A special wedding gift

I've been keeping a secret for months—OK, two months —and now it's time to share what I did. The only reason I kept it a secret was that I wanted to share all the details at once, and I just didn't have time to make that happen. 

As you know, M and Dillon were married on June 11, and my - how quickly time marches on. It's almost one month since that special day. 

It was about four weeks before the wedding, and I got this ridiculous idea that I could make them a special gift. Let me rephrase that - I wouldn't make the special gift, but I would facilitate it being made. 

Let's just say that I married my love of hobbies with this one. As you know, I have fallen big time into the world of jigsaw puzzles. It used to be a special thing to do at Christmas, but now? It's an everyday occurrence. Well, not quite, but I love doing them. And the more I chat to people, the more I realize that it's a huge deal. Many people do jigsaw puzzles. 

I had tossed this idea around much, much earlier, but just for fun. What if I made a commemorative jigsaw puzzle for the happy couple? Could I pull that off in four weeks? 

I was totally at the mercy of others, but let's see what happens. I sent the initial request to my friend Cynthia Frenette, an artist who lives in Nanoose Bay, BC, on the island, to see if she was up to the challenge. I also had to get in touch with a puzzle-making company before she would start. I contacted TheOccurence, which is located in Merrickville, Ontario, on the same day. 

Prices were agreed upon, and I passed all kinds of information about the couple to Cynthia and let her run loose with it. 

I also told the two contacts that it was my fault for leaving this so late, and if it didn't work out to get the puzzle to BC by the wedding, I was OK with that. Cynthia designs puzzles for other companies (this link only shows a few of her puzzles - she also just won the BC Ferry competition for The Villager puzzle company), so I knew she was up to the task. I got the preliminary sketch about 10 days after I gave her the ideas. She also had access to their IG accounts, and Dillon is constantly posting pictures. I think the picture of Cynthia's puzzle for BC Ferry was only on IG, and I don't have time this morning to find it. I'll let you know when it's available. 

When I saw the sketch, I was thrilled!!!! 

So I gave the go-ahead, and she finished the artwork. In the meantime, I was in touch with Brigitte at TheOccurence, so they could be prepared. Actually, I was late in contacting her, and I apologized and said that if it can't be done, I'm OK with that. I was in the middle of work-related stuff and juggling a lot at the time. 

TheOccurence got the artwork on June 1!!!! OK -- so ten days to make and ship a puzzle. Can it be done? 

YES IT CAN!!!! The folks at TheOccurence were the BEST. They went above and beyond to make this puzzle happen once they got the artwork. 

I'm sure Brigitte was ready to shoot me as I contacted her several times the day that I sent her the file. They didn't open it until late on Tuesday, June 2. That's how they work, and I just had to content myself with the fact that if it didn't work out, that was OK. 

OMG—can you believe they had the puzzle ready to ship on Thursday?! Hurrah for small companies and this one just happens to be Canadian!!! I was thrilled beyond belief. Please, please—you must support TheOccurence—they are a fabulous small business, and I want them to succeed. You can buy puzzles directly from their website or from PuzzlesCanada. OH MY -- I see a bunch of new ones! 

But before that happy event, we needed to figure out how to get it to Tofino on time. It's not like Tofino is in a major center. It's on the far side of Vancouver Island, and it's quite a drive. How much was this shipping going to cost me? Tofino is the red dot on the left. 

Tofino is very remote!

I thought of having it come to us, and we could take it with us on the plane. I had 12 copies made. Just wait—you will see the puzzle in a minute. 

We could have it shipped directly to Tofino, but how much would that cost? 

Then KU said, why not ship it to her sister in Vancouver, and they could take the puzzle over. OK -- that works even better, but we weren't sure when it would arrive, as some of them were coming by car on Tuesday and others by seaplane (limited baggage allowed) on Thursday, the day of the wedding. 

When I heard how much it would be to ship the package OVERNIGHT to BC from Merrickville, I said - let's do it. It was $75 for a relatively large and heavy box! So it arrived in BC on Friday morning, which meant people coming to the wedding by car could bring it. 

All that remained was for them to remember to bring the box, which I'm sure wouldn't be a problem, but it was just one more logistical thing I had to consider. Things happen accidentally, but there were always people coming by plane on Thursday. 

I got the box in my hands on Wednesday evening, and, of course, M spotted me carrying it to my hotel room. That girl just seems to be everywhere she isn't supposed to be. 

They knew nothing about the puzzle, as I wanted it to be a surprise for them. However, I also didn't want to spring it on them at the wedding, so I needed to share it with them at some point. So I asked her if she and Dillon could meet me in the room, as I had something to discuss with them. 

You could see from their faces that they were very apprehensive, as I would be when your mother tells you she did something and isn't sure you'll like it. 

