Buddy Holly in Charlottetown in July

Wow! We just came back from the East coast and the trip was all good. From Oshawa's Parkview, the home of Sam McLaughlin of General Motors fame, to walking along the water in downtown Kingston, the trip was great. We spent a glorious three hours in Quebec City reliving past trips there as we walked the old town section and watched the horse and carriage drivers ply their trade. This time we enjoyed the boardwalk along the St. Lawrence where we stood and looked down to the dug-out sections of history opened up for all to see.




My husband and I love a car trip. We make homemade bits 'n' bites and pack our Koolatron with pop, water bottles, a veggie tray, La Vache Qui Rit cheese, a paring knife and some fruit, which we replenish as we go along. Two kinds of crackers, some healthy bars, a couple of packages of dark chocolate covered blueberries and we're set to go for hours. Along the way we visit grocery stores and replenish as needed. And we eat at least one meal out every day. It's all good.

When we reached Prince Edward Island we found our hotel near Cavendish and the relaxed part of the trip started. It was nestled in the beautifully green countryside, a large acreage with the main hotel and individual cottages and lawns which crept down to the shore of a large lake.

After settling in we made the half hour trek to Charlottetown, picked up our tickets at the box office and settled into our great seats. The Buddy Holly Story started with a ranting preacher decrying rock and roll music from his elevated perch almost in the rafters. He was great and we chuckled, all the more so as he was played by my brother-in-law, Rick Hughes.

Soon after, my sister, Donna Garner, waltzed across the stage, immediately grabbing laughs as Vi Petty. Both Rick and Donna play several parts in the show as do other characters.
Well we loved the whole thing. Jeff Giles as Buddy was a powerhouse and really brought Buddy to life. On stage so much of the time this might not have been difficult but all the other characters did the same thing. The audience totally related to this cast.

When the show was over we got to see Donna and Rick and relive the event with them. Awesome. Really. No, really, the whole night was amazing. We talked about it all the way back to our hotel. Theatre isn't always so rewarding. I remember a certain production of Othello at Stratford whose second act we didn't go back to see as the first was so bad. But this show was a lot of fun created by extremely talented actors.

The next day we lounged on the deck at our country inn with Donna and Rick, barbecued at their place that evening with John and Susan added to the group and then went to Cirque du Soleil. We sat on the grass out in the park on a lovely summer's night and watched the huge screen and stage in the dark. Very cool. I mean neat, not cold. Except for sitting on the ground for two hours. That was painful and my joints complained for one hour and fifty minutes of the time.

So the next day we took the ferry over to Nova Scotia and drove to Cape Breton. Rita McNeil's tea room was a hit--we met her son--and the food was scrumptious. The day following we toured the fortress at Louisburg, finally, after missing it on our previous trips to Nova Scotia. The little restaurant in Louisburg served up some fine clam chowder and a delicious lobster-on-a-bun which satisfied my need for Atlantic seafood. Ron had fish and chips and said it was superb. He is ever ready to let me have my crab legs or lobster tails as long as he can just have fish and chips. A keeper, that one.

At Glace Bay Marconi's four towers were intriguing to us, enough that we detoured and walked where he had walked as we learned more about his stunning achievement.

We visited my nephew and his wife, expecting their first child, at Oromocto where they live, another wonderful mix of family catch-up and tourist tripping down east. A long day's drive through Quebec and we stayed at a favorite hotel in Cornwall before heading home to Ontario. We managed to mix stops and goes pretty well, with only one day which was mostly driving. This is a marvelous country we live in and the five thousand kilometers we added to our car's odometer allowed us to see it again. O Canada! My home and native land.

Diamond Ruby

Sometimes a reader just finds a great book. When this happens to me, I handle it with care, savour the words, the pages, the chapters. I don't read too quickly, even though I want to know what happens. I hold off that final page as long as I can. Joseph Wallace's Diamond Ruby is such a book. It is the story of a young girl in early 1900's New York City whose life ends as she knows it. No, she doesn't die, but her family is torn to bits with the flu epidemic and a subway disaster.

