I just had a chance to review your last couple of emails and had a few chuckles as always!.
Glad to here you`ve shaken off your apprehension about riding and are racking up more mileage than ever , I have been so busy between the cabin and work but have still gotten out for some nice rides . I really enjoyed riding down through the park and then around Shadbolt center and the Burnaby art gallery with it`s beautiful rhododendren gardens. I kind of dread the big hill coming back but have figured out a number of interesting routes back up and some that are more gradual and wind through some beautiful neighbourhoods like Buckingham which is like the Shaughnessy of Burnaby.
that I really needed and wanted!.
Although we had some r and r time at the cabin I spent a lot of time cleaning up around the place. There was an unbelievable amount of junk left by the previous owner which we`ve been sorting through . On top of that there were squirrels or pack rats living in the basement (which I`ve been
calling the screaming hell pit) for some time and they`ve made disgusting nests from the fiberglass in the walls and cedar boughs. I made a lot of progress with the shop vac and a shovel the last few days and it`s starting to show some potential.
I`ll look forward to sharing some more when i`m not so tired and get a chance to spend some time on the computer. thanks for keeping me up to speed on your adventures. cheers, Al
Hi Glenda and Jenny, (And Drama Queen!)!
Lovely to see you both yesterday and thanks again for the simply wonderful exhibition and reception. Here are the snaps I took. Please forward to them to your other colleagues as you see fit and/or if they want snaps. Hope to see everyone this coming November as we plan to come back for American Thanksgiving. Fondestos from Cora Lee. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Patrick,Great to hear from you.
Sounds like you have had another wonderful family celebration! Thanks
to you, Corinne and Ayn for a lovely evening last Sunday. It is so nice
to get together with your family and have
intelligent, diverse conversations! Work has been very busy and hectic
this week with the holiday next week but I am really looking forward to
Tricia's visit. Have a wonderful summer and if I win the lottery I will join you in Europe!!All my best, Trice
Hi Beatricce, et al! Lovely to see you! Thank you for taking the time and effort to travel cross-country. Everyone here enjoyed the evening immensely.
Chloe Alexis DunnThey are BACK!!!!! mmmmmm BACON!!
We're back for summer from this Friday at the art gallery 11-3 so come get some #bacon! Ayn P I want some!!! Best ever!!!!
Miss Iowa
Thanks for the pictures Patrick! It was great seeing you and Cora as well! Hope to see you in November!
Been a busy, busy
time here as I'm sure you can imagine. Graduation ceremony yesterday was
loads of fun. Far more celebratory in terms of hollers and whoops from
audience than similar ceremonies in staid Canada. Almost like a
Homecoming football game together with fantastic CSUN Jazz Band! We had
seats in the shade so the heat was really not a factor. Afterwards,
about twenty friends and family gathered for a lovely buffet: four
salads, (potatoe, two pasta, and a green), a host of delicious bbq'd
meats, (lamb and chicken kebabs, rib-eye steaks, short ribs), and
sturgeon, all done to poifection by Cora Lee on the grills downstairs by
the small pool. Guests left by 10:00am as it had been a very long day
for everyone. Many had commutes and work the following day. Rest of us
had been up early and involved in numerous errands, food preparation,
etc., so we were happy to simply sit down and chat about day. Even left
most of the dishes once first load was in dishwasher!We have to be at LAX by 2:00pm so will just take our time getting ready. The Sisterhood will go for a long walk shortly, (Ordinarily, I would have liked to have gone for another swim but Ayn's car is having some body work done at the moment and with Van Nuys pool schedule, (It closes at 10:00am for vacuuming!), timing seemed a bit too, too complicated.), while I try to catch up on some email, principally sending notes/pictures to friends, such as yourself, we saw over the course of this brief but terrific visit. Not much to pack as we both have carry-on baggage only.
Hi guys, just talking to mom and she told me that you were in LA for the graduation celebrations for Alex. Say hi and congrats from the Winnipeg connection!
Greg is flying to Vancouver on Sunday,
May 26th and wants to stay at mom and dad’s
(mom said OK and place should be free)
and then I was wondering dates Pat is coming
to Winnipeg? As the bedroom he will be staying in is full of Greg’s
work boxes, so can you please confirm dates for me so
I can do a cleanup. Greg left a message on your phone. Have a safe flight back. Pam
Hi Spumoni and Grogg!
Foist and foremoist, you are off the hook, Spumoni, as I've had an email from Filmer and they would like me stay with them. I didn't want to tell you as otherwise you'd have no motivation to empty "storage" room! Cora Lee wouldn't hear of it so you can thank her!!! Anyway, I still plan to pop by to do some fridge management and eat overlefts over the course of my entire stay. I can't afford groceries after this time in LA what with filling RV sized gas tanks, paying for dinners, ("Would you like to go for Indian food, Grandfather Dearest?"), and running endless grocery errands for the Drama Queen!