When I showed them the puzzle, they were speechless!!! It was so much fun to see! And they LOVED it!!! It brings tears to my eyes as I recall that moment. So many questions—how did you get all this detail? My necklace is just like the one I wear! It was crazy and so much fun! 

We discussed where the puzzle would be displayed and decided it should be at the after-dinner party. As soon as the picture-taking was done, I scooted to that area and set it up so people could finish the puzzle at the wedding. NO ONE knew about the puzzle except for DH (he paid the bill) and KU and their family, but no one had seen it. 

I had a sign-up sheet so people could request a free copy of the puzzle. I handed out all 12 copies I had with me, and now I need to find the list so I can order more and get them delivered!!!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for—here is the puzzle. The reason it took me so long to share this is that I brought home the puzzle from the wedding, and I needed to make sure it wasn't missing any pieces. 

Our Wedding

The other night, I finally had some free time and got the puzzle together. Cynthia is known for her puzzles being somewhat challenging with all the detail. This one was fairly simple, but it did have some tricky bits. We didn't want to make it too hard because some of the people getting the puzzle are not super puzzlers, and we wanted them to have fun. 

No pieces missing from the wedding puzzle

And yes - Little Bear, who turned ten yesterday, was up front and center in the puzzle. Of course he was!!!

If I weren't in the picture, it wouldn't be complete! 

On our way back from the wedding, we stopped at Cynthia's to have her autograph the box. Thank you so much, Cynthia—you are a brilliant artist, and we love you!!!!! 

The box is autographed now.

Here's a picture of M and Dillon the night I showed them the puzzle. It was so much fun to share that with them and how it came about, although they were probably not in any shape to remember what I said with so many other things to think about, so it's all documented here now. 

The happy couple with their custom puzzle

I had a sign at the puzzle with a sign-up sheet at the after-dinner party. 

The sign at the wedding

The puzzle on display

The ideal plan would have been for us to have copies of the puzzle with us when we stopped to meet Cynthia in person. Although I have been friends with Cynthia for many years and she has done artwork for us before, this was the first time I got to meet her in person. On the way up, we stopped, and I got her to sign one of her other puzzles. Yep -- I carried that one all the way with me in my suitcase. Then we stopped on the way back and got her to autograph the wedding puzzle. And yes -- she is tall. We took the picture in her art studio. 

Cynthia and myself 

All I can say is we need to support our artists. This is how they earn a living, and I have another story to tell you about that, but it will have to wait. 

I was able to get |M's copy of the puzzle in the mail yesterday, and so they will finally be able to make their puzzle. She wanted one in the wrapper, and one they could assemble. So now they will be able to assemble theirs when it arrives next week. I'll crack it open every anniversary and put it together for them.

A massive shoutout to Cynthia Frenette and TheOccurence for making this happen in a very short time frame. I truly appreciate your artistry and skill. The gift was worth every penny!!!

Wow—on that happy note, I'm out of here! 

There is a virtual retreat this afternoon. It starts at 3 PM. 

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Ciao!!!!!!

The Wedding

What a wild and crazy day! I feel like I lived through a very surreal moment! You know - you go to weddings all the time (OK -- not all the time, but time to time), but you go to weddings, and they go through the formalities, and everything is beautiful. And you hope that one day your child(ren) will find someone they deem worthy of themselves to marry. 

And then it happens, and well—it was a beautiful day. Absolutely beautiful. But I'm going to start at the top. 

After writing the blog, Little Bear and I were out on the beach. That little guy is pretty funny! He's just so little, and he's like a chick magnet. Sorry if that term offends anyone, but you can't go anywhere with him without someone falling in love with him! 

Little Bear on the beach

And of course, the little guy overestimated the depth of a pool of water and fell in and then walked in the sand, and he was dirty. Well, I certainly wasn't giving him a bath, and thankfully, the sand fell off. I brushed off as much as I could, and I swear the rest fell off in the car when I went to pick up one of the guests at another hotel. 

OH NO -- Bear got dirty!!! 

A few of the guests joined M on the beach for early morning yoga. Bear and I hung around to get some pictures. I knew no one else was covering the event, so I helped out. 

Early morning yoga on the beach

Then I was off to Tofino and Rhino Cafe for my morning breakfast. Yes-- I could have eaten at the hotel, but riding the bike in was much more fun! DH brought Bear in the car, and they joined me. I hate when they put a pastry with lots of icing into a paper bag. You lose half the icing that way!! Anyway -- it was an apple fritter kind of day, and it was yummy. 

Bear and I are having our morning breakfast.

And there I am with my helmet on and my two jackets, but I was having an amazing time. It was so much fun!!!!

Happy to be riding a bike

I had to stop to take some pictures. That's the beauty of riding a bike; there is so much to see, and since you are much closer to things, you wouldn't see from a car. And since you are on a bike, it's super easy to stop and take pictures.  

