Vancouver vs Toronto

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of visiting Vancouver and comparing it to Toronto. Sadly, Toronto is not learning from cities like Vancouver and other cities that are planning for the future and know what they would like to be. Toronto has many competing interests and no one unifying vision or group. During our last visit to Vancouver, Krista drove us around and we saw the wonderful waterfront that is being returned to the citizens to enjoy. I am sure that many tourists visit Toronto and have no idea that it is a city on a major lake. That lake has been hidden by the intense development that has all but obscured any view of the lake. Most of the beaches are gone or unusable; in fact this year an articical beach was built near Harbourfront.

Sadly, Toronto still has no plan or vision, our attempts at a slogan support this fact. The other issue which is being studied by a university of Toronto professor is the Ontario Municipal Board which allows developers with money to force their plans through despite the fact that some of these plans are not in the best interests of the city and its residents. Toronto also has councillors who represent their constituents to the detriment of the rest of the city and we have a great number of groups that shout NOT IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOOD.

Time for Toronto to wake up and observe what cities like Vancouver have accomplished and help Toronto become the city it should be.

Business of Blogging?

It is that time of year to relax and also start contemplating what to do in the fall or new year. Will the routine be the same? Rehearsals- some work hopefully and tennis and other exercise and the list goes and if you have read some of my other blog entries you are aware of the range of activities that I enjoy. A continuing education course catalogue arrived from the university this week. I always look through these catalogues looking for courses that will keep me thinking and maybe give me some interesting ideas. One course that caught my attention is "the Art and Business of Blogging" "This course explores the blogsphere with a dual focus on the technical aspects of blogging the rigour of creating compelling content on a daily basis. Along with helping students find an appropriate online voice, style and tone. This course debates the ethics and responsibilities of citizen journalism." I assume that this course is trying to ensure that blogs receive greater respect.

Blogs have flourished for sometime; and I guess the fact that a post secondary institution has decided that they are worthy of at 10 hours of class time means that they have achieved a certain amount of credibility. I am not sure that spending 10 hours in class is going to help me create compelling content- reading widely, viewing news shows and listening to others should help me find inspiration and then I am on my own trying to be compelling.

Hiker's Sports Bra saves her

German police say an American hiker stranded in the Bavarian Alps for nearly three days was rescued after using her sports bra as an SOS flag.

Jessica Bruinsma, 24 of Colorado, was lifted to safety by helicopter last Thursday after she attracted the attention of lumberjacks by attaching her sports bra to a the cable used to moved timber down the mountain.

Once lumberjacks spotted the bra on the moving cable, an alpine rescue team was able to the track the cable to the ledge where she had fallen.

Officials said a rescue team, including five helicopters and 80 emergency workers, had been searching for Bruinsma since she went missing June 16 after losing her way in bad weather hiking near the Austrian border.

She fell five metres onto a rocky overhang where she spent the next 70 hours on the narrow ledge, sustained by water that she found by breaking into a supply box on the ledge. She badly bruised a leg and dislocated a shoulder in the fall.

Wonder if this story would have received as much attention is she had used a different article of clothing?

Hostas by the 100's

Yesterday, I went exploring nurseries near Toronto with a good friend. We went to a number that are not the big name ones. It is interesting but some of the garden centres in the country are not open on Tuesdays, who would believe that?

After a lovely day of exploring, lunch at a nice restaurant with what we would call honest food-fantastic raspberry pie which we shared, we were heading back to rest and relax before my drive home on the 401. I am becoming better at driving on the 401 ( made it home in just over an hour yesterday and mapquest says that the drive is 1 15 minutes). As I was scanning the road, I saw a small sign that read hostas turn down the following road or something to that effect. I asked my friend if she could turn around and drive back to the road. We were very glad that we did. We arrived a some one's private home and it turned out that the vice-president of the Ontario Hosta society is the owner and he owns over 800 hostas in his garden. I thought that my collection of over 50 was a triumph. He was selling hostas and none priced over $20. What a find! I bought 8 hostas and barely broke the bank. My friend is going back this afternoon; the 4 of us will go back one weekend. The garden was a delight with the large hostas like Sum and Substance and small ones like baby Mouse ears and Pandora's box. Now, I know that I will be able to satisfy my cravings without driving for hours to far away places.

