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PENINSULA ZOOMER: Lots to celebrate as summer turns to autumn

Still plenty to be happy about admist ‘pandemic fatigue’
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September is here and it promises to be an Indian summer.

Oh dear, are we allowed to say that anymore?

The pandemic drags on with no end in sight. No doubt we are all filled with COVID fatigue and wondering if we will ever have anything to look forward to or celebrate again.

Fortunately, there is lots to celebrate, starting with the elopement of my elder daughter. The pandemic has resulted in more divorces, but, at the same time, more elopements.

With so many restrictions in place, planning a wedding is almost impossible. With elopement, you don’t have to worry about the guest list and whether to invite the ex-wife of your uncle or the cousin with bad teeth or the guy who delivers your pizza.

No awkward family dynamics to deal with. Just a Justice of the Peace, a witness and a photographer.

And a beautiful dress.

A small bouquet.

Bespoke wedding rings.

And a fabulous looking bride and groom frolicking on the rocks at Lynn Canyon.

Followed by a small, socially-distanced, Dr. Bonnie Henry-approved, celebratory dinner at a Vancouver boutique hotel.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

Pure joy during these daunting days.

Another reason for celebration is the beauty of Mother Nature during these late days of summer. Heading to the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival is a glorious way to spend the day. With acres of sunny blooms to greet you, it is hard to feel blue. Cheeky sunflowers towering over you as well as 25 varieties of dahlias.

A carpet of colour and calm sweeps over you as you celebrate nature.

On Sept. 21, from 7-9 p.m., Alexandra Neighbourhood House will be hosting another Lit Café, this time online.

Entitled Biding & Abiding: Readings to Heal Body & Soul, it will feature four authors coming together on Zoom to share their COVID-19 inspired writings. Free of charge. Register at 604-535-0015 or www.alexhouse.net

And last but not least, CARP is celebrating seniors as it does every year. This National Seniors’ Day (Oct. 1) will be no exception.

CARP is all about thinking “big” when it comes to fighting for our country’s older adults.

We’re planning to host Canada’s largest ever virtual meeting of seniors, and you’re invited.

The online event, which will bring together a VIP panel of experts to have a critical conversation about issues affecting older adults in the age of COVID-19, is sure to be an invigorating and inspiring experience.

Interested in participating? Just go to www.carp.ca to register,

The national virtual event will be followed by a regional one where you can hear what your B.C. chapters are doing locally.

Our guest speakers will be Isobel MacKenzie, B.C.’s Seniors Advocate, as well as Karen Tyrell, a dementia expert.

All this will be held virtually starting at 10 a.m. on Oct. 1 in celebration of National Seniors Day.

After this online event, your White Rock/South Surrey CARP chapter will be hosting a live event at White Rock City Hall at 1 p.m. for the raising of the CARP flag. This is our way to celebrate our local seniors. Please join us as you will be able to participate, keeping within social distancing guidelines.

With so much to celebrate this month, it’s easy to ask ourselves – pandemic, what pandemic?

April Lewis is the local communications director for CARP, a national group committed to a ‘New Vision of Aging for Canada.’ She writes monthly.