A small yard can be a challenge… I like to incorporate elements that already exist in the yard, such as a deck, patio, or tiered landscaping. Establish what your yard is to accomplish, then create separate zones. My small cookie cutter back yard was well, boring!

Creating separate zones allowed me to focus on one outdoor room at a time.  In July’s issue, an outdoor fireplace was the focal point, creating a deck styled living room.

In this column, I will discuss outdoor spaces, creating two distinct zones, and fabulous outdoor rooms.

The constant cascading flow of water from the garden fountain, placed beside a bench, brings focus and tranquility to a under utilized tiny strip of tiered yard to an outdoor garden room.  On aggregate landscape rock, sits an old wooden and wrought iron park bench.  Cushions in patterned outdoor fabrics adds comfort and color to the bench and withstands West Coast elements.

A strategically placed Japanese maple in the lower flower bed provides the rock garden room with plenty of shade on those warm summer afternoons.  Above the bench, I simply screwed pretty colored bamboo pots to the fence, then filled the pots with succulents and ivy’s; creating a low maintenance living garden wall.  A tall wrought iron candle holder, stands beside the park bench, replacing the candle for a solar light, provides soft lighting in the evenings.  A mirror that had outlived usefulness in the house, I painted with outdoor paint and hung above the wrought iron stand; reflecting the soft solar light.

The next zone was to transform a standard size cement patio into a conversation area.  Using a large outdoor rug in a patterned black and gray, I created the visual outline of the conversation area.  The dark pattern in the rug visually anchors and defines the outdoor room.

I placed a low, round, brown aluminum table in the centre of the rug; with a tabletop fire bowl.  Four comfortable brown padded aluminum chairs were placed around the table.  Striped outdoor cushions in gray, sit on each chair, a cozy, dark gray throw draped over the back of a chair, wards off evening chills and created instant ambiance.

In the corner of the patio, I anchored an oversized cantilever umbrella, large enough to cover the entire conversation patio set.  A vignette of three difference size planter pots filled with a variety of blooms and trailing plants sits in the opposite corner of the patio.  Visually creating a corner for the outdoor room and adding pops of color.  Hidden solar lights in the planters adds soft lighting for the evenings; lighting the blooms at night.

The outdoor conversation room is perfect, for laid back evenings with friends.  Remember to furnish your deck, porch, or patio as if they were indoor rooms.  There are plenty of new outdoor furnishing that will help accomplish your perfect outdoor space.

Quick Tip:  When entertaining, bring out console or side table for beverages.  This allows easy access for refills and more time with guests.

Stay tuned… continuing to love your space.

Roxanne Griese is an Artist
Decorating and organizing are her passions, to see more articles and artwork visit www.artbyroxanne.ca

Creative Living  Tips & Tricks

By Roxanne Griese

Looking to create a reading corner, look to your outdoor furniture. A small outdoor side table and chair, with a reading lamp can create a cozy reading corner to any room. Outdoor rugs are easy to clean and can add casual personality under a kitchen table. Galvanized buckets are an interesting way to keep beverages cold for guests, simply fill with ice and top with a favorite bottled beverage.

Volunteers are still needed for this year’s BC Seniors Games, which take place in Burnaby from August 21 to 25.

The 25th edition of the games, which are coming to Langley in 2014, are a great way for active seniors to get involved.

The 2013 Games will be held in Kamloops.

Information about the Games can be found at the website www.bcseniorsgames.org. All the details about sport schedules will be posted on the Burnaby host website one week prior to the games. There will be competitions in almost 30 sports from archery and badminton to lawn bowling, ice hockey, golf, tennis and track and field.

Included this year are such events as darts, dragon boat racing, pickleball, one-act plays and whist.

The BC Seniors Games is an annual, multi-sport event hosted by a different community each year. They are one of the largest games organized within BC with approximately 3,500 participants aged 55 plus from all over the province.