After I update my hosta database, I will post my list. You will see that there are people who are having fun just naming the plants. Earlier this spring, I bought Fried Bananas.

Chopin's Heart!

Chopin, the great pianists and composer died an untimely death at the age of 39. Researchers are now hoping to examine Chopin's heart to determine the cause of his death. Some researchers believe that it wasn't tuberculosis that killed him but cystic fibrosis which explains the fact that he was always chronically underweight, and prone to chest infections, wheezing and coughing. If DNA test prove this was the cause of death, some researcher believe that it will be an inspiration for patients especially children that they can still accomplish great things.

Chopin's heart was returned to Poland after his death as he had requested while his body remained in Paris. His heart rests in the baroque Church of the Holy Cross and the friars must be asked whether they will agree to the test. It is hoped that they will.

Robert Schumann described Chopin's music as "cannons hidden among blossoms"; it was and remains a symbol of Poland's long struggle for freedom. Nazi Germany banned Chopin's music for that very reason.

Hopefully, his heart can be used for a greater purpose, his music will live on.

Cell Phone popcorn

This is so fascinating that I had to stop reading e-mails to post this. I could not believe this: cell phone popcorn. I don't know who put the videos together but seeing popcorn popped by cell phones does make a person stop to think. Interesting, fun and thought provoking: enjoy-
http://www.koreus.com/video/telephone-portable-mais-popcorn.html

Weather

Must say that the weather these days is certainly interesting and sometimes challenging. This afternoon after a nice lunch with friends celebrating-yup my birthday, we got back to work and the rains and hail came down. We had not looked out but once the rain started we knew that this was no mere rain shower. A number of students told us that a tornado had passed by. I don't think that it caused major damage but certainly we should all start thinking about making sure that our garden furniture is secure. I have never heard of a tornado in the city before.
Getting home was a challenge, roads were flooded mainly because the sewers had been covered with seeds and other natural debris after the recent rains and it had not occurred to anyone that future rains would create problems on the streets as the rain had no way of getting down the sewers. The sun is shining now and it is hard to believe that it was so wild earlier. Hopefully, the sewers will be cleared before the next rain.
We have not had to use the hose on the garden for sometime, there has been plenty of rain. A day of sunshine would be nice. Hoping that tomorrow will be a nice day.

Gifts

What to buy!?!
We are going out this afternoon to buy a gift for friends who we are seeing next weekend. What to buy? We all have so much, even younger couples. I am always impressed with people who have the ability to go shopping and pick up things for others that are interesting and meaningful. Lately, I give the scarves that I make- some people have more than one which is okay since they are different styles and colours. The other gift is the cards that I make. I love taking pictures and still use regular print in addition to digital. Some of my friends send snail mail and actually use the cards for special occasions. I am always surprised that the photos turn out well. I now understand why National Geographic photographers need to take 100's of photos trying to get the perfect shot. I need to add to my repertoire of gifts but am at a loss right now. It is hard to know what people need and actually appreciate. I think that it is time to actually consult Martha Stewart's site and try to find things to make. She is imaginative, wish that I could come up with some of those ideas.

One other gift is time. I have a friend who says she is in her 90th year. I book appointments to take her shopping or where ever she would like a ride. Last trip was to garden centres. She bought plants for her garden and yes, she is still gardening- growing her tomatoes, beans and other vegetables. Must plan to see her this week and take her out. We might visit a new tea room that I discovered. The tea room is an area that is being revitalized. The tea room features teas and wonderful food and the art on the walls is by local artists.

What do other people do for gifts?

Interest in the blog

On the suggestion of a friend, I put a stat counter on my blog. Every once in a while, I check how many people have visited the blog. It does not let me know who the visitors are just numbers and if there are new visitors. Apparently, the entry of the week that generated a great deal of interest was Big Stink in New Zealand and I even got a comment from someone who is not known to me. So far, the people who have posted comments are friends.

