Alicia - KINETIC MOTIONS

June 26, 2017

Sometimes I Have to Stop and Just Smell the Roses

My life is hectic. I am the mother to three young and active children. I am trying to be a writer and blogger and also trying to kick start my career. My house is cluttered and often messy, and sometimes I feel like I am really just a short order cook. I spend a lot of time in my car, driving one child to a play date or karate or baseball. I am always planning the next meal, booking a child’s haircut or changing a dirty diaper. Sometimes I have to slow down. Sometimes I have to stop and just smell the roses.

This thought suddenly came to my mind last week, specifically on Thursday afternoon, as I drove my children home from school. We were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, inching along the road when I looked out the passenger side window of my car and saw a bizarre but wonderful sight.

Please let me paint the picture for you of what I saw. Our car was on an unattractive section of a busy street in Toronto. This section of the street was dotted with many small, attached homes, most in a state of disrepair. Most of the homes had overgrown front gardens, cracked concrete steps and rickety front porches.

But, like an oasis in a desert, there was one home that had the most magnificent arbour in front, covered in vibrant magenta flowers. As I am not a flower expert (if someone can tell me what kind of flower this is I would appreciate it!), I don’t know if these flowers were roses or something else. But that is irrelevant. Surrounded by much ugliness and city congestion I saw before me great beauty.

And that’s not it. People were rushing up and down the sidewalk. They took no notice of this genuine splendour in front of a rather nondescript home. Then I saw one person stop. She looked at the arbour, moved her face close to it and took a deep breath. She literally drank in the look and smell of the flowers in one great deep breath. Then as swiftly as she stopped she was on her way down the street.

I was so taken by this act that I pulled out my iPhone and snapped a picture of the arbour and its flowers (see today’s feature photo). Suddenly the traffic and slow drive did not bother me. The children’s whines that our car was inching along seemed distant. All I could think about was this woman who, during her busy day, stopped, and she smelled the roses.

Sometimes I have to stop and just smell the roses. Nature’s beauty is calming and it reminds us all that it is healthy to slow down and appreciate our world’s simple wonders. That woman’s small act has inspired me and I hope to follow what she did, and maybe even pay it forward.

June 25, 2017

My Vegetable Garden in the City

In a previous post, I stated that I don’t exactly have a green thumb. I am not a natural when it comes to the garden or plants. I admit that I kind of forget to water my indoor plants. But I love the idea of an outdoor garden. I love to walk through my neighbourhood and admire colourful and neat and tidy gardens that have grown to maturity because of a lot of love and care.

In our first home, I was determined to create a small garden of my own. I wanted a mix of gentle greenery, hits of colourful flowers, some herbs to give a nice aroma and even a few vegetables in pots. The garden grew and flourished. The vegetables either wilted and died or were pulled and eaten by the many animals that lived in the neighbourhood. Our old neighbourhood was frequented by many squirrels, racoons and even skunks, and they were in charge of the garbage and gardens with food. I had little success even growing a simple healthy tomato.

When we moved to our current home a few years ago I decided to try again. I thought, maybe the local raccoon and squirrel militia was kept in check a bit better in this area, where most of the garbage cans were kept in garages and sheds. The garden got a late start as we only moved in June and planted a limited vegetable garden. I also planted my vegetables on my deck, right beside my house.

The tomatoes came in late, around late August, but they grew! We had a limited tasty crop, and their bright red colour made my garden shine. Did we have a weaker animal population? Did the proximity to the house, on my deck, make a difference? Maybe.

I dabbled in vegetable seedlings in 2015 and 2016 and failed miserably. They all sprouted quickly and easily and grew. I kept them in a warm and sunny spot in my house all spring and lovingly cared for them. I transferred them outside as the weather warmed, and boom, they either flopped and died or the local animal militia gobbled them up.

But, I also bought a number of small plants from my favourite Collingwood Farmers’ Market and a bunch more from an organic market north of Toronto called Awesome Blossom. Success! Okay, not big success, but my plants flowered in early summer, and we had a small crop of tomatoes, green beans, peppers, zucchini, kale and lettuce. My vegetables were tiny but cute and I decided that I would push forward in 2017 and build a fresh vegetable garden.

Last year’s flowers on the growing tomatoes

I’m at it again this year, and while it’s early, so far things are going well. My giant deck planter had a small incident over the winter (okay, it broke and crashed to the ground), so now each vegetable has its own planter. I think that actually may help so I don’t have any crowding or competition for soil and water. I did experiment with a bit of corn, which was grabbed by the animal militia, but my cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, beans, peppers and a few other goodies are thriving so far. My husband’s experiment with a strawberry, blueberry and raspberry plant have been a bit of a failure. They are growing and are green, but so far all we have seen are two tiny strawberries. We are not ready to grow fruit yet!

I am excited to watch my vegetable garden grow and bloom. I will provide updates here as it develops over the summer and we harvest the goodness.

June 23, 2017June 24, 2017

The Rite of Passage for Every Camp Mom: Packing the Duffle Bags

Growing up, the month of June meant not only that school was coming to an end but also that camp was coming near. I’m not talking about day camp, which has its merits and is enjoyed by thousands of children, I’m talking about overnight. I mean parents sending their kids away from home for days, a week or in my case, many weeks, every summer.

I will get to my personal reflections about overnight camp (and one in particular) in a moment and why I feel so strongly that every child who can and wants to go should go. First, I want to tell you all about an important rite of passage for every camp mom: packing the duffle bags.

It never occurred to me as a child, as I arrived at camp and threw my sweaters, shorts, bathing suits and other miscellaneous items on the cabin’s wooden shelves, that my mother had painstakingly bought, collected, organized and packed every item in my two duffle bags. Oh, and not only my stuff but also the dozens of items in my sister’s and brother’s bags as well. My mother considered every detail to prepare me for every weather condition, activity and special event that I would face every summer.

My camp days are over, but 2017 marks my son’s fourth summer at overnight camp. I have to say that as I get older each year maybe it’s a good thing my memory is weakening and I forget about how much work it is to pack a child for camp. I have carried around my now tattered packing list with me like a baby and its blanket. There have been dreams in which my son arrived at camp and his bags were empty and the camp had to contact me to scold me. I have even had dreams where I too was back at camp and forgot to bring my duffle bags.

Packing a child for camp is very stressful, but it is such a rewarding feeling to zip the giant duffle bags closed, dump them in the car and send my husband off to throw them in the truck, ready for the journey to Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia you say? Alicia, don’t you live in Toronto? Why do you send your child over 1,500 kilometres away for overnight camp? It’s simple – Kadimah.

I attended four different overnight camps as both a camper and member of the staff. Each place had its positives and negatives, but my favourite camp, the one where I fit in best, was Kadimah. Founded way back in 1943 by the Atlantic Jewish community, Kadimah is rooted in community and gives children a warm, fun and safe experience summer after summer. It helped mold me and so many other children, teens and young adults into the adults we are today. My sister met her husband there, children make lifelong friends there and Cathy the baker makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies (she has been baking these cookies for decades!).

My sister and I at Kadimah almost 20 years ago. We haven’t changed a bit, don’t you think?

My sister and her then boyfriend (now husband) at Kadimah just a few years ago!

My kids at Kadimah last summer, with their first cousins. Yes it’s a family affair.

As I bought, collected, organized and packed every item into my son’s duffle bags this week my memories of my days at camp came rushing into my head. Will he wash his hair with the shampoo or dump it out on the last day of camp to make me think he cleaned himself regularly? Or, will he change his underwear daily, and if he does, will he place the dirty underwear in one of the two laundry bags I packed? Will any of the 17 pairs of socks come home? These are questions a mother asks as the duffle bags make their way to camp and the children follow close behind in the coming days.

Today is the last day of school, so that means camp must be near!

June 22, 2017

The Need to Bring Together Profit and Purpose

In previous posts I have asked if women can attain a work-family balance in a society where they are encouraged and expected to build a career and have a family. I have also sought advice and looked inward to see where my career is going and how I envision my future. These thoughts have stayed in my mind, and I have met with and spoken with many inspirational people in recent weeks and months who make me hopeful that I will find my way and follow a career path that is a good fit for me and the life I want to lead. I recently met with one individual who helped me give focus to my many musings about where my life is going, what I want to do next and where my skills and experience can make a difference. She reminded me to think about two words that I believe will help guide me going forward: profit and purpose.

