34~Lakeside for a Summer Holiday

We are all going on a Summer Holiday! No more worries for a week or two!

Road tripping with a bestie from childhood, with the kids in tow- the open road, mountainous surrounds and snacks galore = FUN! 

The adults headed out together (that is Mama Wolff, Richard, Liz and Harvey), Keith was working and would later join us by flying in from Calgary. The cars were packed to the brim and we were set after grabbing large coffees and the breakfast sandwiches and doughnut bites tom Tim Horton’s- a Donegani/Burritt heading to the Lake family ritual. The summer holiday vibes were in full flow as we left the city behind us, heading out onto the open road. Kate and I remembered being in the back of ‘The Beast’, the huge station wagon that transported us to all sorts of places as kids. Now we were in the front of a pretty awesome vehicle with control of the tunes, snack rationing and the speed. Today some cars have DVD players too (new to me, I thought this was limited to limousines), so we waited till we made the half way mark, whacked on ‘The Lion King’, sang along (with more enthusiasm than the children) and waited till the children to drift off so we could engage in serious gossip. Just like with Lydia, we had a list of conversations to come back to as we had flitted from one topic to another, never quite reaching a satisfactory conclusion or getting as in depth as we wanted.

We arrived first and Reese and Jack were thrilled to see Grandma Di and Grandpa Eric. Harvey, Richard, Liz and Mama Wolff were soon to follow; Liz and Judy bright eyed, with a little raucous laughter having enjoyed a bottle of wine in the back seat. These gals can put away the wine and maintain a seemingly even keel. Pretty impressive. They say it is years of practice. As far back as I can remember, yes, they have been continually practicing and that is a few fair years.

How lovely to have a week at Lake Skaha in the Okanagan. Keith’s family cabin has been moved from the lakeside spot but remains on the family land. Eric and Diane sold their homes in Vancouver to permanently move to the Lake and built a house for round the year living. As their placard in the kitchen/diner says: ‘Life is better at the Lake.’  Very sensible to vacate the city and move to this little spot of Canadian heaven. The weather forecast was hot, hot, hot for the week. So much so that the old cabin was not a viable option for us to stay in as it was literally a sauna (I considered some hot yoga but decided the jetty a hot enough and more beautiful place to practice) so Liz and Harvey, Richard and Mama W, and I (in the ‘bonus room’- as a single there is generally the chance you are on the sofa bed or in with the kids- I had a lovely window looking out onto the hills and a big TV with plenty of Disney VHS) moved into the big house with Eric and Di. Kate, Keith and the children stayed in the little sister house next door that had heaps of cabin charm.

Experiencing the beauty of the Okanagan and the peace of the lake was just lovely. It was perfect for Mama W and Richard to  have a ‘summer holiday’ in the midst of their city break too. Lakeside activities are very cool: waterskiing (Keith’s sport of choice, I was put off when Harvey pulled his back out on his first and only ski of the week), boat trips, plunging to escape the heat, swims, jetty yoga, reading, chatting, rock painting with nail varnishes (Kate, Reese and I had hours of enjoyment), checking out clouds, feet trailing in the cool water and simply gazing into the horizon.  

Post hours of scything the water weeds and then a waterski, poor Harvey pulled his back and proceeded to medicate himself. Here he is using the yoga mats, tequila and a Corona here to help heal his back (mid morning):- 

Kate and I cooked a dinner at the Cabin for the lakeside lot. As we did this, we put on tracks from our childhood: Rick Astley and Dirty Dancing. We knew all the words and had a riot, cooking up a feast of chorizo and prawn linguine with a feta and watermelon salad. We loved hosting and could not help but congratulate ourselves on our skills and delicious food- acknowledging that it was slightly unbecoming to do so. Reese and I had spent a sneaky hour baking Kate’s favourite: lemon drizzle cake. It was her and Keith’s anniversary so we figured ladies choice (lucky, as Keith had overindulged in sun and a few too many rum and cokes- he had to sneak off) and Reese was chuffed to bits to bestow the gift to her mama. 

