a relaxing weekend!

22 weeks!

What a relaxing weeekend! I don't feel like I did much to deserve it... but whatever. I left the house but once on Friday - wait, no, twice - and spent most of it lounging, reading, scrapbooking, organizing, and really just being lazy. The order of business for Saturday was to finally tackle the to-do list that has been around for weeks and get my haircut and get an Ottawa cell number. I had success with the first, but not with the second. Because we're so in and out and all over the place, I'm trying to find a provider that I don't have to sign a contract with, and the the best deal I've found so far is with newcomer Wind Mobile. However, my old phone won't work with their new network - on one hand, this is welcome news; my current phone is a total piecer... but, on the other hand, I'm not super enthused about paying $450 for a new, fancy, smartphone. Cell phone schmell phone... I'll figure it out.

Yesterday morning may have been the culmination of the relaxing weekend - we went to Le Spa Nordik, and spent almost three hours bathing, lounging, chatting and relaxing. I am a bit limited in my prego-state and can't go in all of the hot pools and steam and sauna rooms, but managed in the one warm jet-tubby pool and by the fire and in the lounge chairs out in the sun just fine. And then, after a quick round of Ikea, we went to my aunt Zella's (no pics there, wooooops) for a BBQ dinner. She made an amazing couscous salad (recipe below), and we brought some deli sausages and chicken for the grill. It all came together perfectly, and after a slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie from Costco, we waddled out to the car and home.

There isn't much news on the prego-front, but the little guy - is it from the food or the lounging? - has been moving around quite a bit these last few days, and it's sooooo amazing. With the bigger kicks and elbows and moving parts I can sometimes see and not just feel the poke out, and yup, that's pretty amazing too. I had a doctor's appointment last week, and everything is so far so good, so hopefully things will continue that way. We were looking at baby things at Ikea yesterday, and are starting to think about what we need for the room, and about tackling that to-do list. Where the baby will sleep is also the second bedroom and the office, and home to some uggggggly curtains... so some changes need to be made. Okay, and with that I'd better go and get something done - I leave for practice soon and... there's always a list. I leave you with a recipe and some links!

Couscous Salad

2/3 cup dried currants/cranberries (soak in hot water for 15 minutes, drain)
3 tbsp butter
1/8 tsp powdered saffron (not sure if that was included)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 1/2 cups celery, finely diced
1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted lightly
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Melt butter with saffron, stirring constantly; add stock, bring to a boil. Add couscous - once cooked and fluffed, transfer to a big bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Dress, salt and pepper and enjoy!

The images above and below are from a project called Unlimited Urban Woods, a public art project in Holland... the view below can be seen in the box above - check out the article here...


I want to live in a bookshelf! A bookshelf apartment? Okay, it's just an art exhibit... but I like the idea...