Dear My Gorgeous Pretties,

Driving the Pacific Northwest I witnessed some of the most truly breathtaking scenes. You’re gonna hear me say that a lot. You may even get sick of me saying it, but on my G.O.D. it’s T.R.U.E! I swear it! When you are blessed to experience such places, or lucky enough to live in them, then you know what I’m talking about. The landscape in Montana was so stunning I didn’t even want to get out and take pictures. It was just like, nahhhhh, you gotta be here.

I drove through lands where the rolling plains stretched as far as the horizon and others where, if you looked close enough, you could almost see the salmon hopping up out of the river. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating just a little. Is it even salmon season? Point being, these lands, this great & ethereal places the Great Spirit has entrusted us with, must be protected, and driving through the tribal lands of the Interior Salish, the Blackfeet—and much more who deserve to be named!—and now, here in Calgary, home of the Chinook, only reinforces that notion. Mitakuye oyasin. We are one. The land, the water, the sky, the birds, the fish, the mountains, and the trees, they’re all connected to you & me.

I arrived in British Columbia after midnight hours not realizing the miles per hour had changed to kilometers, so no I was not doing 100 mph, officer, thank you very much! 😎 Listen, my French is un peu and I was operating on a few hours of sleep and still had 3 more hours to go until I hit Alberta, so cut me some slack, eh? That was my Canadian accent slippin, did you catch it? It’s subtle but it’s seeping through. Haha.

Even through the darkness I could tell that the parks I was driving through were absolutely gorgeous. I don’t remember where I was and it was definitely too late to pull over for a flick, but as soon as I crossed into Alberta, AKA, Wildrose Country, I knew I was right where I belonged.

*Not my pic, but located outside of Banff National Park*

Immediately when I arrived, my Dad, also being a fellow adventurer, wanted to do everything. I’m like, whoa, slow down beta, (iykyk), we have plenty of time. But he’s all like, power of now, yada ya. So, because we really did all the things, I’m splitting our adventures up between food & excursions, and likely a mix of both. So, stay tuned in the next edition(s) for all the fun sights we saw & things we did, but one outdoor adventure I must share on the top of the list, was our first outing together journeying out to Nose Hill, Calgary’s largest Natural Environmental Park.

A great expanse of almost 2800 acres, this park is the perfect sanctuary in the middle of the bustling urban landscape. Although I will say, having driven around the immediate area, it was more suburban than urban, but in the grand scheme of things it is technically in the middle of the city. Anwho, it was quite the delight! 2800 acres is a lot of ground to cover, and with just over 37 miles of trails, we didn’t venture too far. We stopped for a cuppuhhh at Tim Horton’s and sallied forth on our way. Cheers!

What I found most interesting about the place was the fact that they still use goats to maintain the vegetation & graze. Iconic!

*We didn’t see any while we were out, but still, very chic of you, Calgary.*

We took one of several trails to the tippy, admiring all the gorgeous flowers and plants along the way, including the wild roses of Alberta.

*Smooth Blue Aster—symphyotrichum laeve—everywhere*

*Berries of the Star-flowered Solomon's Seal, aka, maianthemum stellatum, pictured above behind leaves in upper left corner.*

*Gaillardia aristata, aka common blanketflower or common gaillardia*

*Penstemon nitidus, commonly the* *waxleaf penstemon*

*A little camera shy, but ready for their close up 😌*

*Rosa acicularis, commonly known as the prickly wild rose, prickly rose, bristly rose, wild rose or Arctic rose.*

*Fringed Sagebrush—Artemisia frigida—aka, Prairie Sagewort, aka, Cowboy Cologne. You wanna ride wit me, SchweetHaHt?*

*View from the top. City in the rearview. It’s looking good from up here. What say you?*

*Note the chic iron sculpting/writing. What’s this type of work called anyway? Metal engraving. Fancy stuff 😮‍💨*

Thanks Nose Hill! We shall return again, hasta pronto! And now it’s time for some delectable delights!

Imagine claiming to care about someone’s health while simultaneously going out of your way to create their instability. The definition of hypocrisy.

Thank the Lord for Divine F(l)avor…

After a full day of outdoor excursions my holy father took me to out to a delightful Yemeni spot, Sallora Mediterranean Restaurant.

Featuring authentic Yemeni cuisine, which, growing up with several friends from Yemen, I haven’t had in so long. And the flavors were hittin! Complete with a fresh juice & smoothie bar.

The location—I’m still learning the different areas of the city, but I’m pretty sure we were near Prince’s Island Park?—is super convenient, and the interior was warm, welcoming, and aromatic. People from all walks of life enjoying this delectably delightful cuisine.

Actually I chose the location so big up me, but special thanks to Baba Khabir for accompanying the kid 😆 I got the veggie plate complete with falafel, grape leaves, fatoush salad, hummus, and these dee-VINE potatoes cooked and seasoned to perfection with I don’t even know what kind of seasoning, but I am obsessed. Served over basmati rice

Dad opted for a light, yet still hearty, mediterranean salad—cucumbers, juicy tomato, red onion, bell & banana peppers, Kalamata olives, & feta cheese served with a classic dressing of lemon & olive oil.

