Well, November was Thanksgivibirthdaykah (Lily's birthday), then comes Christmas/New Year's/Paul's birthday, my mother and brother have birthdays in between that don't correspond to any holiday and now St. Purim's Birthday (my father's birthday). So we had all things Irish...and Hawaiian? A theme Lily cooked up. Paul fell asleep during Lilo and Stitch so Lily, my parents, and I played a game of Anomia, which was recommended to me by a staff member at Snakes and Lattes. I wanted to get my father a game for his birthday that we could all play together. So, after the gingerbread (my father's favourite cake), green Kool-Aid (in the 2L glass boot- that used to contain beer from a previous excursion to the Pickle Barrel before boarding the bus), grapefruit-flavoured San Pellegrino because it came in green cans -hey I even dyed my white wine green- we munched on Purim candies from Israel that my Aunt had packaged up for us and had an abbreviated game night. I think we will have to have pt. 2 next weekend when we are all together again. I have made green hamentaschen using cake mix...they kind of fell apart because I used a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I've asked Paul to bring his rat mask for the occasion. To be honest, I can't remember the sequence of events but I do know Paul and I watched another Netflix movie, Prince Avalanche. This is a quirky and off-beat saga of two men whose job it is to paint the yellow line down the middle of a remote highway after it had been destroyed. Some factoids about the film are: 1. The director, David Gordon Green, also worked on Pineapple Express, a movie we saw recently and enjoyed. 2. It's based on an Icelandic film, Either Way, made in 2011 by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigur∂sson. 3. Lance LeGault, who played the old man, passed away shortly after the film was made, hence it is dedicated to him. (And what is the significance of one of the main characters being named Lance?) Paul thinks that he as well as the woman that everyone but him can see (sorry minor spoiler) are the ghosts of people who died in the avalanche. 4. It was based on a real fire. 5. A band called Explosions in the Sky recorded the soundtrack. And I just bought tickets online with a Pizza Pizza movie deal to see The Grand Budapest Hotel. We're going to go when I get off work! Yay!

So March didn't bring the warmer weather we were all hoping for...it's finally starting to warm up a little now but it sure took a while!! We celebrated my mother's birthday with cake and great company!! And tomorrow is my father's birthday. Yesterday was Pi(e) Day. I went to the communal house known as The Mudhouse. It was really great to see them all again. It was Pi(e) day so there was nothing but pie. Cherry, blueberry, lemon, apple, butterscotch, pumpkin, and pizza, oh yeah, and salad...and I brought a little chocolate pecan pie from Wanda's Pie in the Sky. Ok, so I think I counted 8, that's close enough to 9. When I was in Kensington Market I also went to Spiritwind for Yoga from the Heart and The Grind House for coffee. I took a detour up to the Annex to Piya's Boutique for incense, The Kandy Shoppe for wine gums, and, of course, David's Tea. My parents took Lily on a vacation to the Dominican for March Break. They will get back tonight and I can't wait to hear how it all went. So, Paul and I are all alone in the house on Saturday and what did we do? Laundry and groceries!! It was a little cold when we went outside but the sun shining in the bay windows is truly exquisite. And we are getting that beautiful low late afternoon light characteristic of longer days. Oh and we watched Crystal Fairy and the Magic Cactus on netflix. I enjoyed it, kind of a silly premise perhaps but really good characterization and dialogue. Paul fell asleep and while I was folding laundry a telephone surveyor called and I did the survey. That's how exciting I am these days. We've been looking for books on step-families...I still haven't found one that jumps out at me, not that we're having problems per se, it would just be nice to have some insight. I found some articles by searching 'step-parenting' on Yummy Mummy which I look forward to reading. Also 'Being Precious', 'Rocketbride,' and 'Life with Georgia' are all bloggers on Bunch that are in step-family situations, either they are stepparents or their partners are. I really enjoy Rocketbride's other blog too. Tomorrow we have a bowling lane reserved for 1pm!! And it's my father's birthday. And Purim!! Yay!! We shall celebrate indeed. Oh, so now I will walk of with Walk Off the Earth. This is what we've been listening to lately.