Holiday Cheer!

We are fast approaching my favourite time of year.
No, not Christmas (although I am a huge fan).
No, not New Years (although I appreciate getting to start another one).

My favourite time of year is that time right in between Christmas and New Years, after all the chaos and madness that Christmas can bring and before the excitement of ringing in the New Year. This is my time. I get to snuggle up with my books and read to my heart’s content. Now I am not talking about the latest on social media, running your own business or how to make a ton of money. All of those are worthy reads throughout the year as a matter of course. Those are the books I have to read to stay on top of things. I’m talking nothing but pleasure reading. A novel, a story, an adventure.  You aren’t going to solve any mysteries of the world, cure cancer or strike it rich.  You are going to read just for the pure pleasure of reading the written word.

So, I thought I would share a bit of my Christmas Library with you.  To be honest, I do start before Christmas with two very special books. First is Williams – Sonoma Christmas, the book I can plan all my meals and entertaining with. The second is Joy to the World  - A Family Christmas Treasury which has something for everyone. There are stories, songs and poems from all around the world and as the name implies is a family tradition and treasure.

Then it’s time to get cozy with the rest of my favourite Christmas reading.
Richard Paul Evans has a wonderful collection starting with his well known The Christmas Box, then Finding Noel and finally The Gift. Evans’ style is warm and intimate and makes you feel like you are getting a personal glimpse into his characters’ lives. 
The Last Holiday Concert by the author of Frindle, Andrew Clements, is fun for young readers and adults alike. One to share with your kids. 

One of my favourite authors, Frank McCourt, whose memoir Angela’s Ashes won him a Pulitzer Prize wrote a captivating children’s storybook shortly before his death. Angela and the Baby Jesus is a lovely story, elegantly illustrated and the perfect Christmas story for all ages. 

Another Irish author I read a lot is Andrew M. Greely. He takes me on adventures and makes me laugh out loud and quite often I find myself double checking that yes indeed this man is a Catholic Priest. In Home For Christmas he “weaves a moving tale of redemption in the grand Holiday tradition of It’s A Wonderful Life“.

Perhaps my most loved book to read this time of year is White Christmas:The Story Of An American Song by Jody Rosen. This vividly written historical tale tells the story of how one of the most famous Christmas songs came to be.
With any luck there will be a new book to add to my Christmas Library this year. Either way, I will be quite content to put my feet up, snuggle under a throw and read to my hearts content. By the way, I will also be sipping my favourite Holiday beverage, a Chai Alexander which I thought I would share with you too.

Chai Alexander 
1 oz Brandy
1/2 oz Voyant Chai Liquer
1/2 oz Dark Creme De Cacao
1 oz milk or cream
Shake in a cocktail shaker until frothy & strain into a cocktail glass. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg.

Cheers and Merry Christmas!
M

Lighten Up!

There it is again.
During a call home, my husband let me know that he had mentioned (yet again) to someone that they should read my blog. My Paul has to be my biggest fan. He is encouraging, he is proud and (sometimes to my great discomfort) he is a totally unbiased, harsh editor. But he often recommends my musings to people.

This is the part that snapped my head back a bit…
“I told her you were usually funnier, but …”
Excuse me? Was he apologizing for me? Yes, it was an innocent comment not meant with any kind of malice. However, the only thing that caused him to narrowly miss being locked out when he got home and having to deal with the wrath of “M” when he finally got in was that it wasn’t the first time I had heard it. In fact, truth be told, I myself recently wrote a comment to someone that said they might enjoy some of my previous posts more. (The nerve of me!)

Upon further review I have to admit, I have had a pretty sobering and somber year of blogging. Understandably so, as I had a pretty sobering and somber year. Let’s see, there was death, disease, job loss, and let’s not forgot moving far enough away that homesickness is now my best friend. But enough is enough. When people start making excuses for you not being amusing any more there is an indication that some witty repartee is in order. It is definitely time to lighten up.

