Back Beat

If you know me, you'll know I love The Beatles. You may have known me long enough to remember my near obsession with them during my teenage years. Back in the day when I had time for recreational reading, I would devour anything I could get my hands on. I read about how they met, all of their back stories, the days in Hamburg, and their rise to fame. My attention to detail was amazing.

This weekend I saw BackBeat in Toronto. It's a stage production of the early years of The Beatles and it was fab. I couldn't believe the details I remembered as the story unfolded with Stu, Pete, Astrid and of course Klaus Voorman. I remember finding the story of Stu and Astrid so enchanting and tragic...and it played out on stage just the same.

Both were incredible artists and I had a chance to see some of their work a few years ago at a special exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

What fun it was to travel back in time last night to the early days in Hamburg. The famous pictures snapped by Astrid were brought to life with the iconic poses. The mannerisms were uncanny - the stance on stage, the style of strumming or drumming. If you like the Beatles and are in the Toronto area you should definitely check it out. Paul's right-handed guitar playing is a dead giveaway though!

The Threes of Me

One of my friends recently posted a Facebook "note" from a few years ago on her blog. It was fun to go back and read it and inspired me to do the same. There was a phase where these types of notes/chain letter things made the rounds. Here is one that I wrote called The Threes of Me from August, 2009. Enjoy.

Three names I go by ::
1) JanJan
2) JMills
3) Queen (of the Furrow)
all still apply

Three Jobs I have had in my life ::
1) deli girl
2) book research/author
3) production assistant
yep...deli girl!

Three Places I have lived besides London, where I now reside :
1) Aberfeldy Line
2) Hamilton
3) multiple locations in London
I have added one more to the London list since then.

Three Favorite drinks :
1) coffee
2) chai latte
3) chocolate milk
more or less

Three TV Shows that I watch : (need to find some new ones!)
1) Gilmore Girls
2) ER
3) Prison Break
I still love these shows but none are still on the air. Not to worry, I have found some new ones :) Parenthood and Sons Of Anarchy are current faves.

Three places I have been ::
1) San Francisco
2) Cereal City USA (Battle Creek Michigan)
3) Manchester, England
need to return to SF and being in Manchester with my Grammie (her hometown) was awesome.

Three of my favorite foods ::
1) chicken lo mein
2) watermelon
3) BBQ steak
I'd say this is pretty accurate!

Three most recent books I've read: (the first 2 I'm currently reading. I'm slow)
1) Don't Sweat The Small Stuff
2) Lucky Man - Michael J. Fox bio
3) The Kite Runner
I have read one or two since then :)

Three things I do every day:
1) take my daily photo for my project
2) text
3) check my email
(wow, exciting days I have, I know)
the daily photo project is done but the other 2 happen on a very regular basis

Three things I am looking forward to:
1) watching the first 2 seasons of the Muppets on DVD
2) shopping in Pt. Huron tomorrow
3) Beatles Rock Band
yep

Three things that make me happy:
1) music
2) a fresh hair cut
3) my friends
definitely

Shock and Awe

As I stole a glimpse of myself in the rear view mirror today, something caught my eye and jerked it back to look in the mirror for a closer look. Was it just a glint from the sun? Or did I see a gray/white hair?!?! Although I have yet to determine, I was horrified at the very thought.

I always considered myself lucky to have great hair genes. My mom is 65 and only has a very few at the temples. In fact, her longtime hairdresser (that went gray at 19) says that if she didn't do mom's hair, she'd swear that she dyes it.

My Grammie has dyed her hair for years so when she recently suggested that she'd maybe let it go natural, I protested. Hair is such an important part of how we look, she just wouldn't look like my Grammie if she had white hair!  I did assure her that I would support whatever decision she made.

I will investigate my possibility of acquiring some silver and keep you posted but let's hope it was just a sun flare.

The Strong Silent Type

A long time ago, there was a commercial that featured a blond-haired kid with glasses. He didn't say a word during the 30 second spot, but just dipped his french fries in ketchup and ate them.
My nephew Josh reminds me of Jay. The strong, silent type. He is a really neat kid but very, very quiet. When we do our birthday outings, I'm at a loss as to what to talk about. I usually get a "yes" "no" or shoulder shrug.

This year we went to see How To Train Your Dragon at the JLC in London. Before the show, we headed to The Works for a burger. I came prepared for our conversation time and had lots of questions to keep him talking. I must say, I was surprised at the response!

He told me all about fishing - the different kinds of fish, styles of fishing, how to filet them, eating them, how he likes playing baseball and football, he'd like to learn how to play the violin and I learned all about his vegetable garden. What a great time we had! And the dragons were pretty cool too.

Do It Again

It was my first sense of independence. I was stepping out and forming my very own opinion. I was about 10 years old and I had discovered The Beach Boys. Up until this point I had been happy to listen to the country music my Dad would tune in on the radio, but now... now I had discovered a music that I could claim as my own. I saved up my money and purchased a cassette tape at the drugstore and listened to it incessantly. After that I received a few different ones for Christmas or birthday gifts and I was officially a fan.

I loved the sweet harmonies, the idyllic images of sun, surf, and sand. I'm fairly certain it was the sounds of The Beach Boys that established my love of the 60s so, a fairly influential moment.

When I was 16, my brother John was going to see The Beach Boys in Detroit with his friends. I was elated when he invited me to come along. My first BIG concert! It lived up to my expectations - awesome. When I heard the group had reunited this year for a tour, celebrating their 50 years of music, I knew I had to go. Ideally, I wanted to return the favour and take John to the concert but things didn't quite turn out that way.

I ended up seeing them at the very same location nearly 20 years later and they sounded just as sweet. Sometimes as artists age, their voice doesn't hold up to the demands of the songs they wrote decades earlier. This was not the case with these guys though. From the beginning sounds of "Do It Again" (appropriately enough!) to the final sing along of "Fun Fun Fun" they were stellar. Brian Wilson's genius arrangements shone through like the California sun.

To kick off the summer, Kim, Carol-Ann, Deidre and I spent a weekend on the rollercoasters at Cedar Point, outlet shopping and capped it off with the personification of summer itself - The Beach Boys. Thanks for the memories!

#RCRT2012

For the past 2 years, my cousin CA and I have talked about doing a trip to Cedar Point. She lives in Kuwait and comes home for just a few weeks during the summer, during which time she needs to cram in a lot of visiting, events and Canadian fun! Last summer seemed to fly by and without a game plan, she was back on a plane to the desert before we knew it!

This year we planned ahead. A trip to Cedar Point morphed into an official kick off to summer road trip. We invited our cousin Deidre to join us and my friend Kim rounded out the group. (even numbers are always better at amusement parks) After deciding to take in The Beach Boys concert in Detroit we figured we'd squeeze in some outlet shopping between the roller coasters and the West Coasters. Believe it or not, CA had never been outlet shopping! I was excited for her! It was determined in our Facebook thread that the trip would be known as Roller Coasters and Retail Therapy or RCRT for short.

We set off on Friday morning, crammed into the beetle and ready for adventure. I had prepared goodie bags for each of us, complete with puzzles, snacks, glow sticks and plastic nose glasses. (what are those called?) Before long we had reached our destination: Cedar Point. Just looking at the silhouettes of the coasters was thrilling! Our first ride was The Raptor and we loved it! Our feet dangled as we flew through the air, screaming our heads off! We really lucked out with short lines so we could maximize our wait to thrill ratio!

The highlight, by far was Millennium Force. As we waited in line we watched it rush past, the wind from the cars blowing our hair. Could we really handle such a coaster with just a simple lap bar holding us in place? The time came and indeed we did handle it. It was amazing and we only wished the line was shorter so we could do it again.

Outdoor Shower

Today I had my very first outdoor shower. Nope, I wasn't camping. I stayed at my Uncle Doug & Aunt Carmelle's house last night. When it was time for me to start the day, I said I was going to hop in the shower. That's when Uncle Doug asked "would you like an outdoor shower?" I was intrigued.

Doug and Carmelle are just the sweetest couple and they have created a home that suits them perfectly. It feels like a remote cottage despite being within the confines of Corunna. It is eclectic with many features that have their own story to tell. This completely reminds me of my Grandad. (Grandad rubbed off on all his sons and it amuses me that their subtle mannerisms scream Roy Murray.)

So, I gathered my essentials and a towel and headed outside to have my shower. Heated by the sun, the water wasn't hot but was not intolerable either. In fact, it was refreshing! Tucked away behind the wooden lattice I enjoyed my first outdoor shower. It was such a unique experience to look over the fence at the garden and up to see the clouds in the sky while I shampooed my hair. Loved it.

