I use the word "unexpected" because when we first woke up this morning the day seemed destined to be less than satisfactory for both of us. The sky was losing an overnight fog, the clouds were grey, it was cold and my husband admitted to me that he simply wasn't up to walking to church and back in a chilly wind because he had not slept well during the night. He had a foot cramp that wouldn't go away, he ran out of water from his bottle beside the bed, he had dreams that kept waking him....it as quite a tale of woe and I felt badly for him as I have been the victim of many a sleepless night, but it is rare for him. He was as "white as a sheet", but insisted on going to the adult Sunday school class as it was going to be the introduction to a series of which he has a class to teach in a couple of weeks. He felt so lousy he couldn't even eat breakfast so barely managed to force down a very small banana and half cup of tea to prevent him from passing out.
As I suspected and hoped would happen, the class material and the socialization restored his good humour and he decided that we could stay for church after all. I am glad we did because we were warmly welcomed back by quite a number of people who hadn't known we were on holidays, but wondered why we weren't there. That was a nice surprise.
I assumed that as soon as the service ended we would be on our way home to get my husband some lunch, but shucky darn if he wasn't feeling extremely hungry and preferred lunch out at Fancy Fork instead, despite it being a longer wait for the meal to arrive in front of him. He even looked about the congregation for someone to issue a spontaneous invitation to join us, although that didn't pan out this time. Our meal was delicious and not expensive. My husband had the 3 paper thin crepes stuffed with chicken and mushrooms and sliced onions, covered in a yummy pesto sauce and the plate had a large number of hash browns as well. He was delighted. I ordered the Greek Bowl: a base of hash browns with fresh spinach leaves, sliced chicken, cubes of feta cheese and blackened red and green peppers and tomato slices. It included a side dish of a delicious take on Hollandaise sauce. on My meal was equally yummy. We took our time, relaxed, chatted. For the first hour we were the only customers in the place and usually it is teeming with people. Don't know if a special event in the city took the customers away, but we certainly got specialized service as a result. The server even managed to change the music line up on their Spotify system at our hopeful request. hahaha We were able to change the twang, twang a deedilang country music to some more classical pieces. Cool!!
We arrived home early in the afternoon, my husband was feeling much better but had a short nap while downloading Day 6 of the current Sumo Basho from NHK Broadcasting Network. After we watched that I headed upstairs to start part 2 of my huge pile of ironing. Half way through my husband called to me that company had arrived.
It was our former next door neighbour who had come to pick up her post-move mail...my beloved Afaf!!! She and her family are very, very happy to be living in their new digs...twice the size of the place they were crammed into next door to us and they are saving nine hundred dollars a month in rent. The federal portion of their refugee status has now ended and they are living on provincial social services until Salim is able to find work. The kids love their new school and the two youngest are able to walk as the school is so close to their residence. The oldest boy entered high school this year and is getting at least 3 hours a day of English instruction, as are his two younger siblings. Afaf's English classes are paying off. She has improved leaps and bounds since the spring. The great news is that after searching for months for a decent car, a friend from Edmonton found them exactly what they are looking for and delivered it to them a few days ago. Salim passed his driver's test and once the car is insured on Monday afternoon he will bring it by to show us. Getting the license and now the car has kick started Salim mentally after a wretched year of fighting with the emotional trauma of having to flee for their lives a year ago from Lebanon. He not only passed his driver's test, he is now signed up for English lessons starting in one week's time at the same school his wife has been attending. We are thrilled for them and thrilled that they want to keep in touch at least somewhat.
While we were visiting with Afaf, there was another knock at the door. It was the mother of "our little trouble maker", come to tell us that they too are moving out today....the last of our Syrian connections here in the complex. After eleven years in Canada spent scrimping and saving, they have been able to purchase their first Canadian home in another part of the city, a brand new house in a brand new housing development. How happy we are for them, but we are going to miss their boys and their constant invitations to play football and soccer. hahaha (You haven't lived until you have seen moi attempting to keep up with those kids and their sports! hahaha BUT they continue to ask both of us to play with them, so what the heck, right? If nothing else I am able to give all of them a good case of the giggles with my fumbling attempts!)
I also finished my ironing after the break for visiting.
So, it has been a wonderful day after all. Good things.
I also heard from our daughter in law as she was on her way to the Kol Nidrei service at Synagogue for Yom Kippur. That was a special treat. We had an email from her aunt today as well and an email from our son to let us know he has an interview about his next set of green card requirements in a few weeks' time, so we are surely praying hard about that. He is enjoying his new painting studio and is keeping busy at work as well.
What a marvellous day it has been after a rocky start.
Tomorrow morning my walking partner and I are going to actually go for a real walk, for the first time in about a year and a half or so and I am so looking forward to that. Rain, rain, stay away!!! Come again another day. For today the weather has warmed up nicely and the threat of possible rain has ended. We DID get a bit of a walk in as we walked a few blocks to the restaurant and back....a total of 10 blocks without my cane! YAY!!! A new first....thank you NYC for all the enforced walking.
Good thing tomorrow is going to be great as well because the next morning is our next dental cleaning and annual check up. Blecch!! However, I have a haircut that afternoon to look forward to. I have to somehow work a thorough housecleaning into our schedule because we are having another couple over for dinner the following evening...and then it will be time to see my coffee buddy again. This week is going to fly by, all going to plan. Here's hoping!