Since Spumoni won't be clearing out mini-storage unit at 33 St
Michael Road, Grogg will have to make his own bed at The Annexe! How
long will you be in Vancouver, Grogg? Agnes from Go Green was hoping we
could have dinner one evening. What should I tell her? Apparently she's
got some salmon from a dumpster behind Rain City Grill, (one of our
favourite restaurants), that she's been saving for a special occasion.
Also a gallon jug of 2013 Calona Stomach Pump Red, one of their better
vintages, I might add! Believe The Pemmican Society rated it 99/100 last
time they listed it.
Hello from The Lost Burritos. Alejandro says thanks for the congratulations. (Will send some snaps of graduation when I've a moment.) Fondestos from Ayn and Cora Lee. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: Los Horidos; Beatricce, friend we met last trip down, at a restaurant in Healdsburg, Sonoma. She lives in Pasadena and happens to be Agne's first cousin!
Foist and foremoist, you are off the hook, Spumoni, as I've had an email from Filmer and they would like me stay with them. I didn't want to tell you as otherwise you'd have no motivation to empty "storage" room! Cora Lee wouldn't hear of it so you can thank her!!! Anyway, I still plan to pop by to do some fridge management and eat overlefts over the course of my entire stay. I can't afford groceries after this time in LA what with filling RV sized gas tanks, paying for dinners, ("Would you like to go for Indian food, Grandfather Dearest?"), and running endless grocery errands for the Drama Queen!
Hello from The Lost Burritos. Alejandro says thanks for the congratulations. (Will send some snaps of graduation when I've a moment.) Fondestos from Ayn and Cora Lee. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: Los Horidos; Beatricce, friend we met last trip down, at a restaurant in Healdsburg, Sonoma. She lives in Pasadena and happens to be Agne's first cousin!
Dear Corinne and Patrick,Hope
you are both doing well. I am of the understanding that Patrick you
are off to Wpg. for a big high school reunion, exciting I am sure I can
visualize you schmoozing with everyone and
having a grand time, Corinne no doubt will be doing a lot of catching
up with her many friends and just plain relaxing before the next big
trip.
[This panathenaic amphora (fourth century BC) depicts two sprinting athletes. The man on the right is about to overtake his opponent. His open arms and large paces point to great speed. The left athlete keeps his arms closer to his body. He is clearly at the end of his strength.]
The first picture - is of my nieces with my Mom and my Brother Dan’s children. Allie, blond 21 and Mikyla 28 who had a gala wedding last Oct. Mikyla is the young gal when at 15 her parents split up and I wanted to raise her as her mother just was not interested. I brought her out for a week but the kids now days are so into themselves that she would have eaten me up with her temper. She now has her masters in political science and a wonderfully bright girl. We are very close.
Third
picture is with my Brother Dan and Mom at the zoo. My brother and I
are quite close and he does a wonderful job entertaining me when I come
to visit. He is 63 and still teaches school
loves to sub. He was a correctional officer for years for troubled
youths, a principal and youth counselor.
Fourth
picture is with my family. I cooked a turkey for ten in my Mom’s apt.
my brother was a huge help. He was over at 7:30 a.m. to help put the
turkey in the oven for noon on Easter Sunday.
It went well, smoked salmon from the west coast, Ukrainian Easter
breads, Wild Rice stuffing with mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, onions,
garlic, etc. Ordered cakes from Goodies along with Ukrainian poppy seed
cakes and fine wines. We had a wonderful time
and my Mom was so pleased. Niece Jeannie is standing beside me and her
daughter little Sophie sitting with her Dad, Ryan.
Fifth picture is the family out for dinner at the Star Grill, yummy food!!
Sixth
picture, I was not back home a few weeks when my Mom’s sister Mary died
of ALS. Aunt Mary two years ago at 83 is sitting with her 83 yr. old
Scottish husband Ivor. He was once a Narcotics
Detective for the Tor. Police. Uncle Ivor slept in Aunt Mary’s bed at
the hospital every night for the last year. Aunt Mary learned to type
with her eyes and I wrote to her almost every week. I was very close to
her and even though we all knew she was going
to die we all took it hard.
Seventh
picture, is Aunt Mary’s daughter Sandra with dark hair when I visited
them two years ago, she is hugging my sister Mary. Sandra is a
professional Mezzo Soprano singer who teaches opera
at the Univ. of Ottawa.
Eighth picture is when my sister Mary and I visited our aunt for the last time.
My
cousin did not have a memorial or funeral for her Mom. They were very,
very, close so I really don’t know why she could not organize something
for the family, perhaps because she was at
the hospital every day for the last two years watching her mom slowly
pass away that alone would have been unbearable. I will continue in the next letter to ensure all pictures go through. Love Jean
Dear Corinne and Patrick,
Continuing
on ----yesterday was the first time we were out on the boat, the day
was beautiful and I must admit magical out at sea. We took our usual
sushi lunch found an idyllic spot turning
the engine off moved to the rhythm of the waves living in the
absolute moment and paused to think how wonderful it is that we can
experience these precious moments as time stands still Took these
pictures in the evening of Benson at four years and Tess
at 9 months.
