Posted on August 7, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet

Morning glory on the Main

 

 

Is it proper to say that a day can be delicious?

I took the picture above very early Wednesday morning on a walk. There wasn’t a breath of wind and the temperature was simply exquisite for walking. When I turned the corner onto Main Street from College, I saw the sun’s reflection on several buildings along the Main. It was quite stunning and looked like an artist had taken a brush and a can of bronze paint and decided to “paint the town.”

Walking is a major part of my health regime. And speaking of health, I heard a very interesting show the other day on CBC radio. They were discussing dieting and they were interviewing a doctor. He basically said that dieting simply doesn’t work. He went on at length about our food habits and our exercise regime. The word “balance” came up over and over again. He made an insightful observation that people should spend more time in the kitchen ( not eating but thinking about what you eat )  than the gym. Too many people think that exercise is the key to keeping the weight off but , sad to say, it just ain’t so. I remember on some of my marathon training runs, burning anywhere from 1500 to 2000 calories. That’s great but only if it is matched with proper nutrition.

When it comes to food, I have terrific willpower. Except when I don’t. When I’m good, I’m really good, but like most people, I fall off the wagon. Still trying to find the elusive balance.

While we’re on the subject of food, is it just me or is there a general rise in the consumption of chicken? I am heeding the advice to reduce my red meat intake but the result is that every other meal seems to be chicken. We have eaten so much chicken lately that ( gasp! ), we had to throw a few pieces  in the composter the other day. We try not to waste a scrap of food but occasionally, something gets pushed to the back of the fridge and has to be tossed. When Betty called to ask me about its “best before date”, I told her that I was “chickened out.” The words weren’t out of my mouth and I was off to the races writing a story of the same name, about the proliferation of chicken.

I didn’t get a lot of “shares” on the picture of the earwig the other day. Coming up Saturday is my story called “Bugged” which speaks in glowing terms about all the interesting bugs creeping around our houses and yards these days with warm temperatures and high humidity.

The second last Art Fair is tomorrow evening at Chisholm Park. Turn the barbeque off and come down for some fabulous ethnic food, an evening of first class entertainment and a chance to meet several artists and artisans. Starts at 6:00 p.m. and goes until 9:00 p.m.

Have a great weekend.

Posted on August 6, 2014 under Storytelling with 3 comments

Site of MacCormick’s tree rope swing

 

 

“Kick a stone, down the road,

Run and catch the wind

Theme song:  “Up ,Up With People”  ( The Up With People Movement )

 

So, how do you get your children to sleep at night?

Over the generations, this has been discussed and debated.  There have been volumes of books written on the subject and countless articles in parenting magazines.  But no one ever asked me, so I am going to give you the definitive answer.

The other day, my daughter commented (gleefully!) that her two year old daughter had slept the entire night.  This was stated with something bordering on incredulity.  What had her daughter done that day that so altered her flight path into bed?  A careful inquisition unearthed the fact that her child had spent a good deal of the day outdoors.

I was walking to work recently when I found myself kicking a stone.  Good thing no one noticed.  At least no one alerted the authorities.  This simple act, so ingrained in my persona, was something we all did as children.  Even when there wasn’t anyone to play with, you could kick a stone to alleviate boredom.  It was all so simple back then.

When was the last time you waded through a field of hay that was up to your chest?   Or how about experiencing the bitter taste of an un-ripened crab apple?   Do you remember climbing up a tree to survey the vast universe in front of you?  Or soaring to the heavens on the MacCormick’s tree swing?

Do kids build tree houses anymore?  Fort building was a rite of passage when I was a child.  You didn’t have to go far to find the forest for the trees.  With the preponderance of softwood trees for building material you invariably got spruce gum stuck on your hands, which mysteriously turned black.  Occasionally we tried chewing the spruce gum.  Most of us decided that Double Bubble was much more pleasing to the palate.

Do you remember chestnuts bursting from their burrs in the autumn of the year?  We drilled holes in them to make necklaces.  I can still easily recall the smell.

We tossed balls back and forth and played every imaginable game and sport … all without adult supervision.  There was no such thing as parents duking it out over their kid not getting enough playing time.  Any skirmishes were handled democratically and privately by the kids themselves.

Businesses are forever doing cost benefit analyses.  What cost inputs are required to get the desired benefits?

There is no cost to simple play while the benefits are priceless.  So, here is the ultimate solution for getting your children to bed.  Run them ragged outdoors and fill their bellies with fresh air.  Present them with some of life’s simple pleasures.  You might want to join in occasionally, just for old time’s sake.  And if they have a smidgen of fight left in them as they stagger to bed, read them a story or two.

Move over Julie Andrews.  These are a few of my favorite things.

 

 

Posted on August 4, 2014 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

A “wig” I won’t be wearing any time soon

 

 

This is a “special” time of the summer, especially a hot and humid summer, when a wide variety of bugs make their annual appearance. I think my favorite is earwigs, pictured above. I was getting in the shower the other day and was unwrapping my towel from the shower curtain rod, when out popped a couple of very large earwigs. They landed in the tub near my feet. I wasn’t surprised or alarmed. More like mild disgust. Earwigs must have been standing in the “ugly” lineup when the creator was handing out looks.

The other insects you may have noticed in abundance lately are fruit flies. Yes, like you, we dutifully compost and have a small container in the kitchen that eventually makes its way to the green bin. But not before armies of fruit flies find the container and hover around the lid like teenage girls to Justin Bieber. ( apologies ladies! ). Not comparing Bieb to fruit flies.

Do you remember what your green bin looked like when they only picked up garbage every other week in the summer? The maggot problem has been solved with the invention of the plastic compost bags. If you are not using them, grab a box. Experts now tell us that we should keep our compost in the freezer until moved to the green bin.

Ok. All of this talk about insects prompted me to write a story about this summer phenomenon. It is appropriately called “ Bugged. “ This one has a surprise ending.

I attended a marionette show last week with my granddaughter. It was absolutely fantastic. It was amazing to see the age ranges in the crowd. There was at least one infant (!) and one 90 something lady. The show was for the young and young at heart. It brought back a lot of memories as the show was “Rumplestiltskin”, a play that I performed in during elementary school days. I sure wish that I could turn straw into gold today. It would make retirement planning somewhat easier.

I also attended the Busker Festival in Halifax on the weekend. It was bedlam down at the waterfront. We went there with our one year old and six year old granddaughters. I bumped into some friends from “The Hawk” who were also chasing around a five year old grandson. They looked as ragged out as me. We all love our grandkids but trying to keep up with them over any extended period of time ( beyond 15 minutes! ), is a monumental task.

Thanks for the great response to “Ticket to Ride.” I think everyone can identify with that feeling when a Mountie goes by you and you know you might be going a bit too fast. The quick glance in the rear view mirror, followed by accelerated heart rate and sweaty palms. If you missed this, you can go back and read it. All of my stories are archived.

Every writer likes compliments and every once in a while, you get one that is special. I received one last week and the author had an interesting way of describing my writing. If you go to my home page and click on “Testimonials” you can see his remarks.

The second last Antigonish Art Fair show is this Friday at Chisholm Park. We have a jam packed lineup of entertainment, art and cuisine from around the world. We will also be treated to a performance by one of the world’s leading practitioners of Sheng Zen Qi Gong, Master Li. Master Li is coming from China to put on some workshops and will be our special guest. If you haven’t made it out to the Art Fair yet, please join us. It is a fun filled evening for the whole family.

Hope you have a wonderful day off today and enjoy the week ahead.

P.S. My Tuesday story will run on Wednesday this week.