My Life In Books

Books in my life

I have recently been thinking about books from childhood – books I read many years ago. In recent years I have done blog entries on “notable books of  the year” and I can look back at them anytime. For the earlier ones I have only memory.
I wondered what an exercise in trying to pull books out of my memory from previous years would produce. No prodding, no hard work, just simply going back over the years to see what stuck with me.
I suppose it is not really surprising that they tumbled forth and are still tumbling. I find it interesting to note that while I have read quite a few of the great “classics”, they did not rise to the surface in this process – although I think some on the list should be considered classics, and perhaps some are.
As the list grew, it became apparent to me that many would stand the test of time – that they could be read again and still enjoyed, and in some cases, perhaps would be more meaningful to me now than they were then.
My mind continues to dredge up books overlooked in this initial effort, and perhaps I will add to the list sometime.
For now, the first pass has 70 listed.
One final note – perhaps the book that has had a greater impact on me than any other was the grade 3 reader – Golden Windows! Why? It was because of this beautiful book that I became completely infatuated with reading – stories, poems, learning, wonder.
Any comments appreciated

Books in my life

1. The Bible (old and new testaments)

2. Robinson Crusoe

3. Kidnapped

4. Freckles

5. Girl of the Limberlost

6. Bambi

7. Lassie Come Home

8. Riders of the Purple Sage

9. Tom Sawyer

10. Huckleberry Finn

11. Anne of Green Gables 

12. Little Women

13. The Yearling

14. Last of the Mohicans

15. Leather Stocking

16. The Robe

17. The Silver Chalice

18. The Saracen Blade

19. Cry of the Wild

20. The Shoes of the Fisherman

21. The Clowns of God

22. Stranger in a Strange Land

23. Dune

24. The Avatar

25. The Narnia Series

26. Nanook of the North

27. Border Music

28. High Plains Tango

29. The Magicican of Lublin

30. The Winds of War

31. Chesapeake

32. The Bridge at Andau

33. Who Has Seen The Wind

34. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom

35. King Rat

36. Shogun

37. Sarum

38. Whirlwind

39. The Haj

40. Trinity

41. Meditations (Marcus Aurelius)

42. Pillars of the Earth

43. The Professor and the Madman

44. The Meaning of Everything

45. The Last Days of Pompei

46. Mere Christianity

47. The Silent Spring

48. The Carpetbaggers

49. A Stone for Danny Fisher

50. The World According to Garp

51. Shoeless Joe

52. A River Runs Through It

53. The Hiding Place

54. The Old Man and the Boy

55. The Old Man’s Boy Grows Up

56. The Honey Badger

57. Five Smooth Stones

58. Life after Death

59. Berlin Solstice

60. Lonesome Dove

61. Commanche Moon

62. A Prayer for Owen Meany

63. The Glass Castle

64. Never Cry Wolf

65. Grey Seas Under

66. The Serpent’s Coil

67. Sibir

68. Three Day Road

69. The Owl’s Nest

70. The Boys of Summer

Memory Lane Prince Edward County 1946 East Lake School

Memory Lane Prince Edward County 1946

East Lake Public School Picture 

The picture tells it all! How could the world have changed so much in such a short time? No designer clothes, no senior prom, no limousines and fancy dress at graduation. Eight grades in one small classroom heated with a wood stove.
I believe the school building is gone now, with no trace left except our memories. Yes, I am the little gink in the middle row with the wrinkly lisle stockings (oh the horror). My brother Keith is in the front row, and brother George was missing for some unknown reason.
This was postwar Canada. King George V1 was on the throne, and Roy Rogers was king of the cowboys.
So many memories – I dare not start that – but one cries to be told. On our farm dwelt an old tom turkey whose mission in life was to chase me when my mother sent me to the barn for fresh milk. (Imagine – getting a little pail of milk fresh from the cow without benefit of any processing before we drank it. How ever did we survive?). That turkey gobbler was the boogy man of my dreams! One Sunday after church, friends of my parents , Roy and Gladys Spafford came to our home for dinner (for you city folk, dinner was what we had at noon – supper at night). Mr. Turkey decided to take a run at Roy. It was his last run. Roy turned when he realized he was being attacked, and a quick kick at the turkey resulted in a broken neck for Tom, and a turkey supper for us.
You can enlarge the picture by clicking, and clicking again for an ever larger image.
The names of the students and teacher are ---
Back row – Kathleen Mann, Mary Vader, Margaret Wellbanks, Barbara Lancaster, Grace Goodwin (Teacher), Jack Laundry, Bill Noble, Bud Chapman, David Camp
Middle row – Lloyd Hanna, Margaret Elsbury, Lucille Parks, Mary Leavitt, Ruth Perry, Kay Camp, Shirley Laundry, Joan Marisett
Front row – Joseph Laundry, Lawrence Foster, Keith Hanna, Ken Marisett
Absent – Margaret Dyer, Nancy Laundry, Peter Welch, Paul Welch, George Hanna

