Starring roles:
George & Heather, Carolynn - the family we stayed with when we first arrived in Canada
Sheila and Patrick - the Irish couple we are renting from.
Gail - work colleague at CKVU
To the bestest Mum & Dad ever!
Hello. How are you doing? I'm still missing you lots and lots!
Saturday 28th April 1990
Went to aerobics. Quite enjoyed it this morning cause I managed to do most of it without stopping.
There was a fresh scattering of snow on the mountains this morning, so it must have been cold up there last night. The clouds were almost sitting on the ground at the top of Lynn Valley (the area we live in). It's weird but pretty.
Furniture was delivered this afternoon. God, I'd forgotten how much stuff we had. We've got one package missing, which apparently didn't come off the boat. It's a package containing our linen basket, some linen and ornaments, but we don't know what ornaments yet.
Left it all and went out to get some brunch at The Elbow Room. Two people sitting next to us started chatting away to us - that happens all the time here, it's really nice.
Vince had his hair cut short, but he doesn't look like a convict thank goodness. It looks really nice.
Came home to unpack some stuff. Lots of our glasses are broken and the lid of our coffee pot. Also the glass on a couple of pictures. The glasses were really badly packed, so I think once the insurance money is in our hands I'm going to complain bitterly! We are now surrounded by packing paper and bubble wrap!!
Sunday 29th April 1990
You called! Lovely as always to hear you both - and lovely to speak to James too. Sad about the destruction in Knowle Park and those beautiful Oak trees coming down.
We took a drive out to Lougheed Mall to get a present for James. Hope he likes them - they should do him for the heatwave you're having in England at the moment. Also, got something for Nan for her birthday. Hope she gets it in time - it's a magnet picture frame, so she can stick it on her fridge and I've put a picture of me and her in it.
Popped round to see the Woolstones, but nobody was in! Found out from Sheila and Patrick later that they had popped round to see us and we weren't in! Haha.
Had a fish and chip lunch at Lonsdale Quay and sat outside as it turned out nice in the end.
Did some more unpacking, we're really fed up with it now! Wish we could leave it unpacked, but we've had to do it to check it, then pack it back up again. So glad to have the rest of my clothes though and my wedding dress, which arrived in good condition. It was wonderful, too, to look through our wedding album. I was brave and didn't cry, but I think watching the video will be a different matter.
Monday 30th April 1990
Back to work. Mondays at the moment are fine, I don't mind them at all.
Didn't do anything different today, had a major clear up in the evening. Everything has now been opened and checked. We've also discovered that our pillows are missing and also some expensive cables for Vince's hi-fi.
Tuesday 1st May 1990
May already, can you believe it? I'll be seeing you before I know it! But I still miss you bad in the meantime!
We were really busy at wok today. CKVU is coming up to it's licence renewal time, so we have to get together detailed notes on what is happening on the channel, what new ideas they have, what they are doing about screening violence and all sorts of things like that, so Gail and I did a lot of typing today. I enjoyed it though.
Heather & George came over this evening. They were impressed with our furniture (what they could see of it anyway) and they thought the wedding photos were lovely. Heather thinks Dad is so good looking. She said 'you know, men as a rule don't really keep their looks, but your Dad is really pleasant to look at'. Don't let it go to your head Dad! I want you to fit on the plane at Christmas!
Wednesday 2nd May 1990
Went shopping after work and then had had dinner at guess where? Yep, you got it, White Spot!
Had a letter from Gerard & Audrey which was nice!
Thursday 3rd May 1990
It was not busy at work at all today, so Gail let me write a personal letter. I wrote to Jayne (who I used to work with).
We went for a walk in Stanley Park before dinner as it was a lovely evening. Walked around near the miniature railway where there is a lovely trail. Found some kangaroos which we didn't even know were there. Stood watching them for quite a while and they also had a few babies in there. As we were walking, all these squirrels kept running up to us looking for food. One of them nearly ran up Vince's leg - it was so cute! We went on the swings and the see-saw - it was wonderful and I felt like a little girl again! I swung as high as I could and hung my head back like I used to as a kid. It reminded me of our old swing in the garden, although I didn't hang upside down on the top bar!! I'm sure the see-saw must be made for adults - they're quite big! We'll all go on them at Christmas! We saw a few pretty bunnies too just running wild (they look like pet rabbits and they're very nervous).