She is the only one to care for her very young nieces and she is just thirteen. Wallace weaves Ruby's personal coming of age into the growth of the city through the twenties. Organized crime, gangsters, and weak-willed adults are juxtaposed to the better side of Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey, as well as a blind girl who lost her great diving career along with her sight. Diamond Ruby can pitch like no one else. Her odd arms which have earned her the 'monkey-girl' moniker prove her salvation and that of her nieces.
Apparently Wallace has only written non-fiction before but he writes this story, based on a real person, Jackie Mitchell, like a pro. I was enthralled from the get-go, feeling my eyes stretch wider and wider from the first pages. I especially liked the amazing plot details in the first part of the book. Not for Wallace working towards crisis after crisis until, finally, the climax. He catches the reader immediately through Ruby's 7-year-old point of view of excruciating world events. I will be looking for this author's next fiction book.

Impulsive Actions

Today I am thinking about following impulses and what might be the results of doing that. We are mostly programmed to follow the rules, do what we're told, and take the road most traveled. But what might be the results of listening to our inner voices?

Well I know my inner voice sometimes tells me to eat fattening things and I have no trouble listening to that! I can step out of my plan quite easily and eat a few Neilsen's rosebuds or a chocolate chip yogurt cone. That circulating e-mail about the 80-year-old woman who orders dessert every time she eats out really resonates with me. I mean, what if this was my last day and I passed on something really scrumptious, like Belgian truffles?

If I can have that attitude towards food, the question arises, why not toward exciting and interesting things to do in my life? So for today I am going to dream and dream and then go one step further--let those dreams seep into real life. I'm going to listen to my impulses and read them like a roadmap. They will be like my Tom-Tom lady's voice telling me the next turn and recalculating when I make a mistake or go down the wrong road. Oh, wait a minute. There is no wrong road. She just redirects me. For today that's what my inner voice will do. Oops, she's calling me to get up and leave my computer......

How Cute Are These?

I am feeling lonely for my little granddaughter, Chelsea, so Beth is good at sending pictures and calling often. Chelsea got new sandals and loves them so much she even wanted to wear them to bed for her nap! I guess I'll be learning about Dora now, eh?


Hopefully Beth's family will get east here soon as we're missing them all. I'm sending secret messages out to the universe to hurry up the process.

Victoria Day

Yesterday my husband and I went to see the Victoria Day Parade here in Woodstock and had a lovely time. We took our lawn chairs, set them up under a bit of dappled shade with the sun behind us and immediately down the street came the parade. No waiting, no wondering, no boredom. It was fantastic. The parade had loads of marching bands in it and almost as many Shriners' Clubs. They are fun because each each one has a different mode of transportation from motorcycles to mini cars to almost full size cars. One group had a band as well and they all wore those long pointy-toed shoes that curl up, sort of like a genie might wear.
But for me the highlight was the Singing Brook Farm Belgian Horses and wagon. In their pink camp shirts, walking and running alongside, grinning and laughing together, the counsellors made me want to go to camp. And I'm a little long in the tooth for that! Here are some of the pictures.




I look forward to doing some beading skills with the kids for one of the weeks in July.

Note: I had to redo this entry as some spammer put crap on my pretty site. I hate that!

My Mother's Day Gift

I have to say my kids really know me when it comes to gift-giving. My son spent the better part of last Saturday with us having lunch, gambling for half an hour or so, visiting Alexander Graham Bell's homestead in Brantford and visiting Her Majesty's Royal Mohawk Chapel, also located in Brantford. Then we had an early supper and got him home to his family by 6:00 p.m. A great day with lots of talking, laughing, and planning.

When I logged into my email that night I got my Mother's Day gift from my Victoria-living daughter--a subscription to the upcoming Mondo Beyondo class. What's that, you say? Well, click on the link and you'll see that it is set up to help people find their best life, to dream big and beautiful and let the universe help in achieving those dreams.

I like the name. Mondo Beyondo. To me it means the world beyond, outside this one, way off in the distance where dreams are dreamed and started and made good. So here's to Mondo Beyondo and my course next week!

