06/06

Today is June 6. Each year on June 6, I can't help but remember that it was on that date I lost my Grandma Mills. I was only 6 years old when she passed away, and I'm now realizing the impact that had on my young life.

At the time, I don't think I could emotionally process losing someone that played such a huge part in my life. She lived with us and I spent much of my pre-school years with her. I would put on puppet shows for her, play outside while she sat under the car port, we would colour or play hide and go seek (I had an advantage as she was in a wheel chair). Speaking of that wheel chair, I loved hanging on to the handles at the back and catching a ride.

To me, she was exactly what grandmas are supposed to be. She had long white hair that she kept wrapped up in a bun, hands that showed years of hard work and lots of stories from when she was a girl. She was born in 1902 so those stories were almost like fiction to me!

During a recent trip to Petrolia hospital, I had an overwhelmingly emotional moment as I walked past one of the rooms. I remember being in that room when my mom told me that Grandma had died. Thirty years later, it unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes. The same thing happens when I hear the hymn "The Old Rugged Cross". We sang that song at Grandma's funeral and it always stirs up emotions tied to that event.

Emotions can be so powerful. So can memories. I'm thankful to have the ones that I do.

Canada's Real Country Gentleman

What a difference a week can make! Last week I was rockin' out to Dave Matthews. Last night I was singing along with Paul Brandt. The settings were as vastly different as the crowds. DMB played to a huge outdoor crowd, filled with dedicated fans wearing rain gear. Paul Brandt played to an intimate gathering of people in a church. I have been to a lot of concerts in my day, but this one was one of my favourites.

The "Just As I Am" tour is making its way across Canada and is made up of songs from Paul's recent CD of the same name. This album is filled with classic hymns that I grew up listening to/singing since I was a wee girl. Songs like When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder and It Is Well With My Soul.

This concert combined my love of country music and Paul Brandt with the sentimental feelings stirred with such old classics. It was awesome.

What really impressed me was the way Paul interacted with his fans at intermission. He signed autographs and took pictures with everyone that wanted them! He supplied his own sharpie and had someone there to take the picture for you. He asked your name and what you did and really made each person feel like he made a connection with them.

Most people with the success that Paul has had would not have embarked on such a tour. His faith is really important to him and he laid it out there for everyone to see. I already had a lot of respect for this artist, but this just proved to me he's a real gem. Forget about Tommy Hunter, this is Canada's Country Gentleman.

Dave Matthews Band

Someone once told me that the music you love in your teen years will be the music you love forever. I have found this to be true.

I discovered Dave Matthew Band while still in high school. They were the musical guests on Saturday Night Live and when they played "Ants Marching" I was smitten. Since then I have always loved their sound: an eclectic blend of horns and fiddle combined with Dave's distinct voice. Awesome.

So, when my friend Laura asked me if I'd be interested in seeing DMB this summer, I thought it was a great idea. Initially we thought about lawn tickets at Molson Amphitheatre, but opted for seats instead. Unfortunately, we missed the seats that were under the cover. Fortunately, Laura is a smart girl and when she saw the weather that morning, she called TicketMaster and was able to switch them for tickets UNDER the covered part of the amphitheatre.

Despite the rain and chilly temperature, we had a great afternoon wandering downtown. Because it was pouring rain, we lingered a bit at dinner, opting for dessert instead of the opening band. I think this was the best option, really. Who wants to get caught in a downpour and be soaked for the rest of the evening?

We found our seats just as they started to play Tripping Billies. I was happy to hear an old song, as I haven't been keeping up on studio albums for a few years. As we made our way down our row, I couldn't help but notice we were surrounded by some Über fans! I consider myself a fan, but I could not sing every word to every song. My concert neighbours could. In fact, I wondered if they looked at me & Laura with disdain because we were not part of their world.

My favourite part of the show was when they played Ants Marching. Afterall, it was the song that turned me on to the band so many years ago AND I have never experienced them do it live before.

It was a great show, awesome music and about time Laura and I did something like this! (interesting side note: I saw the same band with Laura's husband about 10 years ago!)

My Geo-Caching Adventure.

Last weekend I went on a geo-caching adventure with my nephew Josh. We were celebrating his 12th birthday.

