And so it begins......

As does the daughter, so does the mother. I couldn't resist any longer.... I feel the need to share info with friends and family en masse.
So welcome to my blog.
As most of you know, I tend to ramble when composing my novellas that give you insight into my incredibly active & busy life. Watch out for the lightning, it's bound to strike - or is that my nose growing? Mostly it's just me yakking and you yawning, but hey - you keep reading and that's the important part.
We enjoyed a terrific July; very social - and highly unusual for hubby & I, being the island hermit types.
On July 8th we took the early boat from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay to celebrate Vanessa's 30th birthday. How the heck can she be that old when I'm still 18?
There we were, waiting outside the terminal for our kids to pick us up....and waiting....and waiting. All the other boat people had rides but not us. Sigh....but really I couldn't complain because I know I've often been the one driving a-la-Andretti to the terminal to retrieve them. Arriving late. Again.
Finally, there they were racing down the hill screeching to a halt in front of us. Yay! Off we head onto Hwy 99 with all the other yuppie cars and SUV's and into the heart of Vancouver - actually right into the bosom of my old stomping grounds - Shaughnessy...well, not technically the rich area; I was raised on the other side of Oak Street - the division between upper & middle class. I think it's all considered upper class now. But that's another story.
We enjoyed a wonderful coffee break at Max's Kosher deli - which has been there for years. Delicieux! or "Mechaya" in Yiddish. After leaving my debit card at Max's (something I didn't realize for several days), we drove to a beautiful forest near ChrisNess' Kitsilano apartment where we strolled through the woods. We were escorted by millions of tiny flying insects. I think it was the Kits welcoming committee. And surprisingly almost everyone we met on the trail actually smiled and said hello. What happened to the snobby urbanites I'd met on the trails when I lived on the mainland? Could it have something to do with my dog Chile who growled, lunged and sniffed at everyone who approached me? Perhaps.
After communing with the chlorophyll, we arrived at their apartment. And what a great apartment. It has so much character oozing from the building and suite that I no longer feel sorry for Ness when she complains about how tiny, hot & noisy it is (living on Broadway...who'd have thought it would be noisy?!!)....I fell in love with it. After gift opening and catching the last few minutes of the World Cup (Viva Italy) we drove to Langley (through Little Italy on Commercial Drive where the flags were waving, the horns were honking and the smiles were a mile wide!) to enjoy a traditional birthday-venue lunch at the Olive Garden. "Oh, nice" all the Winnipegers are saying.... "The what?" all the west-coasters are saying. After a bit of shopping at the mall, it was back to Horseshoe Bay where we enjoyed a delicious ice cream cone before boarding the ferry. Needless to say, I brought some chocolate ice cream home with me....on my white pants! The ferry ride back seemed quicker than the morning ride, but isn't that always how it seems when heading home? Stay tuned for my next posting which will be about the next weekend and 7 middle aged women, beer, one older man, wine, a hissy cat, coolers, and only one bathroom!