Summer Fun

Summer Fun

Sixty years ago this month, the two runners who had already broken the 4-minute mile barrier raced each other at the Empire Games in Vancouver. They were this close when John Landy did a shoulder check and Roger Bannister passed him on his blind side, and won the race.

Fifty years ago today, the Beatles touched down in Vancouver and played Empire Stadium. I remember hearing about it on the news.

Yesterday, I visited Hastings Park for the first time and stroked off two things from my Bucket List – the PNE and riding the merry-go-round. It was a great day, good weather, sunshine with a nice breeze, lots of trees and shade, lots of food, Superdogs. Without having to buy gas, pay for bridge toll, parking, or admission, and without the stress of driving in rush-hour traffic. Bonus. Thank you, Care Transit. A perfect day.

Work In Progress - The Rocking Girl

The Rocking Girl

I've been working on a novel set in British Columbia and Ireland. I've managed the third major revision, pushing it last week in order to run off a copy to give to my first beta reader, my writer friend Marilyn Meden, who was here for a summer holiday visit. She gave me valuable feedback. As we were discussing the protagonist, Wyn, and the “arc” of the story, I heard myself insisting that the novel is not about the relationship, it is about Wyn, and her development. And that I need a title which tips the reader to that fact, that it's about Wyn. Then it came to me. The Rocking Girl. And with it came the concept for the cover – a statue of a rocking girl, in the yoga, not the fetal position. Wyn is an artist and the Rocking Girl is one of her pieces to which other characters refer. Thanks, Marilyn.