“What is it about Grande Prairie?” I was faced with the question that many of my family ask from time to time once again the other day. You see, they have all been here, and most of them have lived here. They all eventually migrated back to the Okanogan, and I have remained here, loyal to my “Home”. They can’t understand it and they make it sound like I live in some remote hell, far north of where anyone with any ounce of sanity would consider living.

Let me paint you the picture of their “jaded” opinions. Spring…1994…Or what was supposed to be spring…It was April after all. My dad got up to go to work and was once again faced with snow drifts up to his waist and the wind howling at about -50! He snapped! He packed up the family and headed home, vowing to never live here again. My sister and I remained, having found roots of our own. Eventually those “roots” rotted away and my sister returned to her home. I must admit that I did try at one time to leave, but the economy in southern BC didn’t suite my mentality at the time, and I found myself heading back to my northern home with the prospect of making a decent living, owning property and raising a family.

Grande Prairie was a city booming with prosperity and growing like crazy. I guess you could say I was caught up in the hustle and bustle. With people working hard, unemployment almost non existent, good friends, and contrary to the beliefs of my family, not bad weather, Grande Prairie offers me almost everything I could want in a home. That spring that everyone turned tail and took off was the last year in a long time that we suffered the bitter, endless grasps of winter’s fury.  I have seen the 10^th of December come and go many times with barley a skiff of snow and people about their Christmas shopping with out the bulk of a jacket. Sure the temperature still drops on occasion, like this past Wednesday for instance. At six am the radio declared that it was a cold minus sixteen outside and two short hours later the mercury was hovering at plus three! Where else but Grande Prairie does the weather change every few minutes? Where else but Grande Prairie can you shovel your drive way before work and pull weeds from your flower beds that afternoon?

So to my sister in law who said to me the other day (she has never been here and my brother won’t bring her) “What is so terrible about Grande Prairie? It can’t be near as bad as they make it sound!” I would say “It’s not!” It is a wonderful place to live, to work, and to play! I can shop in some of the best stores in the afternoon and hit the slopes for some night time fun. I can take in a live theatre production one evening and head out for some target practice the next! I can dine in the finest restaurants and sweat in the best gyms. Swimming, hiking, river racing, skating, skiing, sledding, Motocross, theatre, movies, shopping, baseball, football, hockey, and soccer. Highland games, Maple Sugar Festival, Street Performers, bike rallies. Parades, drive-in movies, drag wars and mud bogs. Hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, rock climbing, camping. I could go on, and I probably will the next time someone asks, “What is it about Grande Prairie?” I think I can honestly reply “What isn’t it?”

Congrats Priscilla!!!!! Priscilla was just nominated and voted in to be a representative on the Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Board. Priscilla will be an excellent addition to their team and we are looking forward to seeing what ideas and endless possibilites come up from their creativity.

Awesome job - we're are so proud of you!!!!!

I stood outside yesterday, the cold wind biting at my ears. Before me the scene unfolds as I imagine it has for the last 90 years. The soldiers standing at attention with statue like stillness. The crowd dotted with poppies watch almost silently. I wriggle in my boots. My toes are cold and my ears are freezing. I think about complaining…And then I am ashamed.

My griping attitude suddenly catches sight of the red ears of those statue soldiers with nothing more than a brush cut between them and their felt berets. The scene flashes through my mind and makes me repent of my complaints. I see the cold trenches. The mud, stained with the blood of fallen comrades. I hear the blasts and the yelling, I do not hear complaints…

My daughter’s voice rings in my head. “I don’t want to go, mom. Those men are so old; I can’t understand what they are saying”. I am more than horrified. It is one of those moments when you wish the good Lord would rapture you out of there…Or the ground would swallow you up. I am speechless. I cringe under the glances of her grandparents…And then I am ashamed.

I should have dragged her there. In her pajama pants, no makeup, hair awry. It would have served her right. It would have humored me to see her face when we walked through the Legion doors and those old men she expected to see were actually young men dressed in their uniforms, clean cut, clean shaven, a 16 year old girls dream…but I had left with her grandparents hoping that they would deliver the finger waving/tongue lashing she deserved.

