With our Editor, Maryanne, away on a short holiday, today’s Editor’s Blog is a guest post by Stimuli Magazine contributor, Kristine Carrick.

As we near the middle of April and tune in the morning news for another weather forecast talking about rain, I am reminded that April showers bring May flowers. I was reminded of another thing that comes with April during a walk earlier this week, when I happened upon an elderly gentleman with his bicycle.

As we crossed paths and he said hello, I noticed he was wearing a bright yellow daffodil pin and in his basket was an envelope from the Canadian Cancer Society. While it has been a few years since I worked for the organization, I couldn’t help myself when I mentioned his pin and asked if he was volunteering for this national cancer charity. He was thrilled to tell me about his Door-to-Door trek, approaching his neighbours to request a donation in support of a cause that had deeply impacted his life. “Just a few blocks,” he said. “Seemed like something I could do, to try to help, even if it is only a small drop in the bucket.” Such a short sentence to paraphrase what was almost a 20 minute conversation with a stranger on a quiet residential street.

As we parted ways and he wobbled a little as he got on his bike to ride to the next block, I found myself reminded that if one person takes the time to put a small drop in a bucket, those drops could add up to something significant. During April, Daffodil Month and especially on Daffodil Day, Friday, April 27th join me, the elderly gentleman and the Canadian Cancer Society as we wear a Daffodil pin as our show of support for people living with cancer.

The Canadian Cancer Society Daffodil pins and virtual pins can be found at fightback.ca.

Last week my husband and I were invited to experience a meal at restaurant62 in Abbotsford. It had been quite a while since we'd had some time to just sit and chat so I was really looking forward to that time together - even more than the food. That is until we were seated looking at the menu; then the food may have been just as important!

The restaurant had just launched a new trio of menus that day with their lunch, dinner and date night menu choices. With a passion for using only the freshest local ingredients, Executive Chef Jeff Massey has created a Spring menu that includes a Westcoast potlatch of mussels, prawns, fresh fish and scallops in a lobster fennel broth and a local salmon fillet with lemon infused spatzle with tarragon cream and spinach.

We enjoyed the seared local tuna filet with fine herbs and the grilled and marinated vegetable insalata for our appetizers; the flavours were amazing. Then came the entrees..oh my! My husband order the 24 hour brined Fraser Valley pork chop with bourbon and pecan BBQ glaze and I had the grilled Canadian strip loin with roasted organic mushroom demi. The pork chop had to be the biggest, thickest, juiciest chop we've ever seen. Served with braised brown bean and spring vegetables, it was truly a fusion of the Fraser Valley and New Orlean's BBQ. My strip loin was tender and flavourful and accompanied by roasted garlic potato gratin.

Now, for the wine. Oh, the wine! As one of the collaborators in the creation of the Wine Guru app, Sommelier and Manager, Eric Ferris is a genius at choosing the restaurant's offerings and the selection is extensive.

With it's elegant, urban interior and contemporary regional cuisine, restaurant62 is a culinary delight that you MUST experience.

Calling all hobby gardeners! This is such a great idea! Restaurant 62 in Abbotsford is hosting the first annual Seed Swap in their restaurant dining room on March 24, 2012 from 9:00am - 1:00pm.

Committed to supporting local farmers, gardeners and sustainable growing practices, restaurant 62 created this event with the purpose of offering hobby gardeners a venue to exchange seeds and gardening information with other local hobby gardeners.

Entry to the event is free, however, they will be accepting donations for the Women's Rescue Society of the Fraser Valley. Pre-registration is not required.

Restaurant 62 is located at 2001 McCallum Road in Abbotsford.

Many of you have probably already heard of the Kony 2012 campaign created by Invisible Children, Inc. that went viral on YouTube yesterday. For those of you that aren't aware,  I feel compelled to share the story. Today is International Women's Day where women band together to celebrate the contribution of women in the world and it is visionaries like Ugandan humanitarian Ms. Jolly Okot, that are changing the world.

Imagine, your son or daughter, grandchild, brother or sister is taken right from their bed in your home. As a citizen of a prosperous nation, the media and authorities would be all over the story and a man hunt would ensue, however, if you are a child in Uganda, that simply isn't the case.

To summarize, the Kony 2012 campaign's aim is to focus the world's attention on Joseph Kony, leader of the Ugandan terrorist group, the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). Indicted by the International Criminal Court for kidnapping over 30,000 African youths as child soldiers and sex slaves, Kony's reign of terror means that children  in several countries in Africa live in fear of being taken right out of their beds, forced to kill their parents and enslaved into the LRA.

While the campaign is focused on lobbying the American government to continue support in the efforts to track down Kony and arrest him, it is our duty as citizens of the world to do as much as we can to make the Invisible Children visible. Filmmaker Jason Russell has created a 29 minute film that sheds a lot of light onto the plight of these children and is has been watched over 36 million times since it was posted to YouTube on March 5, 2012.

I am asking that each of you take some time out of your schedule in the next few days to sit down and watch it. Whether you feel compelled to participate or just to spread the word, I promise you that your view of the world will change.

Every seven seconds in Canada, a child is bullied. As a mother, that scares me.

Tomorrow, February 29, 2012 is Pink Shirt Day - Bullying Stops Here!  and you can show you support and contribute to the campaign by purchasing your pink shirt from any London Drugs location.

The campaign began in 2007 when two Nova Scotia students decided to take action after witnessing a younger student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. They purchased 50 pink shirts and encouraged schoolmates to wear them. CKNW was inspired by the story and to date have raised more than $300,000 for Boys & Girls Club anti-bullying programs with the sales of Pink Shirt Day t-shirts.

Those of us in the Stimuli Magazine offices will be wearing pink t-shirts tomorrow and we'd love to have you join us. Take a look at  what some students in Richmond, BC., did to help stop bullying.