THE EMPRESS CHRISTMAS TREES

Just wanted to share a few pictures from my special holiday evening with Drew last week. We went to the Empress hotel to do one of Drew's favorite activities and look at the Christmas trees. We had a great time strolling around, viewing and judging the trees. I took a picture of Drew's and my favorite trees to share with you guys. After we looked at the trees we went to a wonderful holiday IMAX called The Light's Before Christmas - so fun! Please post if you are doing something fun with Drew over the holidays!

NETWORK HOLIDAY PARTY

I just wanted to send out a quick note of thanks on behalf of the Network to Patricia and Alistair for a wonderful holiday dinner a few weeks back. It was so lovely coming back from the Santa Claus parade to your warm and festive house for hot mulled wine and a lovely holiday dinner. It was especially great that I won a door prize! I always appreciate Drew's wonderful Network, and my chance to be a part of it, but never more than at our recent holiday Party. And, I love this picture of Drew watching the parade.

Drew the Chef

Just a quick note after last night's Network Meeting to share some pics of Drew making homemade hummus for the Network. He was excited to go shopping together and prepare a snack for everyone. He even wavered over whether people would prefer regular tortilla chips or the guacamole chips we eventually decided on (and all enjoyed). Drew and I have decided that in honour of his new efforts for a healthy lifestyle we will make a healthy snack for each Network Meeting. Next time we will not leave you all smelling like garlic. As always, it was a pleasure. Looking forward to our next meeting on January 25th!

VICTORIA MARATHON SUCCESS!

Drew, Alistair and I did the 8KM walk in the Victoria Marathon last Sunday.  It was great fun, we all enjoyed being part of this enormous event.  The best part was raising funds for Lifetime Networks.

The organization raised over $27,000!! a fantastic sum for a small non profit.  Thanks to the generosity of our friends and family we raised over $1,000 ourselves!  We are all charged to do it again next year and hope some of our network friends will join us! 

Cheers Patricia 

Drew's Birthday Party!

On Saturday September 25th Gerry, Larry, Cathy Drew and I headed out to enjoy some brunch, the sun, and mini-golf at Mattick's Farm to celebrate Drew's birthday. After a delicious meal at the Tea House we spent a few hours playing mini-golf. Although we did not formally keep score, I can safely say that Drew and Larry won the game. Drew even got a hole in one! We missed the rest of the Network but still had a fantastic time. Hope you enjoy these pics and look forward to seeing you soon!

BEAUTIFUL BRIDE & HER ARDENT ADMIRER!

Drew's Grapevine has been sadly neglected over the summer but what better way to get back into the groove than to congratulate Micayla and Dan on their recent marriage and wish them much continued happiness together.  Drew, Alistair and I were fortunate guests to witness their lovely ceremony held in a perfectly romantic setting outdoors by the sea.  All the wedding party looked fabulous none more, except maybe the bride!, than the groom in his tails, pink tie and boutinere. There was a feeling of magic in the air and I think all present were affected by it.

Perhaps the happiest guest attending was Drew!  He loves to be part of the excitement of celebration and this was definitely one of his best!  He was delighted to greet Micayla's parents and especially to recount how much he enjoyed swimming in their and pool and seeing the guest room!!  We are touched by their warmth and kindness and appreciate Micayla introducing Drew to her family extending his circle of friendship.  There is no doubt that Drew has added them to his Christmas card list!
All the best to Mr. & Mrs. Greschner Hayes!!
Looking forward to hearing about Chelsea (Yaskow) Grant's wedding (unfortunately we were unable to attend at the last minute)

Drew Sighting

When: late afternoon Monday July 26th

Where: Oak Bay Rec on his way to a swim

Mood: happy and enjoying his day

While Pat & Alistiar Were Away....

...Drew and I saw eachother 3 times. Once when I went to his house to hang out and make sure that all of his chores were up to date and his house was gleaming (it was!). Once when we met to see the Hubble IMAX which was amazing and so interesting. And, once when we went to see the Dinosaurs Alive IMAX last week. On this particular occasion I was late because I injured my foot very badly just as I was leaving work which severely hindered my walking. When I got there I went rushing into the IMAX to meet Drew. The theatre was packed but Drew had saved me a seat. As soon as he saw me Drew stood up, tapped his wrist and announced 'you are 14 minutes late' at the top of his lungs. The audience erupted in laughter and I turned bright red. It was a wonderful Drew/Micayla moment which I thought you would all appreciate.

