Golf, golf, golf (July 16, 17, 2016)

July 16
Jan and I got up fairly early, had coffee and breakfast, then got in the car and drove to Sechelt, which is about 20 km up the coast. There is a Saturday Farmer's Market there, so we took a peek. It was pretty small, but really cute and had some cool crafts and fresh produce for sale. We walked around for a while and ended up buying a few things. I bought some fresh baby cucumbers and kale for a lunch salad, and Jan bought a pound of fresh ocean prawns which looked amazing. I saw quite a lot of art stalls, but one in particular caught my eye. It was a man who did some glass fusing of used bottles, and made the pieces into mobiles and hanging wind chimes. I thought the idea was so cool and chatted with him for a while about his art. We exchanged experiences with glass fusing, and he asked me about what kind of wash my friend used for the kiln shelves. We chatted about that for a while, I asked if I could take some photos, and then we moved along.

Fused bottle glass mobile

Jewelry bales holding chimes

Wind chimes

Wind chimes

We had a nice kale salad and fixings for lunch, then got our golf stuff organized and left for the course. My first couple of holes were pretty sketchy, but as we continued, I began to catch a bit of a rhythm and got some good shots. I was happy we played on our own to get me back into the game, because the next day we were playing 18 holes with a couple of ladies that Jan knows, who are quite good. I wanted to at least have swung the club a few times so as not to embarass myself too much. It was a really nice game and a lovely day, so I was very happy.

Helicopter view of one of the
holes at the golf course

Another hole at the course

We went out for dinner after we played golf, to a cute little sushi place that seats 14 people and is owned and run by the cutest Japanese couple. The sushi is incredibly fresh and presented in a gorgeous manner. It was a nice way to end our fantastic day. When we returned home, we basically just watched some TV together then hit our beds. I slept so soundly, that I don't even think I moved all night. It was great.

July 17
Today we got up early, had coffee and breakfast and left the house by 8:30 to meet the ladies at the golf course. It was a lovely day, not too hot, a bit overcast, and very fresh. Everything here is so green. The golf course is kept in beautiful condition and perfectly manicured. We met Eileen and Mardi, Jan's friends, on time and set off to play our game. It was really fun, and I had many good shots, and many crappy shots, but overall felt good about my game. I hit enough good shots to have a good time, so that was good.

When we were finished, we sat on the terrace at the golf club, had a drink and some fries, then headed home. It was still a beautiful day, so Jan and I took our books out onto her balcony and read, chatted and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon. We watched a Medivac helicopter circle very low and finally land in the school yard not too far away. I guess they were picking up someone from Gibsons, as the hospital is in Sechelt. We both hoped that whoever was picked up, was ok. Jan was picked up by the same Medivac last year, when she had her heart attack, so I'm sure it hit home to see that. Jan's yard is lovely, and we turned on the fountain that they brought over from Nana and Poppa's yard, when they moved here. I love Laura, the granite statue that was in Vancouver as well.

Beautiful Laura and the bear

Garden fountain

Another view

Two friends that I caught having a bath

Supper was an incredible treat. Jan made a garlic and black bean sauce for the prawns. We shelled and deveined them, then stir fried them with the sauce, and threw in the rest of my oil massaged kale. We put it over some sticky rice in banana leaves, that Jan had in the freezer. It was amazing, and the prawns were so fresh and delicious. Yum, yum, yum. I'm getting so spoiled!

Amazing prawn dinner

Perogies for dinnner, a la Transat (July 15th con't.)

July 15th evening
The rest of today included another walk to go and get Jan's car, and a lovely drive through the winding roads of the area. We looked at houses, then stopped at Chaster Beach for a little sit by the ocean. It was fantastic, the weather beautiful, and the energy positive! We stayed there for quite a while, chatting, putting our feet into the water, and soaking up the sun from our comfy logs. It was so incredibly relaxing and calming to be beside the ocean.

