my bachelorette party

I'm writing this because I don't want to forget a single moment of my bachelorette weekend.

My best friend and maid of honour, Jennie, with the help of the rest of my wedding party and some of my friends, planned the most amazing, fun-filled weekend for me.

Because I love to plan parties and because I thrive on lists, spreadsheets, and all the other things that go along with project management, I tend to have a hard time giving up control. I would much rather do something myself rather than burden someone else with it. I tried to convince my Jennie to let me plan my own bachelorette party because I felt bad having her take on such a big task for my sake. She told me to shut up.

I am so glad I did.

She kept everything a secret until the last possible minute, planning a whirlwind weekend of activities for me. Every single detail was thought through, and everything she planned was so perfect for me it made me tear up constantly.

After a relaxing and wonderful Friday at my co-maid of honour's place, we headed over to my future parents-in-law's house so Brian's mom could help us with our beehives (having been a queen bee herself in the past). Using her old high school yearbook photos as inspiration, Jennie insisted on doing my hair for me. Every time I reached up to help, she swatted my hand away and told me to chill out. She did let me take this photo of the process, though.

And that turned into this:

Then we headed into the city to get ready for the evening's activities in our hotel room (which was also a surprise).

We assembled our outfits and headed to the cutest little Cuban restaurant for dinner.

Everyone had dressed for the "Sixties Chic" theme that Jennie had come up with!

We then headed to a Karaoke place, where Jennie had rented us a private room!

Here's me in all my tacky attire, looking like a crazy old lady!

There was a Pin the Nose on the Lion game, with my poor fiancé's face in the centre.

My full outfit, in all its glory

Last stop was a the upstairs of a great pub, where much hilarity was to ensue.

At the very end of the night.

But not before some of the girls tried to pick up — literally — a few men.

The next morning in our hotel room: a very bright beam of light!

And then a quiet breakfast before we all headed back to our separate cities.

Thank you, everyone, for the best night ever!

quiet afternoons in the sun

These few silent moments were some of the best, most relaxing of my vacation.

sanctuary

Our balcony is resembling a tree house more and more each day. Sitting out there, wine or chocolate in hand, is quickly becoming an instant escape from the rush of city life.

curative properties

Easter weekend at home was a much needed breath of fresh, country air.

Dinner at Grandma's passed with minimal drama, minus the creepy man watching us eat from behind a tree (while clutching a Tim Horton's cup). "Oh don't worry, that's just Huey," I was assured. Right, the fact that this sketchy character is a regular fixture on the lawn should totally assuage my worries. Eeek.

My stress level dropped steadily as we drove further away from the city (Montreal, and then Toronto). I took some deep breaths, cut off a bunch of my hair, ate some great meals, and got a few decent nights' sleep. Funny how I don't seem to be able to do those simple things in the city.

recording: preludes and nocturnes

Do you notice that inspiration comes in bursts? I had been down-and-out for months, mired in my own anxiety and the drudge of winter. But now, it's as if my quarterly shipment of positive energy has arrived just in time for spring. Thank the heavens.

A lot of cool things are happening right now, one of which is the process of recording a demo. My band mate and I are working with a really talented producer to record 6 tracks. We hope to be finished the demo (titled Preludes and Nocturnes) by the end of March, so stay tuned for some... tunes

weekends in the city

Me: "I keep wondering if I've made the right decision, staying here. Sometimes I wish I'd taken the easier path and moved to Toronto."

Dad: "A lot of things are easier. It would be a lot easier for me to live at the cottage and develop a dependency on alcohol, for example. But what kind of life would that be?"

Me: "Ha ha, yes, good point."

Dad: "Never do anything because it is easier. That's not the way to make choices."

Me: "Yeah, I know. I know. I'm just getting anxious, I guess."

Dad: "If you keep working hard and look for something that excites you, you've got nothing to worry about. It's only possibilities ahead."

I wonder if my dad had the same worries as me when he was my age? My whining about books and chapters and hypothetical jobs probably sounds so trivial in contrast to his memories of cleaning industrial chimneys, working at a steel mill, and trapping black bears for testing in the woods of northern Ontario. It's all relative, I guess!

***

Spring/summer Sundays are the best in Montreal, partly for the presence of tam tams, a weekly gathering of Montreal's finest, where the mountain meets Le Plateau. With a telephoto lens, I am now able to share with you some of the best people watching Montreal has to offer: