Her act of incredible hospitality was to help out a visitor who was coming to town to assess her aging Godmother who was living on her own. The visitor had called us to inquire about staying here and Anne offered to provide a cot (delivered) at no charge so the lady could stay with her Godmother. The cot was delivered along with freshly baked scones and the visit went well.

For more info on this award or to vote for someone who went out of their way for you click here.

Headliners for the ticketed evening performances are world renowned blues guitarist Coco Montoya($28) and legendary harmonica player James Cotton and his “Superharp” Band($28).

The 2010 Vancouver Island Blues Bash also presents three afternoons of free admission performances from 12pm – 5:15pm September 4, 5 & 6 featuring some of Vancouver Island’s best blues and R&B bands.

*SAVE BIG!

Ticket Combo for both James Cotton “Superharp” Band and Coco Montoya only $45! (HST incl.)

Ticket Combo (one ticket to each show) only available through the VJS office.

Tickets: McPherson Box Office and its outlets (250-386-6121 or online at http://www.rmts.bc.ca), Lyle’s Place and the Victoria Jazz Society office (250-388-4423).

First and foremost a Fringe Festival is a theatre festival but unlike traditional theatre festivals "Fringes" are unjuried. In other words there's no group of people deciding if the performances you're about to see are "appropriate" or "good enough". The plays are chosen by lottery so technically you could end up watching a naked clown stand on his head for an hour!  OK that's a bit of an exaggeration because the  performers are here to earn a living and they want you to enjoy their shows. In fact they want you to enjoy them so much that you will rave about them and influence other festival goers to choose their show over another.

Audience feedback is a huge and fun part of the festival. When you're lining up for a show you'll hear your line mates talking about other shows they have seen. In today's techy world you can also read reviews online of follow reviewers on Twitter (#yyjfringe). There's even an iPhone app.

Tickets are cheap at $11 and at least 50% of the house is reserved for rush seating with tickets on sale 1 hour before show time. You need a $5 VISA button to get into any shows and these proceeds go to Intrepid Theatre who put on the Fringe. If you would like to donate more please do so as our provincial Gov't has decimated Arts funding this year and Intrepid could use your support.

For up to date information and last minute schedule changes be sure to check out the website

If you've seen any shows be sure to post your reviews alongside mine in the comment section below.

Oh oh oohhhh!

Mmmmmmm bacon!..............this is a heart attack waiting to happen.

Handmade ground beef patties, topped with sharp cheddar cheese, wrapped in a bacon weave, then the next step, add hotdogs as the heads, legs and tail. Next step?

Place on an oven rack, covered loosely with foil and baked for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees. A little crispy, not too crunchy...just how a turtle should be, no?

Bank robbery, murder, lust & betrayal make for a hilarious romp and Christopher Mackie's performance as Truscott was hysterical.   LOOT is running until June 20th at the McPherson Playhouse and tickets are available online or by phone at 250-386-6121 or 888-717-6121.

Coming from out of town? Check out Victoria's Historic Inns  "Be the Star...:" B&B packages here. 

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Ok... I've waited over half the day to write this because I needed to calm down a bit. I've had a wonderful weekend of guests.... almost.... Five of six rooms were just a delight. The last room.... well... here goes.

This morning, I got up at my usual 6:30 to go brew the fresh coffee (beside the machine that is a 24/7 coffee maker) and get it out by 7:00. Breakfast is scheduled at 8:30, at the request of ALL rooms, including #6. As I walk into the PRIVATE part of our B&B which includes the well marked PRIVATE area kitchen, the guest from room 6 is cooking breakfast for herself and husband.... AWKKKKKKKKKK. First she scared the **** out of me, and second, after I quit peeing on myself.... I asked her what she was doing.... Her answer was.... well, it's such a beautiful morning, hubby and she decided to get going sooner so they could take the scenic drive , instead of the highway..... and just KNEW that I wouldn't want them to get on the road without their breakfast..... AWKKKKKKKK. Now mind you, I'm NOT dressed for anyone to see me.... and I literally did almost wet my pants.... but WHAT DO YOU SAY to something like that??????? We DO NOT allow access to our kitchen... it is a violation of our health codes for one thing, and she also was using stuff I had planned for breakfast for 12 people and used a dozen eggs just for herself and her husband..... used all my sausage, and was baking the biscuits that I had prepped the night before and of course was baking ALL of them, so forget nice FRESH hot out of the oven biscuits for the other 10 people.... I was LIVID.... but held my tongue ( I don't know how).... my husband came out to the kitchen and he was as shocked as I was.... and amazing, quiet Robert told her she needed to get out of the kitchen that it was a violation of the law and didn't she read the PRIVATE sign..... I told her I'd finish up what she had started, but that please don't EVER do this at any other B&B.... it could have great consequences... ok, now I can see the tripadvisor review.... but really....

