Tag Archives: Winnipeg

Dec18

First Washington Now Winnipeg

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First Washington Now Winnipeg

This morning I wandered down to the tianguis on my street. It was a tad chilly, a mere 60 degrees. But the sun was shining brightly. And I’ve gotten used to seeing Mexicans wearing ski jackets and scarves in this weather. Lots of hats and gloves too. Me? A short-sleeve top instead of a tank top.

Washington was hit with a second atmospheric river. Once again the wind toppled trees and downed power lines. Lots of evacuations on the west side. And now there are blizzard and heavy snowfall warnings out across the state.

Winnipeg is completely shut down today as a massive blizzard attacked the city and the surrounding areas. Glad I’m not there either, although I do recall blizzards in the past when I braved those Winnipeg winters in my younger days. The good thing about a Winnipeg blizzard is that it blows in and blows out fairly quickly. While it does cripple the city, plows are usually able to clean things up fast. And the highways are not destroyed as is the case in Washington.

Highway 2 west of Leavenworth is closed. That is huge! Not only is this the most direct route to Seattle, it is also one of two main mountain passes between Leavenworth and Seattle. Landslides, mudslides and flooding have taken their toll. A fifty mile stretch of highway no longer exists. Barring any more inclement weather, it is predicted that repairs will be complete and the highway passable hopefully by the end of February.

The only other option is Blewett-Snoqualmie, a more scenic but less direct route also notorious for harsh winter weather. Delays are already all too common and now it will definitely take much longer to travel to Seattle with the increased traffic on this route.

I’m thankful that I’m here in Mexico, although I admit I do occasionally dream of a white Christmas.

Jul21

You’re Never There

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You’re Never There

I disagree. I can’t say I’m never there, but I definitely can say that I’m seldom there. And just where is there? Why, it’s Facebook of course!

Just why am I seldom there? Because life is to be lived. That means up front and personal. That means interacting with other people. It doesn’t mean staring at a screen on my phone or on my laptop all day. That isn’t living.

Basically, I share my WordPress blog on Facebook. I belong to three writers groups on Facebook which I don’t always check out as often as I would like to. I’ve learned a lot about writing and publishing from these groups. As I’ve said many times before, send me a private message if you want me to be aware of something important going on in your life. With hundreds of friends on Facebook, I don’t have time to waste scrolling and sifting through far too many shared posts every day to find the ones that may truly be worth reading.

Occasionally I read posts on Facebook from a group called If You Grew Up In Winnipeg. There are two types of people who post here…those who still live there and haven’t experienced life outside of Winnipeg and those that have escaped Winnipeg when they have discovered the adventures that can be found elsewhere. However I must admit that I do find some of the photos quite interesting.

I had a stimulating conversation with a friend in Winnipeg last night. We’re both divorced, have adult children and grandchildren. We both concluded that our lives have not turned out the way we envisioned them years ago. But we do find our lives challenging as well as fulfilling.

And I wholeheartedly continue to embrace this philosophy…………………. First Coffee, Now What?

And you?

Jun18

Music Triggers Memories

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Music Triggers Memories

We all grew up listening to music. Swing, jazz and big band dominated the 30s and 40s. Rock n roll evolved from various genres of music back in the 50s. My teenage years were the 60s. There will never be another decade like this again and no other decade need even dare to compare.

The 60s began with the British invasion. I attended concerts featuring The Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, The Who, The Kinks, The Hollies, The Animals, Peter and Gordon as well as Chad and Jeremy. Sadly The Beatles never made it to Winnipeg back then.

I also attended concerts featuring American artists such as Paul Revere and The Raiders, Simon and Garfunkel, Sonny and Cher, Blues Magoos and The Monkees. But by far my favorite group was The Beach Boys.

The first time I saw them in person was at the old Winnipeg Auditorium, a popular venue for concerts back in the day. The promotor was leery about the size of the crowd they might attract so this smaller facility was chosen rather than the larger Winnipeg Stadium. The group I saw back then had all the original members…Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine.

While Brian Wilson wrote several songs about the beach, (such as Surfin’ USA and Surfin’ Safari), in reality he was afraid of the water and spent little time by the ocean. Instead he surfed a different wave in the dangerous waters of drugs.

In the mid-80s, the Beach Boys returned to Winnipeg and I took my six-year-old son Kyle to the concert. People sitting near us marveled that Kyle knew all the words and happily sang along throughout the evening. Kyle was a big fan of this group. He grew up listening to their music as his mom constantly played their cassettes. (By then I had replaced the albums with the then new modern cassettes).

But the group we saw in the 80s was very different from the one in the 60s. Brian Wilson, co-founder and leader of the group, was not on stage. Plagued by mental health issues resulting from constant substance abuse, his ability to go on tour had been severely restricted.

