I would walk 500 miles ... or maybe just 104.5 km

Well, April is over, and that means my walking challenge is over, too.

Anti-Automobile April was a good experience: I burned some calories. I witnessed the day-by-day growth of those first spring blooms each time I walked by my neighbours' gardens. I relished the sunshine and fresh air.

I also realized that walking places raises eyebrows. Ben and I started walking to church, and I think we genuinely shocked some people. I discovered that, for many, walking is a fine recreational activity, but isn't a viable mode of transportation when you have an actual destination. Why is that?

My results are below. Please note that these are only my logged kilometres. This chart doesn't include Ben's driving about, nor does it include the times when I was a passenger when carpooling.

DAY	KM BY CAR	KM BY FOOT	COMMENTS / EXCUSES / JUSTIFICATIONS
1
2
3
4		4.5
5		5
6	3		Cranky baby = speedy option required to get home quick if necessary
7	15	8
8		5
9		8
10
11			April storm = hibernation
12			April storm = hibernation
13	3.5		It was raining. Hey, I have a baby! Baby can't get wet!
14		18
15		8
16	2		It was rainy looking. Hey, I have a baby! Baby can't risk getting wet!
17	35
18	3		It was rainy. And so I was by myself this time ... but I don't like to get wet, either.
19
20		4.5
21		10
22		4.5
23		8
24
25		5
26
27	18	4
28		8
29
30		4

TOTAL KM BY CAR: 79.5
TOTAL KM BY FOOT: 104.5

The challenge is now over, so I no longer need to avoid my car. But I still will. Let's call it Mozying-May.

Wanna join me?

I dream of Agnes

Okay, so there is freezing rain today. Spring is still here, technically, and we can pretend that it is balmy outside. And once that balmy springtime sun starts shining, I start dreaming of camping – of roasted hotdogs and marshmallows, of wilderness walks and lazy beach naps.

This year, we have a baby in the mix, so there will likely be fewer spiderdogs and more baby-consoling-sessions, fewer lazy naps and more games of keep-the-baby-on-the-beach-blanket. Camping will likely be a bit more complicated this year.

Adding to the complication is determining what we need to bring camping and how to get it there. How will we fit all of our stuff, and D's stuff, in the car? Where will he sleep, since we can't stuff his Pack n' Play in our small tent? What if it's raining the whole time? What if he can't sleep?

I spent some time looking for tips online, and it was then that I stumbled upon the Big Agnes Flying Diamond on MEC's website. And my, she is lovely. We could fit several Pack n' Plays in there! We could spread out a few blankets for D to play on if it rains. And, God willing, should we have more children, we could easily fit them in there, too.

Ben says we should hold off and see how it goes this year, making use of what we do have. There is wisdom in that. But still, I dream of Agnes.

I'd love to hear from you. What are essentials for camping with a baby? Any tips, suggestions? We really do need Agnes, right!?  

Thoughts on remembrance

This summer, Ben and I had the opportunity to visit the Netherlands with his Dad, Mom, brother, and sister. Since both Ben and my grandparents immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands, we were able to explore our roots and a history we had only previously heard about.

One of the things we did in the Netherlands was visit the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and Memorial. As one interested in history, I expected that I would find the site interesting and informative. What I didn't necessary expect was the emotion I felt when walking through the rows and rows of graves.

The reality of the lives lost during WWII and other wars can sometimes fail to fully register when living in a country like Canada. I have learned about the losses in school, and I have heard wartime stories from my grandparents, but to actually see the final resting place of so many people -- many of them younger than myself -- was something altogether different.

While a sombre experience, visiting the war memorial was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Should I ever return to the Netherlands, I will visit the war cemetery again. The visit this summer changed my perception of Remembrance Day this year, and I hope and pray that I will remember more deeply and more often than just November 11 in the years ahead.