Friday 4th May 1990
It was a gloriously hot day today. Work was very quiet again, so Gail let me take a longer lunch hour. I sat out the back of the building. The view is not very pleasant, but it's a real suntrap. Left work at 2pm and sat in the garden for a while with Sheila. When Vince got home, we once again went to Stanley Park and this time we bought some nuts to feed the squirrels. They are black squirrels by the way and apparently originated from Germany.
Walked around the Rose Gardens which smelled divine in the early evening. There's probably so much of Stanley Park that we haven't seen yet. Stood talking to a Canadian from Saskatchewan, which I believe is the next State along from B.C. He asked us for some nuts so that he could feed the squirrels. It's so amazing that we can so easily go out to these beautiful places whenever we feel like it. I wish we could visit you so easily! When you drive across the Lion's Gate Bridge in the evenings, there's usually a lovely view of the sun setting on the water on one side and of course the City view on the other, then you take the Stanley Park turn-off and drive round to the Zoo carpark, which is just such a beautiful drive. I cannot wait for you to see it. I hope we have some nice clear days at Christmas, I don't want the mountains disappearing into the cloud!
Got a drive-through McDonalds on the way home and watched Dallas. Missed April and Bobby's wedding last week, which I'm a bit upset about. You'll have to tell me what she looked like when that episode comes round to you. Sometimes I wish they'd get rid of J.R. Can't he do anything normal?!
Saturday 5th May 1990
Aerobics this morning. Vince came with me and did the circuit training in a different room. He does 40 seconds on each machine twice over.
Had breakfast at the Dutch Pannecoek House then as it's very hot again today, decided to go up Grouse Mountain. Up there, it was cloudy and a bit chilly, but the views were lovely. Had lunch outside, got a bit chilly. There's still a lot of snow up there, we were surprised as the ski-run is bare now. It was such an experience though, there we are in shorts, t-shirts and sunglasses, walking in the snow! We took some photos so will send them to you next letter. When we came back down, it was still sunny and hot.
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| Vince and Jo in the snow on Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver |
Drove to Cleveland Dam and laid in the sun for a while. You probably remember that from our holiday photos. Went down to the fish hatchery after that, but there weren't many salmon about yet. We did watch some people canoeing on the river - they were trying to get through the barrier that had been set up, but the water was so rough, nobody got through. As we were walking through the forest path, we saw this couple with a Siamese Cat following them, no lead or anything - Amazing! They said that they take her for a 4 km walk every day and if they try to go out without her, she starts creating a fuss! They trained her from a kitten, isn't that sweet? Maybe I'll get Smokey Cat a pushchair and strap him in haha.
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| Cleveland Dam, North Vancouver - an incredible sight |
Came home with burned faces! Cooked some fresh haddock for dinner with chopped tomato, spring onion, bacon and nutmeg - it was quite nice. They call spring onions green onions here - weird! I asked the man in the supermarket if he had any green onions and he pointed to the spring onions, giving me a rather strange look! Well, it's these Canadians that are strange - they talk a funny language! I said to Carolynn the other day that I was a bit peckish and hadn't a clue what I was talking about!! HAHA.
Sunday 6th May 1990
I get so excited when I wake up on Sundays 'cause I know I'll be speaking to you.
It's a shame you've had to move your bees, but I guess it was getting a bit hair-raising in your garden! Fancy them returning to the garden too, they must have missed their Mum and Dad!
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| Bloedel Conservatory, Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver - beautiful |
We went to collect Carolynn and went to Queen Elizabeth Park. They have a large conservatory there with tropical birds, plants and parrots. It's a bit like Kew Gardens. After that, had some lunch at a place called The Bread Garden then took a walk down to Kitsilano Beach. The wind was quite strong and the water was all brown and choppy. Brrrrr. So we didn't walk along there for long even though the sun was out!
Had dinner back at the Woolstones, but left early to go home and watch the film The Untouchables.
Monday 7th May 1990
Worked a bit later today as I had something long to type, but I didn't mind.