What did you do with Drew while Patricia and Alistair were away???

Postcard from Reeth

Hi Everyone,
     This is our last day in Reeth, tomorrow we go to York for two nights then Manchester for one and then HOME.  Its been a great holiday for us, especially here relaxing and enjoying the outstanding natural beauty of the area.  Thanks to all for your loving care and attention to Drew.  He sounds great every time we phone
"no problems" ! thanks to you!
    Talk to you all soon.  I hope the good weather holds until we get home.
Best Regards
Cheers
Patricia & Alistair

Thanks Bob!

I am sorry that we had to miss your visit to Victoria but glad that the world of mathematics includes conferences around the globe.  Drew as I'm sure your not surprised to hear did not mention your visit during my last phone call to him but that's great that you were able to get a nostalgic visit in to Barbs.  I do hope that Victoria will be on the roster again.  We are still on holiday in Yorkshire and enjoying life in this small village set in stunning surroundings.   Weather is unsettled but not enough to keep us indoors.  You and Drew would love the fish and chip van that visits all the villages up the dale on Fridays, excellent haddock.
Thanks for posting on the blog.  All the best to you and Hyun Jeong and hugs for Jinu.

Back in town

One of the nice things about mathematics is that it sends me all over the world. Indeed, I slipped surreptitiously back to Victoria last week for a conference.

I realize now the difficulty of mixing work and social travel. Once the conference started, I was immersed in maths and didn't get to catch up with all the people I'd planned to. But fortunately I'd planned ahead with Drew, and we'd organized to meet Sunday lunch before the conference started.

I've got to say, I don't miss the Victoria weather. I understand that Canadians judge their weather by the winters, which is why Victoria has a reputation for being pleasant. But in late June, the weather could not be described as summery.

Still, Drew and I got a pleasant enough afternoon. We went down to Barb's (of course!) and it was a nice enough day that we even took a Harbour Ferry over to the Hayack Air terminal. Then we wandered over the old blue bridge, and had a snoop around the shiny condo buildings near the Songhees walk.

All in all, a pretty pleasant day, and a great reminder of how serenely relaxing an afternoon with Drew can be. I'm sorry I didn't get to catch you again before I left, Drew. We'll have to wait for the next trip.

-- Bob

Small World

Hi All,
     On Friday we went to the market at another village by bus, country markets are still going strong,
and we bought some cumberland sausages recommend by Rick Stein! Dan's mentor in Cornwall.
We haven't eaten them yet but are looking forward to it!  So even 10,000 miles from home it can be a small world!  Cheers!
Patricia

Greetings from Yorkshire!

Hi Everyone,
     Alistair and I are in the small village of Reeth in Swaledale, one of the Yorkshire Dales.  We are enjoying our cottage and being in the village.  The weather has been very good, even great at times.  Today we are going for a walk by the river Swale.  Trudi and Norman will remember this walk from last year when they were with us.  This is truly a stunningly beautiful place.  Drew will love to hear that the fish and chip van is coming tomorrow and we will be in line for our haddock and chips! the best!  We hope everyone is enjoying their summer, did it arrive?!, in Victoria and we look forward to seeing you all at the network picnic in August.  This holiday would not be possible without you!!  Take Care
Patricia & Alistair

