June 2009 Senior Living Magazine Island Edition by INSPIRED 55+ Lifestyle Magazine

JUNE 2009 TM

Vancouver Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50+ Active Lifestyle Magazine

ADVENTURER Vic Lindal

Summer Fun in Whistler

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were? ~ Satchel Paige

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Book author and travel industry veteran Bert Ollivier with his artist wife Juanita. Story page 46. COVER: Adventurer Vic Lindal ready to dive into another adventure just for the fun of it. Story on page 4. Cover Photo: Enise Olding Publisher Barbara Risto Editor Bobbie Jo Reid Sheriff Contributors Norman K. Archer, Katrice Balmer, Goldie Carlow, Brent Cassie, Jane Cassie, Thelma Fayle, Gipp Forster, Ted Grant, Mary Anne Hajer, Steve Holland, Andrew House, Chris Millikan, Rick Millikan, Pat Nichol, Enise Olding, Bert Ollivier, Michael Rice, Rosalind Scott, Vernice Shostal, Barbara Small Design Bobbie Jo Reid Sheriff, Barbara Risto Proofreader Allyson Mantle Advertising Manager Barry Risto For advertising information, call 479-4705 sales@seniorlivingmag.com Ad Sales Staff RaeLeigh Buchanan 250-479-4705 Ann Lester 250-390-1805 Mathieu Powell 250-589-7801 Barry Risto 250-479-4705 Distribution Ron Bannerman, Rhonda Donkersley, Gail Fattore, Jim Gahr, Lorraine Rhode, Barry Risto, Betty Risto, Sheila Rose Richardson Contact Information Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave.,Victoria BC V8T 2C1 Phone 250-479-4705 Toll-free 1-877-479-4705 Fax 250-479-4808 E-mail (General) ofﬁce@seniorlivingmag.com (Editorial) editor@seniorlivingmag.com Web site www.seniorlivingmag.com Subscriptions $32 (includes GST) 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 independent publication and its articles imply no endorsement 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 Island is distributed free throughout Vancouver Island. Stratis Publishing Ltd. publishes Senior Living Vancouver Island (12 issues per year) and Senior Living Vancouver & Lower Mainland (12 issues per year). ISSN 1710-3584 (Print) ISSN 1911-6403 (Online)

FEATURES 4 Fit for the Adventure

Vic Lindal stays ﬁt and active throughout the year, so when the adventure presents itself, he’s ready to roll.

12 A Resilient Man

Disability doesn’t stop Les Chan; he’s always moving forward.

16 Meditation

Bring a state of mindfulness into your life with daily meditation.

18 An Olympiad of Summer Adventure

Whistler is well known among skiers, but there’s also a mountain of summer fun to be explored.

22 Never Too Old for the Circus

Columns 2 The Family Caregiver Barbara Small

10 Victoria’s Past Revisited Norman Archer

24 Ask Goldie

Goldie Carlow

32 Scam Alert

Rosalind Scott

34 Bygone Treasures Michael Rice

36 Courageous & Outrageous Pat Nichol

Rocket through the air in an exhiliarating 48 Reﬂections: Then and Now experience you won’t soon forget. Gipp Forster

26 Metamorphosis

Reluctant sailor Mary Anne Hajer takes the plunge into open waters.

30 An Enlightening Romance

History, culture, breathtaking views and even a new friend can all be found while trekking New Mexico’s Rio Grande Gorge.

and...

Crossword 40 Classiﬁeds 41 Resource Directory 44

38 Storytellers

Everybody has a story to tell – here, you’ll ﬁnd a captive audience to listen to yours.

42 All Art Show

Catch up with four artists who will participate in Sooke’s three-day interactive photography, art and literary fair.

46 Confessions of an Author

Travel industry veteran Bert Ollivier developed a love-hate relationship with book publishing.

JUNE 2009

THE FAMILY CAREGIVER

alliative care focuses on care and comfort at end-of-life and consists of medical care and personal care along with social, emotional and spiritual support. As a family caregiver, you play a signiﬁcant role in ensuring both physical and emotional quality of life for your family member who is ill. You may need to learn about many aspects of physical care (such as feeding, bathing, and safe management of medication) if you decide to care for your family member at home. Regardless of whether they choose to die at home, in hospice or in hospital, this can be a very stressful and emotional time for everyone involved. Many resources are available to help support caregivers and their families during this time. A key resource that provides palliative care in our community is Victoria Hospice. Hospice provides an integrated program, which includes expert physical care and social, emotional and spiritual support to patients and their families facing death and bereavement. Care is provided in patients’ homes, at Hospice’s in-patient unit, and in other hospital settings throughout the community. Hospice offers a Palliative Response Team (PRT) that is on call 24-hours a day for short-term crisis consultation

Palliative Care Resources

and treatment in patients’ homes. PRT is also available to support death at home. For more information, contact Victoria Hospice at 250-370-8715 or visit www. victoriahospice.org. To find hospice services in your community, visit the Directory of Hospice Palliative Care Services website at: www.chpca.net/ canadian_directory_of_hospice_palliative_care_services.htm. Through your local health authority, a Home and Community Care Case Manager can visit to set up home support for clients who need personal care or respite at home. Clients in hospital who want to go home with services in place may receive assistance from Community Access Case Managers who work in Acute Care. On South Vancouver Island, call 250-388-2273 or 1-888-533-2273 for more information. The B.C. Palliative Care Benefits Program covers the costs for equipment, medical supplies and drug costs. This program supports individuals of any age who have reached the end stage of a life-threatening disease or illness and who wish to receive palliative care at home. Benefits under the program continue for as long as the person is diagnosed as requiring palliative care. All B.C. residents who are enrolled in the Medical Services Plan and who wish

BY BARBARA SMALL

to receive palliative care at home can request their physician to assess their medical eligibility for the program and submit an application on their behalf. For more information, call the Ministry of Health Services InfoLine at 250-9521742 or 1-800-465-4911 or visit www. health.gov.bc.ca/pharme/outgoing/palliative.html If you need to take time off work to help care for a dying relative, Compassionate Care Benefits for up to six weeks are available for this purpose. Contact your local Employment Insurance office for more information. Also, family caregivers can pick up free copies of A Caregiver’s Guide: A handbook about end-of-life care at the Family Caregivers Network office at 526 Michigan Street. This is an informative and practical book produced by the Canadian Hospice and Palliative SL Care Association. Next month: Are you a Family Caregiver? Barbara Small is Program Development Coordinator for Family Caregivers’ Network Society.

The Family Caregiver column is brought to you by the generous sponsorship of ElderSafe Support Services

SENIOR LIVING

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for more information contact: Zone Director Marilyn Kraeker 250-389-1327 rmkraeker@shaw.ca www.bcseniorsgames.org JUNE 2009 3 We acknowledge the ďŹ nancial assistance of the Province of British Columbia

ADVENTURE

BY ENISE OLDING

aying that Vic Lindal has a zest for life, boundless energy and a sense of adventure would be mere understatements. Freshly back from scuba diving in Wakatobi Marine Park, Indonesia, Vic is full of enthusiasm about his new experiences: “It has to be the best dive trip ever. The most fantastic coral, sponges and fish. The life under water was truly from another world.” Vic is the kind of person who soaks up everything that an experience has to offer. It was the first time he viewed, amongst others, lion fish, flat head crocodile fish, sea snakes 4

SENIOR LIVING

and, in particular, a pygmy seahorse; so small the guide had to point it out or he may have missed it. He loved the attention to detail that was offered to the divers and the quality of the dive brieﬁngs, which, being one to want every possible scrap of information, Vic very much appreciated. Clad in a light full or shorty wet suit, he’d spend about 60 or 70 minutes on a dive; wall dives mostly of some 80 feet [24 m] or so. Vic considers this a dive trip of synchronicity. A while back, his dive buddies and he were at an event, which in-

Photo: Enise Olding

Fit for the

volved underwater filming, and one of them won a prize: diving in Wakatobi. Time went by and, eventually, they decided to make good on the offer and asked Vic to come along. Naturally, he jumped at the chance; through some fortunate timing and arrangements, he was able to go. Ever ready for an adventure or new experience, Vic embraces all the opportunities that come his way, and if they don’t come, he creates them. Not a victim of what he calls AADD, Adult Adventure Deficit Disorder, he urges others not to become afflicted by it. “I hear people say things like, someday I would like to take that trip or do some particular thing. But when the time comes they are not prepared or fit enough to take that adventure,” he says. “It is my crusade,” he affirms, “to help people get on with their lives and have adventures.” Vic’s adventures run the gamut from cycling with his grandchildren, to scuba diving in tropical waters, seeking out his Icelandic roots, or hunting for trilobites and much more. One of the biggest commitments he’s made is to “be fit for my grandchildren” of which he has 10. “I want to be fit for the experience,” he says. But whatever that experience happens to be, Vic will embark on it with the grandchild in question from the moment the idea is sparked. “We do the research into the project from the beginning to the end,” he says, and they plan it carefully and visualize what it is they want to achieve. For instance, a recent adventure involved teaching two of his grandchildren how to cycle distances. All three set times for the coaching and learned everything about the skill of cycling, rules of the road, equipment etc. before undertaking the first journey from Victoria to Mill Bay, via the ferry. Always emphasizing the positive, Vic thrives on planning these adventures with his grandchildren. He carries this

Photo: Enise Olding

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Vic approaching a reef on Wakatobi

joy it and will continue to do it – there’s no reason not to,” he says. He makes sure that his speaking skills don’t become rusty by participating at Toastmasters, “your skills will fall through your ﬁngers and you don’t notice they are gone,” he warns, “so stay sharp.” After all, when you make presentations, people expect you to do well and besides you are always evaluated, he adds. Vic’s been a sports consultant for the Government of British Columbia and as a teacher, taught Math, P.E. and Special Education in Vancouver. But one of his fa-

enthusiasm through to his other activities, some of which include refereeing volleyball and basketball teams. And, he has a tip for parents who have children participating in sports, “always carry a notebook while you are out there watching your children and write down all the things that they did well. Make these known to the children and help them relive all the positive experiences they had rather than the negative ones.” Vic works as a personal coach and, over the past 17 years, he’s travelled far and wide delivering motivational speeches and consulting with a myriad of organizations and individuals. “I en-

SENIOR LIVING

Photos: Courtesy of Vic Lindal

Whether on the water or under it, Vic loves a new adventure.

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Amica

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 10:00 am to 4:00 pm If you have never visited your neighbourhood Amica Retirement Community, this is the day to satisfy your curiosity…and your taste buds! Throughout the day of June 17, we will showcase one of our true passions…the fine dining experience and the culinary excellence of our Chefs and staff. Mark your calendar to join us anytime during this complimentary day that revolves around the enjoyment of food, presentation, preparation and the company of friends! 10:00 am to Noon Self Serve Continental Breakfast Noon to 2:30 pm Chef Action Stations 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm Chef Demonstrations & Food Sampling

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Some moments in Vic’s life might be recognized as relaxation: he loves to read books that are not part of his current studies, and he meditates every morning. And, “I’m a good dancer,” he says, adding with a laugh “I’m working on my modesty!” Vic’s future goals include completing a bicycle adventure, with another granddaughter, from Nanaimo to Qualicum, diving at Cayman Brac, men’s volleyball and “to continue inspiring the clients I have and new ones that come into my life and provide guidance so they can follow their life paths.” But what if people don’t know what it is they want to do? Vic says, write down all the things you don’t like or don’t want to do, and then write a list of the opposites. Ask yourself what each of those things is going to look like. As for Vic,

he deﬁnitely doesn’t want to climb Mt. Everest, but he does want to do some back country camping. Being ﬁt for the experience is the key, according to Vic, in terms of the physical, mental and spiritual.

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Photo: Enise Olding

vourite accomplishments was coaching the National Canadian Women’s Volleyball team from 1969-1977. He says his goal then, which he achieved, was to become the best team in North America. A more recent goal was achieved when Vic and another granddaughter took the B.C. Parks and Recreation Fitness Instructor course together. They met regularly to go over the material and exercise and eventually received their strength training certiﬁcates. “We had to do a practical and we were tested together. We might be the only grandpa and granddaughter strength training combo,” he laughs. Raised in Cordova Bay, Vic comes by his boundless energy through his parents who were both very interested in exercise, good nutrition and loved badminton. Vic’s dad was about 65 when Vic ﬁnally beat him at a contest the two had had going for some years – walking on their hands across the lawn at Royal Roads.

