…of Victoria & ‘victor’…

As Canadians gear up for a long weekend with Monday’s ‘Victoria Day’ holiday, the British Columbia flag will fly high at the provincial capital’s Victoria legislature building on Vancouver Island.

Traditionally, across our land, from east to west coast, it’s this weekend that’s the ‘official’ beginning of ‘camping & cottage’ season!

The camping gear gets revitalized.

The cottage shutters come off.

Anticipation sings a song of weekend refreshment!

‘Victoria Day’ you say?…yes, in honour of Queen Victoria, who, until this year had been our longest reigning monarch.

Her long reign now surpassed by our own present day Queen Elizabeth II, the Her Majesty that keeps her ‘sonshine-in-waiting’ !! What think ye, ladies?!…

Spring Goes By…

The winds that on the uplands softly lie,
Grow keener where the ice is lingering still
Where the first robin on the sheltered hill
Pipes blithely to the tune, “When Spring goes by!”
Hear him again, “Spring! Spring!” He seems to cry,
Haunting the fall of the flute-throated rill,
That keeps a gentle, constant, silver thrill,
While he is restless in his ecstasy.

Ah! the soft budding of the virginal woods,
Of the frail fruit trees by the vanishing lakes:
There’s the new moon where the clear sunset floods,
A trace of dew upon the rose leaf sky;
And hark! what rapture the glad robin wakes-
“When Spring goes by; Spring! Spring! When
Spring goes by.”
Duncan Campbell Scott, Canadian poet

May your Friday & weekend be full of adventure, steeped in rest & relaxation, & may gratitude be your song!

A ‘win-win’ for everyone!

Victor!

…of ‘crisis’ & croissants…

…”A crisis in Vancouver: the lifeblood of the city is leaving”…

A concerning state of affairs. Sad, and so true:

“Ryan Holmes, founder of Hootsuite, which is headquartered in Vancouver, wrote an op-ed piece recently decrying the dismal state of affairs. “Unaffordability is emptying Vancouver of one of its most valuable assets – young people who grew up in the city and who are invested in it.” He cited as evidence the fact that the city is shuttering many of its elementary schools because of a lack of numbers.

“Vancouver risks becoming an economic ghost town, a city with no viable economy – other than the service industry catering to wealthy residents and tourists,” Mr. Holmes wrote.”

Nothing quite like morning coffee with a warm croissant!

Cheers2 a ‘keeping your chin up’ kinda Friday & weekend that sings–creativity & adventure!!!

…of plummet, summit & drum it…

…”Loonie closes at lowest level in more than a decade”…

As the price of gold fell for its 10th consecutive day, the loonie continues to slide too.

Our Canadian economy is weakening along with commodity prices, consumer confidence, and amid speculation that interest rates are about to rise in the United States.

Uncertain times—throw in an election or two or three and behind-the-scenes European countries’ posturing and a roller-coaster ride may just be about to activate.

Vancouver’s prized convention centre, often home to ‘meeting-of-the-minds’ gatherings of folks from all over the world on topics conventional & unconventional, will go full circle today with the launch of the Circle Craft and Craft Council of BC annual Summer Craft Market. Check out Jack Poole Plaza today through Sunday to see the fine craftsmanship of artisans extraordinaire!

As the old saying goes–crafts & summer markets quip–great savings for those who flea (or should that be flee?…)

Tourists and locals alike, never skip a beat when it comes to finding a bargain or drumming up enthusiasm for a fine adventure amid the vast variety of landscape that is British Columbia!

Be it, in and around Vancouver, on the North Shore mountains or the Gulf Islands, or even venturing further into the Cariboo or the Okanagan & the Kootenays, there is much that can put a fine rhythm to a vacation or exploration day!

what will be the percussion in your today?!…

Wherever you may be & whatever’s your Thursday ‘song’— let the cadence swing!!!

…put a lilt in your kilt!

…a spring in your step!

…a flutter in your heart!

Thursdays are for thrilling!!!….Cheers to a fine day!

…of heel, heel & healing…

Ever thought about Fridays and weekends, especially summer Fridays & weekends as a time to be extraordinarily adventurous?…

A walk in the park, communing with nature?…

Stepping out on the town, in style?…

‘Walkies’ with a dog–heeling techniques?…

It was once said that “high heels were invented by a woman who had been kissed on the forehead.” -Christopher Morley

It was once said that “to teach a husband basic obedience, you need to spend from 20 to 25 minutes training him every day for ten weeks.” -Amy Sutherland

What better time than some of the curative lazy days of summer or weekend breaks from the treadmill of stressful working lives to make or take a day for rejuvenating & invigorating both mind & body, strengthening & restoring our own attitudes & essence so that our spirits can sing!

Cheers to a fine Friday & weekend that smiles—friends, family & laughter are our best medicine!

…of ‘returns’ & departures…

…”Gun salutes to mark the Duke of Edinburgh’s 94th birthday as he celebrates the day privately”…”Report says closing some Vancouver schools will save school board millions of dollars”…”Partial Skytrain shutdown again causes havoc for some commuters”…

As controversies swirl & repeated issues return, a breath of fresh air can sing best wishes-many happy returns to HRH Prince Philip as he celebrates his 94th year!

