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Trisha & I had a wonderful visit for the remainder of the morning. The boys played with Valentina & kept all of us entertained! We got ready & left for the city. We were all stopping by Granny's & then Trisha had appointments & I was off to North Battleford.
Granny was excited to see the boys & Trisha, too. She visited with Trisha for a little while & then it was time for them to go. Valentina kept running out the door to see the neighbours, so I was rather distracted chasing after her!
I said farewell to Trisha & co. & promised to give her more notice next time I was coming. :o) I like surprises! Sorry! Granny & I visited for a little while longer. Today she asked me more questions than the previous day. Sadly Granny's hearing & eyesight isn't too well anymore. She can't hear much of what I say & I hate to raise my voice too much, as I feel like I'm hollering. (Believe me, my Mother let's me know when I'm quiet vs. when I holler & apparently there isn't much difference) Anyhow, we made the most of our situation & I hugged & kissed her goodbye. I wish I could visit her every day! And I really wish I could fix her hearing & sight! I can't imagine how frustrating that must be! I have tried & tried to convince her to move closer, but she likes Saskatoon & wouldn't have it any other way.
I stopped at Costco & fueled up ol' Contemplate for the next leg of the journey. I wish our Costco had fuel! Must be something to do with that camo flower wrap... With only 1.5 hours between me & my destination, I was on my way!
I love how Saskatchewan has little one horse towns dotted every 15-25 kms along the way. I can just imagine back in the day when the railroad pulled through these tiny hamlets & there was just one general store. Everyone had an account at the store & things barely cost a dime!
I called Kristina for directions as I pulled into Battleford. She is teaching this semester in her old home town. I haven't been to her house since she graduated from high school back in 1998. I guess she hadn't been home for a while too, as her directions omitted a new traffic light! :o) All good, I love a challenge! She put me back on track & I found her place no problem. I remember her house being 'the end of the line' on the block. It's not like that anymore! The entire area is developed with no open spaces! The times they are a changin'!
Kristina & I have been friends since Kindergarten. Her family moved, as did mine, but they had a summer cottage close to where my family ended up, so it was easy to keep in touch! She was also a bridesmaid at Wedding #3. She had just returned from a cruise out of San Diego, so I was excited to hear all about it!
Her parents are absolutely wonderful. I get the idea that their world currently revolves around their 1 year old grandson, Luke. Kristina was telling me that 'Luke' asked Grandma & Grandpa for a hot tub at the cabin, because whatever Luke wants, Luke gets. Wink, wink... Kristina's Dad, Guy, made us a delicious shrimp, scallop & veggie stir fry for supper. BTW, Guy isn't pronounced guh-eye, as in man, but Gee, no, not jee, guh-ee. Kristina's family is French.
When I was trying to tell Granny where I was headed next, she had quite the troubles understanding me. She asked who I knew in Battleford & when I said Kristina (whom Granny knows), Granny asked, 'Who?'
'Kristina'
'Who?'
'Irina? They must be German or Italian?'
'No, they're Canadian.' (I thought of saying, 'No, they're French', but that would have only added to the confusion.)
'Oh. How did you meet her?'
'We've known each other since Kindergarten.' (I hoped that would trigger a memory)
'And you've kept in touch all these years? That's wonderful.'
'Yes, she's a great friend.'
Kristina's Mom, Doris, arrived just in time for supper & we enjoyed a wonderful evening of catching up & of course, some more olympics! We watched the mens aerials & some of the women's figure skating. I'm still trying to figure out how they judge them. Everything happens so fast! Of course, we watched Joannie Rochette skate & yeah, I got all lumpy in the throat (adding to the neck!) :o) And then there was the 30 year old aerialist from Calgary. They announced that & I'm thinking to myself, 'Gosh, I'm 30. What happened? Where did I go wrong & miss my Olympic career? Hmpf.'
Kristina & I caught up on her trip & she shared with me what it is like on the 'Other Side'. Her cruise was with Carnival & the majority of my sailing experience has been with Princess. It was interesting to hear how they ran the show. Of course she had a great time! She was attending the onboard wedding of one of her longtime friends. And San Diego is a hard city not to enjoy!
We hit the hay relatively early. Kristina had a busy weekend planned & I had a full day's drive ahead of me. Thanks for a wonderful visit, er, merci beaucoup et a bientot! :o)
Bonne soir!
Maria & Valentina
xxxxx
Kristina & her beautiful smile! And check out that tan!!! :o)
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