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Welcome to the Family Looking out at the grey, wind-blown ocean at Ogden Point, Vic compares the scene to his view of life, “you can see the ripples on the ocean and there’s not much there, you have to plunge in and, there, a whole other world is opened up. But, if you want to see the SL ﬁne details you need a guide.” To read more about Vic Lindal’s adventures, visit www.viclindal.ca To learn more about diving in Wakatobi, visit www.wakatobi.org

Welcome Home Our residents move into bright, quiet, one or two bedroom suites. Incredible meals cooked from scratch, not only a delight to the palate, but a reminder of the fresh local ingredients used in days gone by. Meandering paths through wooded meadows and gardens bring peace and pleasure. Housekeeping, laundry services and recreation let them know we're here to spoil them. The laughter of children in the distance brings smiles all around.

This is the Cridge Village, this is Home. "Why didn't I make this move sooner?" The Cridge Village Senior Centre 1307 Hillside Avenue, Victoria, BC V8T 0A2 Telephone 250.384.8058 Fax 250.384.5267 www.cridge.org JUNE 2009

T S A P S ’ IA R O “Irate Parents Received After 3 p.m.” T C I V

he walls of South Park School, across from Beacon Hill Park, must still echo to the acid tones of British Columbia’s first female Principal, Agnes Deans Cameron. She was bad-tempered, opinionated, cantankerous and argumentative. Yet, as her contemporary Emily Carr said, “Agnes was very clever.” She was also a gifted teacher and many students spoke appreciatively of her skill in making learning fun. Agnes Cameron and Emily Carr had much in common. Both were eccentric, both were not influenced by the flood of negative public opinion that came their way, both were born in Victoria of British immigrant fathers who had come to Victoria in the wake of the gold rush to seek their fortunes. Both were extremely intelligent and both had remarkably creative gifts. Both taught children. Both were avid exponents of native culture. Both travelled widely in search of new experiences and neither married. But there, the similarities end. Agnes was a passionate advocate of women’s rights and female suffrage and, as such, she became British Columbia’s first high school teacher in 1890, the province’s first female principal in 1894 and a founder of the British Columbia

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Teachers’ Institute. She rose to become president of the National Educational Association in 1906. When it came to her career, she followed in her mother’s footsteps. Jessie Anderson was a schoolteacher in Dalkeith, Scotland before immigrating with her brother to the California Gold Fields, where she married Duncan Cameron. In 1860, Jessie and Duncan came to Victoria with their first four children and where their fifth child, Agnes Deans Cameron, was born in 1863. Agnes was a member of the first graduating class from Victoria High School. She began teaching in 1876 and three years later was on the staff of Angela College. She had teaching stints at Comox and Granville before returning to Victoria in 1884. While teaching at Victoria Boys’ School in 1890, she hit the headlines for thrashing a disobedient student, Herbert Burkholder. The case was brought before the authorities with the accusation that she had beat him around the head. Agnes stoutly refuted the allegation, but in her own defence, she admitted, “I whipped him severely, just as severely as I possibly could. It is within the range of possibility,” she continued, “that in throwing up his arms to avoid punishment he may have been

touched on the head, if so it was only a touch and caused by the boy himself.” She reinforced her point by emphasizing that every blow she administered had left its mark and if she had hit him on the head, the blows would be evident. This somewhat dubious defence did not impress the authorities, but she was allowed to resume her position. However, she was by no means ﬁnished with Herbert. When he next appeared in her geography class, she lost no time in humiliating him to the extreme. However, Agnes was generally loved by her students because her creative ability made her lessons imaginative and fascinating, but she infuriated parents whose anger was exacerbated by a sign that hung on her door, “Irate parents received after 3 p.m.” She soon found herself in trouble again for publicly criticizing the school trustees for paying unequal salaries to female teachers and for showing discrimination in favour of men. She received a response from the School Board dismissing her for insubordination, but she was quickly reinstated because no one wanted a public scandal. Her rollercoaster career continued until 1906, when, as principal of South Park School, she was ﬁred for ignoring

The Tale of Agnes Deans Cameron BY NORMAN K. ARCHER

the rules for setting examinations for her students preparing to enter high school. The affair might easily have been resolved by an apology but instead, her belligerent attitude provoked a judicial inquiry. The case dragged on for weeks and Judge Lampton’s 33-page report resulted in her dismissal. Her somewhat checkered teaching career was over. But, totally unfazed, she got herself elected as a School Trustee, topping the polls in the process and putting her in the uncomfortable position of working alongside those who had dismissed her! Her opponents were more than ever determined to bring her into disgrace, but before they were able to achieve their objective, the irrepressible Agnes Cameron plunged into a new venture. She became a travelling reporter. She started as a journalist in Chicago, writing about the Canadian West. But by the age of 44, she was able to fulﬁll a lifelong dream to explore the McKenzie River as far as the Arctic Circle. Outﬁtted with a Kodak camera and a typewriter and in the company of her niece, she set out in 1908 to make the 10,000mile [16,093 km] journey over a period of six months. Her journalistic skills were superb as she described in detail the Athabasca River, the Great Slave

Lake and the McKenzie River in a most interesting book, The New North. This highly acclaimed volume opened the eyes of its readers to an area of Canada that was virtually unknown and it gave insight into the warm heart of a woman that most people had dismissed as crusty, opinionated and frosty. But more importantly, she invested an immense amount of energy in studying and describing the Inuit culture – polygamy, the repressed role of women and the primitive attitude to children where “even dogs are given a better place to sleep.” Her book is still available as a free Internet download and is delightfully vivid and readable. She has earned the reputation as the first significant female writer born in British Columbia, and the first white woman to travel overland to the Arctic. Upon her return to civilization, Agnes was invited to England to give a two-year lecture tour on behalf of the Canadian Government. Her lantern slide shows on such themes as “Wheat, the Wizard of the North,” “From Wheat to Whales” and “The Witchery of the Peace” were immensely popular. She lectured in Oxford, Cambridge and St. Andrew’s Universities as well as at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

She also wrote a daily column for four months in the Daily Mail newspaper. When she returned to Canada, wherever she went, she was treated as a celebrity. In 1912, she had an appendectomy, but a sudden attack of pneumonia immediately following the operation took her life four days later. She was only 48. Hers was one of the largest funeral processions in Victoria’s history and hundreds of wreaths were laid at the family vault in Ross Bay Cemetery. But, ever the rebel, her body was not there. It had been shipped across the water for cremation in Seattle and her ashes were scattered in Georgia Strait. The local newspaper had this to say about her: “It is possible that when the history of British Columbia comes to be written, the name of Agnes Deans Cameron will be inscribed therein as the most remarkable woman citizen of SL the province.”

Norman Archer is an historical city tour guide in Victoria and the author of Tales of Old Victoria. Contact him at 250-655-1594 or nka@canada.com

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A Resilient Man BY THELMA FAYLE

“Open your heart to all who love you.” –Beautiful Dreamer, Les Chan, 1976

ong dark locks frame the sweet face of a 13-yearold boy in the picture looking down over the entrance to Les Chan’s home. The arresting photo was taken days before Les had his head shaved for brain tumour surgery. A shaved head may not seem like the largest challenge, but it is a memory that still burns 40 years later. There was nothing “cool” about engaging puberty with a bald head in the ’70s. That pivotal time launched Les’ determined crusade to handle life’s challenges with his new body. Hemiplegia, a condition in which one-half of a patient’s body is paralyzed, branded an indelible theme into Les’ action plans. His mantra became: Move Forward. “My disability has been a godsend in making me a very strong individual,” he says. “I might have been a meagre kind of person otherwise.” Wise words from the man who was not expected to reach age 14. Les says what’s wonderful about being told you can’t do things is that, in his case, spite spurs him on. “Fail12

SENIOR LIVING

ure is a wonderful motivator,” he claims. Les’s textile artwork is hysterical, uplifting and beautifully detailed in a high-context style. “I got into the punning in my needlework in the late ’80s,” says Les. Man Orchid (man or kid) has a playfullooking man emerging from a flower. Sex in the City has arms and legs haphazardly jutting out of building tops in a grey cityscape. One of Les’ shows, the Tea Series, offered playful teacup themes. Two-tea-fruit-tea presents a colourful assortment of fruit and teacups. Cock Teas has a rooster floating in the air by the teacup. Then there is High Tea, a teacup with a peace sign on it surrounded by sprigs of a marijuana plant and rolled paper joints. And Tea and Trumpets, and M Tea. Les points out one of his latest pieces: “These are the gay pride colours,” he says. The rainbow flag has six different shades that represent the skin colours of people around the world. Les is preparing for the gay pride art show in July, a Victoria library show in February, as well as shows in Port Angeles and a one-man show at the Martin Bachelor gallery

in Victoria in 2011. His needle art presents themes that showcase Les’ involvement in many communities. The unmistakable red and black Chinese symbol for double happiness crops up frequently. While Les recovered from the brain tumour, he needed to stay occupied. He watched his Aunt Ruth stitch her needlework and was fascinated by the process. After a few years, the commercial kits bored the young man and he set off on his own imaginative venture to have some fun. He began to design outlandish patterns. The creative outlet helped him through tough high school days when he was in and out of hospitals. “I was the ‘Chink,’ the ‘Sissy’ and then the ‘Gimp,’ and it was a devastating time, as youth can be for all of us,” says Les. “My sense of humour and my cockiness saved me, and I learned to cope. I am grateful that I look in the mirror now and see a man I respect. It was hard work.” Les is thankful he battled his brain tumour in Canada. “If I was in China and had a brain tumour as a child, my life would have been very different. I would have been of no use to a farm family who needed help. I would have been farmed out,” he says. The illness was hard on his family. “They didn’t know what to do. All of a sudden, they were thrust with a severely disabled child. We had the love of a large extended family, but my parents didn’t have the practical supports that exist now.” Les’ mother had rheumatoid arthritis, so she and Les hung out together while his father, sister and brother did other things. When his siblings had kids of their own, and they went skiing and camping, Les would be left to babysit the kids. “At times I didn’t take too kindly to that,” he says. “But now I have two nieces and a nephew that I adore.” Les wants to share his survivor skills. “When I was young, I had to ask my father to buckle my watch strap, and I got tired of that,” he says. “I need to be independent.” For close to 40 years, he’s had to learn skills that someone who has had a stroke at 50 or 60 doesn’t have time to learn. “I was lucky to have the challenge early and have had a lifetime to learn coping skills. I can save stroke victims time and frustration and show them how to live more effectively with a disability.” Putting on a watch with one hand, tying a tie, chopping food in the kitchen, wrapping a gift and ironing are all skills Les had to teach himself to do. “I discovered there was such a thing as a one-handed can opener. Who knew?” He has amassed a whole raft of what he calls “survivor techniques” around eating, dressing and living. “There are all sorts of things you can do with physical limitations.” Les tested his training session idea with a group of 20 people in Nanaimo and it went well. But he isn’t sure of the logistics of his goal on a larger scale yet.

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When Les needed more socializing in his young life, he discovered cooking. It was fun and he could share it. Les set out to eat well, entertain friends and live within a reasonable food budget. Within a few years, Les became a cooking instructor and the author of Don’t Stir Fry in the Nude. He thinks of eating well as a demonstration of self-love. Les will participate as a culinary course instructor for a local chef series in the summer of 2009. “I like taking care of everybody,” he says. “People get blown away by the food I make. Part of my process is that I need people to ‘ooh and ahh’ over my accomplishments. I am very conscious of my body; yes, my arm hangs and my leg is funny, but I am okay, and I am a great cook.” For 17 years, Les has hosted an annual Chinese New Year dinner for two large groups. Each evening will seat up to 80 friends. The ﬁrst night for business contacts and straight friends and the second night is just for the guys. The 10-course banquets will set the backdrop for a fun evening full of irreverence and great food. “The homosexual world is constantly bombarded with images of perfect bodies. And here I am, in my community. It is a difﬁcult community for people with disabilities. My friends are comfortable with me, and it is not an issue anymore, but it is tough for young people.” Humour is an important part of Les’ life and he says it is one of his gifts. “I belong to a tourism operation and they wanted me to run for a position on the board. I told them the problem is I can’t run. But I told them I could do my Terry Fox-trot.” Les loves the community spirit of Victoria and part of how he helps his newfound hometown is through offering tours of Chinatown. “I try to be helpful to the Chi-

nese community. I like bringing cultures together. I understand about missing opportunities; I have missed many.” Les’ art shows are fun and have given him the accolades he says he needs; as is his involvement with the Victoria Chinese Chamber association, Tourism association, Island Gay Society, and Habitat for Humanity gingerbread fundraiser.