Modernity exists in the form of a desire to wipe out whatever came earlier, in the hope of reaching at least a point that could be called a true present, a point of origin that marks a new departure.
Paul de Man

An idea is a point of departure and no more. As soon as you elaborate it, it becomes transformed by thought.
Pablo Picasso

The most amazing thing to me about the sea is the tide. A harbour like St. Ives is totally transformed in a very short space of time by the arrival or departure of the sea.
John Dyer

Let me but live my life from year to year,
With forward face and unreluctant soul;
Not hurrying to, nor turning from the goal;
Not mourning for the things that disappear
In the dim past, nor holding back in fear
From what the future veils; but with a whole
And happy heart, that pays its toll
To Youth and Age, and travels on with cheer.

So let the way wind up the hill or down,
O’er rough or smooth, the journey will be joy:
Still seeking what I sought when but a boy,
New friendship, high adventure, and a crown,
My heart will keep the courage of the quest,
And hope the road’s last turn will be the best.
-Henry Van Dyke

Cheers to a wonderful Wednesday that sings—adventure!!!

…of road trips, Canadiana & summer…

“Roadside satisfied: Six cross-Canada food stops worth pulling over for”…”After moving here, I think Americans would be happier if they were Canadians”…”Throwback summer: Tell your kids to get lost until dinner”…

Fun to note that Steveston’s Pajo’s Fish & Chips, on the outskirts of Vancouver, makes the list of cross-Canada food stops worth stopping for!

Indeed, “the floating shack on the wharf” is a favourite of locals and tourists alike!

If you get as far as the westcoast of Vancouver Island, Westside Grill & TacoFino in Tofino, BC made the list too!

Cheers to on the road again!–cod, salmon, halibut & “killer slaw!”….

A terrific tale of an American who first came to Canada in his 20’s, initially “surprised by the lack of flannel shirts & log cabins, the depiction of Canadian life “by line drawings on the side of maple syrup jugs.”

“Soon after I arrived”, he writes, “a couple from South Africa befriended me. A Japanese author became a mentor in my studies. This wasn’t new: I had met immigrants before, but on Canadian soil, the beauty of their background had more permission to shine. The difference was subtle but real. My world expanded rapidly.”My view of Canada started to recalibrate. In time, I realized that Canada is forever aware of “the other.” As a country with two official languages, there’s always a second opinion, a perennial need to co-operate across cultural lines to move forward. Until that moment, I didn’t grasp that humility, empathy and co-operation are the virtues that actually matter on the world stage. I’ve found Canada’s capacity for honest observation a helpful corrective. After a dozen years north of the border, I’m listening more and speaking less. I’m more aware of “the other”. I’m speechless with gratitude that my two-year-old daughter had access to free eye surgeries that saved her vision. I’m moved by the generosity Canadians express in the face of global catastrophes. I’m grateful for Canada’s savvy bankers who kept us from sub-prime follies. I love that Canadian restaurants put homemade doughnuts on dessert specials. I think Americans would be happier if they were Canadians.”

Cheers to shine & all things Canadian!!!…

A columnist expounds “See the door? Show it to your kids. Remind them there’s a whole world out there. A park is probably close by, or a ravine, or maybe a convenience store where they can go buy candy and just sit there on a skateboard getting a sugar high.”

I think he has a point on some levels. A bit scary for parents of young kids today but remember many of us spent all day running around as a kid in summers and it was indeed good for us! We DID discover things about ourselves and the world that we wouldn’t have if we were always shuttled from one activity to the next.

Cheers to can there be s happy medium in it???!!!….yes yes and just be sure they’re home in time for dinner!…

Summer!

…inhibitions…

A recent study reveals “childless diners are more likely to be irked by misbehaving kids.” 
“Abuse of political power has become the Canadian norm.”   “This could be the year of the Birkenstock—the classic sandal is going to be big this year.”

So go the headlines for this first Wednesday morning in February 2013!

And if that’s not enough…..”nearly 10% of Canadians confess to having had sex in a canoe!!!….now ain’t that just the tip of the ………..

The conclusion of that study suggests that Canadians are “much more adventurous than first believed!”….

Whether you’re misbehaving, being adventurous, or just perhaps away on vacation to sunnier climes and contemplating your sandals…….cheers to an uninhibited day!!

 

 

…doodles, staches, & the unstoppable…

The google doodle celebrates Mark Twain’s 176th birthday today.  Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn are his most famous writings and still are among America’s best-loved tales.

The doodle pictures Tom Sawyer painting a fence as punishment from his Aunt Polly for dirtying his clothes!

Today’s November 30th which means many men around the country may be “nixing their staches” which were part of the Movember fundraising campaign for prostate cancer research.

Dirty clothes & a moustache.  How might mothers of today react to that with their teenage sons.  Certainly in my day, a mother’s scorn would have been hair-raising.

Have you ever had one of those close shave experiences?  One of those times where something unpleasant or dangerous nearly happened?  In days gone by, student barbers used to  learn to shave on customers and if you got too close a shave you might be cut or even barely escape severe injury, which is the history behind the idiom’s use today.

I’ve had a few of those types of experiences……an elevator door opening on a high floor in an office tower and no elevator being there.  Something made me hesitate from stepping forward at the sound of the ding which I had always done without much thought.   Another time, in a wind storm, a tree flattened my car minutes after I had parked it and stepped into a meeting.  To this day, I share a bit of a private joke with the fellow I was meeting with at the time about the follies of being a “branch” manager.

Such is life.  Adventure.  Thank goodness for safety nets along the way to catch falling rocks, and regulate some of life’s hazards.

There are many unstoppable forces in our world.  I remember a motivational type once saying that we ourselves are one of the most powerful and just need to tap into it!

What will you leap into today?   May there be a hop, skip & a jump to new wonderful adventures!