April 2010 Senior Living Magazine Vancouver Edition by INSPIRED 55+ Lifestyle Magazine

APRIL 2010

Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50+ Active Lifestyle Magazine

ACCLAIMED ARTIST Michael Duncan

Rescuing Joy

Pauline Le Bel

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Play Together

What to do today? Play WiiTM golf with some friends. Chat about the latest book club selection. Work out with a ﬁtness class. Join the chorus in a sing-a-long. So much choice. Our residents love to connect with others. That’s why we offer plenty of social activities and lots of unscripted fun. Anything that appeals to the desire to stay active. What are you doing for fun today? Play at The Summerhill. Phone for your personal tour. 604.980.6525

135 West 15th Street (off Lonsdale) North Vancouver | 604.980.6525 www.the summerhill.ca Part of Paciﬁc Arbour Retirement Communities

Where good things come together.

APRIL 2010

MAGAZINE

(Vancouver & Lower Mainland) is published by Stratis Publishing. Other publications by Stratis Publishing:

• Senior Living (Vancouver Island)

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES 4 In Spades

Publisher Barbara Risto

Highly acclaimed artist lends his talents and time to important causes and charities.

Editor Bobbie Jo Reid

editor@seniorlivingmag.com Contributors Doreen Barber, Goldie Carlow, Brent Cassie, Jane Cassie, Gipp Forster, Moira Gardener, Kevin Growcott, Margaret Growcott, Kevin McKay, Janet Nicol, Barbara Small, William Thomas, Joan W. Winter, Krystle Wiseman Copy Editor Allyson Mantle

8 Roses Bloom

In a misty Vancouver back garden, roses bloom for grower and mentor Janet Wood.

12 Stepping Out

Surrey Trekkers Volkssport Club members combine exercise with exploration and socializing.

Proofreader Holly Bowen Advertising Manager

14 Water Required

Barry Risto 250-479-4705 Toll Free 1-877-479-4705 sales@seniorlivingmag.com

If adding a water feature to your garden this spring sounds like a daunting task, call in reinforcements.

Ad Sales Staff

Ann Lester 250-390-1805 Mathieu Powell 250-589-7801 Barry Risto 250-479-4705

16 California Cruisin’

With no agenda in mind, a Vancouver couple jump in their car and head south to the sunshine state.

Contact Information – Head Ofﬁce

Senior Living Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

19 Look Forward

Phone 250-479-4705 Toll-free 1-877-479-4705 Fax 250-479-4808 E-mail ofﬁce@seniorlivingmag.com Website www.seniorlivingmag.com

22 One Heavenly Hike

Subscriptions: $32 (includes GST,

Entertainer Pauline Le Bel is trying to reconnect with her mother earth and bring others along for the ride.

Restless in retirement, Beth Rowles Scott launched an educational society and became an author.

27 BBB Scam Alert 28 Crossword 31 Classiﬁeds

COLUMNS 2 The Family Caregiver by Barbara Small

10 Forever Young by William Thomas

11 Between Friends by Doreen Barber

29 Ask Goldie

by Goldie Carlow

32 Reﬂections: Then & Now by Gipp Forster

For a heart-pounding workout and breaktaking views, consider Diez Vistas Trail this spring.

24 Cosmological Troubadour

postage and handling) for 12 issues. Canadian residents only.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an indepdendent publication and its articles imply no endoresement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolicited articles are welcome and should be e-mailed to editor@seniorlivingmag.com Senior Living Vancouver & Lower Mainland is distributed free in Vancouver, North & West Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Delta, Twawwassen, White Rock, Surrey, Cloverdale and Ladner.

30 Reframing Retirement

If you have the gift of time, use it to explore and pursue your long-held passions.

Cover Photo: Artist and philanthropist Michael Duncan working on his art. Story page 4. Photo: Kevin McKay

Senior Living Vancouver is available at most Recreation Centres and Libraries in the following municipalities: • VANCOUVER • BURNABY • NEW WESTMINSTER • WHITE ROCK • NORTH VANCOUVER • LADNER / TSAWWASSEN • PORT MOODY • COQUITLAM • PORT COQUITLAM • SURREY • RICHMOND • WEST VANCOUVER • LANGLEY • ABBOTSFORD • PHARMASAVE STORES THROUGHOUT BC

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Call 1-877-479-4705 for other locations. APRIL 2010

THE FAMILY CAREGIVER

Stress Management Strategies

he demands of caregiving – providing personal care, running errands, keeping up with housework, navigating the healthcare system and dealing with family members – can have both an emotional and physical toll. Add to that trying to balance the rest of one’s life, and it is not surprising that many family caregivers experience burnout. Responses to stress can be classified into three categories – physical, psychological and behavioural. Physical responses – our body responds to the internal alarm created by stress with a fight-or-flight response, such as rapid breathing, headaches, indigestion or tense muscles. Psychological responses – we can respond to stress with a change in emotions, concentration, and our ability to complete tasks or interact with others. Stress can also reveal itself in behavioural changes, such as eating, clumsiness, insomnia or restlessness. When you are aware of how you respond to stress, you can use these changes as signals. Then, rather than simply addressing the symptom, you can look at your situation, explore what might be causing the stress and work at a resolution. For example, instead of taking a sleeping pill, explore what is preventing you from sleeping and problem-solve that situation. There are two routes to stress management: learn strategies to help reduce stress once it develops – such as deep breathing, relaxation or exercise or be proactive and change your lifestyle so stress is less likely to develop in the first place. Proactive techniques include learning to be assertive, asking for help and expressing your feelings.

BY BARBARA SMALL

Below are some strategies to help manage the stress of caregiving: Take time for self-care, such as exercising, healthy eating, getting enough sleep, connecting with others and asking for help. You are not being selfish when you take care of yourself. If you get sick, who is going to take care of both of you? Have realistic expectations about your abilities. You can provide a certain amount of care, but likely cannot do everything alone. Know when to ask for help and be willing to share the care. Reach out and accept support. Ask family members or friends to help with some of the day-to-day tasks. Contact community organizations that provide respite care and services for family caregivers. Attend a support group where you can share your concerns and receive support. Gather information about your family member’s health problems and how their needs are likely to change over time. This will help you prepare in advance for these changes. Make adaptations around the home or use available assistive devices to allow the person you are caring for to be more independent. Have a sense of humour. Laughter helps puts things into a positive perspective and relieves stress. Look for the humour in situations and make time to go out and have fun. Next Month: Remembering to Play

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SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Barbara Small is the Program Development Coordinator for Family Caregivers’ Network Society located in Victoria, BC. www.familycaregiversnetwork.org

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Michael holding a sword in front of his weapons collection and family tartan.

STORY AND PHOTO BY KEVIN MCKAY

IN SPADES F

or the last 76 years, Michael Duncan has overcome hurdles and obstacles during his extraordinary life. One of the most difficult occurred nine years ago when Michael lost his wife of more than 30 years. He was depressed, angry and realizes now he did not deal well with 4

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

the loss. Two years after her passing, fate intervened as a new four-legged friend named Ellie entered his life. “One of the students taking my selfdefence class happened to be a veterinarian,” says Michael. “I think he saw I was having difficulties so, one day, he asked me if I would like to meet one

of the dogs he had rescued. Ellie, an Australian Cattle Dog, was starving, had been beaten and was surrounded by eight of her dead puppies when she was taken from her owner. I agreed to get together with her.” Michael and his daughter took Ellie to a local park so they would have a

chance to get to know one another. Michael took things slow, taking a seat on a park bench and staying still as Ellie checked him out. “She came right up to me and got up on her hind legs, staring me right in the face,” he recalls. “We remained like that for what felt like minutes until she jumped down as if to say, ‘he’s alright.’ It was love at first sight for me, though things were not always easy. This dog had been badly traumatized in her life. The first time I raised my hand over her to throw a stick for her to fetch, she curled up into a little ball and whimpered. I dropped the stick and got down beside her on the ground to reassure her I was not going to hurt her. I got a lot of strange looks at different times, but I didn’t care. My dog needed me.” Last year, following an illness, Michael decided the time was right to put his feelings for Ellie into action. A highly acclaimed artist, Michael formed a charitable organization called Artists Helping Abused Animals, AHAA for short. For seven months, he toiled and worked hard to produce 50 black and white original works of art, which will be sold to raise seed money for his organization. “Each one of the pen and ink drawings are of heritage scenes in Delta and around British Columbia, and we are selling them for $200 each,” says Michael. “This will raise a total of $10,000 to help the shelter. All the money goes directly to the shelter, never to me. I would like to see groups like this start up all over the province. People now recognize me and stop me to ask about it and often want to help. There is a whole new awareness that cruelty to animals is unacceptable.” Michael feels so strongly about animal abuse, he even hopes to establish a fund one day to go after the abusive owners legally and shame them publicly. “As an independent, I can make their lives miserable, where the SPCA can’t due to regulations,” he says. “You have to make that commitment. You have choices.”

APRIL 2010

Michael has made choices in his life. One of them came after he was expelled from the prestigious Gordonstoun School in Scotland, home of the Outward Bound Sea School. He had received years of training there, excelling in martial arts and seamanship, while honing an appreciation and talent for writing and fine art. The Gordonstoun, a castle on the northeast coast of Scotland was built in 1679 and became the first school in the world to combine education with Outward Bound. In 1948, Michael was honoured to dance a solo for the Queen Mother, then the

Queen of England. Fiercely loyal to his Scottish roots, Michael was born in England when his mother was there visiting. “I often asked her why she couldn’t have waited until she got back across the border before having me,” he says. “Now, here I was dancing for the Queen and everything was supposed to be just right. I couldn’t help myself, giving a warrior’s cry before I danced, then dancing for all I was worth. I heard the Queen Mother telling her Lady after the dance, ‘Oh my, that was different.’” Some years later, Michael found

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himself expelled with a single word of explanation: incorrigible. This meant he was a disgrace to his family and he was given his choice of three destinations: South Africa, Australia or Canada. “That changed my life,” he says. “Before arriving, I wrote to the Canadian government and asked them what I should do upon arrival. They told me, and that is how I wound up in Northern Ontario near James Bay. It was a real culture shock for me, going from a home with 14 servants to running a trapline with members of the Cree Nation, but it was good for me. When I came out of the bush, I was a completely different person.” After becoming a forest ranger, Michael read about the unemployment situation and decided to live as a hobo on the streets, while he researched the topic. He ended up living on the streets of Edmonton and says, “I was not very good at bumming, so I started to fight. I saw a boxing club advertising for sparring partners and paying money. I had not eaten in five days, so when I stepped into the ring against this fighter, I hit him with a sucker punch and ran. When they caught me and discovered how hungry I was, they gave me a room in the basement of the club, while I fought there. Later, when I was living in Timmins, I wrote a series of radio plays based on my adventures there.” He got to Timmins by buying a Tiger Moth biplane in Terrace with a friend, learning how to fly from a taxi driver, and flying illegally across the country with bailing wire and adhesive tape holding the craft together. Eventually, they crash-landed 14 yards from the Chief’s house at Constance Lake. “I went off to the hospital in Timmins,” says Michael. “My friend got the plane fixed, flew off, crashed into a lake and drowned. I became the art director of a television studio in Timmins.” Michael married and started his family in Northern Ontario. When he came across a colour photo spread of Vancouver in the Toronto Star, he decided

tions including countless hours helping showcased in the Pacific Rim Wildlife they needed to move to the coast. Upon arriving in 1965, he started the homeless on the downtown east Show, an artwork exhibition held in the first theatre school in Vancouver side. As incredible as this list sounds, Tacoma, Washington, and considered and, by 1967, he moved his family to a it doesn’t do justice to all that he has to be one of the top two art shows in accomplished. home in Ladner. North America. A book of his drawOver the next four plus decades, Books and artwork Michael has pro- ings was on display and for sale in 68 Michael embarked on a remarkable duced for the benefit of various charities art galleries across Canada and more series of adventures. These than 100 bookstores. included operating and inNow, Michael has his work structing at a sailing school, for A-HAA and is only teachBooks and artwork Michael hosting more than 600 teleing five classes a week in selfvision shows including work defence, creative writing and has produced for the beneﬁ t of on the Alan Thicke show, art – a decline from his previseven years as curator of ous workload. He also works various charities have brought in the Delta Historical Mudiligently to support his bemore than one million dollars to seum, and nearly four years loved Ellie and other animals as director of the Vancouver who have suffered abuse. help those groups. Maritime Museum where his So, what motivates him to fundraising efforts led to the give back to his community? expansion of its historic harAnd why would he give away bour on English Bay. every cent earned from the He’s written at least 16 books, all have brought in more than one million royalties of all of his books? of which have been published, is an dollars to help those groups. In 2009, he “I think I’ve done most of what I’ve award-winning artist, teaches self- was recognized for his charitable work done to try to make up for being exdefence, martial arts classes, creative with the Delta Heritage Award. pelled from school when I was young,” writing and art courses, and volunteerBack in 1993, he was selected by a he says. SL ing for numerous boards and organiza- jury to be one of only four Canadians That he has done in spades.