SENIOR LIVING

This page (clockwise), Les works on his needlework. Two pieces from Les’s punning tea series: High Tea and Cock Teas. Page 15, Also an accomplished cook and author, Les in his kitchen. Photos:Ted Grant

He acknowledges an important mentor, Gail Schultz. “I went to the Centre for Self-Awareness for a decade and learned that I am okay,” he says. “People see me as being confident, but it has taken me a very long time to get here.” But even after 10 years with an enriching mentor, and a list of accomplishments as long as his out-of-action arm, Les Chan is still irritated by the sight of his non-symmetrical reflection in the mirrored glass wall of the building he enters. “I cringe when I see myself,” he says, “that isn’t really me. I choose not to acknowledge that it’s my hobbled body. I shoot for my own personal perfection in life. And that reflected image does not jive with my own goal of perfection.” “In the wider definition of disability, every single one of us needs to come out of the closet in terms of accepting and appreciating our bodies for exactly what they are. My situation is a little more visible than most.” Les understands that when people see a body with a different gait, they initially assume there is a mental problem. “People with disabilities need to reassure ourselves that we are okay as we are.” Aside from being funny, clever and productive, this fabric artist, cooking instructor, published cookbook author, poet and volunteer to many community agencies, keeps on moving, although he claims to relax plenty while he creates his needle artwork. A framed poem on the wall, which Les wrote in his 20s called “Beautiful Dreamer,” bids guests farewell as they leave his apartment. He wrote it, no doubt, with a lover in mind. As Les says of his culture, “Chinese tradition is about the circle – everything comes back.” Through his own absolute resilience, the beautiful dreamer continues to make his dreams come true, one determined SL and uneven step after another.

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FINDING A PLACE OF STILLNESS W

e breathe every second of every day but how often do we really pay attention to our breath? The in-breath and the out-breath; the intake of energy and the expelling of energy. We gasp, we hold, at times, we hyperventilate; however, these are all times when our breath has our attention. In those moments, when we stop and pay attention, we can easily bring our breath back into the normal round of in and out. I have always used the phrase “take a breath” when someone was having a moment of hysteria or becoming exceedingly stressed out. All these years later, I now realize that, at any moment, the correct answer is always TAKE A BREATH. Just relax, take a moment and breathe. One of the ways people can incorporate a state of mindfulness into their lives is with meditation – a practice that has been used for centuries by wise men and women. A time to be still, quiet the mind and just breathe. The benefits of mindfulness meditation are found in all aspects of our busy lives. Deep breathing, which is the backbone of any meditation practice, eases muscle fatigue and tension because of increased oxygen to the muscles. Meditation has been proven to lower high blood cholesterol due to its stress-reducing benefits and, with the decrease of stress, our immune system is subsequently strengthened. The physical benefits alone are realized almost immediately with unlimited energy. Emotionally, people will first notice a sense of calm as they embark on a meditation practice. Where, in the past, they may have reacted with anger and confusion at yet another stressful situation, now, with a daily practice of stillness, they are able to see these situations with a clearer perspective. From this place of clarity, confidence emerges knowing that a positive resolution can be found, in the end, 16

SENIOR LIVING

BY KATRICE BALMER

with a sense of effortless ease. Meditation enhances the senses. Learning to integrate all the senses into one’s daily life, through meditation, will bring a myriad of emotional benefits and fullness to life. Those who meditate start to “respond” to situations and people, instead of “reacting” from a place of stress. Creative juices can flow more freely as focus and concentration are enhanced. The mental benefits of meditation, if practised regularly, are long-lasting and eventually become permanent. Meditation seeks to bring harmful and counterproductive thoughts and feelings to the surface of the consciousness, quell them and help one gain the necessary perspective to deal with the challenges. Meditation is the healthy replacement for drugs and alcohol, and is the ultimate anti-addiction medication. Along with all the benefits to one’s physical, mental and emotional well-being, meditation also brings with it a greater sense of selfawareness. Those who practise meditation notice a feeling of being more “connected” to the world around them. They find that they develop a heightened sense of purpose and with that comes a greater feeling of acceptance. A multitude of desirable benefits come with regular meditation practice. For some, meditation allows them to discover aspects of their personality they had previously been unaware of. Issues that may have been causing distress for years seem to magically resolve themselves as they allow those unconscious thoughts and feelings to rise to the surface while in a quiet, still place. Meditation is not a destination but a fascinating journey where those who practise become awakened to life. We are all continually changing and evolving and, with regular meditation practice, these changes simply flow as we evolve into the person we are becoming.

We never stop growing and, as we age, it is even more important to allow for these changes in our lives to be as stress-free as possible. Through meditation, people can discover and uncover an entire new world of interests or talents. In my case, I discovered that I love to put thoughts down on paper. My work is now my passion. I have those quiet still moments during meditation to thank for bringing me to my present life; a life that is full of purpose imbued with a deeper understanding of who I am and how I can give back to others. Writing works for me. For others, it may be painting, singing, or simply creating a beautiful backyard oasis. There are many meditation facilitators in the community. Local community centres may already have meditation classes listed in their schedules. Check them out. Local metaphysical bookstores will have listings of practitioners who offer a variety of different meditation practices. And, of course, check for meditation circles online by entering Meditation and the city in a search engine. Life can be busy and hectic, but we have the ability to shield ourselves from all the noise and ﬁnd that still, quiet place deep within. So, take a moment and discover meditaSL tion, and learn to breathe consciously. Katrice Balmer works as a holistic healing practitioner and has been facilitating meditation circles for 20 years.

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AN OLYMPIAD OF SUMMER ADVENTURE STORY AND PHOTOS BY RICK AND CHRIS MILLIKAN

or some, Whistler’s playground for adventure begins with driving the beautiful seato-sky highway, but we ride in comfort aboard Whistler Mountaineer’s Glacier Dome along the even more scenic railway. Rolling through picture-perfect West Vancouver into Horseshoe Bay, hostess Elizabeth serves up nuggets of history with savoury breakfasts. Magniﬁcent vistas begin along the vast shoreline of Howe Sound. Taking in picturesque Porteau Cove, famed stone monolith Stawamish Chief in Squamish and spectacular 70-metre Brandy Wine Falls, our rhapsody intensiﬁes as we “hang” from the heritage open-air viewing car to ogle awesome Cheakamus Canyon. From Alta Lake station, some fellow travellers will spend their day exploring Whistler’s alpine-style village, strolling to Lost Lake or taking a gondola up into mountain meadows before 18

SENIOR LIVING

returning to North Vancouver. Staying three days, we do all that and more. Settled at one of Whistler’s chateaustyle hotels, we walk to the new Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. Within the huge glassy Squamish Longhouse and under the grassy dome of a Lil’wat Istken pit house, these two bands showcase their living cultures. Our guide tells us that they have long shared their immense territories, which encompass Whistler. Even marriages, including her own, occur between members of these two proud bands. Looking at large photos appearing on banners, she tells us how medical herbs are gathered and mountain sheep hair is collected for woven clothing. Exhibits feature intricately carved canoes, dramatic ceremonial masks and fashionable clothing incorporating aboriginal motifs. A multimedia presentation illustrates a native lifestyle rich in dance, music, sports and tra-

ditional crafts. The cedar bark harvest is especially fascinating. Peeling off six- to seven-metre strips from towering trees, brittle outer bark is separated from pliable inner bark; it’s rolled and hung to dry, then stored for a year before it’s used in basketry. The onsite café offers an intriguing menu of native foods. Returning to the village through one of many creek-side parks, we enter its winding pedestrian mall. Trees, flamboyant flowers and artwork border arrays of freshly painted al fresco restaurants, boutiques and shops – some selling souvenirs, others excursions including river rafting, ziplining, nature hikes, rock climbing, kayaking and horseback riding. This first day sets our daily pattern for tasty meals, lingering at tables overlooking the busy main square, followed by leisurely strolls over to Cows for moovel-ous ice cream.

Early next morning, we join Whistler Eco-Tour Guide Robbie for a pedal-paddle expedition. Waivers signed, he provides bikes befitting our stature, and bottles of cold water. Initially, we roll along a meandering two-and-a-half kilometre paved forest trail to Alta Lake. Leaving bikes locked under some evergreens, we pick up paddles, life-jackets and a canoe at dockside for a hearty paddle across the lake. On the way, Robbie points out what’s popularly known as the million-dollar view of snow-capped mountains, including Mt. Rupert, Easy Chair and Wedge. Pausing, we watch an osprey hovering above us; her nest is atop a nearby snag. On the far shore, a great blue heron stands ready to spear a meal, and a reddish brown merganser mama and her brood preen on a cottage dock. Beaching our canoe at Rainbow Park, we stretch our legs. The nearby bridge is created from curved lacquered branches. Robbie observes, “Steam trains brought honeymooners to this idyllic destination and this, Bridge of Sighs!” Nearby stand the original small cabins of Whistler’s first resort. Old photos on their windows depict newlyweds happily experiencing outdoor adventures, just as we do today. These romantic couples fished, hiked and canoed the same River of Golden Dreams that we enter at the reedy end of Alta Lake. Moving slowly through patches of yellow pond lilies under mellow sunny skies, this placid waterway con-

jures “golden dreams.” Lofty cedars, ﬁrs and hemlocks soon line the shore, like green sentinels along the serpentine channel. Coming to a manmade log dam, we make a short portage and re-board. Often shifting our weight, we manage to rock ourselves over the shallowest of the shallows, carefully paddling through this trickle toward the main river. Following tips on how to avoid capsizing while merging into the white water, we furiously apply a variety of strokes. The torrent pushes us sideways and under tree limbs; duck-

JUNE 2009

Green Lake

ing, we avoid bumps and scratches, soon emerging back into bright sunlight. Our course now winds between rocky banks topped with briars of orange salmon berries, purple ﬁreweed and wild pink roses. Travelling ﬁve kilometres of pristine serenity, we arrive near Green Lake’s shore. Our shuttled bikes stand nearby, ready for action. Remounting, we pro-

ceed along this huge lake tinted icy turquoise by glacier-ground rock ﬂour. Skirting an adjacent golf course, we spin along a compact-gravel trail paralleling glacial Ferguson Creek. Stopping at a co-op greenhouse, we learn that many of Whistlers’ leggy pedallers also have green thumbs. Continuing onto a paved road, we pass through the village suburbs, return to a trail, pass alongside a

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skateboard park, a bustling terra-formed bike park and return into town. Our second morning ﬁnds us swooping skyward in a spacious gondola, rising up Whistler Mountain. Immediately below us, legions of cyclists in full-body armour coast and jump down the lower slopes. Taking in their frenetic activity, a large brown bear grazes nonchalantly nearby. At the midway point, passengers with bikes exit to try out jumps at the nearby bike park or thrill-ride downward on a choice of gnarly trails. Continuing our ascent, we look out for namesake Whistling Marmot, spotting instead a pudgy pika among the rocks. Our scenic ride ends at the Roundhouse Lodge, 1850m above sea level, a huge chalet reception area. Upstairs, we glance at shops offering souvenirs, warm clothing for the unprepared and refreshments. From its huge open deck, we see the Inuit Inukshuk symbolizing