View at the ocean, from our logs

Looking out to sea, what I
could see

Gorgeous driftwood 

 When we came home, we decided to investigate the perogies I had brought for Jan. She doesn't have much access out here, to good, home made perogies, so I brought two bags from Toronto. They were frozen solid, along with a freezer pack, inside a freezer bag, in my suitcase. We put them into the fridge as soon as I got my suitcase, and took them out to see their state. Of course they were not frozen anymore, but were still fairly cool, though thawed. We opened the bags, laughing our asses off, to find them partially stuck to the bags, because the raw dough was no longer frozen, and now quite sticky. Since there were no separate perogies any longer, Jan had a brilliant idea. She put the 'masses' onto cutting boards, and simply sliced them into four large pieces, and we cooked them in a bit of butter. They were fantastic! The sauerkraut and mushroom ones were my favourite, but the potato, cheese and bacon ones were pretty tasty as well. Jan had some Helluva dip, dill flavoured, on hand, which we added to our perogies a la Transat. Dinner was smashing, though the presentation wasn't anything like Michael's......lol.

Perogies a la Transat, ready for
the grill

MMmmmm, yummy dinner!

A la Transat

Both flavours, ready for cooking

The rest of the evening we spent chilling out, and I laid on the couch, trying desparately to stay awake to watch an interesting program. That didn't last long, and I hit the bed around 10:30. I had the best sleep, and got up in good spirits today, feeling well rested, and excited to be taking a shower, with all my own toiletries, hair products, brush and jewellery. A great start to the day. I think we are going to go to a market in the nearby town, then perhaps play a quick round of 9 holes, to see how my swing is this year.........wish me luck!

I'm in Gibsons (July 14-15, 2016)

July 14-15, 2016
So I wasn't lucky enough to get my suitcase delivered to the hostel on Wednesday, so I made plans to get up early yesterday, catch the bus to Horshoe Bay where the ferry docks, and go over to see Jan. I was really happy to be making my way over to Gibsons because I haven't seen Jan for a year and really wanted to connect. I called the luggage place and left a message that I would be leaving Vancouver and gave them Jan's address and phone number so they could drop the luggage here.
It didn't arrive yesterday, but it didn't matter because Jan and I had a lovely day chatting, catching up and eating yummy food.

Gibsons is such a gorgeous place and I love coming here. I made it for the 9:40 am ferry so by 10:30, Jan and I were sitting at her place, enjoying each other's company. I love her house and my dad is so present when I am here, that it feels like old times. I sure do miss him though, even after so many years. I suppose that never changes, but it is very comforting to have him all around us when we are hanging out and spending time together. We had a delicious lunch together, looking out Jan's kitchen window to the sea and mountains. I was incredibly spoiled as we ate smoked salmon, veggies, toasted pita with garlic and drank green tea. I always use my dad's mug when I come so that's cool.

We visited and talked all afternoon until it was supper time. Jan made some wonderful fish and steamed beets with their greens, topped with fig flavoured balsamic vinegar. It was incredible! The greens were from her friend's garden and were so good. We had huge blueberries with kiwi, topped with mango sorbet and orange liqueur for dessert. A totally delicious feast, to say the least. In between our catch up sessions, looking at Inuit sculpture and playing cool video games, I called about my luggage.

Ferry over to Gibsons

Looking out the kitchen window

Sunset from Jan's balcony

We went to bed around 11 pm after a fantastic day of 'us'. It is really great to be together after so long, and Jan's heart attack. That was really scary and I am NOT ready to lose her yet, so I feel very lucky to be here visiting her, and finding her looking good, though I know she is still feeling crappy from the meds she has to be on.

July 15
This morning we got up early, had a coffee and some breakfast, then took her car into the shop for 9 am. Her air con wasn't working so she was getting them to put it on the computer to see what the issue was. After we dropped off the car, we took a walk towards home, to wait for the car, and of course, my suitcase...........still. I have now created a log of what has happened during the hunt for the lost luggage, so that I can write to Air Transat to let them know what happened, and hopefully be reimbursed for my overnights in Vancouver, as well as my expenses for purchasing new clothes, toiletries, etc. Who knows, maybe I'll get something more, as in a free flight.......lol......for my inconvenience. We'll see.


