Posted on September 1, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with 3 comments

 

“My mother could do anything and fix anything. She taught us how to sew and we made our own clothes. It was just what people did back then.”

Meet Carolyn Hudson.

The family grew up in Sylvan Valley. With their property straddling the town and county, her school age years became a nomadic existence as she attended classes at the Parish Centre, Mount Saint Bernard, Morrison School, Antigonish High School and finally St. Andrew High School. She was always well dressed at school and was often complimented on her attire. Many of her classmates would later discover that Carolyn had made her own clothes.

Although encouraged by her teachers to become one of their own, she decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a nurse. She attended St. Mike’s in Toronto where she received her RN designation in 1969. She also made some lifelong friends as she and fellow classmates get together every five years. It was also around this time, that Carolyn dabbled with quilting for the first time. “I gathered material from hither and yon and had no clue what I was doing. I just tried to figure things out by trial and error.”

Nursing jobs were plentiful back then and she received a position at St. Martha’s Hospital. She spent most of her career as an OR nurse. “I enjoyed working as part of a team. The work was very technical and demanding but it had an order to it.”

Besides her interest in quilting, she discovered another passion in her 20’s – Western horseback riding. For a number of years she competed at local horse shows and also at the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition, where she met her future husband, Alton.

Quilting fell out of vogue in the 70s and 80s. People could buy ready-made quilts off the shelf. It was an era of convenience. “Why make bread by hand when you can get a loaf at the grocery store?” seemed to be the mindset.

Later on, when authentic quilting made a comeback, Carolyn decided to get serious about her craft. “I wanted to learn how to hand-quilt properly so I was always looking at “How To” magazines in order to perfect my work. “Equipment and technological advances were important but there were still no shortcuts. “We learned by doing, and becoming good took time, precision and patience. I ripped out as much as I sewed!”

Despite claims that quilting is relaxing, Carolyn says that it is a double edged sword. “It can keep you sane or drive you crazy!”

Fourteen years ago the Highland Quilt Guild was formed, an opportunity for fellow quilters to get together on a regular basis. The group is very supportive of one another and they share ideas and encourage each other. It is also a social activity… a chance for old friends to meet and share the joys and sorrows of everyday living.

In 2010, Carolyn decided to take her work further afield and entered her quilts in a national juried show in Calgary. Lo and behold, she won first place in the “Original Traditional Bed Quilt” category. She continued to enter her works and has won many awards and accolades over the ensuing years. Carolyn is quick to point out that other members of the local guild are every bit as talented as she. “The only difference between me and my friends is that I decided years ago to enter competitions.”

At a recent World Quilt Tour in New Hampshire, Carolyn competed with top flight quilters from many countries. Her work was judged as the best Canadian quilt. You can view her winning entry #3501 here:

You can also see the works of the local Quilt Guild on display at the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition this week, or at their Bi-annual show at St. James Church on Sept. 23-24.

Despite her success with quilting she humbly suggests that other things matter more. “I want to be remembered as a good daughter, good mother, good wife, good sister and good nurse. I wasn’t perfect   at all of them but I tried my best.”

Carolyn has certainly reaped what she has sewn.

 

Posted on August 29, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

The Harvest

 

Fall is in the air.

For the first time in months, the temperature registered in the single digits for our morning walk yesterday , announcing the imminent arrival of Fall. For some, this is a very depressing thought but for many, it is the best time of the year. Most importantly, September brings structure back into our lives after a summer of countless barbeques, cold beer , ice cream cones , visitors and late nights.

September brings some semblance of normalcy, but not before we enjoy “the Fall Fair” where we get a chance to see our agricultural community display the best in all they do. The midway rekindles days of our youth and we relive it through the eyes of our children and grandchildren. We might even risk a cavity or two by trying cotton candy or candy apples.

School lunches will make their unwelcome return for many parents. It’s not so bad during the first few weeks of school when children are reconnecting with old friends and getting into the swing of things but as the year wears on, you sometimes wonder if the young ones will eat anything that you put in their lunch kits.