Tumblebums

Yesterday I talked to a wee little girl for a taste of sweetness. She was just going back to her nap after a diaper change when I called. Chelsea's wee voice warmed my day as much as the sun. Now that she is talking and has grasped the concept of the telephone we have a 'conversation' about once or twice a week. Usually she answers my questions with a yes or no but often I hear nothing and Beth tells me Chelsea was nodding or shaking her head. And she has enough words to actually tell me that they are going to Tumblebums after her snack.

Now Tumblebums is a place in Langford, outside Victoria, set up for little ones to play and, well, tumble. Chelsea's grandpa and I took her there one day by ourselves. Imagine a place where the whole purpose is to gratify a kid's need to explore, build, watch others and have a healthy snack. Well, that is what we found. And Chelsea goes there often enough to know where it is. My husband and I used the TomTom to get to the plaza but then couldn't see our destination. As we talked about where it might be and Ron turned this way and that, suddenly a little voice from the car seat piped up. "There it is!" And her finger pointed to a unit with no large sign. As we drove closer we saw the small posters in the window. Chelsea had showed us exactly where to go.

Now this child was not quite two at the time. Amazing how much knowledge is packed into her little brain. When I think that my earliest memories are of about five years old, I find it hard to accept that she will probably forget all of these things that are so real for us adults. In Arizona in January when we exited the super highway at our exit, every time we heard, "There it is!" as we approached the stoplight and turn to our place. Unbelievable. And she did it after only one earlier trip.

And now I must run as we're going to have our wee grandson for the afternoon. So much bliss!

Elaine Cougler's Writing Blog

Today I have an exciting announcement! My new blog, On Becoming a Wordsmith, is up and running. It is a blog about writing and all its joys and jilts, tips and tilts. Below is what it looks like for now but lots of improvements are coming as I ramp up my WordPress blogging skills.

I hope you will take a trip over to On Becoming a Wordsmith and join me. I will still be posting pictures and writing other pieces on this page as well.

Being in the Right Place

Today's piece is a bit of a contest. Really. Look at the picture below and try to figure out just what it is. No, really, I'm serious. Sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time.

Do you see that all the faces are hidden? Who are these people? Why are they face-down on the floor of The Bay in north London?

Possible answers:
1. They are tired.
2. The floor smells so good they all just had to get down there.
3. This is a new way of modeling coats.
4. Well, you get the idea....

One evening a few days before Christmas 2009, my husband and I had just entered The Bay when he realized he had broken the zipper on his winter coat. I looked, couldn't fix it, and suggested we use his gift certificate to partially pay for a new one. Off to the coats we went and were just sourcing out where might be the ones we might actually buy when we heard a cascading crash behind us. We turned, we looked and took a few seconds to realize what had happened. A whole section of coats had dominoed over into the aisles.

We went closer to look. There were no salespeople around. I dug into my purse for my digital camera and voila!--a strange picture and a big laugh.

Flora, Fauna and People

This photo commemorates our trip to Victoria, specifically Sidney's Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre. This is an octopus and marks the first time I have ever seen this creature at all, let alone up close and personal.

The octopus filled the tube over our walkway at times or maneuvred its way from tank to beautiful tank, all for our amazement. Ron, Beth, Chelsea and I loved it. Below are more colourful examples of the aquarium's sea life.

And you have to realize that the colours are not plastic reproductions floating among the fish, but real sea creatures themselves. I could have sat there on a chair and watched all day. So calming.

In Arizona I accompanied Beth's family to the zoo one fine morning. The sea turtles were busy lumbering from place to place in their enclosure. I liked how close all of the animals were in this Phoenix zoo.

These lovebirds showed their tails for us, a jubilant splash of colour among the green leaves.

It seemed to be a day of butt pictures. Chelsea liked these camels and I did, too, although none of us were inclined to climb on. They were very smelly, a state I've been told is their natural one.

These sea otters caught my attention as they dashed in and out of the hollow logs in their enclosure. I love the soft green water accenting their wet, dark fur.

A highlight of our trip was feeding the giraffes, with the help of a knowledgeable volunteer. What a great thing for seniors to do. We all fed the hungry fellow, except Chelsea, who was more content to watch closely.

These are some kind of cows or cow relatives but I liked the red plant in the foreground. Thought it added some kick to the pic.

