Well the Olympic flame has been extinguished but the fire inside all of us will burn for a long time.  There is such a feeling of happiness and so much positive energy in the city right now. There are so many wonderful stories but the best thing that I experienced was a sky train full of people singing Oh Canada as we were heading downtown the final day. Читать целиком »

Things are very exciting here on the west coast of British Columbia.  You don’t have to be at the Olympic events to feel the energy and camaraderie.  This weekend I went downtown just to feel part of it all.  I had a good look at the Olympic flame which was inspirational.  The whole of downtown is decorated for the Olympics and everyone is wearing a big smile. I love hearing all the different languages being spoken and everyone wearing their county’s logos. Читать целиком »

I live on the west coast of Canada about 30 kilometres south of the City of Vancouver in a small community called Tsawwassen and I work 10 kilometres away in another small community called Ladner.  I am not real close to the Olympic sites, but I am caught up in the excitement and proud that we are hosting these special games. We will not be attending any of the events but will be watching them on television like most of the world. Читать целиком »

I guess by now you realize that I love to travel.  One of my goals is to see as much of the world as possible. My husband, Paul, and I just returned from a wonderful cruise to the Western Caribbean.   The ship left from Miami, Florida and our ports of call took us to  places we had never been to before; Cozumel, Belize, Grand Cayman and Isla Roatan, Honduras.  We enjoyed every stop but our favourite was Isla Roatan. Читать целиком »

This story will sound implausible and unbelievable but trust me every word is true.

In June 2006 my husband, Don, son, Steve, daughter-n-law, Julia and I hiked the West Coast Trail.

The West Coast Trail, a challenging 77 km hike between Port Renfrew and Bamfield, on Vancouver Island, is one of the most popular trails in the world.  So much so, that you have to reserve your hike up to 3 months in advance. Читать целиком »

Sheila and I have been good friends for many years and often plan to meet in interesting places. Two years ago we decided to meet in Spain where we participated in a program called Pueblo Ingles. We spent eight days at a luxury resort in a remote little visited region and had the opportunity to experience the real Spain.  All we had to do to enjoy this marvellous place, at no cost, was speak English all day to Spanish speaking professionals who wished to improve their communication English.  It was a wonderful experience. Читать целиком »

Like many of you who read this blog, I love to travel.  As a child growing up on a ranch on the Canadian prairies, I often dreamt of traveling to interesting places.  I have been fortunate as an adult to have been able to do some traveling to places such as the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, England,  Spain, Alaska and various parts of Canada and the United States. But when I was invited by Don and Sheila MacArthur to visit them while they were working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), I was in for a trip of a lifetime. Читать целиком »

I often wonder are words as tricky and confusing in other languages as they are in the English language.

Take then and than.  Is it just me that finds them confusing.  I still have to stop and think of the rule in order to make sure that I have it correct.  For those who are equally confused by those two tricksters remember: Читать целиком »

Are you a chocoholic?

No, really, are you a true chocoholic?  If you are a true chocoholic then you know what I’m talking about.  You can’t have chocolate, of any sort, anywhere in your home or it will be gone.

I can’t go to my favorite store, London Drugs, without checking out the confectionary isle.  I delude myself by saying that I will just check to see if there are any, not-to-be-missed bargains.  Читать целиком »

Well, we’ve finally whined and moaned our way through another winter. The barrage of complaints were routinely monotonous.

“My goodness, but its cold out there.”

“Can you believe this weather?”

“Not another snow fall!” Читать целиком »