Rocket Man

Saturday night I got to experience something really special. My friend Isabel invited me to the symphony and it wasn't just any symphony, but the VSO with CMDR Chris Hadfield! Being a huge fan of space exploration and this exceptional Canadian astronaut as well, I jumped at the chance.

I have to say this goes down as one of the most amazing experiences of my life. First of all, there was the music. Having lived with a hearing impairment my entire life, when I listen to music, it's very one dimensional to me. The Orpheum where the concert was played was built for sound so it felt like I was enveloped in the music. Usually I am all about the strings, but the epic scores they were playing really made the percussionists shine. I was fascinated by the endless variety of sounds they could produce. I couldn't take my eyes off them!

The highlight for me was hearing John Williams' score for the closing credits of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. His music is unmistakable in the way he layers sound and hearing that piece performed by classically trained musicians was incredible. My other favourite piece of the night was something I'd never heard before, but instantly fell in love with Holst's The Planets: Jupiter. Such a gorgeous piece! They paired it with photographs from outer space that were projected onto two big screens. It was really cool. Here's a link to a sampling of it. (The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is performing this version.)

CMDR Hadfield performed a number of songs from his album, including I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing) which is my personal favourite. It was originally recorded with The Barenaked Ladies. Here's the video:

 

At one point, he was singing a new song, Beyond the Terror and I was sitting there thinking "Why is he singing about terrorists? That's a little harsh." The next day I was reading through my program guide and saw the song was"Beyond the Terra". Uh...yeah...okay that makes more sense! This is what happens when you have a hearing impairment. Fun times! 

CDMR Hadfield also performed David Bowie's Space Oddity. He talked about the emails he exchanged with Bowie leading up to the video and cover he did while aboard the International Space Station. He said that Bowie expressed such joy that this song he'd written about how he imagined space travel to be was being recorded in the very place he he'd written about. CMDR Hadfield said it meant so much to know that he'd given Bowie joy in the final weeks of his life, when no one knew he was dying. Very poignant.

The UBC Opera Ensemble performed a piece from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace that was super creepy and dark. It was pretty powerful. I had no idea that UBC had an opera ensemble.

I had such a good time with Isabel and I feel so lucky to have seen this concert. It allowed me to cross two things off my life list-1. To hear CMDR Hadfield play live and 2. To hear John Williams' music played live by a symphony. Two things I will treasure forever. THANK YOU Isabel!!

Hello TO!!

Last week I flew to Toronto to meet with the Canadian MS Society's Personnel Grants committee. It's mind blowing that it takes the same amount of time (just over 4 hrs.) to fly 3/4's of the way across Canada as it does for me to drive through the mountains to my in-laws' in the interior.

Along the way, I got to see two of the Great Lakes-Lake Superior (left) and Lake Huron (right). When we were landing in Toronto, I was stunned to discover there was no snow on the ground!! Here I'd purchased brand new snow boots just for this trip and there was nothing! It's a good thing I'd packed a pair of shoes. Crazy!

I took the Rocket bus from the airport to Kipling Station to catch the subway (left) into downtown. It reminded me alot of the subway in NYC. So different from our skytrain here-it's a much older system and runs almost entirely underground. I was also surprised that they have actual people sitting in the subway to collect fares, rather than having automated ticket machines like we do in BC.

It was about an hour from the airport to the hotel I stayed in, which was a Hilton right downtown, just a block away from St. Patrick's station. The photo on the right was my view from my hotel room.

Monday night, the Canadian MS Society took our team out for dinner at The Queen & Beaver. We had a lovely dinner and then everyone headed back to the hotel to rest up for the big meeting the next day. I won't go into detail about the all-day meeting on Tuesday-that's another post, but let's just say it was intense, hugely interesting and I came away with a full heart and a deep sense of satisfaction for the work our team did together.

Wednesday, I had the entire day to sight see before catching an evening flight home. My friend Jenna, whom I write with on NMO Diaries lives in TO, so we finally had a chance to meet. We had dinner together Tuesday night and then she picked me up on Wednesday morning and drove me all over the city. I really appreciated her taking time out of her busy life to be my tour guide. She did a fantastic job.

