Thank goodness Christmas comes but once a year. After a fabulous Christmas dinner and other meals with the sister Nardac and her hubby, I set off to Winnipeg to met Mr. Hippo's family. Considering he has seen most of my immediate family, it did seem rather odd that I am just meeting his after a year of serious dating. The experience was not at all like "Meet the Fockers". It was a touching event and very enjoyable event.
Of course when everyone I knew hear about my coming sojourn to Winnipeg, the knowing smiles and nudges came to light. It is not long before someone who say, "so when's the wedding?" So greatly exaggerated is the importance of the "meeting the future-in-laws".
I was warmly greeted by the entire family. In fact, I saw almost all of Mr. Hippo's relations in Winnipeg (minus two estranged cousins). This is no small feat as two of his uncles are not on speaking terms and avoid all family functions where they may meet by accident. No one really knows how the rift occured. Curious to see that every family has its own estrangements. Another odd realization was that sibilings may not appear related. Nardac and I are rarely identified as sisters. Mr. Hippo and Bubba, his brother look even less likely to related.
I participated in a long time family tradition of welcoming in the new year at Mr. Hippo's parents home. They were engaged on New Year's eve those many years before and so the event is twice significant. So I break with tradition now and post a picture of the party.
I was also coldly greeted by a winter storm which dumped about 36cm in less than 12 hours. So much snow fell on the day before New Year's eve, it threatened most New Year's eve celebrations including my own. Mr. Hippo and his brother in law, diligently, spent most of the day digging out of his sister's home in order to get to his parent's home which awa just a mere 10 minutes away by car and about 50 minutes on foot...perhaps closer to 90 minutes with the snow covered roads.
But alas if this confirms your oldest sterotypes of Winterpeg, the temperature climbed to 6 degrees during the first week of January. Record setting temperature highs were broken not only in Winnipeg but all across Canada in fact. Perhaps there is some truth to that Al Gore film.
