Posted on October 2, 2017 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

An X – cellent weekend

 

After a week when the province set record warm temperatures, Fall crept through the back door on the weekend. Cool days and cooler nights have taken their rightful place center stage. Turtleneck shirts, jackets and even gloves have made an appearance. Slippers have been resurrected and sweaters are back in vogue.

Speaking of sweaters. Hanging out with old friends is akin to slipping on that old cardigan sweater t. It’s warm, comfortable and easily recognizable. The moment you slip it on in the Fall, it feels right and evokes many fond memories.

Homecoming 2017 at my alma mater, ST.F.X, wrapped up yesterday. There was a time when I didn’t care much for reunions but age has a way of making a person aware that friendships from any stage in one’s life, are very important and cherished. Even though it wasn’t a special year for me ( next year will be my 45^th ), I attended some events. Surprisingly , I have a much stronger affinity for the Class of 1982 than I do for my own of 1973.

I spent a couple of years in the employ of St.F.X  in the early 80’s where I came in contact with a group of exceptional people. I’m still not sure how it happened, but I ended up singing in the Chapel choir and there met some wonderful folks who became lifelong friends. Part of this Homecoming was a reunion of that choir and we spent a wonderful afternoon last Thursday reminiscing and singing. We also had a specific purpose for getting together; to launch the Raylene Rankin Endowment Fund. Yes. That Raylene. She was one of the several spectacular female voices in that choir.

I became very good friends with Raylene and for a while, I sang in a trio with her, myself and Conrad Edwards. When the Rankin Family made it big, I often joked with Raylene that she got her big break singing with Byrne Abbey!

A donation to the fund created to honor Raylene will assist the music ministry at the university chapel. If you would like to make a donation, please follow this link: https://secureca.imodules.com/s/650/standard.aspx?sid=650&gid=1&pgid=814&cid=1908

I had some wonderful chats and even had a chance to take some X friends to Peace by Chocolate to meet Tareq Hadhad. Tareq certainly has “ star power” with all the exposure he has received since coming to Canada. He is such a likeable, humble guy and he is so accommodating to the endless requests he receives on a daily basis.

To my friends from the Class of ’82, I say: “ Will ye no come back again?”

The only part of the weekend that was distressing ( besides the heart breaking last minute loss by the football team ) was the partying in evidence by young students. Full disclosure. I was one of those students many moons ago but our celebrations were mild in comparison to what we witnessed on the weekend. Neighborhood parties in the town have become all the rage in recent years and Homecoming weekend is the big one. In our neighborhood, the partying started early in the morning. By noon, hundreds and hundreds of extremely intoxicated students were staggering around ( many of them in the middle of town streets, unaware of vehicles )  and the noise level was off the charts. This scene was being played out in several places throughout the town.  The sound of ambulance sirens became all too familiar as the day wore on. I can only imagine what it must have been like at Outpatients. I was told by security officers at the university that part of the problem is that many of the students flooding the town, are not from  St.F.X . Apparently, Homecoming at X is an excuse for people far and wide to come here and drink themselves into oblivion. Hopefully, it will not take a death before community and university officials find a way to curb this insanity.

I note the passing of my good friend, Chuck Curry. I knew Chuck for over 50 years. He was living proof that one person can make a difference. I was so blessed to spend an hour and a half reminiscing with him shortly before he passed away last week. Even facing adversity, his well known wit was on full display. Chuck was one of the good guys.

Cherish  your friends. It’s a short ride.

Have a great week.

P.S.  While he’s not a personal old friend, he sure makes you feel that way… just like an old pair of slippers.  Valdy put on a show yesterday in St.Andrew’s that was filled with warmth and wit . He is a joyous troubadour and an extraordinary story teller.

 

 

Posted on September 28, 2017 under Faces in the Crowd with 2 comments

 

“ The reason I moved here was because of the people. The reason I invested here was because of the people. The reason I will stay here is because of the people.”

Meet Lenita Hanson

Lenita Hanson never met a challenge that she didn’t relish. She was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and got her first lessons in work ethic on the family farm in Birch Hills. Her father epitomized the notion of entrepreneurship, trying his hand at many different businesses. He instilled confidence in his children and imbued them with a healthy dose of fearlessness in tackling new things. Lenita took this to heart,  buying and selling cars while still in high school. She sold her first car before she was even licensed to drive!

She also discovered quickly that being in business isn’t always profitable. “ You win some and you lose some. Sometimes the losses are actually wins because of the lessons learned. I recognized at an early age that failure was not to be feared.”  She , like many others, regrets that in an era of “Fair Play” in sports, many young people do not experience failure… sometimes life’s best teacher.

She started her post secondary education studying psychology. After taking a year off, she enrolled in the science program at the University of Saskatchewan with an eye to becoming a forensic scientist. She worked at the Saskatchewan Zoo and then did an internship with the Canadian Wildlife Service. She worked for a biopharmaceutical company for a few years. Through all of these endeavours, she felt that she might find her niche in the area of business development.

From 2002-09, Lenita worked for Star Egg, a Saskatchewan based business specializing in the grading, distribution and marketing of shell eggs. Here she met her first professional mentor ( besides her dad! ). Bert Harman saw her potential and encouraged her at every turn. She took on roles with increasing responsibility and learned a great deal about food safety.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Lenita’s next foray was as the production manager at a restaurant. “ I loved learning new things. Change is great.”

Lenita was always a sports enthusiast. She played a variety of sports and took a shining to ringette at the age of 10, a sport that she played avidly until the age of 18. In her third year at the University of Saskatchewan, she decided to try out for the fledgling women’s hockey team . She had to scramble to find goalie gear, having never played the sport. Some of the equipment came from a pawnshop. She made the squad and a year later, the team attained CIS status. She has maintained lifelong friendships from this group of athletes.

During this time she met someone from Antigonish and was invited to come for a visit. From the moment she stepped outside of the airport in Halifax, she could feel something special. She took an instant liking to Nova Scotia. After her second visit, she returned home and wrote down her three year plan to move to Antigonish, after discussing this with her spouse, Amy Irwin.

She could not believe her good fortune when she saw an ad for a Production Development Manager at Tony’s Meat’s in Antigonish. It was as if the job had been written for her. She accepted the position in 2012 and has been there ever since.  Initially, her focus was on food safety and when Tony’s received its Global Food Safety designation, it opened up a world of new market possibilities.

In 2015, when the opportunity presented itself for an ownership share, Lenita didn’t flinch. She knew it was a well run business and had lots of potential.

In 2014, she and Amy built their dream home “ in the Ohio” with wood milled from local timber.

Not long ago, she made a new acquisition: a tattoo. It contains words to live by.

“ Respect. Love. Forgive. No regrets.”

 

Posted on September 25, 2017 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

 

The leaves are changing colors, the mornings are quite cool,

Summer is behind us, the kids are back at school.

The pumpkins are ripening, the apples turning red,

It’s time to add the comforter, to keep toes warm in bed.

You split the wood and stack it, and occasionally get a splinter,

“A small price to pay “ they say, for the warmth in the coming winter.

The days are getting shorter, although the ground’s still soft,

The spuds are in the cellar, the hay is in the loft.

A trip around the Cabot Trail, is always something sweet,

Especially during Celtic Colors ,where the music can’t be beat.

The cedar chest is open, to put away summer clothes,

“ Where did the time go?” , no one seems to know.

The university’s in session, our population swells,

“How will October quizzes go?”  only time will tell.

The days will fly by, Mother Nature will change the scene,

And before you can say “trick or treat”, it will be Halloween.

These are just a few simple thoughts, and that’s not all,

I just checked the calendar and realized it’s Fall.