Westcoast Weirdness & Fun

The other day A.S. was commenting to me that she felt like she was going deaf. Not wanting to admit that I'd been gas-lighting her, and talking more and more quietly each day, I sprung the suggestion of ear candling on her.

Being the good sport that she is, rather than calling me some crunchy-granola freak, she said that she was game to try it. So, that evening we curled up on the sofa and I indoctrinated her into the weird art of using a burning muslin and bee's wax cone to suck the contents of ones ear out. I won't describe the glee A.S. expressed as she examined the contents of her spent ear candle. I also won't mention the minor scarring I experienced during my turn under the candle. Needless to say, I know that she will watch me from all sides when we next play with melting candle wax (I still love her and realize that I should have explained things better).

The thing is that starting here, I need to now find something to top this. Any thoughts?

What's the point?

So, the point of this new endeavor is not to show off our honeymoon photos (though we think they're rather nice). The point is actually to share the trials and triumphs of our life as frum Jews here in Victoria, British Columbia, on the West Coast of Canada.

Here's the background. After meeting a fabulous, charming, and all around wonderful Canadian via my best girlfriend and shadchan, M.H., we got married three weeks ago. My husband has been living in Victoria for the past 18 years, but only became frum in the past few years. Together and with H'shem's help, we look forward to enjoying a lifetime in this beautiful, seaside town.

Victoria is a Canadian paradise. I can see the mountains on the Olympic Peninsula from our dining room window. As my husband said to me at lunch today, we can throw the kayak on top of the car and be sitting in the ocean in ten minutes. We can be in the country at my inlaws house in less than twenty minutes. There are many reasons why we've chosen to live here.

But (there's always a 'but'), the Jewish community here is scattered. Less than a handful of frum families live here. Getting kosher food is a scavenger hunt, not to mention the other necessities of Jewish life.

It is my hope that we can write frankly about our life here. It is also my hope that, with H-shem's help, we will be able to add something to the Jewish community in Victoria. Finally, it is my hope that these writings might help attract some new families to the community. Over the years I have spoken to many frum people who wish they didn't have to live in the run down urban or suburban areas where frum communities are generally found. They have told me of their desires to be able to enjoy nature a little more and escape the concrete. If this sounds like you, check back here from time to time. I don't know what H-shem will send our way, but we'll bring it all to you here - live from Victoria.

Honeymoon Part 2

These pictures are from the second half of our trip. All-in-all, we had a fabulous time and would gladly do it again. We traveled with a cooler, toaster oven, single-burner electric hotplate, and hot water urn. We were able to find kosher frozen food at almost every stop (even Omaha, Nebraska!) and ended up eating very well.

Sunset approching Boise, Idaho.

The Stinky Dog curled up on the carpet at the hotel in Ontario, Oregon.

Traveling through eastern Oregon, we came out on the side of this enormous hill.

The road cut into the side of the same hill.

The bridge to Washington state from Astoria, Oregon. We started here in the morning and ended the day in Nanaimo, British Columbia, nearly home.

Honeymoon Part I

Here are picture from our honeymoon driving from the Midwest to the West Coast:

The Stinky Dog contributing to the flotsam and jetsam in the Mississippi River.



















Wyoming is a beautiful state, but it was 8 hours of endless, treeless, rolling plain. Sometimes we saw mountains (like in the picture).



















Mostly we saw snow-covered undulating landscape.



















Little America is an oasis on I-80 in western Wyoming. We stopped and got junkfood (the only thing available and kosher were chips, cookies, etc.) and mailed some postcards.
















Little America also sported this bright green dinosaur statue, but we're not sure why.