http://www.chfi.com

Did I ever tell you I am a hooker? Yup! A rug hooker that is! I hook with strips of wool fabric in the old Maritime tradition.  The long winters in Thunder Bay I spent hooking and dying fabric for creations I would sell at shows or donate to charities for auction. (all this while I hosted a morning show and had two little ones! Don’t know how I managed!)  I met  many other creative artists and several of us were featured on HGTV’S Sue Warden’s Craftscapes several years ago.  For many people in Thunder Bay it was an introduction to the art form, some remembered their grandmothers hooking and some wanted to try it themselves.  I taught a few classes and really tried to encourage participants to “do their own thing” once they got the technique down.  I always have felt hooking should be an expression of “oneself”, no mater where it takes you. How thrilled I was to receive a call a few months back from a Thunder Bay free lance writer who had purchased some of my work years earlier and now had taken up hooking herself. She was going to submit the idea of a story about me “broadcaster/hooker” to the big kahuna in the rug hooking world RUG HOOKING MAGIZINE which is published in the US.

Well they said yes and my story along with some pictures of my hooking are featured in the summer issue.  How exciting! It is a great article and I am very pleased with how it all turned out.  My only regret is that I didn’t have a picture of a mat I made for Loreena Mckennitt many years ago.  I usually took pictures of everything I did because many were one of a kind and once they were sold they were gone forever. For some reason I didn’t take a picture before I sent it to her.  It was a mat I was inspired to design and hook after listening to the Bonny Swans, and ancient tale of sister rivalry. I knew when I was hooking it that I would send it to Loreena as a “thank you” for the great music she gave me on her CD’s.  It was very time consuming but I remember how delighted I was with the finished piece and even more delighted when I received her wonderful thank you note.  But- no picture.

RugHooking Magazine is available at the big bookstores in the magazine section  if you feel inclined to check it out but I have included a couple of pictures here that were featured in the story.  Happy hooking!

Thanks for stopping by. ‘Till next time…Stay Gru-v!

Tish

Summer! Don’t you just love it? For me it’s all about feeling good and nothing takes me there faster than listening to great music.  It makes my soul soar and sometimes I feel so good I think I just might explode! Crazy huh? But it sure is fun. I thought I would share with you some of the music I am diggin’ at the moment.

David Bisbal - He is a Latin singer and was a finalist on a show in Spain similar to American Idol. I discovered him a few years ago by accident (which is often the way it happens) while buying a piece of pizza at Pizza Nova in the Beaches. The music was loud and infectious - I loved it!  When I asked the fellow behind the counter what he was listening to, he said it was a CD he had made of Spanish music. He told me about David then offered the cd to me. How fabulous was that!  I have no idea what David is singing about - but it doesn’t matter! It feels good! Especially when the sun is shining and the roof is down! Here is a link to see and hear David for yourself …    

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDfbjK155dI&feature=related

Another CD I have been enjoying lately is Gino Vannelli’s 1974 Powerful People. I have always been a Gino fan and this album was one of my favorites back then.  It is kind of jazzy, has some soul and in no way sounds dated.  My first radio job was in Halifax, and while hosting the all night show, midnight to 6,  I would play Gino from my own personal collection every so often. Other dj’s might have been really wild and played Led Zeppelin at 3 in the morning but not me! No, it was jazzy Gino my listeners were treated to!Anyway, I am really enjoying this revisited time with the Powerful People CD.

There is nothing I love more than finding “oh wow” songs each week for the Sunday Morning Oldies Show.A few weeks ago my husband and I were talking about a novelty song we enjoyed back in the 70’s. He listened to it on WLS a monster radio station in Chicago that could be heard in the north Central US and in
Northern Ontario at night. I remembered hearing the song on Toronto’s CFTR. The song was “Life is a Rock – (But the Radio Rolled Me)” by the group
Reunion.The song went to #8 back in 1974 with a group of studio musicians and a bubblegum lead singer Joey Levine who also sang such songs as Chewy, Chewy and Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.I seem to remember the song was customized for each radio station in different cities. I played it today on Sunday Morning Oldies - had it cranked-up loud and enjoyed every minute of it.

I found this video on You Tube that someone put together (too much time on their hands). I’m sure grateful they did it, because it brings back lots of great music memories.

Enjoy!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxzXNysmxnY

Thanks for stopping by and enjoying some delicious music with me. ’Till next time…Stay Gru-v!

Tish

We sure have experienced some crazy rain here in the GTA,  but certainly nothing like what the residents of Iowa have been through.  The daily pictures on the news are heart breaking.

Two weeks ago North Western Ontario received about 80 mm of rain in a very short period of time that caused the evacuation of the community of Hymers, just outside of Thunder Bay.  The rainfall also caused the banks of the Kaministiquia River to over flow effecting the provincial tourist attraction - Old Fort William. Workers scrambled to remove animals and period furniture while the water continued to rise.  My girlfriend Karen Uchman, who lives in Thunday Bay, sent me this picture of The Old Fort emerged in water.  (And we thought a damp basement was trouble!)

