Forever Family

Our plan, to be on the road at 8:30 AM, heading for Niagra Falls and Niagra On The Lake, to visit Lawrence's cousins, was derailed, when Lawrence was hit by a fierce and aggressive respiratory bug in the middle of the night. Sweating (which we attributed to him having a slight fever), stabbing/piercing chest pain with cough, and difficulty swallowing/breathing due to a constricted feeling in his upper respiratory tract, were all the disconcerting symptoms he was experiencing. So..... in the morning, we went to a walk in Medi-clinic, where a doctor felt he should go the ER to have a cardiac assessment as she felt he may have experienced a 'heart event', given the severity of his chest pain, difficulty breathing and his cardiac history.

Off to the General Hospital ER, we went! He was taken in immediately, and after an ECG, some blood work and a check up by the attending physician, he was given a green light to leave, with good cardiac health!! Thank goodness!!

 

His cousin, Tami, who had been delighted and excited to host us for lunch, supper and a tour of their pretty city, was called initially, this morning, to say we would not be able to come.....then called again to say, he was feeling better so we would like to come, but not for lunch.....then called again to say we were tied up in emerg, longer than expected, and would still come, but only for supper and an evening visit! She was soooooo accommodating! She and her husband, Gary, welcomed us warmly, into their beautiful country home when we arrived around 4:30 PM.

 

Her sister, Debra, joined us for supper and together, these 3, first cousins, who had not seen each other since their teens, experienced the comfort & familiarity of family ties, that bind us, no matter the distance that separates or the infrequency of connections!! Conversation, involving life stories, reminiscing and recollections, flowed easily and with genuine interest, capturing with certainty, that family is forever!

Tami & Gary made an incredibly beautiful, delicious meal and treated us like royalty! And......as we prepared to leave, she had an amazing care package filled with gifts to take home (for Laura, us and Trudy & Ed), homemade baking for us to enjoy during our final days in Hamilton and some 'fisherman friend' lozenges for Lawrence's cold symptoms!

It was a great, heart warming evening spent in the company of good, good people......people whose goodness, like Lawrence's, is rooted in the kindness and generosity of their family of origin (Trudy's family) and their Mennonite heritage!

 

 

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Traipsing for Treasures

We have had a busy day of traipsing through the shops, looking for and finding treasures!! Although it was very fun for me, the others were not as thrilled with a whole day of treasure hunting! They were good sports though so, overall, it was a good day for all! :)

Here are some of the best buys of the day:

A printer and plant for Laura and Matt (house warming gifts).....

 

A unique button bracelet.....

 

A gorgeous red Italian leather purse ( 50% off).....

 

Black leather boots ($14.99)....yes, they were $14.99 (from Value village)!!!....along with a pair of new, black trouser shoes for $12.99 (also from VV)!!!!!

 

 

 

We also found some great clothes for Orion and some good books at VV! Such fun! :)

We took in the famous Hamilton Farmer's market and saw the many great shops/vendors. Ontario apples are being featured and there were many ethnic vendors, including a Portugese shop that made the most delicious Pastel de Nata!!! It seriously made me tear up as we reconnected with a treasured memory of our time in Potugal! Biting into my precious custard pastry.....I was beamed back to our incredible Tavira, which was very heart warming! We also enjoyed some amazing samosas and mediteranean salads for lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

It was a great and tiring day!

Tomorrow we are going to Niagra Falls to check it out, then on, to visit with Lawrence's cousin, Tammy, at Niagra On The Lake. Looking forward to it all!

 

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Meet the Fockers.....on Family Day!!

Another deliciously slow morning set the tone, of goodness, for our Family Day in Hamilton! The landlord, here at McNab Terrace, gave us a tour of this whole magnificent, historical building. Wow!! It is amazing, both esthetically and historically! Here are some pictures of the exterior and the entry.....

