Personal
Not So Plane a Tree
10/08/10 06:37
I am grateful to my aunt, uncle and cousin for
sending along, via my sister, the photos that
accompany this post. As anyone who has read this blog
knows, my sister and I spent some time this spring
trying to arrange a suitable memorial for our beloved
mother in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington,
Ontario. Unfortunately, since I live about 1500
kilometres away, I haven't been able to monitor
progress nor, now that the tree and plaque have been
installed, to visit the site.
As a result, I was pleased to learn about a
month ago that the tree had been acquired and
planted; I was even more pleased when I received
these photos (and others), my first views of the
memorial. I think it looks great. Apparently, the
tree is already quite tall (close to 15 feet maybe)
and is located close to the access road but in a
relatively quiet, secluded place.
I miss my mother very much and still think about her every day (as the plaque says). I am having a hard time believing that it is now about 17 months since I last talked to her, heard her laugh. We watched our wedding video the other day and I was surprised and moved to see her on it, very much alive and vibrant, enjoying the day. I had forgotten she was on there and am grateful to have that video, to have those brief glimpses of her at least.
We spent much of our time together over her
last few years wandering the parks and trails in and
around the City of Hamilton and, most particularly,
the RBG. Mom loved those natural wonders and enjoyed
bird watching and people watching as we puttered
along. I think our tribute is a wonderfully fitting
one and I hope to visit it one day soon. I agree with
Patti, though: while the sentiment we chose to place
on the plaque is both true and lovely, Patti's own
suggestion ("This tree is for the birds, people")
would also have been perfectly fitting and so very
much my mom.
I miss my mother very much and still think about her every day (as the plaque says). I am having a hard time believing that it is now about 17 months since I last talked to her, heard her laugh. We watched our wedding video the other day and I was surprised and moved to see her on it, very much alive and vibrant, enjoying the day. I had forgotten she was on there and am grateful to have that video, to have those brief glimpses of her at least.
A Bit of a Vacay
29/07/10 09:46
The family has arrived. With four guests in our house
for the past five days and two more on the way to
join us tomorrow, we've been having a fun, busy time.
We had planned to go to the Hopewell Rocks on the Bay
of Fundy today but the weather has gotten in the way.
So it's a quiet day for catching up on sleep and
nosing around Fredericton, I guess.
We went whale watching on Tuesday, down in St.
Andrews by the Sea. This was my second experience
with the whales and trip two was just as fantastic as
trip one. Our first visit, we went out on the zodiac,
which was very exciting. This time, we went out on
the catamaran of Quoddy Link Marine, a more sedate
trip but just as great. We saw lots of amazing
things, including minke and finback whales close up
(within 20 feet of the boat), harbour porpoises,
harbour seals, grey seals and black guillemots.
Really quite amazing.
Of course taking pictures of whales is not as
easy as you might think, given their massive size.
Sometimes, all you get is their spray but, at other
times, you're lucky enough to get much of the back
and the fin. We all had a blast on the trip and it
might just happen that some of us go again when the
other members of the family arrive.
Other adventures so far include bowling at Kingswood, the place where I play golf. We never did solve the mystery of the candlestick pins but had a lot of fun trying. We've wandered Fredericton and have plans to visit the beach at Mactaquac as well as Kings Landing at some point during the visit.
On a birding note, Patti came across a little fellow nestled in the grass under our dining room window. It would seem he knocked himself loopy by flying into the glass. We scooped him up to keep him safe from predators and then placed him in a box with food, water and some cedar leaves to give him time to recover. We're happy to report that the little guy enjoyed a brief stay in our bird hotel and then, his wits recovered, flew off into the world again. Nice to see a happy ending.
Now if I could only make a definite ID on the kind of bird he is. I know, pathetic that I can't figure it out with such a clear picture! If anyone out there can help me, I'd very much appreciate it. I've taken a quick look through my various books but I'm not getting anywhere. He's got a little yellow patch on his upper back, yellow on his chest and white patches on his wings. Otherwise, he seems to be black/grey/olive all over. And he's tiny, no more than four inches. Help!!!
Other adventures so far include bowling at Kingswood, the place where I play golf. We never did solve the mystery of the candlestick pins but had a lot of fun trying. We've wandered Fredericton and have plans to visit the beach at Mactaquac as well as Kings Landing at some point during the visit.
