School Activities

Is it just me or are there way more activities available for kids these days offered in school?

Margot is a member of her school's cross-country team and just this past week she ran a 2 km race in 10 minutes 39 seconds. Not too shabby! Running is pretty natural for her as she usually joins me on the bi-annual races I run every year.

On your marks, get set...GO!

In addition to cross country, for grade four kids there is judo, "speed stacks" (where you literally just stack stuff - not sure about that one!), track and field, improv, drama club and piano. Grade five is when the sports I remember growing up start to be offered, including: soccer, volleyball and basketball. Starting last year they've also offered downhill skiing.

So close..

I definitely don't remember cross country at such a young age (its available to eight year olds starting in grade three) being offered at my school. Good for Saint François D'Assise (a.k.a Margot's school) though! It's not a rich school with tons of facilities but they do a pretty respectable job of finding creative ways to offer new activities. And it definitely helps build school spirit - Margot is always telling me how happy she is when her school beats Édouard Bond, another local area Catholic school, that I think is her school's arch-nemisis!*

 
* When I was growing up my nemesis school was called Prince Charles. Oh those dirty rascals!

Roots and Shoots

The harvest season in this area is coming to an end! I know because our family buys a share of a farm veggie basket where, every two weeks, we get fresh organic veggies delivered to a local spot in our neighbourhood that we can go pick up. The company we buy from is Roots and Shoots, which is based out of a local farm near Wakefield, Quebec.

This season we've recieved:

• Beets
• Parsnips
• Carrots
• Lettuce
• Leeks
• Radishes
• Kale
• Spinach
• Green tomatos
• Regular tomatos
• Tons of herbs
• Celery
• Cabbage
• Zucchini
• Asparagus
• Various squashes

And probably lots of other stuff I'm forgetting. 

I have to admit, those look pretty tasty from this angle

It's a great idea...in theory. The only problem? Glosette Girl and I just aren't good enough cooks to take advantage of the fresh veggies! For example, even with bi-monthly (as opposed to weekly) pick ups, we get way more herbs than we can handle. How much dill does one need?!

Pick ups are fun!

We've also struggled making anything with some of the more exotic items we've received (fried green tomatos was fun the first time we made it. Then I was stumped to figure out something else to use them for!). It's a super pet peeve of mine to waste food. 

I actually think we're better than most when it comes to creative cooking but probably a more efficient way for us to buy local produce would be at the local farmers market. So, while I hate to admit it, I think next year we're going to have to take a pass on the farm share.

A life of experiences

I'm always on the look out for new experiences, whether it's simply visiting a different park in my neighbourhood, when I go visit my family or when I do small day or overnight trips near Ottawa. Best of all, while I love traveling,  some really magical moments can be found close to home without spending thousands of dollars.

That's probably what makes Glosette Girl and I a good match - we both share a love of exploration and curiosity and we're doing our best (and succeeding as far as I can tell!) in passing on that spirit to Margot.

This past Thanksgiving weekend we found a new nearby adventure. Just 1.5 hours away from Ottawa in the Laurentian region of Quebec is Refuge Lac Démélé, a 100 acre oasis where you can rent...wait for a it... a treehouse! Renting treehouses is very "2010's". I never noticed these types of places until the last 10 years or so and now they're starting to pop up everywhere - especially in the Laurentians.

Welcome to the wild side!

Our treehouse, the "Cabane du Lac" was an interesting place to say the least! Built on stilts in the middle of a forest but overlooking a nearby lake, it was, to me at least, the perfect example of glamping. Yes to:

• Wood oven stove 
• Solar shower
• Fire pit
• Propane-powered hot plate 
• Cutlery
• Water for cleaning dishes or boiling
• One solar powered lightbulb

No to:

• Potable water 
• Indoor toilet
• Electricity (other than the one lightbulb
• Internet or WIFI

If you're used to camping, like I am, what does it add up to? LUXURY!

It was definitely a new experience for us. While we were only there one night we were able to take full advantage of the on-site paddle boats, playground and acres and acres of picture perfect autumn trees.

Happy Thanksgiving 2019! 

Hello and Goodbye

Guess what? I gots me some new wheels!

Today, Glosette Girl, Margot and I are the proud owners of a Kia Rio 5 hatchback.

If anyone is proud it's probably the salesman!

Maybe "proud" is the wrong word - "Conflicted" might be more appropriate. Haha before you roll your eyes I am here to tell you one can get conflicted over a new car purchase! First, I'm a bit disappointed we didn't buy a hybrid or electric car. I try to live by my ideals and be a good citizen of the earth through activities like environmental cleanups and walking to work as much as possible, but when we did our research we found that the hybrid/electric cars in our price range weren't really  more fuel efficient than a normal car. So that was a bit of a letdown.

Second, I also feel a bit sad that in gaining our new car I am losing our 2005 Corolla, which Glosette Girl and I have had for 15 eventful years. In fact, the Corolla is the only car Glosette Girl and I have ever owned as we got it just after we got married. It's seen me through law school, living in New Brunswick, living in Quebec, racing to the hospital for Margot's birth, and thousands of kilometres of shorter day trip adventures. It definitely felt like it was part of our little Hintonburg family.

We have a thing for red.

By the end though, the clock didn't work, we had lost a few hubcaps, the car had a couple of big dents and we couldn't close the windows fully or we would smell fumes leaking into the car. Yikes. So it definitely has a date with the scrap yard. Still, I'll miss the ol' clunker.

Goodbye my friend! We won't forget you!

The Witches Thicket Cafe

Margot and I had an opportunity to go on a daddy-daughter date recently at the Witches Thicket Cafe.

For those who subscribe to a no logo philosophy, this place is for you - it looks and feels 100% authentic. Even in hipster Hintonburg most places have a semi-corporate gloss to them - like they want to pretend they don't care about market research and branding, but really they're just clever at hiding their corporate side.

Not the Witches Thicket Cafe!

I read a an article in the local newspaper about these guys and they really seemed to have poured their heart and soul into their own original creation. And I must say, from the vegan menu, to the wicca inspired decor, to the option to schedule a tarot card reading, it really shows.

I wasn't sure if I would fit in here when I first saw the store open up but as soon as Margot and I entered we were warmly welcomed. We then proceeded to have some yummy vegan cookies and shared a hot chocolate.

Even the centrepieces are unique!

I'm sure a lot of potential customers are intimidated by anything that isn't corporate-bog-standard so I hope other people overcome any preconceptions they may have and give this place a chance. It occupies a corner of Hintonburg that was quite rough until recently (as in, murder rough) and having the The Witches Thicket Cafe there is a great way to add some charm to that corner of our neighbourhood.

* Sad news: looks like we were one of the last customers as the store is now closed :(. Guess our neighbourhood wasn't ready for this yet.