Monday Mug Shot

I know, I’m a day late for Monday, but I’m not going to change the feature’s name for a day late. I suppose I could call it “Tuesday Tea Cup,” but I only have one mug that is a tea cup only and I know I’ve done that one already.

I know! We’ll call it “Tuesday Tardy Mug!”

Oh, why don’t I just get on with it?

Monday Mug Shot

Canada

If you’re wondering why there is a little stuffed moose with my cappuccino in the photo, it’s because the little stuffed moose came with the mug! We stopped at the Duty Free store on the way back over the border when we had our day trip in Canada in January. When we go someplace that sells mugs, I always have to have a look.

It was a pleasant day trip. With sunny skies, we got a few nice train shots and I got a few water towers too! That was also the day I got the call about Lacey finally finding a home and that started something – we sponsored 2 more cats who found homes within a month. We also got lunch at McDonald’s, which I’ve said before is SO much better if the is a red maple leaf in the middle of those Golden Arches! It was a great day that gave some stress relief at a time I really needed it.

The border is the fun part, both going and coming home. David is used to asking, “Can you stamp my wife’s passport, please?” When we cross into Canada, I MUST have my passport stamped. It’s part of my 10-year research and statistics project. All total, that passport cost $100. The ONLY reason I have a passport right now is to go to Canada, a country I have freely traveled in and out of since I was an infant. I “earned” my right to drive on overnight trips before I was 18 from my Mom by mapping out and planning a trip to Stratford, Ontario to go to the Shakespeare Festival. When I was suddenly required to have a passport to do that I was, well, irked a bit, okay a lot. The passport has to be renewed after ten years and the stamps in it will tell me if it was a good economical investment and one worth making again. I’m just being practical and fiscally responsible.

Going home, we stopped at Duty Free where we got not only the cappuccino mug with the moose, but we stocked up on some Canadian chocolate! Okay, it was mostly the made in England Cadbury, but Canada food regulations affect a lot of items that only appear to be the same as the commercial products we have. We pay extra for chocolate the quality of everyday Canadian chocolate. The souvenir chocolate includes a huge bar of Cadbury with whole hazelnuts. YUM!

We’ll see what my calculations are in eight years when I will need to decide whether or not to renew my “Go to Canada book.” If it works out to $10 a year, the chocolate alone may be worth it!