Activity of both mind and body has a beneficial effect on the health and well being of older adults. Sport and recreational development for seniors has a direct bearing on the quality of life for older British Columbians. That is why the games were first organized in 1987, when the society was formed.

The registered society is a volunteer-based, charitable organization and consists of an executive committee, 12 Zone directors and 12 Zone committees, who are responsible for organizing the administration and registration of the 244 sports participating in the Seniors Games.

For those people who would like to learn more about the organization of the games, or get involved, the society will hold its annual general meeting on Thursday, August 23 at 7 pm at the Hilton Metrotown Hotel, 6083 McKay Avenue in Burnaby.

The first Seniors Games were held in Vernon in 1988 with more than 600 participants. Through the years that number has grown substantially with the variety of sports and events. The games include a banquet and dance as part of the social activities.

This year’s Games will honor past society presidents and those presidents of the former host communities. They will be invited to a special presentation at the opening ceremonies.

***

Older workers in 2008 were significantly less likely to participate in job-related training than their counterparts in the core working-age population.

A recent study on job-related training of older workers released by Statistics Canada, found younger employees reported receiving more job-related training than their older counterparts. About 45 per cent of workers aged 25 to 54 took at least one job-related course or program, compared with 32 per cent of those aged 55 to 64.

Several factors were linked with significantly lower participation in training among older workers. These included lower annual incomes, low educational attainment, temporary employment and work in blue-collar or service jobs. Workers in the private sector, particularly those in goods-production industries, were also less likely to take job-related training.

This study examined the incidence and intensity of job-related training among workers aged 55 to 64 and also examined employer support and barriers preventing individuals from participating in training they wanted or needed to take.

Outdoor Rooms

It is that time of year, when we can sit outside and enjoy a beverage, listen to the song birds, and experience the fleeting sun. For me, it is time to create outdoor rooms, I love this task; creating outdoor living spaces. Even in a cookie cutter suburban back yard, I have managed to create 4 outdoor rooms.

Why, so many individual rooms? Simply because, I can! Planning outdoor rooms in early spring, allows enough time to comb through store flyers, garden and decor magazines looking for ideas and seasonal trends. Cutting out pages of inspiring ideas and putting them in a handy 3 ring binder; keeps a tidy visual reminder to help create your personalized outdoor room.

Decide first, what you want your outdoor room to accomplish, choosing a purpose for each space will help focus your design. Once I had my rooms planned, I started scouring Craigslist daily… I finally found the perfect outdoor furniture. A conversation set including 6 cast aluminum chairs, cushions and table for $260.00. The brown cushions were sun faded, but lets be honest, new cushions are going to fade the first season; so why not buy a gently used set.

I used the set in 3 different places, keeping in mind that if I had a large crowd the chairs could be moved easily.

My first outdoor room centered around a large brick faced outdoor fireplace. I flanked two box woods planted in large planters on either side of the fireplace creating a focus point. I then laid a patterned, outdoor vinyl rug to establish the outdoor room and give it definition. Two chairs with cushions faced the fireplace, adding a small wrought iron bistro table between the chairs for evening meals or beverages. Placing a cozy grey throw, over one chair to ward off evening chills and colorful occasional pillows added another decorative layer.

At the end of last season, I found a broken, barn wood and wrought iron folding screen at a garden center. I asked the manager if he would sell it to me; I scored a $179.00 screen for $20.00. Using a few screws, I repaired the screen, then added landscape cloth to the back for added privacy, by simply cutting and stapling the fabric to fit the openings; not painting the screen gave it a shabby chic style. Accompanying the fireplace, a reclaimed fireplace set from a neighbor sits on a piece of slate. For a pop of color, I painted an old square vinyl stool, purchased at a thrift store for $3.99 in chartreuse green, ideal for relaxing putting up your feet, extra seating or to rest a drink.

To complete the first outdoor living space, I added a hanging basket of bright multi colored flowers and a patio umbrella for shade. I now have a room that serves as an outdoor living room, to put your feet up, read a newsmagazine, enjoy a fire, beverage and a light snack.

decor time to comb through store magazines looking for ideas

“Planning outdoor rooms in early spring, allows enough flyers, garden and and seasonal trends.”