Reese and I were becoming fast friends. When Jack corrected me in how to say ‘water’, “Not wa-t-er, wa-d-er!” Reese conspiratorially said to him, with one eye on me, “Jack, she has an accent, she can’t help it.” She was now in with the British lingo and was rocking out words like ‘chuffed’, chips were now always ‘crisps’ and ‘brilliant’ had replaced ‘awesome'. Liz too declared she would never call crisps chips again, indeed crisps seemed much more apt for crunchy potato snack! Why had she not termed them so sooner? Reese and I made place settings for our last dinner together, coloured, baked banana bread, yoga-d together and had a pretty cool game of pirates with Jack too. 

 I was oblivious as I stood on my head to the photography and Reese's complementary act:-

Kate and I managed to have time too. We both had a conversation that we wanted to complete. A parallel from across the pond, us both having experienced a fall out with a close friend. Years ago in both our worlds but interestingly we both had taken a long while to heal and the wounds recently closed, the scars clearly there. As we went for a grocery run, Kate divulged her story. Two days on, we did a mourning walk up a mountain and I reciprocated. The cathartic release, perfectly timed as we trudged down the steep incline, brought tears to both friends and we realised how precious this opportunity was in sharing. We were both finding absolution and a sense of closure. 

Here we are with our mamas:

We girls headed out to town to get the next lot of groceries- there were a lot of mouths to feed and we

seemed to do a lot of eating. This trip involved an initial pit stop at two wineries. An Okanagan must, what can we say? A shopping session at Canada’s version of TKMaxx. I looked on as the ladies bought clothes and consoled myself by buying some lavender oil and coconut body scrub as toiletries surely were essential. We then went for lunch which made us realise that this was the very first time we had ever been just the four of us, Kate and I grown up girls now, lunching and chatting over our histories, presents and futures. Very decadent and a ridiculous amount to catch up on- like 25 years! Eventually we made it to the supermarket and it was a strategic dash around the aisles in order to make it back to rescue the men or the kids, whichever were feeling the strain more and of course to make the most of the late afternoon sun at our lakeside spot (admittedly, this was our first and foremost thought).

The sunny days here were reminiscent of our childhoods at ‘The Cabin’. Liz and Harvey’s over the border beautiful cliffside spot where we would spend weekends adventuring, reading, being together, eating candy and pancake breakfasts. Here we were, all together again and I remember the ever arching skies from our cabin vantage point and I marvelled at the stunning skies lakeside too. The first night I trailed my feet off the jetty, mesmerised and unable to move to get a camera. Amber, peach, apricots, threads of saffrons and rose stretched, slowly ribboned and danced as the sun disappeared behind the hill. The uplight, a gorgeous staging effect prevented true darkness and postponed nightfall. Reflections in the water were equally captivating and the warmth of the sun kissed air kept me there for some time. 

Each night was a different performance, each incomparable and treasured as was the slow rise of the sun and early light that permeates this vast expanse of undulating mountainous ranges. Morning runs were perfect for smelling the land, catching the sprinklers that watered the crops and seeing the moon in the early morning blue. One night as the sun was setting, I kept thinking about night swimming. The water lay darkly translucent in the wavering trees that fringed the lake, the amber-hued belt of mountains reflected in the gentle ripples upon the surface, twinkling 

Diane encouraged me just to

do it, so as the others watched on, enjoying the sun set, I hopped in for some lengths. Buddy, the dog, they felt was surely in love with me. Running up and down the jetty as I swam, clearly captivated and protective. Well, he has not been my worse offer as of yet. He has all his teeth and is apparently incredibly loyal. I guess a summer holiday often features a budding romance. If my feelings were not reciprocated, at least I had an admirer and it did cause quite the stir at our camp! Here he is, heading my way:

Lots more happened during this week: the adults went for a posh lunch at a winery; Kate managed to find time to complete a book; the kids suffered a few melt downs; Harvey hobbled around with a bad back; Keith got in a few early morning water skis; we watched the World Cup Final; the adults got pretty merry on Friday night; Diane made some top notch meals; we breakfasted together; we chatted and most of all we laughed. 

I headed home in the adult car- Kate, Keith and the kids would continue their stay for the long weekend. Mama Wolff got sick on the windy ride home and stopping for a box of Okanagan peaches and a crate of wine was a must. A perfect ending to our summer holiday: a victim of car sickness, a box of local peaches and a pit stop at a burger joint!

