Dear all,

The office took to the parade streets yesterday with our epic float, crafted nearly entirely out of recycled and reused materials. Yeah, that grass on our float? Paper from the document shredder, spray-painted green. Go sustainability and/or art skills!

My sweet crepe paper flowers à la Martha Stewart!Swag bags. We ran out of promo materials merely 15 minutes into the parade!

Turnout for the parade was insane. I’m not sure quite exactly what I was expecting, but surely not this. According to the GP Daily Herald Tribune, over 100 organizations participated, and 40000 people showed up, which is just absolutely unbelievable considering the population of GP is (in 2007, according to Wikipedia) just over 50000. Hurrah for people coming out to celebrate Canada’s 143rd! The streets were completely lined with families who had kids in tow, and the kids were simply going nuts for the swag and candy we were tossing out. Not going to lie…there were a lot of children.
Cars in front of us decked out in assorted Canadiana. Whoohoo!

Next week’s Casual Labour Week, so it promises to be a week of potential stories and tales – at least, I hope so! I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, enjoy the summer wherever you are, and soak up the sunshine!

Love,
-M.

P.S. You know what’s awesome? I get to do Canada Day twice a year. That’s right, twice. Watch for Oct. 23, people. It’s going to be ridiculous.

Dear all,

The reason why I’ve been blogging so infrequently these days is because I’m working really hard trying to get youth hired by distributing copious amounts of free food and beverages to the community, and tromping around with a giant paper lemon which my co-worker made. Go community outreach! (Also, it’s really hard to follow up satisfactorily to blog entries about the Highland Games and a paper beaver.)

To everyone who’s written me letters and postcards, I have a massive stack of correspondance on my desk to mail out once I purchase stamps. You are all muchly missed.

Love,
-M.

Dear all,

I just received the best picture message ever! Remember Tommy the Beaver? Well, Meg C’s been watching him since I’ve been in Grande Prairie, and in true dressing-for-the-season that Tommy’s so apt to do, here is his latest incarnation. Yay, Vancouver! (Meg, you are THE BEST.)

This, of course, follows the long string of costuming he’s done over the past year, including but not limited to the following: Tarts and Vicars, Olympics, and Chrismukkah Solstice.

Love,
-M.

Dear all,

Nae, it be merely the Grande Prairie Highland Games. This weekend’s adventure involved traipsing up to Macklin Park for some good old Scottish shenanigans, including observing some interesting Scottish sports, poking around at flag-patterned dish towels (and geeking out over Inverness and Glamis on the map), highland dancing which seemed more Pride and Prejudice (BBC miniseries) than Michael Flatley (though, really, why ought it be – Riverdance is Irish anyway), Celtic jewellery, and PIPE BANDS! My childhood dream of playing bagpipes in a pipe band (which never came true) has manifested itself all over again! At the very least, I think it would be fun to play the large drum.

Pipe band playing at the opening ceremonies
Throwing the hammer: literally, judging the distance which people tossed the (decidedly substantial) hammer.
Caber toss: Participants attempt to throw and flip a massive log.
Throwing The Weight Over The Bar: as literal as the event name sounds.
and the men’s event…
what is this, I’ve decided that lacking piano, guitar, and ukulele means that I need to take up some sort of new musical instrument, and currently, bagpipes and/or drum are topping the list of summer activities.

Okay, so I should probably go watch Braveheart or something now.

Love,
-M.

Dear all,

This is going to be one of those music-fapping days. I just saw Ethan Collister perform at Tito’s Cafe this evening, and this is definitely a brilliant band to look out for. A three-part band featuring Collister on harmonica and guitar, Justine Fishcer on upright bass, and Shawn Killaly on drums, they remind me a little of a cross between The United Steel Workers of Montreal and Mes Aïeux, all with their own unique West Coast blend. Their lyrics are poignant and thought-provoking, yet very, very funny. For a taste of their music, their website is definitely worth checking out, as is seeing them live in show.

And that concludes this music-out! Expect an entry on the Grande Prairie Highland Games anytime soon; also, Earl Grey tea shortbread cookies, which were a success, and which I cannot stop eating. Nom.

Love,
-M.

Dear all,

I apologize for my lack of updates over the past couple days; it’s been a busy few. So I’ll try my best to catch you up on what’s going on in my little corner of the world…

Monday kick-started two weeks of Hire A Youth (HAY) Week activities and events in the office and out in the community. Also, running around in the park sans tights – I love the dawning of summer! Cue fruit sorbet and 10 p.m. picnics!

