Beach Day!

It was a fantastic, sunny day on Friday and we decided to hit one of the great Gabriola beaches. The girls and I quickly packed ourselves up and went Pilot Bay to meet up with some friends, both the girls and mine. After a fun play in the sand finding shells, skipping rocks, and playing tag we headed up the road to the Twin Beaches Bakery for lunch. The girls gobbled down a yummy lunch followed by a gooey treat consisting of a "Twin Bit" doughnut and a Copenhagen pastry. After lunch we came home, grabbed the bikes and spent the afternoon playing hide and seek and riding up and down the hills in our backyard. It was such a wonderful day, a treat that the weather was so beautiful, spring is definitely in the air!

Island Artist - Sheila Norgate

I visited Sheila Norgate's Heartspeak show on February 13th and while I fell in love with a few of her paintings there I also came across an album featuring pieces she had created on commission, most of them portraying the commissioner's four legged friend.
I decided our beloved Boxer, Optimus Prime, would make a perfect model so I picked out a photo for Sheila to use, told her a bit about his personality and within a couple days I brought home this fabulous piece of artwork!
Visit Sheila's website at sheilanorgate.com

Gabriola Bottle Drive Fundraiser

This Saturday February 27th on Gabriola there will be a bottle drive fundraiser to help raise money for the Higgins family while John Higgins is in treatment for cancer. This fundraiser is being put on by the Gabriola 4-H Club and will take place at The Gabriola Commons on North Road across from the Elementary School. Please bring down all your bottles on Saturday starting at 10 am or call Cheryl at 250-247-8517 for pick-up of large amounts. Thanks to all who organized this, it is great to see how this community bands together when needed!

A Boreal Ballet on Gabriola

We were treated to a wonderful performance from the dancers of Gabriola Dance School. Owner and instructor Mara Brenner choreographed a lovely production complete with exquisite costumes, beautiful voices and smiling faces. The youngest dancer (who happens to be my youngest daughter) at only 2 1/2 all the way up to dancers who are 16 years of age made this such a fun and entertaining show. The youngest girls were dressed as snowflakes with beautiful tutu's and white crowns. They were lead in their dance by 4 eight and nine year old girls who were absolutely fantastic in making sure the littlest ones were happy, excited and ready to dance their little hearts out. I am so incredibly happy that there is a great little dance school right here on our door step, what a wonderful addition to Gabriola Island. Again a huge thanks to Mara Brenner and all the dancers and parents that made this show happen!
ps. To make it even better the admission was by donation of either a food item or cash donation with all the proceeds being donated to People for a Healthy Community.

Day Trip to Duncan

A friend and I were looking for something a little different than the usual trip to Nanaimo so decided to check out what Duncan has to offer. Duncan is about a 45 minute drive South of Nanaimo just off the highway. We went to Imagine That!, a local artisan run cooperative store; Trendy Tots, where we both bought gifts to bring home to our little girls; Radway, a fairtrade and eco fashion boutique; and then had a fabulous lunch at Bistro One Sixty One, which I recommend highly to anyone passing through Duncan around mealtime. After lunch we drove a few minutes up to Whippletree Junction which is home to several furniture shops as well as a fudgery, antique shop, coffee house, the Pioneer House restaurant and more.

Gabriola to Host Radio Conference

Gabriola Radio Society has been selected to host National Campus Community Radio Conference from Monday June 7—Friday June 11th 2010. This premium conference, taking place at Camp Miriam, will be open to all NCRA members as well as anyone interested in expanding their radio skills and knowledge. Gabriola Radio Society will be creating “Camp Radio”, an atmosphere with a total 5-day immersion in all things radio, hosted by experienced radio professionals. Delegates will have the opportunity to be housed in either on or off-site accommodation with a 100 available at Camp Miriam itself and the remainder using local B&B's and hotels There will be a series of advanced upper level workshops which will also appeal to those just beginning in a radio career. Visit www.ckgi.ca for any information pertaining to this conference and the battle to bring community radio to Gabriola Island.

Yummy Cupcakes!

A childhood friend of ours has recently opened a cupcake shop called "A Wee Cupcakery" in the Old City Quarter in Nanaimo, just a hop from Gabriola. We had the chance today to swing by for a visit during our eldest daughter's ballet class. She has a fantastic shop with many different choices ranging from mexican chocolate to pineapple and red velvet. All made in shop from scratch, are beautifully simple and taste like a piece of heaven! Medina Mayes is the proprietor and baker, a lovely and passionate woman which is evident in every cupcake. A Wee Cupcakery is located at 407 Fitzwilliam Street in Nanaimo and is open 6 days a week, Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm (if the cupcakes last that long!) Weddings and custom orders welcome! www.aweecupcakery.com