On April 16th I attended the Grand opening of the Osoyoos Market on Main Saturday Morning Farmers Market. In our town we actually host two different markets the one on Saturday Mornings from 8 a.m to 1 p.m and runs from May until September. In the busier months of summer we also have an evening Market which is held on Wednesdays from 5:30 - 8:30 during July & August.
I actually arrived just before Mayor McKortoff greeted the crowd & officially declared the 2015 Market on Main open.
Although I was short on time as I had to run off to take part in my second Osoyoos Museum BBQ Fundraiser I did manage to briefly visit the different stalls & say hello to people as well as collect business cards. I always enjoy checking out the farmers Market & Supporting locally created things as well as trying to locally grown and fresh food.
Since it was Victoria Day Long weekend the Market itself was quite busy which is always fabulous to see. I also think it's fabulous that the market itself is located right in the middle of main Street and is able to attract a lot of foot traffic. I am extremely optimistic that the Osoyoos Market on Main will see another very successful year. I wish the group itself as well as all the vendors a Happy 2015 Season :D
So on Saturday May the 9th I had an insanely busy day but felt confident and chill [I swear its my Yellow Dress from the Wander Home & Cafe in Osoyoos . Pretty sure the good vibes there have followed my dress and have continued to bless me with a Cheery Attitude. after having spent the morning Handing out hotdogs at the Osoyoos & District Museum and Archives BBQ Fundraiser held at AG Foods Osoyoos. followed by an afternoon spent learning how to be a Pro Lawn Bowler at the Osoyoos Lawn Bowling Club 2015 Open House. I decided to go and buy as many carnations at a local florist called the Polka Dot Door. I had enough money in my wallet to buy 7 carnations in assorted colors.
I then headed straight next door to the Saffron Hair Design to give a flower to Mandy. Mandy has been cutting my hair since shortly after she opened. She co-owns the business with her Husband and his daughter [Mandy's Step Daughter] also works there as an On Call Makeup artist. So it's truly a mom and pop joint. The Vibe in that place is really chill, comfortable and a total HONEST yet safe zone. The topics we can discuss within one hair appointment range from heavy tiaras, to the job of coming up with new nail polish names, to just talking about life and everything else in between.
Next up I booked it up to my favorite Spa which is Solterra Desert Spa and it on the grounds of Nk'Mip resort located directly inside of the Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort Lobby. I am absolutely in Love with the Nk'Mip grounds and gorgeous and yet totally natural feeling Desert Decor & landscaping. It all blends into the actual Desert area surrounding the Resort, Vineyard, Golf Course, and Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre Anyway I have been a VIP Client at the Spa since it first opened under the previous owner way back when the Resort first opened their doors. Basically I have been going to this Spa for nearly 8 years.
Funny Story the first owner Melissa, I actually met her when she was just starting out as an esthetician back when I was 12. My parents had treated me to my first manicure at a before one of my Ballet recitals. I was one of Maj's [the current owner] first clients when she started out at the spa under Melissa's management. So I got to watch Maj grow and become a Successful Spa Owner and the BIG BOSS. Just kidding she isn't at all bossy but super sweet!!! So I knew she deserved a Flower even though she only has fur babies. [THEY count.]
After that I swung by a few other shops to leave flowers with people & even gave one out to this adorable young family. They had a baby and a 4 year old girl. The girl LOVED the fact that her new flower Was pink!
We then headed south towards the border and stopped by my mom's work - The Osoyoos Duty Free Shop to give one out to her co-worker Stephanie. She also just so happens to be one of my old bosses as we used to clean a local business together once a week for about a year and half. So I got just as close to Stephanie as my mom has. It's a Funny story because this is Stephanie's second time working at the duty free shop. Way back in the 90's Stephanie worked at the Shop but then her family decided to move to the coast for a number of years. Before coming back I guess it's nearly 7 years now. So anyway I decided that she too deserved a flower. She actually has two daughters who are just a bit older than me [one is 4 years & 1 is like a year and a half older.] Her daughter Jessica just bought the house right across the street from where I live! So hopefully we will start hanging out once she officially moves in [Since purchasing it she has been busy doing Home Renos on it.]
During our visit with Stephanie [we stayed well over 30 minutes] I wandered around the shop pining over Swarovski jewelry and taking a good look at the Small Makeup & Skin care area. Carefully analyzing and Sampling all the testers and actually paying attention to what they felt like/smelt like/ and how well they worked.
