Dinner at the Surf

Saturday was a brilliant day. In the morning Allan, Larry and I went for a walk to look at the house they liked best and then we went to Drumbegfor a semi-picnic in the lovely warm sunshine to picnic. Sheba raced around with a few dogs and came home exhausted.

Late in the afternoon, Larry and Allan then went to their friends’ place, Gary and Donna’s, to visit them and then we all met together at the pub at Surf Lodge for drinks. Then we al went next door for dinner next door in the Surf restaurant. It is easily my favourite place on the island and Allan lovedevery second we were there.

At the pub, I was having quite a bit of difficulty talking and at one point I mentioned how touching people can help and so Gary asked, “What if I held your hand?” And I took his hand across the table and immediately stopped stuttering! I was happily shocked.

I woke this morning mid-dream. In the dream, the last thing I remember was entering a room with a huge staircase all draped beautifully in lace and walls of intricately embroidered silk. I was delighted to realize I dream of beauty.

Today is, again, glorious. The boys have to leave here around 2:15 pm to catch the ferry to Nanaimo and then I have a week to myself with temperatures predicted now up to 20° and all sunshine. 

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There’s a popular thing said about Inuit people having many words for snow. It’s not really true. I understand those people to have many words to describe different types of snow and different snow surfaces and textures. To a landlubber, a sailboat is covered in wires but to a sailor each sheet, halyard, and stay has a different name.

Well I’ve noticed that we Westerners have a lot of words about one aspect of the human personality: Narcissistic, solipsistic, self-centered, egomaniacal, self-absorbed, egocentric, conceited, megalomaniac, selfish, egotistical, vain, egoist, arrogant, vainglorious, pompous, self-important, self-indulgent, self-satisfying and self-obsessed.

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A favourite quote from the Dali Lama: "Don't try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are."

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Rick Polito’s concise TV listing for of The Wizard of Oz printed in the Marin Independent Journal: “Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she meets and then teams up with three complete strangers to kill again.”