This talented musician passed away on June 11th of this year at the age of 82. He is gone; but his music is sure to live on in our hearts forever.

May2

Last Post From Mexico

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Last Post From Mexico

A week from now at this time I’ll be back in East Wenatchee. I just glanced up at the calendar on my wall and noticed that it’s already started to fill up with activities. I’ve missed Apple Blossom and May Day but there won’t be many blank squares on the calendar for long.

Now that I’m down to my last few days in Aguascalientes, there will be more goodbyes to friends. I strolled through the Thursday tianguis on my street yesterday and on Sunday will be going to a swap meet for the last time. I went to one last mass at a Catholic church last night and am looking forward to getting back to my church in East Wenatchee. And of course I want to make one last visit to La Feria.

And I need to pack. By now you’d think that I’d have that one down to a science. But I don’t. I remember the first time I left Tlaquepaque and returned to Winnipeg. In the time it took me to pack up my bathroom, Alfredo had completely filled my suitcase with everything from the drawers and closets in my bedroom. I also remember the days when I used to leave a suitcase in Mexico and only take one with me back up north. But I haven’t done that in years. Instead I started leaving a suitcase in Leavenworth. And now in East Wenatchee my closets and drawers are full as well as a suitcase full of craft supplies.

But I’m getting better. I now travel with only one Samsonite and even that has been downsized. My Baggallini laptop bag is the best carry-on ever invented. I love all the compartments and side pockets. And it fits under the seat on the plane.

The dilemma of what to wear for travel is always a concern. I’m leaving sunshine and 90s and headed to overcast skies and 60s, with a 12 hour layover at LAX. Layers are always a major pain going through TSA. But it’s usually cool on the plane. Time to pull out the sleeveless quilted vest and jeans.

Time to go outside and visit with my neighbors, an elderly couple. My Spanish has improved dramatically and I am quite comfortable sitting and talking with them for a couple of hours. I recall the days when I’d feel overwhelmed after only a few minutes. Now we talk about a lot more than just the weather or their dog.

Have a great weekend and a great week to follow. I’ll post again once I’m settled in East Wenatchee.

Apr13

Sunday April 13, 2025

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Sunday April 13, 2025

Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, or Semana Santa as we call it here in Mexico. It actually overlaps this year with the Jewish Passover which began last night. Whatever you are celebrating, I hope it is a blessed time spent with family and friends.

Religion has been on my mind these days. I’ve been reading a lot of historical fiction. Kristin Hannah has become one of my favorite authors. I’ve also read books by Kristin Harmel and Georgia Hunter. And I still have several more on my “to read” list. As an aspiring writer of fiction, reading the works of other authors is an important tool for me.

I belong to a book club back in Washington. Thanks to North Central Washington Libraries, I’ve been able to read books on Libby and Hoopla and keep up with the group. Actually, I more listen to them than read them. While I much prefer to hold a book in my hands, I find myself listening to audiobooks. I have more than enough screen time with my writing.

I first became interested in reading as a young child. It began with Golden Books and then moved on to Dick, Jane and Sally books I read at school. My Aunt Anne lived in Regina but she was the one who introduced me to Dr. Suess and The Cat In The Hat. She also encouraged me to read other books, such as Charlotte’s Web and Winnie The Pooh. And when I was older she recommended the series of Agatha Christie books. I became enthralled with Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. Decades later when my aunt was in a personal care home struggling with Alzheimer’s, I visited her regularly. Remarkably, our conversation often shifted to books.

Rosamunde Pilcher is another of my favorite authors. I first read The Shell Seekers when I was in Florida visiting my mother. I was recuperating from surgery and reading was a most welcome activity. In the years after that I went on to read all of Pilcher’s books.

When my children were young, I used to take them to programs at the libraries in Winnipeg where I encouraged them to experience the joys of reading. It is amazing to immerse yourself in the many different worlds of other people and to share in their adventures. And I am pleased that my daughter has carried on this tradition with my granddaughter.

What books are on your nightstand?

Jan16

Plans For A Crazy Day

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Plans For A Crazy Day

Today is one of those crazy days. My mind keeps wandering as I’m trying to focus on my writing. I’m working on the Epilogue now. And things haven’t exactly turned out the way I’d anticipated when I’d first started writing this book. And that’s okay. Plans don’t always work out.

Plans. My thoughts drift to the sermon the pastor gave last Sunday. It was all about plans and God’s plans for us. And I sometimes wonder about that. Why did I wind up in Aguascalientes? No ocean here. I don’t hang out with gringos. The art galleries and museums are nothing compared with those in Guadalajara. And then there’s Washington state. I keep being drawn back there. The lure of the mountains and life in the USA.