I decided to search for some inspiration, where else but the internet. It has been a while since I have actively searched out new blogs to read. There are several that I follow and read faithfully. One of my first is still one of my favourites. Writer Dad  by Sean Platt (and now his wife Cindy posts as well). When I first read “Wrapping the Morning Glories”  it effected me so much that I knew I would be reading this man’s work in a big way for the rest of my life. He did not disappoint. He has gone on to write several books in a very wide range, including Children’s books – Syllable Soup (which I read even though I don’t have kids), Four Seasons, an intricately woven novel of how people effect each other, A horror novel, Available Darkness, (which I devoured) and a thriller serial series, Yesterday’s Gone (which I can never get enough of). Both of these were written with his writing partner, David Wright. Sean has also written “how to” books such as, Writing Online, and 100 Blog Post Ideas That Work. This guy can make me laugh, cry and want to sleep with the light on. How versatile is that? Yeah, I’m his number 1 fan, but not in a creepy, Kathy Bates/Misery kind of way.

I got lost. That’s right, I got lost in the internet. I have spent countless hours searching out new blogs, reading new blogs and loving new blogs! I made a point of reading at least two posts from each blog I found to give them a fair chance. Then there were the ones I couldn’t stop reading. The ones that I felt compelled to read post after post because … well, I just couldn’t stop. Here are a few:
Verena Fischer loves to Tango. In fact she has a blog about just that, Te quiero tango!  However, it is her other blog that I found through this one that has me captivated. Experiments In Experience (one day at a time). With Experiments in Experience Verena has made a commitment to take photos every day and share one of them on this blog. She is a gifted photographer who is able to make every day scenes into art, and the words she chooses to share only enhance the image. I love seeing her surroundings through her eyes … every day.

Lesley Carter is the Queen of Adventure and has the blog to prove it! Lesley Carter – Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences  has me holding my breath and my heart at the same time as I read each exciting adventure one after another. Whether it is bungee jumping, rock climbing, caving, white water rafting , paragliding, swimming with beluga whales or sky diving, Lesley takes you along for the ride as she tells her tales with all the shock and awe she experiences. All accompanied by the most stunning photographs. I have been living vicariously through her since I discovered her blog…well, maybe not the part where she flew through the air on a trapeze in her wedding gown.

Java Girl says she blogs about random things in her daily life or anything that catches her eye at the moment. What caught my eye were the things she found interesting enough to make it to her blog, Java Girl’s Life  She hooked me in with Race You To The Bottom Of the Pool  (seriously, stop reading right now and check out the shots of this place … just don’t forget to come back). She kept me fascinated with her Magical Little Hotel in Chile and had me browsing through her archives with Some Cool Sand Sculptures  and Jason Taylor’s Underwater Sculptures . She is clever, witty, charming, emotional and really hard to stop reading.

Linda Jeffers Photography Blog struck a personal note with her stunning post A Photo Shoot of Women Experiencing Hair Loss As A Result Of Chemotherapy. Been there done that and wish someone had thought of this sooner.

Perhaps my favourite new blog is that of  Otto von Münchow. I got caught up on one of his websites (both are worth having a look at,  Otto von Münchow & Blue Hour Photo Workshops) checking out his portfolio when I stumbled onto his blog, Munchow’s Creative Photo Blog. His visuals are stunningly striking and quite frankly often take my breath away. However, the accompanying story with the insight into the photographs is gripping.

I know that is more than a few, but I guarantee each and every one is worth your checking them out. Hopefully they can inspire you the way they have inspired me. I would love to know what you think of them.
Oh, and I promise to lighten up a little.

Remembering Alone

Every Remembrance Day, for as long as I can remember, I spent with my Dad. Whether it was at a Cenotaph, in an arena or auditorium, or beside a sickbed; I was with my Hero… my Dad at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This year, I will stop at the appointed time and take pause with 2 minutes of silence & reflection to remember, but this year will be different. I will be on my own. I will be remembering my Dad.

Dad enlisted before he had turned 18 and fought in the 2nd World War and in Korea. He served in Canada, Britain, the Central Mediterranean Area, Northwest Europe and the Far East. I now cherish the medals and decorations he was the recipient of. His documents say they are the 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp and War Medal 1939-45, Korea Medal and United Nations Service Medal. He wore them proudly.He was a proud Veteran and taught me well what the day represented. He was a proud Father & Grandfather especially when accompanied by his sons & grandsons who also served our country.

THREE GENERATIONS

In his civilian life he continued to serve his Country & Community and received the Commemorative Medal marking the 125th anniversary of Confederation. He was also very active in his Legion for many years. In fact, many of our family celebrations took place at the Legion. Today I would like to share an article that my Dad wrote about the Legion in Niagara Falls, ON. It appeared in the Niagara Falls Review in a section called First Words.

