Off To Work We Go - Tuesday 4

Welcome to Tuesday 4 started by Toni Taddeo and kept going in honor and memory of her.

This week we go back 5 years to ask again about work....

This week is about work.

1. Describe the best job you ever had why was it good? (if it was awful, tell us about that instead).

I've had many good jobs. One of my earlier best jobs was working for a national non-profit organization in our nation's capital city. I was reviewing education legislation with a view to recommending changes.  This was just one aspect of a nation wide study and not so terribly interesting. But other parts of the study were short staffed and the rest of us had to help out. It meant I got to travel to far flung locations in the country to meet and interview people. I was able to get to places I would not ordinarily get to and a few I had already been through.  I enjoyed it a lot because we were basically setting our own schedules in the field, away from office politics and it was summer with great weather. I had the opportunity to travel to even more locations but I declined due to timing, fatigue and other work needs.

2.  How did you learn to do your job?

No one taught me anything. Basically all of us were simply expected to know how to do our jobs and for the most part, we did through a combination of education, work experiences and an awareness of the end goals of the project.

3. You are now in charge of your town's public relations committee.  Tell us why we need to move to your town.

You will love it here (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)  because we have everything you could possibly want in a place to live. We have immigrants from all around the world.  They bring their cultures and foods with them so you can experience the kind of food you like at a variety of festivals and restaurants.  

English Bay in the West End

Our temperatures are relatively moderate and the winters though sometimes cold with snow are milder and shorter than the rest of the country.  The natural beauty here is to die for with majestic mountains and fantastically beautiful ocean front. If you prefer the fresh water, there are a number of destinations that are not too far away where you can take a weekend getaway and spend some time in a cabin by the lake or river. 

English Bay looking west to the mountains & Pacific Ocean

English Bay

Looking to the North Shore Mountains from Downtown

Spring at False Creek

False Creek looking north to downtown Vancouver

False Creek with a view northeast

Aquabus at Granville Island Public Market

If it's culture you enjoy we have all manner of concerts in every type of musical genre, a variety of regular sporting events, festivals, museums, attractions for adults and families and last but not least, the weather is suited to a great variety of sporting activities.

Rolling Stones Concert

Leora Cash, local Jazz Musician

Star Wars Movie with Live Orchestra

Early Music Vancouver

Aboriginal Day at Trout Lake

4.  It's lunch time! Build your perfect sandwich for us.. what's in it and on it and what's in our cups?

My perfect sandwich is a toasted, lettuce, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.  For a drink we can have home made lemonade, not too sweet. If you prefer we can have cold tea with some ice cubes and freshly squeezed lemonade and then you add your own honey.   The sandwich may not be the healthiest lunch but it's tasty and eating it now and then won't hurt too much.

Staying Put ~ Moving On: Tuesday 4

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  

Sometimes we live in the sameplace where we were born and remain there all of our lives.

Sometimes we move away and never come back because of jobs, marriage, circumstances of all kinds.

Sometimes we choose where we will live and we have definite reasons for staying there even though we might be far from family.

1. Are you far from family and if so why? Would you like to have them closer and have you discussed that with them?

When you say 'family' I assume you mean immediate family. I have some of my immediate family near me and some far away.  I haven't discussed being closer with the far away family members. They have their reasons for living where they live and I have mine. In fact they have their own family members too and are rooted in their various locations.

2. How did you come to live in the state you are in? How about the city/town.

I was born in the Province of British Columbia (BC).  A province is similar to a state.  My birthplace is and where I grew up is about 1200 km north of Vancouver, BC which is where I live now. I first moved here for university and then work.  I have lived and worked in other parts of Canada but have been in Vancouver the longest of any other place I've lived so it is my home.

Signage at Mile "0" of the Alaska Highway

3. What good things keep you living where you are?

What's good about your state and town?

Now that I am retired I remain in my city because it provides the best access to health care and there are many things one can do here to stay active and entertained.  I consider myself fortunate in that I've had no issues accessing the health services of a family doctor or various specialists.  This is a major problem for so many others, especially those that live outside of the Greater Vancouver area.  Sometimes I've considered moving to a quieter city which is marginally less expensive to live in.  It's the place where several of my immediate family members grew up and where several of my loved ones are laid to rest.  The key impediment is lack of access to a family doctor.  In fact, the issue was highlighted on the news just the other day.

A walk in Stanley Park

False Creek view to downtown

Granville Island

Granville Island Aqua Bus

So I stay put to access health services and all the other wonderful things in my city.  It's a terribly expensive city but it is in a very beautiful, scenic setting.  There are so many cultural activities, festivals and concerts to take in.  If you are a sporty person there are also a plethora of sporting activities to enjoy such as running, hiking, walking, skiing and other sports.  Vancouver is a very walkable city and has a variety of malls and neighbourhood shops where one can enjoy a variety of foods and shopping.  One of my favourite activities when I have a bit more time is to take a walk in a particular neighbourhood, have coffee or lunch and take photos whether it's raining or sunny.

