Goodbye to Quebec

Before the walk begins

I came to Aylmer, January 19th

I leave March 21st.

How lucky for me to have spent my first winter in Quebec.

I have watched the kids skate, go to daycare on toboggans, and now I have seen the first hint of spring.

I have been trying to model good behaviour (to prove to myself that I keep some rules, I think) by going for walks for the past week. 

I can do a brisk walk down to the bay of water by the river in about 40 minutes.

The hill is slopped gently down to the river, and I don't notice the incline on the way back for I am warmed up to walking by then, and opening up my sweater to cool off.

I sometimes stop at the grocery store to pick up a few things, but I have learned I am a bad shopper when there is only French as signage above the vegetables ... and my French food vocabulary is ultra pathetic. 

I need to take along a dictionary, just to put some grocery items in my basket.

I told the kids today I would give them a chance to have any picture they wanted.

Naomi decided to have her picture taken with one of Aunt Catherine's flower pencils behind her ear.

Catherine has a bucket of them at her house and generously presses one in the hand of anyone who admires them.

There is evidence of a strawberry smoothie on Naomi's face. 

A wonderful Sunday breakfast.

Her mom has been slipping dessert tofu into it, to get her some protein for she has a limited number of items she wants to eat.

Sometimes she would rather not have any food at all.  I don't understand any part of that.

I took some shots of Rhiannon while she was waiting to go out the door for church.

She is wearing jewellery.

Edible jewellery.

The only good thing about what she is eating is that it is the same colour as her sweater and won't show the dirt that badly when she is bundled up to go off to church in a few minutes.

Xavier gave me a number of his best possible shots.

It was hard to choose just the right one when I was getting ready to blog.

How about this look,Grandma?

This captures just how good he is with his eyes: talent like this is not developed without a lot of hard practise.

Arta