Anyway, our walk home from the garage, was lovely. It was about 18 degrees, not very sunny, with a bit of a wind. It was perfect for walking, especially if you are someone, like me, who is regularly receiving intense power surges......lol. You can check out the photos of our walk through the forest. It smells like cedar and moss and everything earthy. SO lovely and super peaceful.

Nice puppy.

You know your in the forest when....

Sue, on a bench, on the trail

Same friend

A friend along the way

Jan crossing a bridge on our walk

At the end of the trail

Looking down the trail, the highway is
right behind us.

The best parts of today, so far, were that they delivered my suitcase this morning, not long after we got back from our walk, and, Jan's air con issue was only a relay and not the expensive alternatives that the internet said they might be! Yay, and it's only noon.
More tomorrow, or maybe later...............hugs.

Lost Luggage in Vancouver (July 12-13, 2016)

July 12-13, 2016
I left Toronto yesterday to be at the airport for 4:00 pm. No problem getting there, clearing security, dropping my bag and settling in after a long walk to the gate, to wait for the plane.

Two hours after the boarding time, we still hadn't been called. I had a great time entertaining myself at the bar, meeting several other travellers and having a glass of wine. I met a young couple from the UK with a small child around two years old. There was an older couple as well, just returning from Guelph where they were visiting their son. They were from the UK as well. I sat and talked for most of the time to a really nice guy, Chad, who originated from Calgary, but has just returned after several years of teaching English in the university in Oman. He was telling me about that part of the world. It's still undiscovered as a travel destination and has a lot of amazing things to see and do. The scuba diving is apparently amazing and he knows a friend from Denmark who teaches the Dive Master course..........hmmmmm, tempting.

Anyway, we finally got onto the plane. Chad sat in between myself and the young girl from the UK, Lydia, who was also having a drink at the bar. They chatted for a while, then we all fell asleep. The plane landed in Calgary to pick up and drop off some passengers, but we didn't get off. Then we were off to Vancouver. We arrived at the airport just before midnight.......whew.......because the last Skytrain going downtown, was at 12:56 am. The girl from the UK told me she was staying in a hostel so I asked which one. It so happened that it was the same one I had chosen, so we decided to take the Skytrain together. Well that quickly evaporated, as 6 people did not receive their luggage, me being one of them. Great! So I told her to go on ahead, and I stayed behind, luckily finding a woman who worked there, to take my claim for a lost suitcase. I think perhaps it got taken off in Calgary, but who knows?

I filled out the form, then just made it to the platform for the last train. The walk from the train station downtown, to the hostel was lovely. There were a lot of people out, the weather was nice, and it was no longer raining. I found the hostel, stopped at 7-11 to buy a toothbrush, and fell into bed.

This morning, I feel more rested, a bit grungy, but nothing serious. Hopefully they will find the suitcase and have it delivered to the hostel in speedy time. I called Jan to let her know of my adventure, and again, as luck would have it, this is her day to catch up on chores. I decided to wait for a while to see if my suitcase appears. Then I can grab the bus and go to Horshoe Bay to catch the ferry over to Gibsons.

So, my adventure begins!

After I showered, borrowed some shampoo, conditioner, and face cream from a lovely French girl in my room, I left for a while to put in some time and hope my baggage arrives.
I spent my day today, walking around Gastown, and eating some Pho in a restaurant called Halong Bay Vietnamese shop. I loved Halong Bay, so I went in and ate Pho. It was really good, but not as good as in the Pho in Toronto, and definitely not as good as the Pho in Vietnam......lol. Here are some cool sights along my walks today. I also stopped into a drug store, the Bay, and Old Navy to get myself something to wear, and some clean undies, as well as some shampoo..........urgh. I sure hope my bag comes tonight. If it doesn't, I'm going over to Gibsons tomorrow and they can bring it there. Bye for now everyone. Kind of nice to be doing the blog again. Let me know if you get it.