Everything was truly delicious but the grape leaves were grape leavin! One of my all-time favorite things to eat, but no one’s will ever compare to my Palestinian Auntie’s from childhood, Allah yerhamha 🤍 These were a close 2nd tho!

I also got a mango smoothie which I sucked down while we were waiting for our food, so no pic but trust it was delish! Upon further inquisition we were informed by the owner that this location was actually two restaurants in one. They merged with Jerusalem Shawarma, which has about 10 locations all over Calgary.

And it was so nice we had to do it twice and get some for the whole family to enjoy!

*Shawarma Platter for 4 with hummus, garlic sauce, tahini, pita bread & baklava (yum!) on the side.*

Beef and Chicken shawarma served on a bed of aromatic basmati rice, alongside a generous portion of our Jerusalem-inspired hummus and hand-tossed garlic potatoes, Fattoush salad (I added olives—obvi!—pickled cabbage & beets, and falafel for the ones who don’t eat meat. Well…except on special occasion or Eid. If you so please! And remember, before we eat we say Bismillah & Bonappetit 😉

10 outta 10. 10! *High Key* recommend. Take yourself, family, or a friend, but do yourself a solid and give them a try. And tell them the Queen from the NE told you stop bye!

And what’s some Yemeni cuisine without a cuppuh Yemeni coffee? So the next day while we were moseying around town, we stopped at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co.

A gorgeous and delicious authentic Yemeni coffee spot right around downtown. (I think lol. Google map it!)

I loved the interior design. So ethereal. So divine.

*And this painting I absolutely adored.*

I got the *Sheba,* “a traditional Yemeni specialty featuring authentic flavours,”— very light bodied & aromatic with cardamom & ginger, and a veggie pastry, delightfully flaky.

Partially pictured (3 above), Dad got the milk cake, but because of my dairy aversion, I couldn’t partake. He said it was good dho!

*A traditional sweet made with milk & a pistachio cream. Photo from Uber Eats 😋*

With franchise locations also in the US, Qamaria Coffee, I must come again! You have made yourself a lifelong friend.

And we shall end this edition of our foodie stampede with a delightful recap from the Taste of Calgary!

Taking place at the iconic Cowboys Park 🤠 this 29th annual flavorful event brought something for everyone. With over 50+ vendors of food & drink, arts, music, and crafts, this was one event that was certified fun!

Taking place over the Civic holiday weekend, from July 30 t0 August 3, residents and guests of the city were invited to taste the delightful and the absurd.

And because I’m a little weird, my first stop was Holy Chili Oil.

I tried a few different flavors, which they put over popcorn to make it a show. How entertaining of them!

*Least spicy. This one was my fave and the* ***most*** *spicy in my opinion, but they said “mellow.” Tuh!*

Anyway, I forgot to get a pic because I was choking so hard, but these bad boys certainly did its job!

Continuing through they had a beer garden

A skate park just on the other side

*He was a skater boy. She said see ya later boy ✌️*

And a ton of seating for everyone to enjoy the food and each other’s company

And my next stop to squelch the heat in my throat was a nice cuppuhhh from Parish Coffee

On we marched with a lil sum sum for everyone to try…

But my tastebuds were salivating for some tofu from I Believe I Can Fry

*Drenched in a sweet & spicy sauce and fried to perfection*

Not everything had something for me, but you can see the people were living their joi de vie!

Complete with bouncy houses, balloons, and face painting for the kiddies

Then finally something I could partake in—a vegan snack from the Dogfather himself (below left)

*Ok and extra sauerkraut & chili sauce too!*

And now for a little art & light music…

Some look good, smell goods

Nick nacks & patty wacks

And is a festival really a festival without some light muse-ack?

I didn’t catch the band’s name but they were rockin it 🤘

After a full evening of events and belly of good bites, it was about that time for me to say good night. But not without savoring a few more delights!

*Here’s a photo of the two. Dave (left) Richard (right)*

*Magical potions to keep your senses bright*

And ending with some artistic wizardry that was totally outta sight! I need this cutting boards in my new kitchen like ahoramente. TONIGHT!

*Follow* *Barrel Woodcrafts* *on Facebook today and place your order (for me 😝) without delay!*

Well My Gorgeous Pretties, we’ve gotten through a lot but we have yet to scratch the surface. I must bid you arrivederci for now but I hope this edition was worth it. We’ve got a ton more adventures and tastes to explore so until we reconvene next week you’ll just have to endure. I hope the rest of your week is as lovely as can be. As ever and as always you could be anywhere in the world, but here you are with me. And I love that for you, and I love that for me. Stay blessed, EveryBuddy, and of course, God speed.

I almost forgot! See all the way below for my most favorite recipe 🤍

Love always (& besitos!),

Livin my (bizzzy) life like it’s golden

*And enjoying the honey from my combs 🐝*
*(Thanks Best Western)*

RECIPE FOR A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

A few cups of Love
One tablespoon of Patience
One teaspoon of Generosity
One pint of Kindness
One quart of Laughter
One pinch of Concern
Then she mixed Willingness with Happiness
Added LOTS of Faith
Then she stirred it up real well &
Spread it out over the span of a lifetime
And she served it up to each & every deserving person she met 🤍

Let me know if you give it a try! 😉

Recipe for a beautiful life

Bear necessities