What we learnt form our group vacation was that we would do it again in a heartbeat, so next year or the year after we are down for a reunion. We have had a good few years practice at this holidaying together back in the 1980’s and some 20 years later we still have the skills. 

33~Happy Days: A Burritt Blip, Going Yin-side and a Wolff Whirlwind

‘A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.’ ~Lao Tzu Chinese Philosopher 570-490B.C

I had sort of disregarded the intentions for my journey and what would unfold as a result of being in the intended destination; I was so engulfed in the civilisation that was 'The Canadian' that I landed with a bit of a surprise- our train was even early (I guess tearing down the tracks come evening was pretty effective). Fresh (-ish) from the train, disembarking for the last time was strange. Having had bid farewell to Mahina and Samantha, I collected my luggage and collected my thoughts- I was in Vancouver! I would stand outside the station and wait for the Burritts. I must say that I discovered I had train legs; it felt physically odd to no longer be in the locomotive motions and emotionally. Suddenly I was released from the carriages which I had begun to know as home- where friendships and families (and marriages!) are formed fast and the proper use of your legs is not required.

I stood outside of the train station and breathed in what I could see of Vancouver. It was 10:00 on Saturday morning and pretty grey, I had no phone numbers or way of contacting the Burritts but just trusted they would show. Sure enough, like a burst of sunshine, Katie and Liz Burritt came shrieking around the corner to find their long time friend awaiting the pick up. Reese and Jack, Katie’s children looked shocked and shy (not a typical look for these two I soon found out, I assure you) with this extremely exuberant greeting. They soon came round as we bonded over muffins and Rice Krispie buns.

We headed to Main Street to see Harvey at Burritt Bros., which is his wonderfully successful carpet store, a family business going years back. I have fond memories of being here as a kid and hiding between the hanging rugs and I played the same games with Kate's children. It became clear that Reese was working out how I fit into this world. Was I her friend? Where was my mother? As I played so readily her games, weaving in and out of the store, hide and seek, mummies and daddies and all the other imaginative larks she created, I realised that the huge chunk of time had dissolved. Kate and I would play these games some 30 years ago and here now I felt incredibly connected to her 5 year old but also entirely connected to Kate. The years we had apart felt like mere moments. We all slipped back immediately into the comforts of closeness that true friends emanate.

The crew headed to White Rock, out of Vancouver, to Kate’s house; it was quite incredible to see Kate as a mother with a home and husband. I had a fleeting thought that I could not have put myself in a more different place; I had in fact made myself homeless- selling my flat and car and leaving my comfortable life. Choosing a temporarily nomadic existence, rejecting physical attachments and seeking freedom of the open road and a lone traveller. Although our present trajectories were somewhat different, it didn't matter one squidgy bit because we were still the 7 year olds at heart, in rapport and affection. Kate immediately produced a treasured tin that was full of history. We poured over archives in the form of rather embarrassing letters penned during our early teens and also some quite unforgiving photographs. The Wolff’s had left Canada in 1990, much to the devastation of all; Kate and I became devoted penpals and wrote to each other in earnest. The letters always ended with: 'P.S When are you coming to England??' (me) and 'P.S I am working on my mom, I miss you!' (Kate)

I would stay with Liz and Harvey- a childhood dream to be adopted by these two and living it at the age of 35 seemed just perfect. However,  one sleep in my new room, a family breakfast, a shuffle of belongings and repacking and a drop off in the city was next- Kate would leave me with a lift I had organised to get me to my next spot: off grid and kinda near Whistler for a Yin Yoga Teacher Training Retreat. This was the road that would later that day take me there and fill me with wonder:

It felt like not enough time to settle on in to my summer home but it was a nice taster of what was to come.

A quick stop at Crescent beach in the dusky twilight, a bright moon in a lavender sky and home to Liz and Harvey’s all helped to orientate me to this little spot in the world, I packed for the week of yoga and looked forward to my return.