Stay tuned… continuing to love your space.

Roxanne Griese is an Artist

Decorating and organizing are her passions, to see more articles and artwork visit www.artbyroxanne.ca

Creative Living  Tips & Tricks

By Roxanne Griese

Add one “to do” to a weekly cleaning routine. The basics always seem to be achieved, it the small things that are often overlooked.  It can be as simple as going through the junk drawer, wiping one shelve of the pantry then placing the items back neatly, or wiping out the utensil drawer.  Pick one thing a week that time allows.  Adding this one small step to a weekly or monthly routine eliminates the ever growing “to do list”.

By Ursula Maxwell-Lewis

Sipping champagne in Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class cabin I soak up what closely resembles ultra violet cabin lighting. The pinky-lilac infusion, teamed with pre-flight champagne, produces the clearly desired relaxing, pampering effect. I’d rate as an Uber Cool Senior if I could reproduce this combination in my condo. For now, I’ll just bask in it here.

“Have you been introduced to your ’suite’?” enquires an elegantly coiffured flight attendant. Her French manicured nails, fitted signature red suit, matching ‘Dorothy’ heels, and “Upper Class Red” lipstick by bareMinerals accented only by understated jewellery are reminiscent of a more elegant airline era.

Seated companionably on what will double as my in-flight footrest, she quickly gives me the lowdown on accessing the adjustable recessed touch screen entertainment system housing 50 movies and my collapsible sliding tray table.  Later, when I’m ready, she’ll slide my seat forward to convert it into a bed for me.  Angled away from the fuselage wall toward the aisle, the ‘suites’ to my left and right offer privacy and generate a pleasant sense of being cocooned.

Cabin-centre to my left lurks an inviting mood-lit bar worthy of any cosy upmarket bistro. I picture it appealing to trendy business travelers westbound on 10-hour daylight flights to Vancouver.

FIRST CLASS – With a Virgin Atlantic Upper Class suite and champagne, Ursula Maxwell-Lewis takes the high road from Vancouver to Jubilee London, Cheers!

My comfy navy ‘sleep suit’ is delivered after dinner, quilts cover my now converted seat – and it’s sweet dreams at 32,000 feet over the Atlantic, Virgin Airlines-style.  Drifting off to sleep I recall the DC-6 hold outfitted with a mattress I once slept in thundering over the Sahara. I think, “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

Having requested a ‘wake-up call’ for breakfast an hour out of Heathrow, I’m ready for scrambled eggs, fruit and yogurt. Unlike my usual long-haul flights, I feel refreshed and minus that grungy, numb I-slept-like-a-pretzel feeling.

Ten minutes ahead of schedule, Virgin Atlantic’s brand new A330-300 inaugural flight from Vancouver greases onto the London tarmac with barely a bump.  The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations are ahead of me, and, thanks to a good night’s sleep, jetlag will be the least of my worries.

Eastbound two weeks later I dropped into the Virgin Upper Class Lounge at Heathrow.  Spacious and well appointed with casual and a la cart dining, my early arrival also allows me time for a complimentary 15-minute manicure and facial.  Even my shoes get a little TLC from the shoe shine bloke!

Upper Class on the return included not only a comfortable 3-hour snooze and lunch, but also high tea before arrival in Vancouver. Who says flying has lost its lustre? I’m feeling Richard Branson-ishly out of this world. Definitely out of my world…and enjoying it.

Watch for ticket sales and competitive pricing if London is on your Bucket List this year. No matter which of Virgin’s three classes of service you chose, these folks have definitely upscaled the neighb‘air’hood.  (I just couldn’t resist that!)

Virgin Atlantic, services Vancouver–London (Heathrow) Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday until Oct. 27. Costs from $778 plus taxes, book at virginatlantic.com.  When planning your trip, remember that www.VisitBritain.com will help put your plans in perspective on the ground.