Javelinas! Up close and wide awake for us. Reminded me of my encounter with them on one of our walks in Tucson when visiting Aunt Nancy. These were less scary as they were penned up.

Arizona sunsets are spectacular and we saw quite a few during our three weeks there. This overlooks our timeshare from our balcony.

You'll probably notice there was no picture of shopping, which fact tells you we much prefer nature although some of the shopping areas are pretty beautiful. The best scenario is lots of nature to enjoy with my best people.

Time For More To Be More

I have a subscription to More Magazine, billed as Canada's magazine celebrating women over 40. Hey, great, I thought when sitting at a hairdresser's shop in Victoria. I liked the mag so well, in fact, that I tore out the mail-away card for a subscription. And promptly forgot about it.

Issues of More started coming and I wondered why until the bill came. Then I was angry as I had no memory of ordering this publication. After some reflection I did remember, pay the bill and read a few more issues, finding again what had attracted me about that copy in Victoria: it's about women's things, and unabashedly so, providing a new perspective for me.

So what am I writing about today? The April issue features a cover with a 50-year-old "super model". And she looks thirty. Well, that's nice. And she is beautiful so I know why she is on the cover. When I read the article, however, I discovered that the five finalists in More's 40+ model search are all drop-dead gorgeous, thin, svelte, muscular, with not a grey hair in sight. While I don't want to take away from these women--they sound totally comfortable in their shoes, which is way more important than their stunning looks--I can't help thinking how little they represent the bulk of us over 40.

And that leads me to wonder if More is really less in its respect for women and if it is just perpetuating that old myth that women have to be stunningly beautiful and look YOUNG to be worthwhile. Margaret Lawrence, one of my most favorite authors, was certainly not beautiful, but she stroked my thoughts for years with her real female characters. I could relate. Rita McNeil will not win any beauty contests but her soft, sincere voice singing her own music speaks to my heart as she explores real situations through that music. And Lena, my neighbour for many years in Shelburne where once we lived, holds a prime place in my heart. She was over seventy when we moved next to her and had lived a lot of sadness in her life but it didn't consume her. Her eyes twinkled as she tucked a stray white curl into her invisible hairnet and hobbled from stove to table with wonderful food for my husband and me. She had lived through rheumatic fever, lost several toes along the way, was told not to get married or have kids, did both, and had a loving, boisterous family who doted on her and her Elmer. She was a winner, and beautiful, too.

Why does being beautiful have to mean not looking our age? Isn't it time we struck a chord for what's inside no matter what is outside? Of course we all like to look good but I have learned that people see the outside first and then dwell on the inside the rest of their lives. I am more than a pretty face, I used to say, and today when I am well past forty, I am really thankful for my brain and my talents. Time for More to think of more than beauty. After all it is only skin deep.

February in Victoria

This year, 2010, we were lucky enough to escape some of the Ontario cold winter, first with three weeks in Arizona in January and then three weeks in Victoria, BC, in February. During that time we spent 5 weeks with our granddaughter, loving every minute of it.

One day we took Chelsea to Butchart Gardens for yet another peak at picture perfect. Here Chelsea snapped this picture on my camera and it is just as good as the one I took. She is two and I am considerably older!

I managed to get Beth and Chelsea in a tender moment below: A picture is most definitely worth a thousand words.

In the Japanese Gardens this characteristic red bridge jumped out of the winter landscape and made up for the lack of flowers in this season.

Here Grandpa is helping his little sweetie down the steps. Not sure who was having more fun.

A little before her birthday we had to fly home so Chelsea got to open her gifts from us a little early. Predictably, the wrapping was quite a hit.

One day we took the car down to look over the Strait. As we sat in the car and relaxed, Ron had a wee nap while I watched for photo-worthy subjects. I found a few:

This is Mount Baker a sight we have rarely seen as often the mists obscure it. Such a treat.

These are some of the many kites we saw flying over the cliffs along the Strait. Aren't they joyous?

Someone here found a spot to think and to be the focus of my scenic shot.

So many of us look into the distance, hoping to see what we cannot see or find what is out there. Obviously the dog and its owner found different points of interest.

