Turning 30 In Style

When Jean turned 30 two years ago and we celebrated at Sooke Harbour House, I told her: "when I turn 30, we're coming back!" Well, hard to believe but it was time to return over the weekend as I indeed entered a new decade.

Our overnight getaway was just as lovely as last time. We stayed in the Edible Blossom room, a split-level suite complete with a 4-poster bed, fireplace and jacuzzi on the patio. Of course, our meals were amazing and, to top it all off, the weather was perfect for walks on Whiffin Spit.

The Edible Blossom Room

Holly enjoying the view

Hand-painted sink

Jean's pork tenderloin

More Bookish Thoughts...

According to my most recent Google search, 35 million copies of "The Millennium Trilogy" have been sold in 41 countries worldwide. This staggering number only intensifies my internal, ongoing debate: Euro-trash or worthwhile reading?

The Girl Who Played With Fire focuses on the unique heroine Lisbeth Salander, a bantam-boxing, computer-hacking mathematical genius with a photographic memory and a will of iron. The essence of the plot is simple: Salander, with help from her allies, struggles prove her innocence in a triple murder which, literally, has her fingerprints all over it.

Like the first book of the series, the second is formulaic and fairly predictable. However, add sex trafficking, Soviet spy agencies, biker gangs and even Fermat's Last Theorem to your basic whodunnit and you get an intriguing page turner that you're ashamed you can't put down.

A Chair For A Chair

Jean and I had been in the market for a rocking chair for a little while and finally found this great one on line last week. We love it - it's sturdy, stylish and not too big for our space. The lovely young woman who sold it to us even threw in a cushion, an ottoman and a teddy bear!

Alas, our new furniture addition meant that we no longer had room for our mid-century red chair. It was a fun and nostalgic piece - the first item we bought when we rented our duplex on Maddison in 2005. But I posted it online and, within a week, we sold it for the same price we paid for the rocker! Talk about Craigslist karma ;)

My Words in Print

Apart from my Master's thesis online and the occasional letter to the editor in The Globe And Mail, I've never had any of my work published before today. So I was very excited that my essay about finding out our baby's gender made it onto today's Globe's Facts and Arguments page. I've definitely stirred the proverbial pot, as evidenced by the variety of comments from other readers, but I take that as a sign that I've produced a powerful piece worthy of strong reaction. Check it out:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/i-had-my-heart-set-on-a-daughter/article1671219/