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Roses Bloom

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JANET NICOL

ardens meander through Janet Wood’s life like roses sprawling across a trellis. A long-time mentor to rose growers in Vancouver; Janet’s first memory of a garden is her mother’s flower bed. “We had a victory garden too,” recalls the slender silver-haired grandmother. Janet’s corner lot bungalow in the Southlands neighbourhood is surrounded by beds of roses covering the front, back and side yard. “I’ve been a member of the Vancouver Rose Society for about 30 years,” says Janet. “At one point there were 600 members. But the numbers are smaller now because there’s so much going on. There are other local gardening clubs and specialized groups, like the orchid society.” The Vancouver Rose Society was 8

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

established in 1949 and 60 years later, still has a good membership mix, says Janet. Men and women ranging in age from 30 to 80 plus, attend events. “People come to socialize too.” Janet is a past president and has been given a lifetime membership in honour of her contributions. She continues to offer advice to rose enthusiasts. “I just had a call from someone in a seniors complex near Jericho Beach. He wanted advice on the roses growing in the courtyard garden.” A clopping sound outside interrupts the conversation. It turns out a young woman is making her way down the empty street – on horseback. Only blocks away from busy Arbutus Street, Southlands still has patches of farmland, stables and homes with property large enough to graze a horse or two. But this warm afternoon is also filled with the sounds of construction as more homes are being built. “The neighbourhood is changing,” Janet notes regretfully. “My parents were Scottish immi-

Above, Julia Child roses grace Janet Wood’s garden. Left, Janet amid her roses. Bottom right, A hybrid tea rose ﬂourishes in the misty garden.

grants who came out here in 1929. My mother had eight babies in nine years.” Janet grew up on the city’s east side, attending Britannia Secondary, and then training as an elementary school teacher. “I taught for two years and quit teaching to marry.” Janet and her husband, a forester, had four children. Busy years were spent raising her family in northern B.C. and, later, on Vancouver’s west side. All the while, she volunteered in the community and kept gardening. At some point as Janet dug in to the soil, her interest in roses bloomed. “I love the fresh air and knowing exactly what I’m doing,” she says. “I don’t have a creative eye. I like doing something that feels neat and tidy.” But others who know Janet say she has a taste and an eye for roses. The result of her green thumb is noted in Gardens of Vancouver by Collin Vamer and Christine Allen. And every June, Janet’s home garden is on the city tour list, with busloads of admirers coming

10-0353 WR Spring Fling-SeniorLivingMag.qxp:SL

3/15/10

2:11 PM

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010 ~ 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm You’re invited! Come celebrate “all things spring”, as we host a complimentary afternoon of 50’s themed entertainment, food and fun. If you’ve never visited before, this is the perfect opportunity to experience just a few of the pleasures of our care-free retirement lifestyle. See you soon! Visit an Amica Wellness & Vitality™ Community in your neighbourhood or www.amica.ca Port Coquitlam ~ Amica at Mayfair ~ 604.552.5552 Kerrisdale ~ Amica at Arbutus Manor ~ 604.736.8936 West Vancouver ~ Amica at West Vancouver ~ 604.921.9181 Burnaby ~ Amica at Rideau Manor ~ 604.291.1792 Victoria ~ Amica at Douglas House ~ 250.383.6258 Victoria ~ Amica at Somerset House ~ 250.380.9121 Sidney ~ Amica at Beechwood Village ~ 250.655.0849

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to see trellises reminiscent of Givenchy in England. “The mist from the Fraser River dampens the roses in my garden,” Janet explains. “The climate is similar to Britain. That’s why my tea roses do so well.” In fact, most roses in her garden have fewer than 20 petals because of her “misty” location. That’s why Janet advises novice gardeners to buy roses from local nurseries, where staff can suggest types suitable to localized climates. Lots of other gardening advice is available in the society’s newsletter, The Rosebed, and on the website www. vancouverosesociety.org Stepping into the garden, Janet shows her favourites. “Look at the shades on the petals. Just perfect,” she coos about her five-petal hybrid tea roses. The compost containers along the side wall hold an important secret to her success – great fertilizer. “The neighbours bring over horse manure and grass clippings,” she says. The backyard contains a bright yellow “Julia Child” rose, named after the popular American chef, and another lighter yellow rose, named for Canada’s female astronaut, Roberta Bondar. Besides planting Canadian and American roses, Janet also has roses from England. Moving carefully around the rose beds, the scents and many petal colours, from powder blues to brilliant reds, are to be savoured. On the front lawn, the tour ends with an unexpected surprise as Janet points to a pink and white petal tea rose. She says the flower was recently bred by Brad Jalbert of Select Roses nursery in Langley. “This is the Janet A. Wood,” the lifelong gardener reveals, her legacy of five delicate petals cupped gently yet firmly SL in her hand.

APRIL 2010

FOREVER BY WILLIAM THOMAS

Rebellion, Rye and Wrinkles

saw the Doobie Brothers in concert a few years ago, and they looked like the house band at Sunset Haven. “Two front row tickets? $50. Program? $10. The look on their faces when members of their fan club brought their grandchildren backstage? Priceless.” That wasn’t so bad until I read that Eddie Van Halen isn’t moving so well on stage these days since he had hip-replacement surgery. From being hip to getting a new one! I thought, “That’s it! The mandatory retirement age of 65 now applies to rock stars. No exceptions.” The amazing thing is, for the truckloads of drugs these guys dropped in the ’60s and ’70s, most of them look like they’re as healthy as a horse. A Horse With No Name, of course. I’m sorry, but when you’re doubling and tripling your daily dosage of blood pressure pills just to get a buzz on, it’s time for the Barcalounger and big screen TV. What exactly is going on here? It’s like “’til death do we part... with our guitars.” Call me crazy but when you have to hire an additional roadie to handle the colostomy bags, it’s time the tour bus headed home. 10

Old!? Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Eric Clapton have all released albums in the past few years. Total age: over 300 years. Many countries in this world aren’t that old. I mean if Aerosmith goes on tour next summer, they’re going to have to change the title of their hit song to

That’s it! The mandatory retirement age of 65 now applies to rock stars. No exceptions. Waddle This Way. C’mon, when most of these guys started out in the business, they were using homemade instruments. Mick Jagger is so old that when he sings Start Me Up, Ron Wood has to poke him in the bum with a cattle prod. The Stones, who once used Hells Angels for security, now employ The Boy Scouts to help Keith Richards across the stage. Recently, I saw Keith Richards five stories high on an Imax screen in the Steel Wheels documentary. Scary? At the concession stand, they were including a free pair of Depends with every

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

large tub of popcorn. Bob Dylan at 67 sounds exactly as he did when he was 20. Unfortunately, nobody could understand what he was singing back then either. Ex-Stone Bill Wyman at 72 is so old, he’s now dating girls who are over the legal age of consent; and from behind, Elton John is looking a lot like his piano. Peter Townsend’s so old he has to have two people from the audience come up and help him smash his guitar to pieces on stage. No, this can’t go on and on and on like the heart of Celine Dion, who, by the way, has done at least five major recording projects since retiring. No, when you’re a rock star who reaches the point where you send one of your groupies off to the seedy side of town to secretly score some really dynamite laxatives – it’s time for the guitar to start living in the hall closet. Sorry, but rebellion, rye and SL wrinkles simply do not mix. William Thomas is the author of nine books of humour including Margaret and Me about his wee Irish mother. www.williamthomas.ca

Between Friends CHARITY

BY DOREEN BARBER

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who lanet earth has been shaking and rolling in diverse places for a very long time. In the past is sending a love letter to the world,” said Mother Teremonth, Haiti and Chile have experienced devas- sa (Agnes Gonxha Bojarhiu). Through her selfless life, tating earthquakes. The forces of nature and the random- Mother Theresa exemplified what it was to be charitable. I watched a news report after the recent earthquake in ness with which earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, storms and tornadoes unleash their power is Haiti where four men who were homeless and not very talented decided to help their fellow citizens by forming unsettling, to say the least. The despair and suffering we witness through media a singing and instrumental group to raise money for the reports have moved many to set aside their life rou- relief effort. Although they lacked musical ability, their enthusiasm and empathy retines and join in hands-on sulted in a desire to give. relief efforts. For most of “We make a living by what we get, I recently learned in conus, all we can do is financially support relief agen- but we make a life by what we give.” versation with an impoverished man who is living on cies. Helping humankind –Winston Churchill a disability pension of $800 get through catastrophic a month that he plans to give events both near and far away calls us to a reckoning within our souls and the ac- money to the Haitian relief effort. He is determined to do knowledgement that we are fellow travellers in the great what he can financially, even though he is in grave need himself. adventure of life on earth. What is precious about charity is that it has its beginCharity can also be demonstrated with acts of kindness SL and gracious words, words of affirmation, acceptance and ning in the heart and it is given free of charge. hope rather than condemnation and judgment. When judgment enters into ones heart, grace is lost. Acts of charity that achieve the highest good hold us to a much higher standard than benevolence or generosity. To those who Doreen Barber is pursuing a Master’s degree in Biblical have been given much, much is expected. Counselling at the The Biblical Life College & Seminary.

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APRIL 2010

STEPPING OUT BY JOAN W. WINTER

Photo: Joan W. Winter

alkers, their red club Tshirts a bright contrast to the grey overcast sky, gather at a year-round-event starting point, Beanies Coffee Bar in Ladner. Cheery greetings are exchanged; newcomers welcomed. Record books are stamped and maps distributed. Promptly at 10 a.m., with four-legged Flair and her biped partner Reg Dutton leading the way, members of the Surrey Trekkers Volkssport Club step out. Putting their best feet forward is a way of life for these folks. They walk – for Fun, Fitness and Friendship (the club’s motto) and, at the end of some walks – food. Volkssporting activities also include cycling, swimming, crosscountry skiing, inline and ice-skating but, by far, the most popular is walking. “The goal of the group is to promote health and fitness through non-competitive outdoor activity,” says club president Brenda Dudfield, who, with husband Frank has been a member since 1992. “Walking is a great way to learn about an area, get exercise, meet new people and have fun.” Activities are self-paced, which allows members to travel at their own speed. “We encourage participants to track and record their own personal accomplishment through event and distance stamps, which are kept in a record book,” says Brenda. Newcomers to the club can participate in their first five walks free, using a free stamp book. Those wishing to participate in the Individual Achievement Award Program purchase record books. Most walkers choose to participate in both categories: Distance covered in kilometres, and Number of Events completed. Certificates, pins and sew-on patches are awarded at various levels. A non-profit organization, volkss-

Some of the members of the Surrey Trekkers Volkssport Club.

porting costs are kept to a minimum. A nominal registration fee of $1 or $2 is charged when registering for each event. Record books are $7 (which covers the cost of awards) and the annual membership fee is $15. All monies collected are used to pay program administration costs and event sanction fees. Two main types of events are offered: Guided or Map Walks on a fixed day with a guide, or maps with instructions, and Year Round Events (YRE) or Seasonal Events, which are selfguided, with self-registration. These

