Happier Days

I am feeling very sad and a bit empty.  Our 'old' friends are dropping like flies.

We have such treasured memories of get-togethers with neighbours and friends. I can recall our living room being filled to capacity.

Our Dutch neighbours used to provide us with Indonesian food and our German neighbour often brought the most interesting dishes to our parties.  On New Year's Eve we all ventured outside to bang on pots and pans at midnight, having spent the evening together playing card games and guessing games. It sure was fun.

My advice to the present generation is to enjoy every moment.  Treasure your friends, don't put things off, seize the day!  Do not spend your time chasing money.  Life goes by so quickly.  Above all, capture it all on camera - memories tend to fade.

Don't be intimidated by so-called 'better' cooks.  Even if you offer a cup of coffee or tea, macaroni and cheese, meat loaf or a pizza - the whole idea is to open your door and your heart.

Don't mind me.  When you grow old, you can wear purple and speak what is in your heart.

Queenly Connections

When Queen Elizabeth II announced the celebration of her 60 years of reign, I thought it would be fun to send her a copy of the article I had written about Carolyn Sadowska, who impersonates Her Majesty.

On the 13th of April, 2012, I received the following letter from Windsor Castle, acknowledging receipt of my correspondence and enclosing a lovely brochure commemorating the Queen's 60 years as monarch:

Needless to say I was very thrilled and grateful to receive this now-treasured letter.  But hey, I'm not finished yet!  

Recently my thoughts turned to Carolyn Sadowska and I asked Ken to check on the internet to see if he could find any mention of her.  There she was! with an update of her life, so we sent her an update of my recent contact with the real Queen.

We were thrilled to receive the following reply:

"I am writing to you from Nepal where I have been coming for several months at a time for the past few years, trekking, drawing, writing, learning the language, etc.  I feel very fortunate that Expo 86 and Jimmy Pattison gave my performing career a significant boost.  To this day I continue to perform at special events and it is still an adventure.  Occasionally events come up for me around the world so I've enjoyed visits to a great many places across Canada and the USA as well as further afield to Tokyo, Barcelona, Dubai and Manila.  Most of all it has been tremendously gratifying to make a living making people laugh and have fun.  Thanks again for taking the time to write.  It was very kind of you to do so.  Regards, Carolyn."

But the story of royal connections doesn't end there! Recently I told our nephew's wife, Elaine, this story and she had an interesting bit to add.  When she lived in England years ago, she assisted the Queen's veterinarian in caring for the royal corgis.  

One little corgi had a severely damaged leg and a decision had to be made regarding amputation.  The Queen, wearing a comfy coat and headscarf, arrived at the veterinarian's clinic for a consultation.  Elaine was captivated by her Majesty, especially when the Queen invited her for tea! Unfortunately this meeting never took place as Elaine developed a severe case of laryngitis.  

Goes to prove, once again, what a small world this is...

Fit for a Queen

In 1986 when Expo took place in Vancouver, we made a point of attending on several occasions.  We found it fascinating to wander around and take in all there was to experience.  One day we enjoyed watching 'the Queen' (impersonator Carolyn Sadowska) chat with people.

As I stood admiring her regal interaction with the crowd, it suddenly struck me, what was I waiting for?  At that time in my life I was writing free-lance articles for the Times-Colonist and was always on the look-out for new writing projects.  So, I approached 'the Queen' when she took a break from royal duties and asked if I could interview her for an article.  She graciously agreed.

Our son Mark, being a free-lance photographer, agreed to take photographs.  It was a fun interview and Mark's photographs were a great success.  Our little grand-daughter, Colleen, presented 'the Queen' with a bouquet of flowers and Mark captured the moment and Colleen's look of wonder perfectly.  (Colleen is now a 31 year old mother of two!). In 1987 my article was published in Woman to Woman magazine. Here is a copy of that article - stay tuned for my next post, which contains some interesting stories that came about as a result of writing this article and meeting Carolyn.