My tradition is to do an experience gift with each of the kids and sometimes it is tough to come up with new ideas. However, I knew for months that geo-caching would be perfect for Josh. He is an outdoorsy kinda guy (just like his Dad) and has excellent attention to detail. Great attributes of a cacher (is that what they're called? I just made that up)

The day started out a little gray and chilly but soon warmed up when the sun peeked through the clouds. Our first stop was Purdy's Fish Market. It was the opening weekend for their riverside take out. Perfect! We enjoyed our fish & chips while sitting right beside the water. I must admit it, I had my hood up...but the fish was still yummy!

We parked the car at Canatara Park and set out for our first hunt. After orienting ourselves with the app on my phone and the compass, we located it! Success! In case you're wondering, geo-caching is like a treasure hunt with GPS coordinates. Most of the ones we found were just a log book that you sign and date and check "complete" on the app.

It was a lot of fun, as our adventure took us all over the park: down by the beach, near the animal farm and even climbing over/through trees in the wooded areas! We finished off the day with some ice cream in Point Edward.

I really enjoyed my day with Josh. He is such a neat kid. He doesn't say a lot, but takes in everything. He notices the smallest detail and more than once pointed out a small turtle in the distance or a certain type of duck swimming in the water. I was amazed at how knowledgeable he is about such things. I'm sure it comes from countless hours spent with his dad.

Happy birthday Josh! Love ya loads.

If you live in southwestern Ontario, you have probably heard about the disappearance of Tim Bosma last week.

The story has gripped me. A 32 year old husband and father was just trying to sell his truck online. His wife watched him leave with 2 men for a test drive and never come back.

Since then his cell phone has been recovered, a suspect arrested and charged and his truck has been located. But Tim has not.

I have listened to the pleas of his family and my heart aches for them. What a senseless nightmare they are currently living. The police believe the target was his truck, not him.

A truck.

Just some metal welded together and fueled by gasoline.

Tim is a man. Made of flesh and blood. He is someone's son, brother, husband, friend and most importantly, a father.

Sometimes I wonder what this world is coming to. My hope and prayer is that Tim is found and returned to his family. Make it your prayer too.

Evening Perks

For so long, I pined for working "normal" hours. I wanted to get off the dreaded evening shift so I could have a "normal" life. Well, it finally happened and I must admit, I'm loving the new job and the hours that go with it.

However, once in a while, there are moments when I actually miss that afternoon shift.

Things I miss:

• driving to and from work with virtually zero traffic
• sleeping in
• grocery shopping during a weekday
• listening to Q on CBC radio
• leisurely lunch with friends

Of course, I also miss my friends from TV land and the excitement that goes with working in a newsroom, but I can always stop in as an observer!

Fiddle Head

Eighteen years ago, while listening to CBC radio, my friend Karla Ann and I discovered a fiddle phenom from Cape Breton. We were intrigued by this celtic infused music and ventured out to "Festival By The Bay" in Sarnia to see what it was all about.

Immediately we were spellbound by Ashley MacIsaac. This young prodigy jumped around the stage attacking his fiddle and coaxing out the most amazing music. After the show, we bought a CD and had it signed. It was fun to chat with Ashley, who was just a few years older than us.

In the months that followed, we hit every show in our area that Mr. MacIsaac was performing. We, along with our friend April, became "fiddle heads". We were slightly ahead of a major trend in Canadian music in the mid 90s. Ashley MacIsaac became a bona fide superstar (in Canada, anyways!) And...we KNEW him. Ha ha. When I look back on those days, I laugh at how crazy we were, but it makes for some fun memories!

This weekend, I took a trip back in time when I saw Ashley again at Sarnia's Imperial Theatre. My cousin Josh had emailed me a while ago to ask if I'd be interested. It was actually a lot of fun and brought back a lot of memories.

MacGyver & co.

This week my Uncle Doug and Aunt Carmelle will move to Nova Scotia. I must say, this makes me sad.

I did not see a lot of them when I was growing up, just at the Murray Christmas once a year and perhaps a sprinkling of times in between. However, as an adult, I've loved connecting with them.

When I bumped into them at an Ashley MacIsaac concert, back in the day, I knew we were kindred spirits!