View to downtown Vancouver from Spanish Banks

Lights of Hope fundraiser for the St. Paul's Hospital

Trout Lake for the Aboriginal Day festival

I also love the province because by and large, the scenery is spectacular wherever you travel througout the province.

Going north on the Coquihalla Highway

Kits flying in Steveston's Garry Point Park

4. What things might convince you to move to another state or just another town?

Better access to health services. 

Downtown Hospital, a new one is being built 

Right now the provincial government is streamlining the process for health workers in USA who want to move to Canada and, in particular, to the province of British Columbia (BC). The government and relevant authorities have dramatically reduced the wait times for credentialing and the requirements for credentialing to help expedite the process for those who want to move to BC and work here.  It's likely this will improve health care staffing across the entire province including smaller towns and villages.  

Since March 2025, over 1200 doctors, nurses and health professionals have expressed an interest in moving to BC.  The government says that number includes 573 physicians, 413 nurses 133 nurse practitioners and 39 allied health professionals.  Since April 177 nurses have applied to work in BC and 113 have already been registered with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives though it isn't clear how many have actually been hired. 

The government and health authorities have tried a variety of things to increase the number of doctors in particular including opening new medical school.  However these initiatives take a lot of time to increase the number of health care professionals. Hiring people from other countries would increase the numbers more quickly assuming the province will have the flexibility to hire immigrants. I believe that these numbers were recently reduced by the federal immigration minister before our last election (pre-April 28, 2025).  The federal government has been trying to reduce the immigration numbers overall due to the housing crisis. I sense that things are on the right track to improve both housing and health care.

Drive to Kamloops, BC

Near Seton Lake, BC

Kamloops, BC to the North Shore & Bachelor Heights

A Productive July Ends

It's been a busy week so far. Nothing terribly exciting happening but all is satisfying.

First up I delivered half of my personal library to a local care home. The recreational advisor saw my advertisement on the local Freecycle and said he would take all the books. So that was a God send since most takers just want a fictional book or two. A great many of the books I donated history books and reference books of all kinds (cooking, gardening, travel, self help and health books, how to books and cookbooks and a great many other topics).  The recreational person I dealt with told me they will sell books to benefit the seniors in their care. I do hope that they will have good success with the sales.

Reading continues with a few good books in my pile each week. My recent reads were The Paris Seamstress, Rebel Queen and The Next Person You Meet in Heaven.  They were all good books and I've listed them in the order of enjoyment in case you are interested.  Right now I'm reading a few books on fashion: Gok Wan's Work Your Wardrobe  and The Way She Wears It  by Dallas Shaw.  I'm relearning a lot of what I once knew and it is good to have a refresher.  Most of my newer reads are borrowed from the library so that I'm not spending the money and adding to my clutter at home.

One of my errands on Monday was to go the beautiful Granville Island. This is a very popular spot with tourists and locals alike but I wasn't there to stroll around and enjoy. I stopped at a store called Ten Thousand Villages to pick up a parcel of small items I ordered on line and asked to be delivered to the store front. It saved about $ 10.00 Canadian on shipping charges which is a lot considering the parcel was very small. If I had heavier things or larger things on order, then paying the shipping charges would be a good idea.  In fact, in my previous order with this company I had the parcel shipped to my local post office.

I'm very pleased with the quality of the products I've purchased from this place so far. I also like that the products are purchased from various countries abroad at fair trade prices. If you'd like to check it out please do because you would be benefiting artisans from developing nations.   If you want to check out the store, please check here.

Some of you might wonder why I am buying things when I am doing major decluttering.  One reason is I like to shop for gift ideas for Christmas and birthdays throughout the year.  This helps spread the cost over many months.

The other reason is that though I have too much stuff, one area where I am lacking is accessories, especially necklaces and earrings which help to stretch one's wardrobe into numerous outfits.

I keep an eye out for things I can purchase at a good price and that will coordinate with my wardrobe, current and planned.  Since I've already donated many clothing items  I will need to supplement my wardrobe in future.  But I don't need anything for awhile and can make do with what I have.  I also have plans to sew some things with the fabric I purchased in Kenya earlier in the year.  I will buy some coordinating fabric here in town to try and extend my wardrobe options that way too. So I can hold off buying new clothing until I know for sure what I really need.  

Last time I wrote about my knees I mentioned that I need to get updated x-rays.  I finally made it early in the week for the x-rays on both knees.  I expect soon to be referred to the center that educates arthritis patients to better manage their symptoms and assess them as to whether they need surgery.

Other than that I've been busy with the usual household things and a bit of shopping for a new wall clock,  yarn and food for the house.

While relaxing in the evening I'm knitting dishcloths for Christmas gifts. It's really the main that I knit and I have built up a little stash.  I enjoy knitting these simple cloths and it helps me feel like I'm doing something constructive while I relax.

I went to the community garden and snipped off some beautiful sunflowers to place at home. I noticed there were some ants in them so I had to get those out before I brought the flowers indoors.

I also snipped some salad greens and brought home. I made a simple green salad tonight with hamburgers on buns for dinner.