Whistler’s 2010 Winter Olympics, eagerly snapping photos of this gargantuan human depiction with a panoramic backdrop of the famed resort area below. Breathing in fresh mountain air, we hike down a short slope to the chairlift and continue our ascent to Blackcomb’s summit. Hopping off, we spot another Inukshuk constructed of huge granite slabs and join multitudes on a pilgrimage to its sky-high platform. This one stands before distant Black Tusk, a distinguished black basalt peak, remains of a Pleistocene volcano. Looping up and down nature trails, we examine small and great sights at these heavenly heights, where small wildflowers nestle colourfully among sun-warmed crevices and majestic snowcapped mountains rise around us. The last morning, we tramp through woods looking for Lost Lake. Well signed, we easily find this beautiful body of water situated among huge evergreens. Accessible from the village, with even a shuttle bus service to its nearby parking lot, the large sandy beach has become very popular. Our return route, below splendid resorts of the upper village and along Ferguson Creek, leads us to a covered bridge where a kayaker escorts two wacky blue and yellow ball-like polyhedrons tumbling down the rushing creek; hydro-bronc riders inside buck the cascading waters. Later that afternoon, we re-board the Whistler Mountaineer and soon enjoy high tea, complete with tiny finger sandwiches, luscious blueberry scones with Devonshire cream and scrumptious lemon tarts. Over steaming cups of Earl Grey tea, we review our mountain adventures – and conclude that Whistler rocks in summer! SL

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JUNE 2009

Never Too Old for the Circus

BY JANE CASSIE

Photo: Brent Cassie

hen I was seven, I had high hopes of joining the circus. My dad even installed a trapeze in our basement to pacify this childhood whim. But that was a number of decades and 100 or so pounds ago. Today, in my pre-golden years, as I teeter on the edge of Whistler’s Zip Trek platform, I’m not as certain that I’ll soar through the air with great ease. “Just hang on and enjoy the ride,” I’m told, nonchalantly, by my two fun and very ﬁt young guides. Marcus and his counterpart, Marc, are as carefree as they come, and although I’ll be careening high above a deep valley gorge that bisects Whistler and Blackcomb, they make it sound like a 22

SENIOR LIVING

simple swing in the park. As well as shelling out tips on aerodynamics, they’ve provided running commentaries about local ecology, wildlife and sustainability. Before taking this leap of faith, I’ve learned about pileated woodpeckers, inspected the bark of old growth hemlock and explored our eco-friendly surroundings. The canopied Treetrek Trail, linked by boardwalks and suspension bridges, is the perfect forest alternative for families with young children – or more mature folks who have second thoughts about swinging like Superwoman across Fitzsimmons Creek. And while my heart palpitates and the thunderous water tumbles 80 feet [24.4 m] below, I’m seriously considering staying on this side of the ravine with the scaredy-cat crowd. Then I remember why I’m taking this aerial flight. I’ve come to this Olympic playground with my daughter for a little bonding and adventure time. Although I had had pre-conceptions of swinging a golf club or doing a little hiking, at the active age of 30-something, she was zeroing in on escapades that produced a tad more adrenaline. “Let’s try rap jumping,” she had suggested, when we first arrived. Upon elaboration, I discovered that this face forward, free fall off the summit of Whistler involved a harness, ropes and a breaking device. My pulse rate immediately doubled and I quickly declined. Her next proposition, Via Ferrata, would take us on a climb to one of the pristine peaks, but not the traditional way. Instead of hoofing the hills, we’d be ascending on steep ladder rungs. I’m not sure why Italians gravitate to this “Iron way” of hiking, but it’s sure not up my aging alley. Finally, she recommended Zip Trekking, a year-round air-obic adventure that’s suited for

both greenhorn and guru, young kid or old. The mention of this high-wire act conjured up an instant ﬂashback of my youth: Both of my legs were tightly curled around my trapeze bar and while madly swinging face down, I was yelling out to my wide-eyed sister, “Me Jane, you Tarzan!” (A catchy statement that not many people can truthfully claim!) “It can even be done in the dark with headlamps,” my daughter added, taking me out of my daydream trance. “And there are two levels of intensity. While I’m on the more extreme Eagle, you can be trying the gentle Bear Tour.” How hard could it be, I wondered. If it’s anything like re-learning to ride a bike, I’d be a pro. I had quickly agreed to this sensational soar before she could come up with any other hairraising antics. Now, while I’m guided on this tour “for the fainter of heart,” my thrillseeking daughter is soaring like a bird. Her scream extreme not only boasts a lengthy zip span of 2,000 feet [610 m] but also drops down 20 storeys. It rips and zips all the way from the heart of this coastal rain forest to Whistler Village and our retreat (where I’d rather be hot-tubbing!). But instead, while wedgieharnessed, wired up, and feeling oddly like Tinkerbell, I’m heading into no man’s land. Like the revolutionary PEAK 2 PEAK gondola that bridges the gap between these

two scenic summits, I’ll be doing the same – just a lot closer to sea level. “Whenever you’re ready,” Marcus encourages, after clipping a final carabineer to my zip line. With both eyes shut tight, I step off the final stair and into big, big air. And before I have time to think, I’m rocketing through space and broadcasting my loudest rollercoaster roar. It’s a thrilling, exhilarating experience, yet while cocooned by this section of untouched forested terrain I feel surprisingly calm. I reach the second platform and I’m anxious to fly again. On zip number three, I’m smiling for the camera. By the fourth, I’m going hands free. And shortly after my fifth and final take-off, I’m zipping flip side, trapeze style, and reliving my SL childhood dreams.

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ASK Goldie BY GOLDIE CARLOW, M.ED

Dear Goldie: I hope you can help me with a relationship problem. I am 60, have been a widower for eight years and do not plan to remarry. My children and grandchildren live on the other coast and, while we are a close family, distance keeps us apart. I keep active in charity work and a men’s club. Some months ago, I met a widow who is a lovely, interesting person involved in a local charity organization. She has two adult children in the city and they are a close family. My problem is that, although we spend a great deal of time together and I ﬁnd her kind and honest, I never hear a word of endearment or any action that indicates she really cares for me. If I ask, she laughs and says, “of course I care for you.” Is there any way to get her to warm up and show real affection? –J.R. Dear J.R.: Your letter sounds like two adults with poor communication skills. Is there any reason you can’t bring up this subject and discuss it like mature adults? After all, this is not a schoolyard crush.

I do realize that fear of rejection can be the reason for such reluctance in bringing this out in the open. Also you mention that marriage is not an option for you, and that could affect her interaction with you. She may want marriage. Can you change? These are matters that need discussion, and soon, if you are serious about saving the relationship. Start talking! Good luck! Dear Goldie: My sister and I are both widows in our 80s planning to go into care residences. Our families are pressuring us to share our accommodation but we are both reluctant because we have never got along well in past years. Neither of us wishes to continue disagreements in close proximity for our remaining days. What do you say about this? I’ll be waiting to hear. –N.J. Dear N.J.: This situation isn’t unusual. Families are always trying to mend old feuds, but it is important for the people instigating the problems to be part of the action. You and you sister are the main characters in this scene and must

participate in all the decisions. The two of you seem to accept your differences and, in view of this, you will be happier in separate accommodation but perhaps in the same complex. An occasional spat or disagreement when you meet could put a spark in an otherwise lonely day. There is collection of family memories that usually overshadows all disagreements in the end. It sounds like you are both aware of your circumstances and able to make your own decisions. Hopefully you will ﬁnd suitable living quarters where your families can keep an eye on you while you maintain your independence. SL Enjoy your new home!

SENIOR PEER COUNSELLING CENTRES Victoria 250-382-4331 Duncan 250-748-2133 Nanaimo 250-754-3331 Sidney 250-656-5537 Courtenay/Comox 250-334-9917 Salt Spring Island 250-537-4607 Port Hardy 250-949-5110

Goldie Carlow is a retired registered nurse, clinical counsellor and senior peer counselling trainer.

LEARN MORE: Look for our article at www.seniorlivingmag.com “Ask A Professional”

SENIOR LIVING

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Metamorphosis STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARY ANNE HAJER

never wanted to be a sailor. Boats were risky, I thought, not dependable at all. They were never still, always bobbing around in the waves. Sometimes, they even tipped over, or worse, hit a rock and sank – and I didn’t know how to swim. So, I was shocked when my husband, Frank, announced one day that he had signed us up for sailing lessons. “What? Why?” I gasped. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” he answered. “Not me,” I said. “Come on,” Frank said. “It’ll be fun.” So, one month later, on a warm and breezy afternoon in July, just a few weeks shy of my 50th birthday, I stepped on board a sailboat for the first time. As I fastened my life jacket with shaking fingers, I never imagined that, in a few years, I would be spending whole summers at sea. I just wanted to survive the next few hours. From the beginning, it was clear I was not a natural sailor. Oh, I did fine in the classroom when we studied theory. I could easily memorize the parts of the boat and the points of sail, and I aced the lessons on tides and currents. But once the boat left the dock, my brain turned to mush. I was so anxious that I couldn’t understand, let alone remember, an26

SENIOR LIVING

ything the instructor said. I was also Zephyr often seasick. Whenever a lesson was scheduled, I hoped desperately for a still day so the water would be calm and smooth. Frank would point out how irrational this was, since we needed wind to sail, but I didn’t care if we just bobbed in one place, so long as we didn’t bounce around wildly in the waves. And I simply couldn’t grasp the basic concepts of sailing. “It’s all a matter of physics,” Frank said. “I never studied physics,” I reminded him. “Then I think you should, maybe at night school,” he said. “It will help.” “Why?” I asked. “We don’t own a boat. We have no plans to buy one. When the lessons are over, that will be the end of it.” At the end of the course, Frank passed his practical exam with ﬂying colours. Our instructor suggested that I not take the test. “I don’t think you’re quite ready to captain a sailboat,” he said. I didn’t argue.

The next summer, we flew to the Queen Charlottes where we boarded a 52-foot [16 m] charter sailboat for a week’s cruising in the sheltered passages of Gwaii Haanas National Park. We loved everything about that trip: the cool morning mists that drifted through the tall cedars and giant Sitka spruce. Also, the stillness that was interrupted only by the natural sounds of lapping waves and the cries of the seagulls and ravens, and the complete peace in the evening when we were anchored in a secluded cove and rocked to sleep by gentle ocean swells. “If we had our own boat, we could spend every summer like this,” Frank said. I didn’t answer. Another year passed. One day, Frank arrived home and said to me, “I want to talk to you about something, but you have to promise not to get upset and to listen to what I have to say.” I think I knew what was coming, but I kept calm and sat down. “I’ve seen a boat that’s for sale,” he said, “and I’d like you to see it too. It’s behind a house on Westminster Highway. I saw the sign and had a look. I think it would do us just fine.” At his words, I felt the familiar fear that the thought of being on the water in a small craft always aroused in me. I pushed it aside and remembered, instead, how much I had enjoyed our sailing trip in the Queen Charlottes. I thought about how in a few years we planned to retire from our teaching jobs and would need new challenges to keep us involved with life. Then, I looked at my husband, my best friend, and I thought about how badly he wanted to sail in his own boat, and how I didn’t want to be the one responsible for denying him his dream just because I was afraid. So, I said, “Okay, I’ll look.” That afternoon, we inspected the boat as it rested quietly on its stands. Because of the keel, it towered into the air, and we had to climb a ladder to get on board. I loved the interior of the cabin – the mahogany panelling, the maroon plush upholstery, the whole layout, in fact. The boat seemed so solid and safe. Of course it did. It was on land and immobile. We bought the boat, named her Zephyr and berthed her at a marina not far from our home. Sometimes, we took her for a short trip on the river, maybe an hour or so, just to get used to the feel of her. September came, school started and we knew if we wanted to get in one overnight trip before the weather turned, we had better do it soon. So we planned to take the Zephyr to English Bay and find a place to anchor for the night. One Saturday morning, having provisioned the boat with fuel, food and bedding, we untied the lines and headed down the river to the Strait of Georgia. I found it a little worrying that the marine weather forecast called for a Small Craft Warning, but Frank assured me it would be fine.

“One of my students has sailed all his life and he says it’s not worth putting up the sails for anything less,” he said. The trip down the river was great. The waves in the Fraser are never very high, even when the wind is strong. There isn’t enough fetch. But when we reached the Strait, all hell broke loose. We were too inexperienced to know that when a strong northwest wind meets the current at the river’s mouth, extreme turbulence is the result. Suddenly, we were being tossed around like a beach ball. “Let’s go back!” I screamed. “Look. It’s calmer up there,” Frank shouted, pointing some distance ahead. We battled our way past the shallows near Wreck Beach and out into open water, but it didn’t seem any quieter to me. The high waves continued to have their way with us, and it took exactly ﬁve minutes for me to become more seasick than I have ever been in my life, before or since. That was when Frank told me to take the tiller and hold the boat steady (steady!) while he went up on deck and raised the foresail. There we were, me holding on to the tiller with both hands, the boat bucking like a bronco, and Frank on deck, wrestling with the sail and shouting at me to keep the boat pointed into the wind. I was terriﬁed, convinced that, at any moment, he would lose his grip and pitch into the water.

