july 2013 senior living magazine

WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM JULY 2013 1

JULY 2013

50+ Active Living Magazine

TM

www.seniorlivingmag.com

Fashion Designer Hilly Van de

WeteringPlaying on Pender Perfect place for an active getaway

Tips to Keep You Looking Your Best

Grey is the New Blonde

THE FASHION & BEAUTY ISSUE

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PREPARED FOR: NORGARDEN PUBLICATION: SENIOR LIVING_”DENISE”SIZE: 7.25” X 4.75” PREPARED BY: BRAVO ADVERTISING 250 590 1169

Denise, Executive Director, hasbeen with us for 13 years.

Wisdom is a dishbest shared.The best part of my day?

Learning all our residents’ stories.

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Remember.... it is not by the gray of the hair that one knows the age of the heart. Enjoy life, enjoy simple things.

– Mark Twain

Growing older gracefully

can be challenging.

Let Sidney SeniorCare ensure a

smoother, more comfortable aging

process. We’ll help you maintain

your independence; allowing

you to find joy again

in special moments

and live life on

your terms.

Flexible service24 hrs a day, 7 days a week!

�Call now for your FREE consultation!

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CommunityConcert Series

Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00pmJuly 2 - Goward House with Cynthia Davis & the Sugar Blues Band

July 9 - Majestic Park with VoyagerJuly 16 - Brydon Park with Shaky Ground

July 23 - Beckwith Park with The SutcliffesJuly 30 - Rudd Park with The Smokin’ Popes

Bring a picnic dinner & blanket and enjoy a free evening of music in your local park.

Call 250-475-5408 or go to www.saanichsunfest.ca

FREE

Music Parkin the2013

Presented by the Saanich Legacy Foundation


Award

Win

ning!

9752 Third Street, Sidney250-656-7176 or 250-589-0010

#209 – 2250 Oak Bay Avenue778-433-4784 or 250-589-0010

Now Open

in Oak Bay!

‘‘

‘‘

Remember.... it is not by the gray of the hair that one knows the age of the heart. Enjoy life, enjoy simple things.

– Mark Twain

Growing older gracefully

can be challenging.

Let Sidney SeniorCare ensure a

smoother, more comfortable aging

process. We’ll help you maintain

your independence; allowing

you to find joy again

in special moments

and live life on

your terms.

Flexible service24 hrs a day, 7 days a week!

�Call now for your FREE consultation!

CommunityConcert Series

Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00pmJuly 2 - Goward House with Cynthia Davis & the Sugar Blues Band

July 9 - Majestic Park with VoyagerJuly 16 - Brydon Park with Shaky Ground

July 23 - Beckwith Park with The SutcliffesJuly 30 - Rudd Park with The Smokin’ Popes

Bring a picnic dinner & blanket and enjoy a free evening of music in your local park.

Call 250-475-5408 or go to www.saanichsunfest.ca

FREE

Music Parkin the2013

Presented by the Saanich Legacy Foundation


20 Something Old is New AgainThe ukulele is making a comeback, and in her community, musician Heather Stubbs is lead-ing the jam sessions.

DEPARTMENTS26 Travel29 Classifieds

COLUMNS 4 The Family Caregiver by Barbara Small

22 Forever Young by William Thomas

24 Fit for the Adventure by Eve Lees

25 Ask Goldie by Goldie Carlow

32 Reflections: Then & Now by Gipp Forster

JULY 2013

www.seniorlivingmag.com

Head Office Contact Information:Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

Phone 250-479-4705 Fax 250-479-4808Toll-free 1-877-479-4705

E-mail [email protected] www.seniorlivingmag.comSubscriptions: $32 (includes GST, postage and handling) for 12 issues. Canadian residents only.No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an independent publi-cation and its articles imply no endorsement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolic-ited articles are welcome and should be e-mailed to [email protected] Senior Living is distributed free throughout British Columbia. Stratis Publishing Ltd. publishes Senior Living (12 issues per year). ISSN 1710-3584 (Print) ISSN 1911-6403 (Online)

Publisher Barbara Risto

Editor Bobbie Jo Reid [email protected]

Advertising ManagerBarry Risto 250-479-4705 ext 101For advertising information, call [email protected]

Ad Sales Staff Colevin Crause 250-479-4705 ext 102Barry Risto 250-479-4705 ext 101Evan Standerwick 778-888-7630Kathie Wagner 250-479-4705 ext 103

Senior Living is published by Stratis Publishing.

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FEATURES 6 Playing on PenderPender Island offers a balance between a surprising array of amenities and enough natural gifts to feed your body and soul.

9 15 Fashion and Beauty TipsHelpful advice to keep you looking your best. 10 Grey is the New BlondeThe Boomer generation strikes again by driving the trend towards grey hair – from the runway to the street.

12 Old Dame; Young HeartHilly Van de Wetering has returned to her love of fashion, and designs one-of-a kind outfits from gorgeous fabrics.

14 Find Your Fashionista this SummerRevamp your wardrobe, and showcase your vibrant personality through your fashion choices.

16 Closet Clean-UpTips to help you shed outdated garments and make space for new ones that make sense for your body and lifestyle.

18 Embracing LifeFor counsellor-turned-author Gail Boulanger life is about embarking on daring new adventures.

Cover Photo: Art restorer Jan Huk at work at the Renaissance Gallery on Pender Island. Story page 6. Photo: John Bagshaw

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DEPARTMENTS26 Travel29 Classifieds

COLUMNS 4 The Family Caregiver by Barbara Small

22 Forever Young by William Thomas

24 Fit for the Adventure by Eve Lees

25 Ask Goldie by Goldie Carlow

32 Reflections: Then & Now by Gipp Forster

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Community Care division may also be able to provide you with a list of resources.

Other community organizations such as Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing also provide special equipment for specific limitations.

Several businesses focus solely on selling home healthcare products, like MediChair. And local pharmacy chains (such as Pharmasave, Shopper’s Drug Mart and Rexall) have also opened specialized home healthcare outlets.

Aids or equipment will change with the evolving needs of your care recipient. Your case manager, home care nurse, doc-tor, occupational therapist or home support worker can also help you decide what medical supplies or aids may help.

In addition, ask other family caregivers what they have found to be useful. Or simply do what I did – walk into one of the above resources, tell them what the challenge is and ask them what they have that could help. I was pleasantly surprised by the vast array of devices available.

Next month: Long-distance Caregiving

4

The Family Caregiver column is brought to you by the generous sponsorship of Saint Elizabeth

THE FAMILY CAREGIVER

Devices to Help with Independence

BY BARBARA SMALL

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

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Family caregiving at home can be made easier by the use of aids and equipment that help maintain or increase your care recipient’s independence and

mobility. Products are available for almost any daily activity that becomes challenging due to declines in health.

In addition to the more common items such as scooters, walkers and canes, there are smaller devices that can help in getting dressed, bathing, meal preparation etc. Whatever someone needs help with, there is probably a product avail-able! These include aids that help with opening jars or reach-ing for items that are up high without climbing on a chair, shoe horns with extra-long handles, shower stools, items for gripping or turning or adaptive specialized clothing.

I have two unique items that I use and love. The first is a sock aid with long straps. I slip the sock on the holder, which then holds the sock open so I can easily slip my foot in. Then, I use the long straps to pull the sock on. Sure helps save my arthritic knees.

The second item, which I received one Christmas, is a long-handled device with rollers on it used to apply lotion on your own back.

Many communities have medical supplies and equipment loan services from which you can borrow items for a small fee, by donation or sometimes for free. You can also contact your local branch of the Canadian Red Cross.

Some senior’s complexes or communities have created their own supply rooms, where residents can donate and share aids and equipment. Regional health authorities, Home and

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Killer whale “shows” at Thieves Bay, knock-your-hiking-boots -off views from Mt. Norman,

sylvan swimming in Greenburn and Roe Lakes and 55 trails to wander, what could be better for an active break away?

North and South Pender Island have the balance right: developed enough to offer a surprising array of amenities; and natural enough to gift you with lonely forest treks and secluded beaches. In fact, this 36-square kilometre paradise has more beach accesses than any of the other Southern Gulf Islands and almost 70 parks, surpassed only by Saturna Is-land for parkland.

On the amenities side are historical sites, a museum, several restaurants, the luxurious Poets Cove Resort and Spa, myriad artists’ studios, the Red Tree Gallery at Hope Bay, a busy shop-ping complex at the Driftwood Mall, a Saturday morning Farmers Market at the community centre, and for brows-ers who love to uncover treasures, the must-visit Renaissance Gallery.

Well serviced by BC Ferries from

Swartz Bay, and twice-daily sailings from Tsawwassen, the Penders are an ideal getaway for city folk, combining a Gulf Island cruise with a laid-back is-land experience.