I have to say my week of yoga was quite something. I met some amazing people (from a Texan fireman, to a gorgeous mom and daughter from Montana, a fellow Brit- a fun and funny gal from Manchester, my roomie was a great girl from NYC, a cool girl from Holland was my yoga neighbour and many more- we were quite an eclectic bunch) in an awesome setting, had some sublime yoga sessions, learnt a hell of a lot and felt rejuvenated to have the daily yin pervade my body. Our teachers, Bernie and Diana (and of course each other, the students), blew my mind with their sessions and spirits. I could write so much more about this experience. The komorebi was rife here in our little forest-y haven, as were the snow covered mountains and reflections in the still waters of the lakes.

We had one afternoon off and I headed to Whistler with another Jessica for healthy snacks and to sit near a lake:

I went for a few early morning runs (5:00am in order to make the 6:00am yang yoga session), hoping to avoid the bears that inhabit the surrounding area. I dreamt one night that bears and panthers were on the dirt road and although I did not meet them early morning, I did cut my toe. So perhaps the dream was a sign to keep off the track. A nurse from Kamloops, part of the yoga group, was insistent I get a tetanus shot. So at the end of the retreat I got dropped off from my yoga sanctuary by the Texan fireman in downtown Vancouver. Quite overwhelming!! Realising I had no passport and faculties to speak with people in the real world, instead of heading into the clinic to negotiate an injection and face the costs this would incur, I opted for a blueberry smoothie and a sweet potato scone from Wholefoods. Feeling like an alien (with a bit of a scabby toe); donning a dishevelled mountain look; glazed yoga expression, I waited roadside. I was clutching my scone on Cambie and Main Street, in the hope to be collected by Kate’s husband Keith. 

Fortunately, I was indeed spirited away and in the comfort of Keith’s care we headed to white Rock, where at least the trees are in abundance and the smaller town vibe resides. I scooted with Reese and we had pizza while I gave Kate a taster of the Thai massage I had just learnt that morning. Life would became homogenous again, instead of being made up of detached fragments. A home to reside in, with my own room and family. (Although I am beginning to realise how, really, each little spot quickly becomes home and it is amazing how quickly you settle. )As we chatted away, I realised that Mama Wolff and Richard would be arriving the following day and a whole new world would open up once again.

Liz and I went to greet Mama W and Richard at the airport and it felt so strange to see them coming down the stretch from arrivals; the last time I had seen them was in London St Pancras and they fussed as I went to fetch the tube and I had to shoo them away! Of course the impossibly segregated worlds of a traveller and home are no longer so separate, with the modern technologies blurring the appearance of distance. But here they were, in Canada, ready for their holidays! So we all stayed at Liz’s and we had a grand time. Liz as always, creates a delicious spread seemingly from nowhere- she has a particular predilection (and talent) for awesome crudites and a dill dip that Mama Wolff loves.

Riot and mirth perpetuated our time here. Reminiscing and storytelling punctuated our evenings, afternoons and mornings. It thrilled me to see my mom so happy- back with her friends, full of verve and chatter. These friends we had lived so closely alongside 25 years ago have always permeated our thoughts and hearts, to have this time was quite special and seemingly perfectly times. We realised that Kate and I were the ages that Liz and Mama Wolff were when we were in the realms of deep childhood friendship. Kate and I had met in kindergarden. We all remember the time in May, when I said to Mama Wolff that I wanted to invite Kate to my birthday party. I remember mum approaching Liz and offering the invite. This was it. Even though Kate went to a different school a few years later, we remained besties with a penchant for sleepovers. I remember popcorn; late night apples; den making; Dan (Kate’s little brother) in character as Indiana Jones; Dan in time-out; Anne of Green Gables; reading and sharing books; dolls; Kate’s blue and striped Alice in Wonderland dress; pancakes; Liz and her loveliness; adventures at the cabin in Point Robert’s; Harvey playing the guitar; the mom’s with g&t’s and bottles of wine; parties and us all together in a bundle of laughter and fun. One may think I have rose tinted nostalgic glasses on here, but reminiscing so many years on, we do all recollect the happiest of times.

