Posted on April 28, 2014 under Monday Morning Musings with 4 comments

Saltscapes

 

 

I promise that this is the last word on the fundraiser. Those of you who read this column regularly, know that I take a shot at whiners from time to time. Most of us have much to be thankful for so when I hear people complaining for no good reason, I am apt to take a shot at them.

The following paragraph does NOT constitute whining…. It is merely observations. There’s a difference, you know!

The bottom line is that the show to raise money for the Community Hot Meal was a financial success. We are still accepting donations ( see me about this if you would like to make a tax deductible donation) and I expect when all is said and done that we will top the $6,000 mark. I am still in shock at the relatively low turnout for the show. As far as I can tell, there wasn’t anything else big going on in the community that night. We had a terrific line up of performers and artists and those in attendance seemed to really enjoy it. The cause was worthy. The weather was a bit dicey but I don’t think that was a major factor. If I organize another show like this, I might try something radical like having it on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. What do you think?  Any comments or suggestions are always welcome.

There. The end of the whine.

I attended the tribute for the late Blaise MacInnis at the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home last Saturday. Blaise was obviously very well liked as the place was packed for an afternoon of country music. Ty Tyke Wallace and Robert MacArthur cranked out just about every country classic. You could feel the warmth in the room. It was a Saturday afternoon and it was sunny but that didn’t keep people away.

The pen was busy this weekend.

Did you go and line up at the pumps the day before the latest price increase? I did the math and I would have saved $1.20 if I had joined the ranks of the crazies ( apologies if you are one of those! ).  I did some other calculations and decided that the cost of idling the vehicle while waiting in line might be more than the gas savings. This prompted me to write a slightly sarcastic piece called “Pandemonium at the Pumps.”

Let’s face it. People are crazy about their dogs. I had friends over for coffee on Saturday morning. Both couples have dogs and one couple  was on their way to pick theirs up after travelling to the States. A short while later , I was walking along Main Street and noticed several people walking their dogs along side a dog trainer. It was quite impressive watching him putting the dogs and their owners through their paces. One of these people was my neighbor and I jokingly said that maybe Betty should be out here trying to train me. Without batting an eye, she said that she had an extra collar and leash at home.

These two seemingly unrelated incidents prompted me to run home and pen a story.  Are men trainable? Find out when I publish the story “Off Leash Men” coming soon at Week45.

Have a great week.

P.S. Congrats to the businesses from Antigonish who had booths at Saltscapes on the weekend. They did a great job showcasing our area of the province.

Posted on April 21, 2014 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Marathon Monday in Boston

 

 

My heart will be in Boston this morning for the marathon. Unfortunately, my body will be at my office. Good luck, Cathy, Lisa and Charlene.

So, here’s the tally: five church services, a turkey dinner; a ham dinner; a steak and chicken dinner ( barbeque ); too many desserts to count; a weekend visit from two grandchildren; house upside down. An Easter Sunday afternoon power snooze: Priceless! Hope you all had a great weekend too.

In the middle of all the above mentioned activity and confusion, I managed to write a few new stories.

I was driving by Kenny’s the other day and noticed the price at the gas pumps. I don’t pay much attention to the price of gas these days. The kids are gone, I don’t travel as much on business and we are down to one small, fuel efficient car. I think the price went up about .12 cents a litre in the last week. Which got me to thinking… how in the hell do they calculate the price of gas? I’m sure you’ve pondered the same thing especially when you hear that the price of a barrel of oil has dropped considerably. I have my own theory and it’s one you won’t find in any third year business course at the university. The story is called , “ Adding Fuel to The Fire.”

The inspiration for the other story came from a passing comment I heard the other day about an old boozer who showed up in town one day driving a brand new truck. He had been kicking around in the same old quarter ton truck for what seemed like an eternity. So you can imagine the heads turning and the tongues wagging when he travelled down Main Street in a $45,000 rig. It also brought back memories when we would “cruise the main” when we were old enough to drive. How cool was that?! Coming soon, “ Bottoms Up.”

Did I happen to mention that there is a fundraiser later this week? Only a few dozen times. The big day is Thursday so treat yourself to a night out and help support a very worthy cause while you’re at it. Hope to see you at 7:00 p.m on the 24^th. at the Schwartz Auditorium. Laughter, music and fabulous door prizes.

And yes, ladies, the comments I made the other day about seeing a man at a resort sporting a leopard print Speedo is 100% true. It may rank as one of the most ridiculous and obscene things that I have ever seen.

Have a great week.

P.S. The story on “new math” elicited quite a response. A friend, BV sent me this video clip on the same subject.

http://townhall.com/video/can-college-students-figure-out-common-core-math-n1818525

 

Posted on April 14, 2014 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

A case for baskets or a basket case?

 

 

Happy Easter week!

Allow me to start out on the slightly serious side. If you have time, please read this excellent article by Ian Thompson. Ian is the Associate Publisher of the Chronicle Herald. This story appeared in the Herald Magazine this past weekend. I happen to agree with just about every word in the article. Here’s the link: http://thechronicleherald.ca/heraldmagazine/1199143-associate-publishers-letter-we-all-have-our-part-to-play.

Easter week means a lot of different things to different people. I have been in a church choir for most of my adult life so Easter week means spending a lot of time in church. Do you have Easter traditions like you do for Christmas?  Some people of the Catholic persuasion still observe Lent.  I gave up desserts for Lent but truth be told, this wasn’t as much about penance as it was about my waist line. I crave sweets and Lent is one time of the year that I have a convenient excuse to lay off them. Easter morning will not be pretty. I plan to go to S@L bakery on Saturday and buy a fresh lemon meringue pie. Betty is gluten free and won’t be partaking. You do the math.

Back in the dark ages, we could expect to receive a skipping rope, a hula hoop or a sponge rubber ball for Easter. And the women all wore Easter bonnets. Bring back the bonnets!

Oh yes. Speaking of math, I have a story just about ready to go about “new math.” I ask you, what was wrong with the old math? The story is called “ It Doesn’t Add Up.”

Question: Is your cup half full or half empty? I guess it depends on your view of the world when you first put your feet on the floor in the morning. My Tuesday story this week ( which will be published on Wednesday) is all about positivity and how each of us has the ability to make the world a little brighter. The story is called “ Making a Difference” and takes place at a newsstand in the Orlando airport.

I do believe I will be seeing golf balls in my sleep after the orgy of watching almost every shot from The Masters golf tournament this past weekend. Watching Bubba win a second green jacket was great entertainment

Have a great week.

P.S.  Just wanted to let you know that I have been asked to write a weekly column for a new weekly paper for Cape Breton, called “The Cape Breton Star.” The paper is owned by the Chronicle Herald and will be launched in May.