We Have A Winner!

We have a winner!

But first, I must apologise for being so quiet after bombarding you with posts leading up to Francine’s 102nd birthday.

It wasn’t my intention. My excuse? Life.

Here’s a soupçon of how it’s been for me lately.

I tootled over to Vancouver Island last week to meet up with a lovely gal who runs the South Shore Gallery in Sooke.  She needed a Never, Never, Hardly Ever inventory restock. Not wanting to pay for a hotel overnight, I booked a 9:00 ferry over and the 5:00 ferry back.

The ferry crossing, which takes about an hour and a half, has been a bit hit and miss lately thanks to engine failures. The ships are aging and need to be replaced. With one ship out of commission, the morning crossings are every two hours now instead of hourly. It’s wise to book a reservation to ensure you avoid sailing waits. BC Ferries honors a 30 minute arrival window with a reservation. So, I needed to be at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal between 8:00 – 8:30. Any later than 8:30 and they could evoke my reservation.

The drive to the ferry is about 45 minutes from my house and I left at 7:15

All was going well until I saw the sign for the Ladner turnoff. Excuse me? Ladner is past the ferry turnoff in this direction. I’d somehow missed the &*%$# ferry turnoff! Worse yet, I’d entered the doom zone. The never-going-back zone. And it’s RUSH HOUR. All lanes are now narrowing down to two sluggish, choked-with-vehicles-of every-description lanes for the tunnel heading into Vancouver. Away, far away from Tsawwassen. There is NO U-Turn possible. You have NO option but to go through the tunnel.

I exited the tunnel of doom at 8:15, leaving just 15 minutes to get to the terminal via the tunnel. In the other direction.

Long story short? I pulled up to the terminal ticket wicket at 8:36.

“Good Morning, I have a reservation for the 9:00.”

The fellow twitched, looked at his watch and smirked the smile of the smug.

“You’re late. The 11:00 sailing is full. You’re on the 1:00.”

Ha! I squeaked on the 11:00 as the third to last car.

Hats off to the BC Ferries loading crew. They jam packed us in like a box of matches.

And my day on Vancouver Island? Amazing.

Look who is now on the shelves at Bolen Books  in Victoria!

And in the South Shore Gallery in Sooke!

Never, Never, Hardly Ever takes pride of place in the delightful South Shore Gallery in Sooke

This was my first time in Rebecca Hornsby’s Sooke store. She has such an eye for unique pieces of quality. I could have done some serious financial damage in there. Her website says it best:

“South Shore Gallery, located in the heart of beautiful Sooke, British Columbia, features a collection of original artwork. Paintings, ceramics, glass, metal works, jewellery, wearables, and fibre art, along with fabulous one of a kind cards and gifts.

Shop a selection of art supplies, everything from brushes and paint, to cleaners, artboards and pre-stretched canvases.”

Vancouver Island residents and visitors: Pop into South Shore Gallery. You won’t be disappointed. It’s a wonder.

And if I may, please pop into Bolen Books, too! Pick up a copy or two of Never, Never, Hardly Ever. I’m heartened by the fact bookclub members are telling me it’s the perfect tonic for today’s challenging times. It makes a great gift, too.

We Have A Winner!

At last, we have a winner! Congratulations to Kim for winning a copy of Never, Never, Hardly Ever!

Thank you, Kim. It was lovely seeing you this week. Francine would be thrilled to know you won. I do hope you find it a worthy read.

Thank you to everyone who left comments on my posts leading up to Mom’s 102nd. While this amazing woman is no longer here, I am comforted her legacy lives on in the book.

Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for hanging out with me today. If you’d care to share some personal deets about your life of late, I’d love to hear.

PS – My sister has just shared she’s done me and the book a HUGE favor. I hope to have exciting news soon. If you’d care to send positive energy our way, I’d really appreciate it!

Thanks, Wend. Once again, you’re the best. And yes, Francine would be SO very proud of you.