Category Archives: Community

Jan30

TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #18

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TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #18

PRAIRIE GIRL’S CAPTAIN IS VICE COMMODORE!

Not only did they join the yacht club, but also through questionable circumstances, husband was voted in (by acclamation) at the Yacht Club’s annual meeting! You’re shaking your head at this point, knowing that he probably has the smallest yacht in the club and sails less than anyone else. To affirm your suspicions, just review the Prairie Girl Post #15 – WILL THEY EVER SAIL AGAIN?

In the early fall, husband was called by the Past Commodore to ask whether he would consider letting his name stand for the Yacht Club’s Executive Team. Husband, now retired 9 months, didn’t have his work excuse to fall back on, now did he? So he cautiously … Read the rest

Mar7

TENDER TUESDAYS SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT – #3

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TENDER TUESDAYS SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT – #3

FREEDOM 69 RETIREMENT PARTY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wife may have had a devious reason for planning a party with a retirement theme for husband, other than the fun opportunity to have friends over for a night of merry-making… (Hard to imagine, I know!) Have you figured out what it might possibly be? Yep, she secretly figured that if the retirement was made official with an EVENT, there really wouldn’t be wiggle room for husband to be enticed to get involved in new ventures being proposed. There had been so many false starts leading to his retirement decision that WIFE wanted it sealed in public. After all, Ryan had hit his FREEDOM 69… Read the rest

Feb9

TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING my HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT -#1

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TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING my HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT -#1

FREEDOM 69! A REALITY?

“They” say that it’s never a good idea to have BOTH spouses retire at the same time. Husband and I took that advice to heart and now 6 years later; husband has finally done the deed! (Or so it appears…) It took him a few false starts and tons of procrastination, so rather than leaping into this phase, he took 6 years of baby steps towards the edge of the cliff! The point is- he finally retired on Jan. 1st, just before his 69th birthday arrived. (… Or did he?)

You may be asking yourself how that’s going for this spousal team? Well, let’s just say, there isn’t a clear picture yet, as they took off … Read the rest

Feb5

SNOW DAY- A BLAST of WINTER!

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SNOW DAY- A BLAST of WINTER!

Waking up to a WINTER WONDERLAND on Vancouver Island, after just returning from Central America and the Caribbean, might make one think that this was CRUEL!  Not so! In fact, it was like waking up to a birthday gift!

mary_snow_day

After moving  to B.C. from the prairies, Mary found SNOW DAYS absolutely fascinating.  During her first year of teaching in Horseshoe Bay, a SNOW DAY was declared.  Declared, that is, for the students, as it was presumed too dangerous for them to be dropped off at school.  She “pooh-poohed” this nonsense until she had to make the drive from Deep Cove all the way out to Horseshoe Bay, including the cut (a very, very steep incline in North Van) … Read the rest

Nov28

TENDER TUESDAYS

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TENDER TUESDAYS

SILVER LINING in WHO’S the CAPTAIN?

BOOK LAUNCH

THE BOOK LAUNCH DAYDREAM VERSUS REALITY

You can imagine it, can’t you? The venue chosen is unique, as the perfect spot for drawing the niche of people for which one’s book was written. (MARTIN MARINE –so ideal as a long established North Shore family business that boaters frequent.) It’s in a community that both the author and illustrator had lived in and sailed from, as contributors for many years. Thus, a full house of familiar faces was anticipated coming through the door to share in the celebration of their book. Perfect! Right? (Reality Check: Perfect on a sunny spring day- YES! Maybe not so perfect on a cold, … Read the rest

Nov23

IT’S a BOOK LAUNCH in a MARINE STORE!

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IT’S a BOOK LAUNCH in a MARINE STORE!

HEAD– It’s the BOAT TOILET, okay?

