Because the bees survived the winter, I asked the bee keeper what to do next, and he said “get pollen patties.” Just the name sounds good, so I raced out to Buckerfields and got a couple. Now I have the somewhat scary task of opening the lid and placing one across the frames, hoping I don’t enrage the bees.

I enraged myself last week as I had to gather all my paperwork to get ready to drop it off at the accountant’s. Each year at this time I scream at myself “why?” But I know every December as orders come in, I scribble a note on a piece of paper, and don’t make a proper invoice, and then I have to do it in February, crying.

The Women in Business magazine in the Capital News had a very nice article about me and the fruitcake business. Our neighbourhood carrier dropped four extra copies in my mailbox as I’d run into him on the dog walk, and told him I needed them for my mom.

I received one lone local order for a Harvest cake as a result of the article, and a nice elderly woman called to inquire. She said she used to make fruitcake but doesn’t any longer. I told her about mine, and she sounded keen until I said $15.00. At that point all enthusiasm vanished, but I’m fine with that.

I took the mags to Osoyoos as mom and I spent last weekend with my nieces Sunny and Julie. They came up together from Maple Ridge, and had the tremendous joy of selecting art they’d like, then loading it up for the drive home.

I also taught them how to make my gramma’s cookies, the Spitzbuebchen, so that recipe’s safely been passed along and I can die in peace. Over that one thing, anyway.

Here’s something fantastic that happened to me on the dog walk. I should back up and say all my life my dad would come into the house holding something he’d found along the road. He had eagle eyes.

The other day I spotted a small agate about the size of a large blueberry, and picked it up. I brought it home, and said to myself this is a sign from dad something bigger’s about to come my way.

Since quitting the gym due to the dreaded migraines, the dog and I have been walking further and further afield, often for an hour. I’ve been scouring the ground as we walk or run along, and then yesterday on Spiers Road, of all places, I spotted two patio loungers in the slough beside the road!

Last year I’d browsed sites looking for metal loungers with a mesh back and seat, and here they were, free. I quickly walked home with the dog, hopped into my little Honda and parked on Spiers. I had to go down quite a steep bank, and wouldn’t you know it, those things are heavy!

However I hauled one up, struggled it into the trunk, and drove home with the lid open, as it was such a short distance. I unloaded it and drove back to retrieve the other one. Sure, they’re a bit worse for wear after their time in the slough, but really as Larry David would say, they look “pretty, pretty, pretty good.”