But “laid-back” has nothing to do with indolence. North and South Pend-er’s year-round population of around 2,000 may be primarily made up of re-tirees, but these folk keep busy, in the community and at leisure. Here’s a sam-pling of the leisure activities that visi-tors can get up to. A day visit is do-able, but you’ll go home frustrated; set aside a few days to play like a Penderite.

When driving off the ferry, think Roesland. The museum, located in the restored, historic Roe homestead, will be open on summer weekends, but check the website to be sure. This side trip combines history with natural beau-ty and adds a little, or a lot, of exercise.

The “little” is the Arbutus-fringed walk out to the tip of the islet to enjoy the views, and linger at the beach after the museum visit. The “lot” is to add the trail to Roe Lake. Energetic hikers

walking past the lake and beginning down the hill will soon be looking over Shingle Bay. They can even access a road from here that heads down to the old fish reduction plant, an historic park that’s one of the latest acquisitions to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. There’s also the option of walking and scrambling all around the natural lake, so if you only have a day on Pender, be cautioned: magic munches minutes.

Speaking of munching – a trip over to sleepy Port Washington will wind past the 9-hole public golf course and its café, a busy place in season. Explor-ing this part of the island takes you on a quiet road, past an historic old farm, once the home of one of the early pio-neers whose name graces the nearby port, Washington Grimmer. It will also take you past a farm, where you can buy fresh eggs on the honour system, and the Renaissance Gallery, where crystal jew-elry designer Milada Huk, and her hus-band, Jan, have their treasure trove of “deals.” Milada’s jewelry can be seen in places like New York and London, and

Playing on Pender BY CHERIE THIESSEN

Add Hope Bay to your “must-visit” list.

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Local Travel


ming on a hot day, but be cautioned; the waters here are not nearly as warm as you would imagine. Now you’ll see Port Browning waving at you from the head of the bay, so it’s only polite to stop and say “hi.”

Visiting Port Browning with its ex-cellent beach, swimming pool, café, and busy pub, will probably wind down your varied and busy day.

But have you played disc golf yet? Have you hiked down to Beaumont Park, or rented a kayak and explored Shingle Bay and those old ruins? Have you been down to Thieves Bay yet to watch for those whales and get the sun-set splashed in your face?

Now aren’t you glad you booked overnight at one of the islands’ accom-modations? See the Chamber of Com-merce website for everything you need to know and come prepared.

For IF YOU GO information, more photos, and additional articles about Pender Island, visit www.seniorliving-mag.com/articles/playingonpender

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Jan is one of a handful of the world’s art restorers. Wait ’til you see what’s up that hill, and the prices you can get on Persian carpets, art and custom jewelry!

Now it’s probably lunch time, so head over to the Hope Bay Café and its warren of shops, and be sure to wander into the Red Tree Gallery’s artists’ co-op. It’s one way of getting a sense of the incredible variety and talents of island artists. The café, lounging over Plumper Sound, is a lively spot for good food, meeting the lo-cals, and watching the boats come and go. We’ve spied killer whales from this snug vantage point.

If the need to walk off lunch arises, take nearby Hoosen Road and follow it to the end. A trail leaves from here, climbing up and over to Morning Bay Vineyards and great views. Later on, you may want to visit the winery for a glass of the grapes.

Back to the main road traversing the island, pull into Driftwood Mall. The first reason is to pick up a map of the island at the Chamber of Commerce kiosk, if you didn’t remember to get one while on the ferry. Secondly, to take a look at all the great stores and amenities Penderites en-joy: a popular and excellent bakery café, a cozy little Sushi restaurant that Van-couverites rate highly, a liquor and food store, well-stocked bookstore and gallery, a clothing store, a pharmacy, et al.

Okay, time to move. Before crossing over to South Pender on the picturesque one-lane bridge, stop to read the cairn on the north side, a tribute to the people who lived here thousands of years before the European settlers.

It’s always a surprise to visitors to come across swishy Poets Cove, with its lounge, restaurant, spa, pools and marina. Not many small islands can boast a resort of this quality, and you might want to take a while to check it all out and perhaps ask about the haunted Yew tree.

Time is flying, right? So, jump in the car and drive to the nearby fire hall to park and walk up to Greenburn Lake. It’s a short but steep road that leads to a picture-perfect lake. But don’t stop here. Go right around the lake and then take the first trail on the left toward the sea. You’ll be rewarded with amazing views from the ridge.

After gorging yourself on the views,

head back down and drive to the end of the road, the southernmost point of the islands. Take the short trail to Brooks Point to admire a view that has been lauded in many a travelogue. If arriving in April-early June, you’re in luck; the rare, chocolate lilies will be blooming in the headland meadows.

If you’re overwhelmed with the views here, you have the Pender Is-lands’ Conservancy Association and its Brooks Point Completion Committee to thank; they spearheaded the fundraising to protect this special part of the Gulf Is-lands, but they still have a ways to go.

Returning, now well-walked, well-watered, and sated with the natural beauty and vistas you’ve seen today, you may want to take the steep dirt road just before the bridge to Mortimer Spit. You probably noticed it on the way down and were dying to check it out, so why not? It’s a favourite spot to walk dogs, launch kayaks, take children, and relax on the white shell beaches while watch-ing boats churning under the bridge.

It looks highly inviting for swim-

Playing on Pender

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10 SENIOR LIVING WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM8 SENIOR LIVING WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

Let Berwick handle the day-to-day tasks with our top notch professional chefs to prepare your meals, our

efficient housekeepers to tidy up and our friendly staff organizing recreation activities and outings. Be as

connected and social as you desire. Enjoy a movie in our theatre, health and wellness classes, or a game of

cards with some of your friends. Visit a Berwick near you and discover how engaging retirement can be.

INDEPENDENT AND ASSISTED LIVING | LICENSED RESIDENTIAL CARE | RESPITE STAYS

Footloose and fancy free…

BERWICK BY THE SEA – Campbell River coming Fall 2014!

15 Beauty and Fashion Tips to Keep You Looking Your Best


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WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM 9

1. Hydrate – drink lots of water. Not only will this keep your skin hydrat-ed, if you drink a glass before each meal you’ll be less likely to overeat.

2. Use sunscreen and self-tanning lotion. A moisturizing body lotion with a built-in self-tanner can help hide spider lines, brown spots, and minimize the look of cellulite. No need to spend hours in the sun. In fact, be sure to use at least SPF 15 every day, even if it’s raining. Not only is UV radiation the cause of many skin cancers, it accelerates skin aging... and you don’t want to do that.

3. Vitamin A derived retinoids. A topical skincare ingredient, retinoids stimulate new collagen (which starts decreasing as early as age 30). It also helps exfoliate and increase cell turnover (meaning you shed your older skin cells quicker, and bring the newer ones to the surface).

4. Don’t forget your hands and neck. It’s not just your face that needs attention. The skin on your hands and neck is even thinner than the skin on your face. Hands and neck will show your age just as much as your face, so be sure to apply a moisturizing and retinoid treatment to these areas of your body too.

5. Do something really good for your body. Exercise. Even if it’s just 20 minutes of energetic walking. This helps improve circulation and oxygen intake and lets your pores dilate and release clogging. The wa-ter you will drink during and after your exercise adds to your overall glow. Plus, you’ll get the endorphins fl owing, making you FEEL better on top of looking better.

6. Lift weights. Some simple dumbbell lifts of 5, 10 and 15 pounds will help keep your muscles toned. Use your body weight to help tone oth-er parts of your body. Abdominal crunches, push ups, burpees, jumping jacks... there’s so much you can do without equipment.

7. Stretch. You have to stay limber to maintain your fl exibility. If you can’t easily touch your toes or raise your leg and foot to table height, you should be spending a few minutes every day fl exing and stretching. Don’t expect a once-a-week yoga class to do it for you. We’re talking daily practice to get optimum results. Good muscle tone and fl exibility will not only help allow you to pursue more activities, it will go a long way toward preventing falls, lowering the injury or speeding the recovery should you take a tumble.

8. Find a professional hair stylist who can give you a classic, preci-sion haircut. It takes a little searching, but the good ones don’t just cut hair, they style it to your facial features and the type of hair you have. Look for one that has sought out additional training from world class

hairstyling schools. When you get a good cut, you won’t need a bunch of styling products to make your “do” look good. It will naturally fall into line and look good all the time.

9. Invest in a good quality pair of European shoes. Styles from Europe tend to be a year or more ahead of North America. Want to always be on trend? Find a store that imports their shoes from manufacturers in Italy, Portugal, Germany, etc. Though a little pricier, the proper fi t and longer wear will be so worth the extra money to invest upfront.