email me at deerthistle@sympatico.ca

Poem on 2014 Olympics

Game of life
The games are on!
flame burning bright
Young athletes march
A moving sight
*
To get this far
Hard work for years
but will the prize
Be joy or tears
*
Will all their work
Earn them a spot
On winners stand
Or be forgot
*
So they compete
An all out strife
A fitting metaphor
For life
**

Notable Books of 2013

Most Memorable Books
The library record shows that 143 books were borrowed in calendar year 2013. While most of these were a good read, only 9 made my “memorable” list.
1. Sara Gruen – Ape House – A fictional account of a community of great apes (bonobos) living in a university language research facility. What kept me fascinated by this book was the insights into the habits and language abilities (based on facts) of these interesting creatures.
2. Sandra Dallas – Tall Grass – A 13 year old girl tells of life on a Colorado farm during world war 11 after an interment camp is located nearby for Japanese Americans. An “awful good” read!
3. Guy Vanderhaeghe – A Good Man - So many subjects in the decade after Custers defeat – Montana & Alberta, NWMP, Fenians, Queens Own Rifles, Sitting Bull, spies, Ottawa and Washington, etc. Not sure I “enjoyed” it, but it stays in my mind.
4. Diane Setterfield – The Thirteenth Tale – this book has received both rants and raves from various reviewers, and while I recognize the cons, I enjoyed the story and the main characters love of books
5. Carl Hiaasen – Bad Monkey – call me shallow, but I have read all his books and eagerly await the next. His weird and yet totally believable characters, his obvious passion for the natural Florida landscape and his caustic criticism of those who despoil it, combined with a wicked wit, put his books high among my favorites.
6. Alan Bradley – Speaking From Among The Bones – if you have not met Flavia DeLuce, you have been missing out. This Canadian author’s books are a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. A delightful read on so many levels.
7. Brad Smith – Busted Flush – a Canadian author from Dunnville Ontario, Smith’s character Dock Bass is a man after my own heart – living life on his own terms. Throw in a hidden treasure trove of Civil war artifacts and a bunch of nefarious characters and you have a delightful read. Memorable just for the enjoyment of reading it!
8. Bill Bryson – One Summer – Simply another Bryson triumph. Characters and events that shaped our world but stranger than any fiction. Absolute must read!
9. Joseph Boyden – The Orenda – another book that I cannot say I “enjoyed”, but it is powerful and memorable and informs us of our central Canada heritage, both native and early settlers.

Refreshing Christmas Album

Now It Is Christmas Again

with Garrison Keillor

Christmas music wears thin very fast. After the overexposure of the sacred, the sentimental, and the banal coming at you everywhere you go, it is difficult to find something that is always fresh, and sufficiently different that you look forward to hearing it every year.

Such music is possible with Garrison Keillor's Christmas album - Now It Is Christmas Again. No, it will not replace all your favorites, but it will add a distinct flavor to your play list with Keillor's patented brand of gentle humor, his genuinely nice music, and his ability to draw upon the nostalgia that hides within each of us.

It is not a new album, but is still available from various sources such as Amazon and Ebay. You would have not trouble finding it.

Is There Music After Puretracks? YES!