Uncle Doug is like a hairy MacGyver. I swear, he can jerry-rig just about anything. This was clearly demonstrated when I used his outdoor shower last summer or when Carol Ann called from Kuwait to ask for help with her sink. With the help of Skype, he talked her through it!

Carmelle is the epitome of chillax. She's a home body that loves her garden, cooking some amazing meals and keeping the home fires burning. OK, I don't even know what that last statement means but it seems appropriate! LOL

In addition, they are the parents of one of my favourite cousins :)

I know they have been looking forward to retirement and moving to the east coast. I'm so happy they are making this dream a reality. Although, I must say we are going to miss you guys!!!

xoxo

Small Boy, Good Taste

I recently had my nephew Liam over for dinner. He's five and loves music. He's constantly bee-bopping to the music in his head and has a great sense of rhythm.

goofing with iPad's PhotoBooth

While we were eating, I had my favourite playlist on Songza. Everything was fine until Bob Dylan came on. He asked me to please change it because he didn't like that one. I hit next and it was another Dylan song. He scrunched up his nose and shook his head. I agreed and told him that Dylan was an acquired taste. Maybe someday he would enjoy the classic.

The next song that came on was Simon & Garfunkel's Cecelia. His face lit up and he started groovin' right away. "I like this one, Auntie Janice!"

Ahhh, good boy Liam. A kindred spirit indeed!

Moments

There are certain moments that, when we reflect on them, alter the course of our life's path. These moments are usually a while building, but there is something that tips the scale to one side and pushes us to take action.

One of my moments was about 3 years ago. A few of us were sitting around at work discussing what the future held for local television and how that may affect us. One of the group was attending teachers' college and the conversation turned to career change and going back to school. We all wondered what that new path might look like.

About 20 minutes after our group dispersed, my friend Scrappy called me over to his desk. He had a bunch of papers printed/stapled and handed them to me. He said "I think I found your new career". When I started to look at the program offered at Fanshawe College, I immediately recognized it was for me. It combined all of the things I was interested in or had experience in. 

And, so began the seed of change that has now developed into a new career path. 

After discussing such things with friends, these moments can happen on a beach in Dominican Republic or while sitting at your cubicle in a call centre. It doesn't matter where or how the moment happens, but rather how you react to it. 

Have you had a moment that changed your life? How did you embrace the challenge and make the change?

Reflections on Birthdays

It's March 16th and that means it's time to mark another year in the life of Janice Mills. As the number gets higher, there seems to be less enthusiasm about celebrating a birthday. A lot has changed over the years... birthday cards are exchanged for facebook posts and texts, birthday parties (including games, cake and loot bags) turn into a nice dinner and counting down the days loses the thrill that is once held!

However, in the wise words of a good friend, I'm going to embrace my birthday! And in the words of another friend, it's been a great year for Team Janice. Looking back on the past 365 days, I've got a lot to celebrate:

• Paris for Christmas! How cool is that?
• A new job! (includes great hours and a boss that actually appreciates what I do)
• An amazing family trip to the Smokey Mountains. Did I mention Dollywood?!?
• A fantastic party celebrating my Dad's farming career. I'm still impressed by our Farmer's Daughter song.
• Reconnecting with several friends I haven't seen in years.
• Welcoming new friends into my life. I'm lucky to have such amazing people surround me.
• I got my picture with David Spade, Hugh Grant AND Jim Halpert (AKA: John Krasinski) at TIFF
• Another year of "special days" with my nieces and nephews including the introduction of Auntie Janice's Christmas Extravaganza

Sometimes life doesn't quite turn out the way you plan or expect it to but that doesn't mean that it's not worth celebrating!

Here's a look at birthdays past: 

The Incredible Chris Hadfield

Until recently, I didn't really know a lot about Chris Hadfield. I knew he's an astronaut and the Sarnia airport is named after him. And that's about it. However, in December, his name seemed to be popping up everywhere as he made his way into space.

There were reports about him on the news, he was doing interviews with Jian Ghomeshi, and Captain Kirk and even wrote a song with The Barenaked Ladies! His twitter feed contained stunning pictures from outer space and loads of tidbits about what it's like to be an astronaut. I started to really dig this Chris Hadfield guy.