We started our day having coffee (tea!) at Casa Coffee in this cool little neighbourhood. Jenna said that in the summer, they close the street here to traffic and it becomes a funky street market. I love the indie of this coffee shop-it had a whole old school candy counter at one end and the ceiling was decorated with a ton of globes. The photo doesn't really do it justice. The conversations of the locals were highly entertaining-it's such a small space that you can't help but overhear what other people are saying. I kept catching snippets of things like "She was only wearing a g-sting and a fur coat..." and "Here comes the Russian Mafia!" and "I am totally dressed for fashion week man!". I had to keep my back to the locals because I couldn't stop laughing.

Here's Jenna and I in the coffee shop. I think I need a selfie stick!

 Afterwards, we made our way to the alley ways where Rick Mercer does his rants for his show. Of everything you could see in Toronto, this was the one thing I was most wanting to see. 

The lane ways seem to go on forever. There's so much amazing graffiti and I only managed to see a small fraction of it. Part of that had to do with how cold it was: -13C. It was too cold to be standing around for too long and taking off your mittens to take iphone photos. I might have fared better with my DSLR camera, (I can operate it with gloves on) but I opted not to bring it this trip. I did however record my own rant which I will be posting to Rick Mercer as soon as I get a chance to upload it. Silly but fun!

We did a drive by of the Hockey Hall of Fame, or as die hard Canadian hockey fans would call it, church. (Hockey is a religion in Canada.) Really cool building-Toronto has some gorgeous architecture. 

And then there was of course, the obligatory viewing on the CN Tower. Jenna very kindly offered to take me up, but as we were sitting there on the street, the observation deck was being swallowed up by clouds. No point in going all the way up to see absolutely nothing! I was fine with it-I've done the Space Needle in Seattle, so it wasn't really a big deal to not go up.

I loved the little trolley buses. This shot shows the old ones. The new ones look very much like Japanese bullet trains. I had hoped to find time to ride one, even briefly, but just didn't get to it. 

For lunch, we went to Trattoria Nervosa in Yorkville. It was a really cool Italian eatery. We ordered a traditional Italian pizza and a Caesar salad to share. The selfie (right) was taken in the entryway. I loved the medallion on the floor. The bike was just around the corner in front of one of the many trendy little shops. I had a great time visiting with Jenna and getting to know her. We'll see one another again in early March when we both fly to LA for NMO Patient Day.

Jenna dropped me off at one of the subway stations after lunch and I made my way back to the airport, just in time to get through an enormous backlog at the security checkpoint. Fortunately, I was able to go through an accessible line, which was a life saver. My flight home was rough-we had major turbulence the entire way and I didn't get out of my seat the whole time. Normally, I don't mind turbulence-that's how you know you're flying, but I was feeling a bit under the weather and so it wasn't as much fun as it normally would be. Fortunately, our flight arrived 1/2 hour early, so that kind of made up for it.

I really enjoyed my trip to Toronto. I'd never been before and that's now as far east in Canada as I've ever been. I plan to write about the actual work I was doing there for the Canadian MS Society, but it will be posted over on their site, when I do. 

So...I am home now and playing catch up with various things-laundry, emails, blogging, etc. (Oh the glamour of it all!) I have a few projects in motion that need my attention. I'll be making a list first thing tomorrow morning. No rest for the wicked!

Remembrance Day 2014

In Flanders Fields 

In Flanders field the poppies blow 

Between the crosses, row on row, 

That mark our place; and in the sky 

The larks, still bravely singing, fly 

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. 
Short days ago 

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 

Loved and were loved, and now we lie 

In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw 

The torch; be yours to hold it high. 

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 

In Flanders fields.

 ~ Major John McCrae, May 1915 

 The red Flanders’ poppy was first described as a flower of remembrance by Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918), who was a Professor of Medicine at McGill University of Canada before World War One. Colonel McCrae had served as a gunner in the Boer War, but went to France in World War One as a medical Officer with the first Canadian Contingent. At the second battle of Ypres in 1915, while in charge of a small first-aid post, he wrote In Flanders Fields in pencil on a page torn from his dispatch book when a close friend and former student, Lt. Alexis Helmer, was killed in the battle. Helmer was one of 6000 Canadian casualties in just 48 hours. 

Colonel McCrae, while still serving in the field hospital, caught pneumonia and meningitis and died on January 28, 1918 in Boulogne, France. His volume of poetry, In Flanders’ Fields and Other Poems, was published in 1919.