��

�� JUNE 2009

Log booms

But, ﬁnally, he had the sail up and was back in the cockpit. He shut off the engine. Then throwing his arms wide, he shouted exultantly, “Mary Anne, we’re sailing!” I leaned over the side and threw up. Somehow, we made our way across English Bay to Caulfeild Cove, a little anchorage next to Lighthouse Park. We tied up to a mooring buoy (not realizing they were private; nobody chased us away, thank goodness), and picked up the books, charts, cushions, CDs and all the other items that had been thrown around in the cabin during our tumultuous passage. In the calmer water, my stomach returned to normal. We ate our lunch, napped and read our books. We grilled steaks for supper, opened a bottle of wine and watched the sun set in the west and the lights come on in the city. It was a perfect evening. It was not a perfect night. Having gallantly offered me the most comfortable berth, Frank made up a bed for himself in the cabin. Unfortunately, his head was above the holding tank where the sewage is collected until it can be disposed of properly, and it sloshed back and forth with the The dinghy swells, keeping him awake. Luckily, towards morning, the water in the 28

SENIOR LIVING

bay became completely calm, and we were able to get a few hours sleep. Inconsiderate seagulls woke us at about 7 a.m. Still tired and longing for coffee, we discovered that the water in our “fresh” water tank tasted like dirty socks. What to do? Frank took the kettle and rowed our dinghy to the dock. Once ashore, he wandered up the road until he met a friendly lady who let him fill the kettle at her outside tap. Finally, with cups of drinkable coffee in hand, we could relax in the cockpit and appreciate the glorious morning. The tide had gone out, leaving the nearby rocks uncovered. They were festooned with starfish, and we watched, fascinated, as hungry gulls wolfed them down. We spent the morning ashore, exploring Lighthouse Park. Then, after lunch, we motored back across English Bay to the mouth of the Fraser and upriver. The wind had died, and the sun shone down on smooth blue water that perfectly reflected every tree on the shore, and fluffy white cloud in the sky. “This is what it’s all about,” I thought, completely forgetting my terror of the day before. That winter, we both took the basic boating course offered by the Cana-

dian Power Squadron, earning our Pleasure Craft Operator’s Cards. We also took their course on weather, where we learned that when there’s a Small Craft Wind Warning in effect, it’s deﬁnitely not the best time for beginners to be leaving shore. And we both earned our licenses to operate the VHF radio, so we now know how to call for help, if needed. Frank has spent a lot of his spare time making the Zephyr comfortable – an ongoing process. We have sorted out comfortable sleeping arrangements. The galley has been improved with a new stove and a small fridge that even sports a small freezing compartment, so we eat well on board. A clear, removable plastic enclosure allows us to spend time comfortably in the cockpit, even when the weather is miserable. Frank has improved the rigging so he seldom has to go on deck to raise and lower sails. If he should need to go up in rough weather, he attaches himself to a safety line. And he keeps the engine in tip-top running order. We have made our share of mistakes: run aground, wandered into a reef (and out again, unscathed), and both snagged and dragged our anchor. We have, at separate times, lost engine power and our dinghy, but, with a little effort, regained both. We have found ourselves surrounded by killer whales and porpoises and watched eagles snatch their supper just off our bow. We have woken in the morning to the twittering of hundreds of swallows perched in our rigging, and watched the sun set and the moon rise at the end of many glorious days on the water. The little bays, coves, settlements and towns of the southwest coast of British Columbia are now as familiar to us as our own neighbourhood. We have felt fear and worked through it, learning to trust our boat and ourselves, and in doing so, enriched our lives SL immeasurably.

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To book a tour or for other info, please phone 250-652-3261 E-mail: legionmanor@shaw.ca website: www.legionmanorvictoria.com

JANUARY 2009 VANCOUVER ISLAND

Housing Guide for Seniors www.legionmanorvictoria.com Up-to-date listings of senior housing facilities throughout Vancouver Island, including Independent/Supportive Living, Assisted Living and Complex Care. This guide is an indispensable resource to:

• seniors looking for alternative housing • seniors moving to Vancouver Island from other parts of BC or out of province • children of seniors who are assisting their parent to select a housing option • professionals who work with seniors or their families • businesses that provide services to seniors

Listings include addresses and contact information, housing costs, number of units in the housing complex, hospitality services, optional home care services, amenities and security features. Available at most libraries and senior centres. Call (250)479-4705 for a location near you.

OR have a copy mailed direct to your home...

The author and her husband Frank.

Please mail a cheque for $5.25 ($5 plus GST), along with your name, phone number and address, to Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1. We will mail you a copy of this resourceful housing guide upon receipt of payment. JUNE 2009

AN ENLIGHTENING ROMANCE BY JANE CASSIE

SENIOR LIVING

Photo: Brent Cassie

e checks me out with wide curious eyes; one is steely blue, the other one cocoa brown. It’s a quirky mix that gives him character, just like his Rastafarian hairdo. When I glance his way, he blinks bashfully – or is it flirtatiously? I take the hint by rubbing his neck, just the way he likes. He immediately comes closer and nudges up to my body. Although it’s just our first encounter, I’m pretty sure it’s love at first sight. As well as receiving lots of flattery during this half-day courtship, I gain more insight into the important aspects of life. They aren’t tangible lessons – nothing that I could learn from a stack of books or the Internet, but instead, the true blue essentials; the core values of patience, beauty and peace. Our day unfortunately begins on somewhat of a sour note. We’ve pre-booked a tour with Wild Earth Llama Adventures to trek New Mexico’s Rio Grande Gorge. The scenic six-hour jaunt into the volcanic rift promises to provide some insight into the area’s culture and history, right back to the early days when the Pueblo people first arrived. And just like Peruvians, who for centuries have hiked the high Andes, toting our load and lunch will be a few loyal llamas. Both gentle and sure-footed, these domesticated backpackers are known for their keen sense of direction. It’s just too bad we don’t. A detailed route on “how to get there” from the city of Taos had been sent from the tour company, but, somehow, amongst our travel guides and trinkets, it’s been misplaced. “The gorge is just a short drive away,” I say to my husband as I eyeball it on the map. “How hard can it be to find the Wild Rivers Recreation area?” Unfortunately, it turns out to be more difficult than I think. The 800-foot [244 m] deep canyon that

slices through the state’s tortilla-flat plateau stretches all the way from Colorado to the outskirts of Santa Fe. During its rugged course, there are a number of places to take in the views. We cross over the Rio Grande Bridge that spans the chasm. The second tallest in the U.S. highway system, it attracts many vacationers. But there’s no sign of our campground, so we stay on the straight and narrow. And that’s exactly what it is. Our back road bisects the piñon dotted plane and, like a fine silver thread, traces the flatland for as far as we can see. Although sensationally scenic, it’s not what we’re looking for. “We’ve veered away from the gorge,” my husband says with concern. “And there isn’t a camper in sight.” Actually, there’s not much of anything: people, cars, or signage! As the minutes tick away, my heart rate escalates. We’ve already missed our scheduled rendezvous, and who knows where the heck we are. Finally, as if responding to my

distress signals, a ranger’s station magically appears. “You’re way off track,” the park guide says, while pointing in the other direction. “Wild Rivers Recreation area is an hour that-away.” Fortunately, for us, there are as many trafﬁc cops on this deserted byway as there are road signs. With the pedal to the metal, our Chevy Cobalt transforms to a Chevy “go-bolt” and we careen across the palatial mesa. We hurdle back over the yawning gorge and buzz through the wispy towns of Arroyo Hondo and Questa. In spite of the alluring beauty, there’s no dilly-dallying or stops to smell the ﬂowers. In record time, we veer into the Wild Rivers Recreation Area where a cyclingsmooth route leads to our sought-after meeting place. Although there’s neither man nor beast in sight, the well-trod, hoof-marked path is a dead-giveaway. It leads through some bushy ridge-top then opens up to a drop-dead gorge-ous vista. The massive basalt crevice, a geological phenomenon, was created by ice age wa-

ter flows thousands of years ago. And far below, snaking along the valley floor is the unruly Rio Grande River. Although mesmerizing, there’s no time for dawdling. “The posse awaits,” I say to my husband, as I lead the way. “Let’s pick it up a notch.” Our steady descent is flanked by indigenous flora. We brush past Mountain Juniper and breeze by broadleafed Yuccas. Spindly Indian rice grass and prickly pear cacti thrive in the higher desert regions, while the roots of moss and trumpet gooseberries are quenched by freshwater geysers that bubble out of volcanic rock. Finally, at the base of the canyon, is the prettiest picture of all. Grazing next to cascading waterfalls are some lovely looking llamas. Our ponytailed guide, Stuart Wilde, welcomes us with a winning grin. Immediately, the feelings of anxiety fade and my racy pulse normalizes. Conveniently, we’re just in time for lunch and while chowin’ down on gourmet sandwiches and sweets, we yak with our new hiking compadres. As well as two retired couples from Texas, and a younger pair from South Carolina, accompanying our group, are four silent and very steadfast valets. Stuart gives us a personal snippet about each llama. “Raja prefers to be the caboose, Zephyr is the teenage troublemaker, Rusty likes to sniff your face, and Azul, who will be your four-legged friend, takes the lead.” He understands these animals as well as he knows the surrounding terrain, and it’s clear that he’s passionate about both. “As an outfitter, I get to spend 200 glorious days a year exploring New Mexico’s wilderness,” he explains. “From May to October, we head into the high country and in spring and fall we are here in the Rio Grande Gorge.” Wild Earth Llama Adventures has been going strong for nearly two decades and as well as tailor-making the treks to suit every group, this owner always tags along. “I love this job,” he says, while producing another ear to ear smile. “I’m sure I’ll be doing it for another 20 years!” Before trekking the return route, we retrace some of the area’s history by checking out nearby artifacts and petroglyphs.

Ronald A. Postings

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...continued on page 33 JUNE 2009

SCAM ALERT BY ROSALIND SCOTT

Finding a Financial Planner You Can Trust

n a challenging economic environment, finding a responsible financial planner and money manager is important. Between the volatility of today’s market and revelations of Bernie Madoff-like Ponzi schemes duping investors, consumers are more confused than ever about knowing whom they can trust with their money. A financial planner helps clients manage their money and meet financial goals such as retirement or buying a house. A financial planner is not a stockbroker or an insurance salesman, but instead assesses many financial factors. Tips on finding financial advisors you can trust: Get educated. Books and resources, available online, in stores or libraries, can help consumers understand finance and investing. Go to the British Columbia Securities Commission’s education website investright.org to learn more. Look for letters that matter. One important acronym to look for is CFP, which stands for “Certified Financial Planner.” Consumers can check CFP status with Financial Planners Stand-

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ards Council – fpcscanda.org Consumers should also check the planner out with BBB at vi.bbb.org to see if they have a history of generating complaints and the nature of those complaints. If a planner gives out investment advice, he or she must be registered with the BC Securities Commission at bcsc.bc.ca. Don’t be sold by a slick pitch. A CFP is required to put the client’s financial needs first, and above his or her own. One sign of a trustworthy financial planner is that he or she doesn’t try to sell their clients a dubious new product, investment tool or risky stock. Some financial planners are tied to a brokerage firm and are trying to make money for their company and themselves through commissions. Remember: there is always a risk involved in investing and no honest planner can guarantee results. Conduct a tough interview. After identifying several potential financial advisors, consumers should set up an appointment to meet each one in person. This is an opportunity to ask important

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questions about the planner’s experience and expertise, and to determine whether the consumer and planner can easily develop a good rapport. Ask tough questions including how long the planner has been in the business, their qualifications and licences, their experience with similar clients and if they have been the subjects of any disciplinary actions. Consumers can also ask for references of clients who are in their similar financial position. Consider the fee structure. Some financial planners charge by the hour or a flat rate. Others earn money through commissions on projects sold – which can create a conflict of interest – or a combination of fees and commissions. For more advice from BBB on managing finances, go to vi.bbb.org If you believe you have been the target of a scam, call the Better Business Bureau Vancouver Island at 250-386-6348 in Greater Victoria or at 1-877-826-4222 elsewhere on the Island, so others can benefit from your experience. E-mail info@vi.bbb.org

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*Installation price you pay of $249. $50 cash back certificate will be mailed to you within 1-2 weeks after the installation purchase. To receive your $50 mail-in cash back, complete and return the original certificate to ADT Security Services Canada, Inc. with a copy of your signed ADT Residential Services Contract. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for receipt of cheque. This cash back offer is valid only with the installation of a new ADT Safewatch® QuickConnect System and customers and monitoring services contract from ADT Security Services Canada, Inc. Not valid on upgrades to existing ADT customer. Not valid on purchases from ADT Authorized Dealers. Valid only after system installation is complete. Limit one offer per new ADT customer and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. The Safewatch® QuickConnect package includes Burglary monitoring. Two Way Voice, and Quality Service Plan (QSP) Monitored Fire protection requires additional purchase of the installation of ADT smoke or heat detection devices. Medical Alert devices are an additional installation charge. Medical Alert services not available in all markets. System to remain property of ADT. Prices subject to change. Prices may vary by market. Some insurance companies offer discounts on homeowner’s insurance, please consult your insurance company. Does not include one-time Communication Connection fee. Quality Service Plan (QSP) is ADT’s Extended Limited Warranty, 36-month monitoring agreement required from $42.99 per month, including QSP, Local permit fees may be required. Satisfactory credit history required. Additional monitoring fees required for some services. Offer subject to change. Photos are for illustrative purposes only and may not reflect the exact product/service actually provided. RBQ 3019-4070-50 © 2009 ADT Security Services Canada, Inc. ADT, the ADT logo, ADT Always There and Safewatch are registered trademarks of ADT Services, AG, and are used under license.

