So what have I been up to? Lots of work, a quick conference in Toronto which led to a week in Quebec (oui, oui - c'est tres bien!!), a little bit of time with the dogs (I can't stay away. They're so smelly, but so cute!), I've picked up facepainting, and the curling season has started again.
The Iqaluit Curling Club is completely volunteer run - mostly with the hard work of about 6 or 7 dedicated people - and the aim is essentially to introduce curling to anyone who is interested, build skills, and hope they have fun. There are a few people who have been curling for many years, but for the most part the league is full of beginners and you often see someone from one sheet of ice helping out players on the next sheet with advice, coaching, or rule clarification. All in all, it is a relaxed and fun atmosphere that makes for a good night out.
This summer I was lucky enough to get some facepainting lessons from a real clown - thanks, Bubbles!! These were some practice butterflies on a friend's arm - I later put similar ones on the cheeks of many 4 year old girls at a birthday party! I also had a lot of fun with it at Halloween, as some of my friends let me embellish their costumes with face/body paint. I painted a Snow Queen with snowflakes, the Element of Fire with flames, and a police officer with a handlebar mustache, among other things. I was having so much fun, in fact, that I forgot to put on my own costume for a large part of the evening!