***

By way of thanks to those who have served so that we could live in a country where freedom is taken for granted and for the sons and daughters of Canada who serve now so that we may continue to enjoy that freedom. 

In Memory Of

CPL. Nathan Cirillo, October 22, 2014

WO Patrice Vincent, October 20, 2014

Lest We Forget

There Are No Words

I had planned to sit down and write a post last Tuesday after breakfast and then all hell broke loose. As you may or may not know, there was a terrorist attack in our nation's capital. (I can't believe I am even typing these words.) I won't go into details (you can google that yourself if you really want to know) but suffice it to say all thoughts of updating my blog were wiped from my mind. 

I am still trying to absorb what happened. I kind of feel like I did in the wake of 9/11 where so much of every day life seemed trivial and superficial. I don't know that I feel like things can or should go back to normal and yet on some level, I know that we can't allow the darkness to swallow us up. We have to move forward.

I felt the need to post this to acknowledge the reason why words are hard to come by right now. I have some scheduled posts coming up early next week, but you'll have to forgive me if it takes me a bit longer to get back on track.

Meanwhile, I am reflecting on these words of wisdom: 

 "My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world now. Ours is a time of almost daily astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people. 

 Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good. 

 One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these – to be fierce and to show mercy toward others; both are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do." 

                                                                                                      ~Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Won With One

So yesterday I did something I've never done before: I let my name stand for nomination to the board of directors of Won With One! I was elected as a vice president last night! See?

My friend Jan sent me an email asking if I would be willing to come on board. It was totally unexpected, but she does such important work and I felt like I had the opportunity to make a difference, so I said "YES!". I may not be a Para athlete myself, but I have a long history of supporting big sporting events and advocating for awareness, accessibility and inclusion. As someone who is living with a life-altering illness that can result in paralysis and blindness, I can totally understand how important it is for someone who lives with a disability to reclaim their physicality through sport. 

When it comes to sport, people with disabilities do not lack ability-what they lack is opportunity. Won With One offers the opportunity to compete in ParaTriathalon by offering resources such as equipment and guides and most importantly, a supportive community. One of the most poignant stories of One With One's impact on its athletes goes like this:

"Remember how old you were when you rode a bike for the first time?

So does Shelly Ann. She was 50."

That is the kind of difference Won With One is making. That is why I let my name stand for election to the board of directors. I am honoured to be given the opportunity to join forces with this amazing organization.

Get connected and learn more about Won With One here:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Youtube

Canada Day Long Weekend 2013

So this past weekend marked the 146th birthday of our great nation. We celebrated Canada Day on July 1st. Usually this holiday is pretty low key in our house-we tend to just do some hiking and BBQing and that's about it. It ended up busier than I had originally anticipated. 

Sunday evening, my pal Jenn and I went to see Shayne Koyczan at the Vogue. As I mentioned before, I won tickets from the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. I have to tell you, this was an amazing experience. Jenn and I arrived early to pick up the tickets at the box office and then we lined up. While we were standing in line, this woman came up to us and asked if we'd be willing to do an on camera interview of our thoughts about Shane Koyczan. They were filming with plans to put the interviews together as a video at some point. We thought it would be fun and since we both adore him, we said we were in. It was pretty funny and I can't wait to see what they do with the footage. Funny that I seem to be doing alot of TV lately.

Eventually, we were let into the theatre. The seating was rush seating and since were at the front of the line, we easily got seats in row two, up front and center. Shane ended up performing for THREE HOURS. He is not only a gifted poet, but also incredibly funny. I laughed so much my face hurt. His band was incredible and I was so happy there were so many strings-cello, base, guitar and violin, along with keyboard, trombone and trumpet. The beauty of combining spoken word with music is that the music beautifully underscores the words and adds another layer to the emotion that is being expressed. It's an experience like no other.

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival has never had spoken word poetry as part of their line up. It's really cool that they decided to take a chance to include it.  Seeing Shane Koyczan, whom I consider to be one of Canada's national treasures was the perfect way to celebrate the Canada Day long weekend.

