Surprise chorus at shopping mall

A fellow blogger shared this video of a suprise event that took place in a mall where she was shopping. Here it is for your enjoyment.

Les Troix Pignons and Elizabeth LeFort

In Chéticamp, there remained yet another place that showed Acadian history and arts. A museum called  les Trois Pignons focused on the home life and arts.  We paid a small price to enter and a young guide  named Catharine gave us a short introduction to the centre, after which we could look freely at the displays.

Les Trois Pignons, Chéticamp,Cape Breton Island

A cameraman from Radio Canada was filming  at the museum while we were there. He took footage of a guide who gave a lot of history on the Acadians and their lives.  We learned afterwards that the man was  visiting  a number of Cape Breton attractions, preparing for an upcoming special on tourism. He panned the museum at various points, so some of our party may be in that video.

Yvette, the guide dressed in period costume who spoke on camera, spoke to other visitors in both French and English.  She  answered our questions or came to us when we studied a particular work and told us more about the life of Elizabeth LeFort, a well known rug hooker who both dyed her own wool from sheep raised near Cheticamp and designed her own rugs.

I was fascinated by LeFort’s work, as described by Yvette. LeFort designed her own rugs and wall  hangings, drawing the picture first on paper and then on canvas before she started with the hook. Apparently some people hook freehand, but I think that her designs were better for the planning. She designed and hooked rugs of royalty, statesmen, both Canadian and American, and her faith was evident in her art, since she depicted scenes of Jesus and his disciples among other subjects. Her rugs hang in Rideau Hall, Buckingham Palace, the White House and the Vatican. Some works took a couple of weeks, others took months, but I thought it fascinating that she could hook 55 stitches a minute. That’s much faster than I can knit.

Since I showed such interest, Yvette wondered if I would be there for the upcoming book launch of Elizabeth LeFort: Canada’s Artist in Wool, by author Daniel Doucet, and published by Cape Breton University Press. Unfortunately, the book launch would be held on July 29th, after our return from holidays. I hope to obtain the book soon and read more about LeFort.

We went back the next morning before leaving Chéticamp, hoping that Yvette was there so we could get a picture. She was, and here’s our picture below.

Here’s to you, Yvette, an amazing tour guide and a skilled rug hooker too. I hope the special filming was everything you hoped for and that the launch was well attended.

Getting a lesson from Yvette as she demonstrates rug hooking with yarn.

I Dreamed a Dream– Susan Boyle

I rocked my granddaughter a few evenings ago while singing along with Susan Boyle’s new CD.  I had bought the CD while doing some Christmas shopping, having made up my mind that I would get a copy when it came out. Boyle’s voice is rich with a good vocal range. She pulls off song after song, especially her winning piece, I Dreamed a Dream. Her songs are about courage and faith, well suited to her as though she had written them herself.

 Just after the contest, I watched the rerun of the program that so many were talking about; I marvelled at Susan’s voice and the surprise of the judges, but also at her simple desire to try something so difficult that few would risk for fear of failure. She’s a brave woman, but she is also a very fortunate one now.

 Before she got on stage that day, she said, “I’m going to make that audience rock!”  And she did, to a thunderous applause and awed audience. Still she is humble and amazed at what she has done. Still achieving such success must be quite frightening, to face the expectation and continue on.

CBC News reported on Sunday November 29th

“In Britain’s Got Talent she opened her mouth and the world fell in love with her, which is why her album has been the fastest selling of any woman making her debut,” said Simon Cowell, a judge on the British show as well as American Idol. “She’s amazing.”

Boyle’s CD has sold so many recordings already that it has blown the  US charts.  People speculate why this is so. One answer is that her success is people are happy for the “underdog” and are glad to see her succeed.  I applaud her courage and her fortitude to go through with her plan. She had the talent already, but she also has faith. Then the opportunity to share her talent,  hoping for the best.

Under the lyrics for each song in the CD is a short note from Susan, giving the reader and listener a chance to know her a little better. Her note under the hymn “Amazing Grace” acknowledges people’s “continued support which I find both touching and humbling.” Her faith in God is evident, even if in an earlier time,  her faith in herself may not have been so strong. I admire her courage to go out there and face that audience and the television cameras.

Susan, if you ever see this blog, I want you to know that “you rock.” I cheer you all the way.

What does this have to do with my grand daughter? It means that each of us can dare to dream our own dream and accomplish something we were born to do, something for which we have talent that we just didn’t recognize before— something we must gather our courage to do.

My grand daughter has a whole life ahead of her. I hope she will have faith and fortitude to carry on even when people disagree. While she  is perhaps only listening now, someday she will sing her own song.  For now though, we’ll spend time together and sing along to good music and be inspired by others who work to make their dreams come true.