In My World

Today's Writing Prompt: Letters When was the last time you sent (or received) a hand-written letter?

Houghton's Sand Hill, located east of Port Burwell, Ontario, towers about 350 feet in the north shore of Lake Erie. This is the result of the water drained from a huge glacial lake, and the delta left with this mountain of sand. "This freak of nature far off the beaten path has been growing and shifting for centuries due to the prevailing southwest winds. Judging by fragments of pottery, arrowheads and flints found in the vicinity, it appears that the Indians occupied the areas as a campground long before the white man realized it existed. "John Alton purchased the farm from the Crown in 1850. In the Norfolk County Atlas printed in 1877, it tells of the large Sand Hills on John Alton’s farm. At that time the summit was crowned by the observatory of the United States Lake Survey. This structure was framed of heavy timber to form a tripod about 70 ft. high, on the top was a tent to protect the observers and the instruments from the sun and wind. A similar station was built ...

Today's Writing Prompt: Cold What's the worst part of having a cold? There is no worse part to having a cold.  It is all worse.  You feel like crap.  Look like crap.  No sleep because you can't breathe.  Miserable.  Aches and pains.  The only good thing about a cold is generally people leave you alone and that is a good thing.  Because who wants to be around people when they have a cold?

Star Wars:  Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) I can't say I am a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise . . . but I do like it quite a bit.  I think it is very clever.  And I can't believe I never questioned why the first movie was called Episode IV. It has a great and swashbuckling story line and great special effects, especially for the times.  "Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a wookiee and two droids to save the universe from the Empire's world-destroying battle-station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader."  I stole this from IMDB because I couldn't have said it better myself.   I like that . . . the story of a boy, a girl and a universe . . .  Academy Awards, USA 1978 Won Oscar Best Art Direction-Set Decoration John Barry Norman Reynolds Leslie Dilley Roger Christian Best Costume Design John Mollo Best Sound Don MacDougall Ray West Bob Minkler Derek Ball Best Film Edi...

Today's Writing Prompt: I Quit! What was the most recent thing you quit? I can't think of anything recently that I have quit.  I still have all my bad habits.  I still worry too much.  I still work my Dreaded To Do List everyday even though I am so far behind that I wonder if I will ever get caught up.

Today's Writing Prompt: Coffee Date Who would you like to meet over a cup of coffee (or tea) today?

Today's Writing Prompt: Winter Wonderland It is wayyyy below zero here this morning. What does your Winter Wonderland look like? (Or summer wonderland, I suppose, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere?)

Happy Publication to Marrow Memory: Essays of Discovery by Dr. Margaret Nowaczyk, published by Wolsak & Wynn! In   Marrow Memory: Essays of Discovery   Margaret Nowaczyk  explores different facets of her life, from listening to the radio dramas of her childhood in Communist Poland to her work now as a paediatric clinical geneticist. These are beautifully crafted essays, full of hard-won truths and insights, generously shared with the reader. Whether struggling with English as a teenaged refugee or documenting the process of permanent hair dye, Nowaczyk moves seamlessly between scientific and personal writing, bridging the gap between these two areas with elegance and humour.   Marrow Memory   is an invitation to the reader to marvel in the unexpected beauties of human experience and the ability of language to capture that. "The essays in  Marrow Memory  dazzled and moved me with their erudition and sensuousness, their humour and their breadth in s...

Smoke is children’s author Winstanley’s first adult work, an unforgettable collection of short stories that is both searing and thought-provoking. Smoke features a cast of characters across Canada and New Zealand, showing us glimpses into their lives of loss and heartbreak. In these eleven linked stories, Winstanley takes a hard look at intergenerational trauma and their impact on characters from multiple points of view, but her characters are not victims—anything but. Guilt, self-reflection, compassion, and forgiveness are central themes in this collection of stories that help us understand the degree of responsibility we hold toward the events that happen to us in life.  “In each of Nicola Winstanley’s powerful stories we feel for and feel tender toward, even love, these characters trying to navigate through their lives the best they can, with earnest hope and often unrecognized resilience as they find ways to make do and, despite everything, continue to be themselves, to find a...