A red poppy

This flower was from a huge flowering bush, and those blooms were as big as my hand. They were stunning. 

Massive pink flowers

And then I thought this was an interesting sign. Nicely made up, so it wasn't just a casual thing. I was tempted to take the bike and see just how deadly they were!!! I mean—don't you want to know what a deadly pothole looks like? Perhaps today I can find out!

What's a deadly pothole look like?

I stopped to take a picture of the hotel sign, but now realize, looking at it, there was too much shadow at the time. No worries—we have the memory. 

The hotel sign

At one point, I needed something from M's room—what the heck was I delivering or picking up? WAIT -- it wasn't that at all. I was trying to finish the ring bearer pillow, and they had goodies, so I stocked up for fortification while I finished the pillow. Yes -- it was a big day for pastries. I'll deal with the consequences when I get home. 

More pastries

And then Bear and I sat in the library and worked on the pillow. The pillow was done basically. I had to find someone to put their finger on the thread so I could tie it tightly, so I went to M's room, where some of her friends were, and one of them helped me tie it. That was to give the pillow a tufted center. 

Working on the ring bearer pillow

And there was Bear, and he sat between my legs on the chair while I tried different ways of attaching the pillow to his harness. The pillow just kept wanting to shift, but I think I finally figured something out. But as I sat there, two couples came by, took pictures of Bear, and asked all kinds of questions. And then they started asking about the puzzle that was still there. Oh my—I have work to do!!!! But you never know what's going to happen when Bear is around. He was such a good boy and patient as I worked on his pillow. 

Grandma says I'm a very patient boy, and I am!!!!!

Speaking of which, I had a near panic moment earlier in the day. It was a beautiful day. More on that in a moment, so Bear and I decided to sit in the lawn chairs near the hotel. Let me rephrase that, I decided to sit in the chairs and was hoping Bear would join me. He did stick with me for a bit, and then he started to wander around. I decided to get up to keep an eye on him, and all was good. 

Then he went left, while I went right, or he was looking for a quiet place to do his business. It happened so fast, I don't even know what happened. But all of a sudden, he wasn't there! OH MY GOD!!!! I'm not a panicky person, but I had a moment of panic, to say the least. It did NOT help when my phone rang —it was a call from M. OMG—I cannot tell her that Bear is missing. 

She was laughing and said that Bear was just around the corner. They had been watching me from their hotel window!!!!! PHEW --- saved by the onlookers, but busted as a trusted dog sitter!!!! We all had a laugh, and then I kept a closer eye on the little guy. 

This was Bear with all his wedding garb. He had on a white shirt, and I made him a green bow tie - more on all that another day. And then he had a new leash and harness, and his pillow. At one point, I think there was a corsage for him, but he had no more room!!!!

I'm a very handsome boy!!!!

The one thing that I am very proud of M for is her attitude towards the day. She has spent enormous amounts of time planning the wedding, and you could tell. Details were taken care of, some things probably went awry behind the scenes, but through it all, she was graceful, gracious, and so at ease. There wasn't a single moment that I felt she was "panicky" because something didn't go well. She said, " It is what it is." And that just made my heart sing. Be flexible, and nothing will ever disappoint you. I am so proud of her for that. She really and truly has grown up. But do your kids ever grow up in their parents' eyes? I am very proud of her for the woman she has become!

Thankfully, I'm a quick-change artist. I was watching some videos on my phone, and at 12:35, DH came back from hanging out with the guys. I was still lying on the bed with Bear, and we needed to be in the room at 1:15. Oops. I ran downstairs and grabbed a sandwich and a chocolate croissant for lunch. Then into the shower, but not before comforting Bear, as there was a tsunami-warning drill (no danger for us), and poor Bear did NOT like that. 

Anyway, I showered, blow-dried my hair, got dressed, ate my lunch, and still arrived at 1:15. There is no time to waste!!! Close friends and family members (ladies only) met in M's room, and when she came down the stairs in their loft room, she was radiant!!! The photographers and videographers captured the moments, and it was an unreal experience for all of us to share. 

But I have to include this memory here. I got my ears pierced years ago when I was a teenager. Over the years, I stopped wearing earrings, and one of the holes had closed. So I haven't worn earrings for eons. She had mentioned to DH that she wanted me to wear long dangly earrings, which - you know me - if someone asks me to do something, I tend NOT to do it. And can you believe that someone called me spiteful because of it!!! Well, we don't want any negative thoughts here, but the idea stayed in my head. 

One day at the mall several months ago, I spotted a place that does ear piercing, so I thought, "What the heck," and got my ears pierced. It didn't hurt nearly as much as when I was younger! Then, the day before we left, I hadn't bought any earrings yet, so I had to scoot to the mall, went back to the same place, and found some funky dangling earrings. 