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

are also done as a group. Routes are numbered and dated by year. Walkers, whether in a group or walking alone, are supplied with maps and written instructions at the starting point. Annual events, Volksmarches, are held on a fixed date with marked trails and checkpoints. Each route and trail is selected by area volkssporting clubs, measured for distance, access and walk-ability, and is rated on an incline scale of 1-5 (flat to hilly) and terrain (scale A-E – easy to difficult). Most walks are 10 kilometres, but some have shorter (5 km)

options. Trails are also selected for natural beauty, scenic, geographic, local or historic interest. To add to the fun, special YRE/SEAS events are designed so that walkers must pass within sight of a unique landmark or site such as a cenotaph or war memorial, a lighthouse, covered bridge, or a winery, cheese factory or brewery. For the Scholar program, a walker must pass alongside or through a formal educational institution. In Canada, special awards are given for walking in all 13 provinces and territories, and provincial capitals. Right now, the Club is co-sponsoring a special challenge in honour of the Olympics/Paralympics with bronze, silver and gold award certificates given for completing 5, 7 or 8 events. Rain or shine (cancelled only when weather conditions present a safety hazard), Lower Mainland events are held every Saturday, Sunday and holiday, usually starting at 10 a.m. In winter, walks are also scheduled for Wednesday afternoons and in summer on Thursday evenings in Surrey. Event planning is arranged together with sister club, Vancouver ‘Venturers, and can take place as far west as the Gulf Islands, north to Whistler and as far east as the Othello tunnels in Hope. Although many members are in the 50+ category, walks are open to people of all ages and ability. Historically, translated from German as “the sport of the people,” volkssporting originated in Europe in the mid 1960s in response to the need for some type of outdoor sport free from competition. The movement grew rapidly and, in 1968, the International Volkssport Band (IVV) or International Federation of Popular Sports was formed to promote Volkssporting worldwide. Forty member countries currently participate. In 1986, the Canadian Volkssport Federation (CVF) was formed and now has 50 member clubs throughout most regions of Canada. Returning to the starting point, Flair completes the 10 km walk with no problem. Like her canine cousin, Lassie, she has stamina to burn. “She likes to play more when we get home,” laughs Reg. Today, the 20 or so of the club’s 90 members who turned out for the Ladner walk, return in good form and regroup at nearby Speed’s Pub for lunch. Some fast pacers arrive early, having completed the walk in 1 hour 45 minutes. Others take a little more time, but all are ready to enjoy good food and a leisurely chat. The benefits of volkssporting are many. Enthusiastic walkers like retired teacher Rita Hopmans, a member since 1995, will walk another 10-20 kilometres later in the day. “Walking makes me feel good,” she says. “I can walk long distances; up to 30 km a day.” With upwards of 25,000 km in her distance record book, Rita is working, or walking, towards her next goal of 30,000 km. Joanne Gormley and husband, Joe, joined the group a year ago after Joanne experienced some serious health issues. “I love being outdoors, and the exercise helps me keep fit,” she says.

Having friends to walk with, especially in places where it might not be safe to walk alone is a bonus, especially for women. It’s one of the incentives that keep the very active group together; another is the opportunity for foreign travel. With established routes and events in Canada, the U.S. and 40 countries participating in the volkssport’s program, individuals can walk the trails and attend events, alone or in groups, in any country of their choice. Volkssporting is not only fun, it keeps you fit, provides opportunity for lasting friendships, gets you out of the house and car, and is a great way to see other parts of the city, country and the world. SL

For further inform ation contact: Brenda Dudﬁeld: President Surrey Trekkers Vo lkssports Club Phone: 604-584-19 00 E-mail: surrey.trek kers@gmail.com Website: www.surr eytrekkers.com Vancouver ‘Venture rs Volkssports Clu b Contact:Verni Brow n Phone 604-582-83 90 E-mail: vancouverv enturersvc@gmail .com Website: www3.te lus.net/volkssport/w alk_vancouver.htm

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seniorlivingmag.com APRIL 2010

WATER REQUIRED E

ven the loveliest of gardens is improved by the addition of a water feature. So, we decided a pond was essential at our new house. What could be simpler? We had had ponds at our two previous homes, although we did not create them. On a hot afternoon, the calm splash of a fountain, where elusive goldfish and koi skulk, brings about peacefulness in an otherwise busy life. Every successful project requires a good staff. In our case, the staff members included an engineer – son No. 1; an architect – son No. 2; the chief financial officer – me; and the critic – my husband. The first three doubled as labourers. I had a modest water feature in mind: big enough for tadpole-sized fish. But when the engineer drew the outline on the lawn, it looked large enough to accommodate a man-eating crocodile. On an unusually cool and cloudy day in June, work commenced in our Port Alberni half-acre lot. The engineer and architect soon produced a sizeable hole in the lawn resembling an archaeological dig. What to do with the excavated soil, which consisted of heavy clay? It was rapidly turning into a mountain. Somebody suggested it could be made into a pyramid. I pointed out that a pyramid needs to be next to something resembling a Sphinx or the River Nile to be properly effective. We decided to abandon any further ideas along these lines because I had not envisaged anything remotely Egyptian in my scenario. I had stated my desire for something along the lines of a waterfall and rock pool. I was keen for this structure to be made out of Yorkshire stone because my landscaping books stated they were usually made out of Yorkshire stone. This posed a problem as Yorkshire is a world away, and no one knew where to 14

Photos: Kevin Growcott

BY MARGARET GROWCOTT

One of the author’s sons building a waterfall.

get this kind of stone. But I knew something akin to Yorkshire stone could be obtained, and I dreamed that night how next year our garden was going to top the list on the Annual Garden Tour. Horti-tourists would even consider it a mini-Butchart Gardens. During the next few days, mud seemed to get everywhere – inside and out. Port Alberni has a special kind of mud–heavy clay, which adheres to everything and carries along other substances with it. When we worked on the “dig” and happened to walk too near the gravel path, we found ourselves several inches taller because of assorted layers accumulated en route to get tools or equipment. Some of the gravel was tracked into our freshly sown lawn, and there was an explosion when lawn mower met gravel and came to a grinding halt. Blades were damaged. The engineer said he had just the tool for that. I gritted my teeth, for there is nothing I detest more than the smell of burning metal in my basement. The next morning, I woke early to the sound of machinery and found a

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

mini excavator in our backyard making the hole even deeper and the mound even larger. The engineer had decided that extra depth was needed and that the sides must be sheer so that marauding raccoons, herons or other predators could not go fishing at our expense. Another day passed until the size of the abyss was to the liking of the engineer. Then it was time to install the rubber liner. It took three people to achieve this, two of them getting wet as water had already accumulated in the void, courtesy of Mother Nature. Some dreams were swiftly shattered during the sheer hard work of building the waterfall. We began to wish we had not taken all the soil to the dump. The engineer decided, at this late stage, that retaining some of it would have been useful to help the elevation. Several trips to the gravel pit followed where we were told we could help ourselves to miscellaneous split rock on the sides of the quarry, free of charge. We arrived home with bleeding hands and sore backs, but the rocks did look a lot like Yorkshire stone. Eventually, a rocky cascade was created, and a pump installed at the deep-

est end of the hole. Next came the delightful part of pumping in 1,500 gallons of water. Finally, the waterfall was turned on with delightful splashing and gurgling sounds. Unfortunately, a few hours later, when I returned from grocery shopping, the liner had bulged out and there appeared to be more water behind the liner than in the actual pond – something to do with the watertight features of clay and water pressure. The waterfall cascaded charmingly down the rocky channel, but lost its volume of water and leaked before it reached the pond surface. I called in the engineer, who stated the waterfall must be demolished and re-constructed with mortaring of rocks done more precisely to correct the dysfunction. It also had to do with the water table – something the engineer understood, but which eluded me. A pump had to be placed between the liner and clay sides and it took several hours to get rid of water where it was not needed. Suddenly, the sun shone for the first time since operations began, and we were reminded why we were doing this. The architect ventured his opinion that since the pond was much larger than originally intended, a focal point was needed to relieve the large expanse of calm water. I volunteered a lighthouse, which I had acquired the previous year. A tea light inside could be illuminated for summer evening ambiance. This edifice, promptly christened Cape Breton by the critic, was effective on a rocky isle on the south shore of Lake Windermere, as the pond was now called, after our favourite place in the English Lake District. The architect, whilst reasonably satisfied with the lighthouse, considered it inadequate. Therefore, on our trip to buy plants and fish, a second lighthouse was purchased. This one had the luxury of an integral solar light so there was no danger of the architect falling in the water, trying to install a tea light, which had occurred with the first lighthouse. This second beacon was instantly christened Cape Horn. A purist geographer might shudder at these disparate names from three different continents, but we weren’t concerned. The second lighthouse turned out to be a wise addition, for now visiting grandchildren could be kept occupied with the latest acquisitions of the architect and engineer – two radio-controlled boats operated by remote gear sticks that could ply the waters between Cape Breton and Cape Horn. No matter that, to date, we have no grandchildren. Little boats, as everyone knows, are for grown-ups. We purchased only a few fish, snails and aquatic plants at this stage since we weren’t sure if the quality of the water could support life. We slipped three small goldfish, two fat snails and three plants into the water, which must have seemed like Lake Superior to them. The goldfish promptly disappeared while the snails ambulated quite a bit. Three days later, when there was still no goldfish sighting, it was suspected that the snails had eaten the fish, as they were twice as big. However, the architect, who is something of

“Cape Breton”

a zoologist, said this was highly improbable. I did think, though, that at least one fish might have had the decency to swim to the surface to put our minds at rest. Eventually, a solitary goldfish was spotted. Contrary to our fears, he had not been overcome by the vastness of his surroundings after the confines of the garden centre. One evening, the other two fish were sighted, hanging out together in the lonely glimmer of Cape Horn, the tea light having extinguished itself at Cape Breton. We decided more fish were needed, so we returned to the garden centre. One staff person suggested renaming the pond Loch Ness. I rejected this as it meant we would have to somehow acquire a monster. Now that was going a bit SL too far!

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CALIFORNIA CRUISIN’ STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOAN W. WINTER

“R

ight turn ahead. After 800 metres, bear right, then take the motorway.” The crisp, instructive voice of the GPS sometimes startled us as it interrupted our thoughts or conversation. A gift from our family and a new toy, we were eager to try it out. So far, so good. Travelling the I-5 highway, it had successfully guided us through several major U.S. cities – Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Portland – as we headed south for what we hoped would be an exciting adventure and three weeks of California sunshine. Winter had been depressingly long, cold and damp. Spring wasn’t happening. We needed a break. It was mid-March and chilly when we left Vancouver, but our spirits rose as we buckled up. Except for the time span, our holiday was unplanned. With no fixed schedule to keep, we could travel at whatever speed we were comfortable with; take time to wander, stop and stare and explore new interesting places. The weather turned warmer and our sense of anticipation increased as we negotiated the Siskiyou Pass at the Oregon/ Northern California border and pulled into the small town of Yreka. It was lunchtime, and we needed to stretch our legs. Yreka (pronounced Y-reeka), we discovered, had developed as a gold rush boomtown when, in 1851, Abraham Thompson, a mule packer, discovered gold in Black Gulch. Soon, a large influx of gold seekers arrived from the Sierra Nevada diggings to set up camp and test their luck. Legend has it that Yreka’s mysterious name was derived from a Shasta Indian word meaning “north mountain,” or “white mountain” in reference to nearby magnificent whitecapped Mount Shasta. But Mark Twain, in his autobiography, had a different version. He maintained it was an accident of fate that a young man named Harte, who had arrived in California in the 1850s, wandered up to the surface diggings of the camp at Yreka, during the days when it was nameless. There was a bakeshop with a canvas sign, which had been painted and stretched to dry in such a way that the word BAKERY, with the exception of the B, showed through and was reversed. The stranger read the wrong end first, YREKA, and 16