After I was tuned in to what he was doing, his popularity seemed to explode! From elementary school kids to my Grammie, everyone loves him! He's the perfect blend of personality, creativity and science-smart.

One of my favourite moments was when he took this picture of his hometown of Sarnia. Residents of the surrounding area were urged to turn their lights on for a photo as he passed over.  So COOL!

He has taken his mission to space and made it accessible to all of us. Fielding questions about everything from what he eats to how he shaves in the morning, Chris Hadfield has invited us into the ISS. Each time I watch a video clip or read a neat tidbit on twitter, my Canadian heart swells with pride.

Kudos to Commander Chris Hadfield on becoming the first Canadian to command the ISS.

25 Years - Built Ford Tough

Hard to believe but it was 25 years ago that my brother John landed his first job. He was in high school and started working Wednesday evenings at Grogan Ford. That job led to a career as a Ford Class A mechanic.

Before Christmas John was commenting to me that his 25th anniversary was coming up. After sufficient reminiscing, I asked what the date was so I could put it on my calendar. I knew that I wanted to mark the milestone but I wasn't sure how. Obviously if it was my sister, I would send flowers. However, sending flowers to the garage just didn't seem to be a good idea.

I decided on cookies. I just happen to have a car shaped cookie cutter that looks more like a VW Beetle, but I used blue icing to Ford-ify them. My friend Char helped me with the icing and Mom & Dad acted as delivery agents.

I'm super proud of my brother. Congrats on the hard work and dedication. Love you loads.

Sensational Send Off

I've said this before and I'll say it again. I have worked with some pretty fantastic people during my years in TV. Last Saturday I had a farewell party that was a testament to this fact. I had so much fun with my colleagues that have become like family.

In addition to all my friends that currently work at CTV London, some old friends showed up too!

I worked with Jo Ann for about 8 years during which, I started to call her my London Mom. This stemmed from a time when I had to get an immunization needle and I was scared. I said I needed to squeeze my mom's hand and she offered to substitute. Since then she became my confidant and advice-giver!

Another blast from the past was Richard! Richard & I worked together while he was the 6pm producer. The guy kept me in stitches constantly. He's hilarious. We also share the same taste in music and have had many great talks about the merits of different artists/albums. I'm so glad we have kept in touch over the past 7 years since he left. (can't believe it's been that long!)

And, making a surprise appearance...Mr. Lightfoot. The trickster told me he had to work. This didn't surprise me as he works most weekends, so what a great surprise when he walked in. It's been nearly 2 years since Scott moved on to Toronto but happy to call this talented guy my friend.

My friend Lisa pulled this event together. That's her thing...and she's so good at it! Lisa &I met on my first day when she was training me as a PA. She was also planning the company picnic and I was amazed at how she could multi-task and pull together such an awesome event. Since then we have gone on to be great friends. Friends that love board games, planning events, stalking celebs at TIFF and watching ER, Survivor and The Oscars.

So many awesome people (some of which I didn't even get pictures of!) were there to celebrate with me. Special thanks to the late-comers who had to work but came when they finished up. Norm, Lisa, Trevor and Laura - you guys showed stamina!

Possibly the best part about the evening was the CAKE. Special thanks to Cristina Howorun for arranging the most amazing cake ever. It was a VW beetle with Paul McCartney sticking his head out the window! How perfect is that? It was the most photographed item of the evening. LOL. And it tasted great too!

Thanks All! It was a blast.

Flashback

It's funny how a small thing can trigger a memory at any moment. Over the holidays, my uncle Doug drove me to the airport and picked me up after my trip to France. He used my Beetle to do this and when I opened the door to climb in, my senses were overwhelmed. My car smelled like my Grandad.

I'm not sure exactly what the mix was (perhaps a cologne + fisherman's friend?) but to me, it smelled just like Grandad. It has been nearly 20 years since he passed away so it was a bit startling to me when I first caught the scent. The sense of smell is a powerful thing.

And then it happened again. This weekend, I was at the Petrolia hospital and walking down the corridor was like walking in a time warp. Not a lot has changed in those hallways over the years including the very same black and white photos hanging on the wall. As I walked past one room in particular, I was overcome with emotion. It hit me like a ton of bricks and immediately brought tears to my eyes.

