Saturday, July 21, 2012

Saturday, July 21st, 2012

I got blown out to tea yesterday!  Just at two o'clock I left the house and as I opened the door the first sprinkling of rain and the first gusts of wind came riding from the west on dark storm clouds.  I had thought I could gain the teahouse before the storm came down upon us, but no, - I arrived for our assignation breathless and wind-blown, the last to gain shelter.

I joined the tea table and felt moved back in time.  This Tea Shoppe is a new business in town.  The tables are laid with white linens and lace, silver and fine china, and the lady who serves tea also makes the  most incredibly light scones.  I brought two home for Charles - lovely sweet raspberry delights that practically float an eighth of an inch above the china plate beneath them, - so buoyant and crumbly, they fairly melt in your mouth.

This was a gathering of the ACW, - a group of Anglican Church Woman who have been friends for many years, but have now reached the age where they have retired the organization to having tea every once in a while and a jolly old chin-wag!

We lingered at the table, savouring the friendship as much as the tea and scones.  Outside the wind howled, bowing the boulevard trees and scattering leaves and sheets of rain perpendicularly down the main street, but inside the warmth of friendship and the lovely old-fashioned ambience of a real Tea Shoppe were enough to keep us quite happy and content and immersed in talk and laughter.

Eventually it was time to leave, - I went to get a few groceries in the wind and the rain, stuffed with raspberry scone which, unfortunately,  took its revenge on me during Happy Hour with dire heartburn, - or maybe it was the Orange Brandy.........




There is still another scone left in the refrigerator

Shall we divide it at coffee time?????

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Thursday evening, more than half way through July!!!

Outside, doing the last of the watering chores, I am delighted by the coolness of the evening breeze after an exceedingly warm day.

Up early this morning, and we made a quick trip to Penticton for an 8.30 driving appointment.  With age comes driving examinations and this morning it was Charles' turn.  By the time he was finished the morning tourist traffic was crowding the streets and we came straight home to a cool house and a pleased-to-see us cat.  Close to her lunchtime - she sits on Charles's knee and cuddles, but I know with me it is strictly cupboard love!!!

It was a lovely morning for a drive, but not terribly successful in the picture taking department.  The sun reflected strange images on the photos, - dazzling lights and blurred images.  In one picture I saw my hand, holding the camera, and Charles' arm, cradling the steering wheel - imprinted on the gorgeous greens and golden sunshine around Yellow Lake.

Well, here are some I was able to salvage.


The shadowy hills and the sprinklers on the meadow


A few glittery leaves surrounding a field of green, where the creek runs through.


In the distance, as we break over the hill into the Okanagan Valley, the far hills are faded shades of blue.


Skaha Lake is bathed in gleaming sunlight 


A water skier about to plunge through those sterling silver ripples.

A nice day.

The water is on the side lawn, and the sprinklers that Charles
wound around the fence to satisfy the thirsty bed that grows outside the fence
are spraying most satisfactorily.

All's well, and I am about to go to bed with "The World According to Bertie" by
McCall Smith - a sweet story that compares very well with
"The World According to Garp" (which, to tell you the truth, I barely remember -
not because of it's literary qualities, I assure the author, but just
because some things get crowded out the older you get)  sigh.....


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

ABC Wednesday
July 18th, 2012

A is the letter of the day

A is for Applause, and this is what I plan to do this round.  Much as I have loved and enjoyed participating I this time Around I think I will sit on the sidewalk, watch the wonderful Alphabetic parade go by, shout my comments, twirl my parasol and clap my hands for all the wonderful blogs I expect to visit!



I will be back next time Around.  In the meantime, for more Adorable A's visit here, at ABC Wednesday.


Monday, July 16, 2012

July 14th, 2012

Saturday afternoon.......Monday morning....

I have been a long time away.  Completely zonked as far as blogging is concerned.  I keep coming back, hoping time and inspiration will be on my side, but no....life goes on but I don't seem to be fully participating.

and now Monday evening....

Over coffee this morning Charles and I got to discussing the wonderful yodeling a ninety-one year old friend of ours entertained us with at the Singers' Summer Potluck, - an event hosted by the group Charles sings with every Wednesday morning.

One thing led to another.  We reminisced about another old and good friend who played guitar, sang Wilf Carter songs and was an outstanding yodeller;  well known during World War 11 for entertaining his fellow soldiers, and always popular at parties and get-togethers when we all settled to grow fruit on the Fairview Height Veterans Land project.

We remembered in particular a reunion of Charles' crew members in 1997.   Charles was Seconded to the RAF so there were Scottish and English members of the crew as well, - and one Trinidadian. The overseas  crew flew into Calgary.  Charles and I met them there with a bright red Van and wetravelled leisurely through the Rockies, across central B.C., down the Okanagan Valley and home to Keremeos











When we reached home our children had prepared a wonderful party for our visitors and for our friends in Keremeos who were so anxious to meet these men who had kept their comradeship alive for over fifty years.  At that time Bill, our yodelling friend, sang those wonderful Wilf Carter western cowboy songs and delighted us all once again.  He is sitting beside Charles in one of the pictures below.




Brownie, the Wireless Op, had a movie camera with him and sent us pictures.
We spent the rest of this morning watching the tape on the VCR, with a great deal of poignancy.
Amazingly four of the crew are still alive, but so many of our dear friends who were
with us that day have now left us, except when they are in the room with us,
laughing and talking on the screen, and we would wish to reach out and touch their 
dear hands and hear their voices again.

Sentimental I fear, but there you are.  We are lonely for those
familiar friends who have gone on before us.