Satiated

I had a great weekend. I spent time with all of my sibs and some of their kids and one of mine. I ate fantastic food, had interesting conversations, went for fast paced walks, experienced some country roads riding high in a truck, cheered on some atheletes in China from the couch, won thousands of dollars playing wheel of fortune, saw a nudee on the seawall, (and averted mine eyes of course), zoomed in and out of traffic in a convertible with my hair blowing in the breeze, was pampered with a pedicure, took in Bard on the Beach, and people-watched as I public transitted my way back to my van. All done with dear family members between Thursday evening and Saturday evening.

On Sunday I went to Yale for a BC 150 year celebration with friends, got to dress up in period costume, eat bannock, drink rootbeer and pan for gold.

That evening I was part of a hamburger extravaganza at a friend's house and experienced the best hamburger ever. Homemade buns exactly the size of the patties, beef freshly ground from chuck steak in that very kitchen, melted blue cheese, a peanut/mayo spread, another exotic spread of unknown ingredients, tomatoes, lettuce, fried onions, and ketchup if you wanted it.

Home Alone

Can you believe it? For the first time in my life, I will be home alone for longer than a couple of nights. No one's schedule to consider except mine. No children to take care of, no husband to consider. Wow.

Rudy is leaving today for almost 2 weeks to Educo Adventure School, near 100 Mile House. Our son Paul, who is on staff there, has asked his papa to join him in leading a senior boys mountain course.

Gillian is living and working at Educo as well. Angela is living and working at Manning and Jessica is living and working in Vancouver.

I have to work during the week of course and I do have plans. On Thursday of this week I will trek off to Surrey after work to have supper with my parents and stay for night. The next morning, bright and early, I will hitch a ride with my brother, Gord, as he spends his work day delivering barkmulch and hog fuel in his semi. Back to his place to have supper with his family and then out to Bard on the Beach, to see Twelfth Night with my niece Karli. For Saturday morning my sister Bev has booked a pedicure for both of us in Yale Town. We plan to have a wonderful lunch somewhere with Jessica joining us. The afternoon is still open. We will probably hang around the ocean if the weather is good. I hope to drop in on my brother Don and family on the way home.

So for the beginning of this week and all of next, I will be free to read, watch movies, write, excercise, do something unusual, call on friends, make popcorn for supper ...

Any ideas?

Mamma Mia

About 15 of us women went and saw Mamma Mia on cheapy Tuesday at the Hope Cinema. The theatre was full. I loved the musical from the opening line till after the credits rolled, and I'm not really an Abba fan. There was so much frivolity and light-heartedness packed into it. I loved the dancing and singing. I had a grin on my face for the length of the movie, laughed more than I have in a long time and even cried during a poignant moment.
So call me shallow if you like but I still have a smile on my face and a feeling of lightness.
"Half awake and half in dreams,seeing long forgotten scenes"

Tolstoy Lied

"Happiness is the ability to live well alongside trouble" ~Rachel Kadish from Tolstoy Lied
I loved this book. The characters are well developed, believable, funny, human. I couldn't put the book down and I was sorry when I finished reading. I will miss Tracy and George, Yolande, Chad, Adam, Jeff and all the others. They made me think about love, sacrifice, truth, justice, integrity, compassion, laughter, and all those other things on the flip side of those coins.
Allow me another quote, "...where logic evaporates and all that remains is a single instinct, that love is simply this--this monumental and elementary thing: the willingness to be changed by someone."