10. Watches – men’s style watches make a statement. Gold or stainless steel will match anything you wear.

11. A leather jacket. Look for colours other than black or brown, like reds, blues, greens. So versatile, you can dress it up or dress it down and always look like a badass – in a good way! Today’s faux leather jackets can be an animal-friendly alternative. While they may not have the same length of wear, they can still provide the look you want.

12. Necklace – choose one that hits just below the bust to make you look taller and thinner. It will help draw attention away from wrinkles in the neck area too.

13. When choosing earrings, studs or short earrings look best on a long or oval face. Pendants work on a round or square face. Hoops work for both, but stick to a medium size.

14. Pencil skirts – of all the styles, the pencil skirt looks good on every body type. It’s a classic that can be a staple of any wardrobe.

15. Scarves – From fi lmy silk styles to bulky wool pashminas for colder temperatures... these versatile, and generally affordable, fashion pieces can really put the fi nishing touch on an otherwise plain outfi t.

Let Berwick handle the day-to-day tasks with our top notch professional chefs to prepare your meals, our

efficient housekeepers to tidy up and our friendly staff organizing recreation activities and outings. Be as

connected and social as you desire. Enjoy a movie in our theatre, health and wellness classes, or a game of

cards with some of your friends. Visit a Berwick near you and discover how engaging retirement can be.

INDEPENDENT AND ASSISTED LIVING | LICENSED RESIDENTIAL CARE | RESPITE STAYS

Footloose and fancy free…

BERWICK BY THE SEA – Campbell River coming Fall 2014!

15 Beauty and Fashion Tips to Keep You Looking Your Best

Phot

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Boot-i-licious! A European

footwear boutique.

Fashion & Beauty


can take on a brittle, dry appearance. For these less ideal scenarios, colouring the hair can enhance remaining pigments, condition the surface of the hair, create fullness and add shine.

Professional salon treatments pro-duce better results than damaging do-it-yourself direct dyes, which contain saturated pigments that look unnatural. How to colour grey hair is best decided with the help of a trained and experi-enced professional, who is thoroughly conversant with colour theory. An ex-pert colourist will determine the type of treatment to apply and choose the most complementary tonal values for your hair and skin colour.

How often that colour will need to be maintained is based on the percentage of grey in the natural pigment and can vary considerably.

Colour options can be as simple as grey-blending.

According to catwalk fashionis-tas, grey power is in full swing on the runways. At the Chanel

and Dior couture shows, models donned grey wigs. Even super model Kate Moss, sported grey streaks in her hair at the launch of her handbag collection.

Sixty-year-old Cindy Joseph was dis-


covered by a Ford Model Agency scout, just after she opted to go gracious – cut-ting off the last of her coloured hair. The increasing visibility of grey-haired models in the fashion world is driven by the Boomer generation – yet another example of how this demographic is af-fecting current trends. Regardless, the decision to embrace grey hair – or not – is a personal choice.

Every situation is unique. Consider the following factors: As hair turns grey, it is most complementary on persons with pink or cool skin undertones. In contrast, on warm skin tones, grey creates a sallow or dull appearance. For redheads and bru-nettes, rich colour tones become diffused as the percentage of grey increases.

Grey can also appear in sporadic, unat-tractive patches rather than foxy streaks. Fine hair can look thinner as hair light-ens, especially when the skin and hair are of similar hue. Textured, coarser hair

GREY IS THE NEW BLONDE BY ELIZABETH MINCEY

Fashion & Beauty

Mitzi Ujimoto models grey-blending with

dark lowlite weaves.

Nancy Murray models

multi-dimensional colour using grey as

blonde accent and a Red-Violet colour

enhancement.

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ers, such as blue malva flower, which adds shine, lustre, and camouflages subtle yellowing that occurs over time. In cases of over-indulgence in unprotected sunning, your colourist can use salon-exclusive remedial prod-ucts to rescue your look.

Lastly, grey hair is like pre-cious, delicate fibre requiring TLC. Therefore, when styling, use products designed to ward off the damaging effects of heat from flat irons, curling wands and blow dryers.

All considered, your individual expression is key. Whatever your take on grey, it’s your play!

Elizabeth Mincey is an award-winning stylist and colourist with 30 years’ experience in the hair industry. As the owner of Luna Aveda Concept Salon, 1035 Fort St., she is as com-mitted to health and sustainability as she is to promoting individual beauty.


GREY IS THE NEW BLONDE Grey blending can be done over time for a strong yet

subtle change. It is popular with men and women who want their colour to gently fade out over a three to six week pe-riod with a minimal root line. Complete coverage can be achieved with a more permanent colour and needs to be re-peated every two to six weeks.

Multi-dimensional colour incorporates the natural grey into a colour palette of two or more colours artfully woven through the natural hair. This technique minimizes grow-out and lasts for 10-12 weeks. Each treatment type varies in application tech-nique, time required and products used. Depending on practi-tioner expertise, costs will range from $60 to $300.

When it is time to forgo coloured locks and embrace grey hair, there are strategies that make the grow-out process less daunting. While it is impossible to colour hair to mimic a nat-ural grey, letting coloured grey grow out results in a jarring root line. Seek professional advice for solutions, such as high-lights or lowlights, in order to blend in the roots. Opting to cut the hair shorter can minimize the transitional time required to achieve the desired result.

Some cautions: For darker hair, never use henna to blend in grey. It stains it orange – impossible to remove. Grey care is similar to blonde hair in that ultra violet rays cause damage and discolouration. Prevent yellow tones and fading with products designed for sun-care. For lengthy exposure to the sun, stylish hats are effective accessories.

Invest in a shampoo and conditioner with plant-based ton-

Karin Holdegaard models Violet-red based Brown colour enhancement.

Anna Wozniak models multi-dimensional colour usinggrey as blonde accent.

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Fashion & Beauty

In the early sixties, when Hilly was studying at the Acad-emy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam, she worked as a styl-ist for a well-known designer while she designed and

sewed clothes for her friends to make a bit of pocket money. After she married and moved to Vancouver Island with hus-band, Rob Van de Wetering, Hilly turned her talents towards the creation and operation of Kinderspel, a store that featured children’s clothing and educational toys.

A few years later, the couple moved to Vancouver where Hilly opened new branches of her store, first in South Van-couver and then in Marpole. After she sold the business sev-eral years later, she and Rob began earning their living buying and renovating apartments.

“Fashion was a lot of fun,” Hilly says, “but I became much too busy with interior design to pay a lot of attention to clothes.”

All her life, Hilly had been active and engaged, whether creating children’s clothes, operating her business, or de-signing, building and refurbishing the homes the couple lived in. But when her husband died suddenly of a heart attack in the summer of 2007, she found it difficult to build enthusiasm for creative work.

“The first few years after Rob’s death were difficult ones,” she says. “I didn’t have the energy or desire to work at any-thing. At first, it was hard to imagine developing another cre-ative outlet. It took time for me to overcome my grief and loneliness, and I wasn’t motivated to work on new projects.”

But now, Hilly, 71, has returned to her love of fashion, and designs one-of-a kind outfits from gorgeous fabrics de-signed by her long-time friend Robin Field, a Vancouver Is-land artist who recently retired from the Art Department of Vancouver Island University.

“Robin and I make a good team,” she says. “We like talking

about art and design, and when Robin and his partner Brendan travel in Europe, I often meet up with them to visit galleries and look at textiles that we just can’t find in Canada.”

Building on each other’s talents and a long-term friend-ship, Hilly and Robin work together on finalizing a motif and pattern design to suit a particular fabric and garment. The re-sult is always stylish, eye-catching and unique, not something that you would easily find in a local store.

Robin’s fabric designs are created from computer-manipu-lated paintings and photos, which are then digitally printed on organic fabrics of silk, linen, cotton and knits. And, in addi-tion to the clothing he creates with Hilly, Robin is continuing his explorations of design on fabrics, which are being used for upholstery and the creation of large format art panels.

“I love working with Robin’s material because the textiles are all natural and of high quality, and the designs are beauti-ful and original.”

OLD DAME; YOUNG HEARTBY CAROL MATTHEWS

Fashion designer Hilly Van de Wetering

enjoys having her friends model

her clothes.


into the shadows.” “As we grow older we can become

bolder and try out lively and colourful ways to express our individual person-alities. That can be a lot of fun!”

To see more photos of Hilly’s de-signs, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/articles/olddameyoungheart

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The feeling is mutual. Robin says, “I enjoy working with new creative out-lets for design ideas, and I’m inspired

OLD DAME; YOUNG HEARTby Hilly’s flair for fashion, and passion for design.”

“It’s a labour of love for me,” says Hilly. “I believe that these days older women are feeling more adventurous in choosing clothes that are stylish and a little glamorous. It gives me great satis-faction to see my friends trying on some of my unusual outfits.”