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

assumed that was the camp’s name. Yreka the town became. On the road again, we travelled through the wide Shasta Valley, multi-shaded in beige, browns and greens, dotted here and there with large herds of black, and sometimes tan, cattle. Our eyes were irresistibly drawn to majestic Mount Shasta, which rose in solitary snow and cloud-capped splendour from the forested valley floor. Visible for 40 miles [64 km], Mt. Shasta, 14,179 ft (4,322m) is the second highest mountain in the Cascade Range. Area Native Americans, whose ancestors have inhabited the north side since at least 600 BC, regard it as the centre of creation. In recent decades, the mountain has also attracted New Age followers, who believe it to be a source of mystical power. We decided on an overnight stay at the central California town of Madera, near Yosemite National Park. Madera, too, had experienced gold rush fever in the mid-1800s, but owed its development to the lumber industry (Madera, in Spanish, means “lumber”). A huge log flume, an engineering marvel at the time, had been built in 1876 by the California Lumber Company to carry lumber to the railroad. The use of specifically constructed log flumes facilitated the quick and cheap transportation of lum-

ber and logs down mountainous terrain by using flowing water. The watertight, trough-like channels could be built to span long distances across chasms and rough terrain, and eliminated the need for dangerous mountain trails. Far from being an old sawmill ghost town, Madera has prospered, grown and evolved into a thriving young community. Our next overnight stop was in the Tehama County town of Corning, also known as Olive City. Open for tasting, a delight to the olive connoisseur, the Olive Pit store in Corning boasts 120 varieties of olives. Olives – small, large, huge (the Queen olive), stuffed, many flavoured, green and black – the Pit has them all. Rich in agriculture with a variety of crops, Tehama County also supports industries in olive oil, almonds, walnuts, peaches, plus cattle and sheep ranching. Farther south, travelling through to Bakersfield, we opted for the scenic route to Barstow, our next stop. And scenic roasting in it was. Rolling green and gold foothills gave way to craggy, the 90 degree heat) greeted us forested mountains, then, as we dropped again to the valley in downtown Palm Springs. A Renaissance Festival to profloor, mile after mile, far as the eye could see, of parched mote literacy was taking place. We enjoyed strolling along cactus, sagebrush covered desert. the main street, talking with some of the actors. Barstow bakes in the hot desert sun. The Mojave Desert, Later, we visited hot spots Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage arid, flat, broken only by windblown tumbleweeds, green and Palm Desert. El Paseo, a super-sophisticated shopping dispatches of scrub and distant hills, stretches for miles in all trict in Palm Desert, intrigued us. It features over 300 worlddirections. The sandy, long dried up bed of the Mojave River class shops, such as one might find in London or New York. snakes aimlessly through the valley. In the fading light, dis-andArt galleries, clothing jewellers, restaurants Bob Teresa Marshall, theboutiques, driver/escort and owners of and tant coyotes howl an eerie evening chorus. more, all lined on one elegant picturesque, flower-bedecked Pitmar Tours, are excited to offer this program of coach tours Barstow was once a busy rail centre and popular stopover for 2010. Come and join us! For the full 2010 brochure call us place for immigrants travelling west on legendary U.S. Route 66. Made famous by John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Home �� Pi Wrath, and sometimes referred to as America’s Main Street, up an ck �� Route 66 played a significant part in America’s history. Not Retur d ns! Olympic Peninsula -May 9th 4 Days Warm up in Sanstarted Diego, Palm Springsitand the oldest or longest Spring road in America, in 1926, hadLas Vegas The Washington Olympic Peninsula is diverse in March 30th - 16 Days landscape and home of many of the world’s largest its greatest historical from 1933 1970, during Time tosignificance warm up as we head south. This tour isto a favorite trees. Join us as we explore the temperate Hoh as we experience the desert cactus in bloom. Highlights Spring Warm up in San Di the time of great social, economical and political disruption. rainforestOct and15-18th. the Makah nativeWhat culture Neah Bay.of color we experienced include a stay in Old San Diego, San Diego Zoo, Sea WOW! aninexplosion March �� World,new four nights in Palm system Springs, Living Park,highways Discoverlast Portyear Townsend as aWe local guide the reveals The motor car and national of Desert public on this trip. enjoyed serene beauty of the resort Time to warm up as we head south. Thi Joshua Tree National Park, the Follies Show, Las Vegas, their historical treasures. 4 meals $685 Cdn PP Dble at Lake Chelan so much we decided to add an extra day and �� brought geographic cohesion and economic prosperity to the Reno, Scotty’s Castle, Virginia City. Join us and explore ! as Stehekin we experience the desert cactus in take a cruise up theand lakeWaterton and explore the Valley and Southern Rockies Lakes National Park 17 meals $2,295 Cdn PP Dble Occ �� include a swing stay in Old San Diego, San widely disparate regions of the country. From Lake Michigan Rainbow Falls. The June Oktoberfest will still be in full on 28th - 7 Days World, four nights our in Palm Springs, Li Roseon Festival and moreCoast, - June 9th last night in This the isBavarian Leavenworth you can in the Midwest to SantaPortland Monica the Pacific as- a5 Days �� a great triptown as youofdiscover the best ofwhere the Canadian This trip takes in many aspects of this 102nd historic Rose Parade Joshua Tree National take in the Rockies activities and Osoyoos, browse Cranbrook the many shops.Park, the Follies S �� through andEuropean into the World component of the federal network, Chicago as wellRoute as a night 66 at thelinked native resort with a special “Bird in a Clay” Reno, Scotty’s Castle, $855 Cdn PPHeritage basedsite on ofDble Occ. Lakes No GST - 7 Park. Meals Waterton National Take a boat tourVirginia City. Join �� dinner. Enjoy the parade in the comfort of your reserved indoor with Los Angeles. An all-weather highway, it could be trav17 meals $2,295 Cdn PP Dble Occ on Waterton Lake and find out what Head Smashed Buffalo seating at the Memorial Coliseum, a stones throw from your luxury elled at any time of year and reduced the distance fortomotorJump is all about. Explore Fort Mcleod, birthplace of the North accommodations. Please compare other Rose Festival Tours. Portland have so much more fun ! 4 meals $829 Cdn PP Dble Occ. West Mounted Police. Return over Rogers Pass with a final Rose Festiva �� ists by more than 200 miles [322Wekm]. Unlike any other highThis trip takes in night at the Three Valley Lake Chateau. 6 meals $1135 Cn plus GST PP Dbl occ. 10-13, 2009. 4 Days. We have taken your favorite Christmas tours and - Barkerville - Kamloops 7th - 5 Days Dec way in history, Route 66Whistler developed its own popular- July culture. as well as a nigh �� combined them into one Inlet fabulous Christmas experience. itinerary is Alberni & Pacific Rim Park - July 27This - 4 Days We thought it would be great this year to travel to Whistler, dinner. Enjoy t Leaving Barstow, we headed for Hemet and a week of rest �� guaranteed to liftferries, yourships spirits sendareyou into for you on Trains, andand a coach in store home to the 2010 Olympics. You will view some of the seating at the M this tour over to the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Take the Christmas season with joy in your hearts. We venues as well as explore British Columbia’s Gold Rush town and relaxation. Hemet, in southern California, is a quiet older �� accommodation a boat tour from Port Alberni along the West Coast, of Barkerville. Also included is a visit to BC’s Wildlife Park in have included; a Dinner Theatre at a camp �� town some 50 miles [81where km]youfrom PalminSprings. We the Broken Islands to Ucluelet on the MV Francis Kamloops can viewpopular over 65 BC species a 50 We have so muc covered inthrough dazzling light displays and holidays Explore Pacific Rim Nat’l Park, hectareinpark. 4 meals $725 Cdn ppand Dble Occ. plus HST �� enjoyed daily walks the sunshine short drives to see sounds ofBarclay. Victorian Carolers, a horse drawndiscover the Maclean Mill National historic site riding the rails of the ride, the Valley lighting festival the 4Bavarian Whistler - Barkerville �� Cruise and Coach the New Orleans, Branson & Texassleigh nearby places. Alberni Pacific SteamofTrain. meals $785 Cdn pp town of Dble Leavenworth, Washington with a plus HST Sept 18 - 23 Days We thought it would be great this year to �� One such day, we visited Palm Springs. we coaching traditional Get ready for CruisingOn down route, the Pacific Coast, across Bavarian dinner. $715 Cdn PP based home 2010 Olympics. You will view Queen Charlottes Explored - August 16 -to11the Days �� on Dble Occ. No GST. 6 meals. California, Texas and Louisiana. Stroll along the River Walk in were surprised to see an abundance of wind farms like venues as well as explore This tour explores the diverse Haida heritage of the Queen British Columb San Antonio, explore the Houston Space Center, rediscover Charlotte/Haidi in the spectacular scenery bunches of silver three-petalled flowers; arrays gi- the devastated Bob and Teresa of Barkerville. Also included is a visit to MarshallGwaii as Islands. Driver Revel and Escort the revitalized vast city of New Orleans,ofincluding through the inside passage on theKamloops ferry, The Northern area whirled from the Katrina flood us andon a special whereExplorer. you can view over 65 B Call to book now! ant power-generating wind turbines above the Plantation tour. Discover the ancient Skedans village site on Louise Island in a Branson, Missouri delivers first rate entertainment with Mickey park. 4 Return mealsvia $725 Cdn pp Dble Zodiactoll boat free with interpretive talks hectare and wild life stops. 1-877-596-9670 high desert hills. Gillies, Shoji Tabuchi, Yakov Smirnoff and more. This trip is packed with entertainment, 604-596-9670 the Yellowhead Highway through the rugged wilderness of history and a load of fun. Make sure you book early! 32 meals $3595 Cdn pp Dble teresa@pitmartours.com www.pitmartours.com Unexpectedly, folks in medieval dress (who must have been Northern Region of BC and the ranchlandsCruise of the Cariboo and Coach the N

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Victorian Country Christmas - Dec 3 - 3 Days

This itinerary is guaranteed to lift your spirits and send you into the Christmas season with joy in your hearts. We have included a Dinner Theatre, dazzling light displays, a night at the 5 star Tulalip Hotel, the Victorian Christmas Craft fair in Puyalip and

Region. Tour limited to 36 passengers so book early! 7 meals $1995 Cdn PP Dble plus

Sep 17 Get ready fo Hosted by Bob and Teresa Marshall - November 6th - 11 Days 18 Meals California, Te Four times larger than the Grand Canyon, Mexico’s Copper San Antonio

Copper Canyon - Mexico

APRIL 2010

Canyon is a spectacular area filled with beauty and unique

Photos Page 16,Top, California wind farm. Bottom, Old Town San Diego. Page 17, Shakespearian actors. Palm Springs. This page, left, The author’s husband enjoys a marvellous marguarita at Guadalajaro’s, Old Town San Diego. Below, Mount Shasta.

mile. But we didn’t stay long. Overheated, too hot to shop, we treated ourselves to a cool drink then headed back to Hemet and cooler temperatures. A visit to Old Town was the highlight of our next stop at San Diego. Considered the “birthplace” of California, Old Town San Diego is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California. Here, in 1769, Father Junípero Serra established the very first mission in a chain of 21 Christian missions that were to form the cornerstone of California’s colonization. Father Serra’s mission and Presidio (fort) were built on a hillside overlooking what is currently known as Old Town San Diego. In the 1820s, at the base of the hill, a cluster of adobe buildings were built and a small Mexican community formed. Today, the Mexican influence in Old Town is still strong. We toured a small, very colourful arcade of shops, ate at a Mexican restaurant (cool midday margaritas – delicious!), we strolled the open-air market and visited the beautiful historic walled mission. Reluctantly, after San Diego, we turned our wheels north towards home. Our trusty GPS guided us faultlessly through the complex, multi-tiered maze of motorways that is Los Angeles. Although not foolproof, due to the occasional detour or minor changes in highway construction, we had grown to depend on it. Amazing! No more poring over maps; no more nail-biting worries about road positioning and missed turn-offs. Motoring along the breathtakingly beautiful but winding coast road after an overnight stay at Long Beach, we arrived at the captivating mission town of San Juan Capistrano. Mission walls surround the ruins of the historic, architecturally impressive church, once the biggest of the Southern California missions; sadly, in 1812, only six years after completion, it collapsed during an earthquake, killing 40 people. Inside 18

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

the mission gates, an air of quiet tranquility and reverence pervades the ruined church, pathways and surrounding gardens. The one remaining chapel, called Father Serra’s church, is awe-inspiringly beautiful. Nearby, inspired by the design of the original, a modern church has been built. Spring is not spring in San Juan Capistrano, los viejos (old timers) say, until the return of las golondrinas (swallows). Las Fiesta de las Golondrinas, a celebration of the swallows’ return to rebuild their mud nests in the ruins of the old mission, is held each year on March 19, Saint Joseph’s Day. Again, rolling past acres of vineyards, bright orange and lemon groves, tantalizingly brief stops at Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Carmel, Pismo Beach and the Hearst Castle at San Simeon only served to make us wish we could stay longer, but our time was nearing an end. We travelled 5,310 kilometres, learned much about the people and places we visited, and picked up some useful travel information too. For example, most large chain stores in the U.S. now accept debit cards, and they often offer cash-back, which saves on ATM transaction fees and bank charges. Also, when using a Visa card (we didn’t try other types of credit cards) at gas stations that require a zip code, there is no problem if you use the numbers in your postal code and add two zeros (A4B 4C1 would be 44100). California, America’s third largest state, is huge and spectacular in its diversity. Miles of rugged coastal beauty; fertile and desert flatlands; rolling foothills, snow-capped mountains; huge cattle ranches, farmlands, lush fruit and nut growing areas – and an abundance of sunshine. CaliSL fornia has it all.