So anyway . . . this article shows up in my Facebook news feed the other day and it got me thinking. My usual pet peeve in restaurants is that they don't clear the dishes away quickly enough but this article got me looking at the whole thing from a different angle. Without my permission, restaurants have abandoned, or simply overlooked, a classic tenet of service etiquette (I'm talking about entrees, not the ubiquitous small plates, which demand a different etiquette). Rather than clear plates once everyone at the table has finished the meal, which has long been the custom, servers instead hover over diners, fingers twitching, until the very instant someone puts down a fork. Like vultures, they then promptly snatch up the silverware -- along with everything else in front of the customer. If you're lucky, they might ask permission before stealing your plate. When a server clears a plate before everyone is finished, he or she leaves the table with a mess of subtle but imp...

Port Burwell Wind Farm (formerly known as the Erie Shores Wind Farm) is a large wind farm near Port Burwell, Ontario, Canada. The facility stretches approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the west of the town, and 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) to the southeast. In 2004, Port Burwell was awarded a generation contract by the Government of Ontario as part of its renewable energy plan. This wind farm was officially opened on April 13, 2006. The project comprises 66 GE 1.5 MW Wind Turbines (model 1.5 SLE). Each turbine has a blade diameter of 77 metres (253 ft), and is mounted on an 80-metre (260 ft) tubular tower.

Today's Writing Prompt: Environmentalism Do you take any steps to protect your environment, such as recycling, helping wildlife, or planting local plants? Sadly, I am not as active in protecting our environment as I wish.  I do try and think twice about my actions that might leave a "footprint" on the environment.  I do use the recycling bins when I am someplace where they are available.  

  Today's Writing Prompt: The Worst Weather What's the worst weather event you've ever encountered? Living in Canada means we get all kinds of interesting weather.  Living in SW Ontario means we can experience the sub-tropical right up to arctic conditions.  The worst weather event I can remember was the ice storm in 1976.  I was in high school and when I was walking home at noon I didn't like the way the rain was freezing.  It was a really difficult walk home.  I recall phoning my mother and letting her know that we would be staying home for the afternoon.   By the middle of the afternoon the storm was settled in and life stood still for a few days.  We were very lucky to have a fireplace and gas stove and gas water heater so we did pretty well.  We all slept in the front room in front of the fire place and we had a blanket up over the front room door to keep the heat in.  Our house was full of people every day.  It seemed at times...

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.   I know I've said a million times that I don't like scary or violent movies.  And I really don't like Quentin Tarantino movies . . . with two exceptions.  Inglorious Basterds is one of the exceptions for two reasons.   1.  Nothing makes me laugh more than listening to Brad Pitt speak in a Appalachian mountain twang except Brad Pitt speaking "Italian" with a mountain twang. 2.  Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa.  So European, civilized, and evil at the same time. Academy Awards, USA 2010 Winner Oscar Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Christoph Waltz Nominee Oscar Best Motion Picture of the Year Lawrence Bender Best Achievement in Directing Quentin Tarantino Best Writing, Original Screenplay Quentin Tarantino Best Achievement in Cinemat...

Imagine you buried a time capsule 20 years ago. Today you get to open it! What would you have placed inside? I would have been 34 and I have to say I can't really remember what I was doing then.  Probably working, looking after my family and volunteering.  I may have included a journal I'd just filled, a newspaper for the date the capsule was buried, some favourite photos, a favourite book, something I had made by hand like a scarf or some mitts.  I'm sure I would have added a photo of my family.

My journaling prompt for today is:   If you could own a magical cooking pot that never ran out of food, what kind of pot, pan, box or dish would you like to have? What would it make? If I had a magical cooking pot that never ran out of food I wish it would make a non-stop crock pot roast dinner.  I love pot roast especially when lots of veggies are included.  It is so versatile to make into hot sandwiches and soups as well as serving with Yorkshire pudding.

