"Curiosity did not kill this cat."
Studs Turkel

Award Winning Play Shadow Box to be Staged in London Ontario in February 09

I heard recently that "The Shadow Box", the Pulitzer prize and Tony Award winning drama by Michael Cristofer will be performed by The London Community Players at The Palace Theatre in London (Ontario) Feb. 25, 26, 27, 28 and March 5, 6, 7, 2009. This is a play about the process of dying which is described as a "drama of haunting eloquence and harrowing wit that will change the way you think and feel about dying."

The contemporary drama in two acts takes place in three hospice cottages.

play description below from http://www.enotes.com/shadow-box:

" The work interweaves the lives of three dramatically different terminally ill patients and their loved ones to give a dynamic, well-rounded perspective of death and dying. The richness of the play is exemplified by its unity. The source for Cristofer’s inspiration was his personal experience with two close friends dying of cancer. Offering varying perspectives of characters, comprising three different plots, gives the work a certain objectivity in its discussion of a sensitive subject."

The play to be staged in London, Ontario will be directed by Dr. Barry Tepperman and produced by Mona Brennan-Coles.

Congratulations to The Palace Theatre in London for choosing to stage this award winning play..

DD

A Bear Market

This has been an interesting week in the history of the world. Financial markets have plummeted more than ever before. Leaders are scrambling to lessen the damage ... perhaps it could have been avoided.

However, another less publicized event occurred in western Canada that I think typlifies the human psyche and possibly reflects on our sad state of affairs. Unfortunately, a hunter lost his life. Autopsy results determined it was a grizzly that brought this man to his untimely death. Hunting in grizzly, cougar and black bear country does bring some risks with it. From time to time this type of incident occurs (sadly) but it does come with 'the territory'.

The sow was hunted down and killed ... two unnecessary deaths. Left behind were three cubs ... with their chance for survival greatly reduced. In a local community meeting with natural resource officials, a comment was made by a local that I think personifies exactly why the world is in such a sad state of affairs. Her comment, “We want to know why these bears are here and what they're going to do about them,” Ms. Skinner said. (Globe and Mail)

The moral ... What's best for me and the hell with everyone and everything else would best sum up the steep decline in the grizzly population and our current financial crisis.

OnTheRoadMedia Photojournalism and Story, Cuts to the Heart of It

P.S.

CB this one's for the writer and columnist in you, as promised at coffee today I wanted to share with you information about that team of journalists I came across. Exceptional work in the area of digital storytelling and in social change.

Check out "OnTheRoadMedia" the multi media production and storytelling team founded by Laura Lo Forti and photojournalist Justin Mott.

Laura Lo Forti is an Italian freelance journalism and multi media producer based in New York and is involved in several compelling digital storytelling projects designed to empower
disadvantaged communities. Justin Mott is a photojournalist who currently resides in Hanoi Vietnam. His personal assignments have been featured in "Time", "Newsweek" and "The New York Times".

There are three powerful examples of projects available to view at the website;

"Third Generation Agent Orange", "4 Monks and a Baby", "Facing a Wall Nu's Story".

Breaking through the modern day "info overload" with raw and stunning simplicity, this talented team of young and progressive artist journalists have brought to light those stories that seldom have a voice. This work can be painful to witness but it is hopeful work. Digital storytelling at its best opening the road for social change.
See the OnTheRoadMedia site and view projects.
See more of Justin Mott's work at his photoblog

I found the work really compelling. Stunning black and white photography, superb sound production quality reflecting the people places and environments, simple facts and statements in white print against a black backdrop drive the story powerfully forward....clean outstanding communicating, cuts to the heart of it.

doubledouble

Digital photos. Take em or leave em?

Snagged ya. A picture of daughter Ashley.

Pictures. To copy or not to copy. Over coffee this morning three of we mugs got to talking about digital photography and whether to hardcopy our pictures as in go to a copy place and have your photos made into prints or to file our pictures for viewing on the screen.

As I sit in my office and look to my left I see my entire lower book shelf is occupied by albums and I know a' top many of our closets there are other shelves heaving under the weight of more binders full of pictures, these the visual representations of so many special moments in time, family reunions, baby pictures, graduations, Christmas. Whenever I choose I can go through my photos and run my hands over the memories, year by year turning time forward or back at will.