Always ready to experiment with new ventures, Hilly has now started producing photographed portraits em-broidered on fabric framed as wall art. “Once I print out the portraits, I finish them off with designs created by quilt-ing and embroidery.” As she says on her Etsy website, “I am an old dame but young of heart and mind.”

Clearly, Hilly’s youthful spirit keeps her coming up with ideas for innova-tive activities and exploring new artistic activities that reflect her contemporary sense of design.

“As we advance in age, we can also advance in style,” says Hilly. “Old age doesn’t mean that we have to wear drab, conservative clothes and sink

Phot

os: M

aris

ka R

icht

ers

Hilly with long-time friend and creative partner Robin Field.

An original Hilly Van de Wetering design.

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Finding your own personal fashion style from season to season doesn’t mean spend-

ing a lot of money. The keys to success are being strategic and, of course, hav-ing fun! Here are some tips on how to revamp your wardrobe, and showcase your vibrant personality through your fashion choices:

The ColourLet go of your colour-phobia! It’s

easy to fall into the safe rut of having a colour monotone closet, filled with pastels, blacks, beiges or navy. Take the plunge this year and reclaim your rainbow! Orange is the No. 1 colour in fashion this season, with red and yellow following in second and third.

If you are feeling reluctant about be-ing too bold, ease into colour by adding it in small but dynamic accents. Bright jewelry or shoes are a safe way to excite your outfit without overwhelming your-self – and others – with a loud colour.

The Prints/Graphics/LaceHave fun with graphics! Sharp geo-

metric shapes and graphic designs are back in style this season. The great thing about embracing prints is that they can

be very forgiving with any physical im-perfections you feel you may have.

By paying attention to the print’s blocking (the way the colours fall on your body), you can accentuate your goods with simple optical illusions. Remember, if you are going to wear a busy print, keep the rest of your outfit simple.

Ocean prints and nautical graphics are also a good pick for a casual look. Blues and turquoise colours comple-ment paler skin. Asian-influenced prints are not a new trend, but are worth a look. Elegant and often unassuming, they give the illusion of class and the exotic (perfect for summer), even on a simple t-shirt.

Lace and sheer materials are a great way to spice up your look, while still keeping it casual. Choose items with small lace or sheer detailing rather than risking overkill. Sometimes less is more.

The FitFinding clothing that works with

your body and not against it can some-times be a difficult task, especially for mature women. The issue with many reasonably priced retail stores catering

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WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

to women over 50 is that they don’t actually cater to woman over 50. We find ourselves stuck with limp, baggy t-shirts and tank tops that just cover the body, but don’t celebrate it.

Unless you have a large clothing budget or a personal seamstress, finding apparel perfectly suited to your body can

be challenging and time consuming. A quick and economical solution is to have your clothing altered – by a professional or do it yourself. When you find an item you love, buy a size larger, and have it customized for your body. It will make all the difference in how it fits and how you feel.

The AccessoriesScarves and earrings and belts – oh my! One of the best

ways to create your own unique fashion personality is with your accessories. It’s all you need to crank up the style on any outfit! Floral printed summer scarves add elegance to an otherwise one-note outfit.

The Bohemian look is back, which means there is an immense variety of beautiful prints for scarves available at retail outlets, allowing you to find the perfect fit for your ensemble.

Another of my favourite accessories this summer is the clench belt. A throwback to the ’80s, they are back with a vengeance and work for most body types. Try one with an oversized shirt or dress. It instantly gives you an hour-glass figure by redefining your waist. Be adventurous! You will be surprised how much a unique accessory will liven up an oth-erwise dull outfit.

The key to fashion is always have fun. It is not just a young person’s game, but a chance for you to express your personal-ity. Step away from your comfort zone, and give yourself a chance to shine this summer.

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Every spring that turns to summer has me sitting in front of my closet overwhelmed and frustrated. As I tuck away bundles of winter clothing, I am reintroduced

to my favourite summer outfits, like old friends. But I also un-cover those pieces that evoke feelings of “someday” and “10 less pounds.” Each morning, they taunt me. My body has changed as I’ve grown older, yet I hold on to “someday,” reluctant to let go.

This year, I committed to a plan I call “The Closet Clean-up.” As I shed my winter layers, I also shed the anxieties that used to haunt my summer wardrobe. Here are some tips that may work for you too:

Sorting is the most daunting part of the process, so be realis-tic. Like most people, you probably have “go-to” outfits – about 4 or 5 – in which you feel most confident, and suit your lifestyle. These should be the highlight of your closet, easy to reach and accessible. As you barrel through the rest of your items, be hon-est with yourself. For years, I hung onto excuses as to why I

couldn’t part with some items: this was too expensive; that had sentimental value, etc. Get real with your delusions: “this would be perfect if I ever go to the opera or mountain climbing or get invited to the Oscars or ‘insert random event here.’” If an item is not realistically tied to your current lifestyle, get rid of it.

Even if weight loss is a personal goal of yours, don’t let it be a daily reminder of who you “should be.” Set up a healthy environment supporting who you are right now because facing your closet each morning can be subconsciously deflating to your self-esteem. Wear clothing that complements your figure – no matter the size.

What you choose to wear is a direct reflection of how you want people to view you, and having to weed through “Nos” every morning is not a positive start to any day.

Decide what “just-in-case” items should be neatly and safely packed away. For those expensive items that you wore once, con-


Closet Clean-upBY STEFFANY GUNDLING

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sider consignment or donation, so someone else can allow the garment to shine, rather than hide masked in the smell of mothballs and dust.

Divide each piece of clothing into different categories, like “go-tos,” “maybes,” “business wear,” “event/fancy wear,” “gym gear,” “cosies,” “consignment/donations” and “miscel-laneous.” Ask a trusted friend (not your partner) to help you decide what works for body and lifestyle.

Letting go of something you’ve been hanging onto for years or decades can be scary and may bring up memories and emotions, but the reality is that you won’t miss it once it’s out of your life.

When organizing the pieces you’ve decided to keep, focus on a hierarchy that works for you. While it may make sense to group the pants, shirts, jackets, skirts and dresses, it is not the most efficient method. Pull out your foundation pieces – the “go-to,” essential items – and make sure they are the stars of your closet. If you’re still part of the workforce, you don’t need to be gazing longingly at sundresses that you only wear on weekends. If exercising is part of your morning routine, make sure your workout togs are close at hand to avoid any second thoughts. Build a simple system based on your needs and lifestyle, and work from there.

Getting dressed each morning this summer season should be a positive experience, unburdened by the heavy weight of clothes from your past. And when the seasons change again, revisit your closet and repeat. Good luck!

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Ask about

Move-in

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Author Profile

Whether counselling, writ-ing, walking, sailing, sketching or baking cook-

ies, Gail Boulanger approaches all that she does with enthusiasm. She believes in vibrant living and making the most of every opportunity.

“Stepping off into the unknown and taking that proverbial leap of faith has, for me, always produced a bonanza,” says Gail. “The next bend in the road beckons, and what better way to re-main mentally alert, physically agile and emotionally engaged than embark-ing on a daring adventure. New learn-ing experiences abound; they break us out of our comfortable cocoons. Adventures challenge us to grow and expand our horizons.”

Author of two books, Life Goes On: Losing, Letting Go and Living Again, published in 2002 and republished in 2012; and Adventures Over Sixty (2012), Gail’s 30 years of counselling experience offers a recipe for making the most of everyday life.

“Adventures Over Sixty is designed to inspire, inform and invigorate.” All true stories, says Gail, woven together with her own particular philosophy. “It is intensely personal. I was living the experiences while writing about them, hand in hand with exploring my own aging journey.”

The book offers reflections on and encouragement for living and aging wholeheartedly with full attention on greeting each new challenge as an ad-venture. Gail’s stories are drawn from her own personal experience and those of family friends and neighbours. Her stories encourage the reader to develop inner resources while engaging in phys-ical pursuits, community building and creative expression.

Life Goes On is a practical book about how to gently and effectively navigate one’s way through all types of grief and loss. “Throughout our lives, we become attached to people, places, pets, events and things,” says Gail. “We also become attached to our health and well-being. When that attachment is broken, we grieve. Grieving is a natural, normal, healthy process of integration that occurs over time. It can help us move from feeling stuck to feeling free.”

Grieving is a skill that allows us to identify our losses, acknowledge our pain, bring closure and move on, she

says. Grief and loss are simply a part of life to which we are constantly required to adjust in order to thrive.

“I wanted to let people know that a conscious grieving process is an elegant way of identifying our losses, experi-encing our pain, concretely bringing closure to the past and helping us move on and into a bright future. People who learn to grieve well, learn to live well.”