LEGION HAS LONG HISTORY HERE By BILL GILLIES

The first veterans organization to form in Niagara Falls was known as The Great War Veterans Association. This group came together in 1917. Then in 1925 the many and diverse veterans organizations decided they would be more effective as a single group and The Royal Canadian Legion became a reality, as the Branch 51 indicates Niagara Falls Received the 50 first charter in Ontario.
The Royal Canadian Legion from its beginning was first and foremost about remembrance. The Legion conducts annual services of remembrance in our nations capital and in communities throughout Canada on the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month. These services are in memory and to honour our comrades who made the supreme sacrifice for their country. Every year youth Remembrance Day essay, poster and poem contest are held with the winners, at the national level, being taken to Ottawa for the Nov. 11 service. The Silver Cross Mother representing mothers across Canada who lost sons and daughters during conflict in which our country was involved is sponsored by the Legion.
The first Legion building was on Roberts Street but the longtime home of Branch 51 remembered by many in Niagara was the white frame house on Victoria Ave. at Stamford Street, that was home from 1918 to 1971. In the beginning at our first home, support was provided mainly for veterans as many servicemen and women returning from the First World War suffering from war related illness and wounds were left on their own. It will be a surprise to many that 18 to 20 veterans at one time were housed and fed at Branch 51; there was no other help for our returning heroes.
Through the ensuing years a Second World War and the Korean War there was no shortage of service work on behalf of veterans but it was only a matter of time until we reached out to serve the community at large. In the past 10 years Branch 51 has donated $17,000 a year to the community plus donations from poppy funds and our ladies auxiliary.
A story about the Legion without prominent mention of our Ladies Auxiliary would be remiss; it is the ladies who prepare and serve the delicious dinners at all our social events.
In addition, the ladies have bake sales, fashion shows and craft shows to raise money that is returned to the Legion in millions of dollars annually. Then in their spare time the ladies hold euchre games and help at bingo, it is hard to find an activity at the Legion that they are not involved in. The ladies also offer student bursaries and scholarships from secondary school to university level as well as school of nursing and schools for the handicapped.
The Royal Canadian Legion community assistance goes to many diverse groups but perhaps our favourite has been the youth of our community. We are the major supporter of Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Sea, Army and Air Cadets, as well support is given to YWCA Children’s Camp and Summer Playground, N.F. Summer Playground, Boys and Girls Club, Pee Wee Baseball and Hockey. The second most favoured recipient is our local hospital beginning in the 50s with an ice machine and continuing through the years with cash donations of $25,000 over a five-year period. Branch 51 has donated for such equipment as pre-natal monitors, endoscopy, cat scan, birthday beds and recently we furnished a palliative care room at GNGH.
Branch 51 is proud of our contribution to our country and our community we are not financed by any level of government and in fact have turned down the offer of financial assistance from government. We urge anyone that would like the pleasure of helping their community to consider Legion membership, the Legion have the facilities and structures that enable a member to make a difference in your community and your country.

I am sorry to say that I was unable to date this piece, but can tell you at the time of its writing the Legion was located on Valleyway. This was the only location I remember. I am also sorry to say that the building on Valleyway was sold. My Dad became a member in Port Dalhousie for his remaining years. However, there are still lots of healthy, thriving Legion Branches in the cities we all live in now. Like my Dad, I would encourage you to consider Legion membership and the opportunity to make a difference in your community.

Thank you Dad… for everything. I will remember.

Going Through The Violet Door

There is nothing so delectable as curling up with a good book. I can think of no better way to wind up a long weekend than to leisurely finish off a good book. Paul and I are readers. We love books. We have bookcases full of them. They are piled up in corners throughout the house. I confess a Kindle has invaded our home but there is still nothing to compare with the feel, smell or excitement of flipping the page on a real page-turner. We share books…swapping them back and forth, then forward them to my niece who in turn passes them to her friend who reads it and hands it off to her sister and so on. This is something you can’t do with a Kindle.

So, when a recent run into Bowmanville had us parked out front of 185 Church St. we leapt at the chance to walk through the violet-coloured door of the 140 year-old former church. As it says on their website, “Violet Door Books is home to a most eclectic and spirited collection of books, curios and gifts that will fire your imagination and nourish your soul.” The experience actually begins before you even enter the building. To the left of the door are bins with a generous selection of $1 books. To the right of the door are bins with books that are …wait for it…free! It can be quite a while before you finally enter the building, already laden with books.

