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Oh What Fun

There was a certain amount of saying goodbye and saying hello in the past few of days.  I am safely back in Greater Vancouver after setting myself up for one very l-o-n-g day of travel.

First, the saying goodbyes.  There was one last dinner together with my sons, their spouses and my grand daughter.  It was a simple affair with plenty of time to spend quality time together.  Miss M and I played with magnetic fishing rods and fish and a mechanical tractor with a farmer, pig and sheep taking turns driving the vehicle.   There was also a fashion show with Miss M in her monkey Halloween costume and her mom and dad wearing their costumes as well; a bumble bee and banana respectively.

The costumed family

Then it was time for goodbyes.  We told Miss M that I was flying back to Canada and wouldn´t be back for a while.  She gave me a kiss and a hug and went off to bed.   When her mom put her down, Miss M made a dramatic (perhaps theatrical) scene about Grandma Jan going back to Canada with much crying.  It was nice to think my leaving her meant that much, maybe.  It was a nice goodbye, whatever the intention.

I decided back when the tickets were booked a cheaper flight that left at 5 am (yes you read the right, 5 in the morning) was a good idea.  I am not that much of a morning person, but to save a hundred or so bucks it seemed worth it.  Once on the plane I hoped to get some shuteye, but alas, right next to me were two boys about 4 and 2 who enjoyed this early flight about as much as I did.  They however tended to show their displeasure with screaming for much of the flight.  It was a long flight back indeed.

Paul was kind enough to pick me up and drive me home because by that time I was a complete wreak having been up for almost 30 hours.   I walked in the door of the house, called out to Mike and he scampered up the stairs like a kitten.  He then took a long afternoon nap with me and clung to me for the rest of my very short evening.  Even the Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions game couldn´t keep me up; I missed the final winning pass for the Packers.  Paul recorded the game for me, though, so I could watch and experience that wonderful comeback.

Paul´s belated birthday party was celebrated, unpacking was done (Mike has trouble knowing when suitcases are coming or going so he remained clingy), and of course some knitting was done.

I literally had to move Mike, that cat, out of the way to get photos of Paul; he was clingy indeed.

The toque on Paul.  Doesn´t he seem happy with it?

Oh what fun it was to have such a touching send-off by my family, a warm greeting by both Paul and Mike, and time to rest up from a self-imposed early morning flight.  Now rested I am ready to knit my way to the holidays.

BTW most of the knitting I showed you was completed in time.  The only casualty was the knitted ham and cheese sandwich and stocking (not shown to you) for Miss M.  She will get them with other knitted food in January instead.

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