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Photo: Brent Cassie

Get an ADT Safewatch® QuickConnect Security System, including a Keychain Remote, installed for only $199 after $50 mail-in cash back* Centuries-old depictions are etched into smooth-faced boulders and rocky outcroppings. Some tell a story, others share a theme. Images of big horn sheep, bear and rabbit are engraved next to hunters, gatherers and fertility folk. We discover that the indigenous drawings represented community, abundance, beauty, birth and renewal. Still today, it’s an area of ageless splendour boasting expansive views, ﬂora and fauna. “There’s everything from mountain lion and elk to lizards and rattlesnakes,” our guide explains, while leading us back onto the trail. My toes immediately curl and I quickly pan the surrounding desert grass for any signs of rustling. Fortunately, our llama pals can sense danger from a distance. And being paired up with the alpha male and leader of the pack, I not only feel loved, but also protected. My heart rate accelerates once again

during the uphill grunt, but this time it’s for different reasons. No longer is there any tension, timelines or stress. In this place of ageless beauty boasting expansive views, there is only the present. As I lead Azul along another switchback towards the ridge, I can hear his heavy breathing and smell his breath, scented lightly with sage. Then, without enticement, he begins to moan softly in my ear. “All the llamas have that distinctive bray,” Stuart reports, as we continue to plod up and onwards. But I know the truth. When I turn around and ﬁnally make eye contact with my wonderful woolly companion, I’m SL sure it must be love. IF YOU GO: Wild Earth Llama Adventures www.llamaadventures.com Where to stay: Once over The Taos Inn’s threshold, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back to 1890. www. taosinn.com

Embrace the Journey - A Care Giver’s Story

by Valerie Green The very personal story of her own journey as a care giver to her elderly parents. This is a story which will touch many hearts and be relevant for numerous adult children who, in mid-life, are faced with a similar challenge and must make agonizing decisions and choices. It painfully addresses the problems encountered of ‘aging in place’ and the desire for loving couples to stay together in their home until the end of their lives. 96 pages. Softcover. 5.5” x 8.5” Published by Senior Living. Price $14.95

To order, please send cheque for $19.84 ($14.95 plus $3.95 S&H & GST) payable to Senior Living. MAIL TO: Embrace Book Offer c/o Senior Living 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1 Please include your clearly written shipping address and phone number. Allow two weeks for shipping. JUNE 2009

BYGONE Treasures View of Roatan from Valor

Gee, Our Old LaSalle Ran Great!

emember the old TV show where Archie and Edith that read, “The Edsel Look is BY MICHAEL RICE Bunker sang “Those Were The Days”? It’s not likely here to stay.” That one didn’t you drove a LaSalle in your wild days of youth, but work out too well. Dad was you may have owned a Studebaker Hawk, a Nash Metropolitan always thinking about new cars and finally bought a new 1965 or something coloured turquoise and white with fins the size of Valiant, which he drove for 32 years. It’s still around town and worth quite a bit more than he paid for it. surfboards. My own first car was a 1960 Ford Falcon, which could reach With thoughts turning to the open road and summer driving, when was the last time you had a good look around the garage at 60 mph [97 kph] going downhill with a tailwind, provided I stood up with both feet on the gas pedal. It’s still around town in some of the car-related items you’ve stored away? Folks’ love of the automobile goes back, well, as long as the form of diet soda cans. Related auto collectibles include metal drivers’ licences and we’ve had automobiles, and along with the cars come bits and pieces of what collectors term automobilia. Still got a few out- chauffeurs’ badges. There was none of your micro-encoded dated licence plates? We used to nail our old ones up on a beam, photo ID nonsense back then. In the 1920s, the City of Victoria charged you a half dollar and you and I still have my Dad’s got a brass disc that said “drivplates going back to the 1950s. Along with the giveaways came er’s licence” and had a number These, as well as motorcycle on it and a pin on the plates, and even bicycle plates colourful showroom brochures for stamped back. I was very happy to find are very collectable (if you reone of these and several chaufcall having to license your bithe “New Futuramic Oldsmobiles” feurs’ badges (issued to taxi drivcycle, you get an extra dessert and a favourite of mine that read, ers) on a recent housecall. tonight!). Your old cars may be memPriced a hubcap lately? Many “The Edsel Look is here to stay.” ories, but you could still have a people call anything a hubcap that wing mirror, a hood ornament sticks over a tire, though most are or one of those knobs you stuck on your steering wheel because really wheel covers. Early caps were like large metal mugs that you were 17 and immortal and needed a hand free to hold a pop screwed over the lug nuts. An old Packard screw-on cap is worth bottle. Somewhere in a tool drawer, you might also have a ra- more than $20, while one off a Pierce-Arrow tops $75. diator nameplate, a showroom brochure, an owner’s book or a Car buffs who can’t afford the hardware, or whose spouses fail maintenance manual. Collectors in the process of restoring old to appreciate the need to fill the garage with wrenches stamped cars are enthusiastic buyers of all these items. “Ford” and mysterious chunks of rusting metal awaiting “restoAs kids, we found it fun to hang around in gas stations. You ration,” console themselves with collecting magazine ads for old could sit in a rusted truck out back and pretend you could drive, cars. All the big picture magazines – Life, Look and the Saturday or check out the rows of oilcans or peek at the tire company Evening Post – featured wonderful full-page ads for every make calendars hanging in the service bays. Out front, there were oil and model imaginable. While I don’t recommend breaking up a company enamelled signs and gas pumps with fancy globes on magazine, sometimes a handful of ads are worth more than an the top. A Texaco gas pump globe or a Shell Motor Oil porcelain- intact issue. faced sign could each bring you $400 on the current market. If you have old car-related items around gathering dust, you Then there was all the advertising stuff they gave away: pens, can find a list of car clubs in the “driving” section of your Friday key fobs, medallions, cigarette lighters and even miniature cars newspaper. Some of their members might be happy to talk with were popular promotional items. We’d haunt local dealers’ show- you. Meantime, go hang that pair of fuzzy dice back on your SL rooms when the new models came in, and say loudly “My Dad’s rearview mirror – and drive safely. thinking about getting a new Lark,” at which point, hopefully, a salesman would rush over and fill our schoolbags with freebies. Comments and suggestions for future columns are welcome Along with the giveaways came colourful showroom brochures and can be sent to Michael Rice, Box 86, Saanichton, B.C., or for the “New Futuramic Oldsmobiles” and a favourite of mine via e-mail to fenian@shaw.ca 34

SENIOR LIVING

Ready to Change Your Residence? I take the time YOU need to view and discuss your options.

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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.

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.

• What residential options are available? • How to research and assess Independent and Assisted Living residences. • How much does it cost to live in an Assisted Living residence? What subsidies are available? • 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 opORDER FORM - “To Move” tions and what should you plan for? Name______________________________Address _______________________________ • Funding sources available to seniors - tax deductions, housCity______________ Prov ___ Postal Code____________Phone ____________________ ing subsidies, home care subsidies, equipment loan programs, renovation grants, etc. ___ BOOKS @ $14.60 each (includes $3.95 S&H plus 5% GST) = TOTAL $____________ • Selling your home - how to ﬁnd the right realtor or relocation ___ Cheque (payable to Senior Living) services to assist your move. ___ CREDIT CARD # _________________________________ Expiry ___________ • Downsizing - Where do you start? How do you proceed? Name on Card ____________________________________ • Hiring home care services; do it yourself or hire an agency? • AND MUCH MORE Mail to: Senior Living 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1 JUNE 2009

Courageous s u o e g a r t u O

BY PAT NICHOL

LITERACY

Photo: Frances Litman

ow important is it to be able to read well? Millions of Canadians do not have the basic literacy skills to move ahead in their lives and careers. Reading and comprehension has always been important in my life and the lives of my children. This month, my column is about people who help others read. Recently, at The 50+ Active Living Celebration in March, when I emceed the entertainment, I put the call out for stories. It delighted me that several people took me up on my request. Bill Boagey from Nanaimo claims he is not very courageous and outrageous. As a parent, grandparent and great-grandparent, Bill loves kids. He joined Literacy Nanaimo and, after working with adults, was asked if he would like to work with elementary school children. The first year, he worked with one class, then two classes, then a year later, it was four classes, five classes and, this year, he has seven classes. The classes range from Grade 1 to Grade 4. Bill says it is great fun and a real thrill when you see a child who is really struggling, finally get it. The main thing required is patience.

If that isn’t enough, five afternoons a week, Bill teaches English to a number of Korean women. Bill, that sounds like someone who has a great deal of courage. Neil and Gerlinde Kennedy-Jones are retirees who refuse to slow down. When asked who they write for, the response was “our grandchildren, first of all. Then we wondered if other grandchildren might enjoy our stories,” they say. “So, they joined our list. As we’re new Canadians, and have lived in other countries where English wasn’t spoken, we thought we’d like to make these ‘easy-to-read’ stories available to other immigrants who are learning English.” “Then, there are seniors, like ourselves, who may like to read a story or two by the fireside at night or read to their grandchildren. They also joined our list. We hope our stories can be of help to children and adults in hospital.” In addition to stories, the couple also uses their writing ability to help people who are searching for jobs. Neil and Gerlinde have created a blog where they share their stories and invite anyone to visit and enjoy. The blog is http://fireside2000.blogspot.com Keep on reading and sharing your stories; it makes our SL world brighter.