LOOK FORWARD BY KRYSTLE WISEMAN

eth Rowles Scott did not intend to write a book, nor did she want to publish an autobiography. From her Crescent Beach home, she took up a pen and simply began to write the episodes of her life onto paper as a pastime. She describes the stories that evolved as beads that rolled disconnected in a bowl. After a few completed stories, Beth felt that the beads needed to be strung together. She found writing coach, Jerrold Mundis, for some guidance and professional opinion. “I wanted to do a really good job of writing, of honing my skills as a writer.” Beth now has her beads thoughtfully strung together in her book Pinch Me: a long walk from the Prairies. Modestly, Beth expresses her expectations of the book: “I don’t feel that I have had an extraordinary life... I thought [the book] would make other people think, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’ I hope that it would be a bit inspirational for people who aren’t very happy, or don’t feel very fulfilled, or feel old. Eightyone is old. I don’t feel old but I am, and it is still a good life.” Few octogenarians are so ambitious to start a new career. For Beth, it comes naturally. She spent much of her life working passionately as a teacher, a principal and a supervisor for the school district of Surrey. Once retired, Beth went back to school to attain a doctorate of education degree from UBC. Restless in her retirement, and having completed the highest level of schooling in her field, at the age of 65, she and her equally ambitious husband George initiated the successful non-governmental organization ACCES, the African Canadian Continuing Education Society, a program that provides scholarships for university students in Kenya. With her new career, and plans for a ninth trip to Kenya

�

Dr. Sunguti received a scholarship from ACCES to acquire his post-secondary education that lead to his doctorate. He now works in Nairobi and is holding a child who is HIV positive – providing care so the child will not acquire full-blown AIDS.

with ACCES, Beth is happy to say that she and George do not have too many average days. In her book, she writes, “To be happy, I have been told, you need these three things: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to.” This formula has been a guiding principle in Beth’s life. She expresses the importance of it being a look-forward formula and thus motivating to fulfill tomorrow’s goals rather than dwell on yesterday’s sorrows. “At our age, George and I still set goals for ourselves.” With her third career as a writer in the beginning stages, Beth has finished the first draft of a new novel. Writing has brought her into a completely new world, both professionally SL and creatively. And it’s a world she likes living in.

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APRIL 2010

Senior Living Vancouver & Lower Mainland Distribution Locations

ABBOTSFORD DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOC ABBOTSFORD REC CENTRE ABC RESTAURANT - MARSHALL FV REGONAL LIBRARY GREYHOUND BUS STN IGA MEDICHAIR MSA GENERAL HOSPITAL PEOPLES DRUG MART SEVEN OAKS MALL SHARES SHOPPERS DRUG MART TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTRE ZELLERS BURNABY ABC RESTAURANT AMICA @ RIDEAU MANOR BOB PRITTIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BONSOR COMMUNITY CENTRE BREAD GARDEN BRENTWOOD SKY TRAIN STN BURNABY GENERAL HOSPITAL CAMERON RECREATION CENTRE CANADA WAY LODGE CHOICES MARKET IN THE PARK CONFED COMM CNTR FOR 55+ EASTBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE EDMONDS COMM CENTER FOR 55+ EDMONDS PUBLIC LIBRARY EDMONDS SKYTRAIN STN EILEEN DAILEY FITNESS CENTRE GILMORE SKYTRAIN STATION HILTON HOTEL HOLDOM SKYTRAIN STATION IGA INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL HEALTH & VACCINATION CLINIC KENSINGTON ARENA LANCASTER MEDICAL LAKE CITY SKYTRAIN STATION LOUGHEED SKYTRAIN STN MCGILL PUBLIC LIBRARY MEDICHAIR METROTOWN BUS LOOP MULBERRY SENIOR’S RESIDENCE NORBURN MED CENTRE OLD ORCHARD MEDICAL CLINIC PATTERSON SKYTRAIN STN PRODUCTION WAY SKYTRAIN STN REGENCY MEDICAL SUPPLIES ROYAL OAK SKY TRAIN STN. SAFEWAY SPERLING SKY TRAIN STN. SFU LIBRARY SPERLING SKYTRAIN STATION STATION SQUARE MEDICAL CLINIC TIM HORTON’S WILLINGDON COMMUNITY CENTRE

COQUITLAM BREAD GARDEN CHIMO POOL & SOCIAL REC CENTRE COQUITLAM CITY CENTRE LIBRARY COQUITLAM LIBRARY DOGWOOD PAVILION DUFFERIN SENIORS CENTRE GLEN PINE PAVILION PARKWOOD MANOR POIRIER COMMUNITY CENTRE PARK & RIDE RESIDENCES AT BELVEDERE SHOPPERS DRUG MART DELTA DELTA HOSPITAL GEORGE MACKIE LIBRARY INSIDE RACK - RICKY’S KENNEDY SENIOR’S REC CENTRE KINSMEN ASSISTED LIVING LADNER COMM CENTRE LADNER PIONEER LIBRARY LADNER PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT MCKEE SENIORS RECREATION CENTRE NORTH DELTA REC CENTRE NURSE NEXT DOOR PINEWOOD LEISURE REC CENTRE SOUTH DELTA LIBRARY SOUTH DELTA RECREATION CENTRE SUN GOD RECREATION CENTRE THE WATERFORD WINSKILL AQUATIC CENTRE FORT LANGLEY FORT LANGLEY LIBRARY IGA LANGLEY AI WHEELCHAIRS ALDERGROVE MALL BROOKSWOOD LIBRARY DOUGLAS REC CENTRE HARRISON LANDING LANGLEY LIBRARY LANGLEY SENIORS CENTRE LANGLEY SENIORS VILLAGE LIFEMARK HEALTH CENTRE MAGNOLIA GARDENS MARKET PLACE IGA MAIN SPOT NEWS THE RENAISSANCE RETIREMENT RESORT TIMMS COMMUNITY CENTRE WALNUT GROVE COMM CENTRE WALNUT GROVE LIBRARY MAPLE RIDGE MAPLE RIDGE HOSPITAL MAPLE RIDGE LEISURE CENTRE MAPLE RIDGE LIBRARY NEW WESTMINSTER 22ND ST SKYTRAIN STN BRAID SKYTRAIN STATION CARE POINT MEDICAL CENTRE

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CENTENNIAL COMMUNITY CENTER CNTR OF INTEGRATION FOR AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS CENTURY HOUSE COLUMBIA ST STN EDWARD JONES HYACK HOUSE NEW WESTMINISTER QUAY NEW WESTMINSTER LIBRARY NEW WESTMINSTER SKY TRAIN STN QUEENBOROUGH COMMUNITY CENTER ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL

MINORU ARENA MINORU SENIORS CENTRE RICHMOND ADDICTION SERVICES RICHMOND CENTRE FOR DISABILITY SEAFAIR MEDICAL CLINIC SHOPPERS DRUG MART SOUTH ARM COMMUNITY CENTRE STEVESTON COMMUNITY CENTRE THOMPSON COMMUNITY CENTRE VOLUNTEER RICHMOND INFO SERV WEST RICHMOND COMMUNITY CTR

NORTH VANCOUVER CAPILANO LIBRARY CHURCHILL HOUSE EVERGREEN HOUSING ADMINISTRATION KIWANIS LYNN MANOR KIWANIS TOWERS LION’S GATE HOSPITAL LONSDALE QUAY LONSDALE QUAY BUS LOOP LYNN VALLEY MEDICAL CLINIC MEDICAL CLINIC - 1940 LONSDALE AVE MOUNT SEYMOUR MEDICAL CLINIC NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY RESOURCES NORTH SHORE NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE NORTH VANCOUVER CITY LIBRARY NUTRITION HOUSE PARKGATE LIBRARY PEMBERTON & MARINE MEDICAL CLINIC QUEENSDALE MARKET SILVER HARBOUR MANOR SUPER VALU THE SUMMERHILL WAL MART WESTVIEW MEDICAL CLINIC

SURREY AQUATIC CENTRE ARBOURSIDE COURT BUENA VISTA LIBRARY BUY RITE FOODS CHOICES MARKET CLOVERDALE LIBRARY CLOVERDALE REC CENTRE FLEETWOOD COMMUNITY CENTRE FLEETWOOD LIBRARY GATEWAY SKYTRAIN STN GUILDFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY GUILDFORD SENIORS VILLAGE IMPERIAL PLACE KENT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRE KING GEORGE SKYTRAIN STN KIWANIS PARK PLACE LIFEMARK PHYSIOTHERAPY MEDICHAIR NEWTON ARENA NEWTON GENERAL STORE NEWTON LIBRARY NEWTON WAVE POOL N SURREY REC CENTRE OCEAN PARK LIBRARY PEACE ARCH MEMORAIL HOSPITAL PHARMASAVE 10654 KING GEORGE PHARMASAVE 9558 - 120TH ST PHARMASAVE 15280 - 101ST AVE ROSEMARY HEIGHTS SENIORS VILL SAVE ON SCOOTERS SCOTT RD SKYTRAIN STN (N) SCOTT RD SKYTRAIN STN (S) SEMIAHMOO PUBLIC LIBRARY SHOPPERS DRUG MART SHOPPERS HOME HEALTH SOUTH SURREY ARENA SOUTH SURREY INDOOR POOL SOUTH SURREY REC CENTRE STRAWBERRY HILL LIBRARY SUNRISE PAVILLION SURREY GARDENS / SURREY VILL SURREY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL SURREY CENTRAL SKYTRAIN STN THE CHEMISTS PHARMACY TOM BINNIE PARK COMM CENTRE WESTMINSTER HOUSE WHALLEY LIBRARY WHITE ROCK/ S SURREY PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT

PITT MEADOWS PITT MEADOWS LIBRARY PITT MEADOWS REC CENTRE SHOPPER DRUG MART PORT COQUITLAM AMICA AT MAYFAIR TERRY FOX LIBRARY WILSON REC CENTRE PORT MOODY EAGLE RIDGE HOSPITAL PORT MOODY COMM SERVICES PORT MOODY LIBRARY PORT MOODY SOCIAL REC CENTRE RICHMOND BRIGHOUSE LIBRARY BUS STOP - 6390 #3 RD CAMBIE COMMUNITY CENTRE CAMBIE PUBLIC LIBRARY GARDEN CITY MED CLINIC HAMILTON COMMUNITY CENTRE IRONWOOD LIBRARY LANG CENTRE MINORU AQUATIC CENTRE

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MAINLAND DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS - CONTINUED VANCOUVER 1 KINGSWAY LIBRARY 29TH AVE SKY TRAIN STN 411 SENIOR’S CENTRE AMICA AT ARBUTUS MANOR ARBUTUS MALL BARCLAY MANOR BC WOMENS HOSPITAL BREAD GARDEN BRITANNIA ARENA / LIBRARY BROADWAY & BURRARD WALK IN BROCK HOUSE SOCIETY BURRARD SKYTRAIN BUS STOP - 750 BROADWAY CAPERS - 2285 4TH AVE CAPERS - 1675 ROBSON ST CAPERS MARKET CARE MEDICAL CENTRE CENTRAL MARKET - 830 THURLOW CHAMPLAIN HEIGHTS COMM CNTR CHAMPLAIN HEIGHTS LIBRARY CHOICES MARKET - 1202 RICHARDS CHOICES MARKET - 3493 CAMBIE ST CHOICES MARKET - 2627 16 AVE CITY SQUARE FAMILY PRACTICE COLLINGWOOD HOUSE COLLINGWOOD LIBRARY CROFTEN MANOR DENMAN COMMUNITY CTR DENMAN MALL DIAMOND HEALTH CARE CENTRE DOCTOR’S OFFICE 777 W BROADWAY DOUGLAS PARK COMM CENTRE DUNBAR COMMUNITY CENTRE DUNBAR PUBLIC LIBRARY FALSE CREEK COMMUNITY CENTRE FIREHALL LIBRARY

FRASERVIEW LIBRARY FROG HOLLOW NEIGHBORHOOD GF STRONG REHABILITATION CTR GRANDVIEW TOWERS GRANVILLE ISLAND MARKET GRANVILLE MEDICAL CLINIC HASTINGS COMMUNITY CENTRE HASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY HOME INSTEAD - VAN, NORTHSHORE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE JOE FORTES LIBRARY JOYCE SKYTRAIN STN KENSINGTON COMMUNITY CENTRE KENSINGTON LIBRARY KERRISDALE ARENA KERRISDALE SENIORS CENTRE KERRISDALE LIBRARY KHATSALANO MED CLINIC KILLARNEY COMMUNITY CENTRE KILLARNEY MARKET KITSILANO NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE KITSILANO PUBLIC LIBRARY KIWASSA NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE LIFEMARK HEALTH CENTRE LIFEMARK PHYSIOTHERAPY LITTLE MOUNTAIN NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE LONDON DRUGS - 1187 ROBSON MAIN ENTRANCE RACK MAIN ST SKYTRAIN STN MAPLE MEDICAL CLINIC MARPOLE COMMUNITY CENTRE MARPOLE LIBRARY MEDICAL CLINIC - 1280 GRANVILLE MERCATO MALL MID-MAIN COMM HEALTH CENTRE MT PLEASANT COMMUNITY CENTRE MT PLEASANT NGHBRHD HOUSE NANAIMO SKY TRAIN STN