Music Downloads After PuretracksAs a long time user of Puretracks for my music downloading, it was dismaying to try to log in recently only to find it seemed to have disappeared. I kept trying for several days hoping that it was only a website problem, perhaps updating the site. This apparently was not the case, and it is truly gone.
I was comfortable with their programme, the music was clean and downloading was not a problem. No worries about viruses, or other evils that may lurk in music sharing sites.
The problem to be solved was – where do I get music now?
After checking a site that evaluates various download sites, I settled on MP3 Million.
WOW!
I had been paying anywhere from .89cents to $1.39 per track, and as much as $12.00 for an album from Puretracks. MP3Million is straight $0.10 per track. And, if you buy the complete album it is still $0.10 a track, but generally also has a 20% discount. For example, and album with 10 tracks would be $1.00 less 20% - complete album for $0.80! And, with the album comes the cover art.
MP3million is extremely user friendly in every way – from a very simple sign up, to track or album selection, to buying and downloading.
You need to deposit a minimum of $15.00 to open your account. For this deposit you get 2 free tracks. In essence that means you have $15.20 in your account – that is 152 tracks for you.
Once the deposit is made you simply pick the music you want, hit “buy” and then download. No checkout process.
Despite my initial sadness at the closing of Puretracks, I now find I am very happy it did. Otherwise, being a creature of habit, I would have continued paying more than ten times too much.
Go to www.mp3million.com

PRISONER OF WAR CAMP #30 Bowmanville

Dad was a guard at Camp # 30
My father was a veteran of both world wars, having served in the Royal navy in WW1, and also as a member of the Home Guard in Canada in WW11. His duty in WW11 was as a guard in the Prisoners of War Camps, both in Nipigon and Bowmanville. He also escorted prisoners of war from Halifax to the various camps, and was the bass drummer for the regiment’s band.
During his time in Bowmanville, Camp 30, he was given 4 gifts from prisoners. Whether they were from the same prisoner or from 4 different prisoners I am not sure.
The gifts were
1. A carved wooden pencil box that was a replica of the ship he sailed and was torpedoed on during WW1 – the HMS Louvain (see a separate blog on this )
2. A hand carved marionette/puppet Santa Claus
3. A painting of a scene from the home area of one of the prisoners
4. a painting of Camp 30.
As a child at that time, I remember playing with the marionette and the pencil box. Sadly, only the one painting is to be found today – the home scene. What happened to the other painting and the ship and Santa Claus I cannot say.
The painting is a water colour and signed by the artist.
The signature is relatively clear, and it appears to be C Koeppe, POW 44.
An article in the Toronto Star, dated September 5, 2013 is titled “Fight Is On To Save Historic POW Camp”, stating that Camp 30 is declared by Heritage Canada as one of the top 10 most endangered historic sites in the country.
The two pictures are
A. The painting described above
B.Dad in Nipigon in 1943. The prisoners in this camp were cutting wood.
Note that the pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them, then clicking again for very large.