I never told anyone about the earrings, and no one at home noticed that my ears were pierced! Now I can wear funky earrings -- yes -- I didn't need pierced earrings, I could have worn clip-ons. 

I wore them yesterday, and when we hugged when I saw her, we both started crying, which was OK for me but not for her! Her day was just beginning. But it was all OK, and I feel like we have cemented our relationship that much more! I swear the first thing she noticed was those long, dangling earrings! 

Then DH and I walked down to the beach where the wedding would take place. I wanted to get Bear prepared. When I came through the trees to the beach, it took my breath away. The view was stunning, and the weather was perfect. They could NOT have asked for a better day or place. 

The wedding venue

Just a side note: they had their first date on the beach somewhere in Vancouver. They got engaged on a beach in Maui and are now married on a beach in Tofino!!! The beach is their happy place!

Here is the arch that we picked up at the party rental place. The hotel did an amazing job of camouflaging it. 

The wedding arch

But seriously —look at that view!!!!

The view from our chairs

They had a commissioner do the ceremony, and it was beautiful. They did NOT want anyone taking pictures during the ceremony except one of their best friends. That way, they would get some immediate pictures of the ceremony. I had to chuckle because, from a couple that posts a ton of pictures on IG, to tell people not to take pictures was an oxymoron. But they had the professional photographers there, and the one friend who took some, so they could have some pictures of the ceremony. 

Why? They wanted people to be in the moment of their ceremony and to experience it through their own eyes, not through a camera's lens. I thought it was a brilliant move, but OH MY -- it was hard to sit on your hands!!! 

Anyway, the ceremony was beautiful, and the sun beamed down on them as the waves crashed behind them. We could NOT have asked for a more perfect day. 

Wait -- I'm coming to their picture. Here is a close-up of the ring pillow. And I love how the commissioner called it. The ring BEARer pillow. It was so adorable. 

The ring pillow

I had made some small (6") pillow forms way back when, and they were made to put some funky folky stuff on the outside. I used the satin from her dress and made a cover. I'll tell you more about that experience another day. The lace is the bits of lace that the dressmaker sent me, and I stitched it to the pillow. 

And there are their two bands attached to the pillow. 

The wedding bands

Once the ceremony was over, it was time for family and friends' photos. We had picked up a bunch of games at the party rental place, and so while the photos were happening, the games were used. And it was almost time to go before I realized that I did not have a picture of the happy couple!!!

The happy couple - Dillon and Madeline

They both looked amazing, and Dillon had a bespoke suit made —oh boy, it really makes a difference in the fit. And M's dress was covered in tulle and lace, and that was quite the task to wear that on the beach. While the beach wasn't very deep in sand, it was deep enough that it was hard to walk on with shoes. I went barefoot until it was time for pictures. And in all that—I do NOT have a picture of me in my outfit!!!

Dillon and Madeline

After pictures, we headed to the dining room for dinner. And I have stuff to share there, but not today. And after that, we went to another party venue on the property for the dance! Here's a picture of the first dance, and they have been practicing it, and they were so cute!!!

The first dance

We walked back to the hotel (about 5 minutes), and it was pitch black. No lights, but I have zero issues seeing in the dark. 

As we arrived at the hotel, I looked up and OH MY --- look at the stars. Yep -- this photo was taken with my phone camera. It's amazing what those cameras are capable of. 

The night sky

Bear hung out with me for most of the day, but he had a sitter from 4 - 10 PM. So that gave me a bit of a break, although he's no trouble at all. Just not allowed in the dining room! I came back to the room to get him and took him back to the dance. HEY -- I had to get some steps in somehow!!!! 

When we finally got back to the room, the poor little guy was exhausted. He went straight to bed and hasn't moved an inch. WAIT --- let me rephrase that. He's a snuggler, and I swear I woke up sleeping on the edge of the bed. But what a cutey and you can't complain!!!

Exhausted after a very long day

And there it is --- the wedding. It was perfect! The couple looked stunning; the weather was perfect; there was laughter and joy; all their close friends and family were nearby; and all the hard work of planning went off so smoothly that it was seamless. People kept asking me about details, but I had nothing to do with the planning. I may have helped with a few things, but it was all Madeline and Dillon. They did an amazing job. 

I am so proud to welcome Dillon into our family, and I wish them all much joy and happiness in their new life as a couple. Love you both to bits!!!!!

And a huge thank you to all the friends and family who came to the wedding. As mentioned last night at dinner, getting to Tofino is not easy, and it took us two days to get here. But it was so worth it, and it holds such special meaning for the happy bride and groom. We had been here 27 years ago with Madeline when she was little. I need to dig those photos out when I get home. And I believe they were here a couple of years ago or last year? I'm not sure about those details. I'm sure they will be back!  