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OAKRIDGE LIBRARY OAKRIDGE SENIOR’S CENTRE O’KEEFE SENIOR LIVING APT PARKVIEW TERRACE PHARMASAVE 595 BURRARD PLATINUM CARE RAYCAM COMMUNITY CENTRE RENFREW COMMUNITY CENTRE RENFREW PUBLIC LIBRARY RENFREW SKY TRAIN STN RICHMOND/VAN HEALTH UNIT RILEY PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE RILEY PARK LIBRARY ROUNDHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE ROYAL CENTRE MEDICAL RUPERT SKYTRAIN STN SHANNON OAKS SHOPPERS DRUG MART SIDNEY MANOR SINCLAIR CENTRE SORRENTO MARKET STADIUM SKYTRAIN STN S GRANVILLE PARK LODGE S GRANVILLE SENIOR’S CENTRE SOUTH HILL LIBRARY SOUTHVIEW HEIGHTS AND TERRACE ST PAUL HOSPITAL STRATHCONA COMMUNITY CENTRE STRATHCONA LIBRARY THUNDERBIRD COMMUNITY CENTRE TROUT LAKE COMMUNITY CENTRE UBC HOSPITAL VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY VGH EMERGENCY WATERFRONT SKY TRAIN STN WEST END AQUATIC CENTRE WEST END SENIORS NETWORK WEST POINT GREY PUBLIC LIBRARY YMCA COMMUNITY SERVICES

WEST VANCOUVER AMICA AT WEST VANCOUVER BUS STOP 2002 PARK ROYAL BUS STOP 2051 PARK ROYAL GLENEAGLES COMMUNITY CENTRE HOLLYBURN HOUSE SUPER VALU WEST VAN MEMORIAL LIBRARY WEST VANCOUVER COMM CENTRE WHITE ROCK HOME INSTEAD PACIFIC CARLTON SUNNYSIDE MANOR THE PENINSULA RESORT RETIREMENT LIVING

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Recommend a Distribution Location Near You! Senior Living is looking for convenient, high trafﬁc distribution locations throughout the Greater Vancouver region. If you know of a place of business or activity centre that would be a convenient location for interested readers to pick up our magazine, let us know. Email: ofﬁce@seniorlivingmag.com Phone 1-877-479-4705 APRIL 2010

One Heavenly Hike

Ten Scenic Sights BY JANE CASSIE

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Above, Enjoying one of the scenic summits. Photo: Brent Cassie Right, The Cassies’ canine, Chloe, takes the easy way out.

seems to have reclaimed some puppy pep and is as hyped as hubby about this challenge. How can I let them down? My confidence begins to grow when we venture onto the wide-grade path that bisects the forest, crosses a floating bridge and leads to a gravel road – pretty non-threatening. Then the real trailhead and uphill begins. In fact, by the time we pass under the hydro lines at the two-and-a-quarter kilometre mark, I’m the one who’s needing a power surge! Switchbacks scroll the mountainside and take us closer to the heavens. And while huffing and puffing my way to the Photo: Jane Ca ssie

e did a lot of hiking in the first few years of our marriage. But that was a couple of decades and a dozen or so pounds ago. So, when Brent suggests that we re-connect with Mother Nature and her tundra trails, I’m feeling somewhat skeptical about conquering the ascent. “It’ll be fun,” my Olympian-fit husband assures. “And we’ll start out easy – like the hike at Buntzen Lake.” Childhood memories flash back to this picnic hot spot, just east of Anmore; canoes skim the still waters, sandy beaches border its two ends and a low-level trail rims the perimeter. Even my aging knees could surely handle this two-hour saunter. But when we arrive at this adventure playground, instead of taking the low road, he heads for higher ground. Intersecting the southwest corner of this glistening gem is a mountain route that literally takes us up, up and away. “Don’t worry,” Brent promises. “We don’t have to do the 15 kilometre loop. If the going gets too tough, we can turn back after any one of the viewpoints.” As well as Diez Vistas Trail being a little more than a walk in the park, I find out it’s aptly named; 10 heart-thumping ascents and 10 scenic summits. Our tag-along senior schnauzer is excited. She

Photo: Brent Cassie

first summit, I’m ready to throw in the towel. But it’s too early yet. Our cute pooch (read: transformed mountain goat) is having the time of her life and is running circles around me. Why was I ever worried about her aging heart? I’ll likely be the one needing a pacemaker after this journey! Our trail forks to the right, rising sharply to the first summit and we’re finally privy to that hiker’s reward – a drop-dead (excuse the pun) view of forever unfolding mountains. “It gets even better,” Brent claims, when I respond with an oxygen-deprived, “Wow.” “You’ll really be blown away by the next perch.” Although it’s a poor choice of words, he’s tweaked my interest. I’m not sure if this is just a ploy to keep my rubbery legs going, but the dog seems to agree, as she wags her stubby tail and skitters onward. And I diligently follow, doing my slow but steady plod. Nature has a magical way of instilling peace. I’m not sure if it’s the clear mountain air or escaping the city pace, but somehow I feel symbiotically connected to the surroundings and internally calm. We continue in silence, each of us lost in our own thought. At an elevation of 560 metres, we’ve conquered the brunt of this bluff, and the ridge-top plateau is now more forgiving. My heart has stopped drum rolling. I’m breathing within normal range. And my sweatsoaked shirt is providing a cool embrace. Life is good. And, as Brent promised, so are the next nine viewpoints. Beyond the tree-fringed Deep Cove, our overview includes the metropolis of Vancouver, snow-tipped North Shore peaks, and a scattering of distant islands. Other pinnacles showcase different views: the finger-like fjord of Indian Arm, blue-smudged Toni Onley-type landscapes and the wilderness that stretches beyond. We take time to soak in the beauty and visual overload from each summit and agree that this hike is worth the sights! Although we have the option of doing an about face and retracing our steps, we go for the full-circle tour. The Hansel and Gretel-type wooded thicket opens up to the occa-

The author side steps her way towards the ﬁrst summit.

sional viewing bluff and peek-a-boo vistas. Down, down to lower ground. Knees, knees, hang in there please! We end up on the north side of Buntzen Lake, a quick pit stop for refreshment and reprieve. From here, we can take the easier east-side lake trail back to our rescuing vehicle, or join the die-hard athletes on the west shore. By now, I’m motivated to give it my all. And after four more kilometres of rugged terrain, I can proudly say I’ve reclaimed my hiking legs SL – unlike our carried canine!

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How to get to Diez Vistas Trai l: Head east thro ugh Port Moo dy/Coquitlam Make a left ont o Ioco Road Follow the sign s for Anmore and Buntzen Lake Park in the so uthwest corner of the lot Best time for th is hike: April October Elevation Gain: 440 metres Highest point: 560 metres This circuit ca n be completed in less than four hours. We took a leisurel y ﬁve.

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APRIL 2010

Cosmological P

Troubadour

auline Le Bel is interested in how things came to be and imagining the possibilities for the future fascinates her. This talented musician, singer, actor and writer has set out on a journey to reconnect with the earth. “Before we can make wise choices about the future, we need to have a more intimate relationship with the earth,” she says. “Entertaining people is fine, but I want to do more. I want to help heal the earth by loving it. You can’t protect something if you don’t know it and love it. I want to get back to this primal place of being in love with everything around us.” This is the theme of her most recent CD, Rescue Joy, an album of uplifting original songs. What was it that compelled this entertainer to examine the importance of her relationship with the planet though she claims to be neither political nor an activist? The answer is simple and complex, a creation story of both a single individual and the sum of all that is. Pauline was born in 1943, the seventh of eight children, and raised until the age of six in the small Francophone town of Tecumseh, Ontario. Despite her place in the birth order, in many ways, she inherited the best aspects of both her parents. Her father was a pharmacist, who owned and ran the drugstore while her mother had played piano in a band prior to getting married. “Our town had only 4,000 people, so the drugstore was everything for the community,” says Pauline. “My dad was a funny, gregarious guy who knew everybody and they all knew him. Mom was a fabulous pianist who gave up her band and teaching music to raise us. We had a baby grand piano and as a child, I would lie underneath it and watch her 24

STORY AND PHOTO BY KEVIN MCKAY

high heels going up and down on the pedals. I felt embraced and wrapped up by the vibrations as much as by the sounds she played.” Intelligent, Pauline started school

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

early and then skipped Grade 2. She spent the next several years in Windsor, reading all the time, and enjoying learning but disliking sitting still inside. One thing she’s always loved is music.