Are these buzz words? Maybe. But their meaning is clear, especially when put together. We often look at organizations as being either for-profit (corporations, stores, restaurants) or non-profit (charities, civic groups, social welfare). They are looked at differently and treated as separate entities.

But I don’t think that should be the case, and many others across Canada (many much smarter than me) feel the same way. They ask the question; can we not profit with purpose? Or can a non-profit organization align itself with a for-profit, and the relationship be mutually beneficial?

Would for-profit businesses reap the rewards and gain customer loyalty if they partner with non-profits, stand behind important causes and care about the many unfortunate people in the community? Definitely.

Are many Canadian for-profit organizations, from small boutique stores to huge conglomerates, bringing together profit and purpose? Definitely, but still much of Corporate Canada, in my opinion, is either not on board yet or doesn’t know how to do it right.

I was fortunate in my previous job that I was empowered to bring together profit and purpose, but in a very limited way. While my employer had a legacy in communities across Canada of supporting children and youth in various ways, that support had eroded over the years. When I was given the opportunity to reinvent the corporation’s connection with the community and bring together profit and purpose in a meaningful way I knew I found something at which I was both skilled and that I loved.

My eyes were opened to a whole other side of strategic communications and brand development through my work (and I can honestly say my devotion) supporting the many communities where my company did business. I saw the vital role Canadian for-profit businesses play in shaping and supporting communities. I clearly saw that relationship was mutually beneficial, as these same families and communities were loyal to the brand that helped them.

So, it brings me back to the questions I have been asking myself about where I am now and where I want my future to be. Profit and purpose. Big or small business or big or small community organization, I want to support them both and bring them together to support each other. Each thought and decision is a stepping stone, and I believe that today I am starting to head down the right path.

June 21, 2017

That Anxious Jittery Feeling when your Team is Playing in that Key Game

It’s Sports Wednesday everyone, and today’s topic comes from a conversation I had last week with my son. If you are a sports fan in general or you are a fan of a specific team or teams you will understand exactly what I am talking about in today’s sports post. I don’t think I can find one word to describe the feelings, emotions and your general physical state when your team is playing that important game so I will describe it in various ways and provide examples of when I was in the state.

Let’s start by going back almost 25 years ago, to October 18, 1992. It was the World Series, as the Toronto Blue Jays faced the Atlanta Braves. Game 6, bottom of the 11^th inning, with the Blue Jays ahead 4-2. The Braves had one man on with two outs. A homerun would tie the game and an out would give the Blue Jays their first ever World Series win. My heart was racing and I could not sit still. I was so nervous that I couldn’t watch but I also couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. My mother and I were so fidgety that we started to dance around the room together. And then it happened – the player laid down a bunt to Mike Timlin the pitcher, who threw the ball to Joe Carter at first, and the Blue Jays won the World Series.

Race ahead to June 19, 2006, the day my Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup. I remember watching that game, wearing my Hurricanes hat, surrounded by naysayers (did anyone else in Toronto support the Canes? I think not). I stood up and sat down. I shifted from foot to foot and paced around the room. I felt this strange mix of fear and excitement deep inside and was so nervous in those final minutes of the third period, in game 7, with Carolina leading 2-1. My body relaxed and anxiety was replaced with elation as Justin Williams shot the puck into an empty Oilers’ net to seal the win.

It doesn’t have to be the World Series or Stanley Cup Final; it can be a game against a division or league rival in the middle of the season as well. Take this past Monday night for example. The Blue Jays were down 6-5 in the top of the 9^th versus the Texas Rangers. Ryan Goins led off with an incredible double. Kevin Pillar was next at the plate, and I stood in front of the TV talking to him, willing him to get a hit to at least tie the game. I felt my heart rate increase and that anxious feeling build in my chest. It didn’t work – he got out. Next was Josh Donaldson, and I was too nervous to watch, so I left the room and paced in the hallway. Well that worked because Donaldson singled to score Goins and tie the game. After Bautista walked, Morales came through with a single, scoring Donaldson, giving the Blue Jays a 7-6 win.