Trudi and Norman's Great Adventure

Dear Drew's Blog Readers,
We are finally home after an action packed trip on the road; one which touched seven U.S. states altogether: Washington, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California and Oregon. If we weren't on a major freeway we were on an arrow straight " ribbon road" or a snaking ,winding road or a white knuckle switch back road, or even a portion of the venerable Route 66. We had plenty of sun and comfortable warmth everywhere, but also a taste of real desert sandstorm conditions plus some bitterly icey winds. Attempting to get all of the thousands of possible pictures everywhere is like trying to empty the ocean with a mere teaspoon. We were awed by the magnificence of the many canyons we visited: the Grand Canyon ( North and South rims), the Bryce Canyon, The Zion Canyon and the Antelope Slot Canyon. None of these should be missed, particularly the Antelope Canyon. Approaching this one is like entering a large cave at ground level, with walls very close on each side, towering above at a height of 30 or 40 feet. Endless centuries of erosion have created such a curious, magical world of myriad shapes that everyone is shooting pictures breathlessly. Small openings at the top of the canyon allow shafts of sunlight to fall straight to the ground, like glorious pillars of brightness. Due to the wind's high velocity that day, there was red sand blowing constantly, falling on our heads like a shower, getting into cameras, pockets, ears, noses and mouths. Watching it disappear down the bath tub that night was fun!
Travel to Arizona, for those interested, should include a look at the very smart looking city of Sedona, to enjoy it's location smack dab in the middle of " Red Rock" country. Hoover Dam was another place worth a much longer look than we had time for.
What else?- oh yes, we saw a Cirque de Soleil performance, rode a cable car in San Francisco, visited Hearst's Castle and even took a jaw dropping airplane flight over the western Grand Canyon. If the plane banked even a little, you could see absolutely straight down below you through the good sized windows.
We enjoyed the oceanic vastness of the desert with it's beautiful arrary of wild flowers, and ( again) those ever so straight roads that appear to drop abruptly off the earth at the horizon.
Coming back along the California Coast the highlight for us was the charming city of Carmel -by- the- Sea. No, we didn't see any sign of Clint Eastwood- I guess they forgot to tell him we were coming...
Oregon greeted us with stormy rain and winds which only served to dramatize the surf and views of the monolithic rocks which protrude from the sea or the sand.
Finally, we turned eastward after a night in Poulsbo, Washington ( seeing my cousin) to visit family in Kamloops: Norman's son, his wife and their 2 adorable sons. We enjoyed getting a great dose of the energy and antics of a two year old and a four year old!
So home we are, for a summer in Victoria. Meanwhile, I'm wondering....where will we go next?
Trudi Prelypchan

Letter to Lifetime Networks from Cam leader of LN Band

This is a letter received by Wendy-Sue Andrew E.D. of Lifetime Networks from Cam who worked with the LN music progam and who led the LN Band at the LN Silent Auction and Gala in May.  I thought besides his comments about Drew (in red) it is worth reading in its entirety.  It was so kind and thoughtful of Cam to send the letter and write something individual for each band member.  It always does my heart good to know that there are good people in the world, like all of you!!  I hope he can do the music program in the fall.  Drew gets so much from it.

CAMS' LETTER

Hi fantastic rockers!

I find after any gig it always feels sort of abrupt when it ends, after all the work that goes into it.
So here is a way of avoiding that abrupt end, by giving you all some e-feedback, and thanks Wendy Sue for forwarding this to the band.

Joanna-you set a great tone on the piano especially in This Land is your Land, and thanks for making such a smooth transition from electric to acoustic piano. It was great to have your melody line.

Matthew-I enjoyed your chimes in our rehearsals but the spoons worked well with our set list. Thanks for bringing the music each session for Land of the Silver Birch. A lot of people enjoyed that song.

Mathew's helper- thanks for all the help getting the music rolling during our rehearsals.

Vic-great bass-sounds on your electric guitar, and sorry I almost accidentally walked off with your music stand in the takedown. Yours looked newer and shinier than mine I guess. Ha.

Nadia-your guitar strumming set a good gospel mood in Amazing Grace, and it was nice for me to have another acoustic guitar to give volume. You are very centered as a musician.

Kalee-ditto to you re the guitar playing and for being so good at connecting everyone in the band. It made my job much easier to have your eyes and ears with us. I love the way you are present with everyone there. And keep strumming, you are chording well.

Corbin-GREAT energy. wow in performance you really discovered how to use the xylophone in a variety of rhythmic ways, and the water sounds you made really set the tone for Drunken Sailor, a clear crowd-pleaser!

Amy-you lived up to your name playing bells so brilliantly and musically. And your ongoing bows warmed up our audience so thanks for your spirited performance. I've told many of our common friends at different schools you attended about your great new band and everyone is impressed.

Adam-wow what an MC. you had a strong rapport with the audience and the lion head was THE ICING ON THE CAKE. also you and Vanessa's dad were a HUGE help to me in the set up of the equipment, not my forte, so thanks for your expertise at making all those wires go in the right place.

Vanessa-how great to play with you again, after our many sessions at Wellspring! Your love of music radiates through your big smile and you warmed the audience up from your front row position.

Jill-thanks for all the help and for helping me to arrange people on that stage so that everyone could best connect with each other and with the audience, so important to a tight show

Drew- wow the juggling just brought our songs to life, so way to go, and I liked the fact you positioned yourself offstage a bit so it was almost part of the audience; you really won them over, and relaxed everyone.

