My Mom and Dad grew up in Montreal but fell in love with Ottawa soon after they married. Even though Dad's career had us moving around Eastern Canada, we always returned to the Ottawa area and eventually my parents retired there. Lynda and I attended Carleton University and Nancy returned after living in Peterborough and Hamilton. My Montreal aunt even moved to the city when my cousin was a teen so soon everyone had settled down along the Ottawa River. Glen's folks had spent most of their lives in the capital city and although they are gone now, their memories live on.
The city doesn't feel like home anymore but seeing our families makes the trip East worthwhile. Lynda and Chris met us at the airport Tuesday and the chatting began. We had a great time with them as we settled into Lynda's guest room. She kindly allowed us the use of her car so we could see everyone over the course of the next few days.
Our first visit was to my Mom who lives in a senior's residence in Carleton Place. Lynda had a pre-op scheduled for Wednesday morning so she left with Chris then we headed out. As we approached Kanata, Glen asked if I wanted to look for the letterbox that was hidden there. It was a simple detour to St. John's Anglican Church.
The original stone church was built in the 1830s and it has since grown to meet the needs of the community. One aspect of its ministry are two contemplative labyrinths. A labyrinth is a patterned circle with a single path from its edge to its centre. One must watch carefully to follow this path which allows for a slow pace and time to think or pray. The only labyrinth I've ever walked was at the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Both it and the ones at St. John's are styled after the Chartres design.
The letterbox was part of a series on labyrinths and was actually hidden in the graveyard. The clues were simple and accurate and the stamp beautifully carved. Inside the box was a hitch-hiker, the second I've found in my short letterboxing career. I also left a hitch-hiker stamp which I had carved so it'll be interesting to see where that ends up.
Following my sister's excellent map, we found Mom's apartment had a good chat before heading off to lunch. Our destination was a Thai restaurant but it is a family business so its hours often change. This day, they didn't open until 3:00 so we headed across the street to Ballygiblins Pub. Its warm atmosphere and our friendly server made for an enjoyable lunch despite our initial disappointment. The pub tries its best to follow the 100 mile principal although some selections were clearly not from around Carleton Place. Mom ordered a side salad and a kettle of P.E.I. mussels, while Glen decided on the special which was a huge lamb burger. I had a grilled veggie sandwich and asked for their soup de jour which was spicy tomato rice. Turns out the soup choice changed while we were drinking our Barking Squirrel beer (I didn't make this name up). I am not overly fond of chicken noodle so opted for a salad instead. Imagine my surprise when my meal arrived with tomato soup!
Thursday was the day we visited my aunt, Mabel. She had recently fallen and broken her arm so was recovering in the Perley Rideau Home. After negotiating another labyrinth, this one of construction detours and sprawling hospital hallways, we found her in a lovely room. We had a great chat getting caught up with all the details of her operation and her subsequent care. Afterwards we headed to Beechwood Cemetery to visit Glen's folks. We hadn't been there in long time but once Glen saw a familiar crypt, we were able to pay our respects to his mom, dad, and aunt. His maternal grandfather and grandmother and a brother are also buried there. A short walk took us to the Armstrong grave where his paternal grandparents lie at rest.
Beechwood was established in 1873 and is deemed an historic site because of its classical 19th century cemetery design. It has the National Military Cemetery of Canada as well as the graves of many historic figures significant to both Canada and the city of Ottawa. A traditional Chinese cemetery built in the 1920s adds to its uniqueness.
Friday was the day when Lynda had her surgery. She has been suffering for over a year and the surgeon was to remove some metal pins and new bone growth in her shoulder that would, perhaps, give her more freedom of moment and less pain. While she underwent 4 hours of surgery, a snow storm brewed. Glen and I were to head out to Rockland for a visit with my cousin, Victor, his wife, Wendy and their two kids, Colin and Valerie. We left mid-afternoon just as the snows began to thicken.
We had a wonderful evening of good food, good wine and great conversation as the snow storm raged outside. Meanwhile, emails from Chris kept us apprised of Lynda's progress. We all breathed a sigh of relief when he said they were keeping her overnight just to be sure everything was okay.
The drive from Rockland back to Ottawa was not fun. They don't call that stretch of road 'Suicide Highway' for nothing. The snow was blinding and the road conditions treacherous. As we reached the city, the snow let up a little and the plows and sanding trucks made driving easier. We quickly shoveled Lynda's driveway then headed to bed.
Saturday was spent with Lynda, making her meals and keeping her company. She really bounced back quickly from the surgery and was so happy to do things that took her months to accomplish after her initial operation.
Sunday dawned bright and sunny and we were off to see my 'baby' sister in Lanark County. We drove through some pretty spectacular winter scenes in this rocky farm/sugar bush region of the Ottawa valley. Glen had never seen Nancy and Andy's house which is off-grid and basically hand-built. It has taken years of slow progress but it's finally coming together as a snug refuge from the world. We had a great Mexican meal with hand-made tortillas (a skill Nancy learned while living in Mexico). Our nephew, Alan, joined us with his friend, Allie and we had lively conversation as well as good food.
Family visiting ended that afternoon after Chris drove us down to the Chateau Laurier hotel.
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