Notable Books Of 2012

You Might Like To Try These Books

133 Books borrowed from the library in 2012, and while most were enjoyable reads, there were only 11 that really hit me as exceptional. I suppose my criteria for selection is vague – the book just has to strike me as one that stays with me long after reading, and that I would recommend to others.
I should also point out that these are books I read in 2012, but they were not necessarily published in that year.
1. Bill Bryson At Home – a typical Bryson book – non fiction, well written, well researched, easy and enjoyable reading, and one where every page reveals a nugget of information that is both fascinating and new, and you want to tell someone about.
2. S.C. Gwynne Empire Of The Summer Moon – a fascinating non fiction read detailing the final years of the powerful Commanche nation, as well as the true story of pioneer woman Cynthia Ann Parker and her mixed-blood son Quanah, who became the last and greatest chief of the Comanches.
3. Mary Doria Russell Doc– a fictionalized account of the life and death of Doc Holliday. Not one of those glamorized shootemups, this book gives real depth to the characters and the times.
4. Sylvia Tyson Joyners Dream – The story uses a secret journal between 1788 and 2006 following the lives lived and the music played by the fiddlers of the family. A fascinating tale of multi generations, using the language of each age, and a cast of believable and roguish characters. Who knew Sylvia was more than a pretty singer?
5. Dave Barry/Alan Zweibel Lunatics – Just plain hilarious escapism – a quick amusing and satisfying read.
6. Elmer Kelton Lone Star Rising - A Trilogy about the beginnings of the Texas Rangers –same era as #2 above (Empire of the Summer Moon)
7. Eowyn Ivey Snow Child - A whimsical magical tale with wonderful detail of homesteading life in 1920’s Alaska
8. Barbara Wood The Blessing Stone – using a story about a unique stone, the reader gets glimpses into the lives and customs of various ages and cultures.
9. Sybil C. Lynde Stirling – To A House In Whitby – a beautifully written true account of the Lynde family (and associated families) as they make their way from the US to upper Canada. Very informative about York (Toronto) and what is now Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, etc. I should tell you that to my knowledge this book is not available in the library - it was loaned to me by the author.
10. Peter May – The Black House – a murder mystery in the Outer Hebrides, but it would still be a wonderful read even without the murder angle, just for the insight into the island culture, and the story of one person as both child and man.
11. Louise Erdrich – The Round House – His mother’s violent rape changes life for a 13 year old indian boy on a reservation. Despite the circumstances this is still in many ways a delightful story and worth the read.

email deerthistle@sympatico.ca



Giant Cecropia Emerges

We Are Excited

In August of 2011, I entered a post showing the caterpillar of the cecropia moth. I placed it in a bottle to show our grandchildren the next day. They never did see it because when they arrived it had already spun itself into a cocoon. It was left outside over the winter and earlier this spring I carefully cut the cocoon out of the bottle (it was too small for the moth to emerge) and glued it to a stick that I then stuck in a potted plant. Then we waited and waited. I had almost given up hope when today – May 27, 2012 – the beautiful moth emerged.
A couple of pictures are included here, but if you want to see more, visit my album at
http://hanna1.magix.net/album#/my-albums/!/oa/6545675/mode/gallery/
I will leave the album on line for a month or so, and there is no password required to visit or download if you want.
Nature is truly wonderful!

You can enlarge these pictures by clicking once, and then again to get full size.

This is the cocoon awaiting the emergence of the moth

Voila - in all its splendor

The Granddaughters sing

Singing for Grandpa!

The files for these videos are too large to post in the blog, so you can see them on youtube. The videos are very casual, just performing for me in our living room, and of course their snoopy little dog has to show up in each.
In one video, Ashleigh and Morgan sing a song made popular by Alison Krauss - "I'm Just A Ghost In This House". In the other video, Ashleigh sings a shortened version of "I dont feel like loving you today", by Gretchen Wilson.
Here are the links. I hope you enjoy.
"I dont feel like lovin you today"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjOaK1xXbqE&feature=youtu.be
"Ghost in this house". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoN3-pHA5b0&feature=youtu.be
They have several other videos on youtube you may want to watch also.

Sleepng Children Around The World ( SCAW )

Sleepng Children Around The World ( SCAW )

While chatting with an aquaintance at a concert recently, I asked about his brother Mike, and a very interesting story came out. About 2 years ago, Mike Slocombe of Bowmanville Ontario was a donor to a “Time & Talent” auction for their church. He offered to drive anyone going to the airport, in their own car, return the car to his home where he would thoroughly clean it inside and out, and pick them up on their return. I do not know how many trips he had on offer, but it was a great success and was quickly sold out.
Subsequently, another lady contacted him and said she was sorry she had missed out.
Would Mike consider taking her to the airport and she would pay him. Mike told her he would be glad to do this, but would not accept pay for it. She insisted that she pay something, and they reached an agreement whereby she would purchase a couple of bedkits for donation to an organization called SCAW (Sleeping Children Around The World).
This was the start of an ongoing program and a passion for Mike, who has since donated or caused to be donated many many kits. I know that his wife Janice is also wholly involved in assisting Mike in this venture, and I am sure they both feel a great sense of fullfillment.
Currently Mike requests that a minimum contribution be made to the charity to provide for three bed kits, however some willingly provide more.
Mike provides this service at any hour of the day or night, and in fact likes the very early and very late deliveries because traffic is at a minimum in those hours. The clients love the service because it provides them with a cost saving alternative to parking at the airport, they know their vehicle is safe, and they know they will be delivered on time, and picked up when they arrive. This is a real win/win situation for everyone.
If you do not know about SCAW, it was founded by Margaret and Murray Dryden in 1970 (their two sons played hockey – you might remember Ken & Dave!). This registered charity guarantees that 100% of all donations are applied – there are no paid administrators – even the volunteers who travel to other countries to give out the kits pay all their own expenses.If you are interested in finding out more, go to www.scaw.org - they have a wonderful story to tell! Who knows, you may get an inspiration! You might even decide to copy what Mike does, but be aware –

