Winnipeg Windfalls

As far as I can recall, the only prize I've won to date (as an adult?) was a Bill Bryson book from Indigo Books at 27.   Winnipeg, however, has upped my luck a number of times.   This morning the kids and I rode over to the Millennium Library and picked up the latest copy of What's Up magazine.  Was fun to flip it open and see Iz's smiling face looking back at me!  While waiting for the kids 2 months ago, I was looking through the Spring edition and saw the previous "Cute Kid" contest winner.  I thought, "Iz is as cute as that kid!" - not to imply that my other two weren't/arent'!  But I could only submit one entry and had taken this one of Iz the previous day.  Without effort, I sent it off as soon as I returned home and didn't think anything of it.

Iz has been studying the pictures of the prize toys in anticipation of their arrival in the mail!

It was the highlight of the day - she pointed her photo out to all the librarians!

Then when I gathered the mail this morning, I found a book that I'd won from a Winnipeg blog I follow.  Mind you, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with "Chicken Soup for the Family Caregiver's Soul."  Hmm.   If any one is in that stage of life and could use it, let me know and I'll haul it to Vancouver for you in July :).

Back in November, you may recall I won two pairs of funky winter boots for A and Iz (photos here).  In January I'd also won two tickets to see a show of choice at Shawfest -  plays of George Bernard Shaw.   I invited Adina, Mom to one of Abby's classmates and we watched the comedy, "Arms and the Man."  It was such a fun way to get to know each other better, something I wouldn't have spent money on otherwise in the tight month of January . . .

Last Sunday night, I ended up getting to take another friend out - this time to a Jane Siberry concert at the West End Cultural Centre three short blocks away from us (though I hadn't technically won those tickets).  She had one fantastic song for a mother that made me cry and I liked the air of benevolence and warmth that she emitted.  Nice lady, just a little bit different.   Saturday night I'd happened to attend a really funny theatre and music fundraiser event there in support of a nearby women's centre.  The friend I attended with, Jennifer, knew the event hostess who happened to have extra tickets for Sunday's event and gave them to me (Jennifer didn't want them).  So two nights in a row I was able to head out to the WECC!  If that wasn't enough, S and I already had planned a date to attend a show there this past Saturday night.  Cree author, Tomson Highway, had emailed S to say he'd be in town for the event and would like to meet him.  We eagerly bought tickets to "The 30th Anniversary Celebration Cabaret for the Manitoba Writer's Guild" - not thinking of anything but meeting Highway.  How disappointed we were to have the MC announce right away that Tomson Highway was unable to attend.   We were then "treated" to some other authors who creatively read select texts, sometimes set to music.  It was definitely an audience a little out of our league - with readings too abstract for us to follow, at times!  But it was nice to get out together all the same.

For me, it was three outings in eight days!  Guess I'm starting to make up for the things I didn't get to do while living in Granisle?!  Technically, I'm in the "honeymoon" stage of living in a new place, though I think I'm a little beyond honeymoon stages at this point of transition in my life.  Regardless,  I really do like much about this town.  And when the point comes sometime later this year, perhaps, that I don't - well, I'll sing along to this great song about Winnipeg:  "One Great City" by The Weakerthans.