Thanks Uncle Doug and Aunt Carmelle for your awesome maritime hospitality and the opportunity to use your outdoor shower.

Remembering Jim

I've been thinking this week about Jim Teskey. It was on June 29 of last year that he passed away, in the most graceful way. As I wrote about here, I was struck by how he handled the news that his time was limited and the details of his final farewell that could only be his. I think he touched more lives than he realized.

During Jim's final days his catch phrase became "stop and smell the roses" ...such a great way to live life. As Lynda moved into Petrolia and left the farm behind, I wanted to help her feel at "home" so I gave her a gift card to get a rose bush. This week she emailed me some pictures of the first blooms on Jim's rosebush. She planted it on their anniversary and it was blooming just in time for this anniversary.

Sending a big hug out to Lynda and thinking of Jim. XO

Holiff at the Hyland

Last night I attended a hometown premiere of the movie "My Father and The Man In Black". I had a vague recollection that Johnny Cash's manager, Saul Holiff, was from London but hadn't given it much thought. Until this week when a tweet from LFPress caught my eye. There would be a screening of the movie at the Hyland and a Q&A with Saul's son and the movie's writer/director/producer to follow.

I believe it was a record attendance at Hyland with about 50 people turned away! The Hyland, for those that aren't familiar, is an art-house movie theatre and more than once there have been less than 10 people watching the movie with me.

As a Johnny Cash fan, I really enjoyed the "insider information" in the movie. It was full of audio recordings, phone calls and letters between JC and his manager. The movie focused on Holiff and how he handled the pressures of managing a star that was wildly out of control (he brought him through the years Johnny struggled with addictions and many cancelled shows) as well as his estranged relationship with his family.

Following the movie, Johnathan Holiff took to the stage and fielded questions from the crowd. Quite a few former neighbours, babysitters and friends of the family were there and shared stories from the past, some of them meeting the Man In Black.

Here's To Dad...

This weekend people everywhere gathered around BBQs and picnic tables to celebrate dads. Dads play a huge role in our lives and our relationship with our father can have lasting impacts. Unfortunately there are a lot of absent dads, which leaves a gaping hole in forming one's character.

My dad is a straight shooter. He's a hard working farmer. He's an inventive jack-of-all-trades. He observes more than he speaks. Despite his exterior, he is sentimental. He is conservative and cautious proving slow and steady wins the race. He needs time to process things and is sometimes not the best communicator. He has years of life experience adding to his dad cred. He is my dad and I love him.

I am made up with 50% of his DNA which could possibly be why we have clashed sometimes over the years. We may not see eye to eye on every subject but as we get older, dare I say more mature, we see things differently. Maybe he's used to my spontaneous and frivolous tendencies and maybe I am willing to accept that we are different. But despite our differences I'm sending a big shout out to my dad. Love you loads!

Family Photo Booth

In honour of my dad's birthday tomorrow, I hosted my family for a BBQ today. It was perfect weather to be outside, eating great food with my favourite people. I planned a fun activity, with hopes of doing a further project with the result. Having a "photo booth" at events has become quite popular and I did one of my own. I included some of my favorites!

Remembering Grandma Mills

It's intriguing how certain dates trigger memories. Birthdays are an obvious one, anniversaries less so, and then there's the "other" category. It could be your first date, when you started your job or something more life altering like a car accident or the death of a loved one. In fact, as I type this I can hear my coworkers discussing the date they were previously laid off.

June 6 is a sombre day for me each year. I don't intentionally mark the day but when I look at the calendar or somehow realize the date, I pause to remember that it was on June 6 that my grandma passed away. I was only 6 years old and it was my first real encounter with death. Perhaps that is why it is engrained in my brain.

Looking at this picture of the 2 of us reminds me of the details of our time spent together. Memories like: listening to her stories while we laid on her bed, riding on the back of her wheel chair, combing her long, grey hair, and playing hide & seek.

