Posted on July 10, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet

Allan Syliboy appearing tomorrow at Antigonish Art Fair

Hope you’re having a great Highland Games week so far. There’s lots more to come.

I want to dedicate this space today to the Antigonish Art Fair. The second of five shows will be held tomorrow evening ( Friday, July 11^th. ) at Chisholm Park starting at 6:00 p.m. You can just click on the link and get yourself up to speed. www.antigonishartfair.ca

To put it simply, an ambitious group is trying to make Antigonish into an arts and culture destination, along the lines of what Nashville did with country music. The fair is a multi faceted event showcasing local artists and artisans as well as other artistic forms. There’s also a food court. Two weeks ago we had ethnic foods. Not sure what’s on the menu this week.

I will once again host the main stage at the gazebo for an action packed evening of music and entertainment.

We have a very special treat this week. First Nation’s artist, activist and musician, Allan Syliboy will be in attendance. His life long friend and occasional “partner in crime”, Bruce Campbell will be doing an old fashioned “medicine show.” There will be two performances during the evening. Allan and Bruce will also have some of their art available for purchase.

I met with the organizing committee a few days ago, along with Bruce, to try and understand exactly what he and Allan would be doing. I don’t inhabit the art world nor do I claim to understand artists themselves. They see the world differently. I listened intently three times trying to figure out how to present this as the Emcee. I have a couple of university degrees but I was still befuddled when the discussion wrapped up. I guess art is meant to be unpredictable so Friday will be a work in progress for me. I think it is going to be a lot of fun.

We will also have a harpist, some classical musicians and tiny Highland Dancers. These young ladies performed at the last show and were definitely a crowd pleaser.

I did mention multi faceted, didn’t I ?

We will also be treated to a demonstration of Sheng Zhen Qi Gong. Please don’t ask me to explain this. Just come and see for yourself. I am told that one of the world’s leading practitioner’s, Master Li will be joining us for a performance on August 8^th. I gather he is the “Wayne Gretzky” of this discipline.

As an aside, we were meeting in a room above Marie’s Flower Shop. By the time our meeting ended, the flower people had left and locked the side door to the building. We were locked in. I scanned the room and noticed a package of gum and four bottles of water. I had visions of “Lord of the Flies” if we had to stay the night. Luckily we were rescued.

Oh yes. A reminder of the street fair today on Main Street. I will be parked outside of the 5 to $1.00 hocking my books. Come by and say hello.

Have a great weekend.

 

Posted on July 9, 2014 under Storytelling with one comment

Living in a vacuum

 

 

“I once was lost but now am found …”

Amazing Grace

One of the many challenges of aging is forgetfulness.

I attended a funeral recently and, at the sign of peace, I shook the hand of a woman standing nearby.  She looked vaguely familiar.  She called me by name.  This was followed by a twitter of angst as I tried desperately to recall hers.  When the mass ended, I turned to the people behind me, folks that I knew.  “Do either of you know who that woman is across the aisle?”  “Certainly,” said Duncan, an old high school classmate.  “It’s my sister.”

We’ve all misplaced or lost things during our lifetimes.  It is not uncommon for a man to lose his wedding band or for his wife to mislay a small earring.  When you are young this is no big deal but as the years creep along, this type of thing happens far too frequently.

But, truthfully, when was the last time you lost your vacuum cleaner?

We got the call on the eve of Canada Day.  Our realtor announced that someone wanted to see our house at noon the following day.  Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal because, with just the two of us home, keeping the house “viewing ready” is quite simple.

Unless you throw a six year old grandchild into the mix.  She had come to spend the better part of the summer with us.

The house looked like the aftermath of a tornado with arts and crafts, toys and books strewn in every nook and cranny.  One of the other challenges of harbouring a youngster who is far away from home is getting enough sleep.  And when Nana is regularly drawn in in for a cuddle in the middle of the night, the fatigue is constant.  Just like the good old days when our own four children were still under our wings.

We have just about perfected the dance that is known as “Prelude to House Showing”.   We both have our list of chores and we quietly go about our business.  We start by picking up and hiding things that are not shiny and new (i.e. most of what we own).  Once the beds have been made and the dusting completed I grab the vacuum and wend my way through the house, ending up in the basement.   It is blessedly cool there on these warm and humid days.

“Where’s the vacuum cleaner? “ “It’s in the closet of the big bedroom,” replies my wife.  I go to the very closet where said vacuum was last seen.  Nope.  Not there.  I do a cursory look in the other bedroom closets but to no avail.  The search continues and, hard as it is to believe, the vacuum is nowhere to be found.  Laundry room?  No.  Furnace room?   Negative?  Shed?  Nope.  She covers the same route and comes up empty-handed as well.