Nicole-more than just a niece, you are the best human music stand ever, even running halfway through Hey Jude over to Adam to get Page 2! And thanks for all the vocal help with our songs, and for rushing over after your job. (sorry guys to jump the gun on the na na na ending but we made it work!)

Chris and Dave- we missed you at the show but rest assured that the echo of your drums was with us through it all; you both gave so much at the rehearsals, and humour was a big part of it and made the sessions fun for us all. Sorry we could not get to the Angel song, but maybe next time when you guys are there for the show. I hope you had fun at Chris's sister's house.

Paul-great set up with the group; thanks to your putting it all in place, we were able to keep the momentum going right up to show time, and it is always fun to work on projects together.

Wendy Sue-thanks for inviting me onto this great adventure and introducing me to such a fantastic group of musicians.........and congratulations to you and your team on a stunning and

Keep making music. And as our country's great writer/singer Leonard Cohen said, "I'm standing here before you / I know not what I bring / If you can hear the music / Why don't you help me sing?"

Congratulations and have a grrrrrrrrrrrreat summer! Cam

ON YOUR MARKS

Drew at the track, looking strong, fit and ready to go!
He is competing on June 26th in Coquitlam in the Special Olympics Regionals.  Last year in the Provincials he came home with firsts!
We are proud of you! Good Luck Drew!
The photo appeared in the Victoria Special Olympics May Newsletter, good choice editors!
Keep posted for upcoming news about the Victoria Marathon on Thanksgiving in October and the Lifetime Networks team.
Drew is on the team walking the 8 km race.
He is walking for his future! to help raise funds to make networks truly last a lifetime!

Trudi and Norman on the road again.

Trudi and Norman left on their road trip through Washington, Oregon and Nevada in high spirits.
We heard a report via relatives in Seattle that they found a bed bug! in their motel room which Norman promptly caught and took to the manager.  Apparently after apologies they were given a another and better suite without bed bugs we hope!  Our family grapevine is faster than the fastest broad band!
We hope they have a great trip and check in at the blog to share something of their adventures such as flying in a small plane, not as pilots!, over the Grand Canyon.
Happy trails to you Norman and Trudi!

Lifetime Networks Gala and Silent Auction

Alistair Drew and I all had a great time once again a LN's gala and auction.  Drew upheld his reputation as the best musical juggler wowing the diners and performed well and with gusto on the "funnel" drum.
The LN band is truly inspirational and the members enthusiasm and joyful spirits are lovely to behold.
Its wonderful that these young adults with so many challenges have the opportunity to express themselves creatively and be appreciated for it.
Drew did his usual tour of the auction items and zeroed in on a unique lamp that has photo frames attached to the base and I think revolve when the bulb heats up, not everyone's taste! but highly appealing to him.
We made a bid and checked the bidding sheet frequently throughout the evening ready to raise our bid if necessary.  As fate would have it noone else made a bid making Drew the proud owner!  You will all get a chance to see it when you are over at Drew's.
We met an interesting couple at our table who are thinking of starting a network for their seventeen year old autistic son.  It turns out that Alistair knows the mother's father well and went to medical school with him in Glasgow! that's Victoria for you.  They have lived in the states for several years so we hadn't met them at her parents but remember them talking about their autistic grandson and they were always interested to hear about Drew.
It was great to see Sarah and Colin there enjoying themselves sans children.  We hope more of our network family can attend next year.  Its a great event to share and really makes you glad that you are a part of Lifetime Networks.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

Just a quick note to remind you all about some upcoming community events which Drew loves.

Victoria Day Parade - May 24th

Oak Bay Tea Party - June 5th & 6th

Open House at Logan House (oldest house in Oak Bay) 2564 Heron St - June 5th & 6th

Hope to run into you all there!

Wine & Cheese at Drew's House

It was so lovely to see everyone last week at Drew's house. And, it was a very big treat to have such a wonderful wine and cheese party. Alistair really outdid himself - again! Missed having Cathy and Larry at this event - but they may not be missing us on their amazing cruise! Was wonderful planning some upcoming summer events, and preparing for Pat and Alistair's big holiday. Really looking forward to fun with the Network in coming months!

The joy of music

We are lucky to have Trudi, our Music Correspondent, share her concert going experiences with Drew so vividly.  Drew's love of music is innate but without Trudi his musical appreciation would not be so wide ranging and neither would he have had so many opportunities to enjoy wonderfully talented musicians,
the special excitement of concerts, and his own musical affinity to say nothing of discovering his talent as a musical juggler!!  Yeah Trudi!

