Saturday 8 June 2019

GFA Stride The Tide Blues: Saturday, June 8th!

Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (1928- )


Had Miss Etta curled up on me three times over the course of the night. Even Duke managed to sleep beside Lady Dar, hopping up onto our bed around 5:00 am. I had set the alarm for just after 6:00 am as Chloë and I needed to be at Skaha Lake Park just before 8:00 am to take part in the GFA fund-raising walk between Skaha and Okanagan. Lady Dar will drop us off at the rallying point and we'll meet her later, at the Farmers' Market. Must away as I need to ready my walking gear.



 
Dear Patrick and Corinne, Thank you for your email and for your hospitality. I hope the walk for the African Grandmothers goes well! We were thankful for the rain! Didn't have to water yesterday plus managed to get a number of household tasks done. We enjoyed a visit with Ruyun Staiger before she and PJ left for their across Canada drive to Montreal. She likes gin so Colin was happy to have her taste the gins he purchased in Osoyoos and Oliver. I watched the D-Day ceremony in Normandy and called my dad as he served on the Prince Henry one of the landing ships. Colin and I have visited Juno Beach and also Portsmouth. WWII conflict was horrendous and seeing how close the Germans were to England makes one wonder how Hitler could have been defeated. Thank heavens the war ended the way it did. 
 
I have been participating in a Daughters of WWII veterans group--only five of us doing a life review. It is interesting as one of the women, her father was a German soldier. So hearing from the "enemy's" side has made me realize that regimes are not always followed blindly but under duress and by means of peer pressure. Anyways I am not expressing myself very well--needless to say I feel happy that me nor my sons have had to participate in war. Friday I go to the "Old Farts" aquasize class at Byng. It is always fun and I had missed the sauna a great deal. The water is always refreshing. Last night I went to see a play at UBC -- Hosanna by Michel Tremblay. It was an excellent play focusing on drag queens in Montreal set during the 70's. One of those poignant and powerful pieces -- wrenched my heart like the movie the Crying Game.

Slept in today so missed out on my Byng class. Today have to start packing for China and get some yard-work done. Anyways lots of hugs sent your way and good news that you don't have to see your surgeon again for awhile. Your Europe trip sounds very very interesting. Jo-Anne 
  
Hi Beijing Bound Folk! Great that your friend enjoyed the gin Colin picked up hereabouts. Dusty participated in D-Day as well. He was on a destroyer patrolling for German U-boats. We saw Hosanna, way back in the late 70's, I believe, in Vancouver, having seen one of his earliest play, Les Belles-Sœurs, while we were still in Winnipeg, in the early 70's. We certainly enjoyed The Crying Game as well. Would love to see it again. Have a fabulous time in China. Stay out of jail! Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Farmers' Market: reusable shopping bags; Balsamic Bliss Woman, Leigh; Miss Etta. 


Hello Peopleages! Great that you have invited yourselves to Lady Dar's 72nd birthday dinner! Now there will be Clan Sutherland along with Danish Dynamite, Maggie and Hans, visiting form Aarhus, so I'll probably have to book Front Street Brasserie for a private function for the evening and sell my beloved Trek and entire malt cabinet to pay for everything! Oh well, as Dusty used to say, "Hang the expense!"

Had a grand day today, even though it started far earlier than I might have wanted! Chloë and I needed to be at Skaha Lake Park just before 8:00 am to take part in the GFA fund-raising walk between Skaha and Okanagan. Lady Dar dropped us off as we were walking in her stead, given her still sore calf, at the rallying point, near the tennis courts there. There were about seventeen of us, all together, when we started, picking up a few more supporters, en route. Dick Cannings, our NDP MP, [GFA is a Stephen Lewis backed organization], also joined the fund-raiser, so that was much appreciated. 
 
We walked north along Skaha Lake Road to Main Street and then ended at Gyro Park, parading through the Farmers' Market, to get there. Just over 7 km in about an hour and a half so a very good jaunt. Weather was pleasantly cool at the start and the sun broke through the clouds as we approached downtown, crowning the event quite nicely.

Met Lady Dar shortly after we arrived and after we all went our separate ways, we strolled the market, picking up a few vegetables, and such. She left me close to 10:15 am as she had a meeting with Dame Judith, just one street away from Main. She gave me the keys to the car as she had parked across form Gyro Park and after I visited and chatted with a few more vendors and friends, I headed home planning to start on my shouldares after I had a bite of brunch. Chloë arrived while I was eating as she had left her car at our place. We chatted for a bit before she headed home herself. By this time I was feeling a tad sleepy so I decided to have a nap before starting my exercises, drifting off to Under the Influence.

 
Didn't surface until shortly after 1:00 am to find Lady Dar working on her wedding ceremony in the Rumpus Room. She had to be at Painted Rock by 4:00 pm and was worried that weather wouldn't cooperate. It had poured and hailed around 3:00 pm so things didn't look too, too promising but, fortunately, for all concerned, skies cleared and though it was a tad blustery, things went well at the winery. She was back by 5:30 pm and read on the back patio until I had completed my last set of exercises. Then I had a quick shower and she put the two fab pizzas she's created earlier, into oven.  

Aside from setting off the fire alarm, [Clouds of smoke billowing from the oven when she went to take out the pizzas!], sending the cats racing away, the pizzas were delicious after the smoke dissipated enough for us to be able to find them on the counter! We enjoyed them while watching the Final Season of Elementary, first episode set in London. 

Managed to stay awake, but just barely,a s I guess early start and walk, on top of my stretches, had finally taken their toll. As soon as I'd loaded the dishwasher, I dropped into bed. Surprised to find the Duke had settled on the blanket at Lady Dar's feet, something he hasn't done in weeks. I guess the wet weather has had something to do with it. At any rate, I dropped off almost immediately, Lady Dar still reading. Cheers, Patrizzio! PS: We did not obtain places at Black Widow tasting, on June 29th, but Dick placed us on waiting list in case someone cancels. Are you in, Sarge? Pics: GFA walk and Farmers' Market: Chloë with Brock and his puppy, Chase; Etta in her pillow cave, sheltering from rain and hail!


Hi Kids! Great to see everyone yesterday! Cheers, Patrizzio! PS: Bootleg Bill please pass along snap to Gordoon Pasha. Pics: FM; Latest bouquet from our front garden! Thanks for the pics, Pat. I have sent them to Gordon as well. 
 
Hi Bootleg! Thanks for forwarding snapolas. Lovely to meet Gordoooon's daughter and her partner. Cheers, Patrizzio! Thanks Patrick- good to see you also. Lets keep thinking about the movie club. could be a lot of fun but first I have to stop working at the hotel (which will be soon). Bill Loomis Hi Guillermo! Grand idea about movie club! Do you have a large screen projector? I assume we would meet, popcorn in hand, to view somewhere. I can probably figure out how to hook a laptop, with CD slot, to our flat screen so the Burns Street Rialto is available for screenings! I know the BookShop has hundreds, if not thousands of titles so that is one invaluable resource. You may well know of others, of course. That's All Folks! Cheers, Patrizzio!

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