Sightseeing around Halifax

While I was in Halifax for the Editors’ conference, Between the Lines, there was some time for sightseeing, with fellow editors and some time apart

Halifax Public Gardens, across the road from The Lord Nelson Hotel (previous post)

Beautiful rhododendrons in the park …

and more. Aren’t these beautiful too?

A little history on the gardens opened to the public in 1875

I wonder if this fountain is as old as the park

The S V Mar at the dock by Murphy’s Restaurant

Little tug on back of bigger boat

Wonder how they rock the harbour. Maybe with music and singing?

All aboard the Mar with sails that were gathered like billowed sheets above our heads.

Someone offered to climb the ladder, but I don’t remember who it was. Not me, anyway!

On the evening cruise with fellow editors…

on the SV Mar, managed by strong young men like this fellow.

A university student spending his summer working on the boat

Putting up the giant sails that spread out to catch the wind

Moving out from the dock and into the harbour

…and a glimpse of Theodore Too. Just learned that Theodore’s home is Halifax.

A tad windy and chilly out here. By the time we came back to the dock, I suspect I was not the only one ready to warm up. Guess we need to dress like sailors do.

We got to singing on the way back. The ship Titanic was discouraged, but I remembered an old folk song we learned in school, The Nova Scotia Song, and others joined along in the chorus

“Farewell to Nova Scotia …”

More pictures for another day…

Highlights from Halifax–Editors’ and Indexers conference 2013 Between the lines

The Lord Nelson Hotel, Halifax, Nova Scotia, site of our conference

Conference co-chairs Nancy and Valerie with Barbara, opening remarks at Welcome Reception

Fiddler, Anthony Rissesco, playing east coast tunes during the reception

Thanks to Gael Spivak for this photo of me at Exclamation Mart with my book

Conversations during Exclamation Mart with Adrienne Montgomery

A pleasure to see Frances Peck again and to learn that she was born in Cape Breton and is a Maritimer at heart

Banquet table setting, then a  delicious dinner

The Oops Awards for most humorous, most expensive and other kinds of errors, by James Harbeck

Sitting around the banquet table and chatting, left to right, Patricia Morris McDonald and Moira Langton, members of the Halifax EAC group who put on the conference

Banquet table, left to right: Joanna, Vanessa and Greg

Members of the Black Rum Band: Adele, Carolyn (moi!), Nancy, Ann, Valerie, Jacquie, Moira, Daphne and Patricia

Song lyrics adapted by Daphne from an old Maritime song. No rum or blueberries in site! Thanks to Helena for sharing your suite for our practice sessions.

This photo of the band, Traci Williams, by permission.

I had the pleasure of  meeting Sheree Fitch and introducing her session. We did not plan to coordinate our clothing colours, but  apparently we both like blue.

An attendee took our photo with my camera.

And the SV Mar that took us on an evening cruise in Halifax Harbour on the last day of the conference

Photos on this blog by C. Wilker, unless otherwise noted

Coming soon: On the town, sightseeing in Halifax

Book Signing this Saturday, May 4th for Once Upon a Sandbox

I am excited about my book signing at Waterloo Chapters this Saturday, May 4th from 11 am–1 pm, in Waterloo, Ontario. Come and get your copy of Once Upon a Sandbox and get it signed. The book makes a great gift for Mother’s Day for a mother, sister, aunt or grandmother as well.

Waterloo Chapters, King Street North, Waterloo, Ontario.

Go here to listen to my interview with Robert White at  Faith FM’s Art Connections

From my publisher’s website:

A marvellous family friendly book that will lift your spirits. Once Upon a Sandbox, by C. R. Wilker, is a warm and gentle memoir about family life on a farm. It is about the farm and the individuals, the personalities, and the ties that bind them to each other.

Whether it’s helping to whitewash a barn, hoeing endless rows of vegetable plants, or driving a tractor to prepare for spring seeding, there’s plenty of work to be done. Through this collection of prose and poetry, reflect on the realities of farm families, their connection with community, weather and economy, as well as being stewards of the land from which they make a living. This is a fine story to which anyone will relate. Read more here.

speaking at Kitchener Kiwanis Club, November 2012

Once Upon a Sandbox was a finalist in the 2012 Word Guild contest

Thank you again, Deborah Pryce, for your delightful art on the cover of my book.

