Sunday afternoon Poetry reading

At the request of a dear friend, I put this picture in to show the art gallery downstairs and the creative works that Hamilton artists do. This venue has a two fold purpose and I believe that it will succeed as the owners are welcoming and friendly and make people feel right "at home".

Stan White

Kim Grove

Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni

Honey Novick

Bill Bissett

Bill Bissett

Jeff Seffinga

James Deahl

Richard Tai

What a delightful afternoon I spent yesterday. I loved the new venue as it was cozy and also one could hear very well there.

Artword Artbar in located at 15 Colbourne St., which is where near the Anglican Cathedral. It is easy to get to as well as the Bayfront bus goes right to that street and one need only walk up towards James Street North. A very short walk indeed.

Artword Artbar has a website, www.artword.net/artbar and is run by Ronald Weihs and Judith Sandiford.

The performance started at 2 p.m. and included Bill Bissett, James Deahl, Caroline Morgan Di giovanni, Katherine L. Gordon, Richard (Tai) and Kim Grove, Honey Novick, Jeff Seffinga and Stan White.

I particularly liked an afternoon performance and hope that there will be more held there in the afternoon.

A most enjoyable afternoon spent with compatible people!

Thanksgiving Monday

A miracle has happened, no, just joking. I actually cooked! I made some chicken with tons of nice vegetables with that Slap Chop machine and cooked it all in the oven for the required time.

The smell was heavenly and the unexpected invitation from a dear friend, Jennifer, to go to the RBG to see the Mediterranean gardens just made the day for me.

On holidays it is quite difficult when one is alone. I think I will start to plan to invite people in for other holidays. I used to entertain a lot in Toronto, having parties as well as dinners and I may go back to that lifestyle, depending on my strength.

When the children were small, this is how I got together with other folks as I had only my salary to support the three of us plus three animals and getting a babysitter was quite expensive.

I look back now and see what a wonderful time we had, doing simple things like walks in the park, picnics, visiting friends, having visitors. All simple things and all easy to do. Our parties were great too, we each would bring our children and a covered dish and share. Such fond memories to look back on! The children would have fun as well as the adults.

It was my daughter's job to pick wild flowers for our Friday evening meal and to decorate the table with them. Candles and soft music were also a lovely addition to the meal. The children would have Adams Ale with an ice cube in it (ice water) and we would have very simple food but elegantly laid out, but even today my daughter remembers those meals.

Simple things, but so very powerful to uplift the human spirit.

One does not need to spend a lot of money to enjoy life. Each day is a gift from God and one to be treasured.

In Thanksgiving time, it is right to thank God for His blessings of shelter, food, clothing and all the things in life which make life good! In fact, each day should be a day of thanksgiving for friends and family, freedom of worship and freedom of speech.

Blue skies, white fluffy clouds, sun rising, sun setting over water, moon coming out from behind a cloud - these are only a few of the things we take for granted.

Even a rainy day has its blessings, a cosy home, a cup of tea or coffee, a good book, nice music.

We, in North America, have so much to be thankful for.

Rockton World Fair 2009

A lovely fall decoration at the Pottery Place in Rockton

Decorated for Halloween - Gasper the friendly Ghost.

A house I really loved!

A local house in Rochton decorated for Halloween!

Little chicks.

A very friendly horse. He even let me pat him.

Bulls being judged with their keepers in a large barn

One of the many animals at the Fair.

A priceless picture of a dear little boy and a wonderful little dog.

Carmen won that little animal for my daughter Anna! I will take it when I go there next time.

My friends, Wally and Carmen, invited me to go with them to the Rockton World's Fair.

It was a very delightful experience. I particularly enjoyed the kraft shows and saw many beautiful work created by the crafters.

Quilts, hand knitted and crocheted items, woodworking, Christmas ornaments and the list could go on and on. An excellent variety of lovely hand made goods.

I also enjoyed the various animals that we could get close to and the horse show .

For the young folk, and perhaps not so young, there was a midway and this had lots of people trying their luck to win prizes, and also going on the different rides.

We spent about 5 hours there. We brought our own picnic which was a good thing as the prices were quite high for food. The entrance fee for the fair was $10.00 and the parking cost $3.00.

I loved the decorated houses with their fall decorations and even Halloween decorations.

It was a real pleasure for me to spend time with Carmen and Wally and to visit this little town and its fair. Time well spent!

The chair situation

Goodness, there may be 55 people coming to my party in November and the party room only has 22 chairs!

Hosea suggested that I ask if St. John's would lend me some chairs and he would pick them up and bring them back. I checked with Joan in the church office and she checked for me and yes, they can lend them provided there is no other function on.