Samesun Hostel in Downtown Vancouver

Jimi Hendrix Shrine at a shop I passed

Cool building in Gastown

More Jimi Hendrix

Street shot

Wendy, has Jim opened a new business?

My Pho at Halong Bay restaurant

Tiniest, cute coffee shop on Granville St.

May Day Weekend (Apr. 26 - May 3, 2015)

Apr. 27 - May 4, 2015

This past week has gone so fast! I spent the week, getting myself back to reality. A challenge to say the least, but all is going well. I got my taxes done, a Condo Board Meeting finished, and then up to Collingwood to have a great evening and weekend with Julia, Shelley, Sheila and Scott. 

We all met up at Julia’s on Saturday. We saw her lovely house, and all the progress she made on the house since I last saw it. There has been so much done to it, and it is looking so incredibly swanky and nearing the finish line. Scott has done most of it himself and it is the best work, cleanest lines, and precision craftsmanship that you could ever desire.

Me and Julia in her living room

Upstairs bedroom

Shelley and Sheil looking up the
stairs

Livingroom area

My room

Diningroom area

Kitchen

They still have some minor finishing things to do, but it’s amazing, and super comfy. It’s also really big with the high ceilings and open concept. I love it and am so happy that they are finally able to live in the house, and begin to enjoy all the labours of love and frustration. Well done guys.

Anyway, we made some delicious food, hung out in the back yard while the sun shone, then built a fire when it got dark and chilly. A lovely afternoon and evening. We didn’t go to bed too late, as everyone was already tired. We missed having Rachel, Sandra and Wendy up too, but somehow the date and planning didn’t go right, and we messed up on their calendars. Anyway, we will do it again soon, and be sure that everyone is free to come!

Afternoon chat in the sun

Happy today!

Julia's childhood friend, Josephine
joined us part way through the aft.

Shelley and Sheels, by the fire.

Friends by fire

Shelley and Sheila stayed over on Saturday night, then left after breakfast on Sunday. I hung around until Tuesday morning, with Scott and Julia. It was so nice to catch up with her. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her, and it felt good to see that she is doing well and moving forward after the year of heartache that she’s had. 

So, that’s what I have been up to since getting back,…….was it just a week ago???? Wow, it seems longer, yet shorter. I’m not really adjusted yet. It’s nice to be in familiar territory though.

Home Sweet Home (Apr. 25, 2015)

Well, now my adventure is really complete! It was an amazing time and I am grateful for all the wonderful experiences I had.

I enjoyed a fantastic visit with Jan, and on the last day, we went into Vancouver and met up with my cousin Suzy and her partner Mike. Both of them were looking great! We went out for lunch together, then back to their place for a short visit before Jan had to take off for the ferry. It's a good thing she did go early because there was a Quilting Show in Gibson's this weekend and the ferry was over booked. She managed to make it onto the afternoon ferry, but many others did not. I think she said that the next ferry was also over booked. Anyway, she got back to Gibson's on the ferry she hoped to catch, which was great.

I stayed with Suzy and Mike for the rest of the afternoon, as they were going to drop me at the airport for my 10:30 pm flight to Toronto. It was really nice. We sat and chatted, and Suzy and I went for a nice walk through the beautiful park area around their place. The time just evaporated, and then it was time to go for the plane. They got me there in great time, and I went through a busy check-in and security line, to get to my departure lounge in good time. I didn't wait too long before they started boarding the plane. It was a full flight but a good flight.

I arrived in Toronto at 6:00 am today, and Mike and Shelley were at the airport to meet me. Rachel wasn't feeling well, and was down with bronchitis so she didn't come, which I'm very glad of. Mike dropped Shelley and me off to get my car, and then I drove to my place with Shelley. We all arranged to meet at a favourite restaurant so that I could take my dear friends for breakfast. Rachel was feeling well enough to join us, so the four of us munched our delicious breakfasts, talked, caught up, and tried to believe this was real.

