The camp was wonderful. A little quieter than the previous times I had been there perhaps (I went to bed in average at 3:30am instead of 5:00 because I taught the morning after), but it was quality time spent with good friends. This camps feels like a bunch of us (over 100 people!) rent a big cottage for a week. It's a family camp, with tons of kids playing and learning to play violin, with several of us meeting under the trees in the afternoon for a little bit of knitting, and with everybody wanting to participate and help in order to keep the camp going as long as possible. I love it.
This year, tragedy struck one of us. A close friend lost her sister in the middle of the camps, and we all lost a friend at the same time. I can't really write more about it, not because it is secret, but because so much has been said between us already, I don't have any word left. We cried and drank a lot. But just as her parents were able to find a meaning to her passing away at the funerals (that she will no longer suffer), I want to mention that for me, the non-Hungarian who spent the last 20 years hanging out with these people, it was a truly soothing and comforting experience to see how much the community came together to support the family and each other. It's not something that I am expecting to see in my life outside of the community, and I have added that to my list of things to be grateful about every day.
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I came home Monday afternoon, and I feel that in the past 4 days, as much has happened than in the past 2 months...
First, the windows arrived.
Then, we were told they would be installed on Friday (today). Today, at 5:00pm, all construction workers of the province go on vacations for 2 weeks. How lucky are we? I've never enjoyed the noise of tools and construction as much as I do right now.
Then, the plane tickets for Hungary that were $1,100 before I left on vacations are now $350 cheaper. Hurray!!!
Then, my man decided that he was fed up to work on the floors, so he worked hard all week, and finished the office. That means that we can move in our furniture tonight, and I can spend the weekend unpacking. It also means that we will be able to start using the living room, which will be emptied of the extra desks and shelves. It's starting to feel like home!
Another good news is that finally own a bike. I had been looking for a bicycle for the past month or 2. In Montreal, I used the public bike system, but here I need my own bike. But one thing I realised is that everybody here is a bicycle expert. Seriously, as much as in Montreal, having or using a bicycle is a useful, urban, mean of transportation, here it has become an art. Everybody bikes. But not in the streets, and not to go to the convenience store to get a litre of milk. No, there are those who have road bicycles, hybrid bicycles, city bicycles etc, etc. I was planning on getting a cheap one at the local store, but everybody convinced me I should invest in a good one. I notice there are more bikes stores here than in Montreal, for a much smaller population. Anyway, after talking to a lot of different people about style, material, size, adjustment and use, visiting stores and getting used to the idea that I should pay more than I was expecting to for a bike that I would keep forever (someone told me that I my age, that would probably the last bicycle I would buy...), I met one of my man's colleague who told me that she had a good bike that I could use in the streets that she didn't use anymore in her garage. Since we are about the same height, it fits me. And ta-dam, this is how I avoid making decision. I now own a good quality bike, that was chosen for me. And if anyone asks me why I chose this one, I'll just say it chose me. I have to admit that an aluminum bike is much lighter and fun to ride than a bixi...
The last good news of the week is that despite the fact that we've had no time at all to take care of our urban garden this year, it looks like we are going to get some tomatoes.
Actually, the whole backyard looks good
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| Very noisy Northern Flickers! |
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| Growing chocolate mint |
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| Beautiful echinacea |
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| The roses won't stop |
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| Some raspberry plants made it through the heat...hopeful for some fruits next year! |
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| pretty and orange |
Well, I managed to knit several inches of the 2nd sleeve of my peasy in the buses and planes I took, but I didn't not have as much free time as anticipated at the camp, so it is not as advanced as I had wished for. I think that now that I'll be able to unpack most of the boxes that were left, I will start to take time again to knit more seriously.
I must say that I find it brilliant that the sleeves of this pattern are attached, and have to be knitted before I can do anything else, because I don't like knitting sleeves at all, and this is a very good way to make me go ahead.
That was a long post!
I'll come back soon for shorter ones!
Have a great weekend!