 

   

While Jenn and I were having dinner before the show, I got a message from the good people at False Creek Ferries. (The company that runs the ferry service we often ride from Science World to Granville  Island. It's one of our favourite things to do.) Awhile back they invited Rick Mercer to join them on Canada Day for their traditional ferry ballet. (Think Musical Ride, only on water, using ferries instead of horses.) I told them half jokingly that if Rick Mercer didn't want to do it, I did. Well, Rick Mercer never got back to them, so they very sweetly extended the invitation for me to join them. Of course I said yes! 

I got home pretty late from the Vogue-1am and didn't get to sleep till 2am, but still managed to get up for 5am so I could get downtown in time. The morning was so beautiful. This photo is the reflection of Science World in False Creek. The water was like glass. It was so peaceful.

I waited at the dock at Olympic Village and at about 7:30am, a fleet of 6 ferries came to get me. Nothing like a fleet of boats turning up to make a girl feel special! I hopped aboard and we were off. The manager of the company (in the left hand photo) was calling the manoeuvres via radio.

  

The ferries did figure eights, various lines and circle sequences in several locations along False Creek. People were watching from shore or out on their boats, clapping, waving flags and shouting "Happy Canada Day!"

We made our way up to Granville Island over the course of about an hour and a half. There was a cooling breeze and I was shooting photos, laughing and waving to people the whole time. Rick Mercer has no idea how much fun he missed!!

 

When we arrived at Granville Island, Jenn was waiting there for me! We hung out till I caught the ferry back to Olympic Village. A HUGE thank you to False Creek Ferries for making my Canada Day so special. You guys are THE BEST!! 

This week is going to be quiet, which is a good thing-the past 2 months have been an absolute whirlwind!

5 KM Walk/Run for NMO

So I have some great news to share! 

The first ever Canadian 5 km walk/run for NMO (Neuromyeltis Optica) will be taking place on Sunday May 26th, 2013 at Rocky Point in Port Moody, BC.

This event is possible, thanks to the hard work of Nancy Reimer, who is a mum on a mission: her 8 year old son Riley has NMO. 

The walk/run will help raise both awareness and crucial research dollars.

More information about the event can be found here.

If you'd like to register, you can do so here. There's an early bird rate until April 24th, so be sure and sign up today! 101 participants have already registered which is fantastic!

If you are unable to attend but would still like to help, you can do so by making a donation to my personal page here. (Where you can also read a bit about my NMO journey.) Every little bit helps and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

On the day of the run/walk, I will be volunteering and saying a few brief words at the welcoming ceremony. I hope if you're local, you'll come join us.

"Without awareness, there is no funding.

Without funding, there is no research.

Without research, there is no cure.

Without a cure, there is no hope.

We need to work together to make sure there is always hope."

Please feel free to share the link and/or this post!

HUGE News!

Today an official letter arrived from my MLA's office, which read:

"On behalf of his Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, I am pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal."

The letter went on to say that I was being invited, along with two guests to the presentation ceremony which will be held on January 25th, 2013.

WOW!  I am deeply humbled to receive this incredible honour and eternally grateful to those who had a hand in my nomination. (You know who you are.) 

What an amazing way to kick off the new year!

Rescued Journals

New Journal

So in all the craziness that's been my life lately, I failed to mention that my friends Gisele and Jessica came to visit on the long weekend, just before my husband's surgery. I met Gisele in Vivienne's photography classes and later met her sister Jessica online as well. The both live in Alberta and were coming to the coast to visit family so they decided to stop by. It was a quick 24 hour visit, but we had a great time.

Not long after they arrived, we popped down to the local thrift store to rescue some old books to transform into mixed media journals. We had a little workshop at my kitchen table where I showed them how to gut their books, recover the inside and cut and sew new signatures in. They both managed to get their books assembled in a few short hours.

I chose the little navy hymnal because I like small books that fit in the palm of my hand. It measures 5 1/4 tall x 3 1/2 wide x 1 1/4 thick. Gisele very kindly brought me a stack of old maps of Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. I adore Canadiana, so this made me really happy. I decided to cut three of the maps into pages for my journal. I love how random they are. Older maps have such great colours and these are all soft vintage shades of browns, blues and greens. There are 4 signatures of 11 sheets (44 pages) each, for a total of 176 pages in the book. 

I am still trying to decide if I am going to do anything to the cover or just leave it. I'm not religious, so I have no attachment to the words on the cover. If I could come up with the exact right thing to glue over it (like a rusty book plate or a great label) I might be tempted to alter it. For now, I'll leave it as it is.

