Posted on June 4, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Len and Rev. Donald MacGillivray

 

Art begets art.

Antigonish is blessed with many, many gifted artists. This group includes people who have been showing us their incredible talents for decades as well as a significant number of individuals who are getting to show us their creative genius at places like the Antigonish Art fair and several local galleries.

One of our most distinguished and recognizable artists is Anna Syperek. A few years ago, she was commissioned to do a painting of James MacPherson, the beloved organist and choir director at St. Ninian’s Cathedral who passed away in November of 2017. Her depiction of James sitting at the organ is magnificent. The painting appeared on James’ memorial card and afterwards, several people inquired about the possibility of getting a copy of the work.

In consultation with Anna and the MacPherson family, it was decided that copies of the print would be made available to the public with the idea that any proceeds from the project would go towards the ongoing restoration work of the Leduc paintings of the saints at St. Ninian’s Cathedral. The stretched canvass rendering is available for purchase at the Antigonish 5 to $1.00 store in Antigonish. Two sizes are available: the 8×10 version is $75 which includes taxes and the 11×14 is $100 including taxes. To contact the 5 to $1.00 visit their website: https://www.antigonishfivetoadollar.ca/ or call the photo shop at 902-863-2571.

Through the generosity of Anna Syperek and the Antigonish 5 to $1.00, 100% of the proceeds of sales will go towards the restoration of the Saints at St. Ninian’s.

As mentioned in an earlier post, James MacPherson was a passionate supporter of the art restoration at the Cathedral. He spoke about it often and was especially thrilled when the patroness of music, St.Cecelia, was the first of the Saints to get a facelift. Her image appears on Anna’s painting, looking down at James. When this work began a few years back, he discussed the possibility of having a concert in the cathedral to raise awareness and funds for the work being done.

It seems only fitting then that the parish and the broader community now has an opportunity to not only celebrate James’ life and his nearly 50 years of dedication to St.Ninian’s but at the same time, carry out his wishes to raise money for art restoration at the cathedral. In case you missed it, Pastoral Airs: A Concert in Memory of James MacPherson will be held at St.Ninian’s Cathedral on Saturday, July 7^th at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available at St.Ninian’s Parish office, Antigonish 5 to $1.00 and MacKinnon Pharmasave as well as on line by going to the Antigonish Highland Society website at https://www.antigonishhighlandsociety.ca/

Members of James’ family will be in attendance at the concert and there will be an unveiling of a copy of the Syperek painting which will become a permanent fixture in the cathedral.

Art begets art.

Have a great week.

 

 

Posted on May 28, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

A walk on the wild side.

(Photo by Pete MacDonald)

Walking. It’s good for the heart and the soul.

I’ve done a lot of walking lately. Walking and thinking of many things including my good fortune. This time of year is very special as everything in nature comes alive. You can actually smell the earth below your feet as you walk along wooded trails. Ditto for flowers and trees. After lying dormant for the winter, the leaves on the trees are busting out all over and grass is ready for the cutting. There must be at least 50 shades of green. The birds are obviously pleased as they begin their lovely melodies in the wee hours of the morning. To hear them, you must be an early riser. That’s when they get the worm!

Is there anything more heavenly and serene than a solo walk on one of our area beaches? Late one evening last week, I strolled along Bayfield Beach. I could almost taste the salt in the air. It was chilly but my hoody provided warmth. I could hear the gentle lapping of the waves as a solitary gull soared in the fading light. Off in the distance, I could hear trucks at the wharf loading precious cargo of crustaceans destined for far way shores. The pungent smell of seaweed was ever present. I sat in an Adirondack chair, pondering the scene in front of me. It was a sensory buffet.

The walk the next morning provided a very different landscape. It was one of my frequent town jaunts. The campus of St.F.X. continues to be one of my favourite spots. It seems that the campus is always in a state of renewal with several infrastructure projects on the go. It is exciting to see the new grandstands at Oland Stadium and know that Canada’s top Special Olympians will descend on Antigonish later this summer. It’s not too late to volunteer.

I pass the various coffee establishments on James Street and notice small groups of retirees. No doubt they are talking about sports, politics, or their various aches and pains.

Along the way, I think about the El Camino trail in Spain. I know several people who have completed this pilgrimage and some more who plan to do it soon. This is definitely on my ‘to do’ list, maybe next year.

Lots of people are out with their dogs at this time of day. If your doctor recommends walking, get a dog. They’ll force you outdoors when nature comes calling.

At the end of an hour, I make the turn onto Pleasant Street. On one side is a nursing home and directly across the street is a funeral home, a reminder that fragility and mortality awaits us all. I think of the residents of the ‘RK’ especially those who are wheelchair bound. You know that they would all love to experience the simple joy of walking again, unencumbered. It is at times like this that I feel an incredible sense of gratitude. I never take my health for granted.

Before taking the last few steps on Court Street, I stop by the gas station on the corner to pick up the Saturday Chronicle Herald. I always try and complete the New York Times crossword puzzle, try being the operative word as I am rarely able to finish it.

All the while, I am thinking about the woman who was the hub of our family wheel.

Have a great week.

Posted on May 21, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with 5 comments

The one and only “Mother T.”

 

A postscript to our mother’s passing.

First of all, on behalf of the MacDonald family let me say thank you for the outpouring of messages of support for our family on the death of our mother. It is not possible to respond to everyone who sent condolences as they numbered in the hundreds. For those who may have missed it, her wake will be held on June 20^th and the funeral on June 21^st.

While each and every message was read with gratitude, the comments from her grandchildren resonated the most with me. They reminded me about the things in life that really matter, like gestures of kindness and support when things aren’t going quite right. They spoke eloquently of her zest for life and her no nonsense attitude. Most of them have inherited that attitude! They also adopted her compassionate nature for those marginalized and disenfranchised. Most of them have been blessed with her keen sense of humour. From reading their accounts, one realizes that seemingly insignificant gestures are often remembered for decades by young, developing brains.

As I said in my tribute piece last Friday, she was not only a perfect role model for her own children but also for her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

I know when I was in business, I always used mom as my yardstick and moral compass. Occasionally, when I would be in some kind of dilemma, I would say to myself, “what would mom do?” And now, not four days since her death, I find myself asking the same question and I reckon that this will be the case until I draw my last breath.

I also want to say a special thank you to my brothers and sisters. Families are complicated. That may be the understatement of the year. I can see you nodding your heads collectively. To be certain, our family, no family really, gets it right 100% of the time. Last week was very difficult watching mom complete her earthly journey. I was impressed that all my siblings were supportive and caring. Nerves can get frayed in these situations. I believe that mom would have been so pleased and proud that we sang, ate, laughed, and prayed together. We were afraid to act otherwise! While she is no longer with us, she’s still the boss.

Here’s my last word on life and death. I don’t know to whom this quote is attributed but it speaks volumes about mom and people like her. “I am not afraid to die. I am afraid of not living.” Don’t be afraid to live. Put the pedal to the metal. Mom did when she go carted at age 90!

YUMM. You won’t have the foggiest idea what I’m going to talk about so go and check out my most recent Thursday Tidbits. Some of you took a stab at the acronym but no one got it right. Your Unique Musical Memory (YUMM) is a new musical video service that Peter and I plan to launch in the fall.

More on this in future posts.

Hope you’re having a restful holiday weekend.