Posted on July 27, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Join me for some tunes and stories

 

 

Here I go, shamelessly promoting an upcoming gig at the Visitor Information Centre. As mentioned in a previous post, I hadn’t been to the VIC for years ( decades? ) until recently , after sharing a table with them at Saltscapes. It is one of the best kept secrets in Antigonish. The centre is staffed by knowledgeable and pleasant people who are wonderful ambassadors for our community. I am going to put on a show on Monday, August 3^rd. at 2:00 p.m. to help shed a light on the VIC. Grab a chair and join me and some of my friends for some music and a bit of story telling. I am lining up the musicians and am hoping to have a few of my musical children as guests… and a few other surprises. There will be refreshments.

And speaking of events, the Antigonish Art Fair moved indoors last Friday with the prospects of inclement weather ( snow?! ). The event was held at the Market Square ( the rebranding of the Mall ) and a large crowd enjoyed an evening of art, music and food. There was a stellar lineup of performers on stage including the irrepressible Sunshine Sue who is one of the best children’s entertainers you will ever meet. Here’s a name to watch out for: Clifton Pettipas. He was the last performer of the night and it was unfortunate that most of the crowd had disbursed. He is an amazing young talent who has a great voice and can handle a guitar with the best of them. We’ll definitely bring him back for an encore performance.

Upcoming stories….

“Michael’s Mitts” is the story of Michael MacDonald of Red Islands, just up the road from Johnstown in Cape Breton. The central theme of the story is his rather large hands and what he had used them for. One of my favorite passages in the story is about his time in Toronto, training in the same gym as the legendary heavyweight, George Chuvalo. When I asked him if he ever entered the ring with Chuvalo , he replied,” No. And that’s why I’m still alive today.” Michael has a keen sense of humor and we shared many laughs during a two hour lunch. You will meet “Johnny Rye” and “Neily John the Widow “ when the story is published. Stay tuned.

Coming up this week is the amazing story of Pat Evans, a “glass half full” kind of gal. She lives in George’s River, Cape Breton along with her dog, Abbey. Pat requires 24/7 care after she became a quadriplegic thirteen years ago when she hit a moose on her way to work. This is a great story and should be required reading for everyone. ( Not because I am the author but because of the content! ). Pat has agreed to come to Antigonish this fall to do a talk at the library. “Positively Pat” will appear in a few days at Week45.

What if you opened up a storage bin and found a human being inside? ( alive! ). This is one of the many interesting tidbits to be found in my story about The Opportunity Shop. “When Opportunity Knocks” is the story of an amazing small business that has been around these parts for over 60 years. Besides providing good usable clothing and household items, the Op Shop uses its profits for the betterment of the community. It is an interesting story and will appear in next week’s Casket and on my website.

“Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.”

Have a great week.

P.S. Did any of you catch the special on CNN about the 1970’s? They did a whole segment on television programming. If you are under 60 , the Saturday evening lineup of shows on CBS back in the mid 70’s won’t mean much but for us old farts, these were some of the best shows ever:

8:00 – All in the Family

8:30 – Mash

9:00 – Mary Tyler Moore

9:30 – Newhart

10:00 – Carol Burnett

If you can get a podcast of this , it will bring back a flood of memories.

Posted on July 20, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

Our “community in bloom”

 

 

Our Main Street and environs look terrific thanks to all the folks who give their time to keep our community looking beautiful. I believe that the “Communities in Bloom” judges were in town recently and we should know soon if we are, once again, an award winning community.

And speaking of Main Street….

I think I am going to stand in the middle of Main Street and scream at the top of my lungs. It will go something like this: “ People, would you please stop whining and complaining about mundane things like mosquitoes, humidity or the price of gas.

Just in case you have taken a break from reading my rants lately, for the past several days, I have been documenting the challenges faced by the Mulcahy and van Bommel families with the precarious health of their precious Maud. It is not too late to make a donation. You can get in touch with me or check out this website: http://www.gofundme.com/yfdqjc

Last Friday, I traveled to George’s River just outside of Sydney to spend some time with an amazing lady named Pat. She has the sunniest disposition one could imagine. She is definitely a “glass half full” kind of gal. She is very bright and has a great sense of humour. She repeatedly told us how fortunate she feels every day of her life. She has a 13 year old English Springer dog who is her constant companion and she has a wonderful view of the Bras D’or Lakes. Did I mention that she is a quadriplegic?