Mike OWNS Bowmanville!

(For your information it is important that anyone considering doing this, should do it in the client's car. This will protect them from insurance issues. the unfortunate real world.)



COLLECTING STRAIGHT RAZORS

And other shaving stuff.

 In the early 1960’s I inherited a straight razor. Nothing special, but it was a fine instrument. When I saw another at a flea market I bought it. Soon I had several and found myself looking for them. My interest widened to any shaving memoribilia including blades, safety razors of all types, barbers bottles, advertising posters, sharpeners etc.
I soon learned not to tell friends what I was collecting because people laughed when I told them. It was not until I found a book on shaving artifacts that I realized there were other people in the world that had the same affliction. During the following years my collection took over one room in our house and included a big old barber’s chair.
When I was on business travel in various parts of the world and had some spare time I haunted antique stores in search of more treasures. My good friend Mike started buying razors for me, but soon found that he enjoyed the pursuit so much that he started his own extensive collection.
After retirement, I decided it was time to let others enjoy my collection and started selling piece by piece on Ebay. My first sale was a Marvel Safety Razor set that originally sold for .15 cents, and for which I paid under a dollar. I was more than a little shocked when it was bought by a collector for a big price.
I could ramble on all day and fill many pages on the delights of the search, the thrill of acquisition, the joy of ownership, and the pride in displaying, but I will not.
I have had thousands of pieces in my collection, and if you are thinking of the plain black handled straight razor that your grandfathers used – think again when you look at these few pictures. They are a tiny representation of the many finely crafted and elegantly styled straight razors that were prized by men of earlier generations, and many of which are still being used today by men who want the ritual and the wonderful shave only available by using one of these instruments.
As a footnote I would add that the variety and complexity of safety razors is equally interesting. If interested, google Roy Ritchie and Ron Stewart’s book “straight razor collecting”. One section contains pictures of some of my razors!
                                             Beautiful example of early 1900s ivory handled

This one, believe it or not, is late 1700's or very early 1800's with silver inlays and real tortoise shell handle

                                                 Another early 1900s with a snake handle

              Quite rare, this shotgun handled razor from the early 1900s is highly sought by collectors

                          A gorgeous ivory handled set with silver pins inlaid is from approximately 1840.

This is an example of a later razor, likely 1920s or 30s with art deco handle and beautifully shaped blade



More Conscience & Consequences

We all have things in our past we wish we could change. Anka wrote, and Sinatra sang “Regrets, I’ve got a few, but then again, too few to mention”. I guess they were either lucky or saints. I know I have lots of regrets - things I did or said, or things that I could have done or said but did not – and when the memories flash in my mind now, I cringe – generally things that no one else would even remember or care about - not important to anyone but me.
However, sometimes people do or say things that are important to others, and those memories can cause embarassment, regret, or severe guilt.
After the previous post, I was contacted with another story.
The gentleman involved in this instance owned and operated for many years an automotive supply business, dealing with service stations, garages, body shops, and anything related.
A customer had purchased a piece of equipment that for some reason malfunctioned or simply did not work properly. Perhaps he was having a very bad day, or the equipment malfunction caused a loss of income, or maybe he just had anger management issues. Whatever the cause, when he could not contact the owner who was away on business, he spoke to the owners wife, and during his rant at her, he stated that he “would like to kill” her husband! Did he mean it literally? Probably not. Still, those words could not be recalled.
This took place a very long time ago, and while the equipment issue was subsequently resolved, the words still hung in the air.
They have met on many occasions since that time, but it was only last week that the man approached the owner, now long retired, to express his “deep regret” at those hateful and frightening words.
There is an old adage that says “confession is good for the soul”. I guess you could turn that around and say that keeping guilt inside without attempting to make amends is soul sickening. Conscience is our personal moral compass. It may not prevent us from doing or saying something rash, but it can direct us to the appropriate way to get rid of that terrible feeling of guilt or shame.