Ursula Maxwell-Lewis was a guest of Virgin Atlantic. As a former Air Hostess, she remembers when cabin pressure had a different meaning. Contact her at utravel@shaw.ca

By Rick C. Singh

Are financial headlines keeping you awake at Night?

The recent volatility in financial markets and the sudden decline in 2008/09 have caused a lot of investors to stay awake at night because their investments are down significantly from their previous highs. It is also one of the first times in history that Canadian markets have had a negative return over a ten year period. Retirees and those planning for retirement are re evaluating what they invested in previously, and are looking for safety and security.

Most of the clients that I deal with are boomers and retirees and over the years they have instilled in me that what’s important to them is not the returns they get on their investments, but it is the return of their investments. They want assurances that their investments will be safe in the future so they can plan their retirement. They want investments that give them the opportunity to participate in the upside of the markets, but protect the deposit value if the markets should go down. They want to know that their income is guaranteed, and has the potential to increase, rather than go downwards when the markets decline. They especially want to be able to pass on a guaranteed value from their investments to their spouse, children or grandchildren in case of death, and not just the market value at death.

Recent surveys show that investors are looking for alternatives and advice in this time of uncertainty. It is for this reason I am reminded to write about the benefits of Guaranteed Investment funds (GIF) for investors looking for safety, security and the opportunity to participate in the upside of the markets, and to be able to sleep at nights.

Give your investments the guarantee it deserves: for Estate planning and Income for Life:

GIF for Estate Planning:

Investments from insurance companies are called Guaranteed Investment funds (GIF). GIF offer solutions that allow you to invest in mutual funds and guarantee that at least either 75% or 100% of your principal is protected over a specified period of time. They have a Death Benefit feature that guarantees at least 100% of your original deposit minus any withdrawals, on death. Some have a death benefit guarantee that will annually reset and lock in the market value if it is higher than the deposit value; an important feature for estate planning. They also offer the ability to name one or more beneficiaries. This allows you to direct the value of those investments, at the time of your death to individual(s) you have designated within your contract in a manner that is private, outside of your estate, while bypassing the expense and inconvenience of probate. The settlement and transfer of these proceeds to your beneficiaries is quick and seamless.

GIF for Guaranteed Income for Life

Guaranteed investment funds have also evolved to guarantee you an income for life, and the income will never decrease due to declines in the markets, as is the case with mutual funds and stock portfolios. You essentially create your own Defined Benefit Pension plan, with your personal investments providing guaranteed income for life, 5% at age 65 or 6% at age 75.

With GIF Income for Life investments, in years that you do not take any income, regardless of what the markets are doing these income solutions add a minimum of a 5% bonus annually to your original deposit plus any subsequent deposits, creating an income pool. Every three years if the market value is greater than the income pool they will lock in the greater of value and calculate the 5% bonus from the higher market value, so that the bonus paid will be 5% of a higher value going forward. Think of this as inflation indexing. When you start taking income at age 65 they guarantee a minimum 5% payout from your guaranteed income pool. If you wait to take your income at a later age such as age 75 the guaranteed payout will increase to 6% of your income pool.  The lifetime income guarantee and the 5% bonus during the accumulation stage make a GIF a great income solution especially for RSPs and RRIFs and GIC investors who want guaranteed income for life.

If more Canadians knew about these investment solutions they would sleep better at night. They would have peace of mind knowing that they do not have to worry about what the markets are doing. They have guarantees that will protect what they have worked hard to accumulate and not have to worry about losing it, or living on lower income.

To find out more about GIF investment solutions for Estate planning and Income guarantee, contact your financial advisor or Rick Singh at 604-535-3367 or
email: rick@crsfinancial.ca

by Keith Richardson

Big news in June, indeed! First Microsoft released its updated preview of Windows 8. Polite applause from most quarters.

Next, Google piped up about their upgraded maps app, and did so not on an Android tablet but on an iPad—just to emphasize that no matter what Apple does, users will still be able to download Google Maps from the App Store. Some crabbed that the announcement seemed rushed, if not premature.