I will have to make sure that I read the paper carefully and look for topics of serious interest. The recipes are not doing it although I enjoy the posting and more to the point the cooking and eating. Looking for a new salad recipe for this week.

Would be interesting to find out how many blogs are out there and how many people read them. How do people find out about the different blogs. I have a great deal to learn.

People?

Over the years, I have discovered that you should never assume that important and influential people make a point of letting others know who they are. This afternoon, I finished the garden tour by acting as a Garden Society host at one of the gardens and signing visitors in.

It was a lovely afternoon and the male owner of the garden came out front and we starting chatting. After a while, the fact that he is a professor came up. We started talking about his research at the Banting and Best Institute. His focus is muscle research and the interaction of proteins on the calcium we use to move muscles. Apparently, we use calcium when movement is generated and the calcium returns to its source after the action is completed. Our muscles and body improve the ability to complete the action with practise and loss that ability with lack of action. (This is definitely a very simple and probably not completely correct explanation. Rapid twitch muscles use and store calcium faster. )

We discussed a number of topics and the number of calories that we use was also a topic of interest. Did you know that our brain uses 600 calories each day just to function. Who knew? Not me.

When I left the house, I thanked the owners and his wife mentioned that if I looked up her husband, I would find may entries by googling his name. I just tried it and she was not exaggerating. I am impressed and humbled.

David H. MacLennan -try googling and I am sure that you will be as impressed as I was.

Garden Tours

Tomorrow, I am going on a local garden tour. Love seeing other people's gardens. Always envy their creativity when they haven't just gone out and paid a landscaper to design something for them. Landscapers seem to all choose the same plants and that is probably because the plants are guaranteed to thrive even if the owners do not give them tender loving care. I like see to gardens where the gardener has looked for interesting and different plants which are a sing that they hunted for the plants and thought about what they are going to do. Another thing that I enjoy are touches of whimsy. Last year, someone had two Muskoka chairs painted a bright yellow with a table ready for summer drinks-maybe Mint Juleps and a chance to enjoy the view in the garden. Or the gardener who has two plaster dogs on his front porch dressed for the seasons; this week they are probably wearing their sun hats and bandannas around their necks.

I will report back with pictures after I have done my tour. Planning to walk to all nine gardens which should not be too strenuous.

Big Stink in New Zealand

In our struggle to deal with the many gases we produce, we are now examining everything we do. In New Zealand, a country with a population of 4 million, it is not the people who are the problem but the 40 million sheep, 9 million beef and dairy cattle and more than 1 million farmed deer, all producing the methane that many climate scientists say is one of the worst culprits behind global warming. These animals have evolved into animals much like us who burp and break wind. Methane is 23 times more powerful by weight in warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

Livestock farmers, long among the country's major export earners are worried. They say the cost of fighting greenhouse gases could drive many into bankruptcy and they feel they are being singled out because New Zealand has few big industrial polluters.

A team of New Zealand scientists back by millions of dollars from the farm industry and government, are conducting world-leading research into possible solutions, including genetic engineering, cloning and a vaccine for gassy animals.

If researchers in labs discover the secret to making livestock less belchy and flatulent, they could help make billions of farm animals around the world more environmentally friendly.

I guess that this is another argument for becoming vegetarians. Wonder if scientists will start examining the impact of human flatulence on the environment?

Strawberries

Yesterday, I visited one of the many local farmers' markets and bought strawberries. I love local berries not the ones that have been trucked from California which most of the time are very woody. I want to start complaining to the major grocery chains about the fact that they do not supply local berries in season. This is the month of Strawberry festivals!