185 Church St., Bowmanville

When you eventually make it inside, either Bryan or Joanne (sometimes both) will be there to welcome you warmly and help you empty your arms so you can continue on your treasure hunt. Don’t be surprised if this delightful couple (the owners) offer you a cup of tea while you browse.

Books, books and more books take up the right half of the store. These are previously enjoyed books and can be yours for the princely sum of $2.

The left side of the store is quite eclectic. Here you will find bright, shiny new books, jewelry, dolls, boxes, music, candles, crystals, wind chimes, soaps, instruments, bags, clothing, ornaments, baby items and even juggling equipment — and that’s just at first glance! The second look reveals even more. A word of advice: plan for enough time to explore. There are handmade items from Canada, India, Africa and Indonesia. Local authors and creations are featured throughout. My favourite section is the one that holds the children’s books. These are no ordinary children’s books. These are adventures you will want to share with the wee ones in your life. They are books full of learning and magic and fantasy and imagination that your children will treasure all their lives and go on to share with their children.

A few other things you may find interesting…Bryan and Joanne will special-order a book for you…They have an up to date calendar of events on their website…They have created a space that can be made available for meetings or workshops…They have special “Save the Tax” days.

Why are you still reading this? You should be on your way to the “Violet Door” 185 Church Street, Bowmanville, ON, L1C 1T8.

As for me, I am off to finish my book.

You Be The Judge

Last week I spent some time with some of the most talented individuals in the entertainment industry, from all over the world.
No.  I am not talking about Angelina, Brad or George.  I was not at TIFF (Toronto Film Festival).

I had the honour of being one of the judges for the PROMAX/BDA awards.  Something I have participated in for several years and enjoy to no end.

PROMAX/BDA is the International Association for Entertainment Marketing Professionals. The PromaxBDA Awards is the only competition dedicated to recognizing excellence in Marketing, Design and Creative content in the entertainment industry. With thousands of entries each year, the competition is stiff. But if your work is strong enough to bring home a Muse, you’ll understand why the PromaxBDA Awards are the industry standard for excellence.

Personally, I have competed and twice brought home my very own Muse from the annual convention in New York City.  I know what it meant to me to receive this honour, (did I mention twice?) so I take it very seriously when asked to judge the work of others. There are many categories and the only ones you are not eligible to score are ones that you may be competing in yourself. Each category is scored in the same manner. Points are given for Marketing Objective, Overall Creativity and Production quality, with each of these being scored out of 100%. It is always a surprise to see which straw I draw for categories and I was very fortunate to get my two favourite categories while judging PROMAX/BDA ANZ (Australia/New Zealand). “Something For Nothing”, and the “Rocket” awards.

My favourite category is “Something For Nothing”. The name speaks for itself. You have something to promote. There is no money in the budget for this. You have limited resources and quite often the show/special/event hasn’t started yet so you don’t even have any visuals to work with. OK, I admit this may be near and dear to my heart because I myself find that I continually have to create a “Silk Purse from a Sows Ear” (this is where you should look up, way up, and see the name of my blog at the top). It never ceases to astound me what people are capable of creating when they start with nothing. Quite often I find myself watching the same entry over and over again trying to figure out how they came up with their ideas, or because I am astounded at the impact of a piece that is simplicity itself. Here are a couple of my favourites for you to enjoy, each quite different from the other.

Here There   &   The Riff: Promo With Carissa (Long)

The second category I love is called the promo “Rocket” award. This award celebrates new, up and coming talent. As the name insinuates the individuals competing for this award are the bright and shining stars of the future and not even the sky will limit them. They are judged on a body of work with the same criteria as the other awards…Marketing Objective, Overall Creativity & Production Quality. It is a reward itself to be able to view some of the creative genius of these young people and one can only imagine what they will share with us in the future. Here are a few of the people to be on the watch for …
Anastasia Doniants – TVNZ , Karlton Christopher Akari – Fox Sports , Jared Barnes – W-Foxtel , Luke Farquhar– XYZ Networks and Carlos Sanchez – Nickelodeon.  There were several more but this will give you a taste of the talent that is being unleashed on the world.

I spent a week admiring and being inspired by these spots. Laughing, crying, oohing and awing and thoroughly enjoying myself. Always, sad when it is over, I was thrilled to see in my inbox my notification that “Judging for Promax/BDA Africa starts today”, and I was off for another week of viewing some pretty incredible talent.