 I loved to hear Harvey and Liz and our other friends talking about ‘Addy’. I guess we all called Adam this when he was little. Everyone remembered him as the loveliest of little boys, his big brown eyes and kind nature ever present. Michael, Addy’s best bud, had seen us off at the airport when we left for England and apparently turned to his mum and said, ‘What are we going to do without Addy?’ To which she responded by bursting into tears, as she too was losing her friend, Judy. Here we are catching up with the Revell’s, who like the Burritt family, were dear friends during our Canadian lives.

So, Adam, I may have likened you to a sloth in a former blog but know that I only talk you up. Liz says when she watches the videos from when we were kids she would like to reach into history and grab Addy to give him a great big kiss. His great big, gentle brown eyes. The youngest of a rowdy bunch, baby-bird like in his slow toddler movements, absorbing the hysteria around him wide-eyed; Dan has a melt down as Addy accidentally eats one of the crisps from his plate and Addy looks on with a hint of wonder and surprise until one of the moms sweeps in and placates Dan’s tantrum.

Although Dan was older, he was on the smaller side. He also was permanently in character- he was in a Ghostbuster phase here! Indian Jones was another fave. Here he is now, Dan the Man (SUPER lovely, gentlemanly, funny and an anchorman on CBC- I was amazed to see him on the telly, loving watching him from the Burritt abode):-

Addy emulates the beautiful persona that embodies him still and we all wish both him and Steph were also here for this visit. This was such a strange thing- watching videos (converted to DVD) on the last day of mum and Richard’s trip. It was strange to watch myself. I was quite shy in the birthday shenanigans. Hiding behind Kate and her confident performance and chatter in front of the camera, watching on as Steph took centre stage with a recorder show and a dialogue with Liz about her teacher's flaws (verging on a potential character assassination). Harvey kept focusing the camera on my face and my retreating shyness. My freckled face looked no different to now and it made me very emotional to see myself and my I know this is a powerful therapy: looking at yourself as a child and speaking to that child knowing what you know now, stripping back life's traumas and emotional roller coasters that every person inevitably endures (all relative of course). I myself, do not feel hurt by the past but watching myself, appearing to seek solitude below in the depths while the others darted around on the surface like a school of fish, moved me and I wanted to tell that little girl that everything would be okay.

What was more amusing as opposed to emotional, was seeing Liz and Mama W. The 80s looks they had going on- shoulder pads, high waisted trousers with pleats and quite interesting perms all boxy, heavy on the make-up. Mama Wolff is clearly in the kitchen drinking her wine for the most part (a slight diservice here as I am sure she is preparing party food too) but arrives on screen as we are gathered at the party table and as Liz walks in carrying a Ghostbusters cake with an unmistakeable Slimer on top, we could all not stop laughing. Snapshots are great but seeing us in motion was a whole new level of our trip down memory lane.

Spending time with the Revell's had also involved a lot of reminiscing, as did our awesome catch up with the McKays- a visit to a winery; roadside blueberry sampling; an outing to Canada Place; hanging out at their place and looking at old photos...

Genevieve was another bestie from childhood and we, much similar to the Burritt/Wolff gang, had a Bucher/Wolff gang too. A LOT of time was spent riding our bikes, eating candy and hanging out at each others houses. We lived close and were in the same class at school. She called us her 'special guests' and we received the star treatment:

We had a gorgeous dinner and met her husband and two children. Genevieve was just the same and we slipped right back into the comfortable childhood nook. 

Mama Wolff was also big time friends with Gen's parents and Angela, her sister, is vibrant in my memories as are Bob and Kerry Bucher. 

I organised a girly lunch so Mama could catch up with all her besties from back in the day- Liz Burritt, Cathy McKay, Mama Wolff and Ann Revell. Back in the hey day all of us would get together and have some pretty fun parties, remembered by us all:

So, as you see this was all quite a lot of activity! Fortunately we had a little summer holiday sandwiched in between all the wonderful shananigans- we went Lakeside. That little adventure is up next, Blog 34. You can see how a blip with the Burritts is just not enough, how an education of yin yoga (off grid but connected to my native land) could not have been more perfect and how the Wolff/Heseltine arrival created quite a whirlwind. I loved seeing Mama Wolff and Richard having such a good time with their buddies. Happiest of days! More of those to come...