Show and Tell: Coming Full Circle

During last week's Show and Tell, I told you all the story of how I came up with the title of my blog and the url. You may remember my brief story about my two years in Northern Ontario. I used to live about two hours west of Ottawa, our fair nation's capital. Ottawa is a beautiful city. It has the old quaint British feel mixed with French flair and the urban feel of a city still growing. It has charm. I was there this past week for work. I was running a small work conference. And in so many ways I had come full-circle in my life.

Being so close to the places that somewhat scarred and haunted me left me quiet and introspective for the first little while after landing. But there was work to do and fun to be had and I devoted myself to it with great abandon. Well, as much as one can with mild nausea and fatigue. I am after all still pregnant as far as the home tests tell me (I've done four so far). But I digress...

This week I am showing off some photos of Ottawa. I was there for 2 1/2 days, so I didn't have a chance to do any sight seeing. But my manager and I popped out for a 30 minute walk. We were 5 minutes from the Rideau Canal and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to introduce her to the quintessential Cnadaian experience: skating on the Rideau Canal and eating a Beaver Tail. No worries for you vegetarians, a Beaver Tail is a flat fried pastry sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Since skating wasn't an option, we crossed the canal in our boots, her holding desperately to my arm (she's not a fan of the ice to say the least), with me sliding gently along.

Unfortunately I have none of our Beaver Tail-eating evidence but I will leave you some images of a truly lovely Cnadian city in the depths of Winter. Did I mention the day we left it was -36 degrees Celcius? The Beaver Tail we split was just as amazing I remember it to be. Also in such cold weather (it was -20 that day), it warmed our frozen finger tips.

The Rideau Canal is 7.8 kilometers long, making it officially the World's Longest Skating Rink. This is looking south.

Looking North, you can see the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, a castle looking hotel from the former Candian Pacific Railway chain.

This is Parliament Hill, the seat of our Government. I love how so many of the old buildings in Canada have copper roofs. Their age-induced green complements the green of the fields and trees (well in season other than winter that is).

These stands are dotted periodically along the canal.

We missed Winterlude, the famous winter festival, by ONE day! Damn! There is a big ice sculpture contest and each of the hotels that are a participating sponsor have this one outside their door.

I left Ottawa exhausted (as only running a conference on only 8 hours of sleep over two days can) but happy. I done a good job and things went smoothly. But more than that, I had some truly happy memories from a place that I had felt had taken so much out of me, left me bare and broken. A tiny scarred part that had been buried, was drawn out and healed.

Speaking of full-circles, today I went for my prenatal bloodwork, which I needed to have done since it had ben 6 months since the last time I had it completed. 6 months ago, I was in this same place, ever hopeful, a little terrified and ready to go through this again. I left the lab, siphoned of 7 vials of blood, nausea ever present. I left calm.

Beta should be back sometime on Monday.

Now skate over to Mel's to see what treats the Class has for you...