I flashed back to being 6 years old and sitting in the "family" room while my Grandma Mills was in that very hospital. I remembered being really sad because everyone else was really sad. I remembered staring at my red corduroy pants as my mom explained to me what an aneurysm is and how Grandma would not be coming home with us.

Thirty years have passed and it was just like yesterday. Again, it caught me completely off guard with a wave of emotion.

I am thankful to have such a great memory for such details because sometimes all you have left of someone very special is memories.

Thanks For The Memories...

Since making my decision to leave the glamorous life of TV, I've been reminiscing the memories I have from the past 14 years. I've compiled a list that is by no means complete, but some of my favourite moments from The New PL/A-Channel/A/CTV.

• The Christmas Eve breakfast (with missing sausages)
• Alan's scavenger hunts
• Lisa & I inadvertently high-fiving in the back of a shot (I had just done the fastest graphic correction in time to go on air!)
• Bob Smith calling out my dad about promising me a car if soybeans hit $12/bushel
• "reporting" at Walkerton Watershed (I interviewed Great Big Sea, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Paul Brandt and The Watchmen!)
• Wingham elections
• working on the station's version of Survivor
• the day the audio board caught on fire and we had to switch control rooms during the news
• the many awesome stinger shots on the noon show
• running to the art department (on the other side of the building) every morning to fix the clock on the morning show 
• working with Trevor on the morning show. I swear he slept through most of it ;)
• election subs (the smell of Subway always reminds me of elections)
• Pancake Tuesday Potluck - frying up bacon right in the newsroom
• learning to speak the language of Doug
• sitting on a milk crate in engineering shooting the breeze with Scott and Mark
• lunch at the picnic table with Bruce
• countless episodes of That 70's Show, Friends, The Office and The Big Bang Theory with Scrappy
• appearing in a Leavens Volkswagen commercial
• witnessing historic events within the perspective of a newsroom - 911, The Bandidos Massacre, etc.
• learning that Mr. Dressup died from an "urgent" on the wires
• the day they cancelled the noon show :( so sad
• Nick Paparella incessantly telling me I'm "living in the past" and calling me Queen of the Furrow (this relates to when I was the Dresden Fair Princess at age 11)
• teaching my coworkers to play Dutch Blitz

Dagoberto

During my years at CTV I have spent many hours with Mr. Doug Assis. He has been my graphics guru, a constant source of technical know-how and endless patience to share his knowledge.

I must admit it was a rough start to our relationship. Our approaches are much different. Doug has all the time in the world to research techniques and perfect the end result. I'm impatient and need results NOW. (Part of that could come from working in the newsroom where my deadlines come fast and furious) And for this very reason, we did not always get along!

However, we have come to understand each other. Even like each other. :)  Over the years Doug has been an invaluable resource and we have spent countless hours together working on several re-brands, elections and general graphic needs for the newsroom.

He has helped me with multiple personal art projects that I have had the vision for, but not necessarily the technical expertise to finish. He has given of his own time to help me improve my skills.

The tables were turned on Friday when I, the grasshopper, had a chance to share my knowledge with the teacher, prior to my pending departure. It was a fun day as I showed Doug my tricks and secrets of the news graphics world.

I will miss Doug and the confusion that usually ensues when we have a conversation. I've mastered the accent but still have not deciphered the riddles that he always speaks in. Thanks Doug. For everything.

Bon Appetit

One of my favourite things about Paris was the food. Glorious food. I knew, going into the trip, that the food would be fabulous. But, I didn't anticipate it being such an integral part of the experience!

There were certain things on our check list, or as CA put it "it's our moral imperative to eat...". On that list were: pain du chocolat, crème brûlée, baguettes, crêpes, escargots, foie gras and plenty of fromage.


As I mentioned before, the trip was all about experiencing Paris and that equated to plenty of time spent at sidewalk cafés (even in the winter, they eat outside!) belangeries, patisseries and brasseries, eating our way through Paris. One day, while deciding on what to order, Carol Ann commented (and I loved it..) "go big or go home...or go home big." LOL

Perhaps the most decadent of all was the day we went to Angelina Tearoom. They are known the world over for their hot chocolate. We waited in line for about half an hour before we got a chance to experience it but it was well worth the wait. Thick and velvety, it was divine!