Yes. Life in the USA. I grew up hearing about how we were so lucky to be living in Canada. Such a great country. The way things are going right now, I don’t think it’s such a great country. Despite the political divide, I prefer my life in the USA. The big drawback to me is that my kids still live in Canada and don’t want to visit me in Washington or Mexico.

Back to plans. My TV has been doing weird things like freezing and no volume and no nothing today. So there goes that plan of watching a movie in Spanish in an attempt to improve my skills in that language. But I have been doing some texting in Spanish today so that helps.

Speaking of today, I had planned on going to the tianguis on my street today. But it’s almost 2:30 and I’ve missed it once again. Oh well, there’s always next week. And I really should take some pics.

Pics. I’m slowly but surely organizing all the pics I scanned when I was in Winnipeg last summer. My son has promised to send me a link so that I can share a few thousand with him.

My son. The other night I missed a video call from my daughter in Kelowna as I was doing a course online at that time. When I called her back, to my surprise my son and his girlfriend were there visiting from Winnipeg. My kids don’t exactly keep me updated on their travels. But it was so great to do a video call and see them all together. Only wish I could’ve been there with them.

Of course that was another long ago plan that never happened. My kids and I all living in the same city and seeing each other all the time. That was the way I grew up. But someone up above had a different plan for me.

Back to my plan for today. Back to my Epilogue. And I’m listening to The Rolling Stones in the background.

What’s your plan for today? And how is it working out for you?

Jul5

From One Extreme To Another

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From One Extreme To Another

I was in Winnipeg for two months. It rained at some point every single day and the temperatures were cool with the odd 70 degree sneaking in. Here in Washington it’s sunny and temperatures are in the 90s predicted to reach 100 in the next few days. I prefer to be here.

Last weekend I volunteered at a book sale in Cashmere on Founders Day for Friends of the Cashmere Library. We raised just under $1000, up from last year’s $600. The money goes towards funding the amazing programs this library offers. I’m actually registered for a woodburning coaster event this coming week. Other programs I’ve attended in the past have included such activities as pastels and painting with acrylics.

It was great to be back at my writers group the other day at the Wenatchee Senior Center. What a variety of writing was presented at this meeting! Members come from all walks of life as well as very different places. Poetry, memoirs, fiction, non-fiction……………it’s all here and the two hours flies by quickly.

Another highlight of the week for me was going back to Shears in Leavenworth to have my hair done. I know. There are salons in East Wenatchee. But Lisa knows my hair and I don’t mind going a few towns away every few weeks to pamper myself. Another bonus is that Linda and I pick up lunch at Dan’s and then go back to her place to visit and binge-watch Netflix.

And yes, I’ve been back to Costco a couple of times and we won’t even discuss clothes or the bag of Hershey kisses I bought. But I did pass on the dark chocolate sea salt caramels LOL.

Cashmere Valley Bank I am annoyed with you. I got a new debit card from my Canadian bank and you wouldn’t accept it at your ATM. But Numerica did. I guess I have a new favorite bank now.

Please pray for my friends in Mexico as Hurricane Beryl bears down on them today.

Jun29

Seventeen Hours

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Seventeen Hours

That’s how long it took me to get from Winnipeg to East Wenatchee last week. Commute to Winnipeg airport, go through TSA, go through Customs, flight to Minneapolis, layover, flight to Seattle, shuttle to Wenatchee, commute to East Wenatchee. Needless to say I slept almost twenty-four hours once I arrived back home.

It’s great to be back. I’ve missed my friends. I’ve missed the mountains. I’ve missed the sunshine.

What I don’t miss is barricading myself in a tiny room and staring at a computer screen as I scanned thousands of photos. I used to jokingly tell my friends that all I left behind in Winnipeg was my son and bins of photo albums. I can now honestly say that all I’ve left behind is my son. The photos are all digitalized. My childhood photos I gave to my brother. The rest of the photos and framed photos are history.

This was a tedious task and it was also emotionally draining. It took twice as long as I thought it would. I’m glad it’s done. Why didn’t we have cellphones with cameras decades ago? This generation has it easy.

I’ll miss my friends in Winnipeg, St. Norbert and Oak Bluff. We had some great times together while I was visiting. We enjoyed stimulating conversations, shared meals, watched movies and did some traveling. I’ll miss you Donna, Loris, Rita, Doug, Audrey, Sheila, Laura, Jacque, Marilyn, Kathy and David. I also enjoyed spending time with my brother.

The moments I treasure most are those with my son, Kyle. I was truly blessed to be with him both on Mother’s Day and on my birthday in May. That hasn’t happened in several years. He also took the time out of his busy schedule to set up a meeting with his attorney so that I could deal with some legal issues. I’m so very proud of Kyle and all of his accomplishments throughout the years. He has come a long way from the photos I scanned of him as a baby and as a child. But it gets harder and harder to say goodbye when it’s time for me to leave again. It’s painful when a mother and her child are separated for such long periods of time.

