Happy weekend

[vaneramos]

Friday was movie night. Spending time with the girls makes me happy.

Saturday I took them to Radial Line Trail for the first time, with its eerie, long arboreal gallery following the old track to Toronto. The snow was still deep and clean there. The dense cedars sheltered us from wind, but it soughed softly overhead. City sounds vanished. When we reemerged into sunlight, Marian opened her coat to soak it up.

Someone had chained the path to the dam with a forbidding sign warning of health and safety hazard, but we went in anyway and found water pouring more powerfully than I remember. We stayed there a while, the girls sitting in meditation, me snapping some of my favourite ice pictures ever.

Afterwards we went to the mall for three hours. I bought candles, hand soap and hand lotion. Brenna bought candles, and both girls bought clothes.

Yesterday Moe and Sylvie & Sarah came over to play Settlers for the afternoon and evening. I didn't tell them it was a sort of birthday party, didn't want anyone to make a fuss this year, but Sylvie remembered and brought me Belgian chocolates. Moe won the first game.

Then we walked down to the pond in crisp sunlight, watched mallards and Canada geese, saw webbed footprints on the ice. Sylvie and I left Sarah and the girls trailing far behind. She has trouble fitting in with adults but loves teenagers, and the girls adore her in return. At 27 she is one of the wisest people I know.

Back here we dined on finger foods. I had bought springs rolls and meatballs, crudites and artichoke asiago dip. Marian made guacamole and Sylvie made vegie antojitos. I won the second game.

The girls sleep in every morning. Brenna just came to greet me. In a few minutes I will make German apple pancakes. Then I have to take Brenna to Lindsay and Marian to Toronto. It's snowing again.