Having seen the movie 'On Golden Pond' Ken and I decided to attend a 'live' theatre performance of the same production at the Belfry. As we stood in line, I began chatting to the couple behind us. They had only been in Victoria a short time, having moved here from Toronto. The lady, Pat, had a half-sister living here but didn't know anyone else. We seemed to be 'in tune' so I took the plunge and invited them both for afternoon tea the following week. For some unknown reason, I baked eccles cakes, and when Pat's husband, Trevor, spotted what was on offer, he exclaimed "Eccles cakes are my absolute favorite!"
From that day onward, our friendship grew. We introduced them to many of our friends and they soon made connections of their own. We enjoyed a lovely reciprocal relationship - enjoying many dinners in each other's homes.
Pat had been an army captain and she was extremely proud of this accomplishment. She was used to being waited upon and had very strict rules such as believing that it should always be a man who carved the roast and poured the wine. She also couldn't stand to see a man carrying a plastic bag. I, on the other hand, usually carved my own roasts and when necessary, poured the wine. Pat belonged to many organizations - I belonged to none. She was a member of the Horticultural Society - I liked to get down and dirty in my garden. However - we soon discovered that we both loved scrabble and Pat became a member of my group of scrabble ladies.
Pat's husband, Trevor, was very involved with the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, so on his 75th birthday I made a cake and my clever sister-in-law decorated it with the appropriate phrase "We're glad you followed the birds to Victoria".
Unfortunately, Trevor was suffering from cancer and he soon left us.
But, a few years later, Pat met another nice gentleman, a widower named Harvey. They were perfect together and our mutual friendship continued to grow.
Sadly, neither Pat nor Trevor are with us any more, but it just goes to show that a chance encounter can forever enrich your life.
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