side door wouldn’t open… I tried the key, as it seemed locked, but that didn’t work…
I went in through the overhead door and tried to open it from that side, but no luck there either…
in previous winters the problem had been that it wouldn’t stay closed, lol…
so, will have to see what happens in the next while, sigh…
my grandson picked me up and once we were in the store we asked for help finding the water shoes I was looking for… the young man we dealt with didn’t seem to be having a good day… he appeared a bit unfriendly, but eventually did produce the shoes…
then, in another section of the store, the woman helping us was very knowledgeable and friendly and found what I needed quickly;-)…
and the cashier was pleasant, so all in all a good experience… and the store wasn’t crazy busy…
at the sandwich store, the young woman we dealt with was very helpful even though we caused her some confusion with our order, but she figured it out…
we enjoyed our subs when we got home…
a couple of jobs around the house and off he went;-)… then I had a nap😂…
herbiggirlpants 