“Lending a helping hand has always anchored my life,” says Gail, who, while raising two boys and teaching life skills to young parents, completed a BA in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, Ontario and went on to com-

EMBRACING LIFEBY VERNICE SHOSTAL

Phot

o: B

ill Pe

rison

Author Gail Boulanger enjoys daily walks with her poodles.

18 SENIOR LIVING


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plete a Master’s Degree in Counsel-ling Psychology from the University of Victoria. Gail believes that coun-selling found her.

“From the vantage point of my mid-sixties, I now believe I was born to be a counsellor, but it took me years of stumbling from one unfulfilling job to another before I found my ultimate career.”

Five years after Life Goes On was published, Gail real-izes, the book repre-sented the culmination

of a conscious process she began in the early 80s to learn everything she could about grief and loss, death and dying.

“It was like a solitary wilderness climbing expedition with all the attendant heart-stopping adventures.”

Gail’s life is active and full of adventure. In addition to writing two to five hours a day, she strives to walk between 10,000 and 15,000 steps a day, usually accompanied by her two poodles. She reads paper books because she loves the smell and feel of a book in her hand. She bakes cookies be-cause it helps her think. A neophyte bird watcher, she also sketches birds, rocks, plants, flowers, shells and any other item found in nature. Sketching helps her to better see and appreciate her surroundings and to cultivate a sense of won-der of our nature world.

With her husband Lou, whom she met on a blind date in 1968, Gail enjoys sailboat racing and cruising. Although they no longer race, “cruising has never lost its allure and is still a central part of our lives,” says Gail. “Sailing anchors our life and has taught me important life lessons.”

Looking at life, Gail says, “Embrace the journey because the fastest and richest route from here to there is rarely a straight line and more likely to require considerable tacking back and forth across the wind. Storms always pass. Fog lifts. When you are becalmed or drifting in circles, wait for the wind. The wind always comes, frequently from an entirely unexpected direction. Pay attention, be flexible, be patient and adjust sail as required.”

From her experience as a counsellor, working with all ages and in a variety of settings, Gail recommends letting go of unhealthy guilt, anger, resentment and regret, wholeheartedly embracing life and making the most of every day.

For more information about Gail or her books, visit her website at www.gailboulanger.com

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EMBRACING LIFE


Arts & Entertainment

20 WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

Do you remember “when rock was young ...me and Susie had so much fun....”? This

song dates back to the ’70s when El-ton John’s Crocodile Rock rocked the world; and today the tune continues to be strummed and sung by plucky ukulele players.

Heather Stubbs holds an informal ukulele class, followed by tea and cook-ies, every Wednesday morning. The group started out with the most basic of music lessons because none of the mem-bers had ever had any musical training. Now, they play and sing ballads from the ’40s, folk songs, rock ‘n’ roll and every-thing in between.

Heather was a secondary school mu-sic teacher: she has a Bachelor of Educa-tion, specializing in classical music from the University of Victoria, and she has studied piano at the Banff School of Fine Arts. After years of being a full-time mom, Heather found the ukulele and this small, beginner-friendly instrument lead her right back to teaching music.

Heather asked some friends if they would like to learn to the play the uku-lele – she promised it would be easy. That was almost two years ago. A group of eight women showed up to receive a brand new ukulele and a few pages of music to get them started. There was instant rapport with the songs and their ukuleles.

“I am having so much fun at these lessons,” says Lynda, one of the group members. “When I was young, I was never encouraged to do anything musi-cal. And now that I have the time, I want to learn, and keep my brain active.” Lynda sums up what a lot of seniors and the newly-retired are contemplating: they have the time, and they want to try something new and interesting.

Heather’s style includes praising her students to motivate them, and she keeps

the group challenged by introducing new chords, strumming rhythms and songs each lesson. For the new musi-cian, this is brain training: the brain is creating new pathways and the nervous system is sharpening up its message sending capabilities.

Learning something new is an exer-cise of the brain’s plasticity, as defined by Gary Marcus in Guitar Zero as “the capacity of the nervous system to learn new things.” Marcus also credits se-niors as having a willingness to learn or, to use his word, Sitzfleisch, from the Yiddish meaning ‘the patience to sit on one’s behind long enough to get some-thing done.’ He says new knowledge can bring about a “surge of dopamine.” Heady stuff. And boy does that feel good. This group have fallen in love

Something Old is New AgainBY LEE MASSEY

with the ukulele.They are not the only ones. An online search turns up hundreds of

sites relating to the ukulele, lessons, vid-eos of amateurs and rock stars playing the ukulele, along with chords, music and dates and places of jam sessions. People who have an old ukulele are dusting it off and heading out to meet other ukulele players. Beginners are benefiting from the experiences and knowledge of the seasoned players, and are always given a warm welcome at the jam sessions.

Heather knew she was onto something special with this small, four-string instru-ment.

“It’s a wonderful skill to be able to play music with others. It’s fun, and it’s social. It’s like being on a team, but you never lose. If you are playing sports, someone

Heather Stubbs plays her ukulele on Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver.


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Something Old is New Again

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has to lose, but in music, everyone is a winner.” Heather’s music education and finger dexterity gave

her a head start when she learned the ukulele, but she soon recognized that ukulele has so much to give to everyone at any age.

The ukulele is something old that’s new again. Learning to play music appeals to the mature student, especially boomers who now have the time to try something new. The ukulele is easy and entertaining, and it keeps those gray cells active. Whether or not you can recall the music of past eras, you can catch up and learn to play a ukulele while having, as Elton says, “...so much fun.”

Phot

os: L

ee M

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Heather Stubbs with two of her students.


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FOREVER

The Septic Tank Buried But Not Forgotten

BY WILLIAM THOMAS

For the past 10 years here, along the north shore of Lake Erie, the township of Wainfleet has been obsessed with sewage. The original septic systems of concrete tanks

and weeping tiles were crumbling; the waste water was leeching into wells and cisterns, as well as the lake itself. One of the real tip-offs that we may have a water pollution problem was when we noticed Lake Erie fish were starting to cough.

The big pipe solution hooking our sewer and water systems up to Port Colborne was, at approximately $80,000 per house-hold a “dead in the water” proposal that a few stubborn politi-cians pushed for five long years.

Try convincing the owners of a $100,000 house that the

new water and sewer system was going to cost them, with the usual budget overruns … $100,000. On his best day, “Vince, the Slap Chop Guy” couldn’t sell that idea to a millionaire with a drinking problem and obsession for late-night infomer-cials. Apparently, my idea of rotating pay toilets on wheels was thought to be unsophisticated by most people. The mon-ey was going to pay for the newspapers.

So, it’s safe to say that for at least the last decade, the sprawl-ing rural community of Wainfleet has been trying to get its s__t together. The people pushed back, shoved the mayor out of of-fice, and common sense prevailed. Each household must now have a sound and, in many cases, a modern sewer system in a


timely fashion or else. Fines to follow.New holding tanks are being installed out here faster than you

can double flush. Human waste removal is the new game in town; here today, gone to somewhere else tomorrow. Soon Wainfleet’s roads will be jammed with septic tank pumper trucks or, as I like to call them, “yesterday’s meals on wheels.”

A couple of years ago, I called a septic removal company to empty my set of concrete double tanks. It was, appropriately enough called Brown’s Septic Service. Only Green’s Fresh Veg-etables or White’s Snow Removal could get that lucky! The guy who showed up in the haulage truck loved his job as much as any craftsman I have ever known. I think he called himself “Dusty.”

With us standing over the stinking cesspool of what’s called “gray water,” Dusty could not be more impressed or complimenta-ry. Apparently, my yeast count was like perfect! My bacteria were happy and hungry consuming solids at regular meals. My pipes – the ones on the septic system – were clean as a whistle and there were no materials in the tanks that didn’t have a right to be there.

“Diapers, cigarette butts, cat litter and those feminine things! Oh I’ve seen it all,” said Dusty, shaking his head in sadness. Here was a man who’d put a lot of thought into waste.

I don’t know why, but I felt like we were not standing over a double-wide basin of human waste. It was more like Dusty and I were floating through a serene sewer on a meandering, glass-bot-tomed boat. Huck and Tom rafting down the River of Stench.

Seldom is sewage a topic of conversation because once we plant the tank six feet under, we rarely think of it again. Out of sight, out of mind, and certainly beyond the nose. But Dusty showed me that the septic system could be buried, but must never be forgotten.

Gazing upon what some would call my gross natural product, Dusty proved, once and for all, that beauty does in fact exist in the eye of the beholder.

While Erma Bombeck turned a tank of human waste into a best-seller, The Grass Is Always Greener Over The Septic Tank, Dusty surveyed my settling system with a sense of pride and an eye of admiration.

Whereas some pump drivers have fun with the nature of the op-eration – “Thanks For Helping Our Business Go Down The Toilet” – or “Your Number 2 Is Our Number 1” – Dusty instilled a little dignity to things we consider vulgar and, therefore, ignore.