After cleaning all my berries, I decided that I had to indulge in a smoothie. I am not one of those people who buy fruit drinks when I go out but I love the decadence of mixing fruit, yogurt and milk or ice cubes depends what the recipe calls for. I made a fruity milkshake and it was thick enough to look like a milkshake. Michael suggested adding some liquor- tried some vanilla liqueur. The recipe is simple

1 cup milk (250 mL)
1 cup vanilla yogurt (250 mL)
1 cup berries or sliced peaches (250 mL)

Peaches will be nice. I will work my way through the berries of summer. Not sure if blueberries will work but blackberries, raspberries will be nice.

I will be back every week that I can getting those strawberries and since one of the farmers raises ever bearing strawberries which produce fruit until the first frost, I will be in berries for many months.

Salads

Salad time has a arrived and I am going to make it a mission to add at least one salad a week for the rest of the summer. Still love my carrot salad and chick pea salad and they will continue to be part of the repertoire but it is fun to add new items to the list. Never know when the next great flavour burst is going to be discovered. Last night, three bean salad was added. It has a twist on the old standby- artichokes. Good but still needs something for that extra zip.
Enjoy.

Three Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
1(6 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (12 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (12 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (12 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
1/8 cup white vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss red bell pepper, onion, and artichokes together with kidney, pinto and garbanzo beans. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk salt and sugar with white and balsamic vinegars until completely dissolved. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Adjust seasoning as desired.
Pour dressing over bean mixture, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Serve chilled.

From www.allrecipes.com
(First made June 15/08)

Young at Heart

Last night, I had the pleasure of finally seeing the movie, Young at Heart which is a documentary by Stephen Walker. While visiting the United States, he reluctantly attended a performance by the seniors' chorus Young at Heart. After the performance, he was so excited and touched by what he saw and heard that he decided that he had to produce a movie about the group which is called Young at Heart and is based in Massachusetts.

The movie follows the chorus (average age 80) as they prepare a new repertoire of songs for a springtime tour, putting their signature spin on the classics. Classics like The Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go", "Life during Wartime" by the Talking Heads and, naturally, that old chestnut "Schizophrenia" by Sonic Youth.

Apparently, they originally sang songs like Bicycle Built for Two but their musical leader, a young 53 has taken them in entirely new musical directions and they seem to accept and enjoy the opportunity. It was wonderful seeing them sing a James Brown number, "I Feel Good". The group sings for prison inmates who love them and the performance. The joy on their faces both chorus and inmates is remarkable.

This movie is really a testament to the power of music for the performer and audience. If you have not seen it, do. Hopefully, if it is not at your theatres any more,there is a video available.

Insurance

Have you been watching those commercials about insurance agents being encouraged to swim with sharks or play with wild animals- lions I believe? Those commercials came to mind yesterday when I spoke to an agent about a home insurance policy that I manage for a relative.

Earlier in the week, I had received a phone call from the agent suggesting that we should discuss saving money. I am all for that even if I am saving a relatives money; there is a sense of accomplishment in that. Catching up on calls yesterday, I called her and reminded her that she had called with the offer to save money.

Here are the wonderful and exciting opportunities:
A. increase libel insurance to $2,000,000 because there are cases around the world with these kind of settlements. My relative lives in a condominium, there are no stairs to fall and slip on. I can not imagine what could possibly happen in his unit but wait- this is libel insurance. Libel is what I heard her say. Libel? My relative does not have any means of libeling (slanderous language - not on a blog or facebook and he will not be quoted in print.) Either way, I rejected this.

B. Liability insurance-increase it. I asked if my relative is responsible for the whole building or just the unit he occupies? Just his unit. I pointed out that the only people who visit are very close relatives and that is was not likely that they would sue.

C. Third suggestion was that we might like to change the deductible from $500 to $1000 since it has been found that most people are choosing not to claim the $500 deductible. I asked her if she knew why most people choose not to make small claims. She seemed very puzzled and I pointed out that if we make a claim, our insurance payments increase no matter how many years we have been making payments and despite the fact that the problem was not the claimants fault. Of course people are avoiding making claims and the increase to $1000 deductible is a win-win for the insurance company. I had to laugh at the audacity of the insurance company and congratulated the agent on giving me a topic for my blog today.

