My letter to the editor appeared in the October 1st edition of the Capital News.  I was very pleased and surprised that evening to get a call from a nice old gentleman named Mike Durban.  He said he was calling to say he agreed with everything I said in my letter about the loss of farm land.

Mike said he’s been here so long he remembers when Orchard Park Mall was all orchards.  He asked where I lived, and I said Hall Road, and he said he remembered when this area was all orchards, too.

I told him I lived in the old O’Reilly house so I know all about the orchard that was here.  Mike said, “Oh my God!  I used to go to great parties at that house.”  As it turns out, he was good friends with Jack O’Reilly and he said he also played on the Packers hockey team.

So I was really glad I’d written the letter, as sometimes it’s really easy to say oh to hell with it, what’s the point, especially in this case when it’s the Bennett family that owns the land in question.  I wonder whose side the Premier would be on in a dispute?

But never mind, I’m still going to follow up with an appointment with our local MLA to discuss my dismay and also a letter to the ALR commission as a citizen.  Why designate land for agriculture if people learn they can hold empty lots and then apply and eventually the land will be released?

Okay, and speaking of rants, when I attended lesson 1 of docent training at the art gallery on Thursday, the volunteer coordinator gave a long speech about funding for the arts.  When she stopped she said to us, “Well that’s the end of my um….” and I said, “rant?” and the group laughed so they think I’m funny which is good.

You know how weird and awkward it is to suddenly have a brand new group of strangers with which to bond.  I said to my mom we’re a motley crew of retired and semi retired people, five women and one lone man, who all want to become tour guides for school kids.  Why, I wonder.

I’m really not sure why I want to do that, but as I say to people, when you work from home you have to find artificial ways to force yourself out.  I love the Woman’s Place gym for my socializing, but other than that and Superstore, it’s pretty well the cats, Wrecks and Mango, and the dog Louie and me, playing tiddly winks at home.

I don’t know if this marketing idea will work, but I sent an e mail to Zoomer magazine to see if they have someone who reviews food who might like to sample my wares and write about them if deemed worthy.

I baked 55 fruitcakes today, so am slowly amassing the year’s required inventory.  Now that I see I’m on top of that, I want to do some marketing so that I can unload all of this product, too.  Amazing, but I’ve already had a few inquiries for direct sales so that’s all very good.

This afternoon I’m making a couple of lovely pumpkin loaves for the Schillerpalooza planned in Osoyoos this Thanksgiving.  Good thing I love to bake!