More music for Drew this weekend!

Further to my previous entry:
The Victoria Symphony will wrap up it's ever popular Kid's Concert series this Sunday, May 9th, with a performance of Roald Dahl's " Little Red Riding Hood". ( for orchestra and Narrators)Drew will be attending along with Norman : certainly a pleasant sight for me to see from the stage! Last time, they had our cousin David Conrad along with them but this time it will most likely just be the two of them, unless Norm's nephew is able to make it. These performances are truly excellent! The Royal Theater is packed solid with children and adults of all ages and sizes; it does my heart good to see that kind of interest in the community. Drew loves it! ( and of course leads the standing ovations). We're on deck for 3 more great concerts next year...

Drew supports the Emily Carr String Quartet

Wednesday night, May 5th, in the Alex Goolden Hall at the Victoria Conservatory, Drew and I were part of an enthusiastic audience in attendance for the Emily Carr String Quartet's concert. Drew eagerly led me upstairs to the balcony, with his obvious motive: to be able to see the piano keyboard, as this concert featured a guest artist joining forces with the quartet in order to perform the ever powerful Shostakovitch Quintet. ( in G minor, opus 57 to be exact)
He was very intrigued to know that the pianist was Lorriane Min, wife of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra's Concertmaster- Terrance Tam. Of all the classical instruments Drew loves to hear, I think the piano rates number one with him. He is always 100% engrossed in the performance, marvelling at the agility and skill of the pianist's fingers. Not only are female pianists in a class of their own; if he gets to meet them following the concert, the evening is completely successful! Who knows, they could even find themselves on his Christmas list...
The other 2 works on the program were quartets by Joseph Haydn and by the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke. If you think the latter sounds contemporary you are correct: this composer died in 1998. Drew found his music ( and the playing ) very compelling and certainly I did as well. We both agreed we are very lucky to hear pieces that are two hunderd years apart- in the space of about 45 minutes! The other members of the quartet are persons Drew has met on many occasions so he finds it all the more interesting to watch and listen to them. They are always delighted to see him there.
He was not the only person on his feet at the end of this excellent performance but I'm sure he was the first one.
I think it is wonderful that Drew is so familiar with the art of string quartet playing, having attended lots of chamber music concerts in his life, whereas others may scratch their heads at what it all " means". He listens to this music as if he already knows it, and his hearty applause is a release of complete exuberance. Thank you Drew for being such a great concert buddy!
PS.
The intermission is always favourite time at a concert such as this where goodies and coffee are served. When we took our seats to start the second half of the program, Drew leaned over to me and said, with a wry grin " I just gained 2 pounds!"

Hospice Swimathon

Drew participated in the Hospice Swimathon on Saturday and outdid himself by swimming continuously for
1 1/2 hours.  I should add that his long time swim teacher Nellie was there urging him on and if he looked like he was ready to call it a day she'd say "okay Drew do six more".  At his swim lessons she cracks the whip!  She is a great coach and the one who started the swimathon 25 years ago.  I think Drew was happy to see the Thrifty's table set up with appetizing snacks.  It was quite a celebatory event with swimmers parade, speeches, live band etc.  Drew raised $310.00 for the cause.  Unfortunately his mother isn't as energetic about getting pledges as she was for many of his swims in younger days but heh every bit counts and he swam, and swam, and swam! right Drew?!
Thanks to everyone who kindly contributed!  We'll get you next year!