Once we left the Duty Free shop we decided to stop by Shirley's House to give her my last carnation. Shirley is the Grandmother to my Best friend who lives in the coast. Deborah would spend the whole entire Summer in Osoyoos every year until she turned 16 and then she cut her visits into week long chunks one per month. I have known Deborah since we were 5 and met at Swimming lessons and oddly enough we are both 1991 Babies born in November exactly 20 days apart. She is the 2nd of November & I am the 22nd of November. So basically we have been Rock Solid Friends since meeting & Bonding every summer and our friendship is still going strong after 17 years.
So basically her family is my family because I spent countless days at her grandparents house because they town house they live in has a Private POOL! And when the Mid to High 30's C are "Average" during the Summer here, you really need to have close access to either beach front or a pool!!!
This means that I consider Shirley to be my Grandmother and her late husband was always my 4th Grandpa growing up. He passed away this winter and it was pretty sad but he had such a LONG Life and I know that he is now at Peace & Free of pain. Plus I have yet another guardian angel watching over me. The Funny Story about having a set of Adopted grandparents meant that as I had previously mentioned ken was my 4th Grandpa! Up until my Grandpa Jack passed away on halloween in 2000 I had him, my adopoted grandpa ken, My Grandpa Alec [mom's dad] and my other Grandpa jack [My Dad's Mom has only ever married men named Jack & is still with Grandpa Jack #3 but really #2 for me because I never met her first husband. I am sorry to say that I am now down to the traditional number of Grandpa's one usually has aka 2.
At one point I was also BLESSED enough to have 4 Grandmother's as well because I have my two grandmother's, Shirley and for half of my life I was blessed enough to have a Great Grandmother who was still alive. She passed away 11 years ago now.
Mom and I visited with Shirley for nearly an Hour before we headed home where I hadn't been since 10:30 a.m and got back inside the front door at 6 p.m!! SO IT WAS A BUSY DAY but it was totally worth it.
So I HAD a Busy day indeed but I love it. I hope you all had a swell Mother's Day even if you celebrate it because you consider pets your fur babies. Everyone deserves to feel like a mother even if they don't actually ever have kids.
During Saturday Afternoon on April 9th I headed down to the Osoyoos Lawn Bowling Club for their Open House. This was my first time [ever] Lawn Bowling albeit this was not my first time ever...bowling... I actually spent most of my childhood bowling at the local Bowling Alley becoming quite fond of the sport after having spent a year living in a house directly next door to the Alley!
Naturally my parents encouraged my fondness for the sport Because it was CHEAP and Close by [literally less than a minute from my house located directly behind my backyard.] So I basically grew up with the sport of 5 pin bowling until I took a short break for a few years when we moved houses and my Ill grandfather moved in. I quickly picked it back up when I was around 12 and bowled right up until I had my Back Surgery in Grade 12 and was barred from playing the sport for a few years until my back healed. However by that point I had aged out of the Youth Bowling league and never found the time to get back into it.
NOW BACK to the LAWN BOWLING, my apologies for my random childhood recollection commercial break. So I was pretty much the youngest person there however I have never felt more welcomed nor more comfortable in such a LARGE group of people with whom I'm unfamiliar. Sometimes it can be a tad bit daunting being a Young person in a group but I have really gotten past that kind of Anxiety and feeling of isolation. NOW I EMBRACE IT. e
One of the main reasons for my entering the British Columbia Ambassador Program was to offer myself a once in a life time journey of self growth. Now I embrace challenging myself and have come to really appreciate how much I am able to Glean and ultimately Grow as a person whilst experiencing new things!
So naturally one of my favorite parts of my candidacy has been getting more involved in my community and branching out to find new things to go out and do. So I WAS PUMPED to try my HAND at LAWN BOWLING. Even though it was extremely hot outside [25 degrees Celsius] and I had already spent a few hours in the hot sun selling Hotdogs for the Museum Fundraiser. Anyway none of that got in the way of my eagerness to learn something new!
So alas |I made my way into the well groomed green and was greeted by a stunning view to boot.
I was super excited as well to see a few faces I recognized including a Reporter who had just been at the Hotdog Fundraiser and left just a few minutes after I did. He even commented about how fast I travel. Good old Pageant life, can't complain.