While Gisele and Jessica were working, we were talking about journalling. Because of the damage to my spinal cord, which affects my hands, I don't hand write anymore. My journals have become places where I glue, sew or tape bits and pieces, so they are primarily visual. I kind of love them this way-I get to use all those things that are "special" in such a way that I will always be able to enjoy them. I just keep adding to them, as time goes on. I have several different journals like this on the go and I often just randomly pick one up and start working on it, so they are all works in progress.

The girls were commenting on how much I seem to love to teach. I do and I miss it in many ways. I always enjoy showing someone what I know and then watching as they take that knowledge and make it their own. It makes me happy to be able to light that spark.

11*11*2012

In remembrance of our Canadian Armed Forces veterans 

and the men and women who are serving still. 

Thank you for your sacrifices and those of your families.

And for my Grandfather,
Kenneth George Chick,
RCAF Home Guard, WWII.

Lest we forget.

"On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a drug store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the stores PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. 

 Terry was impressed with the stores leadership role in adopting the Legions two minutes of silence initiative. He felt that the stores contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable. 

 When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the two minutes of silence to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect. 

 Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the stores clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, A Pittance of Time. Terry later recorded A Pittance of Time and included it on his full-length music CD, The Power of the Dream."

Processing

(Our classroom at Lost Lake yesterday.)

I'm back after a 3 day weekend in Whistler, BC. There's so much I want to tell you about it but I'm pretty tired and have just begun sifting through my photos from the You Are Your Own Muse class. I think I need a day or so to process the whole experience, (as well as my photos) so bear with me. I'll give you the scoop real soon!

Lift-Off To London!

Yesterday, as I was watching the morning news, they mentioned that they were having an event to send off the Canadian Athletes from British Columbia at the Athletes' Village in Vancouver. I decided to drop everything and go!

This is where the ceremony took place, in the Salt Building at the Athletes' Village. It's a gorgeous old building that was restored for the Games and served as the "living room" for the athletes during the Games. Since then, it's hosted Games related events. I think it's really nice that it's being used in this way. It seems fitting.

 Here's members of the Paralympic Rugby team wheeling in.

It was a sea of red, both on stage and in the audience. The Olympics begin in 32 days so we've begun to fly our colours!

This was the master of ceremonies, a Chef de Mission, but I can't remember his name. (Sorry! I tried looking it up, but no luck.) He addressed us in both French & English. This is the Olympic (and Canadian) way. 

He introduced the BC athletes present, which included members of the women's soccer team (Including beloved #12, Christine Sinclair), Swimmers and Paralympic Rugby. 

Interesting fact: BC represents only 1/3 of Canada's population, but if our Canadian Athletes win in London, will be responsible for 50% of the medals. WOW! I'm not entirely surprised-British Columbians are outdoors people and tend to be very active. How could you not be in a place as beautiful as this?

Four time Paralympian, Elisabeth Walker-Young, the Assistant Chef de Mission for the Paralympic Games spoke as well. She commented on the fact that she was glad the Olympians and Paralympians were being honoured together. I agree. It was wonderful to have all our athletes share in this moment together.

 Olympic swimmer, Scott Dickens gave a very moving speech explaining how tough the road to the Games can be. He missed qualifying in 2008 and had to refocus on why he loved the sport in order to keep working hard to qualify for London 2012. He also talked about how as Canadians, we are reluctant to say we want to win (because humility is so much a part of our national identity) but that he's changed his mind set to "Why not ME?" He's right-somebody has to win and why not him?

The whole ceremony was quite moving and several times, my eyes were full of tears. I love the Games and I am so proud of our athletes.

 I ran into these two ladies, whom I've volunteered with at other big city events. Apparently, they were volunteering at this one. No idea how I missed the notice-I would have volunteered in a heartbeat. Love the shirts!

Afterwards, they handed out these posters so you could get them signed, so I did. It was fun to personally wish each of our athletes the best of luck in London.

There were cameras everywhere!

Just before I left, I spotted 5 time Olympian and silver medalist, Charmaine Crooks. On impulse, I said hello and asked if I could have a photo with her. She was very nice about it. It's kind of surreal bumping into her like that, after seeing her for years on television. She's represented Canada for over 20 years in athletics. She's a very big deal in the world of sport and Olympics.