Pat Nichol is a speaker and published author. She makes her home in Victoria, but travels the world. She can be reached at www.patnichol.com

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STORYTELLERS R

“Humans are hardwired for narrative.” –Noam Chomsky

Photo: Steve Holland

emember as a child when “Once Upon a Time” was listened to with rapt attention? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to carry that same joy of story and rapture of listening to adult lives? For approximately 50 people in the Victoria area, that joy of “Once Upon a Time” happens monthly at Stories at Fern. The Victoria Storytellers’ Guild meets monthly at 1831 Fern Street and is open to people who would like to listen for a while and maybe share their own story ideas. According to member Pat Carfra, “You will never find a more supportive audience if you wish to share your stories and dreams.” When asked about the definition of a storyteller, Pat thought for a moment, “It is a part of being human; someone has a story and needs the joy of sharing ‘guess what just happened to me!’ Most people are ‘kitchStoryteller Mary Holland en table tellers.’” Think back to your own childhood when around the kitchen table the stories seemed to fly like leaves in the wind.” Pat went on to say that there doesn’t have to be an enormous moral built into a story, the point will get across in the most interesting, thoughtful and entertaining way. Remember, jokes are stories, too. People interested in joining the group can be a listener, rather than a teller. Many members choose to be the audience, as well as tellers. One of the major guidelines: the storyteller’s eyes must be visible when telling his or her story. That’s the difference between a storyteller and a story reader. Interestingly, in individual groups, there are many more women storytellers than men. Storytelling has moved out of the kitchen and into the professional realm. Professional storytellers have generally spinning tales in public for a long time. They are experienced tellers, charge a fee and have an extensive repertoire. They have the ability to change tales and concepts on a dime. For example, if they have been hired to speak to an audience of mostly adults and when they get there find that the audience is mostly children, they know how to change gears quickly and pull out story ideas that are suitable for that audience. Storytellers have the opportunity to share through outreach 38

SENIOR LIVING

BY PAT NICHOL

programs. For example, sometimes it is sharing and eliciting stories at senior’s residences. Storytellers are also involved in Community Living Victoria Festivals and other celebrations. Every storyteller has his or her favourite venue. The Victoria Storytellers’ Guild owes their start to the wonderful Public Library system. Twenty-one years ago, the children’s librarian hired two storytellers to travel from Vancouver to deliver a Friday night storytelling concert and an all-day Saturday workshop. Several months later, they welcomed a storyteller from Alberta: May Love May. From these events, they contacted those who had expressed an interest in starting a storytelling group. They set a date, held a gathering in a library room, while an experienced librarian/storyteller led the meeting and lo, the Victoria Storytellers’ Guild was formed. Additionally, the library offered free monthly space for the ﬁrst year. That was 20 years ago and, in July of this year, the Victoria Storytellers’ Guild will host an annual conference, Tides and Tales, while they welcome storytellers from 60 guilds across Canada. There will be two opportunities for the public to enjoy listening to wonderful stories. On Thursday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Camosun College Gibson auditorium, the evening will be entitled Ebb and Flow – Island Tales by Island Tellers, featuring, from Victoria, Jennifer Ferris, Peg Hasted, Fay Mogensen, Anne Glover, Mary Holland and, from Nanaimo, Margaret Murphy and Diane Verheil. These storytellers were chosen from a large number of applicants. A ﬁne balance of tales will be presented – some with humour, some with pathos, some about Island history. The website www.storytellersguild. org has a short tale told by Margaret Murphy called “Lizzie’s Dream” that will offer a small taste of what attendees can expect. Margaret is the energy behind the Storytellers’ Guild in Nanaimo. The second public concert is Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. Five storytellers from across Canada will be highlighted. Anita Best from Newfoundland, one of that provinces prominent traditional singers and storytellers. Richard Van Camp from N.W.T. is an author and storyteller, whose latest novel Blessing Wendy will be released in September of 2009. Jean-Pierre

Photo: Andrew House

Makossois, an internationally known actor storyteller and dancer who has performed over 1,000 times worldwide. Nan Gregory from Vancouver is an author of children’s books and has represented Canada at storytelling festivals in Japan and New Zealand. Dan Yashinsky from Toronto is the founder of the Toronto Festival of Storytelling. These renowned tellers with national and international reputations will perform Tales at Eventide at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. 680 Courtenay Street, Victoria. Tickets are $15 for each concert and are available at Ivy’s Books and Munro’s Books. Storytelling is how history was once kept alive. The spoken word is no longer solely relied upon to remember the past but what a wonderful way to recapture those special moments. Every Storyteller has a different take but, for some, it goes deeper than just telling the tale. Stories are valuable tools for healing and for counselling. Points are often made through stories that cannot be said directly. Adults need to listen to the storytellers in their lives with their ears tuned to SL “Once Upon a Time.”

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Call 250.756.0799 4088 Wellesley Avenue Nanaimo, BC V9T 6M2 www.Lakeside-Gardens.com

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E T I S WEB

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PRO When you see this logo on an advertisement in Senior Living, you will ﬁnd additional information provided by this advertiser on our Website. Go to www.seniorlivingmag.com and click on the ASK A PROFESSIONAL tab on the Home Page. This will take you to a table of contents of articles written by professionals who advertise in Senior Living. Is there information you would like posted in this section in the future? Let us know - we will pass the request along to the appropriate businesses and professionals with the expertise to address the subject you propose. Check back frequently for new additions as we continue to expand this new section of our website. CURRENT INDUSTRIES REPRESENTED ON ASK A PRO

• Real Estate • Dentistry • Home Security • Financial Investing • Tourism More subjects added monthly JUNE 2009

Mind GAMES

Crossword PUZZLE Across

1. Doctrines 5. Treads 10. Ancient Roman days 14. English court 15. Mature 16. Female name 17. Badly 18. Anorak 19. Forbidden 20. Simple life form 22. Climbed 23. Nova Scotia cape 24. Portuguese territory in S China 28. Colorful form of the common carp 30. Famous person 34. Having a high temperature 35. Nimble 37. Act of leaking 38. Harbingers 39. Male name 40. Admiration

42. German painter 43. Burrowing bivalve 44. Components 47. Fourth month 52. Roundworm 56. Line in a newspaper giving the writers name 57. Bothersome person 58. Male name 60. Dash 61. Outlet 62. Representative 63. Curve 64. Egyptian goddess of fertility 65. Flat shelf 66. Sight organs

Down 1. Of the ﬂank 2. Alabama city

3. Watery fruit 4. Eye infections 5. Father 6. American Dental Association 7. Netherlands Antilles island 8. Large northern deer 9. Pile 10. International 11. No longer living 12. German river 13. Muddiest 21. Assail vigorously 25. Inexpensive 26. Opposite one of two 27. Assume 28. Furnace 29. Carmaker 30. Fourteenth century pope 31. Like an eel 32. Priest 33. Supplement 36. Needleﬁsh 41. Irrigated 45. Power units 46. Pertaining to the voice 48. Common person of ancient Rome 49. Angry 50. Silly 51. Makes a loan 53. Female sheep 54. Preﬁx for small 55. Chief magistrate 56. Unit of computer memory 59. News reporting system ANSWERS

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Classifieds SAANICH VOLUNTEER SERVICES SOCIETY seeks volunteers to drive clients to medical appointments. We pay 30 cents/km. Call Heather at 250-595-8008. WANTED: OLD POSTCARDS, stamp accumulations, and pre-1950 stamped envelopes. Also buying old coins, medals and badges. Please call Michael 250-652-9412 or email fenian@shaw.ca COLLECTOR SEEKING vintage/collectable cameras, binoculars and microscopes. Nikon, Leica, Contax, Rolleiflex, Zeiss, Canon, etc. Mike 250-383-6456. E-mail: msymons6456@telus.net VICTORIA TARGET THEATRE SOCIETY. Would you like a fun and fulfilling volunteer opportunity? Volunteer Board positions for Seniors Applied Theatre Company available. For an information package please call 250-477-6054. For Target Theatre info www.targettheatre.ca FOOT CARE NURSE, home visits in Nanaimo, Lantzville, Nanoose. John Patterson LPN, qualified nursing care for toenails, corns and calluses. 250-390-9266. HEDGES AND EDGES. Reliable garden help regular maintenance, or occasional heavy work. Pruning and rejuvenation of hedges and shrubs. Seniors references. 250-893-5285. CLEAR THE CLUTTER FOR SENIORS. Workbook/Guide $10p/h included, to Paul Talbot PO Box 404 1195 Davie Street Vancouver BC V6E 1N2. www.dialaspeaker.com RUTH M.P HAIRSTYLING for Seniors in Greater Victoria. In the convenience of your own home! Certified Hairdresser. Call - 250-893-7082.

PRESTIGIOUS LONGWOOD, NANAIMO: 2 BDRM LUXURY ground floor condo for lease: 9’ ceilings, spacious living room, gas fireplace, 2 bathrooms, full kitchen, laundry room, separate entrance to 35’ wide private patio garden, underground parking, large storage locker, club house, gym, workshop, forest setting, sculpted gardens, next to one-stop shopping and restaurants at Longwood Station and Brew Pub. (Over 55) $1,425.00/mo, (includes hot water and gas heating). References Required. 250-758-6754. BRUNO - JOEY WHEELCHAIR LIFT made for rear entry van. Reasonable. PH: 250-248-6011. BRAUN NIZO S560 CAMERA, Schneider Variogon 1:1.8, 7-56 zoom. Soft leather case. Offers to victor@zoobaos.com WRITTEN A BOOK? Aldridge Street Editing can get your manuscript print-ready. Transcription-Editing-Cover Design-Book Layout. www.aldridgestreet.com Call 250-595-2376. FOR RENT: SENIORS INDEPENDENT LIVING WITH SERVICES #408 - 455 Kingston St. Large top floor 2 BR, 2 bath. Price includes main meal each day, weekly housekeeping, change of linens, 24 hour security, life line phone, secured parking. Available immediately. Asking $2,400 for one person, $2,900 for two. L Hillmer 250-360-6436.

Evolutionary Spirituality

Facilitator Bill Wilson, SJ PhD

Mondays, June 8 – 29 (10am – noon) $85 series, or $22 drop in 1831 Fern St.

250.220.4601 or 250.380.9786 earthliteracies@gmail.com

www.livinglanguageinstitute.org • Programs in Earth Literacies •

E T I S WEB

CEDAR HILL - DISABILITY FRIENDLY Mod. Spac. Bed & Den. Balc. Skylight, FP. Auto-Door, incl. 24hr Staff, suppers, lndry, and Lifeline. In (55+ Complex) Strata fee $1250/mo. Price $187,500. 250-652-5660. WANTED: CANADIAN NATIONAL PARK buffalo and beaver plaques, chauffeur badges, licensed driver badges. Please call Rick at 250382-2283 - Thank you! SENIORS Afraid of travelling alone! Need Assistance, Guidance or Baggage Handling! We have World Wide Experience. Fluent in English, Dutch, German, Swiss German, Indonesian, Malay. Reasonable Rates. For Information, phone 1-250-658-3816. THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU of Vancouver Island is located at 220-1175 Cook St., Victoria BC V8V 4A1. Toll-free phone line for Up-Island 1-877-826-4222 (South Island dial 250-386-6348). www.bbbvanisland.org E-mail: info@bbbvanisland.org

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

$30 for 20 words or less. $1.25 per extra word. BW only. Boxed Ad - Small (2.2 x 1.2) $110. Boxed Ad - Large (2.2 x 2.4) $210. Add BW Logo - $25. Red spot color 10% extra. Plus 5% GST. All Classiﬁed ads must be paid at time of booking. Cheque or Credit Card accepted. Ph. (250)479-4705 or 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

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Find out what’s happening in your area at the click of a button or post your community event to our website for FREE. Arts, music, dance, festivals, seminars, outdoor activities, and more. JUNE 2009

ALL ART SHOW

STORY AND PHOTOS BY VERNICE SHOSTAL

erging the written word with visual images, Sooke’s ﬁrst All Art Show, a three-day interactive photography, art and literary fair, set for July 10–12, is open to emerging artists and authors intimidated by the jury process, as well as professional artists and authors in the commercial category. Artists already committed include writers, graphic novelists, comic book authors, photographers who produce photo books and travel guides, fashion magazines and multimedia artists. Meet Canadian artist and author, Sue Coleman, whose Interpretive Northwest Coast Indian Images have been reproduced and sold to collectors worldwide. Sue will unveil her new watercolour, Raven’s Reign, and offer her reproductions at an introductory price. Growing up in Vancouver, Sooke artist Linda Gordon moved to the Island in 1979 to be near her ailing mother while she studied physics and math as a grad student at UVic. Most recently recognized for her acrylic renditions of Drummer Boy and Veteran, Linda will offer her originals and reproductions at the show. A mother and homemaker most of her life, Linda returned to painting after a 30-year hiatus. Revealing her inhibitions about entering a juried Sooke Fine Art Show several years ago, Linda

Linda Gordon

SENIOR LIVING

Marcie Gauntlett and her Dog photo.