Thanks for stopping by. ‘Til next time…Stay Gru-v!

Tish

Wow! What a storm yesterday. After I finished on-air, I had some work to do and didn’t leave the building until about two o’clock, which turned out to be the exact time the rain, hail and lightening passed over us. I was driving up
Mount Pleasant, enjoying a great tune, the sunshine, the roof open, when all of a sudden I found myself under some black clouds that were dropping the biggest rain drops I had ever felt! I closed the roof as quickly as possible and proceed north. Just as I passed St. Clair a bolt of lightening cracked in the sky right in front of me over

Mount Pleasant
Cemetery and tree bark immediately began falling out of the sky! It was the weirdest sensation. By the time I reached Blythworth, hail was pounding my car and I could hardly see the street in front of me. Along the way I passed a family that had been out for a bike ride and where they soaked! Poor kids, although I am sure they thought it was great fun! It sure was a crazy little storm!

Thanks for stopping by. ‘Till next time…Stay Gru-v!
Tish

This warm weather is absolutely fabulous, and since it’s arrival, I have been a gardening maniac! Every street corner seems to sport a flower or plant vendor - making it impossible for me to pass by without stopping, looking, and inevitably buying something. It doesn’t matter if I have a spot for my new bit of greenery. “I’ll find a place for it” - is always my attitude. It feels good to be surrounded by planters and baskets overflowing with beautiful flowers.  It’s also satisfying to peruse other people’s gardens and get ideas from their creatively packed urns. I am envious of those who can grow that simple annual called a “petunia” and I enjoy seeing the billowing flowers  placed in baskets on their front steps. I have tried countless times to grow these spectacular flowers, but I just can’t get it right. They always become spindly and sparse, even when I dead head as needed. And those varieties that claim you don’t have to do anything…I’ve tried those too with the same results. I gave up trying to grow the lovely petunia years ago, and thought I had gotten over my gardening inadequacies - but wouldn’t you know it…while browsing in the gardening section yesterday, a beautiful basket of petunias caught my eye, and it somehow found its way into my trunk. Here I go again! I guess never-say-never. Now begonias? I can grow them like crazy!!! My favourite for the past eight years or so, has been the dragon wing variety. I have them everywhere and love them! They are spectacular in pots or as hanging baskets. And the other varieties can give you flowers every bit as lovely as a rose. This year, I am hoping to attract a few humming birds with a big basket of fuchsias I have placed in my “cage”.  I will be waiting…I have previously mentioned my “cage” on air.  It is literally a “cage room” in my back yard. The previous owners had built it for their kids. We took out the jungle-gym  that was there and are in the process of making the space a relaxing oasis.  It is over this “cage” that my wisteria grows. Fabulously I might add, except for the fact it has never flowered. I am still waiting for that too.Hope you are enjoying some greenery somewhere.  Thanks for stopping by. ‘Til next time…Stay Gru-v! - Tish

Well, we sure did dance the night away Friday at the CHFI Oldies Dance. It wasn’t long before the shoes were off and the dance floor was packed. It is always nice to meet so many of you who come to let your hair down, forget about the cares of the week and dance like maniacs!  And we sure did that this year! Thanks for making it a night of fun. After my feet recover I will be looking forward to next year.

Friday was busy-busy for me as I had planned to spend the day with my daughter. First we shopped, then we shopped some more, then we made our way to the Varsity Cinema for the 1:40 showing of “Sex And The City”. It was packed! Perhaps five empty seats in the theatre. You could feel the energy of anticipation as the audience prepared to visit with four old friends. The opening music drew loud cheers and applause and then we settled in to watch the continuing story of their lives unfold.  It was wonderful! I was teary eyed not once, not twice, but at least three times. Don’t forget to take tissue when you go. Tears or not it was worth it! We didn’t watch the series when it was on TV, my daughter was young and I deemed it inappropriate for her age. It has only been the last year or so that we started to watch. NYC is one of my favourite places on the planet and seeing the streets of Manhattan is as enjoyable to me as the fashions on the show. Not being a fan from the beginning I don’t feel qualified to tell you that you will love the movie, but there is a good chance you won’t be disappointed.

After the screening, it was a quick trip home to throw on my fab 70’s jumpsuit, then off to the CHFI Oldies Dance for some groovy fun!  You’ll notice I didn”t mention eating supper, which is why as I met many of you and signed your t-shirts I was munching on Twizzlers. Not a great meal - perhaps that is why I felt like a inflated flounder when I woke-up for work on Saturday morning at 4:15 a.m.. Nasty! How old am I again?

Hope you’re enjoying the weekend and whatever you’ve planned. Thanks for stopping by. ‘Til next time…Stay Gru-v!