 

 

Laura and Matt arrived to take us to Matt's parent's home, where we enjoyed a VERY invigorating, 2 hour winter walk up the mountain trail, near their home, in central Hamilton, known as the 'escarpment'? The brick homes in their area are stately and very beautiful. The walking trail is scenic and well utilized by walkers, cross country skiers, dog lovers and joggers. The sun shone, the snow sparkled and the conversation flowed easily as we walked, talked, listened and learned about each other's lives!

 

 

 

 

We built up a hearty appetite, with all the exercise and fresh air, so we really enjoyed the appetizing snacks and tasty lunch Marnie and Paul served, upon our return to their beautiful 100+ year old home! Although we had met Marnie this past spring, when she came to saskatoon for a brief visit, it was wonderful to meet the rest of Matt's family, who we have heard so much about....Paul (his dad), James (older brother) and Ella (younger sister). It was such an enjoyable, easy visit with tons of great stories and lots of good, good laughter!! We definitely see where Matt gets his engaging personality, his love of people and his great sense of humor!! The afternoon flew quickly and by the time we left, we had another date set to get together again, before we leave!

Matt, once again, had to go to work for an evening shift at Ceilidh's (pronounced Kailey's), which is an Irish pub a couple of blocks from Laura and Matt's place. We hung out at their place for awhile, where Lawrence took time to get aquatinted with Matt's pet, an albino corn snake, named Kaa!

Then, Laura took us on a driving tour of McMaster University (where she attends).....

From there, we stopped for tea and AMAZING French macaroons! OMG....they were so, so, so delicious!!

From there, we went out for another great supper at a place called 'Earth To Table', where everything is organic and as locally sourced as possible. Our meal was fantastic and our conversation enjoyable! We were very grateful to have had at least one of our children with us on this Family Day!!

 

Now, we are snuggled back into our cozy and welcoming guest suite, resting and preparing for tomorrow's adventures, which will include the Farmer's Market and treasure hunting in vintage / second hand stores! Can't wait! :)

 

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Hello Hamilton!!

We arrived late in the evening, on Feb. 15th to the enthusiastic welcome of Laura & Matt's arms at the Toronto airport! They provided an enjoyable, verbal introduction to the area as we were driven to our guest house in Hamilton.

McNab Terrace Guest House is an amazing historical building, with 10 guest suites, situated in Hamilton's historic, tree-lined McNab Street neighbourhood. It is within walking distance of the downtown business & entertainment district, trendy & cosmopolitan restaurants & shops, and the apparently renowned Hamilton Farmer's Market (which we plan to take in)!

The guest house was built in 1879 and is comprised of the two centre residences in a series of six brick row houses designed by a famous Hamilton architect, James Balfour. The building is a very interesting design, combining two styles-San Francisco Italianate bay windows and High Victorian Gothic Gables, with intricate stonework. A unique feature of this building is the original horse carriage entrance, through the house to a rear parking area. It has been meticulously preserved and restored to its original grandeur.

I will post some detailed pictures of the guest house tomorrow......

Today, we enjoyed a deliciously slow morning, making breakfast in our suite. We the walked a block and half to meet Laura and Matt at a cute/trending restaurant, called 'Jack & Lois' , where we had a VERY tasty brunch.

 

After many cups of coffe/green tea, we made our way to Laura and Matt's house on Napier Street. They share a really nice house with two roommates. We love their house and neighbourhood!

After a bit of time being introduced to their house and visiting there, they took us on tour, where we saw street after street of amazing, old brick houses and mansions! Holy schmolly.....they are huge and regal and reek of history! (Pictures to follow in another post). As we drove through the historic streets of Hammer-town, giant, fluffy snowflakes fell, creating a picture-perfect winter scene.

Here are the smaller, taller brick houses right across the street from them:

 

Unfortunately, Matt had to go to work this evening so we enjoyed some quiet visiting time with Laura at their house and then we walked about 10 blocks, to the Locke St. neighborhood, for a tasty supper at a cute little place.

Now we are tucked back into our suite, watching Olympics, reading, blogging and enjoying a glass of tinto vino!

Tomorrow we are meeting with Matt's family, for lunch and an afternoon of visiting. What a perfect way to spend 'Family Day'!!!

 

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