Wednesday 24 September 2014

'Fall'ing back into my blogging...

It has been a few months since I last posted. It seems that I don't have the inspiration to write when the weather is beautiful. I find myself longing to be outdoors with my girls, exploring the playgrounds and parks and doing summery activities. Inside time  devoted to puzzles and reading and Kindergarten writing. Study and cooking. My poor blog has been neglected.

Mostly I guess it is because I am so incredibly content in this life we have made for ourselves over here, that it almost feels like I am too content to share it.

Ottawa in the spring / summer is a glorious, beautiful place to live. Most days have hovered pleasantly in the mid 20's, and with the humidity and frequent rain showers, it almost feels like we are living in the tropics. The rain showers never tend to last for long, and serve to freshen up our little world here and maintain the presence of green.

Green. Not the brown, burnt landscape of home. But green. Everywhere. It's soothing, it's tranquil, it's contentment.

The last few months have seen us falling in love with Ottawa, with Canada, and although we won't be, we would dearly love to emigrate to this part of the world on a more permanent basis. It is hard to explain why, especially when we have always called Australia home. But living where we live right now, the opportunities it presents for our family and the lifestyle we have here, we are the most settled and content that we have ever been as a family.

We live in a neighbourhood in the centre of town. A neighbourhood that is very pedestrian. Everything I need is within walking distance or a short 5 minute drive / bus trip away. We are a one car family, and it is rare that I need the car for the day, spending my days walking to our various activities all located around us. We have two playground across the road from us. One playground is completely fenced in, full of donated outdoor toys that no-one ever steals, a wonderful play structure and is a worry free play environment for our children. We have made wonderful friends there and it is like an extension of our backyard.

The other playground has a city run wading pool, that during the summer is open 6 days a week, free and supervised by 6 life guards. There is a great play structure, grass fields, basketball court, baseball fields. Every day the pool is filled up, supervised and then emptied in the evening. A situation one would never find in Australia, but then here in Ottawa,  I don't think they would ever hear the words 'water restrictions' such is the abundance of water where we live.

I was fortunate enough to spend 11 weeks on Summer break with my two beautiful daughters, basking in their presence, watching as they develop the wonderful relationship that only sisters can have. I have loved watching as they have become each others best friends, using their burgeoning imaginations to create the most elaborate of games. The 'Aunty Jen' game still leaves me slightly bemused, as 'Aunty Jen' forms a pivotal role in some unending game involving Aunty Jen, a variety of children and numerous child care facilities...

Sadly though Summer has official come to an end. The children are back at school, the days have the crispness of Fall and the leaves are beginning to change colour. Pumpkins are appearing, we are bundling up in 'Australian winter coats' that serve as our Fall apparel and we are beginning to anticipate Thanksgiving and Halloween. Apple picking time is upon us and the kitchen is full of the aroma of apple pies and roast dinners. I have 3 days a week to myself, to study. Yet knocking around the house by myself, after the summer break seems somewhat lonely. I am sure, as the months progress, I will get used to the solitude and quiet time.

So whilst I am still in the midst of all the reading and writing that come with my studies, I am finding myself thinking about my blog and getting back to posting our about Canadian life and the experiences we are having as a family in this wonderful country that we are lucky enough to call home for a little while to come.

So keep an eye out - the blogging has re-begun!  And possibly, as the snow returns and I am dreaming of summer, some retrospective spring / summer posting may occur as well  :)

Jen x


3 comments:

  1. Sound like a slice of heaven Jen! And how fab to be living somewhere with everything so conveniently close by. How much longer are you there for Jen?

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    1. Pia, it certainly is a slice of heaven. We love it. Its great that I don't need a car on a daily basis and that everything I need is right on our doorstep (well, almost!).
      We are over the halfway mark now, home (somewhere in Aus) July/August next year x

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  2. Hey there Jen ! Love your blog about your life in Ottawa while away on leave from Australia. Will be interested in hearing about your adventures to the Maritimes over the next few weeks. Have a safe trip there and back. Looking forward to seeing you at tennis sometime soon after the Thanksgiving weekend. Elizabeth :-)))

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