Interview number 3!

September 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’m so excited to introduce you to one of my oldest friends and let me be sure to clarify I mean that in length of time I’ve known her — not age!  : )  Julie and I go way back and while I rarely get to see her in person these days I still feel solidly connected to her.  Isn’t that the magic of old friends?  Hard to beat!  I know you’ll enjoy getting to know this ageless, duo-country friend of mine.


So Juls, tell everyone who you are, where you live and how you know me

Hi I’m Julie Little  and I live in Sidney BC Canada.  We’ve been here about two years and lived in the Vancouver BC  area for 25 years.   I have been married to Vern for 32 years now and we have three kids – all grown and out of the house!  Though the youngest is still at university.  It still sounds weird to me but guess I can say we are retired – early retired luckily,  and having lots of fun.

I met you some time in high school – I can’t remember where it was but we really became good friends.  The 2 Julie’s or Juliebee’s,  later to be Julie uno and Julie dos.  We spent lots of time going to games, dances, Shakee’s Pizza, parties, and just hanging out laughing and discussing the latest “boy” concern.  It was fun in choir and band together – remember our flag twirling days?  We later worked together at “Yeero Delight” that famous Greek take out place.  That was a fun summer.  Then into our college days we headed off to Guadalajara for a fun filled 3 months together.  I guess we went to school but I hardly remember that part.  Lots of fun times down there and saw some great sites – remember all those steps up the Pyramids and bus rides!  And remember getting lost everywhere we went, and you’d be laughing at me cuz I was so worried and you weren’t in the least!  And those great drinks at Cri Cri – hmmm…. and the American Med students….and the guys upstairs from our apartment…. (ah yes, now never mind about all this everybody.  What happened in Mexico at 18 stays in Mexico thirty plus years later! Now back to her abbreviated answer.  : ) )

. . .Of course, when I finished university I got to stay with your family for couple months while I started a job nearby, and by then you were in Nevada.  That was very special to me and I really enjoyed becoming part of your family, while I was trying to get my feet on the ground.


Well you grew up by me but you’ve lived in Canada a long time, how the heck did that happen?  And more recently, what took you to Vancouver Island?  What’s the best part of living over there?

Well I ended up in Canada by finding my husband at a bar in Everett back in 1978 - and I was out with you that night having a drink!  He was a Electrical Engineering student from UBC in his last year.  We dated that year then he got a job offer back East in Ottawa, Ontario so we decided to get married.  So off I went on my big life changing adventure up North.  We were in Ottawa only four years then moved to the Vancouver area and raised 3 children.  After our youngest graduated and went to university, we decided to move to Vancouver Island – a little piece of paradise.  We found the perfect property for us on the water – we are steps to the beach and walking distance to town.  Its a beautiful spot but still close to the city of Victoria and a ferry ride to Vancouver.  We are 5 minutes to the ferry or the airport.  Also there are many marinas close by for when we get the boating bug again.


You’re one of those lucky young retirees and you sure do keep busy! What do you like filling your time with? What keeps you busy? 

I’ve had so much fun with the Newcomer’s Club here.  Lots of activities and chances to get to know other new people to the area.  I’m now the secretary of the club.  Plus I joined a great choral group called the Peninsula Singers.  There are about 60 of us and we do two concert weekends a year (three performances) at our local theatre.  We do a huge variety of music and memorize everything.  We even do a few dance steps now and then.  Its a lot of work, but also fun.  So now I’m the membership coordinator for that.  Plus I Curl with a local club in the winter – a great Canadian sport that I hadn’t even heard of before I moved here from the States.  
I love that you curl!  Totally cracks me up but also makes me envious because it really looks like a lot of fun and a great sport for boomers.  So far though its not nearly as popular in the states as it is in Canada. 
I also fly with my husband in his small plane to many interesting destinations in BC and WA.  That’s his big hobby and passion at the moment.  He has built a plane, that we fly and is building another now. Curling sounds a little saferto me . . . 
Guess you can say he’s obsessed with flying!   We also would like to get back into boating and are on the look out for another boat.