Conscience & Consequences

Recently, a friend (we will call him Bob) told us a remarkable story of deceit, guilt, and atonement.
Walking with his wife on the main street of a small town, he was approached by a man who called him by name. Although he did not recognize the man by face, he did recognize his voice. The man asked him if he could talk to him for a few minutes, which they did.
More than 40 years ago, Bob had been in a car accident at night when another car with two male occupants came from a side street and they collided. No one was hurt, although the car was totalled. Bob turned off the ignition in the still running vehicle, turned off the lights, and got out to wait for the police.
The other driver was charged, and when it came to court, the other driver, and his passenger told the judge that Bob had been driving without lights. Their case was dismissed.
Several years later, Bob received $1,000.00 in his mailbox from an anonymous source, which he puzzled over for a long time and then forgot.
You have likely guessed by now that the person who stopped him on the street that day was the driver of that vehicle many years ago.
He told Bob that he had not had peace of mind in all those years. He was the source of the money left in Bob’s mailbox, but that had not eased his conscience. He is now a respected businessman in that community, and when he saw Bob on the street, he took the opportunity to make his confession. He also told Bob that because of the guilt he suffered he had worked extra hard to be a “good man” for all the following years.
There are lots of elements in this simple story.
Consequences of our actions - Guilt as a life spoiler - Conscience - Confession -Atonement.
I admit to an admiration and respect for this man who did wrong, suffered for it, and has spent his life trying to atone.

Notable Books of 2011

Come Read With Me

These are books I read in 2011, but not all were new in that year.

My library record shows that I borrowed 151 books during the year. Those listed below are books that stand out in my memory when I look at the whole list. I will not attempt to do any kind of extensive review of them – you can find reviews on line. There were many other fine books on the list, but these were the standouts.

I find that as time passes, I want fiction books that provide several things – noble heroes and heroines that win, bad people that lose, some poetic revenge is always good, and happy endings.

I want murder mysteries to define the chase – not the details of the atrocities.

I want authors that do not get in the way of the reader if you know what I mean.

I want to feel satisfied at the end.

1. The girl who kicked the hornet's nest -Stieg Larsson –so well known nothing needs be said

2. The friends of meagre fortune - David Adams Richards – a Canadian tale of lumbering and lumbermen in past days.

3. The confession - John Grisham – includes a powerful indictment of Texas for it’s record of executing murderers.

4. Paganini's ghost - Paul Adam .Lots of interesting information about violin making as well as a good mystery

5. Snakewoman of Little Egypt - Robert Hellenga. A rather bizarre story of snake handling sects in America – makes an interesting read

6. Revenge of the lobster lover - Hilary MacLeod .A lighthearted Canadian murder mystery set in PEI

7. The best laid plans -Terry Fallis. A hilarious account of a reluctant Canadian politician

8. Pacific glory - Peter T Deutermann. Historical fiction – the battle of Midway – terrific!

9. The high road - Terry Fallis. A sequal to “The Best Laid Plans” (above). Equally hilarious

10. Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand. A non fiction account of a Unique American from WW11

11. From the far side of the river - Paul Quarrington. A Canadian author’s short stories of fishing. Quarrington is, surprisingly, not well known despite his many literature awards. Now deceased. Look him up on the net for his books (including Whale Music), and his music.