I tend now to store my digital photographs not too neatly and somewhat accessibly in my photo files. Now time can whiz past, a string of images, mom, dogs, kids, woops that graduation shot,
my daughter's face until I click, highlight and snag it, and let it fill the screen, her radiant
face...while hearing the buzzing, whine of the computer, but still somewhow I am lost, I want...
to reach out and touch this image which will soon fade away and be replaced by yet another, to crop and stretch for something. I forget.

Concerning all my many digital family shots, I think I will choose a few special ones to give as gifts, a few to carefully frame and the others will be downloaded for safekeeping.

It's the tactile thing I think. Hard to take the need to touch out of the human being.

Say cheese.
Snagged ya. Doubledouble.

Ode to a Photocopier

Summer job for photocopiers.... Judging by the lineup at my school's photocopiers today, hungry times are over....

Many thanks to Nearing Zero for their freeware cartoons.

Hummingbird Moth

Thanks to doug rogers for quickly identifying my flying creature as a hummingbird moth. Google should work so quickly!

What the Heck was That?

I was lazily weeding my garden last week (you'd understand if you saw how many weeds there still are) when I came upon this flying insect getting drunk on my butterfly bush.
I ran for my camera hoping upon hope that it would still be there when I got back. Sure enough, it was moving in a sluggish stupor and hadn't flown away yet.

But...what the heck is it?

A Good Summer for Flowers

As I procrastinate doing any schoolwork, I find myself looking at photos I took over the summer in and around Paul Bunyan trailer park. The yucca and iris photos were taken during a walk with my family who were gathered in early July for a reunion and also for a funeral for a well-loved cousin.

The lilies were in full bloom when my friend Julie came to visit me in Bayfield. When I look at this picture I think of her and that darn fish that she brought but which we couldn't bring ourselves to scale and cook. Good times.
I purchased two sets of very rustic looking shutters for my garden at the trailer. I didn't realize then how beautifully they would embrace my butterfly bush.
This gorgeous flower is from a Little Lamb Hydrangea bush I planted this summer. It is called "little lamb" because of its "delicate, small panicles that look like little lambs dancing above the foliage". What do you think?

Bigfoot is Alive

Fig. l

The Wortley Road Bigfoot...proof!

One of the best preserved photographs of a Wortley Bigfoot. This print shows the rise of the upper foot and the right and left lean of the Hallux. Forget the DNA results, bigfoot is alive.

click. DD

Stormy Weather

On my many drives to Bayfield this summer I have seen such large skies filled with threatening clouds. One of the things I'll miss most about summer are the thunder storms.
This summer has been wetter than usual which has meant many hours spent sitting on my porch enthralled by the rumbling thunder and pelting rain.
I loved the contrast of the brilliantly while church steeple in the village of Zurich against the blue/black storm clouds. I managed to travel beside this stormfront while missing the rain.

Bigfoot Sighted in Wortley Village.

It was reported today that Bigfoot was sighted Saturday afternoon in Wortley Village. As the fur covered half woman, half ape lined up for coffee at the Roaster a courageous staff member snuck up behind the beast and snipped a few locks of hair which were immediately sent off to the lab in London, Ontario for testing.

To the disappointment of all the area's dedicated Sasquatch hunters, DNA evidence did not, unfortunately, confirm this was the elusive Bigfoot. Samples identified the creature as part chicken, part pork, wheat, yeast and caffeine, the sample apparently reflecting what the large hairy creature consumed for her early morning breakfast...2 eggs sunny side up, bacon, toast and coffee.

The true identity of the bogus Bigfoot was never found but she left behind a monstrous footprint which staff intend to cast in plaster and display for all to see at $10 a crack.

and that me mugs is the news today from the not so dainty footed Doubledouble ( shoe size 8 l/2 B width) watch your pretty toes C.B.

Back to School Guns

It seems as each day passes, the many years I spent in education have become a distant memory. It is a pleasant feeling not to have the pressure of the mid-August blues after being bombarded with countless back to school sales.

It has been several years since I hung up my chalk and left the public education environment. There were many challenging days and we did our best to handle what at times appeared to be overwhelming circumstances.

Recently, I noticed this particular back to school news item and it appears this particular school district has discovered the ultimate solution. The headline reads as follows:

Texas School District Allows Teachers to Carry Guns

This brings a whole new meaning to discipline in the classroom. It should be an interesting year!