I returned home, with Shelley, and we met up with Sandra, my neighbour and dear friend. She wasn't awake when we went for breakfast, but was up for a visit and a little walk in the neighbourhood with Shelley and me. It was a lovely sunny day, and a perfect thing to do before returning to my place for a nap.

I was met with a beautiful orchid, container of coffee, cream and orange juice, in my fridge. Sandra had been up to her tricks, and I was truly touched. Shelley met me at the airport with Mike, and had a bag of my favourite Kensington Market coffee to take home. She and Mike had gone there a few days prior, and agreed that this would be a great surprise, and it was! Tonight, Sandra is making dinner for me as I have no groceries and am pretty tired. I will sleep this afternoon, then make my way next door to join her and Joe for supper. It is so nice of them to cook for me.

Thank you to all my beloved friends for the warm, warm welcome home. If I was feeling blue that my adventure was ending, it didn't last long because of all of you! It is nice to have people you know, that care so much for you. I am a lucky person and cherish you all.

So that's my story friends and family. I don't know if I will post many more blogs, but you never know. I am home safely and am cozy in my wonderful apartment. I do love my home. Thanks for following me for so many months, and sending your energy. I felt you all there with me at various different times. It was very cool.

Bye for now. Hope you are still smiling!

Chilling in Gibson's (Apr. 15-21, 2015)

Apr. 14-21, 2015 - For my mom, who was having Blog withdrawal......lol.

So, I’ve been having a great time in Gibson’s with Jan, my stepmother. We have had great, sunny weather for the most part, and have been enjoying several games of golf at her beautiful club. It’s called the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club and has the most beautiful views throughout the course. Even though my golfing hasn’t been of any substance, the views, company and relaxation have compensated nicely. I will post some photos of the actual course, when we go there to play next. I thought I had some photos, but realized I hadn't yet taken them. It's so pretty, I want to be sure to have some of the course.

Waiting for ferry to Gibson Landing

Jan and I golfing

One day, Jan and I went for a hike in a park that’s not too far from her place, called Cliff Gilker Park. It was lovely, with the famous huge BC trees, covered in moss, and the smell of cedar and pine throughout the forest. We saw a couple of little streams and it was such a peaceful place to walk.

Another day, we went to play golf on a neighbouring course, in Sechelt, another town, down the highway a bit. It’s definitely not as pretty as Jan’s course, but was fun to play for a change. It too, had gorgeous scenery to take in, as we walked the course. It was great weather and we had a really nice time.

Outside the club house, before our
hair got wrecked

The end of one of the holes

Mountain view from the fairway

A water trap 

Other than that, we have just been spending time together, chatting, reading, having delicious meals, and going for some walks if we’re not golfing. It’s great to catch up with her and be amongst the beautiful surroundings in her home. My dad is all around and Jan has done such a fantastic job of decorating, renovating and organizing her place. It is really, really comfortable and a wonderful place to spend time!

Yesterday we drove down to the waterfront and went for lunch, then a nice walk along the ocean. It was again, a lovely day, and we strolled along looking at the sights, watching the dogs play, and enjoying the wonderful views. There are a lot of little artsy shops to poke around in along the walk, so we had a great time looking in them. I took a photo of Molly’s Reach for those of you who are old enough to remember The Beachcombers. This is the place that they shot that series, and since it’s still here, I thought I’d better take a picture of it, and the famous boat, to share with you.

View from the marina

View from the marina

Beachcombers' restaurant, still in
operation

Me by the Persephone

Today we played in a Scramble Golf Tournament for Ladies, at Jan’s club. It was a lot of fun and since we played Best Ball, it made our final score for the round, a lot better. It was great to be outside and the lunch that they served afterward was delicious. There was a spinach, strawberry and glazed pecan salad, chicken/spinach cannelloni, and a really yummy graham wafer and Key Lime tart for dessert. A lunch made in heaven!

A table of golfers

This was our team today.

I won a door prize!