![]() My sister Holly and her husband Kim arrived Wednesday (20th). Kim’s Dad, Bill Waters had died a few days before, he was 91. He’d been in hospice for 3 weeks, so it was not unexpected. We didn’t do much - the weather was windy cold and grey as spring was looking for an opening. We viewed the pictures of their (Holly and Kim's) trip to South Africa - very cool. They left for home on Friday. On Saturday (23rd), my youngest sister Mary had driven to London with her husband Pat, to pick up a “new to them” 2011 Camaro convertible. She continued on to Windsor for an overnight visit and left Sunday afternoon. Link to Bill's obituary. ![]() March was a month of building set pieces (large items used in live theatre productions). I carved an 8-foot tall mask from styrofoam for the WIZ from an 8-inch drawing. This was a frustrating effort as the warehouse was supposed to be open when I went, but it never was. I always had to hunt down people to unlock the door - they were not thrilled at being interrupted.. The power could only be turned on by throwing a breaker in the fuse box, which was located deep inside a pitch black boxing gym - I needed a flashlight to find it. The working area was not heated and it was still winter. Carving foam is a very messy job and I have to be completely covered in a paint suit, hat, and breathing mask. It still does not help completely and after had to clean the inside of the car, the laundry machines and my closet as the foam clings to everything. Add to that there was a very tight deadline. In the end, we (Diane my go-to painter) took liberties with the paint, but the show people did not care for it. They adjusted some of the facial features and repainted it. I say if it needed 10 steps to complete, I took the first 8. Also, continue building The Lion King Jr. Pictures here. Immigration - An Economic Necessity? Baby boomers had no choice but to create a housing crisis. Postwar couples could afford on average 5 kids - on one salary and mother stayed home to nurture the brood. These kids grew up to put significant pressure on the housing market, and values skyrocketed. The average Canadian family today is 3 persons - 1 child. If we did not have immigration, the demand for housing would begin to decline and so too the prices paid for same - a supply glut. The banks would see a huge drop in revenues as the result of fewer mortgages at reduced values. The economy would be in serious trouble. Solution: open the immigration gates - is there another choice? ![]() Read The Curve of Time By Muriel Wylie Blanchet 1961 From the web: “This is a biography and astonishing adventure story of a woman who, left a widow in 1927, packed her five children onto a 25-foot boat and cruised the coastal waters of British Columbia, summer after summer. Muriel Wylie Blanchet acted single-handedly as skipper, navigator, engineer and, of course, mum, as she saw her crew through encounters with tides, fog, storms, rapids, cougars and bears. She sharpened in her children a special interest in Haida culture and in nature itself. In this book, she left us with a sensitive and compelling account of their journeys”. I was expecting something a little different but was not disappointed. A light and quick read, the chapters are not a diary in nature, but carefully chosen adventures. There are no dates so you are not aware of which summer the events take place. I read (and own) the 50th Anniversary Edition. Goodreads Tahiti Days Hector MacQuarrie, 1920 (original copy) After WWI New Zealand serviceman MacQuarrie took a long sea voyage to the French Polynesian Islands to rest and recuperate. This is his account of the adventure, including numerous photographs. I was confused with the often detailed descriptions of the natives, especially the number of boys and men. It turns out (after an investigation) he was gay. He was already a somewhat celebrated author with his book on WWI, and wrote 4 more. One called “We and The Baby” which is about how he and a friend were one of the first to drive a car around the world. Goodreads ![]() My Random Death Myra Mossman, 2019 I have to say I’m not an impartial reviewer - Myra was my girlfriend in high school and I’m briefly mentioned in the book. That being said, she has done an excellent job of telling a difficult and very interesting story. We kept in touch over the years (FB makes that easy) but never talked about our lives. It was interesting to read of her many and significant accomplishments after a horrific episode in her early 20’s. She can now add published author to that list. Bravo! Goodreads La Salle E B Osler, 1967 The life of the French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier de la Salle. I picked up this book because a suburb of the city I live in is called La Salle - what is the connection? La Salle explored and traded in the new world in the late 1600s and he did pass by this area several times, but most likely landed at Detroit on the other side of the river. He came to Montreal from France and built a fort at what we know as Kingston. Fort Frontenac, named after his local sponsor is still there. He then moved west starting a settlement near Buffalo and built the first sailing ship - the Griffin - to ply the waters of the Great Lakes. The Griffin sank on its maiden voyage. The ship went down carrying a treasure of furs which were to launch La Salle on the road to riches. It did the opposite and was the beginning of his long decline. He also established Fort St Louis near present-day Chicago. He then traveled the Mississippi to the gulf, being the first white man to do so. Returning to France he convinced King Louis XIV to sponsor an expedition to find the mouth of the Mississippi from the south and there establish a French fort to thwart Spanish interests in the area. The expedition was a failure and La Salle was murdered by some of his men. ![]() The Log of the Skippers Wife James Balano, 1979 This story was transcribed and edited by the main character’s son James. It’s his mother’s log of a working four-masted sailing vessel which plied the waters of the east coast of the US down to Brazil. Though it only covers the years 1910-12 she spent many more at sea. Dorothea was a mid-western farm girl who set out to see the world. She started with a teaching position in Puerto Rico and on her return voyage fell in love and soon married the captain of that ship. She is amazingly frank for a woman of that period with significant comments regarding the marriage bed and the proclivities of her husband. Goodreads ![]() Attended The Wiz ACT, Capitol Theatre, Windsor This was the show I built the mask for, and it looked spectacular! I don’t know if I’ve ever heard so many good voices on a Windsor stage - so much talent. Bravo. Love and Information University (of Windsor) Players Different. A series of short scenes (each a minute or two long) first introduced by a word projected on a background screen - a clue as to what is going to happen. The set though simple was effective, limited costumes, lots of recorded music and not much on the way of lighting changes (apart from light to dark). I will say I was not bored, but this is not for everyone, especially if you're looking for a traditional play (which tells a story). ![]() Watched (0n Netflix) The Code (Season 1) Australian again, same location as Secret City (see below) - Canberra - such a beautiful city. More government cover-ups and dirty tricks, this time thwarted by the efforts of an online newspaper reporter and his computer hacking mentally handicapped brother - think Rainman. The latter played by Ashley Zukerman, who I feel is on the brink of major stardom - he just needs a Marvel Superhero role and he will be a household name. (I thought he was great in Manhattan series - the story of the A-Bomb) Trailer here - this is a good one The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Based on a true story, a young African boy with a curiosity for all things mechanical is able to build a wind generator to operate a water pump, which allows the village to survive the drought and feed itself. A Disney-like film. Trailer here Grace and Frankie (Season 3) Losing interest, but I did see the first episode of season 4 and it looks like needed changes have been made. I will return for a few more episodes. Trailer here ![]() Secret City (Season 2) Great Australian undercover corruption drama. This season as good as the first. Trailer here Medici (Season 1) The first season is the story of the second generation of Medici’s who are the originators of the great banking fortune. I assume it was reasonably historically accurate which made for some interesting viewing. I began the second season which is the next generation, and I did not care for the actors. Trailer here Returned to Source Luke Perry (actor 1966) Ted Lindsay (hockey player 1925)
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AuthorI believe we are what we think. What we think depends on what we feed our brains. This is a partial record of what my brain has been eating. Archives
February 2023
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