Hi Neighbour,
I can’t believe how much reading I have done during my relatively quiet pandemic time. I am now reading In Praise of Walking, by Shane O’Mara (2019). More than a year ago, I couldn’t find it at any local library, so I put a hold on it, at the downtown Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library. For more than a year, I waited for them to tell me that the book was ready for pick-up. I didn’t see any other holds on it, and my hold on it wasn’t deleted, nor was I given any reason for the delay, but no book appeared. I don’t know what the problem was, but I think it might have been ‘lost’, and maybe the library had to order another copy and, with all the pandemic issues, it could have been difficult to get. I dunno.
Then a few weeks ago, I got an email notice telling me that it was ready for pick-up. Unbelievable! I couldn’t cancel the hold, after the long wait; however, it caused a problem for me. I already had a bunch of library books from North Van libraries, that I was hoping to scan through to decide which ones I would read. Also some CD’s from downtown VPL to listen to, not just once. As the due date for this book was approaching, I decided to give it a quick scan. But when I began to read it, I was hooked. So I renewed it for another 3 weeks. When I finish reading it, I’ll post a blog about it—or two…!
I remember writing one of my first TGIF on the Boulevard blogs about how we should get out and walk every day. I made suggestions of getting exercise on the boulevard, with your kids (when school was online) or listening to an audiobook or music. As with any new routine or exercise, it’s good to start slowly with a short walk and build up to longer and maybe faster walks. I started that way, walking up and down the boulevard. Then I walked down back lanes and saw a lot of interesting things from that perspective. It was energizing! Before long I felt more connected to my neighbourhood.
When my kids delivered the North Shore News, they gained a kind of street wisdom, an awareness of how people live and take care of their homes, pets or yards. They were very active kids and knew their neighbourhood. They weren’t afraid to try new things. I want to say ‘fearless’, but essentially, they were naturally curious. They thought of things to do and had the physical and mental confidence to try them. To me and my husband, it was like the saying that a child is raised by the whole village. We didn’t hover over our kids and neither did their grandparents. Undoubtedly, the Grand Boulevard neighbourhood offers so much for children, that we got lucky when we bought this house.
Little did we know, at the time.
Fiona