Tuesday was a day of student outreach in Sexsmith, where our children is not learning. Case in point: I received an evaluation form wherein the response to “Did you find the information session useful? Why/Why not?” read, “I have wrote alot and have alot of nolledge about cover letters and resumes.” Seriously, kids, simmer down there.

Wednesday dawned with Municipal Government Day, which meant free bus rides and burgers for the community, and booth-manning for the Service Canada people. I’m still in awe at the amount of willpower some people possess in their arduous queuing session in search of free burgers. That line must have easily been 150-people long. Of course, with our booth next to the fire truck, kids easily overlooked our booth in favour of scampering up the truck (which I am totally fine with – better the truck than the table). After which, I headed off to the #gpab S&M – Social & Media Mixer – tons of fun, and met some of the most hilarious and creative people I’ve had a chance to meet in town so far!

Today: Received mail! You guys are all rock stars! Theresa, I LOVE the postcard of the Arts One girls by the art gallery! So much gorgeous!! Care package winner at the moment: unsure. Chloe might have unseated Megan with her more immediately useful present of nommy pomegranate blueberry tea. Now that I’m actually getting paid, WATCH OUT, because I can now purchase stamps and mail you things. Cue evil cackling and snarky letters which will haunt your nightmares.

As of tonight, I have also decided that toast serves no purpose aside from being a conduit for Nutella consumption. You may all now return to your lives.

More to come (maybe even with photos), as I embark on a shopping voyage tomorrow for summer dresses, hear Budiman and Ethan Collister play on Saturday night, and skip off to the GP Highland Games on Sunday. Scottish awesomeness!

Much love,
-M.

Dear all,

I’m drifting in a mellow haze of pretentious culture after last night’s expeditions to the opening receptions of two local art exhibits – one at the Prairie Art Gallery, and the other at the Centre for Creative Arts.

The Prairie Art Gallery was hosting the opening of Spring Hurlbut’s Le jardin du sommeil, an installation-art exhibit of 140 cribs, cradles, and bedframes from the 18th and 19th century, scavenged from goodness knows where, lined up in rows evoking associations of morgues and hospitals. Laid bare in a stark room only dimly lit by yellow lights, walking amidst these rusting, antique bedframes felt more like furniture shopping from those already dead.

Le jardin du sommeil is on loan from the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and runs from June 4 – August 22.

This was followed up by a traipse up to the Centre for Creative Arts, which was hosting its reception for the opening of the CLAY exhibit, a collective of works from local pottery artists. Definitely an interesting (and pleasant) contrast to the previous exhibit – CLAY was hosted in an airy room with high, white walls, and featured cheery clay oeuvres in bright, summery colours.

CLAY runs from June 4 – June 25.

So that was my Friday night! After which, shenanigans transpired of which I am still trying to piece together wholly through text messages and breadcrumbs in my room – unsettling, because I don’t eat bread…

Love,
-M.

Dear Sean,

The less inspiring of your homeland have invaded the supermarkets of Grande Prairie.

As you can see, it is also stupid expensive.

Love,
-M.

Dear everyone else,

Regardless of what some people may claim, Vegemite on toast/in soups/any other incarnation which can be dreamed up is not really food.

Love,
-M.

Dear all,

Think of it as an extension of my ubiquitous geek-out. I’ve been dreaming of my perfect apartment, and accordingly, my perfect kitchen. Filled with tins of tea, rainbow-hued crockery, dainty tea mugs, madeleine tins, and fresh herbs on the windowsill.

As I type this, the prairie sun sets over the creek.

I hope everyone had a stellar Monday.

Love,
-M.

Dear all (especially Becca, to whom this post is specially dedicated),

My very first encounter with the rodeo at the Grande Prairie Stompede today is what they call a cultural experience. Replete with barrel racing, steer riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc, and team roping, this made for an interesting afternoon alternating between “HOLY CRAP THIS IS SO COOL WHAT IS GOING ON” and “I don’t have a cowboy hat. Sadface.” Please don’t ask me to elaborate on any of the events in any detail, as I can only do so in extremely non-technical terms, such as “There was this guy on a horse which was bucking and he fell off it.” So instead I’ll make up for my inability to describe the aforementioned events with pictures and useful links to Wikipedia.

Saddle bronc

Let’s play “count the number of cowboy hats”.

More saddle bronc. The guy in yellow pants is the mayor of an Albertan town. For reals.

Barrel racing

Team roping

And thus concluded my very first Stompede experience. I am left with a burning desire to acquire a cowboy hat at some point.

Love,
-M.