So, on a totally different topic, what kind of foods do you like to eat?
Well just about anything, but lately we eat a lot of Thai food and I love Greek food.  I like most anything that goes with Red Wine.

Greek food is an excellent choice!  I mean, afterall, we got to appreciate Greek food way back from Koula at Yeer-o Delight. She really was a good teacher for us. These days do you have a favorite thing you like to make and can we get the recipe?

I like to marinate meat a lot in the summer for a quick BBQ meal. 

Lemon-Thyme Marinade
[for up to 6 chicken breast]

2 garlic cloves – crush with knife (or grate)
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or try oregano)
salt and pepper to taste

Beat together, pour over chicken – marinate at least 2 hours.
Grill or Broil

Sounds like my kind of dish — easy and tasty.  And the bonus is that Glen does the barbecuing around our place!  We’ll definitely have to give this a try. Let’s see next up on my question list, what would people be surprised to learn about you?

Most people are surprised when I say we own a small plane and fly a lot – even just for lunch somewhere special.  Recently we flew to Tofino, on the West coast of Vancouver Island and walked from the airport to the beach for the afternoon, then flew home – gorgeous!  Flying over the mountains makes me a little nervous, but it is so pretty, we also went to Kelowna, BC recently.


Honestly, that all sounds like so much fun! Besides local trips, where is your favorite place to travel?

I love going to Europe when I get a chance – lately I was in France and Italy.  I love the history and culture.  And of course the food!  Also Hawaii is pretty nice.  Also I go to Spokane when I can to see my family as most of them live there now. 


If you were just starting out these days what would be your dream career?

Well, I didn’t do much with my Home Ec. degree and wish I would have specialized – probably in Nutrition, and become a Dietician.  But the education came in very handy staying home and raising a family of three kids for many years working part time here and there.  I did go back to school in my early 40′s and got a certificate in Special Education as a teaching assistant and worked in that field for seven years.  I worked with many different kids with Down’s Syndrome to Autism to Hearing Impairments, from 1st grade to high school.  I found it very rewarding and really enjoyed working in the schools.  I’m really happy I did that and was able to work in several schools walking distance from home while my own children finished going to school.


If you could ask three people over for dinner – living or dead — not family related – who would you choose?

Well I’m a sucker for good looking men – how about Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, and Brad Pitt.  That would be interesting.

Juls, I like how you think! There’s a dinner most women from just about any country would want to be invited to join!  Maybe we could make small talk at dinner over books and movies. What’s a recent book you’ve read and what’s your review on it?  thumbs up/down/sideways?

I’m reading “Left Neglected” now by Lisa Genova.  She wrote “Still Alice”.  Two interesting books.  Also read “The Help” this summer – a thumbs up.

How ‘bout a movie?  What have you seen lately? Anything with one of your dinner guests in it? : )
Not recently but I did just see “The Debt” and it was very entertaining.  I can’t wait to see “The Help.” I really enjoyed that book.
Do you have a hobby?
Guess I have too many hobbies and I’m not great at any of them – just good, but I like variety!  In the summer I golf, walk, hike, kayak, read and fly around with hubby.    In the winter its curling, book club, nordic walks, singing, crochet/knitting, trying new restaurants. 
I love that list — they all sound like a lot of fun. You’re a Julie after my own heart! Here’s my wild card question for you:  If you were a color, what color would you be?

Of course – Blue!  I guess cuz its calming and I love the ocean, and any body of water like a mountain lake with the many shades of blues you see.


This has been so much fun Juls — it makes me miss you! Any last words for our readers today?
Just that you are all blessed to know a great person like Julee – she’s a gem!  
Ah shucks y’all.
Wish we could spend more time together, but I treasure all our fun times we had and hope to still have!
Totally agree mi amiga and right back at ya!  Thanks a bunch Julie!

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