I have decided to donate $1.00 of each jewelery purchase to the micro-enterprise programme which helps disabled people set up their own small business with seed money and expert advice. Hosea is part of that organization and he will bring me some pamphlets for people to read.

Mary will bring some HistoriCITY magazines for people to have as well. Next step is to concentrate on the food items needed - a tall order.

I really want everybody to have a great time! The chairs were my biggest problem really.

This party is taking up a great deal of my thoughts but it will be nice to see so many friends at the same time. Friends are even coming from Toronto!

Just got a return e-mail from a chair company. It would cost $181. for the rental of 25 chairs, which would include pick up and take back and a $100 damage deposit. In short, $81.00 for the afternoon. Out of the question!

Bless Hosea for his idea of borrowing the chairs from St. John's and bless them for lending them!

Sad news

I learned this evening at my friend Evelyne Beers passed away from pneumonia. I feel a great loss as she was like a mother to me as well as a friend.

Evelyne has been a wonderful friend to me and has visited me several times here in Hamilton.


We met at a Seniors Group in Downsview and found out that we were neighbours. I have had many a wonderful chat with her in her comfortable home as well as on her lovely long balcony at her condo in Downsview.

I loved her wit and her practicality. Above all, I loved her acceptance of people who practiced different religions than she did or were a different colour than she was. An example to us all!

She was a Bah'ai and a good one, practicing her choice of religions on a daily basis. American by birth, having lived most of her life in the States, but immigrating to Canada to be near her daughter near the end of her life. I learned so much just from listening to her chat about life in the States and her own life. She was a good example.


Since I moved to Hamilton almost seven years ago now, we have remained in touch by visiting back and forth as well as by letters.

Evelyne and Bob Beer, and their daughter Marty, represented the United States on a world tour as Good Will Ambassadors during the 1960's. They were very well known, especially for their Fox Hollow Festivals.

Many a time, I listened with pleasure to Evelyne talking about their experiences. Her cat, Miss Sally Cat and I would listen intently. Evelyne herself was a down to earth type of person and it was my pleasure to have known her.

I shall miss my friend but I am glad that she died so peacefully. May God grant her paradise.

For anybody wishing to know more about the Beers Family, please type in Beers Family on the search engine and you will see references about their work.

A pleasant evening at Lit Live

Sunday was a lovely day for me. Went to see some folk at St. Paul's and enjoyed chatting with them, brought Kevin back home with me for a light lunch and then after he had gone, rested for an hour or so and made some jewellery. Had a nice chat with one of my girlfriends and then left for Lit Live about 7 o'clock.

This girlfriend suggested that I write narrative poetry as she said the other poems without the articles do not sound like me. I couldn't agree more!

I enjoyed writing "My Journey" which also was like a story. I also know that I had the most pleasure in writing my murder mystery poem as it had a real story in it. I think she may have hit the nail on the head when she observed that.

Poetry today does not seem to use the articles and I had to try and learn to go against all normal appropriate prose writing methods. I have to say that it still does not feel "right" in my own ears. When the poems are read at the ladies group I go to, they are always rhyming poems and very beautiful. They please my ear.

I shall try writing a narrative poem about the picture in Carnagee Gallery. I have only a few days left to do it.

Now, back to Sunday night. I read the third prize winners story and it went over very well with several people commending me on how well I read.

I asked Chris to help me up to the stage and also down so I would not have to use my cane. That worked very well. Chris is such a dear fellow!

Mohammad came as soon as he got back from his bridge game in Burlington but he missed my story as I had already finished reading. He seemed so happy to see me and said it had been just too long" since we have seen each other. He is liking his new apartment and he said that the people in his new building seem quite friendly. He tells me that he has a small balcony and also that Olga has moved as well.

Irene also came, but also later on.

We all walked home together.

All in all, a very good day for me!

A visit to the Hamilton General

It was so good to see my pal. She was sitting up in a chair and her colour was good. She has even gone for walks, but with a walker to steady her. Considering that her operation was on Monday, she is doing marvelously well!

She did not want a telephone nor a television as it would just disturb her. A sensible decision and what she chose for herself.

She was in a ward of 4 beds, thankfully all women. In Quebec they now have men and women in the same ward which one of my girlfriends there found her awkward.

She had the same surgery as my friend here and she was sent to a French speaking convalescent hospital but she was so lonely that she checked herself out eventually.

My friend here will be going home either tomorrow or Monday and her daughter will stay with her for awhile.

It was great to see her!