I haven’t even started to vacuum and beads of perspiration are forming on my brow and on my clothing.  It is the hottest day of the summer and, with the humidity, it must be 40 degrees C.   But I am sweating for another reason as well.  Is it possible, that in my 63^rd year, I am having my first major “senior’s moment?”  Could it be that I loaned the vacuum or inadvertently took it to the office?

Grasping at straws, I place a call to my daughter wondering if she may have borrowed it.  Hearing the loud guffaw on the other end of the line, I take that for a no.  I leave a voice message for our carpenter/painter friend who was working on the house recently.  I send private Facebook messages to anyone who may have the slightest notion of where the vacuum may be lurking.  Several respondents offer theirs as they are “like new” and not likely to be used anytime soon.

I am just about at the point of hauling out the rosary beads and calling in the “big guns.”   I am invoking the name of St. Anthony when I hear a giggle from upstairs.  The giggle quickly morphs into full blown hysterical laughter, as can only come from one person.

“I found the vacuum!” was the bit I was able to discern, as tears rolled down my wife’s face.  “Where was it?” I asked.  “In the cedar chest!” she managed to reply.

Why, of course, the cedar chest.  Why didn’t I think of looking in there?   It appears that the last time we played hide and seek before a showing, my wife decided that the vacuum (a small “stick” variety) would fit nicely in the cedar chest rather than a closet.  After all, we want prospective buyers to think that the house is always immaculate and doesn’t require a vacuum.

I am thinking of getting an electrician to install a locator device on the vacuum, similar to what we have for tracking down the house phone when it is on the lam.

Before vacating the house for the showing, I head to the flower shop to get something nice to grace the dining room table.

“I’ll have a dozen Forget-Me-Nots, please.”

 

Posted on July 7, 2014 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Matt goes bananas at the end of his cross Canada bike ride

 

 

“Hot town, summer in the city

Back of my neck getting dirt and gritty.”

The Lovin’ Spoonful

I found myself humming this tune a lot over the past week or so with the hot and humid weather. This song became popular in 1966 and is one of those summer songs that sticks to me like a sweaty t-shirt. Songs that came out on the “hit parade” back in the 60’s, especially summer songs, seem to have staying power,  but maybe that’s just my baby boomer mentality.

So it’s Monday and we’re comfortably into the summer of 2014. Here are some songs from 1968 that bring back a flood of memories.

Born To Be Wild.  Piece of My Heart.  White Room.  Jumpin’ Jack Flash.  Hey Jude.  The Weight.  While My Guitar Gently Weeps.  All Along The Watchtower.  Heard It Through The Grapevine.  Sitting on the Dock of The Bay.  Mrs. Robinson.  Those Were The Days.  For Once in My Life.  Angel of the Morning. Bottle of Wine ( OK. So all the songs weren’t great! ).  I Say a Little Prayer.

It’s amazing that when you hear the first few notes of an old classic, you are transported back in time. You can remember with absolute clarity, where you were and who you were with.  What were your favorite songs from back then?  Is there one in particular that stands out? Please wade in. Let’s have some harmless fun and share a few memories…. at least the ones that are fit to print!

“No Cake Walk” received a terrific response. I think the picture of Ellie’s wedding cake was the magnet that drew people to the story. I can joke about it now but delivering wedding cakes was among the most stressful things I have ever done in my life.

I hope some of you can make it out to the Antigonish Art Fair this coming Friday ( 11^th. ) at Chisholm Park. Besides the local artists and some great food, we have a terrific lineup of talent.

I attended the homecoming celebration on Saturday for Matt MacDonald. Matt ( We Move This Town ) completed his cross Canada tour on his bike and arrived safely In Antigonish with the winds of hurricane Arthur battering him on the final leg of the trip.  The reception was held at the Legion. Matt is vegan so it won’t surprise you that the buffet table was laden with more fruit than I have ever seen in one place other than the fruit and produce section of a major grocery chain. Matt is causing a lot of people to think about their diets and lifestyles. He is an inspiration and we are lucky to have him in our community.

Coming up on Wednesday ( Casket day ), I will publish my story about the missing vacuum cleaner. “Taken to the Cleaners” is my vivid recollection of staging the house for a showing last week when , inexplicably, the vacuum cleaner disappeared.

It’s Highland Games week. Let’s hope for good weather and try and get out to support the Highland society. I will be selling books in front of the 5 to $1.00 during the street fair on Thursday.

Have a great week.