- Tish

I am not ashamed to say I watched the entire two hour American Idol finale Wednesday night, and enjoyed every minute of it. I will admit some of the singing and dancing numbers were a bit tedious, but I figured these young people have worked hard and they deserve their time in the spotlight, so I watched.  Some of them may never see that spotlight again.  The star performers that showed up to sing with the Idol hopefuls were awesome! Seal,  ZZ Top, Donna Summer, One Republic (my daughter’s fav), Bryan Adams and George Michael - what’s not to enjoy here? Plus, one of my favourite performers sang without his pals. Graham Nash sang Teach Your Children with Brooke White and I was thrilled to see her singing with such confidence. Graham Nash has been one of my favourite solo performers since the early 70’s when he released “Songs For Beginners”. It is always a treat when he sings songs from this release while performing with his pals David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Neil Young.  You will have a chance to hear some of those tunes when CS&N play Casino Rama July 20th. 

OK, back to Idol… I was very upset after Tuesday night’s show. It was so blatantly obvious that the producers wanted the young David Archuleta to win, I was sick about it. He was not the strongest performer or best singer -David Cook was! I am sure the producers believed young David would sell more records to the female teen crowd, and I felt that Randy and Simon’s comments these last few shows were meant to sway the vote in favour of David A.  So Wednesday night when David Cook was declared the winner of American Idol, there was no one happier on the planet than me!  He is a poised, thoughtful, considerate and talented young man and I hope he has a long successful career ahead of him.  All of the headlines Thursday claimed David Cook’s win was an upset and I say hardly! Fans knew who the best Idol was and made it clear the judges could all go blow up! I may even go see the American Idol Show at the ACC when it rolls into town.

Indiana Jones was on my day-timer this week, and Thursday afternoon I was sitting in the theatre ready to be entertained.  He did not disappoint.  I enjoyed the campiness and the over the top story line.  I laughed, I gasped, and thoroughly enjoyed my two hours with Professor Jones and cast.  Is is the best movie I have ever seen? Absolutely not! Did it keep my mind off the dirty dishes in the sink at home? Absolutely yes!  I expected nothing more than some great hokey fun and I got it.  Cate Blanchett is so “out there” in her character. I love that she doesn’t take herself seriously and Shila Labeouf is a terrific addition to the Indy story. All in all I give it a big thumbs up!

Get your spades and gloves ready - we have a fabulous gardening weekend ahead. Enjoy!!!

Thanks for stopping by. ‘Til next time…Stay Gru-v!

Tish

How To Dance In The rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80’s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.  He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him.   I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.   On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.   The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife..  I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease.  As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. 
He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.  I was surprised, and asked him, ‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?’ 

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, ‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.’  I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, ‘That is the kind of love I want in my life.’
True love is neither physical, nor romantic.  True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. With all the jokes and fun that are in e-mails, sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message.   This one I thought I could share with you. The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. I hope you share this with someone you care about.  I just did. ‘Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.’ 

Thanks to Norma Hubert for the goosebumps.

 Thanks for stopping by. ‘Til next time…Stay Gru-v!

Tish

I have been thinking about Mother’s Day this past week. Not about my mother, but about the kind of mother I have been and continue to be. I have been thinking about my children, where they are in their lives and consciously trying to stay out of their boat. They have their own oars to row.  I can help them navigate the river of life but it is not my job to steer their boat.  I want my children to find that small voice that lives within them, that will guide them far better than I ever could. Such magic happens when we search our soul and listen. One thing is for certain, I love being their mother and thank them on a regular basis for being my kids.

I was the mother who at times was a real drag. I would call the parents who were hosting a birthday party to find out what movies were being rented and voice my disapproval if necessary.  My kids never complained, but the other kids sure did! They thought I was strict, but I never saw it like that.  I saw it more like this…

I loved you enough...to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough…to insist that you save your money and buy a bike for yourself even though we could afford to buy one for you.

I loved you enough…to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough…to make you go pay for the bubble gum you had taken and tell the clerk, “I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it.”

I loved you enough…to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough…to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren’t perfect.

I loved you enough…to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart. But most of all,

I loved you enough…to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all. I’m glad I won them because in the end you won, too. And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them…. Was your Mom mean? I know mine was.

I think that is what’s wrong with the world today. It just doesn’t have enough mean moms.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Thanks for stopping by. ‘Til next time…Stay Gru-v!

Tish

The first of the summer blockbusters rolled out last weekend and it looks like it’s going to be exciting!  I am one of those crazies who shows up at the midnight viewing  of a new movie. The audience at these openings are the best! I love seeing a film when it first opens and if I don’t make it on the first weekend, I often will simply skip it (I’m nutty I know).

I saw IRONMAN last weekend. Loved it! Even my husband enjoyed it. He usually dislikes anything science fiction (hated Transformers-I loved it) so I was pleased he didn’t ask for the 90 minutes of his life back like he often does after I have dragged him to a movie.  It was pure fun! I didn’t think about anything else while I watched, which is a sure sign the movie has done it’s job of taking me away to fairytale world.

One of the best things about going to the movies are the trailers and I wasn’t disappointed. We watched Indiana Jones, Batman (watching Heath Ledger made me sad) and Mike Myers new movie - The Love Guru. It looks like a fun summer ahead!

Thanks for stopping by. ‘Til next time…Stay Gru-v!

Tish