St Valentine's & the Cupid's Bow Blues: Friday, February 14th!

The Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love. – Margaret Atwood, Author

Dear Patrick, Corinne, Chloe and Rowan, Happy Valentine's Day! Thanks for the cute e-card! Hope you are all well and enjoying lots of precious baby cuddles.
Thank you so much for the adorable baby outfit and the books! Owen is quite a different creature from George and Miriam, so we feel like we are starting from scratch with the parenting... I am sure it's like that for everyone. How is Rowan? Love the photos - he's a handsome little guy!  

Deborah!

Kath and Steve have booked their summer vacation in Vancouver, they will arrive on June 6th and leave August 20th, so I hope they will be able to swing a visit if you are in town over summer or other way around! If you are ever in town we would love to have a play date with Rowan and Owen :) Best wishes, Zoe Hi Zoe! Pleased you enjoyed the card and that outfit and books are to Owen's liking! Wonderful that your parents will be over this summer. We do hope that we might see them, both in Vancouver and here, as well, if their busy schedule will allow.

Erika!

Lady Dar and Chloë/Rowan James are off to Tinsel Town next Thursday to help celebrate Olivia Rose's 1st birthday and introduce Rowan James to the LA family. I will be here, herding felines and acting as "overseer" on the finishing construction of the basement suite that Chloë is having put in. Pleased to say that the construction is well underway and The Sisterhood have already picked out most of the appliances and various fixtures. At the moment they are off looking at flooring and hope to find a convection microwave as well. Given permit restrictions such suites as hers will be are not allowed to have a stove. 
 

Jean!

The contractor, Mike, is the same person who did our kitchen renovation in 2018 and we are extremely pleased that he is doing the work on the suite, along with the other tradespeople, [electrician, plumber, and furnace/heating], he contracted. We will paint place ourselves, once most of the work is finished and before flooring is laid. Must away as sun is shining and I'm planning to go for a ride. Looking forward to meeting Owen and seeing Miriam and George. I thought wonderful picture your Mom posted of Great-grandmother with her charges was a delight! Hello to Matt and fondestos to you both. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Rowan James taking a break from watching Oscars last Sunday!

Joan!

To Patrick and Corinne, Thank you for your beautiful Valentine’s card. You are right on top of it, Patrick! We have a gorgeous sunny day here, much appreciated after a very wet January. The last week has seen a fair amount of sunshine, or at least an absence of rain. Hope you are all well and enjoying your baby grandson. Love, Bruni and Tony Lovely card Pat. Thank you for sending. Nancy 
 

Josinta!

Hello Bashful--Of course, I'll be your Valentine ... as always. Petey and I are enjoying our time in Palm Desert including visits from Byron and Anne, Barb and Fred Wuhrer, and from Jenn and Pete Neilans. We're missing a visit from Ann and Gary this year as Gary is no longer allowed to travel outside Canada, and we're missing a visit from you and Lady Dar. The weather here is bee-you-tee-full!! Hope all's still going well for all the Durstons and Dunns, especially the newest addition. Love to you all. Cheers, Lynnie (and Petey who is in Ecuador this week) 

JT!

Hi Favourite Palm Desert Valentine! Glad all goes well in the desert! Sorry to learn that Gary is under restricted travel. We certainly miss visiting you but Lady Dar will be just a stone's throw away, in a week or so. She and Chloë/Rowan James will fly to Tinsel Town on the 20th, for two weeks, to show Rowan James to LA Famiglia and celebrate Olivia Rose's first birthday. I will be herding felines as well as coordinating with tradespeople we've hired to put in the basement suite at Chloë's new town house on Winnipeg Street. 

Judy Blue!

Have been enjoying the lack of snow, over last month and more, to go riding, so am pleased about being able to do so at this time of year. Have always been away or else there has been too, too much snow. Also busy with volunteering at The Dream, selling 50/50 tickets. A few weeks ago I bumped into Wendy and Robert so enjoyed a lovely chat with them. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pic: Dream

Teens!

Hi Dream Cafe friends, I have some really bad news. Unfortunately The Jerry Cans have pulled out of our Date on March 14th! I am currently working with their management on a replacement date to host them, possibly in September, but do not have a confirmation on this yet.
 
As you can imagine, we are as devastated about this cancellation of a Sold Out Show as you are but it is my hope that you can patiently wait to be shifted to the Fall date when we have it confirmed. Refunding over 100 seats will be very difficult for us so I am really working hard to get a new date resolved. If you know you are absolutely unable to wait for the September date, we will, of course, refund your seats ASAP. Please reply to this email so I know you have received it. Hazel

Hi Out of Gas Hazel! Sorry to hear about cancellation, of course, and all the resulting issues I know you will have to deal with. However, please do not to worry about our tickets. We are happy to wait and see what you are able to do. Should group not be able to be booked for another date I'm sure we can use funds for another artist. Buona Fortuna with the untangling ahead. All the best, Patrizzio! Thanks Patrick! See you soon! Hazel

Bennie!