Truth be told the fault was mine. This is my first Remembrance Day service. Sure I have attended the school assemblies, sang proudly to Oh Canada, and listened to the “old” men deliver their speeches. I have been proud of the recited verse of Flanders Fields delivered by the small voice of my child. What I hadn’t considered was the fact that it may be nothing more to them than words that rhymed. I took for granted that they would understand…I am ashamed.

As I study the weathered faces and teary eyes of the veterans that have proudly put on their uniforms and braved the cold wind to pay their respects and remember, I repent of ever classifying this day as an “old persons holiday”. These men and women were not old. They were teenagers when they went to serve their country. They were not much more than children when they sacrificed their futures, for what? For ours. For my teenagers, at home, enjoying a day off school, warm and…free.

So next year I can assure you that I will be joined at service by three teenagers. They will be well dressed, adorned with poppies and they will remember. They will honor the soldiers that gave them their freedom when they were not much older than they are. They will say a prayer for our troops today, and they will proudly sing Oh Canada. They will remember…As I will not forget.

Sipps Pub pulled out all the stops for their Grand Opening. The room was cloaked in darkness with just a flicker of light on each table. While we enjoyed our Halloween Treats.......out of the corner of my eye I could not believe what I saw......Sonny and Cher making a guest appearance. Back from the dead (Sorry Cher) and travelling together, and singing duets such as Have I Stayed to Long...they graced each table to mingle, chat and sign autographs.

Sonny and Cher enjoyed their treats with fellow celebrities such as Kat Von D, Captain Morgan, Mrs. Claus, The Joker and Tinkerbell.

Throughout the evening Kat Von D continued to entertain her table and won numerous prizes.  A lonely Old Man seen wandering the bar aimlessly, enjoyed the vast array of cocktails and mocktails flowing freely. 

The costume challenged folks endured many requests from those that celebrated the evening in style.  All told the evening catered to approximately 100 plus people.

In the end, a Happy Halloween was had by all. The ghosts and goblins that braved the eeriness of a cold All Saints Night ...............

Bidding good riddance to October could seem like I am welcoming the thought of blowing snow and icy wind creeping through my layers of winter wear. I can assure you this is not the case! Winter is just not my favorite game! I am however welcoming the thought of the last Halloween candy disappearing from the spot from which it calls my name. Rescued from my relentless noshing, by a twelve year old boy who’s diet has consisted of nothing but sugar for the last 5 days, only to be consumed without even the courtesy of being tasted and perhaps savored.

As I sit here writing this I feel a strange sense of calm, contradicting the last month of rushing, planning, attending, decorating, creating...I like it! Friday night’s “Ghoulish Gala” was a great time! SIPPS Lounge rocked into the night with great food, amazing prizes, interesting and somewhat eyebrow raising costumes! A big thanks to our staff, or should I say our “Bar Maidens” and “Drink Fairies”, for all of their hard work in making the night a huge success. We would also like to thank Darryl and his crew from Music Centre Canada for the incredible job they did as our DJ’s for the night!

(Pictures would be here if I could figure out how to add them!)

November promises indeed to be sweet. Occupancy is up, the oilfield is abuzz and I actually don’t have any evenings out planned until the 26^th Annual Ducks Unlimited Banquet on the 13^th! November also brings the magic of the Festival of Trees Gala. I am looking forward to an evening of black ties, wine glasses, Christmas greetings, and of course, my boss trying to discreetly bid on her favorite tree after entirely too much Christmas cheer! The 2008 Festival of Trees Gala Evening takes place November the 19^th at the Bowes Family Chrystal Centre. 

So for the next week I plan to savor every moment I can. I plan to entertain my dear friend and her husband for a sip of wine, and I may even make some snacks, rather than run into Costco for a last minute tray of goodies on my way home from work! I plan to work on one of the few “projects” taking up precious space in my garage. My poor car will be wanting back in when the snow flies (I promise Ethel, I will make it happen!) And some how I will entice my husband up onto the roof to hang those lights! After all we do only have 52 days until Christmas and playing on the roof is rather dangerous after it snows.

