More Postcards From (nearly) the Edge

I once met a CBC national news reporter in my cousin's Vancouver backyard. His daughters were friends with my cousin's daughter, and he pushed a jogging stroller with a new little boy in it. The mother was not there; perhaps she was at work. We were all assembled, along with a lot of other parents and children, in order to partake in the annual Easter Egg Hunt put on by my cousin and his family. When we were introduced by my cousin, he asked if we recognized the news reporter.

"Yes, of course! I've seen you on TV," I exclaimed.

The news reporter (who shall remain nameless) was quite friendly, in that reserved kind of way that many people of notoriety have, and he asked us where we were from. When we told him he asked, "Do you have horses or something?" as if the only reason to live out in the country was if we had several acres of land at our disposal.

"No, no," we said, and explained about my husband's job as a manager in a large hotel in the nearby resort village.

We could tell he found it all a bit puzzling, people choosing to live in the country without being able to call themselves farmers. We told him our daughter did ride horses at a nearby stable. "Ah," he said, and relaxed a bit.

I changed the subject and admired his baby, the product of his second marriage. The baby smiled at me. Most babies do, I'll admit. That's how I ended up doing daycare, but that's another story.

"How many children do you have?" asked the news reporter.

"Four," I said.

"FOUR?" Wow, you must be really busy!" he exclaimed, eyes widening at the thought.

I smiled wryly. "That's only one more than you have," I said.  He laughed and had to agree. I wondered silently how he thought 2 tween girls plus one baby, one ex-wife and one present wife who was a step-mother to his first two, was so much less than my four.

Probably with the same line of thought that wondered how on earth we could live so far from the city (an hour and a half's drive), and still look content and sound reasonably well informed. The next time we met for the annual Easter Egg Hunt, the news reporter remembered us and we talked at length about the school system, while we kept the now-toddler out of trouble in the garden.

So, Mr. News Reporter, I am thinking of you as I send out some more summer postcards from our part of the world. I suppose, in a way, we really do have several acres at our disposal out here.

To bee in paradise

Taxpayers Gardens (not their real name)

Hats on the Beach

Our favourite local spot in summer...up the mountain road and turn right

Shade in the afternoon, and lovely water for swimming

I will be away next week with my kids (their dad has to stay here and work), but may be able to read and to post if time and distractions of friends, family, and my beautiful home town permit. Have a wonderful week wherever you are!