Afterwards, I walked over to Terra Bread (in the village) and had lunch alfresco. It was such a beautiful sunny day, which was wonderful, after how dismal and cold the weekend was. 

I'm really glad I went. My excitement for London is building! Safe journey and good luck/bonne chance to all our athletes! I am SURE they are going to be able to hear me cheering across the pond. I BELIEVE!

And The Winner Is....

Congratulations, Elaine from Georgia, you won the pane of Canadian Titanic 100 Anniversary stamps! They will be in the mail by Monday. Enjoy!

Titanic Giveaway!

Since I was a little girl, I've been fascinated by the story of the Titanic. I've read just about every book I could get my hands on. In honour of the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, I'm doing a giveaway for this beautiful pane of Canadian commemorative stamps. 

Here's an explanation of the artwork, which was done by Mike Little who resides in Halifax, by way of England:

"Each corner block contains 2 stamps showing RMS Titanic's bow and 2 featuring the stern. The detailed illustrations were based on existing photographs and are intended to be as realistic as possible.

The Bow: Titanic's enormous bow and two front anchors appear in the centre of the first pair of stamps.  On the right side, you'll see Southampton, England, where the Titanic began her maiden voyage. On the left is Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, which became the centre of recovery efforts after the ship sank.

The Stern: The second stamp pair shows the 3 propellers that were situated at the rear of the ship—2 larger outer propellers and a smaller centre propeller. Again, the stamp pair separates into 2 for mailing.

At the bottom of each stamp sits the House Flag of the White Star Line (Titanic's owners). This iconic red flag flew from Titanic's main mast and was also displayed on her tickets, cutlery and furniture."

***

To enter the draw, leave me a comment telling me where you're from and one thing you find interesting about the Titanic story. 

You can Tweet a link to this post or share it on Facebook for an extra entry. (Just let me know you did so in your comments!) 

The winner will be drawn on Thursday, April 19th. Please be sure I have your email in case you win-if there's no way to contact you, I'll have to draw another name!  Good luck!

Big Exciting News!

So I have some very exciting news to share! I'm quoting directly from the Rick Hansen Foundation website, because they've explained things better than I could.

"Twenty-five years ago Rick Hansen had a dream - to make the world more accessible and inclusive and to find a cure for spinal cord injury. Inspired by a deep-seated belief that anything is possible, Rick's dream took shape in the form of the Man In Motion World Tour. For 26 months he and his team wheeled over 40,000 kilometres through 34 countries, raising awareness of the potential of people with disabilities. The completion of this epic Tour was a testament to willpower, physical prowess and the ability to lead a seemingly impossible campaign. It was the beginning of a lifelong and selfless journey to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Through the Foundation that bears his name, more than $250 million has been raised to accelerate progress towards a cure for spinal cord injury and a more accessible and inclusive world.

To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Man In Motion World Tour, international and national events and activities are taking place.

The 25th Anniversary Relay will retrace the Canadian segment of the original Tour, but this time one man in motion will be represented and celebrated by many in motion; engaging participants from across Canada who have made their own difference in the lives of others.

The Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay will travel through more than 600 communities as it makes its nine-month, 12,000-kilometre journey across Canada before concluding in Vancouver on May 22, 2012.

In every province, Relay Medal-Bearers will pass along the singular Rick Hansen Medal - produced by the Royal Canadian Mint - as the Relay makes its way across the country. Those that have the honour of carrying the Rick Hansen Medal will have demonstrated Rick's values of courage, determination and teamwork. All of our Medal-Bearers will be Difference Makers.

The opportunity to carry the Rick Hansen Medal is a special honour that is made even more memorable by the unique limited edition items that each Medal-Bearer will receive.

Prior to their 250 metre segment each Medal-Bearer will receive an official Rick Hansen Relay uniform created by Nike. This uniform is only available for Medal-Bearers and will be an iconic piece of this nationwide journey.

Upon completing their 250 metre segment each Medal-Bearer will also receive a commemorative medal produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. This medal is symbol of appreciation and recognition for our Difference Makers and encourages them to continue their journey of positive change."