FINALLY! A FAMILY SAILING BOOK that cracks the code of nautical terms through humourous cartoons and a cheeky glossary! Mary Laudien, a fourth time B.C. children’s author and former Principal of West Bay and Cypress Park, has just released, WHO’S the CAPTAIN? Anyone who has ever sailed or cruised with kids aboard will relate to the cartoons and reminiscing of those adventures on the water will be inevitable!

mary-anim-character

Mary didn’t start sailing until her late forties, missing out on the fun of cruising with her sons, as children. Many of her school families had extraordinary sailing adventures to share with her. As she cruised the Pacific NW on their Catalina … Read the rest

Nov20

BOOK LAUNCH & SIGNING

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BOOK LAUNCH & SIGNING

WHO’S the CAPTAIN?

AHOY ALL BOATING FAMILIES!

A BOOK LAUNCH & SIGNING EVENT at MARTIN MARINE

WHO’S the CAPTAIN?

FINALLY! A FAMILY SAILING BOOK that cracks the code of nautical terms through humorous cartoons and a sassy glossary! A delightful and recognizable story for any family that sails together.

whos_the-_captain_cover-336widejpg-1

            – Written by Mary Laudien, a 4th time B.C. children’s author and former Principal of West Bay and Cypress Park.

            -Cartoons by the talented, Dave Alavoine of Pacific Yachting Magazine’s COCKPIT CONFESSION.

DATE: Saturday, November 26th

TIME: 12:30 – 2:00

LOCATION: Martin Marine Services Ltd., 1176 Welch Street, North Vancouver

BOOK PRICE: only $14.99

For more information go to: https://www.marylaudien.com or email: mlaudien@outlook.com

DRAWS during the launch

… Read the rest
Nov8

TENDER TUESDAYS

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TENDER TUESDAYS

WHO’S the CAPTAIN? BOOK LAUNCH & SIGNING in a Marine Store!

Mary Laudien has been a super engaged author these days! She and Dave Alavoine are busy preparing for their BOOK LAUNCH of WHO’S the CAPTAIN?  The event will be held at Martin Marine  (1176 Welch Street in North Vancouver) on Saturday, Nov. 26th from 12:30pm-2:00pm. Martin Marine is the PERFECT venue to launch their nautical book, as a long established North Shore ‘family business for boating families’.

Dave Alavoine is a long term North Shore resident, sailor, sailboat builder, former British Merchant Marine…and most importantly, Pacific Yachting Magaizine’s nautical cartoonist! Mary Laudien is a  4th time B.C. children’s author and the former proud principal of West Bay and

… Read the rest
Oct28

FUN KIDLIT FRIDAYS

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FUN KIDLIT FRIDAYS

WHO’S the CAPTAIN? is FINALLY AVAILABLE!

What is FUN KIDLIT FRIDAYS?

It’s a Picture Book/ Middle Grade Book Review post that will be shared every other Friday.  I intended to start this much sooner, but publishing WHO’S the CAPTAIN? seemed to take over my life for the last year.  Now that it’s finally available, I can start posting regularly the picture books and early novels that I cherished reading with students when I was a teacher/principal in West Vancouver schools.  I know many of you are always seeking out worthwhile, entertaining reads for you to share with your kids or grand-kids.  That’s the purpose of FUN KIDLIT FRIDAYS... to introduce you to KIDLIT that’s FUN! I‘ll … Read the rest

Jul27

TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES # 1

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TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES # 1

WARNING: RACE TO BUOYS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

We can be spontaneous! Can’t we? Plans changed, our expected company cancelled, and guess what? A long weekend out on our Catalina 28 stretched before us (the first one all season, where the gods had aligned us with a free weekend and a perfect wind and sunshine prediction). At least, that’s what we envisioned…

With 4 free days ahead of us, we toyed with destination possibilities and settled on the nearest – Mark Bay (between Newcastle Island and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island) – a mere 2.5 hour sail away from home! My working senior husband was exhausted from attending corporate meetings in Vancouver and his retired author wanna-be wife was due for … Read the rest