And then, on June 11, Apple bombarded us with announcements covering hardware, especially a new MacBook Pro to die for (really?), and further insight into Mountain Lion, its new OS for Macs, and iOS 6, the latest iteration for iPads and iPhones coming in autumn.

There are now two classes of MacBook Pro, neither of which sports Ethernet ports or optical drives (for CDs and DVDs). The extra thin, 15.4” “Retina Display” models boast an until-now-unheard-of-resolution-in-a-portable of 2880 by 1800 pixels, Core i7 processors with ‘Turbo Boost,’ an extremely fast Solid State Drive (no spinning hard drive), 8GB of Random Access Memory (upgradeable to 16GB for $200 more)—and price tags of CDN$2229 to CDN$2829 depending on which processor and SSD size one chooses. Note that, in order to create a thinner, lighter machine, Apple had to solder in the RAM; don’t expect to upgrade it in the future. For best protection, buy the 3-year Apple Care plan. And, if you really need one, Apple still sells an external optical drive for $79.

For most seniors, MBPs with Retina Display and SSDs are a lot more machine than we need. The thicker, heavier, lower resolution, cheaper MacBook Pros are still good upgraded machines. Apple offers two 13.3” and two 15.4” models. While 17 inchers are no longer made, you may still be able to find one in the inventory of your favourite Apple dealer this month.

Prices are considerably more affordable for the non-Retina versions but vary with configuration. The entry level 13.3” model lists at $1229 while the advanced 15” version will set one back $1000 more for a faster, more efficient processor, double the RAM and a bigger HD. You can order any of the MBPs with SSDs instead of Hard Drives if you’re prepared to spend $100 to $800 more!

Our advice on the new MacBook Pro: if you DON’T need portability, then an iMac is still the way to go: more machine for the money, and, honesty, it doesn’t take up any more room than an MBP, and you don’t need a wireless router, either! If you do only email, web surfing, photo management, memoir writing, and a few games, consider an iPad: while you will need a WiFi connection, the ‘Pad will satisfy virtually all your needs. (Incidentally, both Telus and Shaw, as standard service these days, can provide combined modem/ WiFi routers).

But if you really want that 15 inch display—excuse me while I wipe away the drool—your solution is between the lines above!

If you buy a new Mac this month, you’ll be entitled to a free upgrade to OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion). If you can wait a month, new Macs should have ML pre-installed after mid-August (also watch for specials on “old stock”). There are “over 200 new features” in ML (“new” from Lion, even newer for those upgrading from Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8)). Check ’em out at www.apple.com/osx/whats-new/features.html

To upgrade an older iMac currently running Snow Leopard or Lion costs $19.99, and you’ll do the upgrade online via Apple’s App Store.

To see if your Mac can be upgraded to Mountain Lion, go to www.apple.com/osx/how-to-upgrade/. Although I am running Lion on my MacBook Pro bought in 2006, I will NOT be able to run Mountain Lion on it; I’d need the model that replaced my MBP in June 2007. Aarrgh.

We’ll have more to report on Mountain Lion and Windows 8 next month. As usual, the excitement is more about software than hardware! Check out Mountain Lion for yourself at apple.com/osx/ where you can click on Watch the OS X Mountain Lion video. Most exciting feature for seniors? We think it may be the (free) built in Dictation feature. Imagine almost no typing…. Or maybe Dictation is too good to be true. After all, it’s not a new technology: it’s built into Windows 7, and many of us have paid dearly for speech recognition software from Nuance (Dragon Dictate or for Windows, Dragon Naturally Speaking) only to find it less user friendly than we’d hoped…. See David Pogue’s article in Scientific American (December 2010)— www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=talk-to-the-machine

Windows 8 can be previewed at windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/release-preview or at lifehacker.com/5839777/whats-new-in-windows-8

By the way, a few numbers presented by Tim Cook at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in June just in case you missed them :>)

The 2012 WWDC was Apple’s 23rd WWDC, making it the longest-running developer conference around.