Drew's Great Weekend

Drew wants to share the cool things he did last weekend.  Friday Alistair's son Lachlan and his wife Shirley came over from Vancouver for the weekend and had dinner with us and Drew, our very own gourmand/gourmet.  Alistair pulled out all the stops for the prodigal son.  Drew wants to tell you about the menu, a real "chowlenger" as he says at "Al's Restaurant".
Appetizer:  Stuffed mushrooms (ground lamb, rice, pine nuts, onion dill
Amuse Bouche:  Chicken liver mousseline with brandied black current compote and crostini
Starter:   Creamy seafood shells, scallops, prawns, halibut, hard boiled egg, topped with panko and
             parmesan broiled
Main Course:  Duck confit, New Zealand rack of lamb, risotto milanese, green beans almondine, stuffed tomatoes with spinach and feta, Al's no knead bread
Dessert:  Mocha Creme Carmel
Wines:  Prosecco, Alsace Pinot Gris, Pinotage Shiraz
Soft cider for Drew
How's that Dan!?
On Saturday Drew volunteered for a Special Olympics fundraiser packing groceries at Safeway.
He looked smashing in his red and black S.O. uniform and the cashier he worked for said he did a great job and was very helpful to customers.  I was a proud Mama!
Sunday morning found us all at Al's again for brunch, eggs benny, homemade english muffins, sausage,
homemade lemon muffins, prosecco and orange juice and the best coffee from our Niagara Street corner store, they roast the beans themselves.  A real foody weekend!  Its just as well that Lachlan doesn't make it to Victoria very often!
Drew is very fond of Lachlan and Shirley and they kindly invited him up to see their hotel room, he loves hotel rooms! to try out the bed and see the view.  On Sunday after brunch the three of them enjoyed a walk on the breakwater.
Sunday afternoon Drew enjoyed an outing with Gerri at Goldstream Provincial Park.  Yes a great weekend!

Tennis Anyone? One "Drew Sighting" solved.

I thought you'd like to know that when Micayla spotted Drew near Stadacona Park, by the Oak Bay junction, that he was checking out the tennis courts and also discovered one of his interests I really didn't know about:  he likes going to the city parks that have tennis courts to watch the people playing.
He recited all nine  of Victoria's parks their locations plus the number of courts each has.  He also knows the name and location of other parks outside Greater Victoria.  He said to tell his friends that the would really enjoy sharing this interest.  Drew always full of surprises!

Kite Flying photo

I thought you might like to see a picture of Drew from our most recent Best Buddies event. We had a great time and despite the lack of wind that day, Drew did manage to get the kite up in the air at least for a little bit!!

Drew the Musical Juggler!

Being Drew's Aunt has given my life such great joy! Here is just one example:
For many years, as a String Faculty member at the Victoria Conservatory, I was the director of their Intermediate Strings Orchestra. Drew, classical music lover that he is, enthusiastically attended many of our concerts. His favourite by far, was our annual Christmas Concert held at the First Church of the Nazareen. He loved to assist with the set up chairs for the orchestra or direct the audience to their seats or even to draw the door prize ticket for me. ( needless to say we were guaranteed a standing ovation with Drew leading the pack!)
During those years of my involvement with the Conservatory, Drew, already a very skilled juggler, began to broaden his "repertoire". In the past I had played fiddle music for him to juggle to, much to the delight of our Nova Scotia relatives whilst on holiday back East. When he appeared, twice, at the Alix Goolden Hall for the Music Therapy Department's important fund raising events, juggling to recorded classcial music, I was astonished to see how beautifully and effectively he choreographed his routines to the music's tempo and style. It was then I had my big" light bulb" moment: wouldn't it be exciting to have him juggle to LIVE classical music ? And so, on at least two occasions he appeared as the Special Guest Soloist with the Intermediate Orchestra, juggling to " The Entrance of the Queen of Sheba" by George Frederick Handel. When he first rehearsed with the orchestra, everyone was so thoroughly transfixed that they tried to watch Drew and their music at the same time, resulting in many players losing their place (!). As a result, I had Drew give them a private "showing", on stage at the Wood Hall, afterwhich they were better able to concentrate on their own parts. I will always remember the many smiles on my player's faces while they played for Drew at these concerts. I remain to this day, filled with admiration to witness how he possesses the ultimate trait of a true performer: the ability to lose one's self in what they are doing. My violin teacher in Europe preached tirelessly on that concept!
It is indeed a marvel for me to see how Drew's juggling talent serves as an outlet for his need to express deep feeling and appreciation for music. Sit next to Drew at a Symphony concert and you will experience first hand how music feeds his soul!

Best Buddies End of Season Get Together

On Saturday Drew enjoyed an outing with Best Buddies.  Everyone met at the Moka House Cafe for coffee and chat.  Afterwards they all went to Beacon Hill Park and flew kites by the tennis courts and lawn bowling club as well as playing bocci ball.  Drew loves bocci as many of his friends will remember from summer BBQ's at the Conrads, maybe there are more bocci games waiting in the future!  Drew flew a kite, something he really loves and is quite an expert at, although he says there wasn't a lot of wind.  After lots of fun with his Best Buddies friends Drew got some more exercise and walked home.  The only thing missing was his own Best Buddie Bob! who attended many BB events with Drew.

