I'm reminded why my Mr is THE best in the west!

Yesterday my sweet husband met me with flowers, today he scooped me away on a dinner date.  Sigh sigh sigh!   How thrilling to zoom down the highway in our Frisky little Fiat.  I can't wait to drive!   But tonight it was about encouraging him to be chivalrous and me encouraging that.  After a month's absence I'm reminded why I fell head over heels with him in the first place. 

He treated us out to Indian dinner in Penticton.  We try something new each time - we've only begun to eat this cultural deliciousness in the past year, really.  

Do you like a particular cultural food?  

 

365 Photo A Day - Jan 15 "The Wheels on the Bus"

Time to head home after a full month at the coast.  Hardly slept a wink last night as I was dreaming of the moment I came home to my handsome Mr.  It turned out to be anything but boring! 

Mom drove me to the bus and we shared a Tim's coffee until the bus arrived.  I got pretty misty before we parted.  It will feel very strange to not wake up at her house tomorrow.  I had a lot of luggage - thank goodness for the backpack I received for a Christmas gift and the duffel which came with my gym membership and I still had to sit on my suitcase!

Our bus set off and we rolled rolled down the big ol' highway.  The route I was on stops at quite a few places along the way.  I always enjoy the trip.  Unlike the bus trip down to the coast, this bus had sparkly clean windows because I guess it started in the city and the most muck gets splashed up through the passes.  So I press my nose against the glass (not REALLY coz who knows how many other perhaps not so clean noses have done this before me?) but I do sit on the right side so I get to see all the scenery scroll by on the journey. 

I was stunned to witness the trees damaged by an ice storm by Hope BC.  I had seen articles on the news but it was still shocking to see the extent of the broken off branches for many miles alongside the highway.  Actually, I tried to get a few photos of that - my attempt at one is the bottom left image in the collage above ... but it turned out very blurry because the bus seemed to sort of "shimmy".  I chalked that up to me sitting in the middle of the bus and perhaps that's the way it is with it being a long vehicle.  

We continued on, shimmy shimmy down the highway, each mile drawing me closer to home.  Another funny thing is for a while whenever the bus turned a sharp right on the highway for quite some distance, the horn would go off.  Now I don't know if this was an intentional thing or not on the driver's part and I forgot to ask.  

On past Yellow Lake where despite the gloomy day there were several gatherings of folk ice fishing. 

Then we arrived in Penticton and our driver announced to us that the bus needed to be looked at by mechanics due to that "shimmy" which we'd felt - it was not "normal".  Hmmm.  We were asked to wait in the depot until they found out what the problem was and upon that we would then find out how Greyhound would see us to our final destinations.  In the end (and after a delay) we were informed we would be getting a taxi home.  Wow!  Thats an hour and a bit in a taxi.  

I commend our driver and Greyhound, they organized this very expediently and us six passengers were quickly bundled into two taxis and we set off for the last leg of our journey.  

And nicely rolling home when we had to be detoured for a bit due to an accident south of Okanagan Falls and north of Vaseaux Lake.  

But we eventually got to Osoyoos (home sweet home!!!)  I noticed the cab fare rang up to about $140... good thing I wasn't paying.  

My handsome husband was waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers and I just melted into a happy puddle.  And that was my exciting day.  

Do you remember a most unfortunate travel day too?  

2015 365 Photo of the Day - West Coast Bats

Like an injured or dying bat, I see discarded umbrellas everywhere here in Abbotsford.  They litter roadsides, abandoned with their skin stretched into contortions, often turned completely inside out.  

I wonder what possessed people to just toss them aside.  I just don't get it - especially when this usually occurs within a block of a trash can.  

I wonder there isn't a person who could roam the streets and rescue them.  

I've come to appreciate the value of a good umbrella.  They're definitely not made equal.  The deciding factors to a quality umbrella lies in better grade material, sturdier supports inside and a handle made out of fine calibre wood, metal or plastic.  If I purchase one in the future (its on my wish list) I will choose one that is compact so it can go anywhere with me.  It will be bright and bold.  It will be highly wind-resistant.  