Note: If you do not belong to PROMAX/BDA or have never attended the PROMAX/BDA Annual Conference at the very least sign up for their Daily Brief where you can be updated on industry happenings and news and are treated to a daily sample of some of the latest brilliance in the industry.

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS…

It has been quite awhile since I have traveled anywhere. It wasn’t long ago that I was a fairly frequent flyer… just not in awhile. Yes, traveling is one of my favourite things but that’s not what I want to talk about.
So there I am in Nashville unpacking all my stuff and getting organized for the next few days. Now, for those of you who know me or those of you who don’t, but happened to read my blog “How Far Will You Go?” you know I am pretty loyal to good products and service. This means that I travel with my some of my favourite products, like shampoo. When I undid the lid to the shampoo I was enveloped in the aroma that hooked me on the shampoo and that convinced me to buy more from the same line. That’s when it hit me. I don’t smell that aroma when I use the shampoo at home any more. Why?

This got me to thinking about some of my other favourite brands/products that have reached a measure of success and then for some reason have strayed away from the very item that gave them that success. Again, I ask, “Why?”.

My thoughts are that it is poor market research/management/customer awareness/just plain stupidity and/or all of the afore mentioned.

OJON Hair Products

OJON Hair Products

There is no doubt in my mind that OJON leads the way with restorative hair products. I recently discovered they are sold on the Shopping Channel but I have been buying them from Sephora for years. According to the blurb their formulas are infused with a 500–year–old beauty secret found in the remote regions of Central America’s Rain Forest. That secret is ojon oil, a.k.a. “nature’s golden elixir”. It works. I love it! The best part though is the aroma. It is kind of nutty & butterscotchy and actually hard to define. It is not flowery or frilly or perfumey (all the things I hate in a product). I use the shampoo, the conditioner, the glossing cream, the treatment, the mist…I think you get the idea. I can’t get enough of that scent! Recently they have been promoting a new line for colour treated hair. Being a woman of a certain age I have to confess that yes I do colour my hair. Trusting this brand without question I purchased the shampoo and conditioner. I don’t know what Tahitian Monoi is, but it surely has overpowered any Ojon oil that might be in it. Several of the reviews on the website put it quite simply, “It smells awful”.
Why?

CAPRINA Fresh Goats Milk Liquid Hand Soap (Original Formula) by Canus

CAPRINA Fresh Goats Milk Liquid Hand Soap (Original Formula) by Canus

My husband is a diabetic. Several years ago we received in the mail samples from the Diabetic Society that included Caprina Fresh Goats Milk Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap. It is very important for diabetics to take care of their skin and prevent sores and infections whenever possible. If it was recommended by the Diabetic Society we figured that was good enough for us so we tried it. It is a superior product and it wasn’t long before we were using the body wash and the body lotion as well. We became huge fans for many reasons. Needless to say goat’s milk is their not so secret ingredient…a natural moisturizer. Yeah! Caprina products are “proudly” Canadian. Yeah! They are biodegradable and phosphate-free. Yeah! Caprina never tests its products on animals. Yeah! Very subtle almost imperceptible scent. Double Yeah!
They became very successful very quickly and we seldom had a problem finding the products where we shopped. We were customers for life. A few years ago we noticed these fancy P.O.P. Caprina “Stations” in the stores. There we found all the original products along with five other formulas of each item. Now whenever we go to one of these stores there stands this big structure housing all the products in all the lines filled to the brim except of course the “Original Formula” which is always sold out. In the spirit of fairness we tried each one of the formulas at least once (because the one we wanted was sold out). We would not buy any of them again. When we find the original formula we stock up, as I imagine others are doing the same and that is why they run out. Can they not see that none of the other five are moving anywhere near as fast as the original?
Why?