Thirteen years ago, on her way to school ( she was a teacher ), she hit a moose and in an instant became completely paralyzed. She can move her head… and that’s all. Now, if there was someone who had a legitimate right to complain and be bitter, it would be Pat. I don’t want to spoil the story that I’m writing about her , called “Positively Pat”, but here is a tiny excerpt. This is what I wrote about the day the accident happened:

“ She was rushed to the nearest hospital in Baddeck. She already realized that she was in very bad shape. As she lay in her hospital bed, immobilized, she stared up at the ceiling and mused to herself: “ Well missy, this could go either way. You can be sad and angry the rest of my life or you can just suck it up and get on with it.” Luckily for every person that knows Pat, she chose the latter. But this was no surprise to her friends. She was always a “cup half full” kind of person.”

Rarely have I been so inspired than I was after meeting Pat and I think you will find a lot of inspiration when you read this story.

It’s normal to complain and there are very real legitimate complaints, especially when it comes to things like health and employment. .. and people like Pat and Maud, but the mundane stuff has got to go. Agree?

I also made a trip to Johnstown, Cape Breton yesterday and spent a delightful 2.5 hours with one Michael MacDonald, Rita Campbell and two of her brothers. Michael is quite a character. He has done many things and was once an up and coming boxer who trained with the likes of George Chuvalo. Later in life, he learned how to repair , build and play violins. I am looking forward to writing a story about his life. We had a lot of laughs.

After my meeting with Michael, I was a guest at the Johnstown Fire Hall and did a two hour story telling and tunes session to a small but engaged, appreciative crowd. I sang a lot of Cape Breton songs and they sang along with me. It was very pleasant way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Let us be grateful for our blessings as we head into another week. My, but they slip by quickly.

Have a great week.

 

Posted on July 13, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

“I’m picking up good vibrations”

( Beach Boys )

 

 

How does one describe “vibe?”

According to one source that I checked out, vibe is a “distinct emotional quality or atmosphere that is sensed or experienced by someone.”

Last week was an incredibly busy one in and around Antigonish with the Highland Games and a rash of other activities taking place. It seemed like everywhere I went, there were warm, appreciative crowds of people. Of course, having ideal weather makes all the difference in the world.

There was the Kilted Golf Tournament which has a vibe all of its own. The Street Fair on Thursday was terrific with lots of thing to see, do and buy. I decided that conducting some quality control was important and sampled the delicious strawberry shortcake dished up by the good folks at Bergengren Credit Union. The parade on Saturday was awesome. All three of our granddaughters were home for the Games and we were able to experience the parade through their eyes. I also went to Columbus Field and enjoyed the dancing, piping and drumming and of course the heavy events. Having a bad back, watching the “Farmer’s Walk” made me cringe.

There were all kinds of concerts and dinners spread throughout the community including a major music festival, Evolve. I decided that at the age of 63, catching that vibe wasn`t in the cards!

I must claim a bit of bias here when I say that the highlight for me was the Antigonish Art Fair held last Friday at Chisholm Park. The fact that I happened to be the emcee at the gazebo had nothing to do with “the vibe.” The unofficial attendance was in the neighborhood of 1400 people,  who enjoyed an evening of art, music, culture, an incredible kid’s corner and an amazing display of ethnic food. It was one of those perfect, soft , warm summer evenings. No one was in a hurry. It seemed like everyone had a smile on their face.

Beth Latwaitis and David Miller deserve kudos for their vision in putting this whole thing together. It is working beautifully and the multicultural aspect of the fair is one of the key reasons. I think that Antigonishers are realizing the importance of embracing different cultures. We are extremely fortunate that people from other countries have chosen us as their place to call home.

One more thing. It dawned on me once again the importance of volunteers. None of these events would happen without volunteers. It is staggering to think of the number of “person hours” that went into making these events successful.

I received a lot of feedback on the Frank McGibbon story. Someone put it succinctly. They said that my story was “a thoughtful look at a man who was more complicated than his community may have imagined.”

I have some new stories coming your way. I hope to shine a light on a local business that has done so much good work for the community. Also, I am finishing up a story about the perils of cleaning a teenager’s bedroom at the end of a school year. I think the story is going to be called “Wreck Room.” Seems appropriate, wouldn’t you say?!

I am hoping to go to Sydney later in the week to meet an amazing woman who was involved in a terrible accident and is profoundly handicapped. I am told that her approach to life is inspiring. I can’t wait to meet her and share her story with you.

Be grateful. I truly believe that this is the key to happiness.

Have a great week.

P.S. I had finished writing my “musings” before I attended the closing service of the Highland Games at St. James United Church. Let me add one final vibe to the list: the spirit of ecumenism. There were so many wow moments for me this week and this service was truly the “icing on the cake.” It would take me an entire page to say what I saw and felt. Many religions were under one roof celebrating culture, community and Christianity. Once again, I feel blessed to live here.

P.P.S. Please don’t forget about Maud ( Jim and Sarah Mulcahy’s granddaughter ) who is gravely ill. You can donate on line at http://www.gofundme.com/yfdqjc or contact me directly. Thanks.