On a birding note, Patti came across a little fellow nestled in the grass under our dining room window. It would seem he knocked himself loopy by flying into the glass. We scooped him up to keep him safe from predators and then placed him in a box with food, water and some cedar leaves to give him time to recover. We're happy to report that the little guy enjoyed a brief stay in our bird hotel and then, his wits recovered, flew off into the world again. Nice to see a happy ending.
Now if I could only make a definite ID on the kind of bird he is. I know, pathetic that I can't figure it out with such a clear picture! If anyone out there can help me, I'd very much appreciate it. I've taken a quick look through my various books but I'm not getting anywhere. He's got a little yellow patch on his upper back, yellow on his chest and white patches on his wings. Otherwise, he seems to be black/grey/olive all over. And he's tiny, no more than four inches. Help!!!
In Loving Memory
08/04/10 19:29
My mother, Janny Walma (nee Muys), passed away early
in the morning of April 9, 2009. I miss her very much
but, as so many people promised, my memory of her is
now less focussed on the terrible last night my
sister Janice and I spent with her a year ago and
more on the wonderful years that preceded it.
My thoughts right now are with my siblings and their families, my mom's sisters and brothers and all of my mom's friends who no doubt miss her as intensely as I do. On the first anniversary of her death, I offer this small collection photos as my way of honouring her life and remembering the happier times.
My thoughts right now are with my siblings and their families, my mom's sisters and brothers and all of my mom's friends who no doubt miss her as intensely as I do. On the first anniversary of her death, I offer this small collection photos as my way of honouring her life and remembering the happier times.
Happy Birthday, Lynn
29/12/09 08:12
I have a pretty great family. While we're not huggers
of the highest order and we don't get all touchy
feely every time we talk, I think we all know we can
count on each other when it really matters. I'm the
youngest of my mother's five children and, as I
approach my 45th birthday, I can look back on a life
in which every one of my four older siblings has, at
one time or another, done something extraordinary to
help me out.
Oddly, it often revolves around motor vehicles. For example, three of my four siblings have lent me a car for extended periods of time (months, years even) at one point or another in my lifetime. Just as law school came to an end, Janice gave me her old Toyota Celica. Just handed me the keys and said, "Here you go."
Then, when I was just starting up my law
practice and the Celica had given up the ghost, Klaas
basically parked his second car, a Volvo sedan, in
the driveway of our law firm and left the keys with
me. He or his wife would "borrow" it from time to
time but, for the most part, it was at my beck and
call. And this went on for months on end.
And Michael, well, he's lent me both his Chevy Nova and, later, his Honda Civic for extended periods of time while he travelled (or was posted) overseas.
Many of us have lent money back and forth, offered each other short- and long-term places to stay and provided friendship and support in the tough times. Amazing.
As many of you know, this past year has been the toughest of times for me and my family. After a very long battle with lupus, our beloved mother passed away in April. It was a time when many families can get pulled apart. But we managed to tough it through. And stand by each other. And honour our Mom.
At the centre of all that was my sister Lynn. Just 15 months older than me, Lynn has been a rock for all of us for many years. And, in the toughest of times, she continued to be a wonderful support even as she dealt with her own loss.
I am grateful to Lynn for many things in my
life (IKEA cots in bachelor apartments, pizza and the
Y&R, 30 boxes of Shreddies with Star Trek toys in
them, introducing me to U2, Go Gos parodies on
cassette tape, the dip at the back of my head,
posters, photos, giving me my first introduction to
the internet, Spencer licking milk out of my cereal
bowl, taking Desi when no one else would, Oregon, the
Big Slice, visits to New Brunswick, Tetris in the
bathroom, driving lessons on the 427 at 100 miles an
hour and much more) but this past year has been
especially important.
I don't need to write the details of it here. I will content myself, instead, with wishing Lynn a heartfelt and grateful Happy Birthday today. Happy Birthday, Lynn. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Oddly, it often revolves around motor vehicles. For example, three of my four siblings have lent me a car for extended periods of time (months, years even) at one point or another in my lifetime. Just as law school came to an end, Janice gave me her old Toyota Celica. Just handed me the keys and said, "Here you go."
And Michael, well, he's lent me both his Chevy Nova and, later, his Honda Civic for extended periods of time while he travelled (or was posted) overseas.