RJ’s Natural Soft Eating Licorice

RJ’s Natural Soft Eating Licorice

This is my confession. I am addicted to RJ’s Natural Soft Eating Licorice. I like black licorice and black licorice products. But you have not tasted what real licorice tastes like until you try RJ’s. I have never had softer or fresher licorice. I have most of my friends and family hooked on it too. RJ’s is a family run, hands on company in New Zealand. They have a great story, website, blog and even a facebook page. They are extremely involved in helping their community. They actually respond to you if you contact them! But first and foremost they have a stellar product.
My problem is not so much with them as it is with their distributor. So far in Canada the only place I have been able to find RJ’s is in Longo’s. At Christmas this year I intended to put some RJ’s in all my Christmas packages. It seems I am not the only one that wanted to stock up for Christmas. When I went to pick it up they were out. Now, RJ’s has a whole line of licorice products that I am sure are amazing but the only ones carried by Longo’s are the black and a red ones which turns out to be raspberry (again all natural flavouring). The shelves were stocked with the raspberry, no black. The area I lived in had 3 Longo’s (I say, “lived”, because we moved and there is not a Longo’s within an hours drive now. But that is another whole story). I visited those three stores twice a week for six weeks. I talked to the Managers who all had the same story. They were back ordered. What I noticed was that the raspberry remained on the shelf that whole time and longer. It was well past Christmas when I finally broke down and tried it. It was hard as a rock and tasted terrible. Please understand here, I am not saying it is a bad product. I am saying it was stale and old and obviously on the shelves way too long. Apparently, we Longo’s shoppers just aren’t into the red stuff as much. I did some research and found that the Canadian distributor is Husky Food Importers and Distributors Ltd. located in Woodbridge, ON. I contacted both RJ’s and the distributor at the same time. RJ’s responded almost immediately and Husky responded 3 days later. Husky’s only response was that they were indeed back ordered and had been for some time. By the time they responded I had found that RJ’s distributor in California, NZING (New Zealand Natural Goods), offers an online purchasing service. Hmmm, what a novel idea!
NZING also offers all of the RJ’s products. I have really wanted to try their Licorice All Sorts and just may now. So tell me, Husky why all the red licorice which obviously isn’t selling, none of the other products at all and still continually running out of the black licorice.
Why?

Yes, these are a few of my favourite things. Just tell me why I have to work so hard to spend my money on them? Why when something works, is popular and obviously sells well do you have to muck it up with stuff that doesn’t or isn’t?
Why?

Celebrations!

March 15th – My Dad entered “Hospice” care. Hospice care is an amazing thing. It is not a hospital, it is not palative care. It is caring and warm and loving and above all dignified. My undying gratitude goes out to our Hospice caregivers/workers.

March 17/18th – St. Patrick’s Day. My favourite day of the year.

I gave a “Good Bye” speech to a group of people that mean a great deal to me and who I admire immensely.

Received phone calls, messages and cards reminding me it was my birthday. Hmmm.

March 26^th – Started judging Promax/BDA 2011 India. I love judging all the Promax/BDA competitions. It always amazes me the caliber of talent available all over the world. (I have to admit I had forgotten this was in the mix.)

March 30th – Started production on the most current issue of our book.
My Dad passed away.

March 31st – In Production
Continued judging the Promax/BDA Awards.

April 1st – In Production
Completed judging the Promax/BDA Awards

April 2nd – In Production.

Baby Ellee Rose had her 1st birthday party. Nothing feels better than holding a baby. Especially Ellee. It was a wonderful celebration of life and all that is good about it. The hope & promise of the future and what it will hold for this wonderful child. Ellee out did herself performing as she reveled in the cards, gifts and love showered on her. Oh, and cake. Did I mention the cake? She really enjoyed the cake.

Ellee is truly one of the great blessings in my life. Thank you Ashlee for bringing her into our lives.

I really like attending the Lacrosse games with my family. I have to admit this night I only attended so that I could scream out loud at the top of my lungs and know one would notice. Very therapeutic.

April 3rd – In Production.
The afternoon was spent at the funeral home visitation for my Dad. There was a wonderful turnout of friends and family to share their sympathies and support. I thank you all for being there.
The evening visitation started with a “Poppy Service” provided by the Veterans. What an amazing service. My Dad was a Veteran of  WWII and the Korean War. He would have been grinning ear to ear with pride watching my nephew (his grandson) and his wife, who are both currently serving our country, and my brothers who are also veterans, participate in this moving ceremony in their uniforms. We were all allowed to participate by placing poppies with my Dad. I can’t thank the Veterans enough for providing this honour for my Dad.

Of course, there was again a wonderful turnout of friends and family and I again thank you all for being there.

April 4th – Dad’s funeral. Bagpipes, tributes and more poppys. A celebration of the life of a man I loved and admired with all my heart. Along with many others, I will miss him more than I can say.
In Production.

April 5th – In Production.

April 6th – The final steps of Production.
Finished a large format print job that has been set aside this past week.
I was to attend the retirement party of my dear friend Line today. I had been looking forward to celebrating with this amazing woman as she moves on to the next exciting chapter in her life. I know you will forgive me for not being there, Line, and you know I love and admire you.
Final changes to book.
The book is finally uploaded to press.