Is there a sport where this feeling is heightened the most? My son and I think that nothing makes the heart race more than hockey, in particular sudden death overtime hockey. How about sudden death overtime playoff hockey? How about the dying seconds of a basketball game when a three-point basket can turn the whole game around? I even get this sensation when a Canadian athlete is competing at the Olympics. Will the skater land the triple Axel? Will the runner cross the finish line first? It’s just so stressful!

What sport, game or team gives you that anxious jittery feeling? Tell me how a sport can make your heart race and makes your stomach flutter. Comment here, post it to me on Facebook or Tweet me @AliciaRichler.

June 20, 2017

The Butterfly Came Back the Very Next Year

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am not a fan of insects. I understand and respect the important role they play in our ecosystem, but most insects terrify me. If a spider crosses my path I run the other way. Mosquitoes torture me in the summer as they buzz in my ears and centipedes just scare the wits out of me. But then there is the butterfly. It’s an insect, but it’s beautiful. I would even count one in particular as part of my family.

I know very little about entomology, but I want to share with you something special I learned about the butterfly family that resides in my backyard. We moved into our current home in early June of 2014 and soon after were visited by one very friendly butterfly. We spend a lot of time in our backyard and noticed that it kept joining us as we sat on our deck or enjoyed dinner in the backyard. Day after day, throughout the month of June, this seemingly fearless insect sat with us. Actually, it didn’t just sit with us, it sat ON us! It didn’t just sit on us, it protected us. If a wasp dared fly by our dinner table, our butterfly swiftly chased the wasp away.

This butterfly had the characteristic orange, black and white lines of a monarch, so we assumed it must be a monarch. My daughter named it Monny. Day after day Monny joined our family, and once in a while we would see a group of butterflies flying around our yard wildly. Then one day they were gone.

Fast forward to June of 2015 and our butterfly was back. Or rather, a descendent of Monny was back. It looked the same, again it was fearless and just as friendly. In 2016, we hoped our butterfly would return and sure enough it was back, sitting with us and relaxing with us in our backyard.

This weekend, for the fourth year in a row, our butterfly returned. Last night it swooped in as we sat down for dinner and joined us at the table during our meal. It sits on the table, our shoulders and even our heads. It’s part of our family.

Our 2017 butterfly looks exactly the same as the first one who joined us back in 2014. I don’t know what kind of butterfly it is, but clearly this kind has some homing device that sends the descendants back to our backyard year after year. Our butterfly is beautiful, friendly and wonderful.

If there are any experts or enthusiasts out there who can help me learn more about my beautiful butterfly please leave me a comment here, contact me on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/alicia.r.kalman, or Tweet me @AliciaRichler. I would love to learn more about Monny and share my knowledge with my children.

June 19, 2017

Sometimes it just gets lost in Translation – The Signs of Travel

When you travel to a foreign country you want to explore all the unique sites, attractions and neighbourhoods in that country. Sometimes you want to see the traditional tourist spots and sometimes you want to immerse yourself into the place’s culture and feel like a local. For those of us whose primary language is English we often discover that while the main language in most countries around the world is not our language, many of the signs are in both the local language and English or to make life easy for tourists there are just helpful pictures.

I will admit that I get a kick out of seeking out these helpful signs, which, while they mean well, the message sometimes gets lost in translation. Sometimes it’s not even a translation issue but culturally it may look funny because of how strange it seems. Then there are some signs that are not meant to be funny at all, there is no translation issue and for no apparent reason I just think they are funny.

I will share a bunch of those signs with you here. Some of these photos are from my travels and some are photos people have sent me or posted on social media that just make me laugh.

I will begin with my most recent trip to New Zealand with my family. New Zealand is an English-speaking country, but I think they have a great sense of humour there and they also like to be very clear with locals and tourists about what the message is.