12. The Beothuk saga - Bernard Assiniwi. Historical fiction by a Native Canadian about the Beothuks (now extinct) of Newfoundland

13. The octave of all souls - Robert Eady. A story of a small Canadian town. Highly entertaining & nostalgic

14. The good son - Michael Gruber. A different viewpoint of split allegiances as well as terrorism. Worth the read

15. The evolution of Bruno Littlemore - Benjamin Hale. From ape to human – will disturb many readers, but probes deeply into what makes a “Human”

16. Thunderstruck - Erik Larson. Non fiction that reads like fiction - the stories of two men—Dr.Hawley Crippen, murderer, and Guglielmo Marconi, the obsessive creator of the wireless telegraph. Highly recommend!

17. Caleb's crossing - Geraldine Brooks. Historical fiction and well worth reading for the details of life in that era in America, and especially relating to Harvard University.

18. A lonely death Charles Todd. A murder mystery, but more compelling is the traumatic after affects of WW1 on the characters

19. Sailing alone around the room - Billy Collins. Poetry. Wonderful, glorious, riotous, humerous, nostalgic. A must for poetry lovers!

20. High plains tango - Robert JamesWaller. From “The Bridges of Madison County” author comes this book that got lots of bad reviews by critics. Still, I LOVED it! Hits all my buttons.

21. A Redbird Christmas - Fannie Flagg. A great way to end the reading year. Flagg never fails to picture small towns and small town people in a wonderfully warm way. This is a “feel good” book.

22. Miles To Go - Richard Paul Evans. While this is actually a sequel, it is a good stand alone read.

I am currently halfway through Bill Bryson’s book – At Home. Great so far, but that will have to wait for the 2012 review.

Remembrance Day 2011

IMPRESSIONS OF REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE
2011
Brilliant golden leaves still clinging

halo the trees in the November morning sun

and cast into shade the cadet sentries

at each side of the cenotaph

rifle butts to the ground

heads bowed

in reverence and remembrance.

*

Clouds roll in bringing brisk winds

the flags snap and stand out stiffly

the wind noise

picked up by the sound system

rumbles behind it all

creating ghostly echoes
of the sounds of war
*

The crowd stands silent

Civilians, veterans, cadets

berets, medals and poppies abound
the troops march in to the open square

an eloquent and moving tribute

to the quick and to the dead

*

The Last Post once again issues

from the bell of the bugle
and dissipates into the heavens

tears fall, hats and caps are

held over hearts, memories

flood those who have served

and gratitude those who have not.

*

Orders are given and rifles fire

Their sounds driving lumps into our throats

While the wind, now icy

and with hints of snow

creeps into hands and feet and souls

and whispers “this is how it was for Them”.

*

Chaplains pray for the souls of those lost

Politicians speeches are carefully worded

subtle pleas for votes

A torrent of leaves is stripped from the trees

And hurtle violently toward the ground

in my mind they become

the countless and faceless dead

Blown away by the evil

of mainly forgotten wars

*

Familiar words “They shall not grow old …” are recited
A familiar hymn is sung “Abide with me
fast falls the eventide…”
Some of us know the words!
*
EMAIL deerthistle@sympatico.ca

The cenotaph in Oshawa

Fred Eaglesmith

Fred the Auctioneer

In Sue Wiegand’s excellent blog “ Stories from a small town”, she reports that Fred told her that he hopes he does not “make it” until the day before he dies.

In my opinion, and that shared by all Fred Heads everywhere, he has already more than “made it”! Still, we all know what he meant by that, and I am pretty sure that all his fans hope he never does “make it” if it means that he stops being the Fred we know – the Fred that entertains people in small groups in halls and pubs and theaters. The Fred that allows you to get up close and personal.