The container garden is holding up well. The rest of the garden doesn't look so great and I'm not really sure why. Probably a combination of over watering at times and under watering at other times.

Right now though there are workers out there and so they don't take care how they throw things around. After their work of power washing and painting walls is done I think my garden will be largely finished for this summer. If I have time I may plant some thing from seed just to see if it comes up and blossoms before we get too far into Fall weather.

Geraniums are a favourite in my garden.

I'll continue being busy at home for a few weeks with plans to see a movie or two with a friend and visit with an out of town friend who should be arriving soon.  My house guests won't start arriving until the end the month. Until then I have a lot to keep me busy. That's my update for now. I hope you are all enjoying yourselves wherever you are in the world.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.

A Peek Into My Week

An out of town friend from Calgary, Alberta was here and she took me out to Aphrodite's Organic Pie shop for a treat.  She had just finished lunch and I hadn't had any lunch so I was game.

Outside waiting for our pies because inside was jam packed.

There was a very boisterous crowd inside making it difficult to hear one another at times.

I grabbed a seat indoors as soon as I could as it was threatening to rain.

My friend, Raenelle wanted to take me to the sister restaurant of the same name, across the street. But there was a notice on the door stating that the restaurant was keeping limited hours due to lack of staff.  The notice referenced the high cost of living in Vancouver making it difficult to retain staff. I peeked in through windows and it looks like a lovely restaurant and an equally lovely patio outside.

I had strawberry-rhubarb pie a la mode. My friend had cherry pie with whipped cream.  The pie was okay but the crust was very oily. I prefer a deep dish pie and these  pies were rather flat, greasy and overcooked. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining because my friend was very generous and kind.  But when a piece of pie is almost $10  plus extra for ice cream and coffee, it better be good. To be fair this pie shop gets rave reviews and I've seen  many photos of deep dish and delicious looking pies that look nothing like what I had on Sunday. So I should return another day or better yet, learn to make my own organic pie, lol.

After pie,  I suggested a movie with a bite to eat first since I hadn't really eaten a proper meal all day.  We had very limited time to nosh so I suggested we go to some place close to the movie.  We went to the Cheshire Cheese Inn on Dunbar and had a quick bite of fish and chips.  The restaurant was advertising for more wait staff with a posted notice on the window but we were served cheerfully and efficiently.  I wish I could give the food a thumbs up too but the fish batter was hard and over done.  Wow, I was mostly out of luck on Sunday with food quality. This is highly unusual. Normally I am totally satisfied with my food as served.

With a few minutes to spare we dashed down the street to the movie "The Incredibles 2".  I had a groupon (coupon) for the Dunbar Theatre and it was getting close to expiring. My friend was game to see the children's family movie and we both thought it was a fairly good movie.  The theatre was almost sold out and most of the crowd was made up of grownups and very few children were in attendance. 

After the movie it started to rain and my friend ended up driving into a new to her area though she grew up in the city.  She landed in front of the St. George's School, a private school in the city.  She fell in love with the building.  Seeing an open gate I suggested we park and walk into the grounds to get a better look because she was so enamoured of the place.  The building and the grounds are very beautiful but it was dark (and we were trespassing) so we could only see so much.

I looked up the school on line and learned that the school houses both day students and boarding students. The boarding tuition for Canadian students is approximately $50,000. Canadian dollars for 2018/2019. If you are an international student the tuition is closer to $70,000. Canadian day students pay approximately $25,000 while their international counterparts pay just under $40,000. That is a lot of money but I'm sure very affordable for the elites of the world.  While I don't know what the tuition fees are like elsewhere, my sense is the rates are very competitive.

On Monday another friend named Pat, and I took in a concert which was part of the Vancouver Jazz Festival on now and until July 1st.  The songstress was Leora Cashe and the venue was the beautiful St. Andrews Wesley located at Burrard and Nelson Streets in downtown Vancouver.  I really enjoyed the performance.  I  just managed to snap a few photos and partially record a song before my camera battery died.

  

Even though the concert was free the crowd was small.

I've uploaded a short video of a negro spiritual called "Steal Away" sung by the gifted Leora Cashe. I hope you enjoy it. I'm new to posting videos so you may want to click and watch on YouTube if you need to adjust the volume.

My friend had also invited me to a belated birthday luncheon and the venue was the beautiful waterfront restaurant called the Dockside located in the Granville Island Hotel (on Granville Island).  I couldn't get photos but managed to get a nice one from the internet.  The restaurant has a very large and beautiful patio deck but we opted to sit indoors by the window to avoid the direct sunlight.

I'm ending my long post with a beautiful sunrise which I snapped from my patio deck on Wednesday morning just after 5 a.m.
and a photo of my garden.

~~~~~~~~~~~

On Friday I have an appointment downtown. 

In the evening I've invited a friend to join me in listening to the marvellous Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda. If it's permitted I'll take photos to share with you in a future post.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Joining in with 

Friday Foto Friends

and

Skywatch Friday