Anyway I was super happy to learn that I was not the only First timer stepping into the Rink that afternoon but was accompanied by 9 other's as well. And to top off my fabulous afternoon I was going to be taught by a friend of mine & Fellow actor from South Okanagan Amateur Players Michael.
So we were given a few basic lessons about the Rink & how it is surrounded by a Ditch [there is literally a gap inbetween the Club HQ & the RINK. It's kind of interesting to be honest, like a HUGE set of Bowling Gutters. We were also taught the different between the Jack [Small white ball] & our Bowls. Which were actually fairly interesting because unlike a Bowling ball these balls are not dead center weighted by have the ability to curve [Don't ask me about the scientific stuff] so the weight moves around I guess? Anyway we were taught how to find what ball works for us and what not.
Basically the Green is divided into Small rinks [Similar to Alleys] and your team has to stay within your allotted space. Players take turn throwing the Bowls into the heads and towards the I believe the person is called a skip [they keep track of points I think?] And sort of act as a center target and what not.
The objective of the game is to get your ball closet to the Jack without over shooting it or rolling it into a Gutter [in which case the ball becomes dead.] ALSO the most important thing is the MAT. When you go to roll the bowl you need to take one step and keep a foot on or above the mat otherwise it's a Foul [Just like stepping on the buzz line in bowling.]
My team was cool there was 5 of us and basically we more or less just learned how to better aim, grasp more control with the bowl, and how to do some basic bowling analysis. We were all straight up rocking it too though. I was especially PROUD of how well I DID. It was Like BOOM I got my bowling aiming skills back. Turns out bowling for 4 hours a day every Saturday morning for years on end was a GOOD thing after all. In that photo my ball is the closet to the Skip [I think that was what she was called.]
Like I said my team wasn't playing a really intense game just throwing bowls for fun more or less. The scoring and what not was still pretty hazy to me but I just had a LOT of fun throwing bowls whilst basking in the Sunshine [And I brought even more SUNSHINE to the party by wearing my Bright yellow Wander Cafe
Afterwards it was a kind of Mingle Social hour with food and cold drinks. I had me some glasses of ICE COLD ICE TEA. I got to learn lot's more about the club such as they currently have 28 members which is fairly average. A member ship only costs $110 with a yearly ball rental fee of $20 and it comes with
4 balls for you to use during any of the 4 days
of the week they are open.
[Mon/weds/friday starting at 6:00 p.m
& Saturday they open the Green up at 1:30 p.m.
Lastly I want to commend the Osoyoos Lawn Bowling Group for hosting such a successful Open HOUSE and I personally cannot wait to get back out there and try it again!! I also hope that the club has an immensely successful 2015 Season of Lawn Bowling!
I got to the BBQ around quarter to 11 a.m and stayed until 1 p.m when I had another event to head over to. Through out the BBQ I was in charge of the money and boy was I busy! Another way I was helping was by being the person who had a Food Safe certificate. Food safe is such an easy and in my oppinion important certificate to get. if you have yet to complete your food Safe I highly recommend investing in taking a Food Safe Course.
We were selling a Hotdog & A pop for a TOONIE thats $2.00!!! So naturally we had many a person who stopped for a Juicy Hot Dog after they had done their morning shopping in the store!
I too had a Hot Dog of my own!
Recently I joined the Osoyoos Museum Society and that is how I was helping out today. However I did get a formal invite to attend and help out on Behalf of my British Columbia Ambassador program Sponsor Doctor Martha Collins from Sunshine Valley Family Chiropractic who is also a member of the Osoyoos Museum Society! Here is a picture of myself & my Sponsor - Doctor Martha!
During our Fundraiser everyone was hard at work whilst basking in the Hot Osoyoos Sunshine, it got up to 25 Celsius today!!!
I would say we had a fabulously successful morning as we not only sold nearly [if not more than] 50 Hot Dogs, we also signed up two new members for the Osoyoos Museum Society, and sold an Apron which is a continual Museum Fundraiser. Plenty of people also took a free Friend of the Osoyoos Museum Support Button!
I would like to thank the Osoyoos & District Museum and Archives for inviting me to help out today. I look forward to helping out again Next weekend!
