...And Then Some !

My Aunt Eleanor was a true inspiration to all of us. 

She was the eldest of 5 siblings, raised in Montreal, Quebec.  My father describes her as an "ice-breaker" who cleared the waters for her younger siblings.  She challenged convention and tradition to make life a little easier for those following along behind her. 

Aunt Eleanor had a war-time romance with a young Australian airman.  They married and settled in Australia, where they raised three children and a lot of chickens. 

My father was 13 years old when his eldest sister left Canada.  Aunt Eleanor remembered a gift he sent to her -- a glass perfume atomizer -- with a note proudly stating, "I paid for this with my own money."

Apart from a brief reunion when Aunt Eleanor returned to Canada for a visit in the 1980's, they hadn't spent any time together as adults.

In October of 2011, I took my then 80 year old father to Austrailia to visit his sister.  It had been his dream to visit her for many years, but the timing was never quite right. 

We crossed the ocean and made the trek to Far North Queensland, driving up the winding ocean road from Cairns, past sugar cane plantations, to the peaceful village of Wonga Beach. 

It was a touching reunion, with short daily visits, a trip to a nearby animal sanctuary, and the reliving of fond memories over copious cups of tea.  Aunt Eleanor said she had always wondered what kind of man the sweet little boy she once knew had become.  I think she was pleased with the outcome.

On our first visit, we found Aunt Eleanor working on a university paper at her desk.  The paper she was preparing was for a creative and professional writing unit.  Her eyes sparkled as she described the character development and plot turns of her story, a tale about a young university student. 

Aunt Eleanor was at the top of her class as a student in Montreal.  She had been offered a university scholarship, but was a little ahead of her time.  In the late 1930's Montreal, a young woman was expected to work or raise a family. 

At the age of 89, she started working towards a bachelor of arts degree in ancient and modern history -- proving it is never too late to pursue your dreams.  She did this through distance education courses, and had to first become proficient in computers and online research methods.  Aunt Eleanor soon gained recognition as the eldest university student in Australia.

Along with her research skills, her writing skills blossomed.  She won several awards for her poetry.

Aunt Eleanor shared a copy of her memoirs, called, "My Twentieth Century".  At the time of our visit, she was working on editing the sequel, called, "...And Then Some".

On our last day visiting with Aunt Eleanor, my dad gave her a pretty little glass perfume bottle we picked up in Port Douglas, along with a card saying, "I paid for this with my own money."  She was delighted.

My Aunt Eleanor passed away on Monday, April 22, at the age of 95. 

She will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by us all....And Then Some !

Brother and Sister Reunion, October, 2011.

My famous Aunt, 2012.

Celebrating winter, friendships, and birthdays

I have been back in Edmonton about 6 weeks now, and have managed to spend three weekends on out of town excursions with friends. 

I posted an item earlier about my weekend to Jasper with Lisa and Louie.  It seems the lure of the mountains was strong enough to draw me back for another weekend at the Jasper Park Lodge -- this time with Lorraine and Bin, with whom I celebrated Bin's birthday, my birthday, and the Easter long weekend.

I also caught up with Roxanne, Diane, and Andrea on a girls' spa weekend escape to Red Deer, where we stayed at a guest ranch and celebrated Roxy's milestone birthday (I won't say which one !). 

Here is some evidence of our shenanigans !




Birthday girl stoking the fire.

Flannel pjs, a blazing fire, a hot beverage, and the company of giggly friends
-- what a way to spend a wintery weekend!

Karaoke Queens.
I got high score with Karma Chameleon. 
The deer did pretty well, too.

Sparkly evidence of our trip to the spa !



We woke up the next morning to find beautiful horses staring through our kitchen window. 
Our hosts were away at Cowboy Church.  Uh huh - there is actually a church for cowboys !

Saying hello to our new neigh-bours.



 






The artist at work ! - Painting Easter Eggs at Jasper Park Lodge.

Was it weird that we were the only people there without kids, and managed to make the most mess ? Heck, no ! 
Do you like my earth-after-global-warming egg ?

Lorraine's tulip egg.

Exploring the frozen floor of Maligne Canyon.



Other worldly !



Entering an ice cave, beneath a frozen waterfall.  How cool is that ?!

Looking out from inside the ice cave.

Yup - they actually climbed this.

A sign that spring is on the way.



Beautiful Lac Beauvert.



Fancy birthday dinner.

Fine food, wine, and friends -- What more could a girl want on her birthday ?

Motho Ke Motho Ka Botho

I will be presenting tomorrow to my colleagues in Health Canada on some of my learnings from my year volunteering in Botswana.  I did a trial run with my small work team last week, and am excited to share my experiences with a broader audience. 