Saturday Snapshot–Tea and Tales in March

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The program and favours for Tea and Tales by Carol Leigh Wehking and Brenda Byers, storytellers from Baden Storytellers’ Guild

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brenda and Carol Leigh, the storytellers, at the Wired-up Pug Cafe and Bistro, Cambridge, Ontario

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A celebration of World Storytelling Day, an international storytelling day for telling stories in many places.

 

Saturday Snapshots, hosted by At Home With Books. Go there to see more pictures and post your link. Photos you or a family member have taken. Keep them clean and appropriate for all eyes.

 

Photos on this blog are by C. Wilker, unless otherwise noted.

Book signing soon– May 4th for Once Upon a Sandbox

I am excited about my book signing at Waterloo Chapters this Saturday, May 4th from 11 am–1 pm, in Waterloo, Ontario. Come and get your copy of Once Upon a Sandbox and get it signed. The book makes a great gift for Mother’s Day for a mother, sister, aunt or grandmother as well.

Waterloo Chapters, King Street North, Waterloo, Ontario.

Go here to listen to my interview with Robert White at  Faith FM’s Art Connections

From my publisher’s website:

A marvellous family friendly book that will lift your spirits. Once Upon a Sandbox, by C. R. Wilker, is a warm and gentle memoir about family life on a farm. It is about the farm and the individuals, the personalities, and the ties that bind them to each other.

Whether it’s helping to whitewash a barn, hoeing endless rows of vegetable plants, or driving a tractor to prepare for spring seeding, there’s plenty of work to be done. Through this collection of prose and poetry, reflect on the realities of farm families, their connection with community, weather and economy, as well as being stewards of the land from which they make a living. This is a fine story to which anyone will relate. Read more here.

speaking at Kitchener Kiwanis Club, November 2012

Once Upon a Sandbox was a finalist in the 2012 Word Guild contest

 

Thank you again, Deborah Pryce, for your delightful art on the cover of my book.

Life and Arts in Kitchener Post: Tell Me a Story

Life and Arts in Kitchener Post: Tell Me a Story

Today (March 28, 2013) in the Kitchener Post, an article and photos about our World Storytelling Day concert at the Waterloo Region Museum and the meaning of storytelling.

http://www.kitchenerpost.ca/whats-on/tell-me-a-story/

This photo by C. Wilker.

Photos on Post site by Meredith Taylor

The Mighty Uke

Fellow editors were talking online about the ukulele band they play in. One posted a video  titled “The Mighty Uke” which was rather intriguing and a bit amusing, because you see I also own a ukulele.

I watched the video this morning and was amazed at the sounds that could come from it, and how it sounds paired with other instruments. Who would have thought that little instrument had such a history… and such possibilities.

My ukulele

We had a  piano in our home as well as my father’s steel guitar that he used when he took lessons during his school days. That guitar stayed in the back of the closet until my sister Bonnie thought she’d prefer it over piano, and took lessons on it.

My cousin Brenda had a ukulele as well as a guitar. I wasn’t so interested in the guitar at that point, but I was intrigued by the smaller instrument and wanted one so I could learn to play it too. My parents bought one for me. Whether it was a birthday or Christmas gift makes no difference now. A book and felt pick came with it and so I practised until I could play the chords and sing songs along with it.

Brenda and Dale, another cousin, and my sister Mary and I got together a little band.  Then someone got the idea that we should play a few songs for an upcoming reunion. I’m not sure which order that happened in, but all four of us practised at my aunt’s house since Dale also played piano. Mary and Dale took turns playing piano, Brenda was on guitar, and me on the ukulele.

We had a lot of fun while learning a variety of pieces, how to play together and getting our timing right. Our songs included the Sloop, John B; Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet (for our grandmother and her sisters) and several others that Brenda, Mary or Dale may remember.

Though my parents owned a camera, the selection of photos is limited, and there were certainly none of those practice sessions or playing at the reunion, though I do remember us standing on that old white bandstand at the New Hamburg Park years ago. Someone must have brought a keyboard since we couldn’t transport a piano there.

After that reunion we might have played together a time or two, but we didn’t play for any other event. We were teenagers, after all, with other interests and in summers we were all busy on farms with harvest, milking and cucumber picking. Mary continued playing piano and so did I.

I kept my ukulele and played it sometimes when I taught, loaned it for a class years later at Vacation Bible School. I added an autoharp near the end of my college years, and eventually a violin that’s still in our collection. My sisters tease me sometimes about the humorous little tuning song—My dog has fleas—that I played just for fun. And I’ve never forgotten the tuning notes for it.

