OUT and ABOUT with Seeker Chick Mai-Liis: Wishing you all a “Happy Family Day” and checking out Red and Black options at Porsche Centre in Calgary …

Today is Family Day.

A day that was introduced in Ontario on February 18th, 2008 and created for people to spend time with their families. Today is beautifully mild so get your family together for some outdoor activity and fresh air!

If you need help finding an outdoor activity in the area today or any day, check out www.cornwalltourism.com

I was wondering though, how and why this day was created, so I went onto my computer to my friend “Google” and this is what I found.

During the Provincial election in 2007, Dalton McGuinty (of the Liberal party) promised that if re-elected as Premier of Ontario, he would establish a Provincial holiday in February. Up until that time, in Ontario, we had “New Year’s Day” with the next holiday being “Good Friday” which was 3 months away with no day off in between. Dalton did in fact get re-elected, kept his promise and on October 12, 2007, the Provincial Government established Family Day in Ontario, on the 3rd Monday in February.

My children and grandchildren live in Calgary, Alberta, (where Google told me that “Family Day was first held in 1990. It was proposed there by the province’s former premier, Don Getty, after his son was arrested for dealing drugs. Although Getty denied any connection, it is believed that this episode motivated him to establish an occasion to counteract what he saw as the erosion of family values in Canadian society).

I will visit with my children and grandchildren through Facebook Video Chat later today but have spent some time this morning thinking back to my trip to Calgary this past December when I did get to visit them in person for 3 weeks.

It was a trip where I should have enjoyed time with my 3 children, Kristian, Katrina and Kristofer, checking out where they have been living for the past few years, but instead I went to Calgary so that as a family unit, along with my ex-husband Steve, we could grieve the sudden and unexpected passing of our oldest son Kristian, who at the age of 33 left us too soon, due to suffering a massive heart attack on November 24th. I also helped Katrina and Kristofer deal with the passing of their big brother and my grandsons, Grayson and Rowan, deal with the passing of their hero, Uncle Kristian.

I myself, have spent the last few months trying to come to terms with the sudden and unexpected loss of my son. Children are not supposed to go before us. I remember 2 years ago, when Kristian stepped out of his comfort zone and moved to Calgary and I am so happy that he spent his last 2 years with his sister and brother Kristofer and his nephews. He actually forced me out of my comfort zone on December 1st, making his Mama get on a plane all by herself and helped me overcome my fear of flying!

Kristian’s sudden passing has taught us all to cherish every minute of every day, as none of us know when it is our time to leave this earth to continue our journey to the other side. This is why it is so important to celebrate Family Day with your loved ones. Thank you Manny!

On a bit of a lighter note:

While in Calgary, I spent most of my time visiting family, however, I did do some sight seeing including a trip to Banff and I also did an “OUT and ABOUT” at my youngest son Kristofer’s place of work, Porsche Centre Calgary, where I got the Grand Tour and also a ride in the Taycan, Porsche’s first battery electric vehicle.

Check out the awesome painting above, of the Porsche Logo, that hangs in their media room – where I would love to work as a Graphic Designer … hint, hint.

My first stop was a visit to the showroom where I picked out a car for Seeker Chick Julia and myself. As you can see, red for Julia and black for me. I think these would make wonderful gifts for the Seeker Chicks and we would definitely get noticed driving around in Cornwall – I think they knew I was coming though and already had my car prepared with the big red bow placed on the windshield!

I have to admit that this is the first time I saw a garage – where my son Kristofer works and is seen standing in the photo, (above left) that was just as clean as the showroom (above right).

Check out this beautiful company at: https://dealer.porsche.com/ca/calgary/en- – you may even find a Special Gift for yourself !!!!

Oh and did I mention the Taycan?

We took the Taycan out for a spin and a “Launch” (some Porsche lingo) but only a little one as unfortunately it was a bit of a snowy day and the roads were a bit slick. I was however, quite impressed by the handling of this vehicle even though it does accelerate quite a bit faster than a regular car. For example 0-60 mph in 3 seconds. I think you can see that the roads were snowy and dirty as by the time we got back, the poor Taycan definitely needed a wash (or a detailing as it might be called in automotive lingo…)

A Fun fact about the 2020 Porsche Taycan – It Charges faster than a new iPhone. WOW! also this black beast (above) costs around $170,000 and I’m sure at some point this Spring you will see me sporting my new Porsche jacket, a Christmas gift from Kristofer.

My next OUT and ABOUT will be closer to home but in the meantime – I wish you all a Super Duper Family Day and remember to treasure every minute of every day with your loved ones and make sure to tell them that you love them often!