Our
neighbor Ingrid next door invited us over to feed her two new goats,
Molly and Polly. Ingrid now has three dogs, one feral cat, six
chickens, two goats, three young children, for a single
Mom that is a handful not to mention she runs her own business ‘The
Memory Clinic’. She is from Wpg. those Winnipeggers!!
The
last two pictures is a Birthday party for my dog walking friend
Midori. Her children Mika eight and Myles six speak three languages,
Japanese, English and French, shown with their white
boxer four year old Lily, Benson’s best friend since puppy hood. Midori
at 46 had a lump on the side of her throat for twenty years, turned out
it is cancerous. After undergoing surgery to remove her thyroid she
now has to go into the hospital for three days
of radiation. I have two other dog walking friends in their forties
who have also been diagnosed with cancer this year which is kind of
frightening.
.JPG)
I
have three friends who practice meditation and encouraged me to try
learning the skill as it is amazing the peace it brings. One friend
teaches Kundalini Yoga, one is a prof. in counseling
and of course Midori. I began to practice about two months ago and
have slowly learned to listen to my breath. The most amazing thing is
that all thought eventually leaves the mind once one can discipline the
mind to focus on the breath. I tuned in to TedTalks.com
and listened to Dr. Daniel Siegel on “Mindfulness and Neutral
Integration of the Brain” speaking about how the brain’s plasticity
can change through the practice of Mindfulness.
Then
I found on TedTalks.com and Y-Tube a Biochemist and philosopher turned
Buddhist Monk Matthieu Ricard who is considered the Happiest Man in the
world. After listening to some of his twenty
plus videos I am hooked and bought his book on ‘Happiness” and consider
it to be the best book I have ever read in trying to understand our
mind. John says he will read it too. Matthieu says “What is Happiness
and how can we all get some”? We can train our
minds in habits of wellbeing, to generate a true sense of serenity and
fulfillment. I now walk through the forests with Benson and Tess all
the while meditating keeping my mind on my breath, all thought
eventually vanishes and I am at one with my world.
Now
I am not going to escape into the Buddhist world of meditation. If you
listen to Pema Chodron on TedTalks.com she was once married with three
children, her husband started having affairs
and she ran off to become a Buddhist Nun. Her talks are amazing.
.JPG)
John
is organizing a conference for his faculty which begins next week and
then after that he will be free, well maybe not he is driven, now if
only I could get him to learn to meditate listening
to his breath all the multitudes of thought will slowly leave his mind
allowing him to slow down just for a moment to enjoy these many precious
moments.
Another
friend Pauline in her late seventies who still teaches Math at the
Univ. invited me out for a private showing at the Museum ‘The race to
the End of the World’. With champagne, smoked
salmon and many fine foods we listened to speakers and enjoyed an
exhibition tour of the English and Norwegian explorers as they raced to
the south pole in 1912.
Hope
you can find some time to come and visit us you know what we are like
going over there. My sister’s daughter lives in Vanc. and I have visited
her only once or twice, now she does come
here. Then there was our next door neighbors in North Van who we knew
well for nine years and watched their children grow up.
We only visited
them once or twice but the beautiful thing is that Frank and Maria’s
daughter Nicole has been writing and has asked
if we could be her Aunt and Uncle which is all quite wonderful. She is
in her thirties with two small children Allie three and Harley one and
they will come for a visit this summer. See you this summer, will take you over to Poet’s Cove on Pender Island. Much Love, Jean, John, Benson & Tess
Hey Patrick. Glad to hear you spent all your retirement money in L.A.
Just
to let you know, I will be in Van Monday to Friday next week and would
look forward to dining with Agnes. I think she is on to something,
letting the
salmon age in dumpster for a number of days before serving. In my
opinion it could only improve the mossy taste of fresh salmon!
Knowing
how important it is to you to keep abreast of your loved ones’ caloric
intake, I can report that we had hotdogs this weekend. Boiled in only
the finest
of lake water and then served with a beautiful Bic’s relish and a
lovely no-name ketchup. This was complimented perfectly with some of the
best frozen French fries I’ve had in some time.
Today
for lunch I dished up some leftover stir fry served with day-old rice
that I smothered in cheap margarine as the very aroma of soya sauce
makes me nauseous. Dessert
was a raspberry oatmeal cookie from the corner 7-11 where I was also
able to acquire a very nice 2013 mixture of orange crush, sprite and
coca cola
decanted in a specially designed “Big Gulp” cup with matching elbow
straw. Best Regards,
Grogg
Your delicious Soda Rock wines are on their way! You can view the status of your shipment with the following tracking number 622512315212321.
Please keep in mind that someone 21 years of age or older must be present at the time of delivery to sign for your shipment. Business addresses are recommended.
If you have any questions regarding this order, or if I may assist you in any way, please let me know.
Enjoy the wines! Thank you, Victoria Wilson, Soda Rock Winery
Hi Pat, Yes, nature can be cruel, even when it comes to colour harmonies. Greetings from we, grey on grey, New Westminster, bob
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