Set in the early and mid-‘80s in the Middle East, A Simple Carpenter plays out against a backdrop of strife in Lebanon and ethnic/religious tensions between Jews and Arabs in Israel and Palestine. This historical backdrop serves as an empathetic and thoughtful commentary on our modern political climate.  Part biblical fable, part magic realism, and part thriller, A Simple Carpenter follows the epic journey of a ship’s carpenter stranded on a small Mediterranean island and visited by a frightening mysterious creature. He’s lost his memory but has acquired the ability to speak, write and understand all languages. After his rescue, he spends time in a Lebanese coastal village recuperating with a group of nuns who, observing him perform what appear to be small miracles, take him to be the second coming of Jesus Christ. Later in Beirut he’s hired as a translator for the UN peacekeeping force, and is recruited as a messenger for a group named Black September. On a quest to find his tru...

  Happy Publication to Fungal: Foraging in the Urban Forest by Ariel Gordon, published by Wolsak & Wynn!  Fungal is a wide-ranging collection from Ariel Gordon where she explores her fascination with all mushrooms, not just those you can eat.  In these engaging essays she takes the reader through ditches and puddles in search of morels, through the hallways of a mushroom factory, down city sidewalks and beside riverbanks as she considers things found and fungal. Along the way there are entertaining stories of the perils of mushroom identification, including mailed mushrooms that have liquefied, or terrifying thoughts of Canadian geese being fed hallucinogenic mushrooms as well as thoughtful analysis of the ways mushrooms knit our ecosystems together and the ways we knit our lives and communities together. Smart, funny and poetic, Gordon moves seamlessly from the natural world to the personal in these essays, examining the interconnectedness of all things and delighti...

Do you have a favorite spot to go out for coffee, tea, brunch, dinner, etc?  What makes this spot so great?

Today's prompt is . . . What do you think is the most important thing for today's kids to learn in school? I'm definitely not an expert in the subject but it seems to me kids need to learn the basics --reading, spelling, writing, comprehension, math.  Without these basic skills how are they to accomplish the things that they need to do?  How do you write a resume and cover letter when your writing skills aren't honed?  I think we need more art, music and physical education. 

We drove through Sparta on our way home (August 2011) and for the first time ever I saw that the little mud house was open.  Also known as Ye Olde Forge and Anvil, this little blacksmith's shop was built in 1827 of clay and straw by a Mr. Keller from England. The walls are very thick.  During the Mackenzie Rebellion of 1837, militia horses were stabled here. In 1944 E.A. Smith gave the building to the Sparta Sorosis Women's Institute, who used it as a meeting place for many years.  They turned it over to the Sparta Historical Society in 1995. It is currently being used as a museum; a very interesting little museum.

Today's Prompt: What Would You Do? How far would you go for your family or loved ones? Give up your career? Your life? Take someone else's life? You know, I've been sitting here thinking about this for quite some time and I'm still not sure of my answer.  I know I have sacrificed for my family but never so far as to take a life.  I'm not sure I could ever do that.  But you just never know . . . given the right circumstances . . .  I hope I never have to find out.

Now I know I'm going to receive polite laughter from certain friends when I say that I really enjoyed La La Land. I can take it. I really enjoyed this movie. It was nostalgic and fun, less than serious, and had a surprise ending that cracked me right up and made me sad at the same time. Isn't that worth giving this movie a try? La La Land is the story of an aspiring actress and a jazz musician in Hollywood. As they become successful they are faced with decisions that could destroy their love affair and the dreams they worked so hard for. I love all the song and dance numbers which reminded me so much of the "old" days of movies like . . . Just give it a try. I have a funny feeling that if you allow yourself to accept all the cheesiness, you will love it. Academy Awards, USA  2017 Winner Oscar Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Emma Stone   Best Achievement in Directing Damien Chazelle At 32 years and 38 days of age, Damien Chaz...

I'm in a very serious mood today. Do you ever get tired of telling people "I'm fine"?  I am.  Because I'm not always fine.  Actually most of the time . . . 

