Finally ... Corktown Bridge over the Canal

Last August I wrote about how the city was considering naming the new footbridge crossing the Rideau Canal Corktown Bridge, to honour the Irish immigrants that helped build the Canal with picks & shovels in the early 1800's. Corktown was the raunchy settlement of huts housing the workers at the time.

Public consultations were held this week and after 9 months, the name of Corktown finally beat other nominees by a landslide. Now all that's left is for it to get final approval from city council. I love it!

Read more here.

Camping at Frontenac Park

I'm getting excited. Friday morning, D., Cassie and I are heading out to Frontenac Provincial Park for two nights. It's my first foray into backcountry camping - we can't drive up to the campsite, we hike to it. Our lakeside campsite is about a half hour hike from the car which suits a beginner like me just fine. The weather forecast seems reasonable with highs in the mid-twenties, 40% chance of showers on Friday and even less for Saturday.

Tomorrow we visit Mountain Equipment Co-op for some last-minute supplies: camping dishes & utensils for myself, a bear bell for Cassie (thanks to Sis and Bro-in-Law's foresight and thoughtfulness, D. and I each have one already) and a few packs of freeze-dried camp food. Mmmm.

I look forward to immersing myself into Mother Nature's glory for a few days. I just hope she'll keep the bears away.

Doors Open Ottawa

The 6th annual Doors Open Ottawa is taking place this weekend, Saturday June 2nd and Sunday the 3rd. For two days, participating buildings not normally open to the public will open their doors to visitors free of charge. It's a great opportunity to learn about our city's history, architecture and design.

During the past few months I've been reading Katharine Fletcher's Capital Walks - Walking Tours of Ottawa. This would give me the perfect opportunity to visit some of the wonderful buildings she describes in her book. Unfortunately I won't be around to take advantage of it.

But maybe you will.

Whether you choose to explore Ottawa's Youth Hostel, where the last public hanging in Canada is said to have occurred, or Manotick's SunTech hydroponic greenhouses, it sounds like a great way to spend a day - and a cheap one too! I'm already looking forward to next year's.

Runners Runners Everywhere

This weekend was the Ottawa Race Weekend. Once again, downtown streets were filled with folks wearing spandex and race bibs. Once again, I spent the earlier portion of Saturday evening cheering on thousands of 10km runners - beautiful people of all ages, shapes and sizes giving it their all. I didn't know anyone; I just cheered for the sheer joy of it and the rush of witnessing individuals working towards a noble goal, some more laboriously than others.

Last year watching the 10km runners file along city streets inspired me to sign up for a Learn to Run clinic at the Running Room, which led me to complete my first 5km. Although I'm not planning to sign up again, I did feel an itch to pull out the ol' running shoes & spandex. I'll keep you posted ... :)

Finding My Stability Zones

A few months ago, I stumbled upon a passage in a book that described stability zones: parts of our life that give us calm, comfort and peace when everything around us seems stressful and chaotic. Examples include taking the dog for a walk, cleaning the kitchen cupboards, being with friends and looking through old photographs.

I need to rediscover my stability zones.

Sifting through old family photographs and letters grounds me. This morning I pulled my great-grandfather's wooden Colman's Mustard box full of family goodies from under the couch and spent time gingerly unfolding and reading handwritten letters, business receipts and deeds going as far back as 1894. Each time I do this is a different experience. I discover a new name, date or note, make a new connection between ancestors - or between ancestors and myself as I recognize a new quirk or trait I share with them.

Doing this soothes me. I feel a deep, tangible connection to my roots.

Reconnecting with my family history is one of my stability zones. What's one of yours?

Once Again, The Sun Beckoned

(Photo by Steph)

I couldn't resist how early morning sunbeams entered through my east-facing kitchen window and made their way across my apartment to my bedroom door. Their visual warmth enticed me to hop out of bed, grab my camera and play a little. I was pleased with the result.

PS - In case you're wondering, hanging on my doorknob is my great-grandmother's umbrella: white polka dots on tiny black & white checks with a clear amber-coloured handle.

A Thought for Patches

D.'s cat went missing this week - she's probably not coming back. Patches was well loved. At 18 years of age she's had plenty of time to impact loved ones with her purring and affection. She was a friendly cat who enjoyed being with her people. D. found her when she was a kitten, abandoned in a cardboard box in the woods, and brought her home. She's been living with his grandmother (a.k.a. Nan) since.