There is a saying in Setswana, "Motho Ke Motho Ka Botho" that roughly means "you are what you are because of other people", and I want to acknowledge that I was able to experience all that I did in Botswana because of the people here who allowed me to do so, by granting me a leave and covering my workload.  This is my way of saying, "Look what I was able to learn and achieve because of your support"...and to demonstrate that I did more on my year away than have pool parties and go on safari -- haha !

I will be presenting again next week to the Edmonton Branch of the United Nations Association in Canada, and again in May, to the Health Canada Human Resources Team.  Each presentation gives me a chance to focus on a different angle of my work in Botswana.

I am curious to know what kinds of questions people will have !



And I Say Hello...

I left Botswana Feb. 12, arrived home, Feb. 13, and was back at work Feb. 15.  After my first full week of work, my friend Lisa and her dog Louie took me to Jasper for a relaxing weekend getaway. It was a great chance to catch my breath and unwind.  Thank you !




Louie models the latest in mountain wear.

Main Street, Jasper.

Me -- back in my natural habitat !



The view from my 9th floor office on a snowy day.

The view from my 9th floor offfice on a sunny day.

My office cubicle is now clear, but was festooned in feather boas and Hawaiin leis when I arrived.

You Say Good-Bye...

Some of the friendly faces I will remember from my good-bye pool party.

Nothing quite like outdoor living !  Sigh !

Philip demonstrates adaptability.  I had no bbq tongs, so he used wooden spoons.

Scenes from my last days in Gaborone

36 friends and their families came to my house for a

Sala Sentle / Tsamaya Sentle Farewell Party.   

I hosted it at my house, as I couldn't pass up another opportunity to make use of the

awesome entertaining space (and pool and braai / bbq).  

When will I have this kind of space again ?

I was very touched by the kind words and turn-out.

Also, my house-mate prepared a farewell dinner for me,

and my colleagues at BOCAIP hosted a good-bye office party.

I am so fortunate to have worked, stayed, and played with so many wonderful people. 

We will stay in touch, and hopefully meet again !

My house-mate Anaisa prepares a yummy Portuguese cod and potato dish.

I will miss your sweet smile !

Some of the team at BOCAIP.

The ever gracious Mma Kwape.

Julia prepares drinks for the party.

Thank you for the kind words and gifts.

I'm Back...

I am back in Edmonton...and also back to my blog.  My friends in Botswana encouraged me to continue with my postings, to show what life is like here, in Canada.  It is a good opportunity for me to look at the familiar with new eyes.  I am still getting re-settled, so haven't quite got my act together enough to start sharing stories and pictures...but I will soon !  I left Botswana Feb. 12, after a series of sweet good-byes (which I will write about another time) and returned to Edmonton on Feb. 13, after a safe and uneventful journey.  I then reported back to my job on Feb. 15.  I am adjusting to the streamlined work environment and life at home, which for the moment is my old, childhood home.  I am bunking in with my father until my tenant moves out of  my house at the end of this month.  So, once I get properly resettled, I will resume writing about the continuing adventure....

Marula Season

It is marula season.  They are ripening and falling off the trees in droves.  I was almost hit on the head on my morning walk to work today.  I have to step gingerly around then, to avoid slipping.  Occasionally, I will pick one up, break the skin, and suck the sweet/tart juicy pulp.  I don't see many people doing this, and am surprised that they are not scooped up and harvested.  The marula fruit is a great source of Vitamin C.  Each tiny fruit contains five times the amount of Vitamin C of a single orange!  They are also high in fibre, and can be dried, fermented, or cooked for jams or jellies.

One of our WUSC/Uniterra volunteers is working with a women's cooperative in Palapye to produce and market marula products  The folks in Gaborone, however, seem content to let them rot on the ground.  Maybe if I was here longer, I would learn from my friend in Palapye how to dry them or turn them into jam.

When I arrived here over a year ago, it was at the tail end of marula season -- and mango season.  I didn't know much about marula fruit then, but I knew I loved mangos, and I had the bright idea of making and canning mango chutney and salsa. However, by the time the idea occured to me, mangos were no longer in season. 

Again, if I were to stay longer, I would jump on the mango wagon and make some products to enjoy for future times.  I would also eat more watermelons when they are in season in April.  I love watermelons. Did you know that watermelons originate in the Kalahari Desert ? -- Botswana's sweet, juicy gift to the world !

I have learned that these wonderful treats come and go, and, like most of life's opportunities, you have to make the best use of them when they present themselves to you.  How many of life's opportunities do we let pass us by because we do not recognize how precious and fleeting they are or are not prepared to reap them when they are ripe ?

 

It takes a good year or more of living in a place to get a feel for the rhythm of the seasons. I feel I am just getting into the groove, so to say --- but now I have to get ready to adjust to an old, familiar beat, back in Edmonton.

I leave in just over a week....can you believe it ?  

Let's hope I remember to take the best advantage of Edmonton's seasonal offerings and any opportunites that come my way.