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE???????

Are guests just getting bolder, or are there B&B's who allow this somewhere, so they think it's ok???? She told me that we made her just feel like part of the family, so she didn't think anything of it..... geeeeeeeee.....

Oh yes... I made more fresh biscuits, and ran to the grocery for more eggs.... if she had only used 4 or 5, I would have been fine..... but a WHOLE dozen....

Ok... I'll just wait to see your answers!

Deep breath.... deep breath...aaaaah

Here's to Ian & Anne
Abbeymoore has many a fan
Seven years and counting
with reservations mounting
We'll be back whenever we can!

This has inspired me to write limericks about them in return and I would invite you to add yours below :)

We just has some guests from I L
Who were truly, incredibly swell
The ladies were sweet 
The guys were a treat
and the stories that they liked to tell......  ;)

------------------------

A couple came in from O C
Just as friendly as two folks can be
He was named Bacigalupo
Which of course rhymes with Zuppo
what a tongue twister that turned out to be

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Did I mention that I love my job!

If you are from Victoria it's likely you will remember Sanuk and the awe inspiring butter chicken pizza. Well lament no more as it is Chef Patrick, ex of Sanuk, who opened FOO and the Butter Chicken here is outstanding. 

Each day brings about several specials and the Beef Randang I tried last week is still on my mind.

Sanuk is open 7 days a week but for dinner only Saturday and Sunday
Dishes range from $7-$12 and 1 per person is ample
www.foofood.com

Live Music, Radio, campfire songs - Blues, Jazz, Funk - you name it I love it.

As I get older I notice the changes that technology brings and how they impact the things I enjoy in life. Music has got to be one of the areas that technology has impacted the most and in my life that means two things: my iPod & Internet radio.

The invention of the iPod has turned a device smaller than a deck of cards into a digital jukebox with more music than I could listen to in a year.  My 80GB classic Ipod has over 16,000 songs on it and I often simply put it on shuffle and discover songs I haven't heard in years. 

Internet Radio has opened up a whole new world of opportunity as you can now listen to almost any radio statin around the world at any time - live or archived . Saturday and Sundays from 6pm - Midnight you can often catch me listening to "All Blues" with John Kessler on KPLU.  Feel like something a little jazzier - how about WWOZ from New Orleans - they even broadcast live from the Jazz Festival each year.

A real gem is a show called "Morning becomes Eclectic" of KCRW - Santa Monica. from 9am till noon  you will hear an amazing assortment of artists ranging from the reknowned to the obscure and what better way to broaden your musical horizon.  I have to thank "MBE" for their archives which hold hundreds of live performances. It is here that I discovered such talents as Jose Garcia and Grant Lee Phillips. 

The internet has also allowed artists to reach out and spread their wings like never before. Case in point is this amazing 9-piece soul group from Brooklyn that arrived in my "Inbox". Sharon Jones and the dap Kings have been around for almost 10 years but living on the far side of the continent I'd never heard of them.

Here's a taste:

"I'm thru with your window shopping baby
I'm thru waiting when you gonna come around
I know the question isn't if you love me
but I know the answer is you'll never settle down"

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

For the first time ever, I get to design the entire project. Everything from the furniture to the grout colour is my choice, and I LOVE IT! It is an amazing feeling of accomplishment when it is all said and done. The main reason for my joy is the pleasure it brings others staying in a nice beautiful room. I would have to say that it is one of my favourite parts of the job.