The first memorable sign from that trip was at our motel in the town of Turangi, in the centre of the North Island. The owner of the establishment was quite clear about what was NOT allowed to be cooked:

Turangi is near a ski resort, Mt. Ruapehu, and since it was summer there (early January), of course the resort was closed for the season. We had torrential rain and the scheduled hike was cancelled, so we decided, during a heavy downpour, to drive up the mountain and check out the ski resort. We came upon the beginner area, called Happy Valley Snow Park, and with buckets of rain pouring down I jumped out of the car to capture a few great signs.

Matthew soon joined in the fun seeking out interesting signage and we hit the jackpot at the volcanic hot springs at Rotorua. They wanted to make sure we understood just how hot and dangerous the pools were….

Then we just got silly a few days later, as we boarded, then traveled on the ferry boat that brought us from the South Island to the North Island.

Actually, we saw a few really fun and informative signs throughout New Zealand’s South Island:

Another favourite spot for great signs is Hong Kong. The majority of the local population speaks various Chinese dialects, but because of Hong Kong’s long-time connection with Great Britain there is a lot of English. Maybe some of the signs have translation challenges and maybe some are very clear but make no sense to someone like me. I traveled to Hong Kong a few years ago with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law and we found a few memorable signs.

British humour is admired the world over, and I have had the opportunity to visit the UK a few times in the last 20 years. I regret that I did not take photos of most of the funny signs I saw, and the two that I have I think may only seem funny to my family. But still they make me chuckle.

It is quite normal in Israel to see signs in Hebrew, Arabic and English. Most of the time the signs make sense, but this one was definitely lost in translation. The Hebrew sign says “Sakana! Borot Bakveesh.” The problem here is with the word “borot” which means HOLES in English. However, the word “boroot” means IGNORANCE in English. Oops.

You won’t find this sign on a highway in Canada….

My brother-in-law, Leigh, has racked up the air miles the last few years for work and visited some far-off places. He showed me quite a variety of interesting signs, some too disturbing to post here. But here are a few of my favourites:

This photo is courtesy of my friend Richard, who posted it on Facebook last week. It needs no description. Thanks Richard.

I love to seek out these signs when I travel, and yes, it’s fun to have a chuckle when I find them, photograph them and share them with family and friends. I know it is immature, okay it’s flat out childish, but I like it just the same. How about you? Have you seen any memorable signs in your travels? Share them with me on Facebook, Tweet me @AliciaRichler or comment here. I look forward to seeing what you have to show me.

June 16, 2017

The Craziness of Costco

Yesterday I wrote about the joys of farmers’ markets and how they support local vendors, build community and really just fill me with delight. Today I am writing about what may be the opposite, something that symbolizes capitalism, sometimes gluttony and the epitome of big-box shopping. I’m talking about Costco.

Until recently I steered clear of Costco. The idea of shopping for my family in a giant warehouse, crammed with people gunning for giant tubs of mustard and mayonnaise terrified me. I had joined my mother a few times to secure specific items like my favourite olive oil and maple syrup, but other than that I avoided the place like the plague.

Now that we are a family of five and I had spare time, last fall I took out a membership and ventured into Costco. I figured I would give it a try and see if I could find what I needed.

In the challenging retail landscape that exists today, with stores large and small jockeying for our attention in an age of online shopping, Costco is doing something right. Brick and mortar stores are particularly challenged getting any foot traffic in the doors. Clearly this is not a problem at my local Costco location.

Let’s start with the parking lot. Whether it’s 10:00 am or 4:00 pm, the parking lot is packed. Angry Annie and Raging Robert seem to make a bee line for this place daily, cutting people off and grabbing a parking spot when one is free. Somehow my children bring me luck with parking spots and I always get a spot.

How about the fact that you need to be a member just to have the right to enter this shopping mecca? If my local grocery store or department store at the mall even charged patrons $5 per year to shop, the place would be empty. But no, with a starting membership of $60 per year (a price which keeps going up and clearly people will pay), there’s a line-up at the front door just to flash the membership card to enter.

When you enter the store, you are faced with a wall of feature items that the Costco executives are sure everyone just has to have. New towels? Water bottles? An ink jet printer? It’s hard to pass by this section without considering one of these interesting impulse buys.

