How lucky is that? One of the advantages for a Canadian visiting the USA at the end of November is getting to celebrate Thanksgiving all over again. This really is my favourite holiday as the only present required is the gift of words. There is nothing better than taking the time to focus on all the blessings in life with family and friends at the top of the list. In fact we should all practice a few moments of daily thanksgiving and I know many people do.

Close friends from Sarasota visited with us for a few days. We spent Thanksgiving day playing bridge on the patio and dipping in the pool after a long walk at the beach in the morning. Perfect! The traditional roast turkey dinner was scrumptious with the hint of curry in the butternut squash a big hit. We will be back in Toronto to see our family and friends and to shiver and bundle up soon enough … and we’re looking forward to that too … well, maybe not the shivering so much …

In the meantime, I have a planning meeting tomorrow to organize the details of The Bridge Club book-signing event in Fort Lauderdale next Friday evening. I’m giving thanks for that as well!

I like Wednesdays! Weekend recovery is complete and the pile of “to-do” stuff that was shifted from the previous week has been more or less (we won’t discuss that part) cleared away. Now it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming weekend!

I’m happy to report I’ve recovered from my social media meltdown … but can’t promise it won’t happen again. My gosh there’s SO much to learn and it’s all so time-consuming there’s barely time left for anything else. But I’m getting there … although the problem of the links on this site is still not resolved. I have better tech heads than mine attempting to sort it out.

I’m honoured to have been asked to do a reading at the Courtneypark Library at 6 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 29). If you are in the neighbourhood, do drop by.

Courtneypark Branch Library

730 Courtneypark Drive West (Northeast corner of Mavis Road and Hwy 401) Mississauga, ON L5W 1L9 905-615-4745

 

I love it when ‘stuff ‘ like this just happens. During the Bridge Club’s week on Vancouver Island we piled into our vehicles one morning – Bo driving 6 in the van, Barb with 4 in her car – to do the two-hour or so drive to Campbell River for lunch at Dick’s Fish and Chips. Nothing else would do! The first scenic stop was at Qualicum Beach. Gotta have a group photo … and before I know it, a gentlemen relaxing on a nearby bench has been recruited. He continues to smile as he is handed several cameras and proceeds to patiently complete the task. Wondering who we are, several of us chat with him for a few minutes, Barb takes a photo of the rest of us with him, someone hands him a postcard about the novel (the enthusiasm never waned) and off we went. Two days after I returned home, a polite e-mail (address from my website on the postcard) arrives from the Qualicum Beach ‘photographer’ asking if it is ok to contact me. Sure, I say, and thanks again for taking the great photo of us. Two more days pass and an e arrives from him containing a beautiful, lyrical, poem about his encounter with us. I forwarded it to the rest of the gang. We were all blown away. Thank you Qualicum Beach ‘photographer’ for making our brief stop that morning a very special memory forever. So cool!

Okay, I’ve almost recovered from my ‘real-life’ Bridge Club’s week on Vancouver Island. I got back to Toronto a week ago today after seven days of perfect weather in Parksville, BC with the other nine members of our group.  I know, I know – a bridge club might have 8 members or 12 or any other component of groups of 4 but we’ve always been 10. Never mind! We spent time hiking, visiting local spots, eating, playing bridge, and laughing way too much. We were all very excited about The Bridge Club novel finally being published and postcards were enthusiastically handed out about the book as people kept asking us who were and what we were doing on the island. Somehow we just seem to attract attention. Thanks, ladies, for the wonderful reminder of the great friendship we share no matter how many miles separate us these days!