His concert in Orono last night was a testimony to everything he espouses. He delights in entertaining.
During the concert, some home made pies were auctioned, and who but Fred was the auctioneer. He said prior to the auction that he and his group had played Ottawa last week in a 40 million dollar hall. “They don’t do pie auctions” he said – “they have benefactors”!
“It doesn’t get any better than this – a beautiful old town hall, a concert, and a pie auction”.
He told us that a man in BC, told by his doctors he had only a few weeks to live, told them he was not going until Fred came to town. “That’s better than Letterman” Fred said, referring to his recent appearance on that show. He told us that a boy who did not speak listened to one of his albums, and then started singing, and now speaks. “That’s better than a Tony!”.
I will not try to say anything about his music, other than this – If Norman Rockwell were a singer and songwriter, his name would have been Fred Eaglesmith.
The brief video is a little bit of the pie auction. I apologize for the very poor quality – totally my fault. My camera video was set on Compact, and I could not reset it to normal quickly enough. Hower, it will give you a bit of an idea of how the auction went, but in reality it was so so much better than the video shows.
Thanks for a great evening Fred, and perhaps someday you will include Carne Del Toro in your concerts.

email deerthistle@sympatico.ca

Addition to original post

I have been asked to explain the reference to Norman Rockwell. He was a painter who captured on canvas a broad section of ordinary people doing ordinary things during a distinct era in America. He did it with humour and a sense of nostalgia, and his paintings are iconic. Fred also captures ordinary people doing ordinary things in his music and there is an underlying sense of nostalgia, generous doses of humour and often pathos. If you listen to "John Deere B" you will picture the work worn farmer longing to buy that decrepit old tractor to ease his work load, only to be disappointed because a big corporation outbids him and uses it for a lawn ornament.
In "Rocky", you will meet characters and circumstances that you can picture immediately, identify with, and perhaps shed a few tears because the characters you see are your family, or perhaps your own future.
In "Small Motors", who has not been to a country fair and seen that same old man the song talks about, sitting on a steel implement seat with a small motor at his feet – it’s brass gleaming, it’s gold letters aglow, it’s black paint spotless, and it’s little flywheel humming steadily to the puhtush puhtush puhtush sound of the engine.
Through Fred’s music you will see the characters in your mind’s eye more clearly than even Rockwell could portray them, because they are people you recognize.
Fred is chronicling working class America song by song

A Lesson in Canadian Citizenship

Becoming Canadian

A friend contacted us with obvious excitement – she was about to receive her Canadian Citizenship - would we like to attend the swearing in ceremony?

Of course we would, and we did.
We arrived to a packed courtroom, crowded with the friends and families of 42 applicants representing 23 countries. It was a colourful crowd in both clothing and skin, and there was a buzz of excitement in adults and children alike.
The judge made comments before and after the swearing in ceremony. His words were exceptionally well chosen, and were explanatory, advisory, and cautionary. As he spoke and the audience listened intently, I found myself experiencing an emotion that has been rare in recent years – patriotism, a sudden burst of pride in Canada, and in being Canadian! Perhaps the last time I truly felt this was during the Vancouver Olympics.
Another friend commented after the ceremony that “It was a wonderful message for the new Canadians, and also for me. We all need to be reminded of what we have and who we are”.
I don’t know if all swearing in ceremonies are as meaningful as this one was, and I doubt any judge could do a better presentation. I do know that all Canadians could benefit from attending one of these ceremonies.

In the picture below, our friend Monica is congratulated by the judge.

and below, the radiant smile of a new Canadian!

email deerthistle@sympatico.ca



Morgan sings Someone Like You

Morgan sings Someone Like You

This song is originally by Adele, and is the song Morgan sang recently at her audition for Canada’s Got Talent. This is the short version required by the audition, but this video was done in our home on Thanksgiving.
We don’t know the results as the auditions were private and only attended by the video crew. Judges will determine the results by watching the videos. If she should make it to the second round, she will be advised by the end of October.
Regardless of the outcome, we are proud that she tried out! I hope you enjoy this video.

Email to deerthistle@sympatico.ca



Little Brown Bat

Our very own Little Brown Bat

This little guy is not bothered by politics or legislation, or the evils of the world. He just does what his kind had done for eons!
In case you dont know what you are looking at, this is a little brown bat who has made his/her home behind the decorative window frame (see picture below) on our front deck.
He comes out at dusk and does his thing. Then he goes to his cozy home. In the afternoon he likes to stick his head out to get some sun. That is when I took this picture. If you enlarge it you can see the claws he uses to grasp the brick.
Big ears huh! Aint he cute?