Many friends and a wedding

It’s 11:15, Wed., July 30, 2014, and I’m already in the VIA Rail station in Ottawa waiting for the train to Toronto which won’t arrive for over an hour.  When I was a kid, I was amused by grandma Liddle who would be sitting bolt upright by the door in our house in Fort William, looking prim in hat and gloves ready to be driven to catch the train for Winnipeg, at least an hour before dad thought he should drive her to the station, but here I am just as bad.  Mela and Don did their best to hold me back. but I was so obviously unable to settle to anything after breakfast that Mela drove me here a full hour before she had planned to and now I’m happily waiting for the train secure in the knowledge that I am within a few feet of the departure gate.

Before I say anything about my trip east, I will announce that Jay and May are married.  Jay informed me when we talked on Skype.  He is so busy doing all the paperwork necessary to get the whole gang to Canada that it was well into the conversation before he mentioned the fact that they had taken that step as one of many things they are busy with.  It was a civil ceremony, but we will have something more festive when they get to Vernon.  Coincidentally, I had found my grandmother’s wedding-dress, the one mom and I were also married in when I was going through mom’s stuff with her as we prepared for their move.  I told Jay that May could wear it if she wanted, she’s the only person I know now who could, but I won’t insist she do so.  I was just happy to see it again and I will keep it for a while.  After moving mom and dad, I’m determined not to collect too much stuff.

I may be like my grandmother in certain ways, but I just did a very 21^st century thing.  I boarded the VIA train using an iPhone to verify my ticket.  I proudly opened my email inbox, scrolled down to the VIA ticket confirmation email, opened it and had it scanned. Presto!  I was on the escalator heading for the train to Toronto. However perfection eluded me as usual.  I had immediately replaced the iPhone in my backpack only to discover once I got to the train that I had to show it again in order to determine my car and seat numbers.  This meant stepping aside to let others enter the coach while I fumbled in my pack, got out my purse, removed the phone again, opened email, etc.

I had a wonderful eventful yet restful visit with friends in the Ottawa/Wakefield area.  Caroline and I walked all over her neighborhood with Roxie, Gabe and Susanna’s little white cokapoo.  We had good visits and meals, looked into some details for the wedding and ended up at Mela’s on Friday for the WWW gathering at Mela’s.  That was the usual gabfest and feast, at the end of which, I stuffed myself and all my luggage into a small car with 4 of my wild friends and was driven to Barb Steers’ home on the shore of the good old Gatineau River.  I had fun with her in the summer heat, swimming, kayaking, floating down the river on inflatable chairs and biking.  We kayaked to Smith’s one night for mohitos on their dock, a swim and dinner on the deck.  We exchanged stories of family and friends and I saw Marilyn’s new works which are a very creative move in a new direction.  Archie lent us a headlamp so that we could find our way back to Barb’s in the kayaks in the dark.  It was really fun paddling in the dark.  I biked and kayaked past our old homes a few times and was overcome by waves of joy because I have such wonderful memories of the years we spent building and living in them and sadness because those times ended sadly and too soon.  I ran into more old neighbors than I had even hoped to see and Barb had organized some reunions, so it was a good return on the whole.

Mela picked me up at Barb’s and we drove to Cordula’s for another gathering of the WWW.  This time I was happy to see Miche too.   She had not been able to come to Mela’s because she was looking after Katia’s daughter Anna who flew to Canada from Dubai to spend 3 weeks with Miche and Paul.  We swam in Cordula’s new pool and talked, laughed and ate well as we always do.  The evening ended with a glorious sunset behind the trees that fringe the field behind Cordula’s house.

I spent the last phase of the trip with Mela and Don.  She had said they would spoil me after my busy time in Victoria, and they did.  We ate almost every dinner outside in the garden.  Blake and Margaux joined us one night.  Mela and I took our time touring the Dore exhibit at the National Gallery one day and another day we walked around among a group of art installations in a field at the Experimental Farm.  Each artist had worked with plants to make a work that would change with the season.  One of the artists, a friend of Mela’s met us at the farm and gave us a tour.  Mela lent me her bike one day so that I could ride along the Ottawa River bike path to see Linda.  We had a good visit in her garden and she took me out for a very tasty lunch of fish and wonderfully crispy fried onions.  Danbrook picked me up at Don and Mela’s this past Sunday.  We drove to dinner at the Baughan’s.  It’s become a tradition to have dinner with them every time I return to Ottawa.  Caroline makes great snacks and food in general and Geoff and Megan join us.  I’m always happy to see young friends.  It reminds me of Jay and the fun we had visiting as a family.  Megan has a good job in HR, a position I have admired for its women’s networking system ever since Caroline found her first job in HR.  I met Geoff has a new girlfriend, Sarah, whom I met for the first time.  She’s lovely. 

The event around which the timing of this trip was determined was Gabe and Susanna’s wedding.  I was happy to have a minuscule part in the preparations.  I sat one evening with Caroline, watching a movie and stitching the last part of the border of the magnificent quilt she made as their wedding gift.  Mela and I also spent an hour or so with Caroline in the area of Mud Lake near Mela’s, gathering Queen Anne’s Lace and other wild flowers that Caroline later transformed into the bouquets for the bride and her maids.  The wedding itself, at Mariposa Farm east of Ottawa, was wonderful.  The ceremony was held outside, the guests were led by the farmer on a tour of the place as the pictures of the wedding party were taken and the dinner was superb.  The duck confit rivaled the Peking Duck we had in Beijing.  The ceremony itself and the speeches during the dinner were especially personal and meaningful.  The commitment of the couple to each other and of their families and friends to them was moving.

Mela and Don at Gabe and Susanna's wedding

Gabe and Susanna walk down the aisle, just married, watched by Albert, Caroline and Mara

Susanna and Gabe at their wedding dinner, toasting Jay and May's marriage

Urban biking again.  Mela's bike leaning against the spider in front of the National Gallery in Ottawa

Linda in her back garden with one and two thirds of her three dogs

Queen Anne's Lace