Walking Club updates

This Saturday was a little different than our usual walks ... because only Flora, Linda and I have been showing up for the walks, we decided to do something we all enjoy: shopping! We love to shop and browse and Main Street is a great place for this... from Britannia Centre we walked to Broadway (2 km), caught the 99 B-Line to Main, transferred to the Main Street bus and rode up the long grade to 17 Avenue as Linda's little legs have difficulty navigating slopes ...

The weather started out overcast, cool and breezy, but by the time we got off the bus the sun was breaking through the clouds ... soon the sky cleared and we basked in the sun's embrace ...

Along Main Street we walked south from E 17Th to E 29Th and discovered at least a dozen second hand furniture/antique shops ... Linda bought a wardrobe which she is having delivered ... Flora found enough pieces at several shops to complete her Halloween costume ... I was thinking about lunch most of the way so my focus was mostly on cafes, restaurants and food stores ... we found an unusual cafe that was cafeteria style with a 'build-your-own' meal menu ... Flora enjoyed her lamb wrap and I endured my lentil burger (it was a bit mushy) ... Linda had no appetite so she ordered coffee ...

We kept losing each other as one would drop back and surreptitiously slip into a tiny doorway, reappear minutes later wondering where the others were ... we devised a plan that worked: when Flora entered a shop, she would tell Linda if I wasn't nearby ... Linda would wait for Flora and keep an eye on my whereabouts ... once Flora emerged, she and Linda would find me in another shop ... we switched around so everybody took a turn as lookout which worked out well ...

One of the most impressive shops was the Spirit Bear Gallery http://www.houseofthespiritbear.com/ which had many beautiful acrylic paintings with First Nations themes rendered in bright, clean primary colors and strong lines ... the owner had installed a mahogany wood bar on which was displayed hand made silver jewellery and other artifacts ... artwork leaned against the bar ... two huge white eagle statues stood in the far corner waiting to be painted with designs copied from two of the paintings ... the statues will be put on display throughout the City of Vancouver during tourist season ... they will then be auctioned to private collectors and businesses to raise money for charity ... two years ago, it was large whales and, last year, spirit bears were the auctioned statues ...

In the centre of the gallery was a coffee table made entirely of heavy carved glass ... a clear oval top rested on two curved supports of frosted glass ... a magnificent piece ... the owner plans to incorporate the table with upholstered chairs and other tables to create a relaxing coffee lounge in the gallery ...

A suggestion has now been made that we create a second walking group during the weekday for seniors who cannot join the Saturday group ... Anne Jackson, our Seniors Coordinator, has asked that we let her know within a week so that the information can be included in the next Community Centre Program publication ... ANYONE INTERESTED is asked to contact Anne ...

Until next time, may the wind blow at your back, the sun shine on your face, and the road lie smooth before you ...

Contributor Virginia

Notice for 10 Nov!!!

Anne Jackson (programmer) has received this invitation & if any one is interested to please let her know no later than Thursday 06 Nov. Luncheon will be cancelled on this date for seniors to attend this special presentation.

New Volunteer Annie

This is Annie who is the new volunteer for Monday lunches & nutrition workshops.
She is a student studying nutrition & diets. That will be her field, Nutritionist. She comes in on Mondays only for limited time preparing meals as well having the seniors join her in making the meal to have quality food, less fat, salt etc... & leaves them a sheet of info. We wish her well.

Retirement explained.. Ain't it the truth?

Saturday 18th Oct. walk

This week's instalment:

Word had been out for a week that a van and driver were available to take seniors from Britannia Centre to UBC Saturday October 18 ... Linda, Flora and I were the only ones to show up so we decided to attend the annual Apple Festival at the UBC Botanical Gardens ... our driver, Darren, newly arrived from Toronto, provided a map and we helped navigate as he was not yet familiar with traffic conditions in Vancouver. http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/events/applefest.php

We arrived at West Mall Parkade and, as we did not know the exact location of the botanical gardens, we followed the shuttle bus to the festival site ... the sun was peeking through the clouds and followed us into the already packed entrance way where huge hotplates were browning rows of hamburgers and hot dogs for the hungry hoards ... our first destination was the upper garden where the apple tasting was being held because I wanted to be sure to get a piece of deep delicious apple pie (my sole purpose in going there!).

Linda opted for an espresso from Turks coffee truck ... Turks operates one the the best coffee bars on Commercial Drive across the street from Grandview Park ... Flora went in search of dried apples and found what she was looking for ... in the meantime, I met up with my two daughters, Diana and Kristl, and their friend Michelle who were also here for the apple tasting ... between the coffee truck and apple pie tent was one selling candied apples and other apple treats for Halloween ... a separate tent carried colorful replicas of labels of all the major apple producers in BC ... I recognized a couple of them from my own childhood living on a farm in southern Alberta ... my uncles would drive to BC every Fall to bring back a truckload of fruit for making pies, preserves, jams, jellies and my favorites, apple and pear butter.

