Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Highs and Lows...

We're back! It was a doozy of a trip, involving a cancelled flight, an overnight stay in the Montreal airport, hurricane force winds, 2 days without power, visiting with as many of our family and friends as we could manage, eating way too much food, and just generally having a wonderful time :)

What was the highlight of our trip? The incredible opportunities to watch and interact with nature. There's a spot not too far from TC's parents where a flock of chickadees live who are so tame that they will come and eat out of your hand. All you need to do is stand still with your hand extended (filled with bird feed, of course) and all of a sudden you feel a little grip on your finger and there's the cutest little bird watching you out of the corner of its eye as it gulps down a seed or two before flitting off to the bushes. The wildlife was a little larger but no less amazing at my parents' place, where they're visited by four or five deer every day - sometimes close enough that you could reach your arm through the window and touch them (though they'd never allow you close enough to do it). They're such beautiful creatures.

And the lowlight? Definitely the innumerable amount of comments from the MIL and FIL about their lack of grandchildren. Seriously, I'm hard-pressed to think of a two hour stretch in which some type of comment wasn't made - even if we were in the company of other people. Actually, now that I think about it, especially if we were in the company of other people! "And I told Mildred that if I had a granddaughter *meaningful glance in my direction* I'd have bought her that little dress...", "We'd like to have grandkids while we're still young enough to enjoy them...", "Well if you'd just forget about the pyjamas at night, it might help things along..." - this one was said while at a church pot-luck. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. The MIL's last words to her son before he left for another year were "Keep making those babies." Nice.

But we're home now, and starting to get back into the swing of things. I've even come up with my goals for 2009, but I'm saving them for another post...

2 comments:

Sherrie said...

Oh. My. Goodness.

I would have LOST it. And strangled someone. In fact, I'm not that far away from them... for the right price. :) Really, though. Good grief. (I'm rolling my eyes and shaking my head in disbelief at the ignorant things people say and do.) Argh.

Sarah C said...

Thanks for the offer, Sherrie. If I didn't love them so much I might have taken you up on it. Dang it. ;o)

I'm sorry we missed you guys! It seems we just weren't meant to see you this time around. Which means you just might need to take a vacation in TO this year. I know a really cheap place you can stay...

(By the way, if you want to feed the chickadees, they're in the bushes on the side of the road into TC's parents' camp. Just park outside the gate and walk in and you'll hear them - or get Matt & Annie to show you.)