With the sun shining and the temperature balmy at between 5º C to 8º C I was keen to go for a ride. PenAir forecast suggested that the wind would be out of the SSE at 22 km/h, gusting to 33 km/h, while Accu's prognostication was far lower at SSE 6 km/h, gusting to 13 km/h. Hoping for latter but would find out once on the road. Had to wait until after friend, Derek, came by to help set up our two printers to work using WiFi. Had never been able to configure them to do so since acquiring them and it is rather klunky, to say the least, to have to plug them into a given printer in order to print out whatever we need to have in hard copy.

At any rate, Derek is extremely computer savvy and it didn't take him long to change a number of settings and Presto, both were working! Thanking him for simplifying our lives he left and then I prepared a bite of brunch before I suited up and headed out just after 1:00 pm. 

Lady Di!

With the wind out of the South I sailed down Ellis and was soon at the PTC. The parking lot at the marina still had a fair bit os snow and ice covering it so I wasn't able to follow my usual circuit there. Made up the distance when on Lakeshore by doing a couple of short loops on Churchill before I made for the Riverside Mall.

While wind was reasonably brisk as I headed south it wasn't nearly as strong as I had anticipated it might be. Still, I decided I keep to the streets off Power, as opposed to fighting my way to OK Falls, more so because of the still sand-covered bike lanes on Government and South Main, than the wind. 
 

Lynette!

This being the case I put on my gerbil suit, switched on auto-pilot and proceeded to tick off the distance, breaking up the numerous loops within loops with a return to the Riverside Mall once seven circuits of each loop were completed. Loads of people on the boardwalk taking advantage of the lovely, lovely sunny day, the lake itself flat as a mirror, the benches of Naramata gleaming like the White Cliffs of Dover. 

Nancita and Cactus!

My heart soared when I realized I'd be back home in well under two hours and fifty minutes as this meant my AVG would be higher than on past rides. Turned out to be the case and I chalked it up to not having to fight as much wind resistance as well and having more seasoned legs. My Valentine's present to myself! Cheers! Map and Stats for ride: 

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4550739490#.Xkc4kMj-v-M.email

Maggie!

Hi Patrick. Can you send out a message to Old Farts regarding Monday’s Hike.
Hi Old Farts! You are welcome to join us on a snowshoe to Idleback Lake above Penticton on Monday, February 17th. Summerlanders can meet at the IGA at 8:40 and carpool to Patrick’s house. Those from Penticton can also meet at Patrick’s house on Burns Street. We will keep our excursion to about three hours as per usual for Monday outings. This will be followed by coffee. Cheers, Tim 

Louise!

Hello Hyper-Active Formidable Fossils! On behalf of Our Fearless pro tem Monday snowshoe/hike Leader, Tall Timber Dunn, I have been asked to announce that you are welcome to join the group on a snowshoe outing at Idleback Lake above Penticton on Monday, February 17th. Summerlanders can meet at the IGA at 8:40 and carpool to Patrick’s house, 611 Burns Street. Those from Penticton can also meet at Patrick’s house. We will keep our excursion to about three hours as per usual for Monday outings. This will be followed by coffee at 611 Burns Street as Patrick has invited us to debrief there. Cheers, Tim! PS: Marian is available to strap on snowshoes!

VWF!

... is this the one that David Pacey is leading? Aarturos Hi Aart, Last year David led the snowshoe around Idleback Lake. I have not been in touch with David. If I recall, we did a loop through the woods and around the lake. Patrick has been up there on occasion, so we should be good with finding our way around. If David comes, he is more than welcome to lead us around the Lake and other close points of interest. Are you going to join us on Monday? Cheers, Tim

Hi Patrick, Thanks for the invitation and I would love that hike, but I am in Oregon returning on Tuesday. Regards Chuck Hi Patrick, Thank you very much for the information on the outing. I'm afraid I won't be able to make it tomorrow after all, but hopefully soon. Have a great time. Anthea Hi Anthea and Chuck! Sorry you won't be able to join us as it should be a terrific outing, given weather, etc. Will miss your company. Nevertheless, look forward to seeing you both next time it suits! Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Hello Book Clubbers! A belated thanks to Pamela for hosting the last meeting and providing such a wonderful array of tasty nibblage, not to mention the plentious hootch. As Lady Di already mentioned, it was a far-ranging discussion and we even managed to squeeze in some comments about the book! Although our ranks were somewhat reduced it was a most enjoyable evening.

Lady Dar and I will host on April 1st so wear your Court Jester costume! Since American Dirt is about the ordeal of a Mexican woman who has to leave behind her life and escape as an undocumented immigrant to the United States, if people wish to bring any appetizers perhaps they could follow a Mexican theme. [Speaking of which, Pamela could you send me a snap of the wonderful Oro Mezcal you so generously offered a taste, or two, of! I'd like to see if Lady Dar can find it in LA while she is there.] I forgot to bring my camera along so I apologize for the quality of the two snaps I took with Lady Dar's phone, not really being used to such advanced technology! Cheers, Luddite Patrizzio!