April 7th & 8th – My gift to me.
I am closing the door, turning off the phone, turning off the computer and taking two days to be by myself to do what I need to do for me (I’m sure tears will be involved). No cause for alarm or worry. I just need to do this for me. I will see you in a bit.

It’s all good.

William (Bill) Gillies 1921 – 2011

Dad ended his battle with cancer on Wednesday March 30th, 2011. Surrounded by friends and loved ones.

William (Bill) Duncan Gillies

The following  arrangements have been made:

Visitation:

Date: Sunday April 3^rd

Time: 2 – 4 pm & 7 – 9 pm

Location: Hetherington & Deans Funeral Chapel

Address: 5176 Victoria Avenue, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 4E3

Phone: 905.354.5614

Funeral Service:

Date: Monday April 4th

Time: 11:00 am

Location: Hetherington & Deans Funeral Chapel

Address: 5176 Victoria Avenue, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 4E3

Phone: 905.354.5614

Map:

Hetherington & Deans Funeral Chapel

Burial:

Date: Monday April 4th

Time: Immediately following the Funeral Service

Location: Fairview Cemetery

Address: Stanley Ave & Morrisnon St.,  Niagara Falls, ON L2E 2E8

Map:

Fairview Cemetery

Reception:

Date: Monday April 4th

Time: Immediately following Burial

Location: St. Andrew’s United Church, Auditorium

Address: 5645 Morrison St., Niagara Falls, ON L2E 2E8

Phone: 905.356.1624

Map:

St. Andrew's United Church

Please feel free to leave us a message here or to sign the guest book at

Hetherington & Deans Funeral Chapel

The Story of “M”

One of my sisters (I say “one” because I have a plethora of sisters) gave me this for Christmas.

I love it.
I can’t help myself…
…and, apparently, neither can my friends, family, colleagues and clients who have contributed to my vast collection of The Green “M”.

It started innocently enough.
The first award I won for my work in television was for directing. My sister (the one we call “The Baby”) found this wonderful coffee mug with The Green “M” on it sitting in a director’s chair.

It was the perfect gift, my favourite colour is green. I have, for as long as I can remember, always signed everything with “M” and…come on, she was sitting in a director’s chair. Yes, I said “she”. As it turns out of all the beloved “M & M” characters the green “M” is the only female character.
This was my first “M” piece and it remains my favourite. I have had to glue her together a couple of time (oops), but I don’t cry anymore if she gets broken.
I don’t even really know how it happened, but other “M” pieces started appearing. Before I knew it, this seemed to be the gift of choice. My birthday, Christmas any occasion: that is what I got, another “M” piece. One Christmas I found myself in the very embarrassing situation of unwrapping the very same piece from three different people. My collection grew by leaps and bounds. Mugs, cups, bowls, plates, glasses, figurines, canisters, puzzles, tape dispensers, candy dispensers, earrings, watches, t-shirts, sleep wear, towels, cloths…do I really need to keep going? If you can think of it, there is a green “M” version of it. It wasn’t long before my office, where I proudly displayed the collection, was over run. I think it was the whole triplicate gift thing that broke that straw. They now have their own room in my home. If you think I am exaggerating check out the photos below.

Over the years I have collected, or tried to collect other things. I always wanted to collect music boxes but no one else would contribute. There was a bee thing for awhile, but I think the “M”s over ran them and they are in boxes somewhere. I still have a small collection of antique/old cameras from my days as a professional photographer. At some point those will probably go as well. It seems that at some point we become over run by all the stuff we accumulate over a lifetime and we have to make some tough decisions to purge. One of my favourite writer/bloggers (some know him as @BloggerDad), David Wright, has recently started a website called Project 30 Days where he is attempting to change 12 things about his life… one month at a time. His recent post talking about what he has collected over the years and his challenge to show him our junk, and the fact that I am once again in packing mode has me taking stock on my “collections”. Seriously, I have a collection that has its own room!
I know I have contributed to the green “M” thing with my own purchases and I have probably encouraged people a little with using this as my avatar on facebook,

or by making sure my new “grand niece” participated.

Ellee Rose dressing up for Auntie "M"

But, I think it is time to stop. Friends, family, people I barely know, step away from the purchase of the next green “M”…
…of course I really love those sneakers in the Franklin Mint Catalogue.