The 2012 WWDC sold out in one hour and 43 minutes (compared with several days in 2011).

The 2012 WWDC hosts attendees from more than 60 countries.

There are 400 million (Apple) App Store accounts.

And there are about 650,000 apps in the App Store itself.

225,000 of those apps are designed specifically for iPad.

30 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store so far.

The App Store has generated five billion dollars in revenue for developers.

Soon, Apple will bring the App Store to 32 more countries, making it available in a grand total of 155 countries.

There are 66 million Mac users — triple the number Apple had just five years ago.

26 million copies of Lion have been shipped so far.

40 percent of OS X users are running Lion.

Mountain Lion will be the eighth major release of OS X.

Mountain Lion will feature more than 200 new features and 1,700 new APIs.

iCloud’s user base has grown to 125 million.

Through the end of March, Apple had sold 365 million iOS devices (iPads, iPhones).

More than 80 percent of iOS users are running iOS 5 (current OS due to be upgraded this fall).

There are currently 140 million iMessage users; they send around 1,000,000,000 iMessages per day.

iOS has delivered 1.5 trillion push notifications so far.

There are currently 130 million Game Centre accounts, from which there have been posted 5 billion scores.

More than 10 billion tweets have been sent from iOS 5.

About 47 percent of all photos posted to Twitter are sent from devices running iOS 5.

(Thanks to All Things Digital: allthingsd.com/20120612/apples-wwdc-keynote-by-the-numbers/)

By Frederick and Christine Cheng, Pharmacists

GLUTEN SENSITIVITY AND COELIAC DISEASE

Nowadays, it is common to find, “No wheat, no gluten” advertised in the fine print of supplements and packaged food products; this is for the benefit of people with Coeliac Disease.   Even a little bit of gluten in the fillers may trigger an attack of abdominal pain and diarrhoea in these individuals. Patients with celiac disease are sensitive to gluten, which interacts with the individual’s abnormal immune response to form immune complexes that damage the intestinal lining, leading to nutrients not being absorbed properly.  Symptoms of celiac disease include abdominal bloating and pain, chronic diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool, and weight loss. In adults, the digestive symptoms just mentioned may not be as prevalent. Instead, we may see iron-deficiency anemia, fatigue, bone or joint pain, arthritis, bone loss or osteoporosis, depression or anxiety, seizures, or canker sores inside of the mouth.

It is estimated that one in 133 Canadians may have gluten sensitivity.  The most effective management is for these individuals to completely exclude gluten in their diet, which is tough! Gluten is a protein that is commonly found in wheat, rye, and barley products, but may also be found in vitamins, minerals, medications, and lip balms.   In the case of wheat, the protein is called gliadin.   This is the substance that gives flour its binding properties and is widely used in processing commercial foods and even supplements.  Hence Coeliac patients have to be very careful in reading labels.  Excluding gluten from the diet will allow the intestinal lining to heal. In addition to being sensitive to gluten, Coeliac patients usually develop secondary lactose intolerance.  As a result, they have to exclude dairy products from their diet as well.  In natural medicine, repair of the mucosa can be facilitated by supplements like N-acetyl-glucosamine, RR Formula and probiotics, which also shrink and soothe the mucosa.

In addition to excluding gluten from the diet, enzymes can be used in Coeliac Disease to digest away unpredictable or accidental contamination in the food.  This will be useful when a Coeliac patient dines out or visits a friend for dinner. There are specific enzyme preparations designed for this purpose and the patient takes a couple of pills just before consuming the meal.  One such preparation is called Gluten Defense® made by Enzymatic Therapy.  This comprehensive supplement helps gluten sensitive individuals dine out more freely.   A specific enzyme called DPP IV specifically for digesting gluten and casein is included in this preparation.  This protease enzyme works under a wide range of pH conditions so it works both in the stomach and the intestine.  In addition, Gluten Defense also contains amylase, lipase, phytase, lactase, cellulase, and sucrase.  The lactase helps the secondary lactose intolerance and the other enzymes help the general digestive weaknesses.     The source of all these enzymes is from plants so it is suitable for vegetarians.

