There are no such worries, now.
If you want to get into the Christmas spirit just look out your window or step outside. Ta-da!
You have entered into the Christmas cheer. Of course, talking with the locals would lead me to believe I might not always feel this way ;)
We have ventured into Edmonton on several occasions. My first trip, lunch found me with a large piece of glass in my caesar salad, but I lived on! And didn't hold that against the great city of shopping.
My next trip into the city, found me marking certain parts of town for exploring on foot in milder temperatures.
And my third trip to Eddy, found me in reserve movie seats to watch the next Hobbit movie. That's right, you heard me. You can reserve seats! In a movie theater! Just like going to a play! Crazy! But awesome. And on the drive back to the theater, convinced me I was located in the largest outdoor mall I've ever seen in my life. This will be explored further.
Other interesting tidbits:
I can often clear the snow off my side of the car window and door just by blowing on it. The snow has been light and oh so fluffy in the time we've been here.
Snow removal is on the biggest and most organized scale I've ever seen.
My first day in town, while waiting for Nate at the cell store, I noticed someone across the room had an exposed heel on her foot! As I leaned over for a better but still discreet look, I noticed she was not wearing open back shoes but instead flip-flops! I at the same moment was wearing boots, mitts, and winter coat down to my knees. Nate assures me this was an extreme case of adaptation to the cold temperatures, and this will not be expected of me at any time.
We have winter tires now, a first in my life. Other than highways it seems we are always driving on snow and ice.
Humidifiers are our friends. It is dry air here. Chapstick is also needed.
I have adjusted to the Canadian way of taking off shoes to enter homes, but there can be an additional step here in some places of worship/stores to remove boots at the door. Socks must always be in good condition because they might see the light of day at any moment.
It seems more common to travel with slippers for the above reason as well.
Open face buns (essentially 1/2 a sandwich of egg salad, meat slices, or chicken salad) seem to be the norm for large gatherings: church functions, funerals, birthday parties. It's a new thing for me, but maybe not for others out there.
Anytime you drive on the highway, you see cars scattered in the ditch along your route. Not always a lot, but typically at least one or two on the way to Edmonton. We are inspired to put together a winter driving box of blankets etc.
These are just a few of my observations in our time here so far. I'm sure there will be more.
Below you can see a few pictures of our current home. We are enjoying it here!