Do you have an umbrella?  Do you prefer one which folds up easily or are you the sort who likes a full length one which can double as a weapon to bash intruders over the head? 

A Walk In The Park

Another such beautiful sunny day here in Abbotsford once again.  When the sun decides to shine it gets so pleasant (a balmy 9 degrees C) that I'm propelled outside.  

I'm definitely becoming familiar with the layout of this city.  Its all making sense in my head. Mom and I had coffee on one end of town and I wound my way back home, stopping for an extra hour of walking loop-de-loops at the local track.  It's a beautiful rubberized oval and it gets a lot of use.  There are always people out enjoying it and its a great way to stay in shape.  

Where do YOU walk, mostly?  Do you prefer walking a familiar route or mixing it up?

Belated Birthday Dinner

I don't know what's up with the white swirl thing in the upper portion of the photo - I think its the glare of the flash boomeraning back from the window. 

This is my Sister in Law Michelle and I 'toasting' her recent birthday with our souvlaki skewers earlier this evening.  Mom was with us as well, but she is camera shy.  We celebrated at the Greek Islands restaurant.  Good food - it won out over Chinese.  

What would YOUR choice be for a dinner out if you could choose?

Forgot to Hop?

Mom and I have coffee at Gourmet Cup in the mall a few times a week.  The owners and servers are friendly and the tables afford a good view of people walking by.  There is a large skylight above, so even on overcast days its a pleasant place to be.  

One of my favorite things is to look across to Frans' Flowers and watch as people stop by to choose bouquets.  I like to see which folk pick which bunch and imagine who they are taking them to.  I wonder if they are "just because" flowers or are they for special ooccasions  I think "just because" bouquets are the nicest.  

This morning a father and two small children bought a big bouquet and the Dad let his son (I'm guessing about 4 years old) carry them.  They were half as big as he was but he meandered gamely behind Dad as they walked off down the mall.  I smiled when I observed the little guy "hop" on all of the orange colored tiles to make his way across.  

It made me recall being a kid and not wanting to step on the cracks in the sidewalk.  When was the last time you took a hop?

Sunless Saturday - January 10

Twas rather a gloom-gloomy day here in Abbotsford.  Not really rainy, but rather a perpetual light misting bordering on drops.   Enough to make me keep my umbrella up so that my hair didn't frazzle up and shelter the rest of me from a pressing dampness.  One thing for sure, when the weather is like this you just have to keep moving or it will getcha thinking you have to stay indoors.  Dangerous thinking, that - one can easily get cabin fever! 

And so I admire these like-minded folk who don't allow the inclement weather to dictate whether one goes out or stays in.  I notice there are always plenty of people taking advantage of the wonderful recreational spaces available in the area.  I especially note many of the Indo-Canadian community come out faithfully.  

Personally, I find the initial getting out the door does not come easy but after I get moving and get about 15 minutes into a walk, the world looks and feels like home.  Even a damp day has a beauty of its own.  After all, we could be dealing with dumps of snow like so much of Eastern Canada and the USA!  

Remember to embrace life like a child.  When we were little and it was raining didn't we love to jump in puddles?  Carry an umbrella?  We looked at it all like an adventure.  It doesn't have to change.  The next time it rains crack out your umbrella.  Better yet, next time you buy a new one, buy a nice one, a fun one that is compact and fits in your purse or pocket and has a pretty pattern and bright colors on it.  Be sure to look for the beauty in your wet world.  Use your camera to capture the magical moments you experience along the way.  

And when you have conquered the weather, reward yourself with a nice hot deep bath.  

How do you make a rainy day enjoyable? 

First Week of a New Year - 2015

I've wanted to blog a photo a day this year but I was unable to connect to the internet on my laptop, therefore was unable to post day-by-day.  However, for some reason my connection is working today, so I'm going to post photos all the way back to the beginning of the month, then see if I can go from there.  I've really really REALLY missed blogging and hope to do it more often.  I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about just what I want to blog about, seems seasons of life change and therefore my blog fulfills a different role too.  Of course I will always blog the cards I create and enter into challenges, but I hope to include the photos as well as thoughts I have, recipes and whatever whets my writing desire.  I hope if you stop in you might enjoy what you find here too.  