On that happy note, I'm out of here. We are meeting some friends for breakfast, not in Tofino, and I might go for a bike ride afterward. I'll see how the day goes. 

There is lots more tos hare, but that's it for today. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

 

Mr. Bear!!!!!

For those who signed up for Spice Market at any time, YES—you are in. I'll be sending out an email tomorrow. I'm so sorry about that! I'm excited because I found my main fabric yesterday, and it's bright! I don't know if there are pink spices in the world, but I'm sure there are. Now, to find the fillers, which I'm sure I can find in the stash. 

As I sit here and write this morning, I have company. Well, not exactly company, but a companion. Yep -- Mr. Bear is sleeping under the covers! That little guy -- he's so darn cute!!!

I'll get back to him in a moment. 

It was another exciting day at the events in BC, and it was the last day. I get to go home today. The turnout at the stores was unbelievable, and there was so much energy in the room. I'd love to return to all three stores and look around, but there was no time. There was lots of cute stuff, and oh my—I'm chomping at the bit to get some embroidery done, and I need to be writing. 

I can't say enough about my hosts - Yvonne at Black Rabbit Fabrics in Penticton and Tom and Kerry at Tom's Sewing Center (Surrey and Chilliwack) -- who made the events so much fun for me and the attendees. The store in Chilliwack is called Country Folk, but it's one of Tom's stores. 

Oh shoot—I took a picture of what happened in my hotel room yesterday but didn't load it. But I brought my suitcases in one by one and emptied and sorted them. I had projects all over the bed, but they went into the suitcases in categories, so it was easy for me to unload them in the store. 

I tried really hard to keep track of things and put them in the appropriate boxes for the trip home. So it didn't take too long to pack up, and hopefully, I haven't left anything along the way. I think I'm good. 

I have a few more things to pack up this morning as I acquired a job along the way—a T-shirt quilt to make, so all the T-shirts need to be put in the suitcases. That is going to add to my weight, but I can handle it, so I'm not worried. That's what status is all about—airline status, that is. I don't usually care much about perks, but this airline status helps. 

After I checked in last night for my flight home, I was in the number 10 position for Business Class and number 6 for Premium Economy, so it looks like I'll be sitting in Economy as I'm too far down the list. That's OK—I can live with that. I'll probably sleep most of the way home anyway. 

And I'll confess that I found a Tim's for breakfast. I was so leery of what I would find in that restaurant that I didn't want to take a chance. Again, it was not so horrible that it was unedible, but it was so unappealing, and yes, there was a SKIN on my soup. Thanks to someone for mentioning that in a comment. 

So, I enjoyed Tim's for breakfast. But here's something I've noticed. They have those Dream Cookies, which are quite pricey and named after various chocolate bars. OK, so it's a treat. But have you noticed that you get a little dollop of the flavoring, which often sticks to the paper bag they put it in, and all you are really getting is a cookie?! Why can't they have oatmeal raisin cookies? That's my favorite. 

After the event, it was time to pack up and leave again. This time, I was traveling to M's new apartment. She and Dillon had been moving in all week and had just spent their first night together in the apartment the previous night. I know—Mom doesn't have very good timing, but it is what it is. 

I'm somewhat familiar with the area they live in since I was just here for the engagement party. But the hills! And some of those driveways are insane! I arrive at the address she gave me, and hmmmm—there is no house. I see a number 1130 and a number 1116, but there is no 1128. Oh, she made a mistake on the number, and it was in the next block!! Oh, dear!!

I expected to see a massive pile of boxes strewn around the place, but to my surprise, they were mostly unpacked. WHAT??????? Yep, they have been hard at work and hired two people to help them unpack and organize. OK, that might have cost a bit more than just moving, but holy cow, it was well worth it. Now, they don't have tons of stuff anyway, but still. 

M was out supervising loading some of the reusable bins they used for packing. Another reason they had to be emptied pretty quickly. But no damage to the goods inside and no collapsed boxes. Who did I see running towards me when he heard my voice? Yep -- that would be Mr. Bear. He was squeaking, and I picked him up, and he settled down and stayed in my arms for a very long time. Quiet as a mouse and content as a bug in a rug. He's so adorable!!!!! 

Grandma!!!! I missed you!!!!

They rented the top floor of a house, and this was the sunset view last night. 

Sunset in West Vancouver

This is their view of Stanley Park. This morning, I took a picture of the Lion's Gate bridge all lit up. 

Stanley Park

It's an older house, but it's very nicely done up. So they are madly trying to establish themselves in their own place. It's so cute to watch the two of them, as this is their first home together. I'll be gone by noon, and then they can get back to work. 

However, M and I had a job last night, and I got such a chuckle. There was a box of ODD things, and M's job was to sort it. It was such payback for all the crappy stuff (some of it still hers) that I'm dealing with at home. 

