Visiting Santa Claus/ Woodward's Christmas Windows

Walking through the malls lately, you cannot escape the Santa Claus photo stations, with the lineups of parents and their young children, eyes all aglow in the wonder of telling Santa Claus what they want for Christmas.

Here are a couple of related old family photos:

The above picture is of Santa and me when I was about 4 years old.  Note the doll!  It would have been taken at Woodwards' downtown as my mother used to take me downtown on the interurban tram line from Burnaby to downtown which had a station near our home in the Collingwood & Joyce Streets area.

The above painting is by Brian Croft and features the interurban trams plus the Woodwards Christmas windows.  Visit his website to see more wonderful paintings feauturing historic items from Vancouver's history:  www.briancroft.com

Woodwards Christmas Window

The Downtown Woodwards Store

The above picture is Santa, my younger sister, Linda, and me taken probably Christmas 1953 when Linda was about 2 1/2 years old.  Linda looks terrified!  Note my scabbed knee, socks falling down, and scuffy shoes!

New British Murder Mysteries

I enjoy reading British murder mysteries such as those by P.D. James and Elizabeth George but have read most of their books so I keep looking for new authors to enthral me.  Suggestions are welcome!

The Vancouver Sun a few months ago featured a book review on the second book by author, Elly Griffiths, called "The Janus Stone".  The review made it clear that it would be best to read the first book "The Crossing Places" before continuing with the second.  The author is branding each of these books as "A Ruth Galloway Mystery".

"The Crossing Places" introduces you to Dr. Ruth Galloway, a middle aged, single woman living in a secluded cottage located near seaside marshland in Norfolk.  Dr. Galloway is a forensic archaeologist who teaches at the local university.  The story starts with her being called upon by DCI Harry Nelson to analyze human remains found on the marshland which he thinks are those of a child, Lucy Downey, who went missing 10 years prior.  These bones turn out to be centuries old, but then another child goes missing and the investigative tale begins.  I found the plot absorbing, but not so complex with overlapping stories as to be confusing.

I then read the second book, "The Janus Stone", also featuring Dr. Galloway and DCI Nelson, with their relationship getting more complex.  Again, they investigate situations where bones are recovered from ancient archaeological sites.  I recommend this one as well.

The third book in the series "The House at Sea's End" has been published and I have reserved it at VPL.  Can hardly wait to read it.

Getaway to Victoria, BC - Day 3

On Wednesday, October 19, 2011 Neil and I finally were able to visit Butchart Gardens on the way back to the Swartz Bay ferry.  We had wanted to visit it for years, but never seemed to find the time.  We spent a lovely four hours there, including lunch in the coffee shop.   We can certainly see why the gardens are world renowned.  Even in the fall, with few flowers in bloom, the gardens are spectacular, and peaceful.  Here are a few of our favourite spots:

The Sunken Garden, including the Ross Fountain

Sunken Garden

Ross Fountain

The daliah gardens were in full bloom and very colourful:

Daliah Gardens

Daliahs - close up

The Japanese Gardens and the Butchart Cove:

Torri Gate at entrance to Japanese Gardens

Butchart Cove

Japanese Garden with Fall Colours

And the seasonal display of pumpkins, in front of the Coffee Shop:

Pumpkin Display at Coffee Shop

A very lovely visit - glad we could make it.  And then home - always wonderful to come home again.

Getaway to Victoria, BC - Day 2

On day two of our getaway, Wednesday, October 18, Neil and I walked up Government Street starting at the inner harbour.

Inner Harbour with Grand Pacific Hotel in the background

 

We first stopped at the Victoria Tourist Office to get information about the "Homecoming" statue and tribute bricks in honour of the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy.  The statue and the tribute square are located on Wharf Street right behind the Tourist office.  Our family purchased a brick in memory of our father who served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1940 to 1947.



Homecoming Statue



Tribute Brick for Dad

I then wandered into Roberta's Hats on Government Street, wondering if they might have hats suitable for women chemo patients who have lost their hair.  What a delightful store!  Lovely hats including fascinators, and I got absolutely great service.  Found some 100% cotton touks and banded hats that would work perfectly to cover a bare head, both of them coming down far enough in the back and front to cover baldness.