One of the tips that we read online before heading to France was to order the café gourmande. It is on most menus and includes an espresso and an assortment of desserts. That way you can sample rather than commit to just one thing. In one day of wandering Paris, we sampled THREE café gourmandes! We had to compare from different places, obviously. (#1 turned out to be the best)

That's a Wrap

Fourteen years ago, I was a Mohawk College student looking for an internship. I landed at The New PL in London in the Creative Services department. Several months later I got a job in the newsroom and the rest, as they say, is history.

It's hard to believe it's been that long! When I look back at my time in TV, things have changed considerably. (I know I sound ancient saying such a thing, but it's true!) There have been cutbacks, downsizing and the working atmosphere has changed.

I have always loved my coworkers and we have become like family. I have certainly spent more time with them than my own family in the past 14 years. The camaraderie has been great in the newsroom and it will be really hard for me to leave that. Yes, I said leave.

For the past few years, I have been working on a transition plan. I returned to Fanshawe College and took the Corporate Communication & Public Relations course. When I graduated, I worked part time at The Achievement Centre and tbk Creative to gain some experience. It's been a wild 3 years of having zero downtime, but it is finally paying off.

In December The Achievement Centre approached me about coming back on a full time basis as the Visual Communications Coordinator. After a few days of consideration, I took the plunge and accepted. As much as I've been working towards leaving TV behind, it was a difficult decision when it came down to it. I'm sure my last day will be an emotional one but I'm really excited about this new opportunity.

Perhaps the best part of this whole process is that my hours will now be 8:30-4:30 compared to 3:15 - 11:45pm. Yes, that's a complete shift in my world. I'll be able to actually do stuff with people. Like a normal person. Woot woot.

Welcome back, social life. :)

Paris ReCap #1

Time seems to have slipped through my fingers and I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since returning from Paris.

What an amazing time we had! Seriously, trip of a lifetime. I have never been away at Christmas before and was a little apprehensive about that. But once I arrived and was experiencing the magic of Paris, I didn't mind not being home. We had to pinch ourselves several times to remind us we were really in PARIS!

Our hotel was in a great location. We felt like we were in a little neighbourhood with locals around us, but were really close to Place du Concorde and Champs-Élysées. We walked there on our first night and marveled at all the lights. It was stunning.

We took the metro a few times but mostly we walked. In fact, we blended into Parisian life so well, that one day an American walking in front of us turned around and asked us if we lived there. Hilarious but true.

CA and I had similar expectations for our trip and that was to experience Paris. We saw some of "must see" things in Paris but for the most part we soaked up the atmosphere, moving from café to brasserie to pâtisserie - sampling all the amazing food Paris had to offer!

Stay tuned for more on that amazing cuisine as well as other adventures we had!

Songs and Stories

Excuse my catch-up blogging...

This morning while listening to the Vinyl Cafe podcast, I was reminded of a post I didn't have a chance to make before Christmas.

Each year, my friend Laurie & I anticipate the Vinyl Cafe Christmas show. It has become a tradition of sorts and we both really enjoy the festive feel of the night.

If you are not familiar with Vinyl Cafe, wait...what? You don't listen to CBC radio? Vinyl Cafe is a CBC radio show featuring Canadian music and stories of a fictional family. It really should be experienced, but for CBC aficionados like Laurie and myself, we are well-versed in the Dave & Morley stories. We had been looking forward to the Vinyl Cafe Christmas for a couple of months.

As the icing on the cake, this year's musical artist was Reid Jamieson. You may remember me mentioning him here before. I discovered Reid while listening to Vinyl Cafe and instantly was drawn into his rich vocals and gorgeous take on some of my favourite songs. What a bonus that I'd get to see him in person!

This year did not disappoint. Laurie and I found our seats and settled in for an evening of Christmas classics. The lights dimmed and Stuart walked out on stage. For the next few hours we were lost in holiday stories and songs. A delightful evening with a dear friend.

After the show we met Reid and had the opportunity to bestow proper praise on him for his fine work. He has made it into my top 5 artists currently. I'm absolutely loving his Songs For A Winter Night album (which he had pre-signed and ready for me in his pocket!). Have a listen here...you'll love it too!