Many of us have lent money back and forth, offered each other short- and long-term places to stay and provided friendship and support in the tough times. Amazing.
As many of you know, this past year has been the toughest of times for me and my family. After a very long battle with lupus, our beloved mother passed away in April. It was a time when many families can get pulled apart. But we managed to tough it through. And stand by each other. And honour our Mom.
At the centre of all that was my sister Lynn. Just 15 months older than me, Lynn has been a rock for all of us for many years. And, in the toughest of times, she continued to be a wonderful support even as she dealt with her own loss.
I don't need to write the details of it here. I will content myself, instead, with wishing Lynn a heartfelt and grateful Happy Birthday today. Happy Birthday, Lynn. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Great Canadian Voices
19/11/09 19:31
One of the fantastic things about living in a city
like Fredericton (which is quite small yet the
provincial capital) is that you get a nice
combination of high quality attractions with
small-town convenience. We got a taste of this
Saturday night when we went to see the play
Marion Bridge at the local University's
theatre.
We got a full serving this past Wednesday night when, at the last minute, we picked up tickets to see Canadian songstress Chantal Kreviazuk at the city's 800-seat gem, The Playhouse. Now, Kreviazuk has been a big fave of mine since I saw the video for "Wayne", her first big single, and then bought that first album, under these rocks and stones, in 1996. This was my first chance to see her live and Patti and I were delighted at our good fortune to find two seats still available in row E, at the right-centre aisle.
The drive from our house to the Playhouse is maybe two minutes and, with only 800 seats and lots of street parking around the venue, we had no problems finding a spot. Talk about a great way to spend an evening out.
Perhaps surprisingly, though we went specifically to see Kreviazuk and thoroughly enjoyed her two-hour plus set, it's the music of her opening act, Meaghan Smith from London, Ontario, that we walked away with in our heads. Of course, we also picked up a copy of Smith's exceptional debut CD so that's helped with our ability to recall her tunes.
Smith is a revelation. She and her husband, to whom she refers as simply "my band" or "Mingo" (his last name), walk on stage and, after a quick hello, launch into it a 30-minute set of her own original songs, an interesting mix of '40s-style swing, old-time country and Feist-esque pop. Interspersed among the songs, Smith tells brief, funny stories about the background to each tune while Mingo shuffles various instruments in and out of her reach.
She's a talented song writer but what marks Smith as special is her voice. Wow. We could have listened to her rich, velvety voice all night: in fact, we practically listened to it all day today by playing and replaying the CD. We're fans of Canadian female performers like Feist, Melissa Stylianou and Holly Cole and I'd put Meaghan Smith along side any of them in their early careers.
After a much too long intermission (probably extended to allow the appreciative crowd time to swarm Smith's table and buy up her CDs, t-shirts and paintings), Kreviazuk then hit the stage. Accompanied by three musicians (one a percussionist, the second primarily on the violin along with guitar and piano and the third on the cello and guitar), the now-veteran (and it makes me feel old to write that) vocalist proved up to the standard Smith had set in the opening set and then some.
I have to admit, I'm not big on Kreviazuk's often long and self-indulgent monologues between songs and her tendency toward crudeness, but I have no argument with her voice, her piano playing or her songs. She's a special talent.
The show really hit its stride when drummer took a break, allowing Kreviazuk and her piano to stand out on their own. Kreviazuk is a passionate singer and her voice is what we came to hear. Her renditions of "Surrounded" (a personal favourite of mine from that first album), "Jet Plane" and the title song of her latest album (Plain Jane) were particularly fantastic.
As much as I struggled with the monologues, they did produce some interesting moments. When Kreviazuk brought a cell phone on-stage to telephone her three young sons in British Columbia as part of her introduction to one song, the audience practically curled up in her lap to enjoy the moment. Later, as Kreviazuk launched into the wonderful new song "Plain Jane", someone in the audience rattled some kind of pill or candy container. The sudden noise in the quiet room startled the performer, so much so that she stopped playing. She was clearly thrown off and seemed to have trouble getting past it, quizzing the audience about the incident. Though an awkward moment, it also showed to all of us just how invested Kreviazuk is in her live performances, how much of her soul she pours into the show.