Above all, it was his first-class work ethic in a naturally crude “You dump it/we pump it” business.

Dusty and the street sweepers, brothers in pride principle. “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” –Martin Luther King

Keep your head held high, Dusty. We should all have your pride at our place of work.

William Thomas is the author of nine books of humour including Nev-er Hitchhike on the Road Less Travelled. For comments or ideas or to purchase books, visit www.williamthomas.ca

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SIDNEY All Care Residence


Fitfor the

AdventureBY EVE LEES

Tips for Healthy Skin

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Eve Lees was a Personal Trainer and Nutri-tion Counsellor for 30 years. Currently she is a Freelance Health Writer and Speaker. www.artnews-healthnews.com

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Several lifestyle practices can harm and reduce collagen and elastin in the skin, which pro-

vide support and structure, preventing it from wrinkling and sagging.

Cut back or avoid smoking, excess sun exposure, alcohol and caffeine, constant mental stress and intense physical exer-tion. These can all “stress” the body’s ef-ficiency and will affect the health of your skin. Infections, pollution, medications and drugs also deplete collagen.

High intensity exercise isn’t a good idea when you’re over the age of 40. It’s important to continue exercising, but now is the time to retire from “physical abuse” and start enjoying more moderate activi-ties. Aging bodies are less able to recuper-ate and rebuild exercise-damaged tissue. Damaged skin tissue appears wrinkled and loose-looking, due mostly to the loss of collagen and elastin.

Cut back on sugar. Research show it is responsible for almost half of skin aging. Sugars are extracted from whole foods,

making sugar a processed, refined food (i.e. table sugar is made from beets, corn or sugar cane; all whole foods). Sugar in-hibits the formation and performance of collagen, resulting in sagging, wrinkled skin and age spots.

Eating lots of refined and processed carbohydrates (carbs) can also harm skin health, for the same reasons as sugar. Highly processed, refined carbs are ba-sically “sugar” – so omit the processed, refined carbs and stick to the highly nutri-tious carbs in their natural form as Mother Nature created them (have an apple in-stead of a snack bar, for example).

Skin health relies on omega-3 fatty acids (fish are a rich source) and antioxi-dants (especially vitamin C), as well as fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Se-verely restricting calories won’t guarantee you’re getting these nutrients. When diet-ing, simply cut back on refined carbs, and deep-fried foods and foods rich in trans-fats. Be aware of the type of fat you’re eating. Nuts, seeds, fish, avocadoes and

olives provide excellent sources of fat and other nutrients for your skin.

Caffeine and alcohol dehydrate skin. Cut back. And avoid high-protein diets – they also dehydrate. Maintain a healthy balance of protein to carbs in your diet. Carbs help lock water in your muscles, so you need just the right amount of carbs to maintain adequate hydration. The draw-back of popular low-carb diets is that the body becomes dehydrated, contributing to wrinkled, loose skin.

Drink water to remain adequately hy-drated, which reflects in a more toned, firmer appearance of skin. Eight cups dai-ly has recently been challenged, but this was never a gold standard. It was merely a guide. We all differ in our hydration needs. Start with eight cups and tailor it to your own requirements. Under normal condi-tions, we are sufficiently hydrated when our urine colour is pale yellow (however some foods, vitamins and medications may naturally darken it).

Adequate sleep is also necessary for skin health. Human growth hormone (HGH) is released by the pituitary gland. This hormone has several functions to keep us looking and feeling young; our skin too. After about age 20, HGH pro-duction begins to decrease. However, at any age, HGH production is highest dur-ing sleep and exercise.


Dear Goldie:Recently, my wife and I moved into a senior residence. We

enjoy being here but do have a problem. Two ladies made us feel very welcome, but now we have lost our independence. At meals and social events, they have taken over, hovering over us. How can we change this situation without offend-ing? –R.A.

Dear R.A.:You must be direct and firm. Thank these ladies for their

help and then add that you will not need more assistance be-cause you are doing very well on your own. If the situation does not change after a frank discussion, you may have to ask management to intervene.

Loneliness often causes this situation. Frequent social events and entertainment help to prevent it.

Dear Goldie:Several months ago, I became ill and my family moved me

into a senior residence. I now have recovered and feel active enough to move back into independent living. My daughter does not agree, however, and insists I remain here. My doctor says I have regained my health again.

How can I make my daughter understand? –R.C.

Dear R.C.:Your daughter is probably concerned that you still need

help in daily care of yourself. Ask her to contact your doc-tor, so he/she can explain the state of your well-being. Mean-while, embrace your daughter’s concern for the loving in-tention behind it. Many seniors do not have families to care about them.

SL

25

ASKGoldieBY GOLDIE CARLOW, M.EDPh

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

Senior Peer Counselling Centres – MainlandBurnaby 604-291-2258Coquitlam – Tri-Cities 604-945-4480New Westminster 604-519-1064North Vancouver 604-987-8138Richmond 604-279-7034Vancouver West End 604-669-7339Vancouver Westside 604-736-3588

Senior Peer Counselling Centres – IslandCampbell River 250-287-3044Courtenay/Comox 250-890-0099 Duncan 250-748-2133Nanaimo 250-754-3331Port Hardy 250-949-5110Salt Spring Island 250-537-4607Sidney 250-656-5537 Victoria 250-382-4331

SL

Truly caring and professionalservice at a time of need

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Travel & Adventure

26

The undulating paved path carves through wild grasses rife with yellow wildflowers, wild daisies, fruiting raspberry bushes and shrubs, and edges close to a small

lake playing hide-and-seek with the sun. It’s Day 1 on our six-day cycling itinerary and my partner, David, deeply contented, gives me the thumbs up.

Cycling the bike path they call “Le P’tit Train Du Nord,” in commemoration of the train that used to click along its tracks, is already turning out to be spectacular. It made its last run on No-vember 15, 1981, and 15 years later the 200-km trail was opened, stretching northwest from Saint-Jérôme to Mont-Laurier, and re-puted to be the longest linear park in Canada.

Avid cycle tourists, we have rolled along every cycle route known to us in British Columbia, including the famed Kettle Val-ley Railway routes, so we were keen to find new trails to explore. When we came across Quebec’s Le P’tit Train du Nord in our search, we knew we had found cycledirt.

Located in the Laurentians, the route is one sweet ride. At its steepest, it only climbs 221 metres, and two thirds of it is paved. Even the unpaved southern section is smooth-packed dirt and crushed stone, easily cycled by thin tires.

We’re kitted out with gleaming hybrid Opus bikes, rented from Autobus Le Petit Train du Nord at Saint-Jérôme’s pictur-esque old station, and are now leisurely peddling our way back from the northern terminus of Mont-Laurier at KM200, having been transported there with our bikes by the same company. It gets better; they are shuttling our luggage from place to place.

The successful family business, which started in 1997, also works in tandem with B&B Le Voyageur Inn to book nightly ac-

commodations, breakfasts and dinners based on guests’ choices of itineraries. Cyclists get to choose between a 2, 3, 4 or 6-day trip. Asking ourselves why we would want to travel across the country to rush our way through a pedaller’s paradise, we em-phatically choose the 6-day itinerary poetically called Le Bala-deur (Rough translation: someone who strolls). So, here we are on a sunny late August day with no responsibilities or concerns other than getting ourselves from inn to inn.

After 37 kilometres of lakes, woodlands and plentiful rest stops, we find ourselves at our first accommodation, a cozy mo-tel tucked into a tiny island on Lac-Saguay. The lake offers a per-fect complement to the day’s cycling – an opportunity to exercise the upper body, get the kinks out, and cool off.

Pedalling in ParadiseBY CHERIE THIESSEN

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Day 2 to Lac-Nominingue is, happily, a mere 24 km. “Hap-pily” because there is much to see and experience en route: a wealth of interesting signs on such subjects as maple syrup har-vesting and the area’s history, as well as an outdoor exhibition on river portage. And then, there’s the second of the route’s 13 renovated stations, Nominingue, at KM145. Erected in 1904, the renovated building is divided into a tourist information area and a craft boutique, with a sliver of a museum embedded in the middle. A friendly bilingual guide tells us it was the original telegraph office and shows us relics of bygone days.

We arrive at Auberge Chez Ignace, our second night’s sanc-tuary, and a connoisseur’s cornucopia of culinary delights and libations. Ignace turns out to be a chef and hotelier from the Ardennes region in Belgium, with an impeccable pedigree in the hospitality industry. We pass a sublime afternoon and eve-ning there, swimming in Lake Nominingue, making use of the resort’s canoes to explore the lake’s fringes, and then relaxing over the table d’hôte with fellow cyclists, Marian and Kevin, an active Ontario couple in their late 50s.