Sorting through crap

The worst is those silly little things that don't have a home, and you're unsure how to deal with it. There was a large garbage pile at the end of the exercise. I will confess that Bear and I only watched and offered some advice here and there. But we mostly cuddled and watched M do all the work! 

Then we tackled one of the bedrooms and got some stuff sorted out. I was itching to get some boxes unpacked and on a couple of empty shelves, but well—I'll let M do that later today. Mr. Bear would find himself a spot to rest, and he supervised the work.

The supervisor

I won't go into details or take pictures, but Dillon has a "few" pairs of shoes, and I think he would like his own dressing room like my brother. Holy --- more incentive to get home and cull!! I do not want to have all that stuff to manage. I need a new pair of shoes for work, and I've been looking. But if I were to count all my shoes and boots, I probably could count them on my two hands. And there are a few pairs that need to be culled as they may no longer fit. Hmm -- that's a good and easy thing to do when I get home. 

But first, I must get that writing done, or I'll get fired!!! I thought I would have more time here, but I've been so exhausted (which is rare for me), or more the case, I didn't have time. Even my walking has almost become a thing of the past (only temporary) because of the time constraints. I have a much easier schedule this coming week and should be able to get out. And then I can get back into my routine. I do NOT know how someone could do this type of job with this crazy travel for any length of time. I'd be dead! 

I love their new dishwasher. It's very silent—so much so that a red light shines on the floor to indicate that it's on!! How cool is that? Ours is quiet but not entirely silent, and we run it overnight, so we never have to worry about the noise. 

The sign that the dishwasher is on

And I want to say hello to everyone who reads the blog - OK -- that's a given. But I saw a couple of people yesterday and met Anne for the first time, and got to visit with Betty, who I haven't seen in a couple of years. I met with a few people that I knew from Zoom calls. But I had to laugh when Anne came up and introduced herself. Guess where we first met? On Zoom with Thimbles and Things, she even had a green bag to prove it. She now lives in Vancouver. Why? Her son and kids are here. OH!!! I'm unsure if this is a sign, but someone may be trying to tell me something. 

And that's a wrap for today. It's another whirlwind trip, and soon, I'll be off to the airport. It'll be a long travel day, but I'll be in my bed tonight. Mr. Bear poked his head out of the covers when he heard someone use the washroom, and now he's asleep again. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The engagement party

The blog will be a bit late today for those who use it for breakfast entertainment. It was a busy day, and hey—we all want to see the pictures of the reason we flew out here. 

First—yeah—to Air Canada. They have reached a tentative deal, and the strike is averted. I was all checked in—at the back of the plane—row 57! Yep—it's a big plane. But no worries about it being canceled. 

Should I start with the evening and work back to the morning? Heck no -- you have to read about my day before the party!

Of course, I had to go for a walk, and I found myself near a beautiful cemetery. And yes, it was wet. It wasn't raining too hard at this point, but I had an umbrella. 

Walking up the road to the cemetary

In the cemetery, I found this beautiful area for the niches. How "fun" would that be to be remembered here. 

The pond for the niches

Those niches in the front are in the pond. I don't think we care so much where our remains are—it's all about those who will come and visit us! I'm technically a transient resident in this country, so I don't have a "home" cemetery! I'll figure that out when the time comes—or maybe I won't. 

Then, it was off to do some geocaching, and I found three of them. This area is absolutely beautiful, and you really don't feel like you are in the city at all. Dillon lives somewhere in this area, and they regularly have black bears visit them in their backyard!! Yikes—Little Bear must be supervised at all times!!! 

But why are you seeing a picture of this tree? Because there's a geocache container nearby.

The location of the first geocache

This is just a pedestrian crossing sign until it's also an excellent place to hide a geocache. 

A good hiding spot for a geocache

 

Some of them are so darn tiny!!! OK, I cheated. I didn't bother unrolling that little piece of paper and then attempting to fit it back in. I had it in my hand. Whether I signed it or not, I don't think anyone is going to check. 

The geocache container and the log

The last one was hidden in this tree. It was really starting to rain at this point—well, it was not a downpour, but as I tramped in the bushes, I got a bit wetter! 

The third geocache

I laughed as I walked through part of one of the university grounds. There were a bunch of shared cars in the parking lot. Yep, they all had roof racks on them—for skis or whatever. We are near ski country here!!!!

The shared cars

Then, it was off to the venue to help set up. I had not questioned M what exactly had to be done, and I have to say that I was expecting to help lay out a few things, but NO—when I arrived, Dillon drove up in the truck, and there were all the supplies in the back! The venue supplied the main tables and chairs, but she wanted some special things, including more intimate seating areas and drapes to hide one end of the hall. 