Because we live in a university town, our population will nearly double in the next few weeks. We will take the good with the bad. .. the good – Shinerama , where the students will be out in force raising money for Cystic Fibrosis. You have to love their energy and enthusiasm.  The bad- there will be a lot of very late and loud parties, going late into the night, testing the patience of the citizenry of the town and its noise by-law.

Farmer’s markets will be awash with the fruits of the harvest. The displays of fresh fruits and vegetables is always a highlight at this time of the year.

The days will be shorter and cooler but once we regain some semblance of a routine, all will seem right with the world.

Summer is so precious and oh so fleeting, especially as the years pile up. In the winter, we pine for the warm days and they are here and gone before you know it.

Let us not lament the passing of summer but embrace the joy of the Fall which is ready to welcome us in the next few weeks.

And let us not forget that we have one last fling this weekend with Labor Day next Monday.

Have a great week.

P.S. What goes on at the “Cubby Hole”, stays at the “Cubby Hole” !!!

Posted on August 25, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with no comments yet

 

“People go to extreme lengths in India to get an education. It is ingrained in our psyche.”

Meet Vishnu Prasad.

Vishnu was born in Puttur, India to parents who were both doctors. He and his two siblings attended school in Bangalore. His parents spent a lot of time working in the Middle East so it fell to his uncle, Dr. Jayaprakash, to assist with the large, multigenerational family that included Vishnu’s grandparents. When he wasn’t studying, Vishnu enjoyed many different sports including badminton and volleyball … and of course, cricket.

He was accepted into one of the best medical schools in India in Mangalore on the west coast. From his earliest days Vishnu wanted to be a surgeon. While attending medical school he met his future wife, Sanjana Sridharan. After completing this chapter of their educational journey, the couple wedded.  During the next year they travelled the length and breadth of India writing entrance exams for specialist universities.

He enrolled in the orthopedics program in Bangalore but it wasn’t what he expected and he departed after six months. In 1996 the couple travelled to the United Kingdom on speculation, hoping to find the right fit. Vishnu took a three year general surgery program in Birmingham, acquiring his FRCS designation in General Surgery while Sanjana enrolled in psychiatry training in Coventry. He did his orthopedic residency in Wales over the next seven years and received his FRCS in Trauma and Orthopaedics. Sanjana received her MRCPsych (Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists) in 2000.

The ensuing years were marked by more studies and time apart, tests that demonstrated the vision and determination of this young couple. Vishnu eventually specialized in adult reconstruction, with hip and knee surgery becoming his predominant field of work.

But their educational quest was far from over. In order to experience different health care systems, they felt that they needed to work abroad. In 2012, Vishnu was offered a Fellowship in Toronto. One of his colleagues there was Dr. Andrew Hayward who ended up moving to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. He thought Nova Scotia would be a good fit for Vishnu and Sanjana as the area was known to be friendly … and a lot less hectic than the city!

In 2013, they moved to Halifax where Vishnu worked on complex cases with well-known orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Michael Dunbar. Sanjana weighed a few options for work before accepting a position at St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish in 2014. Upon completion of his Fellowship in June of 2014, Vishnu began work at the Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow. Sanjana recently moved to the Aberdeen as well.

The couple feels very much at home in Antigonish. They have made many friends and know that if they need a “big city fix”, Halifax is just a few hours away. From time to time they host gatherings at their home, welcoming guests with upbeat music, cordial conversation and wonderful food.  When the weather cooperates, everyone gathers outside to enjoy a friendly cricket match!   ‘‘Cricket is a sport that requires tactics, intelligence, strategy, finesse … and brawn,” says Vishnu.

Family means everything to them, and whenever decisions are made they factor in their parents, who visit on a regular basis.  Not surprisingly, summer and fall are Vishnu and Sanjana’s favorite seasons for hosting visitors from India!

Vishnu and Sanjana are highly regarded by their peers and the communities in which they work and live.  The region is fortunate to have these highly skilled physicians, who happen to be two of the nicest people one could meet.  To them I say welcome… make yourselves at home … and please stay awhile!