And as the days unroll, we realize the euphoria of Day 1 hasn’t abated. Every day is full of delights. The next 11 stations along the route all offer us different diversions. At KM107, it’s Labelle Station, with strawberry shortcakes on the deck, and a museum dedicated largely to photos and stories about “Jackrabbit” Herman Smith-Johannsen. This incredible senior was an avid cross-country skier who developed many of the area’s trails while in his 80s and 90s and was still skiing at 107! Presided over by a knowledgeable senior volunteer who had known “the Jackrabbit” and was still a cross-country skier, himself, he made us feel like youngsters in our late 60s. “The secret is to never stop being active,” he intoned, as we left after an inspiring half hour.

At KM91, it’s the upscale tourist village of Mont-Tremblant, where the station house is an elegant gallery, coffee houses and boutiques line the streets, and swimmers sprawl on the grass and beach of Lac-Mercier.

At KM21, it’s Piedmont Station, where in addition to the usual drinking water, toilets, picnic tables and information, a flourishing

Pedalling in Paradise

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“Good food, good company and a fabulous tour guide!” - Mary (Surrey)

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Cyclists Darcy and Brenda – in their 50s – staying young by staying active.

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New England/Cape Cod 7 Days July 21, Aug 25,

Sept 8*, 15, 22 or Oct 6* Spend 4 fabulous nights on the “Cape”. Take a Whale Watching cruise in Provincetown, board a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard for an island tour, travel to the oldest town on Cape Cod and enjoy a tour of Boston, and that’s just a few of our planned activities.

Mari�mes Explorer - 8 Days Aug 17 or Sept 12

Bringing the culture of the Maritimes alive for you on this tour of Atlantic Canada. Peggy’s Cove, an island tour of P.E.I., and admission to the Fisheries Museum are some of the highlights of this tour. Enjoy breakfast daily and three dinners including a fabulous lobster dinner in Charlottetown.

Newfoundland - 8 Days Aug 5, 19, Sept 3

Newfoundland has so much to offer for your ultimate “Rock” experience. Come join us as we experience the true Newfoundland lifestyle and culture.

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Hanover Holidays 73-14th Ave Hanover On N4N 3W9

For a free brochure 1-800-265-5530 [email protected] www.hanoverholidays.com

TICO # 1158989

Twin $ 2729.00 per person

Rates subject to HST and Air Tax

Prices shown are based on Toronto departures

Twin $ 2289.00 per person

Rates subject to HST and Air Tax

Twin *$1279.00*

per person Rates subject to HST and Air Tax Surcharge for all

other dates

It’s In Our Nature.

Plant seeds for future generations. Explore the vision of your legacy with CRD Regional Parks. Find more ways to nurture nature by visiting www.crd.bc.ca/parks.

www.crd.bc.ca

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:

PERSONALS

LOVING LADY 70 Enjoys dancing, camping, walks. Likes to meet 70’s gentlemen for meaningful relationship, maybe drive to Ontario for camping. 250-474-0353.

HEALTHY TALL TRIM ATTRACTIVE Victoria man seeks sensual NS Victoria woman 65 or under for loving, monoga-mous, romantic relationship Please call 250-721-1593.

BRIGHT LONESOME CHRISTIAN Senior Widow with many interests is seeking nice true close friends, pref-erably with vehicle. Please phone 778-433-0614.

WIDOW, 70’S, living on Vancou-ver Island, seeks CLEAN gentle-man for companionship for Alaska cruise. Possibilities also for Eur. cruise if companionship satisfactory. E-mail: [email protected]

COLLECTOR SEEKING vintage/col-lectable cameras, binoculars and micro-scopes. Nikon, Leica, Contax, Rolleiflex, Zeiss, Canon, etc. Mike 250-383-6456 or e-mail: [email protected]

SAANICH VOLUNTEER SERVICES seeks volunteers to drive clients to medical appointments, visit and do mi-nor home repairs. Call 250-595-8008.

WANTED: OLD POSTCARDS, stamp accumulations, and pre-1950 stamped envelopes. Also buying old coins, med-als and badges. Please call Michael 250-652-9412 or send an email to [email protected]

ALWAYS GREAT FEET. Nanaimo’s mobile foot care nurse, John Patterson LPN. 20 years of nursing experience. Home, facility, and hospital visits. Quali-fied nursing foot care for toenails, corns, calluses and ingrown nails. Direct billing for DVA clients. 250-390-9266.

DRIVING MISS DAISY VANCOUVER ISLAND Victoria 250-588-4638 - Sidney /Peninsula 250-507-2336 - Westshore 250-813-0440 - Qualicum/Parksville 250-937-8812 - Comox Valley 250-650-2010 - Nanaimo 250-667-1446.

RUTH M.P HAIRSTYLING for Seniors in Greater Victoria. In the convenience of your own home! Certified Hairdresser. Call - 250-893-7082.

HEALING FOOT CARE by Nurse Foot Care Specialist Marcia Goodwin R.N.,B.Sc.N. 35 yrs. Nsg. Experience • Caring • Comprehensive • Professional • Gentle 250-686-3081. (Victoria Area)

CUBA – ‘Spanish Studies in Cuba’ (Havana), $2,500.00 Can. for 4 weeks. Hotel with breakfast and dinner, tuition fee. (Air fare not included). Please call 250-478-0494 [email protected]

DEBI’S MOBILE HAIR SERVICES in the comfort of your home for everyone in your family. Serving the Victoria area. Please call Debi at 250-477-7505.

FAMILY CAREGIVERS are invited to participate in interviews for a study of dementia-related behaviours. For more information, contact T. Whiteley RN at 250-413-7372 or [email protected]

NOEL BOOKKEEPING ASSOCIATES Affordable help for individuals, those with power-of-attorney, stra-tas and businesses. Full book-keeping services including taxes. Greater Victoria Area. Please Phone 250-360-0404.

PIANO LESSONS FOR SENIORS. A pleasurable pastime. 25 years experi-ence. 250-888-1229.

SANDY FOR SENIORS Transportation to appointments, shopping, cooking, cleaning and odd jobs. Caring, reliable, honest. Bonded and insured. Please call 250-216-0253.

DEMENTIA & ALZHEIMER’S WORK-SHOPS. Free educational work-shops for family caregivers at the Home Instead Resource Centre. Contact Home Instead Senior Care for more information. 250-382-6565.

PAMPERED SOLES FOOTCARE Li-censed quality care. Nails, calluses, corns. Your place or mine. Wheel chair accessible. Nanaimo and area. Please call 250-591-1000.

PERSONALIZED & QUALITY HOMECARE Services available by Jan with 35 years experience in senior care. For more information please call: 250-532-3840.

COUNTRY SUNSHINE, a classic country music/rock’n roll band available for parties and dances. Please con-tact Angie at 250-752-7289, or email [email protected].

OCTOBER 2009 39

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING $45 for 20 words or less. $1.75/extra word. BW only. Red spot color 10% extra.

Boxed Ad (2.2 x 1.2) $125. Plus tax. Ads must be paid at booking. Cheque / Credit Card accepted. Ph. 250-479-4705, Toll-free [email protected]: 15th of the month.

Make cheque payable to: Senior Living, Magazine 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC , V8T 2C1

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Sunday Farmers’ Market blooms, bursting with fresh veggies and fruit, honey prod-ucts, fresh baking, preserves, wines and other irresistables.

The auberges are all different, and while every host is genial and welcoming, every inn has something different to of-fer. On Day 3, it’s Auberge à la Croisée des Chemins, a straw bale hideaway with delightful brightly furnished rooms and wonderful wine selection.

On Day 4, it’s the centrally located B&B le Voyageur Inn, with a lively crowd, French Canadian breakfasts, and modern

clean rooms, and on Day 5, it’s the 120-year-old Hôtel de la Gare and a “dégus-tation de bières” (a sampling of delicious flavoured beers) on the shady deck.

While savouring the tint of strawberry pink in one small glass of beer and the aroma of maple syrup in yet another, Da-vid and I sum up the adventure we will soon complete and give it an 11 out of 10. There’s no faulting anything. While enjoying six days of bug-free sunshine, beautiful scenery, a plethora of lakes, and bountiful fresh raspberries along the path, we’ve treated ourselves to lots of exercise and fresh air. While sampling local foods and beers, we’ve met kindred souls and made new friends. While learning more about the area’s history, flora and fauna, we’ve also had an opportunity to dust off our high school French and try it out. And while enjoying an independent tour at our own pace, we’ve been able to travel stress-free and leave the planning to the experts. Wow! Merci, Québec.

