Sophia had a lovely Bat Mitzvah in Ottawa. Tamar found a multifaith sculpture garden an hour out of town, and it was a very cute, if mosquitoey, place. My sisters rallied round and helped with all the logistics of bagels, coffee, etc. Of course it rained most of the morning, but the tent was just the right size for 55 people. Sophia wore a beautiful Norwegian bunad and let her hair down in a golden cascade.
She did great! Sophia led us through a service complete with music by Leonard Cohen and the Dalai Lama, gave a thoughtful speech, read her Torah portion very well, and even got pelted with candy at the end. Her 4 grandparents and 6 aunts/uncles were all there, which probably hasn't happened since we got married 20 years ago.
After the ceremony, Peter and Rona played klezmer, many bagels and Nanaimo bars were eaten, most people did a treasure hunt that Tamar and Aurora made (only Zoe and Max succeeded, I think). Sophia got a few gifts, including a fossil, a portable sundial, a backpack and an amethyst bracelet.
We then stayed with my parents for a few days at Katimavik, and with my sister in Ottawa. Our friends Amelie, Felix and Leo camped in the pouring rain with us, we roasted marshmallows, watched the Oilers lose in game 7, jumped in the lake many times a day, and generally had a great time.
Heading west, we had a lovely visit with friends and family in Calgary and Canmore. There was a raspberry chocolate birthday cake for the ages, some nice hikes up Rockies, a cousinly swim, and evening games of Rummikub…it was low key and idyllic. Now we head to Japan for a very different experience!
No comments:
Post a Comment