There's good news, and there's bad news...

Conditions at 5:15 am - partly cloudy and 1*
Expected later - mix of sun and cloud and 6*

Brenda called me yesterday in a bit of a panic. What else should she be doing? It seemed that Bernie was due to arrive in Aukland in a few hours, expecting to meet Caitlyn's flight, when Brenda learned that her flight out of Bali had been cancelled. How to get word to Bernie? She had emailed his cousins in New Zealand, called the Air New Zealand folks, and posted a message on face book. I suggested to her that she had done all that she could from this end. The up side is that he had her flight details and he would be in an English speaking country, so it would probably be fine. By the time I went to pick her up at 6:30, she had heard from him and all was well, or in Bernie's case "it was all good". He did let her know that the flight was very long and not as roomy as the Air Canada flight. But he's there safe and sound. So he had picked up his rental car, and was going to do some touring around as she wouldn't be getting in for at least another 24 hours. Poor Bernie, quite an adventurous start to his first major trip alone!
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We had our pot luck at the school last night and it was great. So much food, and so small a plate!  You wanted to just try everything. My little tarts went over well - there was only one left out of 96 so that's a good thing. We decided as a group that we are going to have a cookie exchange so everyone is coming to my house on the 14th and we're going to have some punch and cookies and toast the Christmas season. They're very keen and I'm really looking forward to it. I was quite surprised last night when they called up the instructors and gave us each a nice certificate of appreciation and a gift certificate for a restaurant in Charlottetown. Brenda and I both received one and ironically, we were planning to go to that very restaurant on Saturday night with the motorcycle folks. Brenda had invited her other friend, Bob, who sometimes bikes with them but he plays in a band and is playing so couldn't go, so she invited me. Now we both have our meal paid for - how great is that!
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The fellow who teaches guitar at Community School happens to be the husband of one of our students and a fellow school bus driver to Brenda. Anyway, I was chatting briefly with him after the show and he teaches guitar so I'm going to get together with him after Christmas and see what we can work out. I had talked to Margie and she was willing but she's never taught before and I think she expects I know some and I really don't. I did take lessons years ago but I have to start back at the very beginning. Wayne will be able to do that for me. So after Christmas, when it's not quite so busy, and I have more free time in the evenings to practice, I'll start lessons - then one day I can chord along with James as he plays, as I  suspect he'll be miles ahead of me, but I'd still love to do that.
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As I've said before, there is always something going on here - both in town and in small communities around the island. I received the following email from my friend Donna yesterday:

I am sending you a 'blurb' that I have been sending out this morning . . . .
The last square dance of the year will be held at the Lorne Valley Community Centre tomorrow night, Wednesday, Dec. 1 from 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.  We hope to have a great crowd for this and after a rest for the winter come back in the spring bigger and better than ever!  Join us for a fun evening and the great entertainment of Kevin & Peter Caisson (Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival).  Other entertainers include Ward MacDonald, Alan MacDonald, Bonnie Campbell, Suzanne MacDonald and possibly some surprises!  Admission is $5.00 per person which includes a delicious lunch . . .  hard to beat that deal! 

Hope you can make it!

So I sent it to my friend Brenda, who replied:

yes for sure
 So that's what we're doing tonight.  It should be fun. I don't know exactly where it is but I KNOW Brenda will know. I'm pretty sure it's not that far from here. I've been to Lorne Valley once before with Donna, a long time ago and it's in the area. Brenda mentioned last night that she knows several people who regularly attend so I suspect she'll know lots of people. It should be a fun evening.