Often Victoria's splendor is dampened in February but not so this year. In three weeks we had only about 4 days that saw rain or clouds all day. The rest of the time was either sunny in the morning and right through or became sunny as the day aged. By the way, I took Chelsea to the park several times while there and one day saw a Chinese man unabashedly stepping through his tai chi exercises. Gotta love multiculturalism--another part of Victoria's beauty.

Budda Boom Budda Ching

Yesterday I went for lunch with my sister. We were a half hour late leaving (my fault) so decided to hit East Side Mario's in Woodstock instead of driving to a spot near London. As usual we had lots of laughs both together and with Michael, our favorite server. My sister had her lunch ticket completed with five initials so her lunch was free. Because the free lunch was only the smaller size, Michael brought Joyce a free salad of her choice. And he brought the loaf fresh from the oven so I munched while anticipating my own meal. Joyce finished her salad before Mike came by the table to tell us that our meals would be late as the order got lost. No problem, we were having a good time catching up together. Oh, and by the way, we would get our choice of dessert free because of the wait.
Our meals came, we ate and talked some more, our dessert came--funnel cake with cinnamon, ice cream and sauces (so yummy)--and finally our lunch wound down to getting the bill. "Keep the change," I told Michael as did Joyce with her bill. A few minutes later our server reappeared at our table accompanied by three more employees. Michael put a cash register receipt in front of me and told me I had won a trip.
"Sure, sure. You're just having fun with me," and laughed so loud the few patrons left at this late lunch time all looked over.
"No, you've won!" "It's true!" "It's no joke." The four employees chorused.
Finally I believed them. I had won a trip for two to either Mexico or Dominican Republic! My choice and so far I haven't made it.
When I got home Ron didn't believe me until I forced him to really read the bill I held in front of him. So that was my lucky day. We went right out and bought a lottery ticket.

For the list of winners check out this link: ESM contest

I'm Back...and I've Got Stuff!

Today is such a wonderful day that I just have to write about it. While making a pie shell for lemon pie this morning--my guy's favorite--I put on my new CD. Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream grabbed me with the first song--"Wild horses couldn't drag me away." Exactly what I was feeling. Then came "I Dreamed a Dream" which was Boyle's leap into YouTube stardom as she competed in front of Simon Cowell and the world. The words fit her exactly.

I heard "Cry Me a River", an oldie but goodie, "How Great Thou Art" (chorus only arrangement), before something I didn't know began to play. I had to look. Stopped the pie crust, washed my hands and opened the case folder to find "You'll See." After the words for each song Susan's handwritten notes give her connection with each song. Such a personal yet stunning idea for the CD. I wonder whose it was.

Susan sings on with "Daydream Believer," "Up to the Mountain," "Amazing Grace", "Who I Was Born to Be," and "Proud." All are songs for the soul and spoke to me. I barely got the pie shell out of the oven, I was so entranced. I turned the volume to loud and raced for my computer to write about Susan. The final song is "Silent Night," a unique addition to a non-holiday CD but her voice soared to perfection with this carol. I hope Susan makes many more CD's. I'll buy every one. Right now, I'm going to add this CD to my iTunes list on my desktop. Oh, and I'll be visiting MusicNotes.com to get some of the sheet music if they have it.

By the way, my own stuff is that I finally finished the novel and am now into the agent process. Susan is with me on that journey, as well.

Moments in AZ

Being in Arizona one sees many photo spots, some of which turn out well and others not so well. Here is a distance shot of mountains around Sedona where we toured last weekend.

And yesterday my husband took a holiday for our trip to Apache Junction and the run up the Apache Trail to Tortilla Flat for lunch. We were packed into the rental car--five of us and a car seat--but managed to have a wonderful time. Here is a lovely vista with different coloured mountains. The overhead clouds cause the black mountains down below so that the scene is continually changing as the clouds scud across the blue. Canyon Lake beckons in the foreground.

At Goldfield we stopped and enjoyed the western town, complete with train ride, saloon and lots of vintage buildings. The engineer sported a grey foot-long beard and a ponytail of the same length. He had lots of information but his droning voice meant my attention drifted away and I played with Chelsea, took pictures and made up my own story of the view. I like this finger-pointing saguaro dominating the street here.