Honest Ed

This weekend I trekked to Toronto to visit my friend Sarah.We hit Ikea and then hopped on the TTC to head downtown to meet up with some of her friends. We were going to play ping pong. Yes, ping pong. A crazy but fun idea! The place is called Spin and it's like a pool hall...but with ping pong tables instead. In fact, it's owned by Susan Sarandon. (interesting side note)

Sarah's friends were a lot of fun and we all enjoyed some table tennis action, some of us better than others! When our table time ran out, we set out for the nearest patio for dinner. (this is when I ordered the worst caesar salad...but I digress) At some point we started talking about how her friend Ed has never used his oven. I was astonished and asked him what he eats. "Subway" was his reply. As someone that detests the smell of Subway, I could not imagine. I decided to probe the subject further. I soon discovered that Ed had made some healthy changes in his life recently, meaning he quit smoking and switched from McDonalds to Subway for his daily food intake. Clearly Jarrod is his role model!

My questioning revealed that he goes to Subway not only for lunch ever day but dinner too! That is some serious sandwiching. I hated to break the news to him but Subway is not that healthy. Sure, it's healthier than McDonalds but deli meats, cheeses and bread are all processed and full of unhealthy stuff. He was shocked. I must have been a major killjoy to this poor guy because I then told him that diet coke wasn't a great option either.

The best part of the conversation came when he revealed to us how he orders his coffee. I think that up until that point everyone else knew of Ed's eating habits but the coffee was a jaw-dropper to us all. He only drinks 2 cups of coffee each day. His first is a large and contains 15 sugars. FIFTEEN! His second coffee is medium and he scales it back to 10 sugars. I'm still shocked nearly a week later as I write this. I wonder how you determine that 15 sugars is the "sweet spot" for your morning java.

We finally let Ed off the hook and moved the conversation on to other topics but I promised him that I was going to blog about his intriguing eating habits. Thanks for being honest Ed and I wish you well on your road to a healthy lifestyle :)

The Evolution of Friendship

When I was 16 I met my BFF. As teenagers, we were inseparable peas in a pod that gravitated towards the eccentric. We loved Ashley MacIsaac, Dr. Suess, MC Escher and shopping at Value Village. Ha. When I think back on the adventures we had, I have to laugh.

Unfortunately, as the years pass, we don't see each other as often. Daily phone calls are replaced with sporadic email check-ins and weekend adventures have become afternoon coffee talk. Living in different cities hasn't helped.

When Karla Ann's mom offered to babysit Madilyn so we could take off for some cross-border shopping, we jumped at the chance. It was like old times as we set off in the Beetle on our mini road trip. Where else would we have dinner but at Olive Garden? It was always a favourite on our shopping trips to London. Especially the bread sticks!

What a great time we had... outlet shopping and catching up. Despite our infrequent friendship, Karla Ann knows me inside out. She will forever be my kindred spirit. Thanks for the memories friend.

Cancer Sucks

Last week, I grabbed my mail from the box as I was leaving the house. I was on my way to work and sifted through it while in the car. It contained the usual junk mail, a bill from Bell and a fat envelope from London Health Sciences Centre. The week before, I had signed up to be a Change Bandit for Children's Hospital and I assumed this was my information packet. I stuck my finger in the corner and slid it along the edge to open it. As I read the letter that was included, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.

The letter was from the Cancer Genetic Clinic at LHSC. Because of my family history, my family doctor had recommended me. I read and re-read the letter during the red lights on my way to work. They would like me to complete a family tree with as much information as I know about cancer in my family. Wow, how did cancer make its way into my family? It still seems so foreign to me.

The process is, of course, voluntary. This caused me to pause and wonder if it was something that I wanted to pursue. However, I determined that I want to be as proactive as I can be, so I will be completing the packet of info and going from there. It just caught me off guard arriving in my mailbox, as unassuming as it did.

Growing Up and Growing Old

I wish that when I was a kid, I realized just how good I had it. Footloose and fancy free. My biggest responsibility was practicing piano or doing homework.

As you get older, you acquire more responsibilities which leaves less time for fun. It's an unfortunate reality. However, I've decided that worse than growing up is growing old.

I have watched the steady decline of my Grammie's health recently. She is still rather independent but relies more on a cane (and subsequently a walker) and requires more assistance from her family and friends than she did before. I can see the frustration on her face and hear it in her voice when she wishes she could "trade in her legs for a good pair". How discouraging it must be when your body fails you. In your mind you can feel like a 20 year old but the reality is that ankles swell, knees get stiff and organs don't work as efficiently as they once did.

Visiting Grammie used to mean that she might take me somewhere special or I would get a treat. Now I take her somewhere special or bring her a treat. Slowly, the tables have turned. We both still enjoy our time together but it is a different role I play now.

