No fire without a spark...

Thank you Sherry Ulaszonek from One to One Fitness for being the spark today! If you truly want to be fit in your life - there is no excuse with somebody like Sherry around! Sherry, God bless her faith in me...suggested I join her team to do the 10k walk in late April. I said yes...without thinking of course (we roosters do impulsive things and apparently make wonderful soldiers). So this morning I was to walk with the walkers in the beautiful Beaver Lake Park, but woke up with a burning fever and sore throat and said 'Oh no - the flu I had for most of January is back again to haunt me - typical! Now Sherry will think I'm chickening out!! (she would have only been 25% correct). I was sick. Anyways since I like Sherry, I got dressed in the fever, but took so long I had to phone Sherry and explain. Felt so guilty and being already dressed to walk, I borrowed Kevin's 1-pod with exercise music and off I went to the Chip Trail, my piece of heaven.

The weather was simply glorious but the trail resembled the Bay on Boxing Day - it was packed - with 10k hopefuls I suspect. I did my 3 mile walk and am now back and in a sweat - but a good sweat. It was the first time I was back on the trail since before Xmas. I had forgotten how much I like that walk. Listening to David Bowie and other icons from the 70's made for a very pleasant journey. The ducks were all down by the pond busy as usual and hoping somebody nice would bring them a Sunday treat.

So thank you Sherry for being my 'Spark' today.

Thank you Kevin for being my 'Spark' yesterday. The nicest, and perhaps the least expensive Valentine's Day to-date. We started off with morning coffee and
then opened our home-made Valentine Cards. Mine from Kevin had angels and stars and was addressed to 'The Scribe of Sonria' - I love it I love it! Kevin's one from me was a picture of two birds holding hands swinging from a tree. We recycled old cards as that is what I wanted to do for this YOSA. Then I made brunch for Claudia's pals who overnighted.

Later Kevin and I headed into town. We decided we would celebrate by pretending we were visitors to Victoria - seeing it with new eyes and all that... Thanks to all the RBC rewards, we had all these gift vouchers. We'd get a treat each in the Bay. Kevin was delighted to find a fab. Tommy Bahamas shirt at half price and paid for it with his complimentary gift card from me! I did the same with his one and got moisturiser which I needed. It was a great day to hit the Bay as they were pampering women all day long and offering all sort of freebies. I got a wonderful complimentary ginger hand massage and later did the rounds of the perfumes, choosing Chanel to travel with me today. Wonderful, off we set for the next round.

Got out on the street and two nice girls carrying baskets gave Kevin and me some free chocolate from Rogers, the Victoria Chocolatiers par excellence. No! I didn't eat it but kept it to bring back to me darlin' daughters. Off we trotted down Government Street for more cheap thrills. I tell you there is nothin' as fun as being a tourist in your own home town! Our next Port of Call was a wonderful tea shop (name I cannot remember) It was 'the ultra' in terms of sophistication and elegance. They offered us samples of delicious teas. I loved the black rose petal tea - truly wonderful.

We walked all the way down to Roberta's Hat Shop on Government. I spent at least 15 minutes trying on various hats and never in my life had so much fun. We did Easter, Weddings, Xmas and every occasion hats and my favourite was a green velvet hat with black feather - divine for St. Patrick's Day, when I celebrate with O'Bama - since there is nobody as Irish as Barack O'Bama as the song goes...Why they even changed his name from Obama to O'Bama - I say!

After the hard work with the hats, we walked down to Chinatown. I needed a latte in my very favourite coffee shop in Victoria - if not the world! It is called 'Bean around the world' and is quite an eclectic place. They serve delicious toasted sandwiches and their coffee is organic from Salt Spring Island - Delish! They also have the very best carrot cake in town - thick, moist and succulent. We did the honours and in addition Kevin got their raspberry shortcake. The girl serving us was so polite, she even asked 'would you like a corner piece or a bit in the middle which has more fruit?" I ask you - who would bother their ass asking you that with such a large lineup? I told her it was a very important question and thanked her for asking me and yes, I'd have the piece in the middle with more fruit on it. My Barista gave me the heart on my latte - but of course for Valentine's Day!!

Ahh...this is the life and so far our wonderful day has cost us virtually nothin' Simple Abundance...I tell you there is something in it...o.k.. o.k.. we bought the Cleopatra bed for Claudia earlier in the week - but you know that was for Claudia. Each of the girls has been given a bed for life to bring with them whenever, and if ever they have their own homes. An inheritance - call it what you will! We got lovely distressed-style French country Ethan Allen beds for Alexandra and Victoria in Calgary, and Claudia had been rendered 'the runt' as she felt, so yes, it's only fair she should have her 'Cleopatra Bed' too. Listen, it's like I'm barking up the wrong tree trying to make my offspring see that Yes, life can be good - with simplicity and fewer possessions - o.k. o.k. I'm 50 something and it's taken me a while to see that...Yes I agree. When I was their age, fashion and fun was the only thing on my agenda...

After 'Bean around the world' - an interesting name since that's what we've been doing today, we headed over to the Irish Times Pub/Restaurant on Government and enjoyed some wings and chips with garlic sauce. Full of nourishment and salty as hell to encourage people to drink more. We enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere and really it was just like being bang in the middle of Dublin in a pub on Grafton Street! - no different.

After 'The Irish Times' we went up to see 'The Bard and Banker' also owned and operated by the same Industrialist from Northern Ireland. Like 'The Irish Times', the place is sumptuous, for want of a better word. Originally, it was a bank, and like all Banks and Churches in a bygone era - was a place of respect, fit for a King - so hence the name 'The Bard and Banker'. Apparently he spent millions doing it up and you could tell - the chandeliers, brass fittings, marble, etc. magnificent and really a credit to him to 'raise the bar' if you'll excuse the pun! Since 'The Bard and Banker' as you can tell from its name has a British and Scottish theme, the girl attendants all wore kilts. They wore sassy kilts in 'The Irish Times' too and some kilts were short enough to see Paris and France - Kevin rationalised that like the salt in the food, the sassy kilts make men order more drinks - I wonder why!! They sure attend to all the fine details in both these establishments of pleasure.

That was our day - we headed back home to join the girls, ordered in some Chinese - what happened to the Paella I was going to make? yes, that's a good question - I was wondering the same thing! I guess it didn't happen. The Chinese more than made up for it. Later we had delish raspberry mousse cake.

Yes, all in all I needed that 3 mile walk this morning...Holy Moley look at those calories consumed yesterday. No I choose not to - thank you very much. I think like Molly Darcy now "Yesterday is history...tomorrow is a mystery...live for today".

Each day brings wonderful new surprises...that is what makes them so special. Enjoy your Sunday and hope you took time to do something nice for yourselves - remember in the plane - you gotta put the mask on yourself first!!

On that happy note,

Cheery Billy Bye,


Patricia Delisha xxx