The major festival attraction was a large tent with a long line-up of tasters under a canopy at the entrance ... tables of paper plates containing wedges of 80 varieties of apples grown in BC were being eagerly picked up by the people who paid $3 for the opportunity of tasting homegrown apples ... another shorter line-up of tasters at a smaller tent were grading apple samples on a scale of most favourite to least favourite ... the purpose of grading the apples was for the Government of Canada to determine future markets for apple growers.

A special feature of the festival was a dance performance by the Tiddly Cove Morris dancers and musicians ... information about this interesting group http://www.tiddleycovemorris.org/

We left the festival when the sun was out in full ... it had been a perfect day for an outdoor festival ... we drove the girls to their destination and continued on to Queen Elizabeth Park on Little Mountain at 33rd Avenue and Cambie Street ... the entire city, the mountains and Burrard Inlet were bathed in the warmth of the afternoon sun... Darren was delighted with the views and took several pictures with his phone camera, commenting that he could hardly wait for his friends to come to Vancouver so he could take them to this beautiful park.

On our way back to Commercial Drive, Flora spotted an old yellow pickup truck full of Chilliwack corn in the driveway of a modest house ... this is the best corn on the cob you can get in BC. Darren dropped me off at my place and returned to Britannia Centre.

This was one of the best outings we have enjoyed this summer and fall ... next Saturday, weather permitting, we will take the bus to Main Street for lunch and a shop-til-we-drop afternoon.

Contributor Virginia

Protection Summary

The following is a summary of a pamphlet issued by the Ministry of Attorney General of BC as part of their program of "Working Together to Prevent Crime". This pamphlet is designed specifically for senior citizens and includes con games, mail fraud schemes ,and provides other crime prevention tips.

For your protection, do not rush into any deal involving your money or property.
Be wary of something-for-nothing or get-rich-quick schemes.
Never sign contracts until your lawyer or banker has read them.
Never turn over large sums of cash, no matter how promising the offer.
Check the credentials of sales people and public officials.
Immediately report all suspicious offers to police they can act before swindlers leave town.
Arrange for incoming funds to be deposited directly into your bank account.

Other tips include safeguarding your home, your car and yourself when walking on the street.

Copies of the "Protection for Seniors Citizens" pamphlet are available at the Community Policing Centre on the Drive (between East3rd and 4Th Avenues) or at Britannia Seniors Centre in the near future.
Contributor Virginia B.
Volunteer Community Policing Centre

Protection Phamphlet for Seniors

Walking club update for 10 Oct

Well, we finally got to go to Queen Elizabeth Park - Flora, Linda and I. We thought it would be a simple matter of catching the #20 Victoria Drive bus up to 33rd Avenue then walking to the park which, according to the map, looked like it might take a half hour. An hour later we arrived at Fraser Street, with Knight Street, Main Street and Cambie yet to come. So, being resourceful, we caught the #19 bus on Fraser, got off at Broadway and Cambie and transferred to the Cambie bus. It was nearly 1:00 o'clock. At 33rd, we walked up the rise to the park - about two hours from the time we left Britannia Centre!

PLEASE NOTE: if you plan a walk in QE Park, do not take the route we took! Much quicker to catch the #20 Victoria bus to Broadway and Commercial, transfer to the 99 B-Line heading west, get off at Cambie and take the Cambie bus to 33rd.

At the park, Flora took photos of us in front of the two remaining statues. If you recall, the third one was stolen, then recovered, but not yet replaced, leaving one statue with an empty outstretched arm. That was an invitation to fill the empty space; several visitors to the park were also taking photos with the statues. The view of the city was stunning in the hazy sunlight of the warm autumn day. Trees that once blocked the view had been removed, leaving a natural lookout of downtown Vancouver, the North Shore Mountains and North Vancouver, Burrard Inlet and East Vancouver.

While Flora and Linda made a pit stop at the local facilities provided, I noticed an old iron clock on a tall pedestal. The plates attached provided details of its origins: the clock was made by International Clocks in Vancouver; dedicated in April 1965 by the Lions Club of Chinatown to commemorate the twinning of Vancouver Chinatown with the Lions Club of Kowloon (Hong Kong) and to promote fellowship between the two cities and its citizens.

Our return walk was east out of the park to Main Street where we caught the bus to Broadway for the 99 B-Line back to the Drive.
I counted the number of buses we needed on the trip: six altogether. As we travelled down Main Street to Broadway, we decided that one Saturday would be spent browsing and taking lunch along a popular stretch of Main from 33rd north to 21st - a vibrant, upbeat area of sidewalk cafes and tiny shops, from cultural eateries to antique and clothing stores, sports shops and mini markets - something for every taste and interest.

Next Saturday, October 18, the Britannia van is taking seniors to UBC;the ultimate destination is a surprise. Adventure awaits! See you then!