This weekend we attended the Victorian Tea at the Moore Museum. It had been on the calendar for months and we had the perfect day. Beautiful sunny skies, a lovely afternoon at the museum my Grandad worked so hard to establish and we finished off the day with french fries by the river. I loved our day together and I know she loved it too. Just as a kid I would anticipate Grammie taking me somewhere special and eagerly awaiting the big day, it is now her turn to be taken out for the day.

I hope you take the time to appreciate the seniors in your life. Spend time listening to their stories, encouraging them when they get down and don't forget to take them out for a special day now and again.

The Iris

At this time of year, I love to walk through the neighbourhood and see the beautiful irises towering over the other flowers. The combination of their height, deep colours and ruffly petals make them my favourite!

For my birthday this year, my thoughtful brother gave me iris bulbs from his garden. I thought the gesture was sweet and didn't realize until this weekend that irises are his favourite too!

For the past few weeks I've had a couple of iris nubbins just waiting to bloom. I waited patiently and each day would check but they just didn't seem to want to burst forth. Finally this weekend I was graced with my first bloom. Thanks to Mark & Debbie Reddick who brought those bulbs last year to my house warming!

Victoria

Last weekend was my whirlwind trip to Victoria. As mentioned previously, we were presenting at the CEP Media Council. A ten hour trip there and back with 40 hours spent in Victoria...exhausting! But the scenery was great. What a beautiful city. Here are a few of my favourite pics:

Mamma Ellen

Today is Mother's Day. A day set aside by the greeting card companies and flower shops to honour our mothers. That sounds jaded. Don't get me wrong, I play along and get sentimental on this day, but when you have an amazing mom...you should honour her more than once a year!

I happen to have an amazing mom. I'm certain there are many out there that feel the same way about their own mom, but you can write about her on your own blog :)

My mom is the most selfless person I know. She is constantly doing for others and without herself. Her caring and nurturing personality made her an ideal nurse and all of her co-workers at "the Haven" (Twilight Haven and then Meadowview Villa) called her Mamma Ellen. As a kid, she knew how to: fix anything, proofread English papers, create amazing science projects, how the song you were practicing on piano was supposed to sound, and counsel you through whatever trial you were going through.

She instilled my love of music firmly within me. She sang to me before I was born and never really stopped. We would sing in the car, around the piano, at church, in the kitchen...well, you get the picture. Our repertoire of songs and lyrics is so extensive that many times a word will trigger an outburst of musical spontaneity.

My mom encouraged me in whatever venture I set out upon. She has been my biggest and unfailing cheerleader and her enthusiasm doesn't diminish!

The past several years in my family have been trying. She has had 2 daughters battle cancer, a sister-in-law (this term does not do justice the relationship between Mom & Peggy) also battle cancer and an extended recovery and transitioned her own mom from her home of 60 years to a seniors apartment. She has been a rock throughout all of these challenges because she knows the people she loves need her to be. In addition to the emotional support she has been nurse, medical translator, appointment scheduler, shuttle service, babysitter, hand holder, shoulder to cry on, prayer warrior, decision maker, peace maker and encourager. I am amazed at how she has handled the curve balls thrown her way.

So, here it is. My Ode to My Mother. Happy Mother's Day to my very favouritest woman. Thank you for all you do, all that you are and most of all, for my middle name :)

Thoughts on dads, weeds and memories.

Thank goodness for Dads. They really come through when it comes to projects around the house, don't you find? Since becoming a home owner last year, my Dad has been most helpful. In fact, I think the house has become a bonding agent for us.

This week he helped me out with my pathetic lawn. Somehow weeds have overtaken where the grass should be and it was looking rather ragged. I think it actually bothered Dad more than it bothered me, so we made a date for him to come and help me get it under control.

We worked out a system where he raked and I pulled what was left. Of course, we picked the hottest day of the year to do this...and it was humid. Hard work but fulfilling once we sprinkled on the grass seed and stretched out the garden hose to water.

At one point it started to rain. Not intense, but a gentle rain. In those moments I was transported back to when I was a kid and picking up rocks or pulling weeds with my siblings. We would squeal with delight and start to sing "it's beginning to rain rain rain" when the rain started. It meant we could quit and head for the house.

It's funny what triggers a memory and the things that are actually stored in your memory. The rain didn't last this week and we got the job done. Now I just need to wait to see little green shoots appear on my front lawn!

Thanks Dad! You're the best.