Here I am with my counter part "The Devine Miss M"

What collections do you have that are out of  control? I’d love to hear about them.

A TALE OF TWO SLIPPERS

This is for Jo. She tries very hard to always be Switzerland (even though her heart is in Ireland) and make things easier for everyone.  The other day I caught her in her office with the most colourful slippers on. She told me her Aunt Julie gave them to her and they keep her feet warm.

Everyone has a favourite pair of slippers. Some, have more than one favourite pair of slippers.

Slippers can be the most comfortable things in the world… some keep your feet warm and some keep your feet cool. Throughout history slippers have been portrayed as being like your best friend, actually they are even brought to you by your other best friend as you come through the door. Your puppy will come bounding up to you with tail wagging and your slippers gripped safely in his mouth. Yes, your slippers can be like your best friend but even your best friends have their limitations and should know their place.

Slippers come in all shapes and sizes. There are light ones and dark ones. Big fluffy ones and soft furry ones. Some are shaped like lions and tigers and bears…oh my. Some are shaped like dogs and cats and rats…oh…my!

They are made from cotton, or wool or plastic. There are famous ones like Dorthy’s ruby slippers or Cinderella’s glass slippers. Some are shaped like famous people like Elvis, Freud and Homer Simpson…doh.

One of my favourite pairs of slippers are relatively plain but they are soft and comfortable and they keep my feet warm. I wear them all the time. They are particularly soothing after a busy day on my feet. Unfortunately, they are very worn and have a lot of stains on them from me spilling in the kitchen while cooking or cleaning.

One busy day while preparing for a season launch at the TV station I ran into a rather embarrassing situation. It was that time of year when you hit the ground running upon waking up and you don’t stop for the next 14 hours until you drop your head on the pillow at the end of the day. I had several meetings that afternoon so I was dressed to impress. My first stop that day was on my way into the office, I stopped to check on the graphics being designed for the new vehicle wraps, from there I ran into Starbucks and grabbed lattes and chais for my editors who were working as hard as I was. After dropping the drinks off in two different edit suites I went into the studio to check on one of the new sets and then went into the control room to go over lighting with the director. Next I ran up to the third floor to the HR office to go over some resumes for an impending hire and then had to stop at the Marketing directors office before landing in the Comptroller’s office to haggle over what we would offer for salary for the new hire. I had managed to get most of my morning errands done and had about 20 minutes to catch up on some emails and return phone calls. I finally slowed down to a leisurely pace on my way to my office.

That’s when I heard it…

Thwack, thwack, twack …what the heck was that?

…thwak, thwak, thwak, … it sounded so familiar.

Thwack, thwack, thwack, OH MY GOSH I KNOW THAT SOUND!

I looked down and there on my feet were my old worn and stained slippers. I had been running around all morning like that and not one person had said a word. My whole afternoon was set up for meetings and I had no time to run home and get my heels. A quick phone call home had my “Knight in not so shining armor” also known as my husband, Paul, racing from Oakville to Burlington with several pairs of shoes while I hid in my office with my face scarlet. After that I always left several pairs of heels at the office “in case of emergency”.

Heels are funny things. They are seldom comfortable. In fact, I think it is a scientific fact that the better the shoe looks the more uncomfortable they are. Often, what I wear and the accompanying shoes are directly related to my scheduled activities for the day. If I know I will be sitting at my desk all day and the only walking I will be doing is to the restroom and back I can wear the killer heels I love! At the end of one such day Paul called and asked me to meet him for dinner on my way home from Toronto. I figured I could handle walking into the restaurant and back out. Unfortunately, while enjoying our dinner it was discovered that we had to stop at one of the malls on our way home to pick up a gift for a birthday we had forgotten. Now we were pushing it…by the time I walked into the mall and reached the store we were headed for I could barely move. I had to take off the heels and walk in my stocking feet to the slipper section in one of the department stores so I could buy a pair of slippers just to get back to my car. Of course all the ones I picked out for the comfort factor Paul refused to be seen with me in. We had to find a pair that I could wear and be comfortable but would not embarrass Paul as we walked through the mall. Apparently, my taste in slippers was more embarrassing than walking around in stocking feet. We finally settled on a pair and I am happy to say they are my new favourite slippers.

Of course I was a little smarter this time and got a darker colour so the stains don’t show if I should happen to accidently wear them to work. Not that that will ever happen again. My slippers may be as comfortable as my best friend but even my best friends have their limitations and know their place.