Virginia

Thanksgiving Dinner Social

We had our Senior Centre Thanksgiving dinner & had a great time. Turkey dinner with the trimmings & pumpkin pie! Everyone enjoyed & seconds as well. Good selection of music, a bit of dancing, door prizes & finished with Bingo.
The first pic is of Anne J. (coordinator of the centre) & her friend Kevin (great guy). Really handy in the kitchen helping serve. Then the Bingo Callers Laurette & Vera. We have never really done this & had a hoot as you can see. Great laughs by all. Great friends getting together.

What Do Retired People Do All Day?

The question is:What Do Retired People Do All Day?
Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting. Well, for example, the other day my wife and I went into town and went into a shop. We were only in there for about 5 minutes.
When we came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket. We went up to him and said, 'Come on man, how about giving a senior citizen a break?'
He ignored us and continued writing the ticket.
I called him a Nazi turd.
He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tyres. So my wife called him a shit-head.
He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first.
Then he started writing a third ticket.
This went on for about 20 minutes.
The more we abused him, the more tickets he wrote.
Personally, we didn't care. We came into town by bus.
We try to have a little fun each day now that we're retired. It's important at our age.

From Lee Turner (cancer survivor)

Do you any of you remember reading my poem "ODE TO A "BOOB" back in June/July? I was diagnosed with breast cancer & had to have a mastectomy. This was my way of dealing with this devastating news, with humour! Well, just to let you now I am now a published author! Look in the fall issue of "A BREAST In The WEST" newsletter. My poem is on the last page up at the top. What an honour as this is the very first time any of my work has been seen in print. If this helps any other woman going through this ordeal I will be very happy.
Lee Turner

as well

Lee did the "RUN for the CURE" (breast cancer run) yesterday & beat her time from last year! She ran quite a bit of it & her old body is complaining today! She doesn't run (train) anymore just power walks but her competitive side shines through!
Bigger turn out this year & more pink shirts. Survivors are so very grateful!

Walking Club today

Maria, Linda, Flora and Virginia met at the Britannia Seniors Centre where we sat for an HOUR (!) drinking coffee and discussing where we should walk today ... we waffled between going to Queen Elizabeth Park or accessing the waterfront at Rogers Sugar Refinery ... meanwhile thick threatening rainclouds rolled overhead ... Linda broke the deadlock by suggesting she drive us to New Brighton Park off Powell Street just west of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge ... our aim was to find a way to the waterfront on the north side of the railway tracks that run parallel to the waters edge ...

Our walk started at the east end of Brighton Park outside Cascadia Terminals ... an enormous structure of wheat silos loomed over as rain splattered down on our umbrellas ... I saw four small people coming out of the terminal ... thinking they might be employees, I approached them ... although their English was very limited, they were able to tell us that they were seaman from a Chinese freighter anchored at the terminal dock ... four tall cylindrical funnels were at that moment pouring tons of wheat into four holds in the belly of the freighter ... the seamen waved goodbye and set out in search of a city bus to take them into Chinatown for the day ...

We continued our walk past an outdoor pool ... at the end of the adjoining building we found two memorial plaques mounted on a rock wall ... one plaque is dedicated to the British Royal Engineers who surveyed the harbour in 1863 and named the settlement "Hastings Town site" to honour Admiral Hastings of the British Navy ... the town site was "where Vancouver began" ...the engineers divided the area into lots for the post office, customs building, telegraph office, CPR office, hotel, stable, museum, dock, ferry landing, and playing field, ... the other plaque commemorates the 1968 dedication of New Brighton Park, named for the new "Brighton Hotel" which was built there in 1880 ...

Our walk followed the coastline around the park's rolling grasslands ... across the harbour on the North Shore were five other freighters anchored at various silos and terminals ... in New Brighton Park, picnic tables were anchored under large oak and maple trees ... a section of the grassy area near the shore has been designated as a leash-free dog run ... three small Jack Russell dogs escorted their owners past us ... at the edge of the park three solid granite slabs served as benches creating a viewpoint of the Ironworkers bridge ...

Back in Linda's car "Carolina", we drove the length of Powell and Cordova Streets hoping to find an inroad to the harbour area, but a tough chain link fence, in places topped with curved barbed wire, blocked all access ... we felt we were driving through a military zone not our "true north strong and free" Canada ... a comment was made that the current homeland security concerns of our neighbours to the south likely was the reason Vancouver's harbour was so tightly barricaded ...

With the wind rising and more rain threatening, we drove back to the Seniors Centre and had a delicious lunch of chicken salad, bread, cookies and apple desert ... oh yes, and a second pot of coffee ...

Contributor Virginia B

LUNCH/NUTRITION

Al Mattison Lounge

With A qualified dietitian

Lunch and Nutrition Workshops (*Nutrition workshops)

$3.50/ Lunch includes tea/coffee

Learn how to cook a healthy meal and know its nutritional value

Oct 20Th - "Come Wrap with Us"

Oct 27Th - "Baked Chicken"

Nov 3rd - "Baked Potato Supreme"

Nov 10Th - "Chinese Stir Fry"

Nov 17Th - "Veggie Sandwiches"

Nov 24Th - "Perfect Pasta"