march break and a dream come true

I hate blogger today... it's eaten my posts three times already. Each type I re-type, the post becomes shorter...!

We had the kids in Halifax this week for the March school break.
On the way there, we hiked at the Blomidon Provincial Park. The view from the top of the look-off was brilliant. The red cliffs of Blomidon tower over the mudflats of the Minas Basin stretched out below. The flats are mirrored in the green rolling fields of the Valley.

In Halifax, we saw some giant robotic reptiles, played at the Discovery Centre, swam for hours at the hotel pool, and had a ton of fun.

I also was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine. I've been fascinated with ancient Egypt since I did a project in the fourth grade. My only tattoo is of my name in hieroglyphics. I've always wanted to go to Egypt, and failing that, to at least see Egyptian artifacts in real life. I got my wish. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is hosting a travelling exhibit "The Treasures of Ancient Egypt" from the Museum of Fine Art in Boston. They are the oldest Egyptian artifacts in North America.

I was surprised by how emotional I felt seeing the display. For me, the most moving was the display of a mirror, a kohl pot and stick , and cosmetic pots. I caught my own reflection in the mirror, and immediately felt a connection spanning across space and time to another woman just like me 4000 years ago.

I was also blown away by Graeme Patterson's installation Woodrow. The installation speaks of the death of rural Canada, and features large models of decaying landmarks of his once-thriving, now nearly deserted hometown in Saskatchewan. The models feature small video displays with his own stop-action animated short films and robotic figures. My favorite was the church with an elderly lady playing organ upstairs while two old men bowl in the basement. They were mesmerizing and my kids were really excited about them.