Drew at work, Drew behind the wheel

Drew asked me to post these photos. They are a few years old but he likes them. He wants everyone to see him at his work space at Community Living Victoria.  He also wants everyone to see him "behind the wheel" just to see how it feels in Johanne Brodeur's (his music therapist) van.  Drew would love to drive but he understands that even though he could learn the mechanics of driving he would find the unpredicatable nature of traffice too much.  Also he is so rule bound he would be upset by all the drivers, especially in Victoria!, who break the rules.  You may have heard "he shouldn't have done that, its not safe" while driving with him.

We could do with a few more Drews on the road!

Drew's story as told by Sarah

The new page is a profile of Drew taken from Lifetime Networks website written by Sarah when she was network manager.  I want to include it because I think Sarah nicely captures Drew before he had a network and how he changed after and began to live successfully on his own.  Some of you will recognize Drew from pre-network days and the enormous changes that took place with his network.  Since 2004 the network has undergone changes but the benefits for Drew have continued to grow and the network has become an integral and vital part of his life.  I especially like the ending where Sarah says Drew will have a network of people who love him for the rest of his life.  This is certainly my hope and dream and because of what he has accomplished and become with the love and support of his network friends I can believe in the real possibility.  

Drew sighting

Of course Drew doesn't tell us who he sees in his travels but I'm sure he was delighted to see Micayla!

Hawaii

Just wanted to share a few pictures from Dan's and my holiday to Hawaii. We had an amazing time in Oahu for a friends wedding. We stayed at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. It was fantastic - lots of sun and surf. Dan spent lots of time fishing and snorkeling and exploring the ocean and I spent lots of time reading, swimming and suntanning. Was great to have a holiday in such a beautiful place. We already can't wait to go back!

Bon Voyage Trudi & Norman, Good Luck Bob, Hyun Jeong & Jinu

Trudi and Norman are off to London Heathrow tonight and then Barcelona tomorrow after a few anxious days waiting to hear if British Airways was going to strike today.  They have been striking, cabin crew, a few days here and a few days there. They are going to attend Norman's daughter Erin's graduation from an econonmics school she has been attending for the past two years.  They have been to Barcelona, on their honeymoon, and hope to have a few days to see more sights.

Bob and family are also flying BA tonight, different flight, to London Heathrow and then on to France for a year.  Bob has to go where the jobs are available, not too many in his area of mathematics.  I know everyone appreciated his involvment with Drew and the network while he was in Victoria.  He was a great friend and we will miss him.  I'm sure everyone joins me in wishing him the best of luck! He will keep in touch via Drew's Grapevine and his own blog, a link on our blog.

Drew, Gerri & Mt. Tolmie

Drew actually passed this along to me:  he and Gerri went out for supper at Red Robin on Friday night and
then took a drive up Mt. Tolmie, Drew's favourite Victoria vantage point.  He asked me to let everyone know how much he likes driving up there to appreciate the 360 view of Victoria, Haro Strait, Saanich Pennisula and Sooke Hills, sometimes even spectacular views of Mt. Baker.  Its also a favourite picnic spot with lots of well placed tables to enjoy the view.  I'll take a photo next time I am up there with him to go along with this post. Ask Trudi sometime how many trips she has made up Mt. Tolmie with Drew!  While my father was still alive he and Drew had a standing date every two weeks to get burgers at MacDonalds and take them up to Tolmie for a picnic, one of Drews' favourite memories of his grandfather.  So and he and the mountain go back a long ways and thanks to good friends he can continue enjoying it.

Swimming

Hello All,

Just wanted to share these great photos of Drew swimming at my parents house last month. He had been itching to go swimming there since he heard that they had a pool, so was very excited to finally be going. Swimming was a lot of fun and I was very impressed with how uninhibited Drew was on the diving board. Looking forward to swimming with Drew again, and to having the Network join us!

Clean

As you might know, we're leaving for France on Tuesday. Drew's been repeatedly reminding me how keen he is to come and help derig the place. How can you say no to an offer like that?

The boxes all shipped yesterday, so it was really just down to the cleaning. With Jinu watching on in amazement, Drew vacuumed the whole house and cleaned out the kitchen cupboards. And for a finale, we bravely ventured behind the white-goods! Man, there was two good years worth of accumulated gunk back there. I think it's fair to say that the true test of a friendship is to be found behind the oven.