I know that insurance companies are businesses but they have not been scrupulous in their dealings with clients otherwise those ads would not strike a chord with most of us.

Harry Lawrence Mills

Someone commented yesterday that I seem to be focused on food lately,must be true based on the entries. Still love it but today it is time for something very important.

Yesterday afternoon, I attended a gathering in honour of Harry Lawrence Mills, brother of a man I am pleased to say I knew George Mills, a gentle man who loved music and was gracious to those people who he played with. Because I monitor a phone line for CAMMAC, Canadian Amateur Musicians Musiciens Amateur du Canada, I received the phone call about Harry's death and the fact that he had requested that people donate money to CAMMAC or the charity of their choice instead of flowers . I had not had the opportunity to recognize George's passing several years ago other than writing an article for the CAMMAC newsletter; this time I wanted to attend the gathering in his brother's honour. I was pleased to see that there were pictures of George as well as Harry. What was also remarkable was the impact that Harry had on people's lives. The banquet room at the Old Mill was full and I had only managed to come for the last third of the gathering. There was quite a list of people whose lives Harry had touched. I met the founder of the Bohemian Embassy who modeled this after the salons he enjoyed at Harry's home which was his family home for over 70 years. Harry was always welcoming and supported the efforts of many struggling artists to become a success. ( A number of friends plan to write a biography for lives lived in the Globe and Mail. I look forward to learning more about him. )While it was wonderful that people had come together to recognize a life well lived, I hope that he had known how much he was appreciated during his lifetime.

I think that this blog entry encourages us all to take the time while we can to reach out and thank people when we can for their contributions to our lives. Don't wait for a gathering that they are not able to attend except in spirit.

Chicken Recipe

I am always looking for simple recipes that are tasty. With the warm temperatures, what I need these days is good salad recipes. I make an excellent tossed salad- just add everything that is fresh from the vegetable bin- usually works well. Last night, the choice was one that I enjoy chicken with ginger. Easy and tasty, the best combination. Martha Stewart approved as you can see at the end.
Happy cooking.

Chicken with Ginger

Serves 4; Prep time: 20 minutes; Total time: 40 minutes
You can also serve this Asian Dish over Chinese noodles, available in most supermarkets, or steamed rice.

1 three inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut in 1/8 inch- thick matchsticks (1/2 cup)
2 tbs. canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs. white vinegar
2 tbs. sugar
1/2 cup sliced scallions

1. Soak ginger in cold water 10 minutes; drain.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat; brown chicken in two batches, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.

3. In same skillet over medium heat, cook ginger, onion, and garlic, stirring until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar; cook over high heat until thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken; stir to warm. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.

Per serving: 327 calories; 9.2 grams fat; 41.7 grams protein; 18.3 grams carbohydrates; 1.9 grams fiber
Martha Stewart recipe from her e-mails.

Tomatoes

After a good morning of computing, playing tennis (the weather was wonderful this morning-unlike last Monday afternoon when a group of us nearly collapsed in the heat. I don't know what we were thinking!), and now answering e-mails and planning the next article that I want to edit and submit, it is time to think about lunch. And did I mention reading the newspapers? What to eat? Which bread- white is not good, needs to be wholewheat or my favourite dark rye. Cold cuts- ones don't have too many nitrates. The cheese should be low-fat. Cucumber, so far I have not heard too many negatives about it. Lettuce if it is green and leafy as opposed to ice berg lettuce should be good. Love that mayonnaise- but must be careful about the amount and again fat content. One more item, yup, you guessed it, some tomato slices. Since I have already eaten some of the tomato and I seem to be fine, I am not too worried but I do wonder what happened to these tomatoes that are making people in the United States ill. Where are these tomatoes coming from. I don't remember problems in the past or was it that we just did not connect illness with its direct cause?

Thank goodness, tomatoes are not hard to grow. When they are ripe enough and have lovely samples I will take some photos and post them.

One of my favourite parts of summer is toasted tomato sandwiches. Hopefully, I will have a bumper crop and not worry about what I am putting on my sandwich and in my salads.