So, between her friend Yagana, myself, M, her half-brother Alex, and Dillon, we got that place pretty ship shape in a very short period of time. I must say that it warmed my heart to know that she and Dillon were prepared to do this work instead of hiring someone to do it for them. Does that mean my child is becoming responsible with money? I can only hope!! 

I had to stop at Canadian Tire on the way back to the hotel to get some fishing line so we could hang up one sign, but I managed just fine. I was back at the hotel with minutes to spare to have a shower and then back in the car to get to the venue to hang the sign and be ready for when the guests arrived. 

Oh, I gave Dillon his quilt. He laughed when I gave it to him because he said that made it official—he was now part of the family. I should have a better picture somewhere, but I literally threw it at him and said that it wasn't a good time, but that's OK—I really wanted him to get it on this trip. 

Dillon and his quilt

I cannot say enough how happy I am about M and Dillon. They ground each other so much, and I look forward to hearing about the crazy things they will do as a couple. 

And now for the party!! There were so many people who came! So many relatives came and on her side - they came from Halifax, New Brunswick, Alberta, Ontario (us), San Diego, and, of course, BC. It was exciting because I hadn't even met some of those relatives. They had friends from high school attend, as well as Dillon's family who are here. Even his Nana, who is 100, came. And she was amazing - such a wonderful lady to talk to. 

I had to take a picture of M's shoes, as they were super cute. They were a bit too high for me, but she loved them. I noticed at one point that she was in a pair of flat sandals!!!!!!

M's shoes

I loved her dress - it was beautiful, and the skirt was so cute!!!! This is Dillon and M as they listen to some of the speeches. Or should I say the toasts to them!! 

M and Dillon

I "cheated" and got up and spoke off the cuff. Why not? They needed to hear a few stories of M when she was a child—or at least to prepare Dillon for what was ahead! And everyone needed to know the story of the actual engagement in Hawaii!! And how we messed up and ran into M on the first day of our trip. It's a great story, and we can all laugh about it now!! Then? It wasn't so funny!

Hopefully, after all the hard work and the quilt, I've redeemed myself!!! No worries—all is good. 

And then they got up and spoke. There was a photographer there who took loads of pictures, so hopefully, we'll see some of them at some point. I'm certain we will, as my child loves photos and photo books—both of them do—so we'll have pictures!

Dillon and M

I got to visit with my aunt and cousin, whom I hadn't seen in a long time. And I need to book some vacation time when I'm not rushed to get back home! In a few hours, I'll be back at the airport to board a plane home, and I have an entire week of training and meetings coming up!!!! I WILL get through this marathon!!! 

I'm not sure how to express my happiness with M and Dillon. Like all couples, they will have their moments, their ups and downs. I feel they are a match made in heaven and that they'll have loads of fun as a couple!!! 

In case you are wondering why there was an engagement party since the actual engagement happened in Hawaii in March, the venue of the wedding (June 11, 2026) is small. There isn't room for many people, so this was an opportunity to celebrate with everyone. 

The only thing I'm not a fan of with these events is the music. I hate having to shout to be heard over the music!! But all is good, even though my throat feels raw this morning. 

So -- sorry for the delay. It's all good. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Doing things alone is a good thing!

There are several things I have learned over the years in setting expectations for how things turn out. 

1. You can over-plan! You spend so much time planning the event that when it actually happens, it's melodramatic and a let-down. The event occurs in a flash, and there's no time to enjoy it, especially if you're constantly watching to see that everything happens as planned. I suppose part of the event is the planning, but that's not me. I like to wing things! 
2. You can do anything alone! I do not know why doing things alone has such a stigma. It used to be worse, and things like sitting in a restaurant alone were considered very uncool. You had no friends, you were a loser, or whatever. I've since learned that if I didn't bite the bullet and do some things alone, I would never experience many things. So, I have zero issues doing things alone. The first thing DH said when I told him what I was doing was - "and you're going by yourself?" YES, I AM!!!
3. I don't hold high expectations of having the best time of my life. I'm going for an experience, and if it doesn't turn out exactly how I want, I'll go with the flow. It doesn't mean I'll accept shoddy, but I'm OK if I have to be flexible. Being flexible is easier when you're alone.  

Having said that, I had no plans for my birthday until last week. Then I decided that I would go to the mall. I know—big, exciting plans! But one of my favorite "treat" restaurants is at the mall. There is this amazing creperie, and they serve sweet and savory crepes. The place is usually packed at lunchtime, so I went a bit early, and I had a sweet crepe for lunch! As well as a hot chocolate, and it was delicious. 

My apple pie crepe

And my hot chocolate

I sat out in the small seating area in the hallway rather than in the restaurant, and lo and behold, someone I knew stopped by, and we had a grand chat! I rarely meet someone I know at the mall, so I think that was part of the plan!!!