“From seven on, I went to musicals with Mom,” recalls people together.” Pauline initiated her big musical break in 1978 when she Pauline. “I sang in many school choirs and in church. Those were the days you entertained yourselves. I’m reliving that read a book about French singer Edith Piaf, and was inspired because I realized I was born to make music. I’m trying to to write a show. The path to get there, however, was anything but straight and narrow. Along the way, she married integrate music in places you wouldn’t expect.” at 17 and gave birth to her two One of those places is at the children by the time she was 20. openings to meetings. In 2005 She moved to Toronto and then and 2006, she created and orgaEdmonton, where she graduated nized a festival on Bowen Island “...going to seed is not a bad with a bachelor of music degree involving a wide number of disthing. Seniors have knowledge from the University of Alberta parate groups and organizations in 1975. Pauline cut her teeth, to celebrate the human and natuand when they go to seed, so to speak, by performing at ral history of the island, to honour their wisdom nourishes the the Klondike Days festivals in the past and dream the future. Edmonton as well as musical “I went to the municipal counnext generation.” theatre, clubs and piano bars. cil to ask for funding for the fesShe says of those performances, tival,” says Pauline. “What I do “I learned about creating a circle is sing first then ask for money. of energy with the audience. In Every time I would come in to ask or to thank them, I would sing first so they got used to it French, one does not say ‘you perform,’ but rather ‘you give and looked forward to it. This is how we humans used to be. yourself’ and this giving comes back to you.” Pauline had an idea but nowhere to present it because all Indigenous people wouldn’t think about starting a meeting without a song. I love doing this: Inserting music where it the producers she knew in Edmonton were worried there might be a backlash against its French aspect, so Pauline took always was and where it is meant to be.” Pauline is passionate about the value of singing and music. it to Ray Michael of City Stage in Vancouver. “He gave us two weeks to write the show and rehearse and She wrote a musical about Bowen Island, Voices in the Sound, and wound up telling the story of how the island started out found a brilliant director, Bob Graham,” she says. “I don’t as a piece of volcanic rock near the equator and is quite rare APRIL 2009 among the gulf islands as a result. APRIL 2009 “The first 20 minutes of the show are about the creation of the universe in poetic rather than scientific language, which I GARDENING TIPS FOR APRIL learned from physicist Brian Swimme,”GARDENING she says. “It’s about (POST TIPS FORWINTER) APRIL (POST WINTER) the long-distance romance between the sun and the earth and how we are children of this love affair. Since then, IFor get invitHerbal Remedies Anxiety Newsletter for Senior Living Readers Herbal Remedies Anxiety ed to scientific conferences because I have made the For story acNewsletter for Senior Living Readers Designed to Inspire, Entertain and Inform. cessible. At my first one, in Hawaii, I opened the conference COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT Designed to Inspire, Entertain and Inform. My intention is to live forever. So far, so good! �� with a Hawaiian chant then presented the Universe Story COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT and My intention is to live forever. So far, so good! �� WEBSITE EXPANSION TITLE invited the audience to make the sounds of the universe. They This month you will see some interThis will be something inspirational, like the Tiger WEBSITE EXPANSION TITLE Woods blurb on the Business Newsletter. Blah, INTERACTIVE additions to loved it. If people only knew what a joy it was to sing, they esting This monthWe youwill willbe see somean interThisblah....And will be something inspirational, like theI will Tiger Blah, that’s how I look at my life. our website. adding on theIBusiness Newsletter. Blah,I esting INTERACTIVE beWoods better blurb as a golfer, will be better as a person, section, whereadditions the com-to wouldn’t just want to sit there and listen. It’s wonderful when EVENTS Blah, blah....And that’s how I look at my life. I will our website. We will be adding an will be better as a father, I will be a better husband, munity can post information about beby better as aasgolfer, be better asat a person, I EVENTSevents. section,We where the comourI willwebsite I will be visi�ng better a friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow. There upcoming willSign also beup today they sing along and feel the joy.” will be better as a father, I will be a better husband, munity can post information about is no such thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will apadding a “social” component called I will be better asI awill friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow. There upcoming events. Wevisitors will also be www.seniorlivingmag.com ply tomorrow, and be better.” “SPEAK OUT” where can The importance of music goes even deeper, according to post is no suchWoods thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will apadding a “social” component called -Tiger articles and comments. ply tomorrow, and I will be better.” OUT” where visitors can Pauline, though she warns people have lost something impor- A“SPEAK -Tiger Woods FRESH LOOK to our Readers post articles and comments. Each month, we emailTITLE subscribers our latest newsle�er Tell us what you think... Newsletter. Another inspiring blurb....personal growth, etc. A FRESH LOOK to our Readers tant with the advent of musical recordings. “IfTITLE you think of the story of David and Goliath, containing: Tell us what you think... Newsletter. Another inspiring blurb....personal growth, etc. Goliath is the problem you have currently in front “Even though recorded music has only been around for ASK A PROFESSIONAL you think of the story David and Goliath, of“If you. David needed onlyofone slingshot and • inspiring ar�cles on successful re�rement Goliath is the problem you have currently in front felled his problem. Then he got to go onto other posted this month: A PROFESSIONAL about 100 years, less than one per cent of the music we New articles of you. David needed onlyeach one one slingshot •ASK seasonal recipes • computer, gardening and travel �ps problems. The point is that of us and needs felled his problem. Then he got to go onto other to focus that magnifying glass of attention on one 1 by Advertiser A month: New articles posted this updates on changes to our magazine orof usthing.” website problems. The point thatgo each one needs hear today is live. I attended another conference last year Article speciﬁc thing, solve it, is then to the next Article 2 by • Advertiser B to focus that magnifying glass of attention on one Article 1 by AdvertiserCA - Mark Victor Hansen Article 3 by Advertiser • surveys to secure your input • contests to enter for prizes speciﬁc thing, solve it, then go to the next thing.” Article 2 by Advertiser B “ASK A PROFESSIONAL” and gave a paper about music and its effect on your brain. Article 4 by Advertiser D - Mark Victor Hansen Article 3• bylists Advertiser Cour most recent senior-focused of adver�sers “ASK A PROFESSIONAL” YOUR HEALTH Herbal Remedies For Anxiety And My suspicions have now been validated by science. When Article 4 by Advertiser D Stressadvice ar�cles on our website WELCOME NEW • lists ofADVERTISERES our most recent YOUR HEALTH Herbal Remedies For Anxiety And This has something on wellness, health, may be pharmayou sing, you release all kinds of great stuff into your brain WeWELCOME welcome businesses to Stress NEWnew ADVERTISERES •these access to interes�ng websites and options, online ceuticals, cosmetics, herbal etc.videos Put article on Senior Living. It’s because of their supThis has on wellness, health, may be pharma– endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and when you sing with portWethat website to something track welcome we canthese bringnew you businesses this maga- to ceuticals, cosmetics, herbal options, etc. Put article on [READ MORE] Senior Living. It’sWe because of their supevery month. encourage you, website to track Senior Living con�nues to develop more ways to stay in touch other people you release oxytocin, which is a nursing, bond- zine port that we canthem bringknow you this magathe reader, to let through [READREPAIRS MORE] (POST-WINTER) HOME zine every month. you, YOUR patronage of We theirencourage business that with our loyal readers. Become one of our Newsle�er ing chemical. Neuroscientist Dan Levitin even suggests that youtheappreciate reader, to them let them know through We will do a section that’s related to home renovations, as well. HOMEetc. REPAIRS (POST-WINTER) YOUR patronage of their business that repairs, Handyman tips, etc. We will put these articles subscribers today. No charge. Advertiser A do a section music helped to create society because of its ability to bring Advertiser you appreciate them as well. onWe ourwill website to trackthat’s them.related to home renovations, B

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Advertiser Advertiser CA Advertiser Advertiser DB Advertiser C Advertiser D

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repairs, etc. Handyman tips, etc. We will put these articles [READ MORE] on our website to track them. [READ MORE] HOW FULL IS YOUR LIFE?

APRIL 2010

This is an inspirational, motivational article designed to be HOW FULL IS YOURatLIFE? uplifting but thoughtful the same time. We will put this This is inspirational, motivational article designed to be article onan our website to track it. uplifting but thoughtful at the same time. We will put this [READ MORE]

think I sounded like Piaf, although many insisted I did, but I sang with the same passion. We cast two actors to play her lovers and her father. It was an amazing experience. When opening night came, many people left during the intermission, and returned with flowers to throw on the stage at the end of the show. We sold out every night. I learned a lot about myself doing that show. You can’t sing those songs without plumbing the depth of your own emotions.” Pauline stepped back from singing when her marriage broke up, and after a brief tenure at law school and a house that burned down, she decided to try her hand at writing since it meant she could stay at home. A theatre director she had met at university asked her to write an introduction to opera for children. “I wrote two musicals for them,” she says. “Then, I had this idea for a third story about a land where they don’t allow people to make music. I wrote it as a screenplay and it was picked up by Showtime in the USA. They loved the script and didn’t change one word. We filmed the exteriors at Fort Louisburg on Cape Breton Island, then the interiors at an Edmonton sound studio. The Song Spinner was nominated for three Emmy Awards including one for best writing.” After much prompting, Pauline wrote the story as a children’s novel, which was published by Red Deer Press. The novel won an award and later the CBC commissioned her to write a radio drama about it.

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

“I finally realized that I am a storyteller.” Because her previous stints in Vancouver had always been near summertime, Pauline was unaware of how different the climate was from Edmonton in the winter. When she visited in late 1998, she knew the coast was where she had to be. She sold her Edmonton home and moved to Vancouver the following May. A year later, she landed on Bowen Island, where she remains to this day. Island life agrees with her. “Bowen has been amazing for me. About five days after I arrived, songs started pouring out of me. I envisioned a poem on the ceiling and realized it was a song. Every day, more songs were appearing and I needed to record them. I looked for a guitar player on the island, but found a cellist instead. He listened to my songs and said let’s make a CD, which became Dancing with the Crone. It’s ironic: Two young men helped me make a CD about reframing our perception of old age.” Pauline did a lot of research about how various cultures view their elders. “I gave workshops called Kiss The Crone, encouraging women of all ages to enter that really juicy place of wisdom and humour, no b.s., call it what it is, and standing up for things. One song on the CD is about how women change the world. I am very excited about this power women have. I read about how the United States constitution was based on that of the Iroquois Six Nations that the founding fathers discovered when they got here. Only they didn’t get it quite right because with the First Nations it was the old women who chose which of the men governed.” Pauline is also adamant about reclaiming some terms, which are thought of as derogatory nowadays, such as crone and hag. She says, “I wanted to reclaim the crone. It used to refer to the crowning of a wise old woman. And the word ‘hag’ comes from the Greek word hagia, meaning ‘holy one.’ In the same way, going to seed is not a bad thing. Seniors have knowledge and when they go to seed, their wisdom nourishes the next generation.” Though Pauline Le Bel is a musician, a singer and a writer and she calls herself a cosmological troubadour, she simply wishes to make a difference. “I’m interested in the role of the artist and the role of the elderly in society,” she says. “It’s not about the last years of our lives, it’s about making a difference and paying the debt. It’s about helping my grandchildren and great-grandchildren and all earth’s children to have a better life. Part of my job is to teach myself to really see things as they are and paint a SL picture of what might be.”

BBB Better Better Better Better

Business Business Business Business

Bureau Bureau Bureau Bureau

SCAM ALERT

BY LYNDA PASACRETA

Beware of Fraudulent Paving Contractor

pring is here, and with it comes a warning to homeowners about a fraudulent paving company working across Lower Mainland British Columbia. Consumer reports from places across B.C. indicate that men have shown up suddenly in communities offering to resurface asphalt driveways. The representatives provided a brochure or flyer for the company and a quote with a five-year guarantee. One consumer recently paid $5,300 by money order to the company to have the work completed. It turned out to be substandard and fell apart within a few days. After trying to track down the company, the homeowner found out the office listed on the invoice was a fake. These unreliable contractors typically target a community for only a few days and then move to another location. Consumers need to be vigilant and not be taken in by low prices and guarantees.

Before you give any money to anyone or allow him or her into your home, BBB suggests: Get the name and location. Research the name and address of the company the vendor claims to represent. Check the business out at mbc.bbb.org Get it in writing. Ensure all details and verbal promises are included in a contract. Review it and make sure you completely understand the document. Never sign a contract with sections left blank. Check for qualifications. Verify the individual is licensed, bonded, insured and has registered with WorkSafeBC (Workers’ Compensation Board). Make cheques payable to the company. Do not pay in cash and do not make cheques payable to an individual, only the company. Avoid “bait and switch” tactics. Some disreputable companies will of-

fer low prices for installing items like windows and home siding, but then come back later to the client saying the item is currently out of stock and can only be replaced with a high-priced substitute. Have everything in writing and know the terms in advance. Do not be pressured by any person if you are unsure. Take the time to do your due diligence. If you did sign and would like to change your mind, B.C. law states that if it was a door-to-door sales contract, you have 10 days to advise the company. For more information, contact Consumer Protection BC at www.consumerprotectionbc.ca SL For more Consumer Tips, go to www.mbc.bbb.org

Lynda Pasacreta is President of the Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C. www.mbc.bbb.org To contact Lynda Pasacreta, e-mail president@mbc.bbb.org

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�� APRIL 2010 AM 27 3/18/10 10:17:43

Crossword PUZZLE Across 1. Sudden convulsion 6. Condescend 11. Engage in espionage 14. Extreme radical (Disparaging) 15. Sum 16. Meadow 17. Greek epic poem 18. Backward 19. Annoy 20. Trace 22. Legendary king of Thebes 24. She is 26. Pasta 30. Fathers 34. Female fowl 35. Discovers 36. For fear that 37. Wrathful 39. To free 40. Hawkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nest 41. Robust

42. Inn 44. Highest mountain in Crete 45. Slumbered 46. Adorned with medals 48. Crack 49. Break into pieces 54. Idaho resident 59. Petroleum 60. Cereal grain 62. Poliomyelitis 63. Vessel built by Noah 64. Angry 65. Township in W New Jersey 66. Lock opener 67. Suckle 68. Leases Down 1. Petty criminal 2. Heap 3. Variety of anisette 4. Three-handed card game

Mind GAMES 5. In a stylish manner 6. Homeless child 7. Terminal digit of the foot 8. Essential oil obtained from flowers or petals 9. Paddled 10. Trudge 11. Slide 12. Republic in W South America 13. Tibetan oxen 21. Clarified butter 23. Republic in S Europe 25. Tries hard 26. Persian leaders 27. Pertaining to punishment 28. Fish 29. Person receiving indemnity 31. Jeopardy 32. To one side 33. Lieu 38. Put in a new pot 40. Last sheet in book 43. Peruse 47. First prime minister of India 49. Saturate 50. Rent 51. An alcoholic 52. One of a matching pair 53. The back of 55. Battle Hymn of the Republic author 56. Male name 57. Am not 58. Wooden pins 61. American Temperance Society ANSWERS

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Photo: Jason van der Valk

ASK

Goldie

BY GOLDIE CARLOW, M.ED

Dear Goldie: I hesitate to write to you because I feel like I’m going public with my private life. Two years ago, I met this gentleman when I was taking a music course at university. We became friends and by the end of the course became partners. We still keep our separate homes but have daily contact and take frequent holidays. It seemed like a wonderful romance for two people in their 70s. My problem is that recently I learned that he has a similar relationship with someone else. I feel devastated. He seemed so sincere and I really care for him. I don’t know whether I should confront him or just bow out of the situation. –M.J. Dear M.J.: I think it is important for you to look back to the source of this information before you make any changes. How reliable was your informant? Sometimes people just spread rumours that are not true. It sounds like you really care for this person, so it makes sense to find out the truth. Tell him what you have heard. If he is evasive, you may have cause to worry. Your description of the relationship sounds like there were few binding ties. This can leave the impression for either party that the field is open for other affairs. You need to have a heart to heart discussion. Do not delay.