With the sun behind me the saguaros look completely different. It takes about 70 years for a second branch to start to form on one of these giants. Some of those which have many arms are about 350 years old.

My husband posed for me pointing up to the 'lady in red' beckoning from the second floor window. Now what was she meaning exactly????

This is the same picture, backed up a bit, and grandpa has Chelsea with him.

On the way to Sedona we stopped and toured the lovely but cold site of Montezuma's Castle. Here Ron and Chelsea are caught in front of a huge tree. I'll bet this site is especially pretty when it's not so cold and there is greenery all around.

On the way to Goldfield I snapped this:

A couple of nights ago we took Chelsea to the Rainforest Cafe which was a real treat for all of us. Entering the restaurant we met trees and branches overhead which were covered with birds and fishes. As we waited to be shown to our table we stood underneath a fish tank which formed an arch. The fish were of all colours and quite large. It was exciting. When we sat down at our table we were right beside these elephants which periodically would roar and move. The first time they did this, the lights went dim, flickered, rain sounds rose and the elephants roared. I quick laughed and encouraged Chelsea to laugh, telling her these were not real. She made the jump and by the time the same thing happened a few more times was hardly paying much attention. Quite a lot of fun, though.

This is Montezuma's Castle, mentioned above. Can you believe people lived here?

Arizona is famous for its sunrises and sunsets. Here is one I caught, looking out over our patio.

We went to a marvelous zoo with the family and here a zoo volunteer is helping Chelsea feed the giraffe.

I loved this majestic tiger on the move. Often you only see them lying in the sun but this boy was charging about his enclosure. Wonderful.

And here is an Arizona sunset.

We love this state for its arid beauty, its cool shade, its mountain grandness and its lack of humidity. And this time we had lots of company: sister, daughter's family, sister-in-law and her husband. The last week we're here we'll be connecting with other friends and I'll be checking out some bead stores. Yummy! Beadergirl rises again in Phoenix.

Bits and Pieces

Today I'm staring at this blank page and wondering what to write. It's time to write, I want to write but I'm caught in that loop of everything I think about seeming too dull. Does everyone feel that their life is just a little north of boring sometimes? Well, I'll try anyhow.

Here I am sitting at my laptop across from my husband who is on a company update call while sitting at his laptop. We are definitely in the tech world. We are lucky enough to have most of the month here in Arizona where the temperature hovers around 70 during the day. Pretty nice. Back home the temp is way below freezing and boots and mitts are required. I sit here in shirt sleeves and capri pants.

We went to the Phoenix zoo on Wednesday and saw lots of things but the most fun was watching granddaughter, Chelsea, almost two, as she discovered this new world. She lasted quite a while but towards the end of the 2 1/2 hours she got a bit cranky. We rushed the monkeys, the rhinos and the elephants and headed home for lunch. I enjoyed the walking, the absolutely perfect cool weather, and snapping my camera trying for that perfect shot.

Saturday we took the two-hour drive to Sedona, one of the most thrilling places to see in the world. It is stunning. Pictures will be coming when I can get them uploaded. Some technical difficulties here, unfortunately.

We've had lots of company here, Ron's sister and brother-in-law, my sister, and of course our daughter's family is here, too. It makes sitting by the fire pit at night, or going to the laid on events (name that tune, marshmallow things by the fire, and others) a lot more fun than when it's just the two of us. Kind of the best of both worlds.

Hilton Head SC again

On our recent trip to Hilton Head (we've been many times before) we met up with teaching friends who were there as well. Here they are below:

Oops, no! This is an alligator ( and its baby--look hard) reflected in the stream on our walk through Sea Pines Forest Preserve WITH our friends. Here Dace is trying to fit into a hollow tree for my camera.

Notice the turtles in this boggy swamp. They are some of my favorite things on this nature walk.

I got ahead of the group and made them pose for this shot. It was early December but still some greenery in South Carolina.

So special to have friends to share this relaxing and enjoyable vacation island with. Also for me it was terrific to share it with two seafood lovers as we all went to the Crazy Crab at Harbour Point and I had clam soup--delicious--and crab cakes--pretty good.

We'll go back to Barony Beach again, for sure!