23 Mar Okanagan Woman & Ladies on Literature
Hey, It’s Free-For-All-Friday on LOL and as this posts, I’ll be preparing for a final day of vacation. While I admit a deep and unhealthy envy for those who spent their spring breaks under some tropical sun, I can’t complain. My time off was pleasantly spent skiing, sipping, savoring, hot-tubing, attending a writing workshop–working–and lots of visiting with family and friends…oh, yah. And a little shopping.
With my sweet son in Europe on a WWI/II tour with his high school history department, and my sainted husband pulling shifts in the ER, my daughter and I decided to do our best to enjoy a diverse but more local holiday. A trip to Maple Ridge for a visit with my brother and his family and a little writing workshop, a couple of days in Vancouver with a dear friend and her daughter, then a short drive over the country line, back to Bellingham for some beautiful finds at the Bellis Fair mall for my daughter, it’s all good. Really good. Even if I’m still cold and craving hot sands and shimmering sunshine…
So speaking of warm and bright, today’s blog is dedicated to editor extraordinaire, TJ Wallis and her hard-working husband, Dean, and their phenomenal magazine, Okanagan Woman. You know, the Okanagan has been called the “California of Canada” and for good reason. Incredible climate, wonderful wineries, culture and restaurants, four-season recreation and athletics, and of course, Okanagan Lake, the valley is hot, hot, hot, so why wasn’t there a woman’s glamour magazine to represent it? TJ saw the need and she’s filled the niche more than nicely.
Published quarterly, the magazine is a wonderful mix of local fashion and fun, Sheroes (a leading lady; courageous woman who has the principle share in some exploit) and Shefiles (a profile of a woman of merit), not to mention recipes, and timely topics appealing to women in particular. When I brought home a box (I have a lot family and friends) of the latest issue, my 14 year old daughter pulled one from the top of the pile, noted how beautiful cover girl and Miss Canada hopeful, Kylee Apers, is, then scanned the topics and nodded her approval of those. Then she said something that really struck me and sent a sweeping smile across my face. “I love this.” She pointed to the upper left-hand corner where three little words carried three big promises: Clever, Classy, and Confident.
That’s what Okanagan Woman is and what the magazine encourages in all its female readership. If those words inspired my daughter, keep the magazine coming!
I’m grateful to TJ for her support of the LOL, both in featuring my column in her magazine, and promoting my blog on her website, her tweets, to her friends and colleagues, and I’m proud to be part of this exciting endeavor. Please check out the spring issue and drop her a line. She’s always open to hearing from readers. A lady of literature herself, she reads, writes, sips, and savors with us, not to mention laughs out loud. You’d love meeting her as much as you’d appreciate hearing from you.
So I leave you with a couple links (check out this dynamic duo’s other successful magazine, North of 50, too!) and a wish for a wonderful weekend…may the remainder of your spring break by hot and sunny.
Cheers!
Shannon