January 1, 2015 

A happy New Years and a chocolaty sweet day to learn a recipe from our Aunt.  Underneath this cocoa-ey coating lies a layer of rich caramel brittle and roasted almonds.  OMGosh...  

January 2, 2015

Typical day here at the coast.  I'm becoming very adept with an umbrella.

January 3, 2015

Made the first pizza of the year.  This was a "refrigerator" pizza.  You know the sort - you don't go out and buy anything special, making it only with what ingredients are already in your pantry and freezer.  This one was topped with thinly sliced cheddar smokies.  They actually taste great on top.  Mom's side of the pizza was without the feta.  

January 4, 2015

Snow snow snow.  It all came in a big Ka-LUMP and we stayed indoors and watched it fall and felt sorry for the hummingbirds who came to feed.  

January 5, 2015

So then we stayed indoors and I kept working with my latest learning curve - crochet.  My Aunt showed me the basic stitches and I have a few "how to" books on the ipad and my fingers now feel comfortable with the hook and wool.

January 6, 2015

And then it was GONE!  Snow completely melted and the sun came out full force.  It was so balmy.  Perfect weather for long walks.  My winter jacket proves too warm. 

January 7, 2015

An investment in all the walking I've made myself go on during my stay here at the coast.  There's nothing like some new running tights to make one go faster.  Sure.  

January 8, 2015

Though I purchased a gym membership thinking the weather would be wet and miserable, I've been walking around getting used to Abbotsford by walking different routes each day.  I'm very directional challenged and until I actually travel a route and visually see how each road lies in relation to the others - its all just a paper map in my brain.  But once I walk it, I know it forever.  This city is pretty easy to get around in and it makes sense.  

There is always something to see - even moss on a wooden fence has a special beauty.  

January 9, 2015

Can you believe it?  Here the rest of BC, Canada and a goodly part of the USA is shivering your bums off and we are so warm here that this wasp came out on the sidewalk!  Unreal!  I'm not sure how long this good weather will last - someone said this "I'm thinking we might pay for all this good weather later" - and I wonder the same.  

So, these are just little snippets of my first week of January.  I look forward to sharing a moment of each day here.  

A Beautiful Christmas Concert

I was able to attend a Christmas concert last night here in Abbotsford.  I didn't know much about it beforehand, only that a local family was performing and that they had been around for several years.  What an absolute delight to listen to this extremely talented family - the Sweeney's.  

The concert was held at Bakerview Church which was ideal as the accoustics were wonderful.  There was a love-offering which the family donated to charity.  But the concert itself - well lets just say that they could have held their own on any stage, I'm sure.  You can find out more about the Sweeney Family on their blog, and in fact, I believe you might find an audio clip on a past post there too.  

Thank you, Sweeney family, for blessing my ears and warming my heart this season. 

A Splendid Day in White Rock BC

Take this busy holiday month with all the hustle and bustle and add in the gazillion little things which come along atop of the already hectic happy chaos... but I was blessed to be able to insert one beautiful day in the midst.  I am so grateful I took my camera along and captured some moments in White Rock B.C.  which I can share with you here.   

copyright Barbara Derksen 2014

Can you figure out how this place got it's name?  (sorry for the crooked horizon) 

copyright Barbara Derksen 2014

copyright Barbara Derksen 2014

copyright Barbara Derksen 2014

Cool Poinsettia head people in a restaurant. 

copyright Barbara Derksen 2014

Oh MY!  I thought I'd post this photo last just to torture.  If you run off in search of food this would be silly to put first.  

I do have more photos but am saving them for another time.  It was truly a blissful relaxing respite.  

Thanks for stopping in - hope whoever you are, wherever you are you'll take a rest time too!