Monday Morning Musings
Posted on July 6, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet
Stantastic!
( “Singing Stan” on the Main Stage )
I haven’t been to Stanfest in several years. Of course, you will remember that last year, the festival had to be cancelled because of a severe tropical storm that blew through the region. The weather on the weekend was perfect. I think that there were a lot of people like us who genuinely like the festival and the outstanding lineup of musicians and also wanted to support the event after last year’s problems.
If I could pass along one small piece of advice to the organizers: do not advertise a swimming pool in your program and then not deliver on the goods. We arrived Saturday afternoon and it was very warm. As some of you know, it is rarely hot in Canso with its proximity to the sea and very changeable weather. When you are traveling with a 7 year old and are counting on the pool to pass the time, finding it closed is disappointing to say the least. It made for a long afternoon for all of us.
I was having coffee the other morning with a few friends and a recent empty nester was mentioning that for the first time that she could remember, the children’s bedroom doors were actually opened. Some of you may not understand the significance of this if you were lucky enough to have teenagers who kept their rooms neat and tidy. But , let’s face it “neat and tidy”, “teenagers” and “bedrooms” are rarely used in the same sentence… especially at the end of a school year.
I thought that I would try and describe a typical teenager’s bedroom. Now, I have to admit that those days are in the rear view mirror for Betty and me but I suspect that not a lot has changed. Dirty laundry is dirty laundry after all and a slice of pizza with mould on it wouldn’t look much different now than it did 10 years ago.
So, when your child utters those dreaded words one day into vacation ( “I’m bored” ), suggest that they don a hazmat suit and clean their bedrooms. It is the perfect summer job as it is likely to last two months. Coming soon , look for “Sweet Dreams.”
On Wednesday, I will be publishing my story on the late Frank McGibbon. Back in the day, Frank was a one man athletic department. He coached many sports by himself, designed training programs, manufactured training equipment and looked after the upkeep of the grounds. Under a sometimes gruff exterior, he was a man who was totally dedicated to the health and well being of the youth of Antigonish town and county.
I spent more time researching this story than anyone I’ve written to date. I learned some things about Frank that I never knew before. Grab a cup of coffee… this is a long one. It is called, “Frankly Ahead of His Time.”
I bumped into Sadie Anderson and her parents the other day at Columbus Field. Some of you will remember that Sadie is a four year old girl who has cancer. A few months ago, I had the pleasure of being the emcee for a fundraiser for Sadie at Piper’s Pub. I am pleased to report that Sadie is progressing and the family is optimistic about her prospects for recovery. Her mother commented that there were children at the IWK who were far worse off than Sadie. Too many of us moan and groan about our problems, which are really quite trivial. If you ever need a reminder about how good you actually have it, go visit a children’s hospital, or any hospital for that matter.
The preaching is over!
It’s Highland Games week in Antigonish and the second night of this years Antigonish Art Fair is this Friday evening ( 10th. ). Come down to Chisholm Park and drop by the gazebo to see me. Great entertainment, awesome food and lots of fantastic art. And we have an amazing Children’s Corner ( no pool unless you decide to jump in the Brierly Brook! ).
Have a great week.
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