Next we stopped at the City of Victoria Archives to drop off some very old photos of my grandparents' home which was located at 619 Bellevue Street in Victoria.  This is the present day site of the Royal BC Museum.  My grandmother owned the lot from about 1935 to 1955, and the family made it into a wonderful commercial flower growing enterprise, including a flower shop for fresh cut flowers and handmade lavendar sachets, located at the corner of Bellevue & Government Streets.  The Archives were very pleased to receive these pictures.

My grandmother at the Flower Shop at 619 Bellevue Street, Victoria, early 1940's

Family house at the back of the lot - 619 Bellevue Street, Victoria

Next off to Oak Bay Village for lunch, and the mandatory scenic drive from there around Beach Drive and Dallas Road back to the hotel.

View of Ocean from Clover Point Park on Dallas Road

Me, sitting on a bench at Clover Point Park looking at the ocean view

That evening we went to the Bard & Banker Scottish Pub on Government Street, for dinner.  We were amazed to hear that it had been completely stripped down inside and rebuilt.   Everything looks so old and genuine.  We sat in a cozy snug beside a fireplace and had a great dinner.  Highly recommended.

Inside the Pub

Bard & Banker Scottish Pub

After that we walked back to the Grand Pacific Hotel, seeing the lights of the BC Parliament Buildings.

Getaway to Victoria, BC - Day 1

Neil and I needed a getaway and decided to go back to one of our favourite haunts, Victoria, BC, for three days - Monday to Wednesday.  We took the BC Ferry over on Monday, arriving after lunch.  We headed towards Mount Douglas Park, drove up to the parking lot and then hiked to the viewing spot at the top.  We had glorious sunny, warm weather for the three days - best three days of the month!

The park is craggy and has lots of Arbutus trees, which unfortunately are diseased.

There was a 360 degree view from the top.

Next, we drove down Columbia Drive in the Gordon Head district for some nostaligic moments.  My grandmother lived on this street and her daughter, my Aunt Helen, and Helen's husband, Les, lived in the house beside her (all now deceased).  My grandmother's house unfortunately looks like a dump yard - her wonderful rockery gardens destroyed, weeds everywhere, and junk strewn about the property and the open garage.  Helen & Les' home is being redecorated and the gardens revitalized.  Nice to see.

We then drove to our of our favourite beaches for walking:  Willows Beach on the east size of Victoria, just north of Oak Bay.

View of Willows Beach from Cattle Point



Cattle Point

North End of Willows Beach

Willows Beach

We saw several sailboats out in Oak Bay

We then headed for the Hotel Grand Pacific on Bellevue Street in downtown Victoria, facing the inner harbour, where we stay every time.  Very comfortable hotel, within walking distance of the downtown sights.  They had a special reduced rate for BC residents at that time.  After a swim, we headed out to meet our long time friends, Janice and Jim for dinner.  They booked us at the Sizzling Tandoori restaurant on Johnson Street  - very good Indian food and the only Indian Restaurant open on Monday nights.  Check out Janice's review and the pictures on her blog under the date of October 17, 2011:  http://janicesextonart.blogspot.com/index.html



Uncle Danny's 85th Birthday

Today Neil and I, together with Linda and Shelly, and Ken, attended a birthday party in honour of our Uncle Danny, our mother's brother, who turned 85 today.  Here is an older picture, with Danny in the centre, with his sisters around him. All the sisters have since died.

L to R:  Lena, Mom (Dorothy), Danny, Vivian & Laura

The birthday celebration was held at the Pacific Inn in White Rock, and featured its Sunday Brunch.  It was organized by his children, Carol, Danny Jr. and Janice and their spouses.  Great to see all the family there.

Uncle Danny

Danny Jr.

Linda, Janice & Carol

Ken talking about Uncle Danny's involvement in Little League Baseball
"Bonnet Furniture Team"

The Bonnet Family

Uncle Danny was born in 1926 in Ebenezer, Saskatchewan located near Yorkton, and, after the death of his mother, he and his siblings were raised by their maternal grandparents, Daniel & Annie Kimmel on the Kimmel Family farm on a homestead in Ebenezer.  Danny married Sally in 1945 and they moved to Vancouver.  Danny worked for various furniture manufacturers and then opened his own series of furniture stores, mainly on Victoria Drive.  Sally died in 2010; they had four children:  Larry, Carol, Danny Jr. and Janice.