The job becomes a little overwhelming when I have more than a handful of redesigning projects on my plate at the same time. Curtains, new wall colours, new duvet covers and getting rid of a pink bathroom oh my! You name it, I do it. Right now is one of those times when I wished I had a lot more time on my hands. What does not kill us makes us stronger. Especially when trying to juggle 4-5 trades at once :)

In the mean time while trying to make everything come together from a design angle, I still have my daily Cinderella duties to keep up with. I am just kidding, I love the rest of my work too. I guess you could just call me Suzie homemaker. That is what Karen our good friend and painter calls me anyways.

I am going to say good bye for now, for I am off to prep breakfast for 20 people.

PS: I think some day my epitaph will read “ Michelle M. Doer of All things Great” HA! HA!

It used to be that all the major krewes where exclusively male but in the yr 2000 a group of woman formed the Krewe of Muses which has grown to be one of the most popular parades in all of Mardi Gras. Muses' famous throws are highly decorated shoes like this one which Anne got in March and now decorates the mantel at Abbeymoore!

Luckily for us our good friend and fellow B&B owner Karma Ashton is a parading member of Muses so we had an "INNsider's"  view of Mardi Gras 2010.  Sad to say the weather didn't cooperate for the parade but the after party went on without a hitch.  Dubbed the "aMUSEment" this bash was something to behold.  The food was catered by the legendary Jacques Imo's, the bar was open and the house band was the B-52's.  It was a real "Love Shack" and I can assure you lobsters never "rocked" like this!  Whose tin roof rusted anyway!

Our first breakfasts were not so much trial and error but more attempts to revise recipes we had come across or perhaps used before but now they are being served to guests that are paying for the experience. Initially it was very stressful and we focused a lot of energy and time on those mornings. In our the first year it was way more difficult than it should have been.

One particular morning that comes to mind was a morning that we had a group of 8 folks travelling together so they all sat at the communal table at the same time. We were a bit nervous as it was our first big breakfast, this is likely about day 9 for us. We decided to make eggs bennie, back then we used package hollandaise sauce! The eggs went in to poach, the english muffins were toasting, the ham was heated and ready to go, the plates were hot, the guests had had their first course of scones and fresh fruit salad, and we had just cleared the plates.

Meanwhile we are at the stove wondering why the eggs were taking so long to poach, I noticed the water was not steaming anymore and suddenly we both became aware that all the lights in the kitchen had gone out as well as the microwave, the coffee pot, the toaster and the stove. We had overloaded the circuit and of course the panic set in big time. Well it was up to me to go out and tell our guests who were waiting patiently for their second course, that breakfast was delayed a bit. I was quite nervous, remember this is all new to me, I had never even worked in a restaurant before, so I walked up to the table where they were all sitting quietly and staring at me, and said "folks, I am sorry but the cook has blown a fuse and it will be a few minutes longer. They all burst out in laughter and well from there on in we realized how much humour can pave the way out of difficult situations. It’s worked many times over the past 7 years for us.

Breakfast is still a big deal to us, we now serve as many as 22 in a morning but we have learned to relax and have fun with it. More on breakfasts another day. It’s really a never ending topic in this business :) 

I was pleased to see that they had one of my favourite BC wines, Sandhill's Syrah, at a very reasonable $45.  I was equally pleased to hear that the starter special was pork belly. If pork belly  sounds sketchy or you've just never had it you simply must.  This dish takes days to prepare and the resulting melt in your mouth experience is one you will not forget.  The chef's pork belly rivaled the version at Paprika, where I was first introduced to this delicacy. The portion was significant, especially for $10. My main was a Cowichan Bay Farm chicken dish with  with leeks, porcini mushrooms and bacon, served over a creamy polenta for $19.  No room for desert :)

What I loved about Lucy's was the intimacy and the food quality.  The proprietors source locally and cook simply providing delicious yet unpretencious fare at very fair prices.   I'm sure a lot of our guests will be dining in Fernwood this year!

