An Active April

So much has happened since my last posting. Cannot imagine where the last month has gone, but have most certainly had some fun times along the way.

Phil and Ellen arrived, although Ellen's stay was short due to the need to return to NB in time for Holy Week goings on. I have kept Phil very busy since. As part of the ongoing renos around my house, he has punched a hole in the kitchen/dining room wall to make way for a counter-high pass through.

Destructo Dude

He is also ripping up the wall-to-wall carpeting and replacing it with cork. Can breath better already!

Uplifting experience

Bedroom with old carpet on floor (yes, Momzy, I'll make my bed before taking any more photos)

Bedroom with cork flooring and new baseboard rad

I'll add more photos of the projects as they near completion. In the meantime, suffice to say that I'm thrilled with the results thus far. These are two projects I've wanted to do since buying the house 10 years ago! Many, many thanks, Phil!

Of course, we waited until after Easter to start on the work. No joy in entertaining folks amid the demolition work. Donna and Karen came up for the weekend, and we had a great time. Had some pleasant drives around the local area, watched the eagles soaring above the landfill, and generally hung out doing little other than relaxing and chatting. Mom and Phil were over every day. Jon, Penny and Roz joined the rest of us for an early Sunday dinner before those from off Coast headed back home. All in all a very pleasant time. I had so much fun I totally forgot to take any photos!

Did, however, have my camera on hand the following weekend when I joined Jo Ann for a short holiday in Sidney - that's the seaside community on Vancouver Island, NOT the land down under.

The Sidney trip had been in the planning ever since I had my initial cancer diagnosis. Something else always seemed to put it on the back burner - mostly my erratic schedule. In any case, it was well worth the wait. Heck, I even got Jo Ann to cross the threshold of Mineral World - was so shocked, I forgot to take a photo.

We stayed at the Sidney Pier Hotel and Spa, a very comfortable well-kept waterfront establishment that had as many canine clients as humanoids. Bonus: The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre (http://www.oceandiscovery.ca) is located in a wing of the same building. While not nearly the size and complexity of the Vancouver Aquarium, the Salish Sea showcase was still very impressive. We both enjoyed the simulated "submarine dive" (best elevator ride EVER) that transported us from the lobby to the aquarium galleries. I had huge fun watching the octopus slither about its extended tank (part of which bridges the area above a hallway between two large tanks) and was enchanted by the ethereal grace of a number of species of jelly fish. There were a lot of touch ponds (something that I've enjoyed on past visits to the Vancouver Aquarium with Cathy), but due to my compromised immune system I opted to chat to young aquarium visitors about what they thought of the experience.

Say, doesn't that strategically located sea urchin make it look like the octopus is having something of a bad hair day?

Of course, one of the biggest attractions in Sidney is the great selection of bookstores. My best find was obtained not from the tempting array of used/antique bookstores but from Tanner's, THE place in town for new releases. The book is Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The lost legacy of Highclere Castle by the Countess of Canarvon. I've only recently discovered the PBS Series Downton Abbey, and am already a big fan. Amazing how much fact is mixed in with the on-screen fiction. And the setting in Highclere Castle is a wonderful addition to the series.

Also managed to find someone who was willing to give directions to other sights in the Sidney area.

Jo, you couldn't have picked a better area representative (one of the many sculptures in the seaside park behind the hotel). Even though we didn't visit the fish market, we did enjoy a wonderful dinner at Haro's, the hotel's restaurant (can now cross deep-fried Oreo cookies off my bucket list, although they weren't nearly as interesting a dessert as I had hoped). A visit to nearby Muse Winery helped round out the trip. Capped off winery tour with a pleasant ride 'round Pat Bay - got a chuckle from the signs next to Holy Trinity Church (1885) which read "Thou Shalt Not Park". Biggest surprise of the weekend: a gift of flowers delivered to our room courtesy of Jo's friend (someone I know time enduring SFU's PDP program) Margie Leary, who now lives in the Yukon. A very thoughtful touch that came from a friend from both our pasts, the flowers also underscored the fact that neither Jo nor I ended up considering the trip so much a holiday as a celebration of 33 years of friendship. Even though our lives have journeyed down different roads, the love and support remain as strong as ever, if not more so. Jo, I lift a glass of Muse "Legally Blonde" pinot gris in your honour. With much love and thanks. Here's to the next 33 years! Can I drive next time?