Ran to the mailbox to check for your letter, but it was empty! When that happens, it seems forever to wait until the next day. I was disappointed - very!
Apart from that, a very uneventful day.
Tuesday 8th May 1990
Before I go onto Tuesday's news, I forgot to say yesterday, that Vince re-arranged the lounge last night to make room for his Hi-Fi. I got dragged along in the armchair while I was watching "Peggy Sue Got Married".
Got your letter today - hooray! Made myself comfy on the settee and settled down to read it. I just love that! It was a wonderful letter as always. Whenever you mention going shopping in Dartford, it really makes me long to go with you. When I think about it, it seems so close and so clear in my mind and I feel as if I could just join you so easily. Often when I walk around the shopping malls in Vancouver, I think how nice it would be to walk round with you. There are so many amazing clothes shops. Dad - it would drive you mad with us in and out of the shops, but it's an experience! We have a film coming out soon called Bird on A Wire with Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson which was filmed here in Vancouver.
I've had another idea, if you come and live here, you can give up cooking Sunday roasts and go out to lunch all the time instead. It doesn't cost much more than buying a joint of beef.
Carolynn came round this evening. She looked at the wedding photos and thought they were beautiful. She brought round her photos from her Montreal trip which were quite nice, not as nice-looking as Vancouver, but does seem to have older buildings.
Wednesday 9th May 1990
My boss was back from his trip to Ireland and England today. He told me about his trip to Greenwich and it made me very envious! He brought me back some pot pourri from Kent to remind me of England. I thought that was very nice of him. He bought Gail a piece of real Irish linen. I'm not sure if I told you that Gail is from Prince Edward Island (Anne of Green Gables land). It's right on the East Coast of Canada and is closer to England than it is to Vancouver.
The President of Global, who is Mr. Big, came in to work today. He is a really nice man, not self-important at all, just really down-to-earth.
Walked up to see the Woolstone's Nana after work, as she lives quite near my office. Had a really nice chat with her, she is so with it!
It was really hot today, so Vince cooked hamburgers this evening and we had them in the garden. Halfway through my second burger, Patrick said "go and put a jacket on Jo, it's cold". I know he's only being nice, but it makes me so mad! I feel like saying "look, believe me, I know when I'm cold or not!". Honestly! And Sheila was sitting there in shorts - I should have said "go and put some trousers on, you'll freeze!!".
Heather called this evening, she has written a letter to you and Dad. She thought it would be nice for you to hear how we are doing from someone else. You'll have to let me know what she said.
Thursday 10th May 1990
Phoned Nan this morning to wish her Happy Birthday. She was really pleased and sounded very sensible today. I hope she doesn't forget I called, but I dare say she will! She said she liked the picture frame and that she's already put it on her fridge. Apparently, you had just left - it was about 4pm your time. She told me all the bluebells in the woods are out and it looks very pretty.
At work, they are going to train me to use the switchboard in reception, as they very occasionally need someone to take over when one of the girls are off sick, so I said yes because it will mean extra money, but it will hardly ever happen.
Had a letter from Cyn today and Vince got his HiFi magazine from her, so he's happy! Didn't feel like cooking tonight, so sent out for Chinese. It was quite yummy.
Sheila and Patrick have been giving their garden a good water for the past few nights and there have been puddles of water on the ground. Well, Smokey won't walk on the wet bits. He pussyfoots around and then jumps right over them. It's so funny, he looks quite panicky for a while. Yet he's happy to go out in the rain - weirdo!
Well I think it's about time I finish this letter off, so I'll end it here. I'm enclosing a postcard of Lynn Valley Canyon and a leaflet on Grouse Mountain, I thought you might like to see what they look like, although there's obviously a lot more to them than that.
As I write this, "Upstairs, Downstairs" has just come on the tele, it's on every Thursday, but they're not in order - stupid! And tonight's episode is in black and white would you believe?!
Till the next letter... Love you and miss you with all my heart. Big hugs and kisses for both of you from us and a big kiss and Meow from Smokey. Kiss for Sam, Tommy, Caz and the bees.
Lots of love and lots more, Joanne & Vince xxx
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| Sign off from Jo - 10.5.1990 |
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