* cartoon originated in The Belmont Front Porch

Old 50's Dinner Film Has Doubledouble Thinking World Will Be Ruled by a Giant Slinky

Oh what a joyful celebration around the family table in this little film about the 50's family dinner. Although I see some common threads here there's a fair bit of myth making clearly at play. Can you imagine a real household just like this one?

SEE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8kJzBJrOkU&feature=related

Jeez Junior how did you survive it? I preferred the "Beave"....at least he got into some trouble and his hair wasn't always greased down and neat. Sorry, I shouldn't bring this up during dinner.

Funny, after watching this little flick and getting over resenting the obvious behavioural brain washing we were all subjected to back in the day I found myself recalling some of the toys and games I used to play as a child. Do you remember these?

• Cowboy hats, guns and holsters (almost every picture of me as a kid has me in a cowboy hat) Gosh junior you learned how to happily gun your friends down before you were six. You'd never know it was during the cold war era would you?
• Plastic Princess shoes (the pink or blue ones ) like mommy's. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Now we know why many young girls of the 60's loved high heels and have feet (with toes painted bright red ) that look like they've been squeezed through a sausage maker. Not pretty feet like CB's but they can still stab the heck out of an unsuspecting olive.
• a doctors kit (complete with needles)
• A drum (one of my favourite toys)
• remember Silly Putty? make stamps, bounce it, snap it (another use for a plastic, gummy substance. Taught kids that plastic could be creative, fun, friendly..a happy little ball of possibility)
• slinky... everyone knows it's slinky...a live spring crawling by itself down the stairs. It's alive! Soon, my children, the world will be ruled by a giant slinky!!
• PEZ...cartoon characters candy dispensers. (see what Porky Pig can give us kids, and Mickey Mouse Inc....eat up and enjoy the sweet benefits)
• pogo sticks (if I keep jumping long and high enough I learn I will eventually get somewhere)
• double dutch, skipping, skipping, skipping (kids of the 50's don't miss a beat the 60's are coming. Get ready!)
• rabbits' feet (for luck) in all our little pockets

The kids of the 50's were born during the post war consumer boom. We were the first generation to be exposed to the bunny eared T.V., TV advertising, things of all kinds in plastic in every shape and size, the glamorization of the car, blatent discrimination and racism portrayed through the T.V. "cowboy" show. Bang. Bang. You dead.

But there were the good times. We played outside more, went to "the crick" to hunt for minnows, loved to stop along the side of the road for family picnics (real family get togethers that were full of laughter and fun) and..heck we invented some great games too didn't we?

Computerless games like, Let's Make a Circus and invite all the neighbour kids and charge a nickle for the tickets or a sack race, or put a rope between two trees get an old sheet and build a tent, climb a tree, make a tree house or one of my favourite of all games...hours of fun with this one...I will keep a straight face now you have to make me laugh, if I can keep a straight face, I win. (fart sounds always worked I could never keep a straight face when someone would try that sneaky one) A great game! Funny faces galore!

Remember making dandelion necklaces? Raw materials for this always bountiful, cheap and available.

One of my favourite toys, perhaps the first toy I remember was one given to me by my mother. "Mommy can I have a poon?" Mom would reach in the drawer and give me a spoon and I would go out to happily dig in the dirt outside. I still remember the childhood joy of digging into the earth. So many surprises to find.

Feel free to add your own toys and games to the memory list mugs!

DD (Doubledouble) with a good cup of coffee at the ready and a favourite poon close by just for luck.

Just threw this in for fun. A picture of my dad, mom and me Leamington about l955.

DD

Good looking feet run in the family

If you look a few posts down you'll see my sister and her feet relaxing on her hammock with a warm beer.

I say warm because she's used the picture before and when I saw it the second time I thought, how long does it take to finish one beer?

I also thought, she and I have good looking feet, among many other things. (Let your imagination run wild!)

And they get us back and forth from here and there just about every day of the week.


Above photo: My feet travel to Cape Chin, Georgian Bay


My feet visit Fenelon Falls, Ontario.


Grandson Ollie, however, has feet like a Hobbit and they might get him into trouble.

I mean, Frodo's troubles seemed never-ending.