Our last night at Saint-Adèle is spent in the company of three other couples from Ontario also staying at Hotel de la Gare. They have been on the four-day tour, the Classical itinerary. We enjoy dinner to-gether, swapping tales and experiences of the journey, and David and I are surprised to learn that these lively young-looking couples are all in their 50s. Perhaps “Jack-rabbit” and his colleague from Labelle Station were on to something: keeping ac-tive may be the best thing we’ve got to the fountain of youth.

For IF YOU GO information and more photos, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/articles/pedallinginparadise

Canoeing on Lake Nominingue – a great way to end the day.

SL


PERSONALS

LOVING LADY 70 Enjoys dancing, camping, walks. Likes to meet 70’s gentlemen for meaningful relationship, maybe drive to Ontario for camping. 250-474-0353.

HEALTHY TALL TRIM ATTRACTIVE Victoria man seeks sensual NS Victoria woman 65 or under for loving, monoga-mous, romantic relationship Please call 250-721-1593.

BRIGHT LONESOME CHRISTIAN Senior Widow with many interests is seeking nice true close friends, pref-erably with vehicle. Please phone 778-433-0614.

WIDOW, 70’S, living on Vancou-ver Island, seeks CLEAN gentle-man for companionship for Alaska cruise. Possibilities also for Eur. cruise if companionship satisfactory. E-mail: [email protected]

COLLECTOR SEEKING vintage/col-lectable cameras, binoculars and micro-scopes. Nikon, Leica, Contax, Rolleiflex, Zeiss, Canon, etc. Mike 250-383-6456 or e-mail: [email protected]

SAANICH VOLUNTEER SERVICES seeks volunteers to drive clients to medical appointments, visit and do mi-nor home repairs. Call 250-595-8008.

WANTED: OLD POSTCARDS, stamp accumulations, and pre-1950 stamped envelopes. Also buying old coins, med-als and badges. Please call Michael 250-652-9412 or send an email to [email protected]

ALWAYS GREAT FEET. Nanaimo’s mobile foot care nurse, John Patterson LPN. 20 years of nursing experience. Home, facility, and hospital visits. Quali-fied nursing foot care for toenails, corns, calluses and ingrown nails. Direct billing for DVA clients. 250-390-9266.

DRIVING MISS DAISY VANCOUVER ISLAND Victoria 250-588-4638 - Sidney /Peninsula 250-507-2336 - Westshore 250-813-0440 - Qualicum/Parksville 250-937-8812 - Comox Valley 250-650-2010 - Nanaimo 250-667-1446.

RUTH M.P HAIRSTYLING for Seniors in Greater Victoria. In the convenience of your own home! Certified Hairdresser. Call - 250-893-7082.

HEALING FOOT CARE by Nurse Foot Care Specialist Marcia Goodwin R.N.,B.Sc.N. 35 yrs. Nsg. Experience • Caring • Comprehensive • Professional • Gentle 250-686-3081. (Victoria Area)

CUBA – ‘Spanish Studies in Cuba’ (Havana), $2,500.00 Can. for 4 weeks. Hotel with breakfast and dinner, tuition fee. (Air fare not included). Please call 250-478-0494 [email protected]

DEBI’S MOBILE HAIR SERVICES in the comfort of your home for everyone in your family. Serving the Victoria area. Please call Debi at 250-477-7505.

FAMILY CAREGIVERS are invited to participate in interviews for a study of dementia-related behaviours. For more information, contact T. Whiteley RN at 250-413-7372 or [email protected]

NOEL BOOKKEEPING ASSOCIATES Affordable help for individuals, those with power-of-attorney, stra-tas and businesses. Full book-keeping services including taxes. Greater Victoria Area. Please Phone 250-360-0404.

PIANO LESSONS FOR SENIORS. A pleasurable pastime. 25 years experi-ence. 250-888-1229.

SANDY FOR SENIORS Transportation to appointments, shopping, cooking, cleaning and odd jobs. Caring, reliable, honest. Bonded and insured. Please call 250-216-0253.

DEMENTIA & ALZHEIMER’S WORK-SHOPS. Free educational work-shops for family caregivers at the Home Instead Resource Centre. Contact Home Instead Senior Care for more information. 250-382-6565.

PAMPERED SOLES FOOTCARE Li-censed quality care. Nails, calluses, corns. Your place or mine. Wheel chair accessible. Nanaimo and area. Please call 250-591-1000.

PERSONALIZED & QUALITY HOMECARE Services available by Jan with 35 years experience in senior care. For more information please call: 250-532-3840.

COUNTRY SUNSHINE, a classic country music/rock’n roll band available for parties and dances. Please con-tact Angie at 250-752-7289, or email [email protected].

OCTOBER 2009 39

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING $45 for 20 words or less. $1.75/extra word. BW only. Red spot color 10% extra.

Boxed Ad (2.2 x 1.2) $125. Plus tax. Ads must be paid at booking. Cheque / Credit Card accepted. Ph. 250-479-4705, Toll-free [email protected]: 15th of the month.

Make cheque payable to: Senior Living, Magazine 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC , V8T 2C1

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For our valued senior customers onthe first Wednesday of the monthVisit us at 1110 Government Street, Victoria BC

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Sadly, Gipp passed away on April 15, 2013. He left us with some unpublished writ-ings, so we are honoring his love of Senior Living and its readers by continuing to pub-lish his work for as long as we can.

Reflections THEN & NOW

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BY GIPP FORSTER

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WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?

I got to thinking the other day (I do that every now and then; it scares my wife) about how many oc-

cupations I have had from when I was very young, right up until now when I’m a little bit older than very young.

I delivered Liberty magazine back in 1947, and I sold newspapers on a corner not long after that. I delivered groceries for two corner stores after school and on Saturdays, and was even a clerk in a men’s wear store. I was an elevator op-erator, an usher, a shoe salesman and an aluminum siding salesman.

I sold aluminum doors and win-dows for Sears, and I was an assis-tant x-ray technician. I worked at two pulp mills and on a coffee plantation in New Guinea. I sold encyclopedias and pot and pans and vacuum clean-ers door to door. I ran a ski hire in Australia, and owned two second-hand stores, for a time, and a coffee house and an illegal bottle club.

I have been and am an ordained Bap-tist minister. I’ve written two published books and three unpublished. I’ve been a disc jockey and recorded five albums. I’ve been a councillor, a gambler, a singer and a poet. And I’ve also been a vagabond and a ne’er-do-well. I always said I was going to settle down… kind of. I just took a long time to do it.

Just before I sort of retired, I was asked by someone who knows me well what I wanted to do when I grow up. I couldn’t answer him then, and I doubt I could answer him now. Some have said to me: “Wow, you sure have lived an ad-venturesome life. How come you never really did settle down or grow up?”

Well, if truth be told, I’m not an ad-

venturous person or a daring person. In fact, I’m a down-right coward. I’ve always had a poor sense of direction. Once, I went out to get a quart of milk and a loaf of bread and, instead of end-ing up back home, I ended up in the highlands of New Guinea. And be-cause of that lousy sense of direction, it took quite a few years to find my way back… and I’m still looking for my proper place in this swirling place we call the world. When I find it, I will consider myself “grown up.”

Still some, I know, will disagree. But it will probably be someone who has had only one job since leaving high school or college or university. In my estimation, that person is a hero and one to be admired. He or she knew respon-sibility from the get-go, set their course and didn’t stray from it.

I, mentally lazy and without specific goals, chased shadows wherever I found them, and now have few monetary trea-sures, but lots of memories. It sounds good to some of the young who seek adventure – even, at times, looks good. But to those who think that, may I sug-gest you consider all the aspects of such a life and where it may lead you?

What got me started was my fear of responsibility, and being irresponsible; I could never stay in one spot too long. I guess I wasn’t “searching for,” as the poets like to say, but “running from” what took conviction, courage and de-termination.

I have had many jobs; done many things. I’ve been a writer, a maitre d’, worked in a printing shop, even been a columnist. I’ve had a miniature Christ-

mas show across Canada for over 20 years. But what does all that prove? Only that I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Whatever it turns out to be, it will have to begin with re-sponsibility, otherwise, I can never plan for tomorrow.

God has been good to me. No, more than good! He has been merciful, un-derstanding and generous. I have lived through some of the nonsense I have created and, yet, He saw fit to protect me and guide me out of one foolishness as I ventured into another. It’s a good thing that he watches over fools and or-phans, as someone suggested to me re-cently. I know I’m not an orphan.

So, for those of you who grabbed hold of the reins from the beginning, and held on and wouldn’t give up, I salute you because you faced respon-sibility and didn’t run from it. And for the young who face the future now, I wish you Godspeed in your journey. May He reinforce your courage and determination in tackling responsibil-ity and wrestling it to the ground. You are the adults of tomorrow who allow we dreamers to go on.

What do I want to be when I grow up? I really don’t know. But one day I hope to.


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The summer is just better with friends.

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july 2013 senior living magazine

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