It was also a nice touch that Kreviazuk made sure the other musicians got the chance to show off as well. Not only did she invite Smith on stage to perform background vocals for "God Made Me", she also allowed each of her accompanying musicians an opportunity either to feature prominently in one of her tunes (the drummer) or to perform one of their own. The violinist did a nice little folk number while the cello player wowed the crowd with an exceptional version of Joni Mitchell's "I Wish I had a River" (or whatever it's called).
The current tour continues in Ontario and the prairies into December, then does some makeup dates in Southwestern Ontario in February as well. If you can, catch the show, as much for the new talents you'll discover as for Chantal Kreviazuk, a true Canadian gem.
We got a full serving this past Wednesday night when, at the last minute, we picked up tickets to see Canadian songstress Chantal Kreviazuk at the city's 800-seat gem, The Playhouse. Now, Kreviazuk has been a big fave of mine since I saw the video for "Wayne", her first big single, and then bought that first album, under these rocks and stones, in 1996. This was my first chance to see her live and Patti and I were delighted at our good fortune to find two seats still available in row E, at the right-centre aisle.
The drive from our house to the Playhouse is maybe two minutes and, with only 800 seats and lots of street parking around the venue, we had no problems finding a spot. Talk about a great way to spend an evening out.
Perhaps surprisingly, though we went specifically to see Kreviazuk and thoroughly enjoyed her two-hour plus set, it's the music of her opening act, Meaghan Smith from London, Ontario, that we walked away with in our heads. Of course, we also picked up a copy of Smith's exceptional debut CD so that's helped with our ability to recall her tunes.
Smith is a revelation. She and her husband, to whom she refers as simply "my band" or "Mingo" (his last name), walk on stage and, after a quick hello, launch into it a 30-minute set of her own original songs, an interesting mix of '40s-style swing, old-time country and Feist-esque pop. Interspersed among the songs, Smith tells brief, funny stories about the background to each tune while Mingo shuffles various instruments in and out of her reach.
She's a talented song writer but what marks Smith as special is her voice. Wow. We could have listened to her rich, velvety voice all night: in fact, we practically listened to it all day today by playing and replaying the CD. We're fans of Canadian female performers like Feist, Melissa Stylianou and Holly Cole and I'd put Meaghan Smith along side any of them in their early careers.
After a much too long intermission (probably extended to allow the appreciative crowd time to swarm Smith's table and buy up her CDs, t-shirts and paintings), Kreviazuk then hit the stage. Accompanied by three musicians (one a percussionist, the second primarily on the violin along with guitar and piano and the third on the cello and guitar), the now-veteran (and it makes me feel old to write that) vocalist proved up to the standard Smith had set in the opening set and then some.
I have to admit, I'm not big on Kreviazuk's often long and self-indulgent monologues between songs and her tendency toward crudeness, but I have no argument with her voice, her piano playing or her songs. She's a special talent.
The show really hit its stride when drummer took a break, allowing Kreviazuk and her piano to stand out on their own. Kreviazuk is a passionate singer and her voice is what we came to hear. Her renditions of "Surrounded" (a personal favourite of mine from that first album), "Jet Plane" and the title song of her latest album (Plain Jane) were particularly fantastic.
As much as I struggled with the monologues, they did produce some interesting moments. When Kreviazuk brought a cell phone on-stage to telephone her three young sons in British Columbia as part of her introduction to one song, the audience practically curled up in her lap to enjoy the moment. Later, as Kreviazuk launched into the wonderful new song "Plain Jane", someone in the audience rattled some kind of pill or candy container. The sudden noise in the quiet room startled the performer, so much so that she stopped playing. She was clearly thrown off and seemed to have trouble getting past it, quizzing the audience about the incident. Though an awkward moment, it also showed to all of us just how invested Kreviazuk is in her live performances, how much of her soul she pours into the show.
It was also a nice touch that Kreviazuk made sure the other musicians got the chance to show off as well. Not only did she invite Smith on stage to perform background vocals for "God Made Me", she also allowed each of her accompanying musicians an opportunity either to feature prominently in one of her tunes (the drummer) or to perform one of their own. The violinist did a nice little folk number while the cello player wowed the crowd with an exceptional version of Joni Mitchell's "I Wish I had a River" (or whatever it's called).
The current tour continues in Ontario and the prairies into December, then does some makeup dates in Southwestern Ontario in February as well. If you can, catch the show, as much for the new talents you'll discover as for Chantal Kreviazuk, a true Canadian gem.