Strawberries and Cherries

They have arrived Cherries! Just got some cherries yesterday and they are as sweet as I remember. I do not buy most fruit out of season because it is not the same as in season fruit. I must get more today.

Next week, I am going to a local farmers' market and picking up strawberries. There is nothing better than fresh strawberries. I love them with some milk and a bit of sugar. Last year, I discovered that strawberries are not available just in June but until the first frost. Ever bearing strawberries have been developed. Isn't science wonderful, could they do the same with blueberries?

This is heaven! Cherries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries.....the list goes on. Oh did I mention watermelons- had some watermelon yesterday and it was the best.

Peonies

Before starting this entry, I was going to go outside a take a few pictures of the peonies that are blooming in the garden but that will have to wait. Some much needed rain has just started to come down. It means that the lawn will not get moved tonight but the plants will be happy and I do not have to go around with the hose and watering can tending to the newly planted plants that need special attention until they are established.

Recently, a good friend gave me a book about "The secret lives of Our Favourite Flowers" and the peony is one of the entries.

Apparently, Romans distributed the European peony as their empire spread west and north. 1000 years later Chinese peonies also traveled beyond China's borders.

At one time, peonies were used as a a coagulant. During the Middle ages, peonies were used as a sedative, the roots were used for this herbal remedy. With time, it became apparent that the peony was just a beautiful flowering plant.

The Chinese favoured the peony as a symbol of prosperity. For centuries, tree peonies were displayed in salons and courtyards of Chinese houses to show off their owner's affluence to passersby.

The peony is now respected and admired throughout the world. I promise to take some pictures tomorrow. Must log off, the storm is becoming serious and I do not want an electrical problem.

Spadina House and playing outdoors

As you know already, we are enduring a mini heat wave in the east. This is a challenging time to play outdoors and that is what the Taffanel Wind Ensemble did today for its annual performance at Spadina House's Music in the Orchard. Audience members sitting on their handy portable chairs ( I have yet to use mine but do look forward to the opportunity), lounging on blankets or chairs and benches provided by the house enjoyed themselves. The trio was the challenged by the environment.

I am very glad that I remembered at the last minute that we were playing outdoors and that we needed clips for the music. The first challenge playing outdoors is to keep music on the stands; clips are a must. This means that you can not play music that is more than 2 pages per movement. Even clips do not seem to be able to keep the music down when the wind comes up. If the wind is strong enough, the next problem is keeping the music stand stable. Heavy black stands are sturdy enough to withstand the wind but the lighter portable ones are challenged to stay upright by the wind.

On a sunny day, musicians need to be concerned about sunburn. Once while playing outdoors, I remembered to cover all the exposed parts of my body with sunscreen except one hand, it got burned. Now, I always try to avoid the sun but sometimes the host wants the performers in a particular location. Hats are also an issue, you want to look dignified and keep you head covered and the hat attached to your head not watch it blow across the lawn. Today, I wore my sunglasses so that I would not be blinded.

Nature is wonderful when you are outdoors but sometimes, some of the nature creatures decide to be part of the performance. Care must be taken avoid swallowing insects. Sometimes, this problem can not be avoided. While performing today, I could feel some twigs hit me which let me know that the wind was coming up if the fact that my music was fluttering violently was not enough notice.

Despite all these problems, it is always wonderful to be outdoors and see audience members relaxing and enjoying our performance.

We will be back at Spadina House in a month with Otteto Prosciutto, ready to play octets. Hopefully, the weather will be a little cooler and the winds calmer.

Academic Studies

This morning, I was taking a course with the department of continuing studies "Italian for Travellers", we are getting closer to going and that trip. Work and family health issues have been factors causing us to delay this wonderful expedition. After the class, I had to stop at the shelf which held the usual array of university newspapers. According to some people,I am an info-maniac . I love reading about what is going and about events that I might attend.

