Last Day in Ottawa

I fly home later today, and I’ll post soon about this week in Ottawa. These last few hours here, though, I’m going to hang out in the sunshine with my guy. Meanwhile, here are a few photos, and if you haven’t already seen what Sue posted, at High Heels in the Wilderness, I recommend you pop over there. Not only does she have a much better post-lunch photo of the two of us than I managed to capture, but she’s also developed some thoughts on blogging and shame that really resonate with me. I hope to say more soon about the pleasure and privilege of meeting blogging friends–rest assured, Sue is as lovely, entertaining, bright, and thoughtful as you’d imagine from her writing.

Morning runs with Pater along the Rideau Canal

He insisted on taking this. I don’t think it’s flattering, but I do love that he thinks I look great! Funny guy!

This is better….getting ready for another lunch with friends. 

Layered a light linen sweater to keep the sun off my arms if there’s no shade

Even brought a hat, but I can never keep it on…

One last view of our running route, this time along the Ottawa River.

 

Now to spend some time with Pater before we separate for most of the week…

And I don’t have to tell you, do I, that your comments are always so very welcome (and I know I’m behind in responding to ones on the last post or two, but I’ll catch up once I’m back home — meanwhile, I’ve read and appreciated every one!)



 

22 Comments

  1. High Heels in the Wilderness
    18 June 2016 / 1:24 pm

    I love that tank and skirt, Frances. And love, love it with the sweater. Is that a Vince sweater? Looks like just the kind of light, drapey knit I'm looking for. Enjoy your day with Pater. It's Italian week over on Preston Street, if you're looking for somewhere for a leisurely wander. So enjoyed our afternoon on Wednesday…even if we didn't get any wandering in ourselves. I wouldn't have been able to stop talking long enough to do things like peruse shops or watch for traffic:) I seriously can't talk and walk at the same time.

    • materfamilias
      19 June 2016 / 1:21 pm

      It's a J Crew sweater from two summers ago. I bought four there that summer — one a white v-neck which has been worn out, sadly; two with designs printed on front, navy and pale pink, boat neck, basic loose T cut, and this slouchy feet with dolman sleeves. And this is the one I could wear and wear and wear. Wish I'd bought more, and I keep watching for its like to appear again.
      Missed Italian week, but I did get my cafe au lait en bol and my brioche sucrée at Le Moulin de Provence. . . .
      I'm not good at browsing shops with friends either — lunch was perfect, but I could have sat for hours longer. . . . Thanks again!

  2. Georgia
    18 June 2016 / 2:16 pm

    It's so much fun to read about your adventures and meet-ups.

    I'm curious about the linen sweater too. I have a linen sweater, my one and likely only venture into Eileen Fisher, but the sleeves just get longer and longer each time I put it on…it's now gorilla-stye. Yours is a great colour (and oh! that skirt…)

    • materfamilias
      19 June 2016 / 1:23 pm

      What happens when you wash your EF sweater? I throw mine (J Crew — see above) in the delicate cycle and then lay flat to dry, and I've never noticed much stretching out. I've been really unhappy lately with J Crew's merino (pills almost instantly!) but they do the linen knits well (or at least did, 2 years ago)

    • Georgia
      19 June 2016 / 10:06 pm

      Because of this strange behaviour I hand washed and lay flat to dry. It recovers width-wise (from pushing up the sleeves) but the length just grows. The knit almost seems too heavy to bear its own weight, if you know what I mean! 🙂

  3. K.Line
    18 June 2016 / 2:44 pm

    Those lunch outfits are gorgeous! I'd love to hear about how you find the sun over here. That blue sky clarity you've captured in so many of your photos is what I live for! You've really chosen a great time of year to go to eastern Ontario and SW Quebec.

    • materfamilias
      19 June 2016 / 1:26 pm

      Thank you! And it was the perfect time — we just grabbed those first warm, then hot, days after a prolonged coolness, so the humidity was just starting to build as I left. You won't believe what I came back to though: I flew out of 31 degrees, blue skies, sunshine and flew into 10 degrees (Yes!!) grey skies, and I had to dig my umbrella out for the walk home from the Skytrain. . . . Well hello Vancouver, I love you too!

  4. Sherrie
    18 June 2016 / 3:44 pm

    You look very attractive and chic in the lunch outfit with your hat. I am not a hat person, but envy those who are. Please wear them more often, and treat us to pictures.

    • materfamilias
      19 June 2016 / 1:28 pm

      My husband keeps saying I'm a hat person, and I believe him enough to be tempted into buying them — but I can rarely keep them on my head for any length of time. . . And then there's the problem with what they do to my curls — fine as long as I don't have to take my hat off in front of anyone!

  5. Rosie
    18 June 2016 / 4:08 pm

    Love your lunch outfits …very chic! I empathiseven,keeping hats on springy curls is not easy! Love the photo Peter took as well. You do look good in your running kit. I'm more likely to get compliments from hubby when I'm wearing jeans and a t shirt than when I'm "dressed up" He told me years later that he was concerned on our wedding day that I'd decide to wear lots of make up and not look like "me" 🙂
    Safe flight home.
    Rosie

    • materfamilias
      19 June 2016 / 1:29 pm

      You got it — not much spring left in the curls after a good hat-squashing, is there?!
      Aren't we lucky to have husbands who like what we look like when we're not dressed up? And who tell us so?

  6. Rosie
    18 June 2016 / 4:10 pm

    Should just be empathise. ..my phones got a mind of its own ..thinks it knows better than me what I want to say!
    Rosie

    • materfamilias
      19 June 2016 / 1:30 pm

      Knew what you meant😉

  7. Anonymous
    18 June 2016 / 6:15 pm

    Lovely outfit,I like it very much!
    So nice to take a rest with Pater and meet friends after challenging rollercoaster home-changing period!
    Looking forward week report!
    Have a nice weekend
    Dottoressa

    • materfamilias
      19 June 2016 / 1:31 pm

      Thanks, Dottoressa
      It was good to get a change AND a rest. Poor Pater had to work, but at least we got time together in the evenings and managed a few morning runs together.

  8. Anonymous
    18 June 2016 / 10:30 pm

    Looks good, very you. Sounds like you've had a lovely visit. Mary

    • materfamilias
      19 June 2016 / 1:31 pm

      It was good, Mary. Thanks!

  9. Mardel
    19 June 2016 / 12:01 pm

    Love your lunch outfits! So happy you've had this restorative time with your sweetie, as well as the opportunity to meet friends.

    • materfamilias
      19 June 2016 / 1:32 pm

      Thanks, Mardel. Have to go back and respond to your recent slew of comments. 😉

  10. Penny
    2 July 2016 / 4:58 pm

    I like your lunch outfit, layered linens are so elegant. X

  11. Miss Cavendish
    2 July 2016 / 7:07 pm

    Oh, I know *exactly* where you are on the canal, having lived in Ottawa for six years, three of them of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway that's on the canal too. I was ridiculously fit back then, in my early 20s, without the Achilles or disc problems that plague me now, and used to run loops around the canal. I miss both the carefree running and Ottawa so much!

    • materfamilias
      3 July 2016 / 4:09 pm

      It's a great city for running — at least, when the weather suits. I'm not sure how I'd cope if I lived there, although my husband did manage to run through winter cold and summer heat and humidity throughout his few years there. So sorry about the Achilles/disc problems — what we took for granted in our 20s!! (as for missing — your puns!!)

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