2003 May 8 / Victoria Literary Fest Hi all, You lucky people, in Victoria...great literary festival there next week. Would really like to recommend you attend, especially to see my dear friend Isabel Huggan, whose latest book just came out - and I am acknowledged in the foreword for naming it! It's about the expatriate life, and it's called Belonging: Home away from Home. She is delightful. Worked many years ago in Toronto at Mcmillan Press with our own Ray Barnes. You can read more about the festival and see Isabel and read her biog on: http://www.literaryartsfestival.org/festival2003/guests.html Enjoy! Sandy Sandy Forbes / redoak@netspeed.com.au / Canberra, Australia May 23 / Victoria Walk — May 30th Hi All, We had debated walking in Sooke this month but I think George is otherwise engaged so am suggesting the following alternative. We lunch at the Bird of Paradise Pub on Glanford by the Quadra St. exit from the freeway. We park at the corner of Chatterton Way and Dalewood for 11am departure. We walk to lunch around the trail/ pond (bring your spyglass and bird book), under the freeway and along West Saanich Rd. to the pub. (40 min?) We return along Quadra and Chatterton without circling the pond. (15 min) June's walk will be in Oak Bay on the 20th. We can discuss details at the Bird of Paradise with mug in hand. Dave Foster in Victoria, davefoster@shaw.ca May 26 / Thank You! Thank You! Lianne, for suggesting June 20th for the June walk so I can participate! And Dave, for accommodating. I am so looking forward to walking, talking, lunching and raising a glass with you all. Lianne has my sis' phone number . . . My daughter and husband were here in L.A. for Mother's Day and as it was the first Mothers' Day without my mum being here on the physical plane, I was grateful; they played tourist for a couple of days while I was at work, and we then had a lovely Sat. and Sun. together. Those of you that have your kids nearby, how blessed you are! I am still trying to figure out how to make that happen. Moving to Seattle first before returning permanently to Victoria would be the first step, it seems. Loving L.A. as I do, it is a BIG step. But home to Victoria I must eventually return. Words cannot express how that 2000 reunion impacted my life. Perhaps it was because my ex-husband had just died the month before, closing completely that chapter of my life, and I was very much in need of reconnection to my home . . . whatever the reasons, I am really grateful. Today is Memorial Day, a welcome 3 day weekend, I am in the process doing the paperwork on the application for my Canadian passport as I let it expire years ago. Weather has been unseasonably cool — good time to catch up on paperwork. Lots of love to all of you. diane diane wilson dyer ddyer2001@attbi.com