And now it’s back to life in Washington. Tomorrow I will be volunteering at Founders Day in Cashmere.

Enjoy the weekend!

May16

Can’t Count That High

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Can’t Count That High

I’ve officially been in Winnipeg for two weeks as of today, and it’s still raining. Thunder boomer going on at the moment. Glad I brought a rain jacket. Didn’t need it in Mexico or Washington but I sure need it here. And I don’t feel too badly about holing up in my room with the computer and scanning photos. I’ve stopped counting and can’t believe how many loose photos I’ve found in addition to albums.

I spent most of today in sunny San Diego and in Waikiki. The odd Winnipeg pic showed up. But I’m going out for dinner shortly with Laura and will don my rain jacket. We’re off to Sorrentos for my favorite salad and some pizza. It will be dry inside the restaurant.

Things I’ve noticed in the pics. We dressed up on birthdays and anniversaries. No jeans. No yoga pants. For some reason we always made two or three copies of every photo. I gave up taking pics out of frames to scan. Too time consuming. And I found a lot of framed pics. We had a regular rogues’ gallery in our family room on Dunbar so way too many framed photos. My cell phone takes better pics than my ex’s expensive camera with all the zoom and different lenses. And it’s so much easier to use. We took way too many pics of some things and not enough of others. And we should have been more diligent about writing dates on photos!

I hope to finish the first of four bins on the weekend. And I have a sinking suspicion that there are more than four bins and that some bins are still hiding at Kyle’s house.

Break time is over.

May11

On To Plan B

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On To Plan B

When Plan A doesn’t work there’s always a Plan B. Plan A was working. I arrived in Winnipeg last Thursday and Laura came with me to buy a scanner on Friday. On Monday she came over and set it up and gave me a crash course in how to use it. But Plan A was already off-track as I hadn’t connected with my son and he’s been storing the photo albums. So this week has gone by and I haven’t had any photos to scan yet.

Plan B in action and I am taking the week to see friends instead. And as I visit with my friends I’m going through different chapters in my life.

Rita. We met at an auction back in 2000. We’ve gone through divorces and our kids’ marriages and a whole lot more. Before Rita sold her cabin at Hillside, I always went out there with her when I came back to Winnipeg in the summer, even after the knee surgeries. It was fun maneuvering my walker and much easier when I graduated to a cane. There were steps involved in getting up on the deck and into the cabin. This year Rita picked me up at the airport and we went straight to VJ’s for gut bombs. It was pouring rain but that didn’t stop us.

Laura. My computer guru. We met in college when I was getting my ESL certification back in 2009. She was very pregnant and her baby arrived late so she was able to write the final exams and graduate. Although I moved away in 2010 we’ve kept in touch and get together whenever I come back. She shops around for computers and whatever other technological devices I require. Then when I get to Winnipeg we get together and I buy what she has picked out. They must love us at Best Buy. Whenever the sales person asks a question I refer them to Laura. I only need to be there to tap the credit card.

Sheila. We met back in middle school and have been friends for sixty years. Yep. We’ve gone through a lot together. When we get together it’s like we’ve never been apart as we catch up on kids and grandkids. Sheila doesn’t enjoy traveling and admitted to me that she hasn’t been on a plane in nine years. That’s very different from my nomadic lifestyle. I’ve been on four planes in just the last month.

Jacque. Our kids were in the same pre-school program when we met back in 1983. Jacque was also a caterer and has shared several wonderful recipes with me, the most requested one being the peanut butter cheesecake. Our kids all went to different schools throughout the years but Jacque and I remained in touch. She moved back home to Rochester, Minnesota for a while but returned to Winnipeg a few years ago. I was already well into my nomadic lifestyle but we always get together when I come back for a visit.

Donna. In another lifetime I taught water aerobics at the YMCA in Westwood and Donna was in my class. We also share a love of music and have gone to concerts together. Donna’s husband makes amazing wine which I always enjoy when I go over there. When I was here last summer we spent a memorable afternoon at The Leaf. We were talking at lunch the other day about maybe going to the Museum of Human Rights this year.

Marilyn. After my knee surgery I went to physio at Concordia where I met Marilyn. This awesome physical therapist is one of the reasons I bounced back as quickly as I did from those surgeries. She’s retired now and travels to New Zealand to see her daughter quite often. Over lunch today we talked a lot about Mexico and she’s thinking of coming this winter.

On Sunday I will finally get to see my son and I hope I will get those photo albums so I can start scanning. It will be nice to be with my son on Mother’s Day. We haven’t done that in several years.

Today is May 10 and it’s Mother’s Day in Mexico. It’s been a while since I’ve been in that country for Mother’s Day too.

To all the mothers out there, whether you celebrate today or on Sunday, Happy Mother’s Day!