Wait—after I came back from walking the girls, I sat outside on the front patio and drank my tea. I drink the Yogi teas, which are nice. 

Yogi tea

Until several months ago, I did not realize they had a quote attached to each tea bag. Look at my quote from yesterday. 

The quote of the day

I thought that was pretty fitting for me at this moment. I may be one year older, but that doesn't mean I'm still not trying to improve myself. I want to be a better person, learn everything I can about what interests me, and continue my journey. 

Speaking of that, have you ever watched those decluttering shows and then wondered what it looks like a month later, a year later? Did the person learn anything to maintain the neat and tidy in their house? Or was it just a one-time thing, and they returned to their old ways? 

I know this is a very small thing, but every time I open my utensil drawer and see this, I get excited. 

My utensil drawer is still neat and tidy

It didn't take very long to organize, and it cost very little to get the three trays. It keeps the utensils that we use handy, so it's easy to put them away and even easier to find what you want. I know there are things in that drawer that we do not use (like, who needs six spatulas?), but they are neat and tidy, so they can stay. 

The utensils that went into the other drawer are never used or very rarely used, and we don't have to shuffle through a ton of stuff to find what we want. Just a simple task can make a huge difference in how you live your life!

Anyway, once I finished my brunch, I had some shopping to do. I also stopped at the optometrist to get my sunglasses adjusted. They were so stretched and bent out of shape that I'm surprised they stayed on my head. 

I even found some new shirts, and they were all on sale. One shop, so that was good. I have an upcoming filming session, and I really didn't have anything appropriate, but I found three tops, some of which can be embellished with either embroidery or stitching, so I've got to put my thinking cap on. 

And then I went to the movie theatre. Yep—all of this is in the same mall. Rather than me driving around to various places, I'm happy to change. My optometrist moved out of the mall (he was in the Lens Crafters store), but in order to go to his new location, I'd have to drive. I hadn't been with him long, so I have no qualms about switching to the new optometrist. So, I have an appointment for later this week. 

I had a gift card for the theatre, so I got popcorn and a drink and paid for the movie with the card. With enough money left for another movie!

Ready for the movie!

All the seats in this theatre are comfy reclining ones, which I think is changing in most theatres these days. Anyway, it was a great movie, and I was happy. I saw Twisters, in case you wanted to know what I saw!!!

Reclining seats are the best at the theatre!

After that, I walked to the thrift store to pick up a book I'd been eyeing—it was seniors' day, after all. At first, I thought the book was gone, but nope—it was still there. And what's the deal at the thrift store? I'm into the Dowdle brand of puzzles these days, but they charge the SAME price for the 300-piece puzzle as the 1000-piece? That's not right!! 

It was a tad HOT yesterday, but that's OK. You just walk on the shady side of the street. All my purchases fit into my little shopping bag, and I was good. 

Let's say I was NOT hungry for the rest of the day. I didn't eat much, but that bag of popcorn, which I couldn't finish, filled me up!!! 

I sat in the backyard, reading my book, and chatted with my aunt, who also shares my birthday. 

Here's a couple of animal pictures to share. This is Lexi at her grooming station in the forest. Three more brush fulls of hair, and she still looks a mess. And the pile in the forest gets bigger. Where are the squirrels and rabbits? They should be stealing this fur to make their nests, but of course, on a hot day like yesterday, they wouldn't be thinking about winter at all.  

Lexi getting her daily groom

And this picture would freak me out. My future son-in-law took this picture from a window in his house. He has company!! He lives near the Capilano Bridge in North Vancouver. But if you look at the map, there are very heavily treed areas right at the city's border, so it's not surprising. This is the second time he's shared photos of bears in the backyard. I guess when Little Bear goes to visit, he only goes in the backyard with supervision!!! 

Hello friend!

I did no other sewing or quilting, other than the little bit I accomplished in the morning. I didn't even touch the applique!! But I have a few extra days built into that schedule, so I'm not worried. It was nice to take a day off! 

Yesterday was the day I was supposed to fly home from Spain. Although I still have three weeks blocked in my calendar, I must return to serious work! I have deadlines looming for some stuff. September will be brutal regarding things that must be done and events to attend, and then the quilting classes start back up in October. But all is good!!!

I know some people just can't entertain the thought of doing something alone, but seriously -- if you wait for someone to do the things you want, you may never get a chance to do them! I had the most fantastic day celebrating my birthday, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Doing things alone is a GOOD THING --- we need to stop the stigma that this is bad!!! Trust me -- it took a while for me to wrap my head around this one - the thought of eating alone in a restaurant terrified me because I thought it made me look like a loser. Today, I look at people eating alone and call them confident and practical!! 

Tomorrow, we're going to revisit the class situation for the fall!!!

On that note, I'm off to spin class this morning. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!