It's hard to lose a pet - especially one of 18 years. I'm hoping Patches just took off on a spontaneous adventure and will return home soon, but it's been several days now. Good vibes are going out to Nan and D. as I type, and to Patches, wherever she may roam.

Saturday Morning Sunshine

I'm awake much too early for a Saturday morning, but the sun shining through my windows beckoned. I thought "Why fight it? Just get up and enjoy it."

Today I look forward to:

• sipping on a cup of freshly brewed Boreal Blend,
• tidying up my balcony so I can sit out and enjoy the stunning burnt orange begonias I planted yesterday,
• watching the Sens game somewhere on Elgin St. with D. and Dad, and
• spending time with D., Sis, Bro-in-Law and my parents, who are visiting from NB.

The day seems to be shaping up well. The first good thing I did was listen to the beckoning sun. Now for that cup of Boreal Blend ...

Odds & Ends VI

I haven't been posting much lately. Since my return to work, I've been struggling to find a way to do all that I want to do during evenings and weekends. I'm not sure my expectations are realistic. But I digress ... this post isn't about lack, it's about abundance.

Even if my recent focus has been incorporating my return to work into my life, a lot of other things have been happening around me and I've taken note:

A Running Kudos
Congratulations to Sis and Bro-in-Law who were off to the races last weekend! Sis met her goal by running her first 5km race of the season under 30 minutes and Bro-in-Law performed another Personal Best at marathon #8 (I think - I've lost count) with a chip time of 3:25:19.5. You guys inspire and rock!

Mud Lake: A Nature Lover's Paradise
Sunday morning, D. and I spent over two and half hours exploring the wonders of Mud Lake / Britannia Bay Conservation Area, just east of Britannia beach. What a find! Not only did we spot over 10 types of birds, we saw turtles, an otter, catfish and a snake. Most of the time we couldn't even tell we were in the city. This place is truly a treat for the nature lover's soul.

Simple Living and the Environment
While reading Your Money Or Your Life, a classic book in Simple Living circles, it dawned on me that one of the by-products of Simple Living is often a newfound respect and care for the environment. Perhaps this type of education or rethinking of our lifestyles from the core would have a longer lasting effect than pushing environmental legislation through quickly because it seems to be the "in" thing to do - a way to gain political support? Hm. I'm still thinking this one through, more to come in another post.

Tulips, Tulips, Tulips
I'd forgotten how beautiful the tulips are along the Canal and Dow's Lake. Not only is the Canal flowing again, reminding us that summer is around the corner, the tulips are out in full force. I had the pleasure of walking among them on a gorgeous evening, their beauty enhanced by the experience of gabbing and giggling with a good friend. I highly recommend you do the same if you can.

Hope you enjoyed this version of Odds & Ends. 'Til the next one!

Harder Than I Thought

Going back to work is harder than I thought it would be. For the past week I've been tired, moody and pestered by aches & pains.

Some parts are fun: lunch hour walks with friends, setting up a new office, and the upcoming paycheque on Friday (ok that one is a LOT of fun!). Others are trickier: lack of sleep, figuring out a new system to manage "to do's" between home & work, and reminding myself that I am not my job when I witness negativity and cynicism in the workplace.

There's still a part of me that wants my job and its environment to align with my values and interests. I'm not sure where I am is where it's going to happen, though it might be a stepping stone.

After a year without a salary, I'll admit that the money and benefits are very attractive to me. So just for today, I'll make sure my time is well spent by making that money and those benefits work for me. And just for today, I'll enjoy the friends, the walks and the chance to start anew.

May 7th is Pay-What-You-Can at the NAC

Another pay-what-you-can (PWYC) evening at the National Arts Centre tomorrow night ... this time it's a play called 7 Important Things, by Nadia Ross. From the Web site:

"... Throughout his entire life, George would come to identify with cultural movements that went directly against the mainstream, that opposed the status quo. Now in his mid-50s, George can no longer identify with a counter-culture: not because he is too old or is no longer radical, but because he believes that everything, absolutely everything, that goes against the mainstream now is reduced to yet another item to be consumed. In essence there is no opposing the "unstoppable growth of Growth" in capitalism gone wild. George is a failed Utopian, but he is in no way bitter about that fact. ..."

I'm still not sure if I'm going to this one but I did enjoy the others I've attended. They're dress rehearsals. There's a risk the show might be interrupted for adjustments, but it hasn't happened to me yet.

The play starts at 8:00pm and the price is whatever you feel like paying. Not a bad deal for a soirée at the NAC!