Take charge!

Think back, way back when you believed we had a true path, a straight route,
a yellow brick road if you will.

(Courtesy - flickr - temario9)

Knowing where your next step will take you is comforting, soothing even mesmerizing. Always being in control, always feeling you know just what to say, where to stand and what to believe. There's that word again.

Believing comes in many colours, sizes, flavours and preferences. We trust in what we see. It may be time to trust in what we believe. Take charge of your own rudder.

Point the way you wish to go and go there. Imagine the stories, the images even the tales you might hear, share and commit to memory for the next generation.

Be the teller,

Discovery within

Never underestimate what can be done. Whether we plan every minute of our day, whether we have lists upon lists to guide us through our daily lives there is always the unexpected.

Today it was seeing the daffodils planted by my partner. He had selected these last year and we had been watching for them the past several weeks.

But today they stood up and reminded me how important it was to say how much I enjoyed these flowers.

Over the last few years I have forged a renewed interest in the Tudor Period. The people, their lives, the social, cultural and economic forces that came together at this time fascinate me. May 1st is our 30th anniversary and those unspoken words can have great meaning. My partner found a book to complement my reading on the topic and add to my collection.

Let people know what you like, it's surprising what can happen,

Be the teller,

Leonardo and Big Think

Manuscript B, folio 83 v.
Aerial screw (1483 and 1486) (http://www.museoscienza.org/english/Leonardo/vite.asp)


There are times when we are nowhere. (Sam to Leo in West Wing)

We spin our wheels looking for a way towards or away from something, from someone, from someplace. And yet we remain in place. There are other times when links, connections and Ureka moments leave us feeling that there is order in the world. One of Leonardo DaVinci’s best known invention tells us that time is not linear. It is unlikely that the machine could have lifted of the ground but the idea remained all due to this small drawing. But be assured, from that point on it existed.

The Aerial Screw by many is accepted as being the ancestor of the helicopter. “The only drawing accompanying Leonardo's note is the sketch of an aerial screw with a diameter of 5 meters, made of reed, linen cloth and wire, operated presumably by four men who might have stood on the central platform and exerted pressure on the bars in front of them with their hands, so as to make the shaft turn”.

What we leave behind is as important as what we do today. Sharing those big dreams, small ideas and generally keeping people in the know may lead to great discovery, stronger communications, even enlightenment. Maybe not, but we can and do affect the way in which people see the world around them by our own interactions with them,

Be the teller,

Hometown stories

This is the first in a series that looks at where I live. Being a member of a community means that
you are part of the story that is that community.



One of my favourite places in Campbellton, NB is a very well kept secret, a reader's joy, a collector's dream, Used Books Etc, 88 Roseberry St, owned and operated by Micheline.
You can talk books and benefit from decades of experience in the business.

Here you can find collectors' graphic novels, rare, even out of print titles. Right now you can buy a copy of Beethoven's Bicentennial Edition collection including a beautifully illustrated book with the 4 box set vinyl (5 lps in each box) in mint to near mint condition for $60.00

Another treasure is the 50th Anniversary book of THE HOBBIT, by Tolkien with coloured plates.

You can find thousands of books to browse through, from the classics: Dumas,Fielding, Shakespeare etc... to the bestsellers, Stephen King, Tom Clancy, James Patterson etc... And just in case you still haven't found something you might like there are cd's, dvd's, games (Playstation, XBox) and tons of vhs at very low prices.

Be the teller,

Its been a little over a year

I am back!

Suffering an injury in March 2009 many things I love to do fell to the wayside.
As of April 1st I will be back on my weekly schedule, sharing stories, books, tellings on topics that touch my community and how we are connected with it.

Be the teller,

Paint your canvas : Stories about art

Opening conversations or any exchange between people can be challenging. If you can get a hello or how are you from a young adult and you have really accomplished something. They are described as having a language of their own. So how do we begin?

Why not try art? I recently visited the Lord Beaverbrook Gallery collection which was celebrating their 50th anniversary. Fifty lithographs including Andy Warhol and Alex Coville and before I knew it I was back in Ottawa.

Growing up there I visited the National Art Gallery as a matter of course. For years I would visit the gallery and discover everything I could take in. The sightt and smell of the middle ages, the textures and colours of the Group of Seven, the stories of life in countries around the world. It took a few years but I finally spoke to every piece. Now what that says about me is material for another time.

When asked how we reach out to the young adult today I truly believe it is in an ordinary conversation about art.

Art encompasses all that is life, the world and all that. The teen relates to that far reaching, unlimited vastness that is art.

Here are only a few suggestions for exploring art from the perspective of the movie goer.
If you like adventure, romance, danger and challenging authority, share these stories.

Be the teller,

Rendez-vous de la francophonie: Stories galore

Whether we speak English, French, or both, in Canada, we are aware of the connection we have with each other. Language joins us, explains our similarities and differences and draws on a shared history. Today language is more that cultural identity, it is our link with time itself.

Tied to all aspects of life language is a force to unite, reach out and create opportunities. Social, economic and cultural tapestries are woven around this unifying source.

Families share stories describing the influences in their daily lives. They create memories all the while living within their images of self and community.

The National Film Board celebrates its 4th Rendez-vous. Between March 6th and 22nd enjoy the animated shorts and films presenting the diversity and uniqueness of the Canadian tapestry.

Be the teller,