Gail Bowen

Today two of our grand-sons graduated from pre-school.  Our grandson, Ben whose graduation was in the morning, is in Mes Amis, a Catholic French-immersion pre-school.  We entered St. Pius XII in the midst of the Hail Marys – in both English and French.  In the gym, we linked up with Ben’s other grand-parents and with other grandparents whom we have known since we were all young parents. The graduating class who had made mortar boards out of construction paper and many, many stickers, marched in with great dignity.  They sang and recited in French.  We watched a 10 minute DVD of their adventures over the school year. We ate cake and fruit and drank punch and coffee and then there were games with a parachute and a number of rubber chickens. 

In the afternoon we went to our grandson Peyton’s graduation from The Gingerbread School –a secular pre-school that meets at a Lutheran Church.  In the church, we linked up with Peyton’s other grand-parents and with yet more grand-parents whom we have known since we were all young parents.  This is, after all, Regina.  The graduating class entered wearing hats with pictures of animals signifying their roles in a performance of “The Little Red Hen”, sang two songs and did a square dance.  They then left and returned wearing store-bought mortar-boards to receive their diplomas. We ate cake (that our talented daughter-in-law made)and fruit and drank punch and coffee but there were no rubber chickens.    

Our boys wore matching shirts that Ted and I gave them.  The shirts had a gorilla on the front and were emblazoned with the message GRAD – 2010. 

My book launch on Tuesday night was also gala affair.  There were no gorilla shirts but there was a dynamite cake made by the Sioux Chef, Dickie Yuzicapi.  Because the cover of my book “Love You to Death” is black, red and white, Dickie made black icing out of squid ink – mighty tasty.  The launch was held at the Heritage Centre of the RCMP – a stunning Arthur Erickson building with a women’s washroom that my grand-daughters (who know about such matters) rate as the best women’s washroom in Canada.  It is, indeed, spectacular, but we had the launch in a different space because it seemed wrong to exclude men.

A book launch in Regina is a lovely affair for a Regina writer – it’s like going to your own funeral except having fun. Tuesday night, the Heritage Centre was filled with friends and family. All our grand-children and children were there.  My publisher, Bob Tyrrell from Orca Books had flown in from Victoria for the occasion and the CEO of the Heritage Centre introduced the event.  Elder Mike Pinay offered a blessing. 

It must have taken because this is a week in which I have felt truly blessed.