The Hills Are Alive

I went to behold the mountains a little closer up today.  I discovered the best view of all is lying with the seat reclined and the peaks filled the windshield like a picture frame.  I wasn't driving, so reclining was safe, though the dog almost got smashed when I reclined just a little faster than she could move off the seat behind me.

Our worship services at church are an hour earlier in the summer.  I was very delighted that I was asked at short notice to fill in singing with the worship band.  Afterwards at lunch I said "I have a crazy idea" and my husband thought driving to the mountains wasn't so crazy and it included the promise of shopping for snow skis so my son was a willing bribery victim and chose to tag along.

After spelunking without a safety rope through the pit of despair in the wee hours last night while my long-suffering husband listened upon fear of death (or perhaps because he actually loves me in spite of myself), it was such a timely trip. The mountains are healing and all three of us smiled most of the time and even ventured a laugh now and then.

The weather was lovely (the temperature never dropped below 23 degrees celcius), I made it my first order of business in Banff to order my triple venti extra hot skinny cinnamon dolce latte at Starbucks and then we took a lovely stroll down the main shopping street under the watchful eyes of Many Peaks.  I ducked into every art gallery that had Real Art and my husband even followed me in (we are looking for good stuff for our living room).

And we stumbled across a most delightful quilted spread for our guest room.  Both of us said (almost simultaneously): "That's really nice.  I like that." and it was also 30 percent off so I got all the accessories they had and learned where their other store was in Calgary so I can go find shams and bedskirt to match.  It is by April Cornell, one of April's Originals: Painterly impressions and personal observations that flavor the everyday.  Made in India of 100% cotton, it is from a print collection called European Garden - Cherry Blossom Blue.  It looks like this: 

Isn't it lovely?  Want to come sleep under it?  Under the quilt, silly, not under the accent pillows.  I only got one of those and it wouldn't keep you warm.

After breathing mountain air, walking a few paths, spending a few dollars, we ventured back toward home, stopping in Canmore for supper at my favorite organic restaurant: Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company.  I had a Fresh Herb salad and the guys had a half and half pizza: half Hickory BBQ Chicken for A, half Mighty Meaty for B.  While there, we stumbled upon old friends from AAA Hockey, had a brief but lovely visit and promised to have them over soon.  We also sat beside a lovely mom and daughter from Holland who asked us what common practice was in Canada for tipping and that led to a long and enjoyable chat about all sorts of things.

After singing, walking, shopping and drinking in beautiful art, I think I will have sweet dreams tonight.  If I can ever come down off my adrenalin rush to shut my eyes...