BufferWe are thinking about our dad and grampa, Hal, today as he celebrates his 70th birthday. We miss our grampa and family, we miss the prime rib that Leigh-Anne use to make on the night of the 24th for Hal’s birthday. We are all a bit homesick today, even as we enjoy the breathtaking beauty [...]

BufferWe asked Ben what he wanted for Hannukah. “Pokemon Platinum DS game” was the clear response. So we went to Future Shop and that’s what he got. We made it clear to Ella that she didn’t need to get anything just because Ben was getting a game. Then we suggested she might want to think about [...]

BufferWith this lovely rendition of a Shabbat classic (?) we wish you a hearty Shabbat Shalom! In case you are wondering, “lokshen” means noodle in Yiddish. Now, according to Jewlicious, this is a Jewish day school classic based on Sheb Wooley’s Purple People Eater. The whole thing just makes me want a taste of Lokshen Kugel, [...]

BufferThe monument for Patricia was mounted yesterday. It seems so long ago that we were in London, struggling with her sickness and inevitable passing. Traditionally, the monument would remain covered and we would go to the cemetery after our year of mourning for the unveiling. Instead, we will remember her by reading a prayer that is often read [...]

BufferWhat a pleasure it was to find LA and Ella in the kitchen in Sunday making butternut squash soup and potato latkes. As Ella grated potatoes, onions and carrots, LA assembled the goopy mixture and prepped the pan for frying. The smell filled the house. And we gobbled them down (well, except Ben, who managed [...]

BufferHal enters his eighth decade on December 24 and unfortunately we won’t be able to be in Toronto to celebrate with him. (He doesn’t really like celebrating his birthday anyways.) So we took the opportunity of his recent visit to Edmonton to do the part we all like the best – put candles in a [...]

BufferWe took the opportunity of visiting Grampa Hal and the frigid arctic cold front to visit the Royal Alberta Museum yesterday. It was a lovely, if extremely cold, sun-filled morning when we arrived at the building we had passed several times to and from downtown. We had set out to visit the Munsch exhibit and [...]

Buffer We are spending Pesach in Palm Springs this year. Sure, we’ll miss having all our loved ones at home. But I’m not sure I will miss and the big seder, cooking for 30, prepping the house, and cleaning up. The Two Minute Haggadah may come in handy this year. I am so excited I want to [...]

Buffer Hard to imagine, but they will be the graduating class of 2021. Fortunately, that seems like a lifetime from now. (As an aside, there are three sets of twins in this class – 2 sets of boy-girl and one set of girl-girl. Amazing.)

BufferBen and Ella performed at their first Edmonton piano recital today. Ella went first. She performed Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary and a nice duet with her teacher Sophia called Recital Time. Ben went second. He performed Verdi’s Anvil Chorus, followed by a song called When I Grow Up. You can see Sophia come up to accompany him on [...]