Got my uke out this morning, but where’s my book and pick?

Watch this video and see the little ukulele’s possibilities.

Canadian Writers Who Are Christian–What is a Mission Statement?

Yesterday, I posted over at Canadian Writers Who Are Christian, as I do once a month. Read my post on mission statements and while you’re there, take a look around and read posts by other writers such as Peter Black, Eleanor Shepherd, Linda Hall and Rose McCormick Brandon. May this reading be a blessing to your day.

C. R. Wilker, author of Once Upon a Sandbox, pub. 2011 by Hidden Brook Press.

Available from selected book outlets (Fanfare Books, Stratford; Merrifield Book Shop, Woodstock; and Chapters Waterloo, Waterloo, ON), author, and from publisher.

http://www.carolynwilker.ca

book cover

 

Saturday Snapshot–Steckle Farm and Storytelling

In February 2012, I attended the Steckle Farm Family Fun Event as a guest storyteller. Many things were planned: toboganning on the hills around the farm as well as seeing the animals. Only thing, there was little snow last winter. A few days before, we got snow, and those winter events could go ahead. The staff at the farm were delighted.

The sheep came close to the fence so the children could reach out and ruffle their  heavy winter coats.

Two small children I happen to know were attracted to the bunnies in the barn.

The miniature ponies in their heavy winter coats

Staff member, Krista, leading the calf from the shelter

Fun on the hills with tobogans and sleds, then hot chocolate afterwards

And me, in between stories, with my coat on. Families kept coming and going at many intervals and the fireplace kept going out. It was so cold outdoors and in the Honey House

The heritage barn, parts of it date back over 100 years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday Snapshot meme hosted by At Home With Books. Post a photo, suitable for all eyes, that you or a family member have taken. Link it to the hosting blog and then go and see all the other photos linked there.

Contest season again at Toastmasters

Contest winners at the Fall District 86 Toastmasters conference in London, Ontario, 2011.

February, for those who aren’t familiar with Toastmasters, is a contest month, one of the two times in the year that Toastmasters hold speaking contests.

For the uninitiated, contests provide an opportunity for members “to gain speaking experience, as well as an opportunity for other Toastmasters to learn by observing proficient speakers.” The rule book is specific in what or what is not allowed, but this is its purpose.

In February, at least in our area and district, clubs hold their own events for  the Evaluation contest and the International Speech contests.

When I first joined the Energetics Toastmasters, I was in awe of those who spoke so well and so easily. I learned later that even they were nervous in a contest. At least it didn’t show.

In an evaluation, a person gives feedback on the speaker’s presentation, not on the speaker herself, but how she presented the speech, notable gestures, the way she uses her voice, the content of the speech and how she makes it interesting for the audience. And so in the evaluation contest, the people who compete evaluate the speech of someone who comes into the club as a target or test speaker.

I’ve been on both sides, and I remember giving the speech at different clubs and getting the feedback, as well as being an evaluator in my own club and having to give feedback on the speech. In my first contest, as an evaluator, I ran out of words to say. I only needed to give, perhaps, one more comment and it would have been fine. Having evaluated so many more speakers since then, it should be a breeze, but it isn’t. There’s something about a contest that changes the picture.

The second contest this season, at the Energetics and other clubs, is the International Speech contest—the one that continues on through area, division, district to the world championships. We’ve now had two people in our district get all the way to the international convention, which in itself is quite a feat and an honour. The International contest tends to bring out more motivational and inspiring speeches, ones that speak to a greater number of people.

Our contest chair for the Evaluation contest—our first contest this season—has been asking for judges and contestants, getting all the necessary paperwork in order. She’s well organized, even while doing this task for the first time—learning as she goes. That’s what Toastmasters and contest speeches do for us. We learn as we go, and in practising first in the club, we go on to the world outside our club doors and use what we’ve learned.

Let the contest season begin! Back to my own preparations…

On to storytelling from Toastmasters, using skills I’ve learned

Storytelling as guest author for launch of  Robin Livingstone’s book,  Eyes Wide Open,telling a story from my own collection in Once Upon a Sandbox

Introducing author and children’s storyteller, Aubrey Davis on stage at Latitudes in Kitchener, ON.

Addressing the guests at my own book launch in 2011, for Once Upon a Sandbox