I'm booked!

So it's official. I'm coming back to BC for a visit and I am so very excited. I will be flying into Vancouver in the afternoon of Tuesday Aug. 15 and I'll get to have a little visit with my little sister, and then I'll be taking the ferry over to the Island probably on Wednesday. I feel like spending a summer in Alberta is basically a waste of time what with the lack of clear cool water in various formats to swim in. Maybe I was just spoiled, growing up in a place where I could have ridden my bike to swim in a lake, river or the ocean, depending on how I was feeling that day. When we were in Jasper a few weekends ago we did a bit of swimming in the lakes and rivers there, but really, it is nothing compared to the swimming holes from the Comox Valley. Plus you have to pay big bucks just to be there (something like $17 for 2 people per day!).

More importantly I will be able to visit with my family and the friends that still live there, and that will be so great! (Maybe we should make a date to go wedding dress shopping, Ashley!) I'm excited to see my parents and my brothers and sisters and all the babies who are getting bigger and bigger (and cuter...I've learned that newborn babies really aren't cute compared to the 1 year old toddler stage).

Exhibit A: one of my adorable neices


**unrelated aside: Cute Story: On my birthday, my sister phoned while I was out to dinner and left a message wishing me a happy birthday and then asked Erika if she wanted to say happy birthday to her Auntie. Erika got on the phone and proceeded to wish me a "Happy Father's Day!" Then I hear my sister's muffled voice saying "No, no! Happy Birthday Auntie Rosie." There is a pause. The little voice comes back on the answering machine "Happy Father's Day Rosie, too you!" My birthday was the day after Father's Day this year. Too cute!**

So yes! I am excited to go home. I leave again on August 25th which gives me more than a week to enjoy all the things that I have been missing so much this summer.

This next bit is completely unrelated, but I just wanted to document the fact that I made my first meal that I am truly proud of, yesterday. After my recent yearly check-up at the doctor I have been informed that I have high cholesterol. It's genetic - my father and his mother both had high cholesterol. My family has always eaten very sensibly and I guess when I moved away from home, I strayed from my parents' regimented diet. Now that I have learned about my cholesterol issues I have been trying to eat a little better, and bought a wild salmon steak at the grocery store. I made the most beautiful dinner with vegetables chopped up with salmon laid on top covered with orange slices. I just wrapped it all up in tinfoil and baked it in the oven and when it came out it was so pretty (and delicious, I might add). Sadly, neither Julian or I could find our cameras when it came out of the oven so I can't show you a picture of how truly gorgeous this meal was.