get my life back together since it happened. We had three children and five grandchildren, so I do have a family. Everyone seems so busy with their own lives; I can’t talk about what happened. What can I do? –A.Y. Dear A.Y.: Your health is in danger unless you find someone to share your true feelings. Psychologists tell us there is both emotional and physical healing power in expressing your grief. I would suggest you set a time to bring your family and close friends together for a remembrance evening. Tears are acceptable and it would be a great tribute to your wife and the mother of your children. Such an occasion gives all of you an opportunity to grieve openly. That is what is needed here. Unfortunately, our generation often praised the “stiff upper lip” attitude to grief, a process that delays healing. Your comment about the difficulty in getting your life back together indicates you may have been trying this method. Hopefully, your family gathering will allow all of you to keep the memory of a wife and mother alive and part of your daily life. SL

Dear Goldie: I became a widower six months ago when my wife died in a car accident after 35 years together. I just can’t seem to Senior Peer Counselling Centres (Lower Mainland) New Westminster 604-519-1064 North Vancouver 604-987-8138 Burnaby 604-291-2258 Richmond 604-279-7034 Vancouver West End 604-669-7339 Coquitlam – Tri-Cities 604-945-4480 Vancouver Westside 604-736-3588

Goldie Carlow is a retired registered nurse, clinical counsellor and senior peer counselling trainer. Send letters to Senior Living, Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria, BC V8T 2C1. APRIL 2010

REFRAMING RETIREMENT BY MOIRA GARDENER

eframing is to take a picture and put a new frame on it, accenting different aspects of the picture. In this case, to reframe retirement is to adjust the focus. Is retirement a luxury of the past or is it simply an outdated concept? The two basic components to look at when viewing this picture are money and time. Let’s look at possibilities about money first. Begin with becoming financially literate. Educate yourself by reading authors such as Suze Orman and her 9-steps to Financial Freedom. Look into local programs on financial literacy. Explore possibilities such as those outlined in Timothy Ferriss’s book The 4-Hour Work Week, where he gives numerous resources for creating passive income in the current electronic environment. In other words, adjust your focus. One framing possibility on the financial front is to think Financial Independence not retirement. Financial Independence! What the heck is that? Tracy Piercy, Certified Financial Planner, says, “This is the situation when you have enough income to live your life in the way you want to live it; and work becomes a choice not a requirement.” When we have enough passive income every month to sustain the lifestyle we have chosen, we are financially independent. This does not depend on age, but ingenuity, and personal priorities. Begin by defining what financial success means to you. Tracy goes on to say, “financial success, on the other hand, is a mindset... Define what is really important and work out what enough is. Stop the ‘when I’ and

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SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

make it happen now.” In other words, decide what you need to do on a monthly basis for your chosen lifestyle and put a dollar value to it. Start now, don’t procrastinate. Priorities are what determine where you spend your money. Now, take out your gratitude glasses and clean them off, and view your world with an attitude of gratitude. Look at what is going right, even if it’s “I’m still breathing.” Be honest with yourself and sit with a pen and paper. List your priorities. Where are you now, and where would you like to be? Having a written list, and breaking it down into doable bites is a first step forward because it solidifies a financial goal, and with the help of the right financial expert creates a plan. The trick can be to pull your head out of the sand, and look at where you are now – that can be the hardest part. Start small; it can be as simple as changing a habit, or looking at your own psychology of money. What does money represent to you? Resist the temptation to whine, “But it’s too late.” No, it’s not. If you don’t like where you are, make a plan. If you’re on track, great! Planning may take ingenuity depending upon financial circumstances and money choices that have been made until now. It will take a positive mindset, a personal definition of financial success and a specific monthly dollar amount. The “how to move forward” is also personal, and may require a combination of financial vehicles to reach your goal. A pension could be part of your income, in time, but not the only income. Funding possibilities could come from traditional investments, rental income, or even part-time work. It may be as simple as investing in your talents. You need to do the research and add your own income initiatives to create your list of possibilities. The road to financial independence and a personal definition of financial success are in the hands of each of us, and there are avenues that need exploring. But you must be willing to take responsibility for your financial situation and believe in your abilities and ingenuity. Buying into the traditional model of “save up bags of money, and at age 60 or 65 collect a pension and stop working” needs a new frame. What will your frame look like? The second part of the equation is your time. When you are financially independent, and financially success-

ful, according to your own definition, how will you choose to spend time? This is even more important because funds come and go but time comes only once. Look at time as a gift and turn to long-held passions. Ask yourself, “What

my passion and my business.” Wayne Sali of Nanaimo uses the term “Graceful Retirement” – “being reliant on the belief structure you hold.” For Wayne, it means being comfortable in his skin. Graceful retirement is a transition to wholeness (body, mind

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are my causes?” Take stock of your talents. What do you have a heart for? Do you wish to contribute to community locally or on a global scale? In reality, you already have a start, look at that list of priorities you created when making a financial goal. Look around you. There are people whose passions run toward entrepreneurial activities. They may choose to follow the suggestions in The 4-Hour Work Week and move towards running a business within an electronic environment. Then there are people who have a passion for a cause and spend their time supporting it. Artistic souls, who revel in their chosen talent, can spend more time creating and others enjoy the freedom to pursue their spirituality. Wendy Nordli, a former bank teller, has developed her passion for the art of stained glass and jewelry creation. Her former colleagues asked her how she liked retirement and she responded, “it is no different; it’s simply that I don’t have to get up and go to work. I now have more time and energy to develop

and soul) – a spiritual arriving, the resilience of the human spirit. Wayne alludes to crossing all the boundaries of age, money and time. What you believe creates the priorities that drive your choices. Kindness, compassion and love know no age limit, and neither does community involvement. If you are part of yesterday’s experience and are happily enjoying what was once termed retirement, be glad. However, if you are like many of us who look to the future with questions, you may wish to reframe. That yesteryear mindset of mandatory retirement and retreating into a foggy state of imagined uselessness or sailing off into the sunset is part of the old wooden frame. Today, raise your half-full cup and keep filling it so it overflows along that continuum called life’s journey. Start now, and choose where to invest both your time and your funds. If your circumstances block your way, adjust your attitude, and try a new perspective so you can rise above them in SL order to move forward.

$30 for 20 words or less. $1.25 per extra word. Boxed Ad - Small (2.2 x 1.2) $110. Boxed Ad - Large (2.2 x 2.4) $210. Add Logo - $25 extra. Red spot color 10% extra. Plus 5% GST. All Classiﬁed ads must be prepaid. Cheque or Credit Card accepted. Toll Free 1-877-479-4705 Deadline: 15th of the month. Make cheque payable to: Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave.,Victoria BC V8T 2C1

RESOURCE DIRECTORY A reference guide of services and products

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Providing your family with superior live-in & live-out nannies and elderly caregivers

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�� Success in advertising isn’t a one shot effort. To get the best results, planning your advertising budget to extend over a year gives you the best bang for your buck. Senior Living’s Resource Directory keeps your name in front of consumers where they see it every month. Call 1-877-479-4705 for details. APRIL 2010

Reﬂections THEN & NOW

BY GIPP FORSTER

wish I hadn’t been such a late advantages. I just can’t think of any. The disadvantages are a bit frustratbloomer. By the time maturity caught up with me, I was al- ing. Now that I realize that all things ready a senior. When I was ready to are to be taken in moderation, I am boogie, my body was “boogieless.” well past moderate. Now that I have learned it is wise And when I was ready to challenge the world, the world told me not to call it, to run from temptation, temptation has it would call me. I’m still waiting for run from me. Now that I understand what it means to walk and not run, I’m the call. I remember always wanting to be stuck on a scooter. Life is not fair for we late bloomabout three inches taller than I was. Now, I’m three inches shorter than I ers. My grown children seem to be my was when I wanted to be three inches elders and pat me on the hand when I try to tell them of my revelations. Mataller! Sixty-five, 70, 75, 80 years might turity isn’t all it’s cut out to be. People sound awfully old to the young, but not just don’t seem to appreciate a vibrant, intelligent young to the ones who adult in a senior own them. Years body! They think are like sand that a “late bloomer” runs through our My body may demand is some kind of fingers. They go to be in bed by 9 p.m., undergarment. that quickly! I guess the best I’m sure glad but my mind parties way to describe a we don’t take until the wee hours. late bloomer is these tired old a person who fibodies with us nally gets to sit when we leave behind the steerthis world to journey to the next. I guess I could ing wheel in a car, and discovers cars, handle holding onto my body when I as a rule, no longer have a clutch. Or had a 33-inch waist, was three inches arriving at the dance when everyone taller, could see my shoes while stand- else has gone home. Or wanting to ing up and was even able to bend down take a bite out of the world, but afraid of losing their teeth in the process. to tie them! But not now. My kids and stepkids, who are in I offered to leave my body to science, but they want references, so I’ve their 30s and 40s, have been mature decided against it. My wife says sci- for years. When I was in my 30s and ence isn’t big enough for my body. She 40s, I was still trying to decide what I always knows the right thing to say wanted to be when I grew up! My wife is still waiting for an answer. when I’m feeling low. My 13-year-old grandson is far I’m sure being a late bloomer has its 32

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Photo: Krystle Wiseman

LATE BLOOMER

more mature now than I was when I was 53! When I suggest he and I go see a movie, more often than not, he will tell me there is nothing really suitable for me to see and it would be better if we stayed at home. When I told him I thought I was old enough to handle whatever Hollywood chose to dish out, he smiled patiently, sighed and changed the subject. Now that I have bloomed, I want the world to know! I’m as good as any mature adult – even better than some I would hope. My wife says I’m being supercilious, but it’s true I tell you! Being a late bloomer is like inheriting a million dollars while living on a deserted island with no way off. My body may demand to be in bed by 9 p.m., but my mind parties until the wee hours. My flesh may be overblown and part of the sag explosion, but my mind is muscular and can still run down the beach kicking sand in thin guys’ faces. My body may be old, but my mind is younger than young and the mature of the mature. It’s not so bad being a late bloomer. But it sure is lonely! SL

BC EDITION

Published by Senior Living

JANUARY 2009

14.95 Buy it now! �

REG. PRICE: $

ONLY

9.95

To Move or Not to Move? A Helpful Guide for Seniors Considering Their Residential Options

If you are a senior who has been wondering lately whether you should consider moving - either because you find the maintenance of your current home more difficult due to diminishing ability or energy, or you simply want a lifestyle that allows you more freedom and less responsibility - then this is the book that can help you ask the right questions and find the solution that is right for you. • What residential options are available? • Define your current situation - What residential option is right for you? • How to research and assess Independent and Assisted Living residences. • What do Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities have to offer? • How much does it cost to live in an Assisted Living residence? What subsidies are available? • Thinking of moving in with family members? Questions to consider before making your decision. • Are there any other residential options besides Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities? • If you choose to stay in your own home, what are your options and what should you plan for? • Who can help you decide what you can or cannot afford? • Funding sources available to seniors - tax deductions, housing subsidies, home care subsidies, equipment loan programs, renovation grants, etc. • Selling your home - how to find the right realtor or relocation services to assist your move. • Downsizing - Where do you start? How do you proceed? • Adapting your home to meet your mobility needs - tips and suggestions • Hiring home care services; do it yourself or hire an agency? • Legal matters - how to make sure you receive the care you desire should you not be able to communicate due to some incapacitating condition • AND MUCH MORE Advice from professionals who are experts in the area of assisting seniors with their relocation

questions and concerns. A handy reference guide for seniors and their families wrestling with the issues around whether relocation is the best option. This 128-page book provides helpful, easy to read information and suggestions to help seniors and their families understand the decisions they need to make.

ORDER FORM - “To Move” Name_______________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________ City_________________________________ Prov ___________ Postal Code_______________ Phone _____________________

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Mail to: “To Move” Book Offer c/o Senior Living Box 153, 1581–H Hillside Ave., = $____________ Victoria BC V8T 2C1

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SHIPPING $3.95 FIRST BOOK, $1.95 PER ADDITIONAL BOOK = $____________ SUBTOTAL

= $____________

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Shipping rates apply to British Columbia addresses ONLY. To have book mailed to addresses outside of BC, please call Senior Living 250-479-4705 for shipping costs. Please allow 2 weeks for shipping.

Read my article on the Senior Living website at www.seniorlivingmag.com