Fabulous February

Normally February is such a dreary month. This year my very low expectations were totally disrupted and disproved.

Lingering in the beauty of the frosted windows in my upstairs; laughing at the cat's posture on the radiator, enjoying my winter garden, the resumed tick of the kit-kat clock, early morning coffee...

Enjoying our house on a whole new level.

Work-wise, the new job isn’t all bliss, but the vision is meaningful and the work itself is definitely interesting. Things are unfolding at a manageable pace... which affords me the more hectic pace of evenings and weekends.

Although I admit by the end of the month I probably could have used some downtime or time on my own, life was offering too much to let it pass on by.

Happy birthday! Feb 1 and celebrating a friend's birthday by going out for a nice dinner.

Groundhog Day! Feb 2 An excuse to watch the movie by the same title, one of our all-time faves.

Chinese New Year! Feb 8 Although the Lunar Year started January 25 the BPYC celebration fell on the official calendar’s last day. What a night! I especially enjoyed being a part of the dragon parade and hoisting the pole to make the yellow and red silk dance in circles.

Valentine’s Day! Feb 14 Waking up to a dozen pink roses Rob arranged on the dining room table. A gorgeous surprise.

Galentines… Feb 15 I invited Anita, Liz and Chris to come over for a light dinner and play cards and didn’t realize the proximity to the officially unofficial Galentine’s date of Feb 13. I prepared raclette and Anita and I managed to trounce the sisters on both rounds. Great conversation and an opportunity to catch up, with bonus belly laughs.

Family Day! Feb 17 Alex brought over some sausage and egg McMuffins for breakfast, and then we all went to Allan Gardens to enjoy the green on a winter day. Visits with family make it even more special when I return. Then off to the Art Gallery of Ontario to admire some Kurelek and Group of Seven. After that, tasty Touhenboku Ramen on nearby Queen; and then back to Glencrest to hang out.

Members Night at the AGO! Feb 21 went to check out Diane Arbus who haunted me for at least a week, as when I went to my yoga intensive and then again the Progressive Euchre tournament, I kept wondering what Arbus would do with these faces and bodies and personalities. The Illusions and the Art of Magic exhibit was timely, as I'm reading a book about fortune telling and magic (The Immortalists). 

Saturday! Feb 22, I spent the day at a yoga intensive and on the way home picked up some ingredients to cook up Vietnamese Herbed Chicken with Nuoc Cham cucumbers, a recipe I’d seen in that morning’s paper: “cooking lets you travel the world without leaving home ” Dave and Therese were to join Rob and I for dinner, however after I started cooking it all up, I realized I hadn’t confirmed the time. Well, turned out I didn’t set the day either (Dave thought it was Sunday). Rob and I enjoyed the tasty meal and then Dave and Therese came over after their dinner for cocktails and cards.

Feb 23, Tom Allan and Orchestra Toronto, Telling A Tale, including music from Dvorak, Prokofiev, and Raum. Bumping into Bluffers at the concert and watching Grace play first violin.

Feb 24, A particularly wonderful Uke Jam. We’ve been playing a fair number of tricky tunes the last couple of months, so this time round Paul B picked some 4 chord songs that were a bit easier to play: Led Zeppelin’s D’yer Mak’er; Mendez’ and Cabello’s Senorita; the Animals’ House of the Rising Sun. Everyone just lit up and it all came together, the mood was magic.

Feb 26, After work drinks with a new team I’ve really enjoyed connecting with, and a chance to do some teambuilding beyond the fluorescent lighting. Smart, interesting people.

Feb 27, Heliconian with Kaarina to hear the author talk about his collection, Immigrant City. Reading the short stories at Indigo beforehand.

Friday 28, out to a Rotary Club fundraiser - the Annual Progressive Euchre Tournament with Chris. The first time in a Toronto Legion Hall as well as playing my hand(s) in a tournament. It was such an interesting slice of community, as we never partnered with the same person twice. My partners ranged in age from early twenties to mid-seventies, higher income to fixed income... a very diverse crowd.

Friday 29,  LEAP YEAR!!!! The Epitourists were in town and we went off to try out a new restaurant (Aloette) and tour Eataly. In the evening, BPYC held a Roaring Twenties party with the Wintergarten Orchestra (at our table that night with Rob and I were Chris, Kaarina, Laura, and Grace, and sometimes Mike P).

We had seats right by the band, and I kept taking photos of the lead singer as there was a bright light at his head and I tried to turn it into a halo and then a ball of fire coming from his mouth.

Caroline slept over in the new bedroom alcove, our first official guest.