says, “I took my art work to the arena, took it out of the trunk and then said to myself, ‘It’s not good enough; it will not get accepted.’ I put it back and drove home, fearful of rejection. When the art show was cancelled, I thought I had lost an opportunity to be in the show, but when it started up again, I decided to enter anyway, thinking of my jury fee as a donation. When I picked up my work and found that two pieces has been accepted, I was floored. I often think how different my life would have been if I had had the courage and confidence to try earlier.” Also a photographer, Linda began taking pictures when she was six. She followed that up with photography classes in her youth and first year of college. “Now I do digital,” says the artist who still has the Pentax that originally motivated her. Marcie Gauntlett’s photographic career debuted at the age of 10 with a Brownie Hawkeye. Later, at Groton School in Massachusetts, she took courses that taught her how to develop her own photographs. In the ’70s, she continued her passion for camera work with several local courses and began publishing articles and photos on personalities, food and events in northcentral Massachusetts. In the ’80s, Marcie travelled to Saudi Arabia to work with a hospital company from Nashville, where she continued her photography and, while in Riyadh, spent two years writing a weekly food column for the English language newspaper, The Arab News. That period was followed by five years in Ocala, Florida, where she wrote a weekly seniors’ column entitled “Marcie” in the Ocala Star Banner and published articles and photos from travels around Florida. Marcie spent the ’90s with the U.S. Linda Gordon’s Veteran

Foreign Service and, off duty, published travel articles with photos from Brussels, Moscow and Bonn, Germany. In 2000, Marcie and her husband, Jan, settled in Shirley, B.C., where they now live. Her recent travel writing has appeared in the Times Colonist, Edmonton Journal and Travel Tips Magazine. In London, England, shutterbug Fred Whittaker purchased his ﬁrst camera from a friend when he was 18. With the help of his next purchase, a black-and-white enlarger, he and his friend developed pictures, enlarged them and entered them into exhibitions and competitions, where they received several awards. After three years of instruction in photography at a London photo college, Fred passed his exams and could have gone into professional photography, but opted to remain an amateur and work with computers instead. In 1970, when computer ﬁrms in England began to suffer takeovers, Fred left London and came to Canada. His

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ﬁrst job with Sam the Record Man in Toronto was followed by two weeks in a camera store before he joined the Ontario government as a work analyst with the Ministry of Community and Social Services in Queen’s Park. Eight and a half years later, Fred bought a printing franchise that he kept for 20 years. ...continued on page 45

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After retirement, Fred and his wife, Carole, decided to move to the west coast and, following an extensive housing search, found a natural place in Sooke surrounded by trees and deer. Although he did commercial wedding photography in London, in Sooke, Fred prefers to shoot natural life. “We have taken thousands of pictures of deer around here and lots around Sooke and Vancouver Island and our travels around the world,” he says from his home where every wall showcases his work. In addition to photography, Fred constructs chairs and walking sticks from beach combing on Whiffen Spit. “The shape and size of the wood suggests the final usage,” he says. “I usually do a chair when I find a good piece of cedar for the base. Once I have that made, I can find the legs and back very easily.” Published writer and founder of the Scribblers Group in Sooke, Shirley Skidmore is offering a substantial publishing package as a prize in a Writing Contest at the Show. Born in Winnipeg, Shirley attended high school in P.E.I., CEGEP (College) in Montreal and received her B.Ed. from McGill. Among her many careers, Shirley has modelled, worked as an airline stewardess, taught in private and public schools and held several top management jobs. Thirty years ago, she moved from Montreal to Victoria and later to Sooke, where she indulged in her love of animals, gardening, writing and volunteering. In addition to

Published author Shirley Skidmore

contributing to several anthologies, her published books, The Cofﬁn Ship Legacy, Murder in the Sooke Potholes and Murder on the Galloping Goose are available in some Sooke stores and may be ordered from any bookstore in Victoria or online from Windshift Press. The three-day All Art Show will offer food, poetry, book reading and music including members of the Sooke Philharmonic. The show at the Sooke Legion is open to all authors and “wall hanging” artists to promote and sell their work. No commission is taken. The only payment required is a hanging ($35) or table ($50 per four feet) fee. Submission deadline is June 26 by e-mail or July 5 in person. No admission for purchasers to come and buy; however, donations toward a much-needed elevator in the SL legion are appreciated. For more information about the Sooke All Art Show, visit www.AllArtShow.org, e-mail: info@allartshow.org or call 1-877-642-6745.

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CONFESSIONS OF AN AUTHOR

his story is about what happened after a dear friend talked me into writing a book. After this great guy convinced me to take on such an ambitious endeavour, I decided to try not liking him so much. Almost every day, I emerged from my warm, comfortable bed to write profusely at 4:30 a.m. I was up and at ‘em early because that’s when my brain is at its best. Later each day, when I saw my friend, he would cheerfully ask, “Howzit going, Bert? What chapter are you on?” “Nuts,” I thought to myself, and I would love to have added: “If it weren’t for you, I’d still be in my state of not worrying how to form this or that sentence, or this or that paragraph.” On the other hand, I found it impossible for me not to continue liking this cheerful, outgoing person, always so full of enthusiasm! I would then tell him how I was progressing, and lie to him about how I was enjoying my labours. You see, even though I am a published journalist, having written hundreds of articles, I told my friend, quite ﬁrmly, that I had never thought about writing a book though I was told in public school that I showed signs of talent when composing stories. Later in life, I successfully completed a journalism course, which had followed considerable exposure to preparation of reports at a business college. Notwithstanding the former, it wasn’t only my neighbour friend who suggested I put down in writing my several years’ experience in the wonderful, wacky, enigmatic, but thoroughly enjoyable, supremely challenging business of selling travel! Several other friends and former business associates convinced me that it might be a good idea to chronicle my adventures in business, the travel business, that is. Nevertheless, it all really started when my friend would goad me into relaying my travel industry experiences. I had told him that my adventures started way back in 1946 when, fresh out of a business administration course in college, I landed a job in a travel agency at age 19. We talked 46

SENIOR LIVING

BY BERT OLLIVIER

frequently, at his prodding. I told him about how the business has changed dramatically since those early post-Second World War times. He told me he thoroughly enjoyed hearing descriptions of my real life adventures in the travel business. The more we talked, I thought well, maybe I could start, just for the fun of it to jot down a chapter or two about my early dreams of travelling, mostly on trains. Yes, trains were the kings of the road, in those days. And so, I soon became hooked. After two or three chapters, I discovered that writing a book, though time consuming, is not that different from writing short stories. I perceived that each chapter was indeed, just a short story in itself. Then, after some patient effort, I found it became less of a problem to string the chapters together and, presto, I soon became consumed with running more and more chapters into what ﬁnally developed into my pride and, eventual, joy – my book. Total time spent on the venture was nine months, coincidentally, the gestation time of birthing a child. It followed that I started to refer to my book as my baby! Then the real “fun” began. Getting my baby out of the playpen and eventually published was the next challenge. Writing the book was deﬁnitely not easy but in comparison, much easier than all the steps that followed. First, I explored the conventional method of sending my manuscript to publishers for approval. If accepted, a publisher usually bears the expenses and efforts involved in a book’s promotion, selling, distribution and a myriad of oth-

er details. My first approaches resulted in the receipt of nicely worded rejection letters. It didn’t take me long to decide I was too old to absorb the depressing moods, which would engulf me as a result of the discouraging rejection letters I pessimistically anticipated. So, I just about gave up on my neighbour’s book idea. Then, out of the blue, a bright spot appeared on the horizon. As a member of Rotary, I regularly receive the magazines the club publishes. Upon leafing through a copy, I came across an ad from a publishing firm that touted the idea of self-publishing. The ad was chock full of encouragement about how writers could fulfill dreams of seeing their book published in as quickly as six weeks after submission. So, guess what? I immediately inquired and was completely engrossed in the ideas that their slick brochure extolled. The advantages described by using their publishing services were very convincing. In short, I was sold! But I did not sign up immediately. As an experienced businessman, I knew my first step was to investigate the firm to ensure it was on the up-and-up. It passed my tests, so I then arranged to take a trip out of town to see the establishment and meet with one of their consultants. After three meetings, I decided to sign with them by paying a reasonable sum up front. This got me started, but I soon found that the procedure was not as easy as was touted. It was true that indeed it is possible to have a book published in six weeks, provided all the steps proceed without glitches. First, I provided two manuscripts per instructions, one via the Internet and the other by post. Then, I had to provide artwork for the front and back covers. All this took time. Once all was accomplished, I

was presented with a proof-copy of my book. To say I was thrilled to see the result is an understatement. However, the next step, before the final printing, was for me to go through the copy, carefully, page by page, proofread, and sign a form that all was correct. I found some errors. Plus, I decided on a few additional changes. I then discovered that each time corrections were made, I had to wait for them to be incorporated in the next proof. So much for the six-week promise! When all was done to my satisfaction, I was gently informed that due to an unprecedented and unexpected rush on orders, the printing department was behind schedule. The outcome was that the first printing of my book was delivered three months after my final authorization that all errors and/or omissions had been corrected to my satisfaction. To be fair, some of the delays were caused by me, but certainly not all of them. Next, I was reminded again that all the publishing company does is print, not promote. I found myself in an area of activity that was foreign to me. As a former travel promoter, I knew how to sell travel, but marketing and selling books was tantamount, in my opinion, to being a ship’s captain proceeding slowly and carefully in uncharted waters without a compass or any other navigation aids. This chapter in my life does have a reasonably good ending. After much research into book marketing, I did meet with moderate success. At the time of writing, I am now into the second printing having sold over 400 clones of my baby. SL

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Reﬂections THEN & NOW

BY GIPP FORSTER

“Brylcreem, a little dab will do you. Brylcreem, you’ll look so debonair. Brylcreem, the gals will pursue you. Simply rub a little in your hair.”

think that’s how the ditty went. I’m from the Brylcreem generation. Things were different then. Guys’ hair was only long enough to form a duck tail at the back. A little dab never did me! A quarter of a tube, maybe, but never a “little dab.” Another thing was different then too – I had hair! We were known as “Greasers,” for obvious reasons, and we thought we were the best things since Clark Kent and Superman. We looked ridiculous, but nobody could convince us of it, at the time. We thought we were rebels and wanted to stand out as such. Much like the kids today with the green and red hair, a myriad of tattoos and skin punctures. We wanted and they want an identity of their own. I eventually walked away from the Brylcreem, but they will have a tough time walking away from their tattoos! But each generation leaves its mark. Hindsight is a great teacher. I just wish it didn’t lag behind so much. We thought we were cool in those

days of six-ounce Coke in thick glass bottles and 25-cent movies. Our favourite book and movie was about the Amboy Dukes and our favourite actor was a very young Tony Curtis because we all coveted his hair. We sought reputation in violence, at least where I bought my Brylcreem, and hid our fear in false bravado. I still do that when my wife gets angry with me. She’s just lucky there’s no Brylcreem around. Sometimes, I wonder if those days of Brylcreem and rolled-up jeans were real – or did I just make it up? Girls with pin curlers in their hair wore kerchiefs and chewed gum from the side of their mouths. Those days, there were Buckingham cigarettes, Caporal cigarettes or cork-tip Black Cat cigarettes that cost 25 cents a pack! I remember taking a girl to a movie and each of us having a Pepsi and a hamburger afterwards. It cost me just under a dollar! It all seems so long ago now. It’s strange to me that I can’t remember how much a tube of Brylcreem cost back then. I mean, I should; I used enough of it! I gave a completely new meaning to the terms “sliding into bed”

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THE BRYLCREEM GENERATION or “slipping into a bath.” Anyone could have used my head to do an oil change on their car. Maybe it was because of Brylcreem that my hair “slipped” away. I guess I’ll never know. It couldn’t have cost too much. The average wage was $1,200 to $1,500 a year! I don’t think I miss those days. I miss my hair, of course – and my 31-inch waist. But as far as the misadventure is concerned, I’m glad I don’t have to repeat it. Sometimes, I don’t even like to remember it! My wife just piped in: “Are you sure you don’t mean your 31-inch wrist and not your waist?” (And yet, nobody believes me when I say my watch strap used to be my belt). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there’s far more to look back on than there is to look forward to! I slipped into young (very young) adulthood with an edge. I did it with Brylcreem and I slipped in like greased lightening. Even though I may be nearing the exit to the sound of distant thunder, I won’t be using Brylcreem to make my escape. I hope to be able to do that without props. In the meantime, I guess memory and I will continue to walk down the path that lays behind us, and yet still welcomes us; pointing out this and pointing out that, laughing at this and crying over that. I’m not sure if they even sell Brylcreem anymore. But if they do, I think I’m going to buy myself a tube. Not to use on my near baldness, but have it bronzed, so I can look at it and remember those hair-raising days – in the Brylcreem generation. SL

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