If you've never witnessed this madness you've obviously never been to a highland games so don't miss the chance to watch some of the biggest, strongest men in the world when they compete in Victoria at the 147th Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival May 22 & 23.

This year's festival is being held in conjunction with the IHGF World Heavy Events festival. This is the first time BC has played host to this event and it promises to attract quite a crowd. In addition to the caber toss you'll witness these behemoths toss heavy hammers, significant stones and Kegs (empty I hope!).  World class pipers, drummers and pipe bands will compete and a fine display of highland dancing will be yours to enjoy.

For more info or tickets check out

Victoria Highland Games
IHGF World Heavy Events Festival

So grab an Iron Bru, a Scottish meat pie, and feel like a true highlander for a day.

Oh - yes we do have a couple of rooms still available at Abbeymoore and we'll store your caber for you!

This is an easy going spot filled with the smell of the wood fired oven and all the good things going on inside. We visited on a Thursday evening about 6:30 and had a short wait but soon the lineup grew.  We opted for a seat at the cooking counter and had a great time watching the crew perform.

We started with an antipasti plate at $13 and it was substantial with a great variety of olives. The bread, meats and cheese tided us over while the endless parade of pizzas worked their way down the line.

I enjoyed the Salsiccia Piccante with housemade fennel sausage, tomato, mozzarella, & roasted bell peppers while my daughter chose the Diavola - soppressata salame, tomato, mozzarella, parmigiano & red onion. Both were great but with the appy plate we could have done with one pizza. Oh well - leftovers!

Two pizzas and a big antipasti plate set us back about $40.

I know I'll be recommending this place to our guests this summer.

Thanks Pizzeria Primastrada

Take San Francisco for example - SFO - I can see that.  Seattle - well SEA makes great sense (except if you are in Tacoma!). Kathmandu is KTM - easy enough for Bob Seger to remember - and Boston - BOS - one more S and Bruce Springsteen could find his way there too.

But YYJ - whazzup with that? There aren't any Y's or J's in Victoria, at least not the way I spell it.  It's curious and not something that Victoria has monopoly on.  One of the first airport codes I learned was YYZ.  Do you know that one?  I'll give you a hint. Think of those prog rockers RUSH and their hometown......

Other favourites of mine are UEE for Queenstown, Australia. What happened to the Q -   you were so close!

How about BXX - no it's not where they make little tricky bicycles.  Its Borama Int'l in Somalia. Think the XX is a lil' ominous? Hmmnn.... maybe I better get a new travel agent.

So back to YYJ - I still have no idea how our great little airport got that moniker but without a doubt I'm always happy to see those letters on my luggage. I'd highly recommend flying straight here if you are coming to Victoria.  No hassles with ferries or long drives from SEA or YVR and even though it'll cost a bit more you'll be here sooner and that's priceless!  You can fly twice daily from SFO on United and you can even get here from Vegas Baby Vegas non stop.  Whatchya waiting for......  :)

One of the hats I wear is Baker. I love to bake, the only problem with a small family is when you bake a dozen of something or a few loaves of something, you either eat a lot or your freezer becomes too full and then you wait till its all gone so you can experiment on some new.

When we moved in June 1, 2003, Ian said,  "Anne, you need to bake scones!"  The only thing I knew about scones were what I had read in the Harlequin novels when I was a teenager. They sounded so romantic and were always described as hot and buttery, always served at tea time with homemade jams, clotted cream, lemon curd.  I always thought they must be amazing and of course only available in the UK or at that time, England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales where most of the stories took place.  Then in my 20's I was working with a very lovely Irishman and at coffee break he said he had bought some scones for a treat.  I was surprised that he had bought them at the store we worked in but never the less was pretty excited to have my first scone.  After pouring my coffee and sitting down, I glanced at a plate of cold store bought raisin tea biscuits and asked where the scones where?  You can imagine my disappointment when I was told those are the scones.  What a let down, I never read another Harlequin Romance after that.

More later.