As the week draws to a close I find myself waiting for that magic moment when you can sit back, look around, twiddle your thumbs, sigh and think about how you possibly managed to find five minutes with absolutely nothing to do! (That moment does exist...right?)

Last Friday evening we took part in the Grande Prairie Sunrise Rotary's 1st Annual Scare Crow Festival! The evening was filled with great food, humor, flowing beverages, entertainment and fun. The live auction was as entertaining as the band, and the hillbilly with the banjo! We had a great time and the evening appeared to be a huge success, with over 200 people out to show their support. Our own scarecrow entry was awarded first prize in the Celebrity category! Way to go "Scaryl Crow"! We also made a couple new "friends" who are on display in SIPPS Lounge and will be joining the festivities on Halloween night. Make sure you come out and meet "Sonny & Cher Crow"!

Saturday night found us at the 12th Annual Nitehawk Comedy Night Fundraiser! What a great event! A big thank you to the staff at Nitehawk for the amazing work they put into the evening and for the tickets! My guess is that approximately 400 people enjoyed the night! The food was incredible, the silent auction items were awesome, and the entertainment, featuring Canadian Comedian Howie Miller as the headliner, was perfect! The comedians were so thrilled with their rooms (provided by us) that they raved about them during their show! We are looking forward to next year!

Tomorrow night brings the "Weekend to End Breast Cancer" fundraiser. We are looking forward to joining our friends once again to enjoy a great meal and silent auction to lend our support to another great cause.  (Next week I will be looking for diet and financial advice, as I will be fat and broke from all of these events!)

Tickets are going fast for the "Ghoulish Gala" being held Halloween night in SIPPS Lounge! Make sure you don't miss out! The evening is promising to be the classiest party in town! Prizes include a ski weekend for 2 for the "Best Couple" costume, a beer fridge, and much more! Doors are open early but the DJ starts at 8pm! Hope to see you all there! (I will be the "invisible" girl)

So as your week draws to a close...I wish you at least one "Magic Moment" this weekend. And when you do finally sink into a chair with that sigh, I hope you recall that it is only 62 days till Christmas! Have you started your shopping yet? Are your lights up? Have you bought your cards yet...?

The tell tail ice crystals on my windshield this morning and the eerie darkness that enveloped the city was a chilling reminder that winter is creeping up on us sooner than we would like.

With the onset of the colder season we are embarking on some new adventures here at the Grande Prairie Stanford Hotel. With the month of October half way through we are pleased with the results so far with our Pink for October Breast Cancer Fund raiser! The staff is having a great time dressing down on Fridays in their pink shirts and so far they have risen over $500! Way to go girls!

Excitement is arising over the upcoming "Ghoulish Gala" being held Halloween night in our newly renovated SIPPS Lounge! Everyone is invited to come out and help us celebrate our Grand Opening with a new look and new name. There will be food, prizes and entertainment!  

One more thing I simply must mention about the transition into fall is that...Christmas is only 69 days away! Time to think about hanging the lights (trust me you don't want to wait until it snows)! We picked up our tree yesterday that we will be entering the Festival of Trees! Grande Prairie's Festival of trees always marks the official kick off to the Christmas season for me personally! Held November 19-23rd at the Bowes Family Chrystal Gardens, the Festival of Trees attracts over 30,000 visitors of all ages. If you have never attended, make a plan this year to come out and experience the enchantment and wonder of over 250,000 lights dancing among the displays of Christmas Trees, Gingerbread Houses, Decorations and anything else you can imagine to do with Christmas!

So for today...bask in what is left of the sunshine, warm your red nose over a steaming cup of cocoa, and smile when you walk past the first of the Christmas displays crowding the Costco isles and spilling over into the Halloween treats! If you get started right now, you are sure to avoid the rush! And once you all start speaking to me again...You will thank me!