Wednesday night I got an email informing me that I'd been selected as a Difference Maker. I will be carrying the Rick Hansen Medal in my community in May! I am extremely honoured and excited. I have always wanted to meet Rick Hansen-he's a true Canadian hero and someone I
admire a great deal.

Local Peeps, if you'd like to attend, (which I'd love-the more, the merrier!)shoot me an email and I'll make a point of letting you know when and where, once I have more information!

11-11-11

Remembrance

In honour of my Grandfather,

Kenneth George Chick

who served as Homeguard with the RCAF during WWII

&

For our Canadian servicemen and women,

both young and old,

whose sacrifices keep us safe and free

THANK YOU

May those of you on active duty 

return safely to your loved ones.

Canadian Thanksgiving

Copyright Lelainia Lloyd/Tattered Edge 2011

This weekend is one of my most favourite of the whole year:

it's Thanksgiving!

It's going to be a busy weekend, as we observe our family's holiday traditions and I work to print and assemble the 3rd issue of Manual Dexterity. It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind!

Amidst all the holiday goodness, I am also acutely aware of all the things I have to be grateful for in my life:

-The love of a good man

-The love of a good dog. *grins*

-Our son who makes me laugh

-Work that feeds my soul

-The opportunity to learn new things

-Friends far and wide who make my life better simply by being in it

-Opportunities to make a difference on other people's lives

-Laughter

and so much more.

It's become a tradition here on my blog for me to post this harvest prayer. It's a personal favourite of mine because it pretty much sums up my life's philosophy and its message is timeless.

Harvest Prayer

(Anonymous 17th Century Sermon)

Please be gentle with yourself and others.

We are all children of chance,

And none can say why some fields blossom

While others lay brown beneath the harvest sun.

Take hope that your season will come.

Share the joy of those whose season is at hand.

Care for those around you.

Look past your differences.

Their dreams are no less than yours,

Their choices in life no more easily made.

And give.

Give in any way you can.

Give in every way you can.

Give whatever you possess.

Give from your heart.

To give is to love.

To withhold is to wither.

Care less for the size of your harvest than for how it is shared,

And your life will have meaning

And your heart will have peace.

 

***

 

To my fellow Canadians, whether at home or abroad, I wish you a beautiful harvest celebration with your family and friends and a safe journey if you are travelling this weekend.

In This Moment

In This Moment

This is the beauty of today, on the west coast of Canada.

Truly, this is the season that stirs my soul and makes me glad to be alive.

Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it,

and if I were a bird

I would fly about the earth

 seeking the successive autumns.

 ~George Eliot

I wish you quiet moments in the weeks to come, to sit and watch the leaves change and to soak up the goodness of the season.

Zines for Sale!!

Just before the holidays, I designed this wee zine, 78, Rue du Maison as my swap for our ATC groups birthday exchange. It was fun to make and I decided to create a few more and put them in my Etsy shop, Tattered Edge Mercantile.

Also available in the shop are the last issues of Manual Dexterity issues #1 & 2. If you want to have the complete set (I've had alot of positive feedback on the first two!) then now's the time to snap them up-once they're gone, they're gone! Future issues are in the works, so keep watching here for info on their release.

EDIT: Issues #1 and #2 of Manual Dexterity have sold out. Thank you!
You may still purchase 78 Rue du Maison!

In the meantime, I am busy packing up to have a weekend away with friends dedicated to art-making. It will be nice to get out of the studio and commune with "my people". More on that when I return. In the meantime, I will leave you with this image of the winter sky, dawn breaking over Mount Baker on Monday.

Thoughts on Patriotism

It's been interesting watching the city fill with visitors from all over the world in the last week or so. It's incredible to be walking amongst the people and seeing the street awash with red and white and everyone sporting the maple leaf. National pride is at an all-time high.

It's also been interesting being bashed by the foreign press for being too polite-for using please and thank you, for smiling and being helpful. I find it funny. That's not something we're doing special for the duration of these Games-it's who we are, it's what we do. It's the Canadian way. Some have taken offense at the comments made, but I look at it this way: If the worst thing they can say about us is that we are well-mannered and kind, then I'm proud of that. I'll happily wear that badge.





As Canadians, we've always been quietly patriotic. We've never felt the need to shout it from the rooftops-we just know in our hearts that we're great. Now the rest of the world knows it too.



*Day 8 posted tomorrow. I am scrambling to catch up!