The sun came out in Vancouver this weekend and released a veritable tsunami of positive energy across the Lower Mainland. At English Bay, where I was scoping out a new apartment, the cherry blossoms finally deigned to show up for their own party–the month-long Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.

Thanks to everyone who shared a memory about cherry blossoms. (I was touched that even my own mom weighed in with a memory about my grandmother that I’d never heard about before. Learn something new every day…)

And congratulations to Monica Chan, of Port Moody, BC, who won the random draw for a $75 gift certificate to sample Miku Restaurant’s sakura-themed tasting menu with this entry:

“Cherry blossoms, to me, are a joyful sign of the freshness and beauty of new beginnings. For this reason, my husband and I chose this time of year to be married.

Our wedding day, April 1, 2006, was classic Vancouver springtime; grey, drizzly and yet delightful with the softness of the blooming blossoms.

The fragility and fleeting nature of the blossoms remind me each year not to take anything for granted, especially those who matter most to us.”

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