Today the research topics were fascinating. Apparently, Memory loss is linked to limb length.
" A new study has found that a person's risk of memory loss may be related to the length of their limbs. 'Body measures such as knee height and arm span are often used as biological indicators of early life deficits, such as a lack of nutrients,' said study leader Tina Huang of Tufts University. Huang and her researchers recorded arm span and knee height measurements for 2,798 people over a span of five years. Also findings relayed that Alzheimer's disease and dementia were 50 per cent more likely to afflict women with shorter arm spans. Women were less likely to develop dementia if their knee to floor measurements were longer than average. Only shorter arm span was correlated with increased possibility of dementia in men. 'Our findings with knee height and arm span are consistent with previous reports and suggest early life environment may play an important role in the determination of future dementia risk' the researchers wrote."

Who would have thought that these parts of the anatomy would have this effect on our future brain function? Who would have thought that someone would try to correlate these aspects of the anatomy?

Another topic was "Emotion: enemy of science or friend of reason?" Food for thought!

Heat Wave

The dreaded words are being spoken: heat wave and humidex readings. We are going to have temperatures of over 30 and 39 with the humidex. Going to make sure that I have plenty of liquids; there is no air conditioning in most of the school where I work and this is one of my days to go to work.

Hopefully, students will manage to stay cool and still maintain an appropriate level of modesty especially the girls. Boys seem reluctant to remove as much clothing. I am always surprised at how little young women wear in public and in places like a school. What happened to dress codes. My sense of modesty will not allow me to dress like that even if I am hot. My choice today is a very loose dress which is opaque so I can wear very little underneath. The dress is also long so I do not have to worry about revealing more of myself than the world wants to see.

Hopefully, we will all stay cool. And the drive will be safe. I find that drivers lose all sense when it gets this hot.

Bethune Music

In case some of you have been wondering what I have been doing, one of the things that keeps me busy is working part-time at Dr. Norman Bethune with a wonderful group of teachers. Andria who you see busy at her desk works with the grade 9's and does an amazing job teaching and motivating them. Even after last week's successful concert, she was working with the Junior band last night giving the students an opportunity to explore new band pieces. Right now, she will be busy with her first class of the day.

Dennis is our department head and leader. He has developed one of the most outstanding high school bands in the country. Many years of working with both senior school students and high school skills have given him the talent and knowledge to build this programme. The Mann award was presented to him in Ottawa at the National Band Festival in May. The percussion ensemble coached by Kelly Gates and jazz ensemble, directed by Rick Humphrey also one gold awards.


Gloria is my other half; a very talented teacher who is the vocal director this year. Last year, we both taught some instrumental music classes and she nurtured the choir and vocal classes and as a result, the numbers exploded. The students really appreciate how she has nurtured their skills and encouraged them to flourish.



Here we are the Grey Mares! I was planning to get my hair spiked for the picture but time did not permit, at least that is my excuse. As you can see, we are almost a matched pair-even wear complimentary colours. What a pleasure it is to job share with such a gifted and wonderful teacher.



I have been blessed to have two wonderful years working with a great staff and students after I thought that I had left teaching.

Now to another love- must run and play tennis!

Maureen Jennings

Today was an exciting day. As well as working, I spent my free time booking performers for the McMichael Gallery and I am just about finished the season. I am pleased that the process is so effortless this year. I am hoping to have all the dates filled by the end of the week and then I can send the dates to the gallery.

I have also managed to become part of the programming committee for another organization which plans 7 luncheons a year. Our mandate is to provide entertainment for the 7 luncheons. Again this will be done by the end of the week. I am so pleased that I managed to book one of my favourite Toronto authors, Maureen Jennings. She is the author of the Murdoch Mystery series which takes place in Victorian Toronto and has been turned into a tv series that has been renewed for next season. I am going to make sure that I attend that presentation. I will also contact a friend who enjoys her books. This process is certainly quite the learning experience. I am happy to report that I am having plenty of those lately.

If you have not read any of Maureen Jennings' books I highly recommend them and suggest that you start the Murdoch mystery series at the beginning.