Edmonton Tourist

Stumbling along, being a tourist in my own life.

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I think this is the end, but I might be wrong

I think this is the end, but I might be wrong

Hey! This past year my 11th blogiversary came and went and 221,407 people stopped by to read over the past 11 years. For those not in the know, eleven is a magic number for me. I use it as a sign that things are where they should be and I am on the right track. When I began blogging in 2010, I used it as a therapy of sorts fully knowing I am not a therapist therefore I would not necessarily be…

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Edmonton Tourist: Tiramisu Bistro

Edmonton Tourist: Tiramisu Bistro

It has been a hot minute since I have been brunching. I think somewhere around 18 months. The last time I remember being out, ordering food and staying at a restaurant had to have been at Café Bicyclette to eat brunch on the winter patio in front of the fire. Even then, I was wary knowing things were changing. A month ago my friend posted about dinning in some igloos. It was outside patio…

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Easing Back into Life

Easing Back into Life

Alberta is heading into Stage 3 for July 1. In three weeks time and my family will be two weeks post full vaccination. My friend texted me this morning to share her vaccination news with a “Let’s do something in July!” HARD YES. I miss friends. Work gave the option of working from home for the whole summer and coming back after September long weekend or going in after July. I am choosing the…

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Bake Club: Babish Cookies

Bake Club: Babish Cookies

I am one of the 9 million people who watch the BCU (Babish Culinary Universe), I started when he only had 6 million viewers last fall. I enjoy his humour and his odd English language choices. Twice a week I tune in to watch. Never have I ever made one of his recipes before but this time he made a basic cookie dough that could be used many different ways. We all know I love a good cookie. After…

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Edmonton Tourist: Vacation Plans

Edmonton Tourist: Vacation Plans

I lost my glass of water and spent about thirty minutes looking for it. You know where it was? Sitting in the water dispenser waiting for me. It was full. I don’t remember filling it. The phone rang this morning and it was my colleague. He needed a report I was supposed to run. I thought I had run it and I looked in the file – nope. There was no record of downloading it either. Sent it to him…

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Pain and Shame

My head is reeling from the news of the mass grave found at the Kamloops residential school. I can’t seem to focus on anything else. There were children found as young as three and UIDs in children under 10. Sounds like geocide to me. I think about the families I worked with in my classroom years ago. Native parents learning to be parents after five generations of no one knowing how to parent…

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Question 21 of 52

Question 21 of 52

What is your greatest strength? As an empath I think my ability to be vulnerable. You wouldn’t think so, I never did either until I received an email the other day that made me cry. I was interviewing people for a job position and in walked this brilliant young man who had everything going for him. I could feel his sadness. I asked why with his resume stacked to the roof was he asking for this…

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Rubber Boots and Marigolds

Rubber Boots and Marigolds

Spring is trying to get here on the prairies without much success. I think we may have had summer because we had one day where it was 26 C. Then the snow came and it the weather is struggling to stay in the teens. I have been watching the overnight temperatures very closely and decided to risk it. I planted my garden. There are people who won’t plant until the full moon after the last frost but…

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Question 20 0f 52

Question 20 0f 52

What kinds of things hurt self esteem? How can you discourage these activities? It’s easy to blame someone for your lack of self-esteem. This maybe true for children who depend on the adults in their life to be truth tellers and caregivers (not care takers). Once we become adults it is important to stop looking backwards and blaming the adults in your life for where you are. Reconciling with…

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Edmonton Tourist: Little Libraries

Edmonton Tourist: Little Libraries

My daughter planned an adventure outing for Mother’s Day. She gave me rules and then told me nothing. “You need to choose five books to leave your collection. Be ready at 10:00 a.m.” Okay – I can do that, thinking we must be going to a used bookstore or flea market. She did say it was neither of those and then my curiosity piqued. I chose my books and was in the car by 10:00 a.m. She was…

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Healing

I have talked about the toll the pandemic has had on me. It is mostly fine but this third wave in Alberta is horrifying. Our numbers per 100,000 are the highest in the world. I am grateful I have received my first vaccine dose. The hubs and parents have theirs, my children are scheduled. It is a relief. Almost 2 million (out of four million) Albertans have received their first dose yet the…

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Question 18 of 52

Question 18 of 52

How do you know when you’ve succeeded at something? I used to think success equated money. I wasn’t very successful. I never made buckets of money because my focus was service. To be in service of others. Someone told me – I think it was my dad because it sounds like him, If you have to work anyways – it might as well be to further humanity. So I did. Except for that one time I hated my job. I…

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Bake Club: Speculoos Babka

Bake Club: Speculoos Babka

The last time I was in the United States back in 2019, I visited Trader Joe’s. This is now the only reason I want to visit. I kid… I also really miss In and Out Burgers. Anyway, back to TJs, they carry this magical spread called Cookie Butter. It is not found here in Edmonton, or wasn’t recently until Freson Bros came to town. The hubs and I were exploring this new Edmonton grocery store that…

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Question 17 of 52

Question 17 of 52

Why is it important to have high self esteem? I think self-love is the most under-rated quality that you can possess. My ex never thought it was a good idea to have self-esteem. It made you arrogant and egotistical. I disagree. People who exhibit those qualities behave that way to build themselves up. They need constant validation. Loving yourself is the best gift you can give yourself. When you…

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Edmonton Tourist: Miquelon Lake Provincial Park

Edmonton Tourist: Miquelon Lake Provincial Park

Miquelon lake is the provincial park of my childhood. Dad would take us here during summer break as long as we did our chores before hand. It was only a 40 minute drive from our house in Sherwood Park so it was an easy destination that gave all the beachy vibes of a destination vacation. That’s a lie. There are no palm trees or crystal clear blue water. It is a swamp in the middle of the…

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Question 16 of 52

Question 16 of 52

What is self esteem? It is the measure of self-worth or personal value. Back in University I took several mandatory courses on self-esteem. My prof. was Eva Roche. I learned a lot from her. One class she invited all of us (40 ish?) to her home for breakfast. Her house was perched on Strathearn Drive overlooking the valley and downtown Edmonton. She shared this home with Senator Doug Roche. It…

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Big Emotions

I see a light at the end of the tunnel. My first vaccine shot happened on Thursday and I felt euphoric. Then I went home and back to work. Whomp whomp…. This past year I have felt some really big emotions and I don’t have anywhere to put them. The world is on fire and I have to pretend it is normal as I proceed with fulfilling my regular duties. Only nothing is normal and stuff feels…

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