A bouquet to the recycling driver who walked all the way up the driveway to pick up my recycling. I have no use of my legs and couldn’t get my scooter going.

An everlasting encore to Save-On-Foods at Country Club Centre for supporting Wellington Secondary School’s band at the second annual Nanaimo Pumpkin Festival.

a bouquet to Jon Wengel and Curtis Vizza at Full On Fitness Bootcamp. You are doing an amazing job with the young athletes at the Athletic Development Centre. Great role models are hard to find.

A bouquet to the first floor and emergency department staff at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for the care and kindness shown to my father during his recent trip to the hospital. We were both impressed with the prompt attention and thoroughness despite the challenges of an aging facility and underfunding.

A Big Thank You Bouquet to Debbie Miller of the Nanaimo Wheatsheaf Women’s Soccer League for loaning nets and corner flags to the U18 metro boys’ soccer team for our game on Oct. 18. We greatly appreciate it.

A thank you bouquet to the gentleman who walks his Sheltie down Lantzville Road early every morning. As a driver, I can easily see you coming, since you are both dressed smartly in your traffic vests with the large visible X. Long life to you both.

A Grocery Cart full of Thank Yous to Thrifty Foods in Longwood Station, and to the local community, for supporting the U18 metro boys’ soccer team raffle fundraiser.

A huge thank you to James Skolsky (Stadium Sports Bar and Grill), Dave Waugh (Old City Station Pub), Jim Hutt (Wheatsheaf Pub) and Dr. Larry Hill (Downtown Dental Group) for making my trip to the midget box lacrosse nationals in Ontario a realization.

A huge bouquet of gratitude to Amy at NAPA Auto Parts from a happy customer, for spending so much time finding a replacement hood deflector for my Honda Accord when no one else would.

Thank you to Shasta, Tykea, Mika and Smokey for coming into our lives this year. Cat angels is what you are. You’ve all truly helped us through a difficult year. Love forever – Mom, Dad, Monteycat and Bria.

A big purr to Jane from Catnap for all your dedication and hard work on the Hemer Road project this year. Your kindness is heartwarming.

A big bouquet to Gina for finding my bike on Hemer Road that was stolen. Your kindness will always be appreciated.

A das auto bouquet for all the good volks at Harbourview Volkswagon for my “heavenly blue” baby beetle bug. I love it.

Exquisite blooms to the RCMP members, paramedics and health workers at NRGH, especially the ICU staff, whose quick reaction and extraordinary work saved the life of the “unknown” man when he collapsed downtown recently. His family and friends are forever grateful. He was sent on to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria and is alive and well today.

A rock steady bouquet to the employees and owners of a restoration company. After a fire, these people got our business running on time. Courteous, polite and good work ethics.

Massages galore to all the wonderful people who helped give the homeless people of Nanaimo such great, loving care. The Homeless Fair in Maffeo Sutton Park is one of the most original ideas I have heard of. To have so many of their needs taken care of by hairdressers, counsellors, nurses, vets and all the other volunteers was an amazing accomplishment. Kudos to all involved.

Many thanks to Bill at Sprint Glass for installing a pet door. I appreciate the time, energy and ingenuity spent on this job. A difficult job well done.

A Huge Fall Bouquet to all of my neighbours on Reynolds Road for their help and support through the worst year of my life. Your help and caring has been awesome. And another Giant Bouquet to all of my many caring friends and clients, who have fed and supported me.

A large bouquet of Tulips for the celebration of life respecting Grace Rook. Her memories will be cherished.

A big bouquet to Sierra and Preston. We are so proud of you both – both for all your accomplishments and your love for each other as well as all of your family and friends. Just want you to know how much we love you both. Love Nanny and Papa.

a Big bag of doggy treats to a News Bulletin letter writer for his delightful “tail” of the crotch-sniffing, hand-licking big dog he encountered on the Cable Bay Trail. He gave me a great big laughing start to the day and to everyone else I’ve shown the clipping to.

a rotten beef to the store that lost its best employee by keeping its rudest employees and a truckload of roses to another store for hiring her. One store’s loss is another store’s gain.

a beef to all car owners who park over and on sidewalks. A person in a wheelchair has to go around and onto the road to get by. Use your driveway, please.

A reply beef to the person beefing about Christmas wares being in the stores before Halloween is over. The rule should be no Christmas wares in the stores until after Remembrance Day.

An ugly beef to the people on my street who use their front lawns as a parking lot. Trucks, SUVs and dirt bikes are not what I call landscaping. a Double beef to the city for having spineless bylaws that allow for this mess.

A huge pile of rotten seaweed to the paddlers who played me for a fool all summer.May your paddles get waterlogged and sink. Hope you can live with yourselves.

A stinky beef to the Canada Post mail delivery person(s) serving my neighbourhood. Within the last 10 business days, I’ve had other people’s mail in my mailbox three times. There are some crooks out there who are just waiting for other people’s confidential information.

A beef to local restaurants that don’t have a seniors’ portion on the menu. And could the ones offering one lower their prices more? The 2-for-1 coupon idea isn’t so good if a person hasn’t got a significant other or mate.

A beef to those people who complain about the public school system and the policy of not holding children back when they are struggling. These people neglect to mention all the wonderful things that public schools are doing for their children.

a humongous beef to the hospital for sending me home with my four-month-old son saying everything is OK. I went to B.C. Children’s Hospital for a second opinion and within five minutes, doctors decided my son needs emergency neurosurgery.