Vacation -- done ... interesting and well!

My daughter has relocated to Alberta as of July 2025.  Since then, we have been visiting via video calls, but it just isn't the same.  The family came back to Ontario in September for a friend's wedding, and I got to spend time with them.  It was delightful.  It was heavenly. It was not nearly enough.

 

And so when Daughter called and asked if I/we could assist with some childcare in March, my agreement to do so was done so fast she didn't even get to finish her sentence!  Her husband has been the primary caregiver for the granddaughter so far, and he had landed an acting role.  The daycare situation was only for part-time, and she needed to work. The in-laws were away traveling.  

 

We flew out on March 1st, arriving in the early evening.  Monday was great; Daughter had taken a day off work so that she could spend time with us.  Lots of laughter, lots of good time.  Granddaughter was playing shy, which was totally expected. Over night Monday into Tuesday morning is when things got ... interesting. 

 

I have been treating high blood pressure for many years.  I am currently taking three medications.  When I get out of bed, or even stand up from a chair, I have to pause and wait for my head to stop spinning.  I have been doing so for at least six months, so nothing new.  However, things got more serious in Alberta.  I passed out -- twice -- hitting my head on a hard, ceramic floor once and on the lip of a walk-in shower the second time.  I remember vaguely wondering if I might be better off staying on the bathroom floor, but eventually made my way back to bed and to sleep.  When Doug woke up in the morning, I told him of my adventures.  We decided that I should be seen by medical professionals, and that even tho the emergency room would be an all-day adventure that was where I should go.  As he escorted me to the bathroom, I managed to pass out again; this time, he was right behind me and gently lowered me to the floor.  Whew. 

 

I was correct in that we spent all day in the emergency room.  Thankfully I was not a high priority patient -- which means it wasn't THAT serious.  I had figured that at a minimum there would be x-rays, and possibly a CT scan.  I was correct.  Those were both clear, and the bloodwork did not indicate a heart attack.  Thankfully.  

 

Turns out that high altitude and high blood pressure are not a good combination and that sometimes people faint.  Nice to not be a medical mystery.  We are assuming a concussion, even tho the discharge paperwork did not indicate so.  Concussion protocol means limiting my screen time, reading, high-level concentration tasks, and reading.  Now, after two weeks, I am mostly recovered.  I still get tired easily and I do note my concentration is not as good as it could be.  But better than two weeks ago.  Thank heavens.  

 

Now ... on to the better part of vacation!

 

We spent time with the granddaughter and her parents. I know she is 2 years old.  Really, I do.  It is still startling to see her acting like a big girl though!  She loves colouring and painting. She also loves her stuffies and books.  

 

 She absolutely despises her car seat, her winter coat and any sweaters. And socks.  Consequently, we did most of our adventuring near to home, but that was OK.  We managed a walk almost every day, and there are several playgrounds nearby. 

 

One "excuse" for the trip was to deliver the Christmas (!) gifts, albeit late.  Daughter received a lovely silk cowl; Son-in-Law loved his double-knit mittens and used them while shoveling snow.  Granddaughter loved her dress, but the sweaters all had mixed reviews.  The socks, though --

 were received with great delight.  The yarn for the grown-up socks is Laines du Nord Summer Socks, which is a delightful cotton in a fingering weight.  I used a 2.5mm needle and a standard 60 stitch sock for Daughter, and 64 stitches for Son-in-Law.  The Granddaughter socks are one sock from her mama's colourway and one from her papa's.  She even caught on to what I had done.  The parents were absolutely tickled pink. 

 

While out west, we stayed in the in-laws' house, which is nearby.  As a host/hostess gift, I gave the mother-in-law a lovely alpaca cabled cowl.  For the father-in-law, I knit up a hat with a skein of wool which the store had been gifted as a test skein -- Juniper Moon Farms Moonshine. 

 This is a truly delightful alpaca blend wool, and well worth the cost.  Sadly, we are not able to bring it into the store because of the tariff uncertainty and ... well, politics.  I expect you all know just where I stand.  In any event, the pattern is Two by Two and it worked up every bit as well as I hoped it would.  Interesting, though, is that I read the pattern carefully and discovered that I was supposed to be using a 4.0mm needle.  No wonder my previous hats have been on the large size!

 

In other knitting news -- the Mountain Forest sweater (from Knitty) is finished!

 I am so very pleased with how it turned out!  My gauge was ever-so-slightly large so I ended up making a Medium and it is just perfect for me.  I opted to do the colourwork only around the yoke as I felt that having it at my hips and cuffs would make me look short and dumpy.  Maybe, maybe not.  I used two balls of James Brett Croftland for the solid colour, and one ball of Estelle 50 for the multi-colour part.  You will note that the sleeves are -- gasp -- delightfully long enough!  Patience is a virtue, and I displayed a fair bit of it as I knit the sleeves three inches longer than the pattern requested!  Yippee!  I love it! I keep pondering a second sweater, with all the colourwork included.  Time will tell.

 

Flying back home from Alberta was bittersweet.  I got the most delightful hug and kiss from the Granddaughter. 

And I was sent home with refrigerator art!

 

 Needless to say, I am plotting my next trip west with great delight!