Not wanting to have grease-stains as our parting moment in Victoria, we finished the morning off with lunch at Barb's -- a great James Bay moment. Stupidly I forgot to take the camera, so you'll just have to imagine the two of us down there, chomping on halibut in the proud afterglow of a truly clean kitchen.

Thanks for the good times in Victoria, Drew (and all you networkers, too!). We'll be in touch.

Drew's Skating Party

On Sunday we celebrated Drew's 12th Anniversary of living independently (amazing!) by going for hot cocoa and skating at the Oak Bay Rec Center. Dan I picked Drew up and we all headed over to the Rec Center with our friends Lucas and Charlie Ann. Shortly after we were joined by Cathy and her Mother, Trudy, Gerri, and Bob and Jinu. It was so wonderful to have everyone together celebrating Drew and his accomplishments. We all missed Sarah, Colin and the kids and are wishing Taylor a quick recovery and looking forward to seeing them soon.

Drew, myself, Lucas and Charlie Ann could not wait to get on the ice. I had not been skating in years and was surprised to find that I am still pretty good at it. Drew is an excellent skater. He was a bit nervous at first, but with each lap around the rink he became more comforable and at ease. Drew and I are definitely going to be going skating together again soon! But it might no be as much fun without smiling faces like Cathy, Trudy, Gerri, Bob, and especially Jinu cherring us on from the side lines. And, Dan has agreed that he will learn to skate if I learn to drive a manual car so you can expect to see him on the ice sometime soon!

It was a wonderful afternoon celebrating Drew. I am already looking forward to the party for year 13!

Bob & Drew at the The Vikes basketball game They Won!

One Lucky Cat

This is an article from Lifetime Networks Newsletter.  I'm sure many network members remember this day!




Some people when asking about LNV want to know what things networks do for focus persons. Up until a while ago, if asked about Drew’s network, I would have said some of the things they do are working out, sharing activities such as IMAX, bowling, skating, movies, hanging out at his place once a month, celebrating with him, watching out for him when his parents are away, eating out together, taking him to Vancouver for a special outing, going to concerts, having him to their homes for meals and visits, and even having him as a weekend guest. Yes, there are a lot of wonderful things they do and who could ask for more.

But there is one thing more, something really special. Drew loves cats and for sometime expressed a desire to have his own cat. His step-father and I resisted this initially as Drew lives on his own and we weren’t sure he could look after a cat and we had no trouble imagining all of the things that could go wrong. We did make a visit or two to the SPCA with Drew but we weren’t keen on strays with no history. Much to Drew’s disappointment we kept delaying the decision. Fortunately for Drew, there are quite a few cat lovers in his network and once they heard about Drew’s desire, well no problem, they just got down to solutions and told us not to worry. As Drew would say, "they know what they are doing".

Cathy set things in motion. The clinic where she takes her cat has an adoption and foster home program where they try to make ideal matches between cats and owners. She did all the arranging and the clinic started the search for Drew’s ideal cat and soon found Benson, a four-year-old orange male with all the right qualifications. Although Benson is very shy and a one on one kind of guy (purrfect for Drew) Cathy and Drew did manage a visit with him at his foster home and both agreed that the cat for Drew had been found!

Now things moved very quickly and other network members got involved preparing Drew for Benson’s arrival. Carol, who has four cats Drew knows well, has long been sharing with him all the necessary tasks needed to take care of cats. Network friends gave him "objects d’cat" for Christmas to get him started. Cathy and Larry went shopping for the litter box, cat food, and bed. Sarah (Drew’s network manager) set up a visiting schedule in preparation for Benson’s first week, for network members to check in, make sure all was well and help Drew if necessary.

Well the big day finally arrived and I, Alistair, Cathy, Larry, Sarah and Mike all met at the clinic to pick up Benson. The clinic staff was terrific and Drew was treated with all due respect for a new cat owner. When Drew emerged from the back with the cat carrier and Benson inside there were many oohs and ahhs. Everyone was excited; we were bringing home the new baby!

We are happy to report that all has gone very well and Drew is taking excellent care of his new companion. Benson has bonded with Drew but is still shy of people and takes refuge under Drew’s bathroom vanity when others arrive.

Even though Benson has yet to learn it he has many friends who are concerned for his welfare. He has lucked out; he is a cat with a network!

Drew is very joyful about his pal Benson and how much bigger that joy is when shared with his best friends.
I highly recommend networks for cats but if your focus person is into snakes or tarantulas you may have a problem!