Inculturation day

This morning started out overcast and windy. Veronica and I were waiting for Safeway to open so we could buy eggs for mom. Before we left she said, "You better hurry up and go because I haven't had anything to eat yet!" My response was, "We haven't had anything to eat either." We left in a hurry!! During breakfast mom got something on the front of her top.After breakfast we loaded everything we needed into the car then mom said,"Wait, I have to turn my top around." (She was in the backseat and proceeded to pull her arms into her top). I started to back up and mom's coffee cup tipped and spilled coffee on her lap.

 We headed to a mall in Victoria and bought 4 old tea cups for our "High Tea" tomorrow. Fabricland was a bust and we wanted to go downtown for fish and chips. En route we pasted a spot that we discovered was not an Indian Cemetery (which is what Nan thought) but was garden plots. (We don't need to stop and take pictures).

We parked at the wharf downtown and enjoyed a terrific lunch before walking down Fort Street to finally reach Antique Row in time for Veronica and I to return to the parking lot and get the car. Jane and mom were to check out the quilt shop til we returned with the car.

Mom had an experience that affected the rest of her day. (and ours too) When they were finished checking out the quilt shop and were successful in purchasing the "tea" (another interesting story) they stood patiently waiting for their ride when a "person" approached looking for money to buy coffee. Mom said she would by him a coffee...he suggested Starbucks...they said that was too far so he suggested the "Organic" health food store behind them. They should have just walked with him to Starbucks...it would have been MUCH cheaper. He ended up getting a block of cheese, rice and a microwavable turkey breast...oh and and a coffee too. Mom was beginning to panic because Brenda & I were now waiting outside parked (well illegally parked) in a handicapped parking spot. We couldn't stay there so Mom ran in to tell Jane that we were moving. So here's where it gets interesting...the clerk was to say the least...slow and this gave the man more time to pick more items for Jane to buy (she was going to use her debit card). Well the items wouldn't scan and there was some talk (?) about butter and Mom had had enough, she slapped $15 bucks down on the counter & said "Here...we have to go." As they were walking out the door the man asked if he could keep the change? According to Nan she wasn't angry at the man ....that clerk really annoyed her....and we heard about it all the way home! We all thought about Gavin and how Nan has been such a great influence...neither of them can "let it go".

Jane went searching for a monster for Gavin and she found one!

Our next destination was The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria ! We began our tour in the Emily Carr exhibit. Jane told mom, "Don't touch anything!" And it's a good thing she did. The man followed us around because Nan kept FLINGING her hands close to the paintings.

(This was taken by Mom's favourite painting "Wild Lillies".)

There were quotes from her books on the walls above the pictures. Mom started reading them out loud and when I said,"That's not quite what was written." She replied, "I'm putting it in my own words." We soon learned we wanted to stay 20 metres away from mom and her comments. (Use your imagination people!") "Some people just take paint and toss it on,back and forth and then they say use your imagination. A donkey would use it's tail and do the same kind of thing and what was he thinking?" We weren't taking mom to the modern art exhibit.

We also came to see the "Silk Splendour  Textiles of Late Imperial China" The gallery had an Asian Garden in a courtyard which we could see from the hallway to the textile exhibit. When mom spotted the Japanese Shinto Shrine she said,"Are we in Chinatown?"



We are thirsty and  hungry. We need to go to downtown  WalMart AGAIN to buy groceries (because mom had WalMart gift cards) and this time we are taking a camera to take a picture of the "cart escalator".

On our way home we were stopped at a red light. A man approached the car to wash the windsheild. I waved my hands and said,"No,no,no." But he still washed the windsheild. Mom said she would "get it" and pulled out a $5. bill. Veronica said, "I have it." and she handed me a tooney. He said, "Thank you, how generous."

At home we made stew and watched 2 cruise ships go by. When they were out of view we heard something. Veronica said," I hear a ship." It turned out to be my phone which was on vibrate. We were tired.
We watched a 1hr. show of Poirot and turned in after mom finished pin curling her hair.