Coeliac disease can be difficult to recognize as its symptoms may mimic other medical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, or anemia and as such, requires proper diagnosis by a doctor. Prior to trying this or any other supplement, make sure you consult with your doctor and/or your pharmacist to make sure it is appropriate for you.

(Christine and Fred Cheng are a sister-brother pharmacist team at their unique family-owned and operated Pharmasave in Cloverdale, BC.  They specialize in natural remedies and compounding for both human and veterinarian use.  They would love to hear from you! 604-576-2888; www.cloverdalepharmasave.com. Of course, before you begin any activity program or try any OTC supplementation, check with your physician and pharmacist.)

By Roxanne Griese

Umbrella Stands, are rarely used as actual umbrella stands; a shame. The shapes, materials and designs, are unique and quite often beautiful; sadly no umbrellas.

A repurposed umbrella stand makes a distinctive bathroom, laundry room, or office waste bin; adding that touch of the unexpected. Galvanized steel stands add a modern feel, while more traditional types can add style and warmth.

Short on space in a bathroom for a guest accessories. Fold a towel in half, then roll the towel tight, placing it in the umbrella stand; roll a coordinating wash cloth then tuck the cloth, in front of the towel. Do not forget a nice bar of soap tucked at the top of the rolled towel for your guest. The attention to detail will make a guest feel welcome.

Small powder rooms can lack storage for the essentials. Umbrella stands make a terrific place for storing extra rolls of toilet paper, or to use as a trash receptacle, the shape of the umbrella stand fits nicely beside a toilet or tucked in a corner of a powder room.

Umbrella stands repurposed for unconventional purposes, makes for great conversation starters.

The umbrella stand was used as early as the Ming Dynasty. If you have an umbrella stand stashed in an attic or the basement, you may want to have a second peek at your umbrella stand; recently a couple found their dusty old umbrella stand was worth approximately $800,000.00.

Quick Tip: Toss a tissue in an umbrella stand used as a trash receptacle, before guests arrive; some may think it is far too nice for trash.

Stay tuned… continuing to love your space.

Roxanne Griese is an Artist

Decorating and organizing are her passions, to see more articles and artwork visit www.artbyroxanne.ca

By Ursula Maxwell-Lewis

Langley Beta Sigma Phi sorority sisters surprised long-time member, Mary Cooley, by presenting her with the International Award of Distinction at Newlands Gold and Country Club during the annual Founder’s Day Ritual on Monday, April 23.

The rarely presented award is the highest honour Beta Sigma Phi sisters can bestow on a member.

Active and dedicated since joining Beta Sigma Phi in Nelson, BC in 1948, Mary Cooley is renowned for going the extra mile for people both in and out of sorority.

Not surprisingly, many people went extra mile for Mary on Monday night to share the celebration. Daughter-in-law, Ingrid Cooley, travelled from Arlington, Texas, Dolores Leeming from Ontario, and Pat Jorgenson and Donna Yeutsy from Seattle.

Her daughter, Sandy Henry, came from Maple Ridge, as did Hazel Carr and Ev Rilkoff. Other surprise guests included Vernice Stephenson (Surrey), Lorraine Nelson, Marj Cameron and Betty Fleming (Chilliwack), and Mickey Emerton, Marie Merritt, and Doreen Brown (White Rock).

Longtime friend and sorority sister, Sydney MacPherson of Surrey, said: “Sorority and volunteering are her life and we are very proud to share it with her.”

This year, Beta Sigma Phi International celebrates its 80th anniversary.

“We are a cultural and friendship organization that also contributes to our community,” says MacPherson.

This year Beta Sigma Phi celebrates its 40th anniversary in Langley with nine enthusiastic chapters, and an area council.

THE PHARMACIST REVIEW

By Frederick and Christine Cheng, Pharmacists