Posted on April 20, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Getting pumped in Wyoming

( Peter MacDonald photo )

 

 

“Another one bites the dust.”  Queen

Two trips. 16000 km. Open roads. Traveling with your son…. Priceless!

Peter and I returned home after our latest sojourn across the continent. After basking in the warmth and the vibes of Vancouver Island for four months, Peter is back in the province to crank things up again with Mac and Hawes. We had a quick, intense and thankfully, uneventful trip . We left Vancouver on Saturday , April 11^th. and on Thursday night ( 16^th. ) arrived at my brother’s place in Amherst at 8:00 p.m. We took the Northern U.S. route through Washington State, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. We crossed the border at Windsor , Ontario and completed the remainder of the journey in Canada.

There wasn’t a lot of time for sightseeing, but we did manage to see a few things including Mt. Rushmore. ( see picture at the bottom of the page ! ). Peter might be going back to Victoria next fall and we’re already talking about doing the middle America route ( the I-70 ). Even though this last trip was a tad crazy, we still managed to learn a lot. Being able to easily access history with a cell phone and Wikipedia, we learned about Custer’s last stand in Eastern Montana and many, many other things. It’s easier to visualize history when you see where it happened with your own eyes.

What was the highlight of the trip for me? A visit to St. Mary of the Lakes rehab center. We stopped in to visit a relative in Kingston, Ontario who was involved in a terrible accident 7 months ago. If you want to get a strong grip on reality, go to a rehab center and thank your lucky stars. Makes a winter of shoveling snow seem quite attractive. Among the shattered bodies and shattered lives, I saw determination and grit that was so inspiring. It was an emotional and uplifting experience.

We were hanging out with three of the residents while they enjoyed a smoke break on a chilly, but sunny afternoon. I got to chatting with Les who lost everything in a terrible motorcycle accident 5 years ago. Well… almost everything. He didn’t lose his perspective or will to live despite the fact that he is a quadriplegic and will spend his remaining days in this facility. We chatted and we shared a few laughs. Tomorrow, you will get to see how the conversation went in a story I wrote on the weekend called “Les is More.” I plan to share my stories with Les on a regular basis to help him pass the time. He doesn’t have any family close by.

One last thing about the trip. Do you have any idea how exasperating it is to drive for 14 hours, check into a hotel at 11:00 at night and not be able to get on their wi-fi? And with a story deadline the next morning? Some of you already know about me and computers ( go to my website and enter “ ctrl.alt.del” in the search bar to refresh your memory.). Fatigue and computer problems are a toxic mix. I don’t have the proper title for the story but it will come to me. Coming soon at week45.

I am hoping that some of you will be able to come to the SaltScapes Expo later this week at Exhibition Park in Halifax. I will be at an Antigonish booth selling books and promoting my speaking business.

Please keep May 9^th. in your busy social calendar if you are going to be in or around Antigonish. I have been asked to be Emcee at a fundraiser at Piper’s Pub for a little 4 year old boy who has cancer. More details to follow.

Please, count your many blessings.

And have a terrific week.

 

Posted on April 19, 2015 under News & Updates with one comment

Exhibition Park April 24/25/26

Please come and visit me at the SaltScapes Expo this coming weekend in Halifax . I will be sharing a booth with the Antigonish Visitor Information Center. I  will be selling books and promoting my burgeoning speaking business.

I hope you will agree that my good friend, Jean Pearcey of Jeanious Designs, did a wonderful job on the poster board ( above  )which will be adorning my table. Jean does amazing work, She does it on time, on budget and returns calls and e-mails promptly. I highly recommend her. She also did the cover of my second book.

Posted on April 15, 2015 under Storytelling with 2 comments

Andrew’s tribute to the veterans

 

 

What do most of us see when we walk the streets of our home town?  We observe the obvious: storefronts made of bricks and mortar, with displays in the window beckoning us to enter.  We pass trees, telephone poles and fire hydrants.  We see playgrounds and train tracks.  And lights telling us to stop, go or slow down.  Pretty mundane stuff.

Andrew Murray sees a whole other landscape and Antigonish is all the better for it.  The most ordinary object suggests limitless possibilities.  As someone described it: “He has magic eyes.  He sees in design.”

His talents emerged at a very young age.  To the Highland Drive gang he was “Wonder Boy”.  He regularly amazed his peers.  At a time when kids can be cruel, he was always kind to his friends.  Even then he saw the world differently than most.  And he wasn’t beyond mischief.  One day an outdoor water fight turned into a full-fledged war.  Before good judgement could prevail, the garden hose had found its way into the Murray home, still gushing full throttle.

Andrew attended Mount Allison University and, according to a classmate in the Fine Arts program, he was a superstar.  His projects were “eye popping” as he demonstrated an exuberance and flair that left his colleagues and audience breathless.

He took his considerable talents afar and dazzled people at the Stratford Festival and the CBC.  He designed the sets for “The Nutcracker” at Neptune in Halifax. But Antigonish has a way of drawing you home and, after many years, he returned and began to transform the town; store by store, window box by window box, mural by mural.

His talents were instrumental when the good people of St. James United Church undertook a major renovation a few years ago.  This stately structure has been standing sentinel at the corner of Church and Main since 1861.  Andrew made sure that his vision for renewal would not be done at the expense of the church’s rich history.

He was involved in theatre at an early age and, in addition to his skill as a designer, he was also a prodigious talent on stage.  He performed in a number of productions at Theatre Antigonish.  According to one of his directors, his dedication and hard work set an example for university students who were cutting their teeth.   Sometimes, to the chagrin of those in charge, he would ignore standard practices and procedures and create his own rules; because he saw things that nobody else saw.  And he would usually succeed, leaving the entire cast and crew in awe.

People in Antigonish have embraced Andrew.  They have come to trust his taste and judgment.  He has been an integral part of a team that has transformed our Main Street.  As one person said, “He has a feel for the town.  He has sensitivity to its sensitivities”.   He has transformed many businesses by designing unique surroundings and exteriors that are eye-catching and classy.  His window displays are what one might see on 5^th Avenue.

Despite his immense talents and his incredible, exhausting work ethic, there is one demon that Andrew has yet to conquer: raccoons.  It seems that raccoons follow Andrew wherever he goes.  Apparently, a number of years ago when was in Toronto he was at the wheel of a convertible with the roof down.  He pulled up for a brief stop.  He parked at the rear of the building near some dumpsters.  Having completed his errand, he jumped into the car and made his way onto the 401.  As he reached cruising speed, he heard a rustling coming from the rear.  He adjusted the mirror and spotted a raccoon in the back seat, chewing on a piece of watermelon.  I can imagine that the critter had one paw draped carelessly over the seat and its head flung back, enjoying the sun and breeze.  One wonders what the conversation would have been between Andrew and an OPP officer, had he been pulled over.

The cornerstone of every community is its cultural base.  We have to nurture our artists and musicians and crafts people because they are the product of our rich history and the conduit to its preservation.  “It takes a village …” as the saying goes.   I like to think that we have joined hands with Bob and Mavis to become Andrew’s extended family.  And we enjoy the give and take that goes along with that.

Andrew is a rare gem.    He is a visionary with a brilliant mind and a quick wit.  In the words of one long-time resident; “Andrew’s contribution to the town and business community is incalculable.”  We are so very fortunate to call him one of our own.

Even the raccoons think he’s special.