Today's Prompt: Best Activity You and your friends all get together on a Friday night. What are you most likely to do? What's your favorite activity to do with a group of close friends? My best activity includes dinner at our favourite restaurant, having a family dinner, and playing board or card games.

Sunset Lake Resort, is an equally captivating narrative full of thrilling twists, exciting reveals, and gorgeously drawn women characters. When Ruby’s father passes away, but fails to leave her the millions some expected, Steve, her husband of 35 years, moves out. Alone, but in control of her own affairs for the first time in her life, Ruby is torn between panic and relief. When she investigates the remote beach cabin her father had left her instead of his estate, she discovers a dilapidated beach resort in a remote location, seemingly untouched since its former owner, Cecelia Johansen, died under mysterious circumstances. Despite the condition of the property and rumours it is haunted, Ruby decides to move to Sunset Lake Resort, determined to find out why her father bought it, and why he left it to her. Sunset Lake Resort is now available wherever books are sold. @joannejacksonauthor @river_street_writes @stonehousepublishing #canlit #canadianbooks #bookishcanadians #bookstagramcanada...

  The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits is a gorgeously complex work of literary speculative fiction. With elements of science fiction and horror dropped in amongst stunning literary prose, the debut novel spans centuries, covering humanity’s colonization of the moon, a war with alien beings, AI minds governing Canada, and a giant spacefaring whale. The book is centred around Toronto and shows a version of a Canadian future that will amaze and stun readers, while raising important questions about the ethics and power of AI, humanity’s claim to space, and the systematic destruction of our current planet.  “Ambitious in scale and scope, inventive and concrete in its imagery, The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits is a weird and splendid delight, haunting and sincere.” –Jake Casella Brookins, Locus Magazine  The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits is now available wherever books are sold. @wolsakandwynn @ink.stained_wreck @river_street_writes #scifi #canlit #horrorbooks #speculativefiction ...

If money was no object, where would you live? How would you spend your time?

Normandale -- Ghost Town and Ontario’s Original Steel Town Normandale is a veritable “ghost town”. While I don’t know of any hauntings, it earned its nickname due to a rapid reduction of residents after a short-lived boom in the 1800s. Today, however, no more than 200-300 people live there. Another noteworthy tidbit about this miniature town is its dibs on an Ontario “first”. It may be surprising, and is definitely contrary to popular belief, but Hamilton is not Ontario’s original steel town. Instead, this smaller than small town claimed that title in the early 19th century. Normandale sits along the shores of Lake Erie in  Norfolk County . At its peak in the mid- to late-19th century, between 400 and 750 residents called this little lakeside town home. An old gazetteer published in 1846 described Normandale as “having a population of 300. A thriving village with a post office, a tavern, one tailor and two shoemakers.” Today, a short drive through the town will reveal a few restore...

  What's the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of love?

What would your reaction be today if you found out you (or your significant other) were pregnant? Go beyond disbelief. I know, it's not a possibility for many of us, but imagine for a freaky moment that it is. How would this affect your life? Oh heck no!!!  I am far too tired.  I have looked after all the crawling, pooping, eating creatures I intend to in my life . . . LOL . . . except for cats and dogs, of course.

So why, when I've said so many times how much I hate violent movies, do I love this crazy movie.  I've also said more than once that I hate Quentin Tarantino movies.  And yet I've now seen two of Tarantino's movies that I love . . . Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained. Perhaps it has something to do with the stars of the show which I absolutely love.  Christoph Waltz cracks me up.  And I love to hate Leonardo DiCaprio. The short version of the story is that Django ("The D is silent. Payback won't be.") is teamed up with a German bounty hunter.  The hunt bad guys.  The bounty hunter agrees to help Django find his wife who had been sold off.  They find out where she is and come up with a really complicated plan to free her. There is a lot of violence and red stuff and the language is a "bit" much but the story is good and the actors are amazing. Academy Awards, USA  2013 Winner Oscar Best Performance by an Actor in a ...