So don't forget that the members of the Osoyoos Museum Society will once again be hosting a second Hot Dog BBQ Fundraiser outside of AG Foods Osoyoos next weekend on Saturday May 16th from 11 a.m until 2 p.m, for the Same steal of a deal of a Hot Dog & A Pop for a Toonie/$2.00
So I headed over to the McDonalds in Osoyoos to celebrate my inner Child with a Happy Meal to support their McHappy Day.
For those who don't know McHappy Day supports Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada which are places where families with very sick children can stay. Ronald McDonald House strives to provide a Home away from Home type atmosphere for those who use the services they provide.
I have had family and Friends stay at the Ronald McDonald House in Vancouver!
Another thing I did was purchase a Ronald McDonald Support Shoe where I got to write down my name and the McDonald's will be posting it up on the walls inside the restaurant! I must say it's kind of difficult to write my full name & my title of BC Ambassador Candidate aka Chelsea Cameron-Horner BC Ambassador Candidate because all together it takes up a LOT OF ROOM. #LongNameproblems
Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed my kid's burger with extra pickles and was happy to support a worthy cause! I hope that all of you took part in McHappy Day as well :D
On May 1st I attended my very first Art Show Opening Reception! Last night from 7-9 p.m they held an opening reception for the newest Art Display at the Osoyoos Art Gallery.
This new Art show is the official Art Gallery Debut for Karsten Coty Scholl who is a local young artist. His display is called "Where I'm going" and features a collection of painted Portraits a vast majority of them are Characters or Actors from different movies.
For instance my favorite piece was his Queen Amidala Print mostly because she is my favorite Star Wars character! I'm in love with her entire look from her clothes to her toes and her gorgeous make-up that was showcased through out the prequel trilogy.
It was so much fun attending an opening Art reception and even more so since this was a Local Showing. I spent most of my time there speaking to several people I had known from around town. I was also lucky enough to meet the artist as well. He is crazy talented and I highly recommend you go and see the show if you are able. Fun fact: he is not actually formally trained as a painter. I was pretty sure he was but he's just super talented. I was admiring his facial work the most, he's got an incredible eye for faces. I told him I figured he would probably make a decent body painter or perhaps a makeup artist because he has such a fine eye for detail and symmetry. Those tend to be skills that help quite a bit in any kind of Make up field. I know you can't really see that well
but this picture is of the artist and I and we are literally standing in front of my favorite photo!
Anyway I cannot recommend enough for people to go see his show. He's a few years younger than I am and he is talented enough to get a showcase without having really been trained.
Art is something I quite enjoy and I really love going to Art Galleries and just museum's in general. I really enjoy viewing other people's perspectives on life, the universe and everything in between. Art galleries and Museums are similar in the aspect of that it allows you to view the world from the perspective from someone else.
Locally I've Been to an Art show and display once per month and I've enjoyed each different one! Every piece of art is so interesting to view because it can be interpreted in a way that is unique to everyone.
I just want to mention something really quickly. Always be very careful as well as respective when it comes to taking photographs in Art Galleries (and just in general.) That is why I have been taking mirror selfies at the art gallery so that the art itself is not in total focus. Actually taking a mirror shot like that has kind of become my new thing to do whenever I go to the Art gallery. This one is really interesting because I zoomed in on the mirror so you are actually seeing the mirror against the wall [I didn't edit it like that] I did however manipulate the picture a bit to blur out one his his focal paintings in the background. I have another picture I took of myself & Someone else I knew tonight but I will have to edit that one too because it too features a pretty prominent painting.
Some people have really strict personal feelings towards taking photos of their art. So always make sure that you have the permission from the Gallery and or Artist before snapping a photo. Or do it like me and take unfocused photos of yourself viewing the art.
If you get the chance everyone should really go and see Karsten's show. It will be on Display from May 2nd to the 23rd and the Osoyoos Art Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday from 12 p.m to 4 p.m.
I actually arrived just before Mayor McKortoff greeted the crowd & officially declared the 2015 Market on Main open. 
Since it was Victoria Day Long weekend the Market itself was quite busy which is always fabulous to see. I also think it's fabulous that the market itself is located right in the middle of main Street and is able to attract a lot of foot traffic. I am extremely optimistic that the Osoyoos Market on Main will see another very successful year. I wish the group itself as well as all the vendors a Happy 2015 Season :D 