It was great to celebrate a happy family event and to see all the cousins again.

Chris at University of New Brunswick, Fredericton

I have  spoken to my nephew, Chris, several times since he left for New Brunswick this past summer to attend the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, for a one year's Teaching Certificate program.  Chris graduated this spring from UVic with a Masters in Math/Chemistry and decided he would like to teach.  He wanted to attend a smaller university and because he had a friend in Fredericton, decided to try UNB.

He has rented a flat in a complex - first time without roommates, which he is really enjoying.  Here is a picture of the outside:

and the inside:

He says he is quite comfortable there.  Neil gave Chris his cross country skiis, boots and poles.  Chris says he is looking forward to winter there to go cross country skiing and outdoor ice skating.

Chris has already started his practicum at the  Bliss Carman Middle School in Fredericton where he is learning to teach math and science from an experienced teacher.

Bliss Carman Middle School

View of the University of New Brunswick at Fredericton.  The fall colours will soon be beautiful.



WRJ Lilith Salons - "Swimmers Against the Tide"

Our WRJ Lilith Salon met in two groups, one on September 2, and the second on September 12 to discuss articles from the Summer 2011 issue of Lilith magazine.  The main article discussed was "Swimmers Against the Tide" by Karen Propp.

The article tells of a group of Jewish girls who excelled at swimming and competed on behalf of Austria in the 1920's and 1930's in the shadow of Nazi Germany.  They swam for the "Hakoah Vienna Sports Club", which was founded in 1909 in Vienna.  This club was founded to promote athleticism among Jewish youth through competitive sports, as Jews were prohibited from joining non-Jewish sports clubs.  The premises of the sports club were confiscated by the Nazis in 1938.  The club name "Hakoah" was banned and Jewish athletes fled to other countries.

Previous to the closure of the club, several of the girls became swimming champions:  Hedy Bienenfeld, Fritzi Loewy, Ruth Langer and Judith Deutsch for Austria.

Hedy Bienenfeld

Our discussion included:

1.   The idea of the club promoting "muscular Judiasm" to counteract the stereotypes of Jews as not being good at sports.  Jewish men were perceived mainly as being scholars pouring over books.

2.  The lively social and cultural life of Vienna at that time and the belief of the Jews that they had blended in to Vienna society.  Which is course proved not to be the case when the Nazis arrived.  Some of the families of these Jewish woman swimmers thought competitive swimming was unladylike and disapproved of the club.

3.  The racey life of these women swimmers, some of whom had lots of lovers and carried on affairs. 

4.  The 1936 Berlin Olympics and the fact that three of these Jewish women swimmers were chosen to represent Austria at the Berline games.  Karen Propp states "Within the context of a heated international debate about whether attending the Olympics was tantamount to supporting Hitler's Germany, the three champions (Judith Deutsch, Ruth Langer and Luci Goldner), announced in the press their painful and prescient decision to boycott the Berlin Olympics." 

Fritzi Löwy, Lucie Goldner, Hedy Bienenfeld-Wertheimer and their trainer Zsigo Wertheimer

One of Hakoah's greatest achievements was getting thousands of the club members out of Austria when, in March, 1938, the Nazis took Austria.

A documentary film telling the story of these Jewish women swimmers from the Hakoah Vienna Club has been made by Yaron Zilberman.  The film is called "Watermarks" and starts off with a group of these Jewish women swimmers in their 80s revisting Vienna which leads in to uncovering their story through their conversations.  Our Lilith Salon has ordered this documentary film for viewing by our members.

At our Lilith Salons we were joined by a Jewish woman who had competed for Canada in swimming events at the 1972 Munich Olympics. She related her memories of being part of the group of competitive swimmers, and her feelings at being at Olympic games in Germany, and the emotional shock of the terrorist attack against the Israeli athletes, known as the "Munich Massacre".