Page 2 of 234

A half-and-half experience

3-July-25 / Tisha / 2 Comments

We had a mixed experience in June going up to Whistler for our fourth half-marathon there.

On the more challenging side of things, we started out in a vacation rental that left a lot to be desired (such as cleanliness, ugh). Despite extensive training, we were not much more prepared for the difficulty of the hilly race course than the last time we ran it. And bringing Tilly along meant managing her dog-reactivity throughout our time, which was tiring for us all.

But on the positive side of things, the weather was unseasonably warm and dry. We devoured many delicious treats (berries, pizzas, burgers, oh my!). We (really) earned our two race medals, saw two black bears, and enjoyed ~two million extraordinary views—especially from the (super clean!) hotel where we ended the trip.

This place never ceases to inspire awe. I hope it won’t be another two years before we can go back! (Although our budget will probably say otherwise…)

Shane along the hottest stretch of the course

Fun with the walk-in shower (for some humans anyway, haha)

I love that moment when the sun hits the ridge

Icing on the sports cake

6-June-25 / Tisha / 0 Comments

After the 2024 Olympics wrapped last summer, I found myself missing sports. Luckily, we found a bunch of free (and commercial-free!) sports to watch through CBC’s website.

One of the regularly featured winter sports was figure skating. We tuned in casually at first, not sure what to expect over the days-long competitions, which repeated throughout the fall and winter. Would we really want to watch hours (and hours) of performances, many the same routines from the same skaters?

The answer, it turned out, was an emphatic yes! By the world championships in March, we were hooked. We had favourite commentators and skaters, a growing knowledge around the components and GOEs*, and an appreciation for the sport like never before.

And that, my friends, is how we found ourselves at this year’s Stars On Ice tour. It was a delight to see select competitive skaters in person, many of them performing the competition programs we’d enjoyed online during the season (Piper and Paul’s Beach Boys rhythm dance was particularly great live).

More than anything, being rink-side emphasized how hard the four disciplines (women’s singles, men’s singles, pairs, ice dance) are! When you can see the height of the jumps and throws, hear the hard scraping of the skates, and experience the speed of the skaters going by, it’s truly amazing that anyone is staying on their feet at all—let alone doing choreography in time to music.

We even loved the cheesy group numbers. Watching the skaters perform together (many from different disciplines) while often being goofy (looking at you especially, Jason Brown) was just plain fun.

Now we have a reason not to mind so much when fall comes around again: it will be the start of a new skating season, and in an Olympic year no less. We’ll love returning to all our viewing and learning and cheering. (Go Kaori go!!!)

The ISU’s YouTube channel is good place to stream many competitions, should any of you wish to join us. ;-)

*Grade of Execution = the points awarded that reflect the quality of a completed skating component, which is added to (or subtracted from) the base score of the component.

Springtime sprouts

4-June-25 / Tisha / 6 Comments

I am working hard to assemble a group of dollies to attend the Scandinavian craft fair with me later this month! Here are the two latest additions.

Lia is a curious little dolly who loves the challenge of trying something new. She is always experimenting with new hobbies and activities, and she will often have a new game to teach you!

Most recently, Lia has been taking Nordic baking classes and piano lessons. She has also bought a tent and hopes to do some camping soon (will you join her? she welcomes company).

Lia loves s’mores, does impressive yodeling, and is fascinated by earthworms.

Come on by for a visit (and bring some s’mores!)

Holly is a soft, nature-loving sweetie whose favourite season is spring! She likes seeing and smelling all the new flowers and watching the insects get to work.

Holly has fun pretending to be a veterinarian. She is a great friend to all the animals living here, making sure they get food, exercise, entertainment, and rest!

Holly also likes corn-on-the-cob, cartwheeling, and cats of all sizes. She dreams of someday owning a kitten.