So, it pays to have friends all over the world. Especially when it's my most awesome friend Melanie from Ontario, who sends me a package FULL of Canadian treasures.
Currently, we are enjoying chocolate chip cookies from a French Canadian package. Thank goodness there were also English instructions as THIS Southern girl only knows Spanish. And seriously? They are DELICIOUS!!!!!!!
Funny conversation between Melanie and I.
Melanie: "Have you heard of Smarties?
Imagining this:
Me: "sure"
Imagining this:
You can imagine my surprise when I found out that outside my little United States bubble... there are other scrumptious goodies. Some that share the names of my favorite US goodies.
But heres the one that keeps me up at night wanting more...
Coffee Crisp... OH MY. This will be one I have to import. I'll smuggle it if I have to. (And hey, that way I can visit my friend with the added bonus of this sweet, crunchy, chocolate covered, coffee wafer.
In terms of delicious goods... Canada gets my vote. GOOOOO Ontario!!!!!!
And if you thought THIS was a lot... you just wait to find out what ELSE Melanie sent me from Ontario.
Much to my surprise, this months randomly picked destination is Ontario, Canada. Home to one of my very good friends, SCORE! Great as she is, she has agreed to let me interview her for the sake of education (well, and who am I kidding...FUN!) As well as provide me with a TON of information for our viewing pleasure.
Let's give my Canadian friend, Melanie a warm welcome!!!!
Where in Ontario, Canada do you live?
MELANIE: I live in Barrie ON about 6hrs from our countries capitol Ottawa and 45 minutes from our provinces capitol Toronto.
Whats the weather like? Do you get much snow in the winter? It is dry/ humid? MELANIE: I think we are much the same as you but I could be wrong, hot and humid summer, and cold and snowy winters, with very short spring and fall, we seem to really only have 2 seasons. I believe our weather is very much like Michigan.
Skootamatta River in Winter
Do people really speak French there? MELANIE:French, well yes and no. It is the mandatory second language here that is taken in school starting in grade 4 all the way through highschool. Depending where you live in ON or Canada you will encounter more or less french. Where I live is an English speaking area, however, Ottawa is very bilingual. There are small towns all over ON that are bilingual as well, just 40 minutes north of me is a bilingual community and 20 minutes south is a bilingual military base. This means that all signs are in both English and French and people who work in those areas can speak both languages fluently.
When is your Independence Day? Thanksgiving? Other holidays us Americans might be interested in? MELANIE: Our Independence Day is July 1st, known to us as Canada Day. We always have a huge fireworks display, just like you guys do on the 4th.
Do you have to have a passport to visit the U.S.? MELANIE: I do not believe that we need passports to drive to the states but we do need them to fly. However this may have recently changed as there has been talk of it.
(From Sierra) IS there ever tornadoes there? MELANIE: Tornadoes, yes, we get them and they are scary. The last one to hit where I live happened many yrs ago, but area within a few hrs of us have been devastated by tornadoes in the last 2-3 years.
(From Jeremiah) Are there earthquakes there? MELANIE: Earthquakes, again yes. Ottawa was hit the other year and we felt the after shocks all the way over here in Barrie, although I do not believe that Barrie has ever been the epicenter.
Thank you Melanie for helping us better understand your beautiful homeland. Melanie also let me in on a neat little tidbit, that one of my family's favorite bands, Hawk Nelson (and namesake of our 6th born child, Hawk), is from Ontario, Canada! How cool is that?
I think this the actual song that was playing when we decided we would name our son Hawk.
Stay tuned... we have SO much more to share about the other side of Niagara Falls! ;-) Including a special care package courtesy of Melanie so that I can partake and share with all of you, just how wonderful Ontario is. ;-)
We are a Bible beating, Christ following, homechurching, UNschooling, home birthing, holistic healing, co-sleeping, attachment parenting, non circumsizing, non vaccinating family of 8!
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