Each Costco store is organized into neat areas, with the electronics at the front corner, a pharmacy and pharmaceuticals in another corner, food in themed aisles and clothing, books, toys (adult and children) and seasonal items parked in the middle. Some areas of the store, such as the tables of clothing, always have huge crowds, while other areas, like the spice or pasta aisle, are usually a bit quieter. The quiet areas are my favourite.

If you are hungry when you arrive at Costco you are almost guaranteed to be fed by the friendly sample team, who are handing out everything from handfuls of popcorn or chips to mango juice to chicken nuggets. My one-year-old claps with delight as we approach one of the sample tables, having been trained at a very young age to enjoy the Costco experience.

I load my cart with key items, like specific organic food my family enjoys such as apple sauce packets and macaroni and cheese, much of the produce I need for the week, all the paper products a girl could wish for and kosher meat (only at specific locations) sold in bulk packages.

Each time I enter the place I always tell myself that I just need a few items and this time I will spend less than $100. But then I pass by a new featured food item I just have to have, cotton sleepers for the baby or a backpack for my son and my cart is full.

The final stop on any visit to Costco is the check-out line. Like the parking lot, whether it’s 10:00 am or 4:00 pm it’s packed and there are long snaking lines. I will give the employees credit that they get people through these lines mighty fast. Like the entry, you need to flash the membership card in order to pay, and you watch as the charges run up as you check out.

I’m no longer terrified of Costco. In fact, I love it. Their prices are competitive, it’s easy to find the items I need and the quality is consistently good. If I need to return an item they take it back with no questions asked. Because I am a member they can easily look up any item I have bought and know everything about me (which is of great benefit to any retailer).

Costco is not intimate or warm like my local farmers’ market, but it is an efficient way to shop. This retailer is a great example of value shopping – with their mix of high quality and low priced merchandise. I am not handing back my membership card any time soon.

June 15, 2017June 19, 2017

What you need to know about a Farmers’ Market

One of the ways I know that the spring and summer season has arrived is the presence of farmers’ markets dotting parks, parking lots, squares, and sidewalks in cities and towns across Ontario, Canada and really across North America. While a few markets run all-year round, heading indoors over the winter, many of the farmers’ markets pop up in late May and early June, offering a wide assortment of goodies for people to buy.

While walking in the Annex yesterday in central Toronto I passed signs posted on front lawns and hydro polls with details about the neighbourhood farmers’ market that happened every Wednesday afternoon, starting in June. My luck, yesterday was Wednesday, it was 3:00 pm and I was only about 3 blocks from this market. It’s hard for me to stay away from a farmers’ market, so off I went, with sleeping baby in the stroller, to check out a market I had never visited before.

There are some basic commonalities that all farmers’ markets share, which I find helps locals, tourists or just general passers-by easily find their way through:

They are set up with vendor tables on two sides of a wide aisle, to easily allow for pedestrian traffic. These vendor tables are all protected under a pop-up white tent (sometimes another colour but for the most part it’s white), so they stay dry. These markets happen rain or shine!
The vendors are all local, coming from as far as farms 100 km away. They know the town or neighbourhood and the kind of customers that frequent that market.
It’s not just produce at today’s farmers’ markets. While there are always a few vendors selling seasonal produce (asparagus in May, strawberries in late June or peaches in August), one can expect much more. I can always count on someone who is selling homemade breads, another vendor that may have honey, maple syrup, jams or olive oil and there’s usually an assortment of freshly cooked food or fresh squeezed juices to purchase as well.
For the most part, transactions are cash only. Unless there is a vendor who is selling bigger ticket items like clothing or jewelry, don’t expect to find Apple pay or a credit card reader.
Some of the more eclectic markets feature live music, which is an added bonus. It is nice to show off local talent, and music puts people in a good mood.
The vendors are friendly and knowledgeable about what they are selling. The baker will recommend the right bread that suits your personal taste buds. When you buy a jar of honey you will get advice on how to store it. The local farmer will tell you what she pulled from her garden just that morning and what to expect next. The personal touch is something special.

The city of Toronto has many farmers’ markets to choose from, and many towns offer one weekly or biweekly. My favourite market to visit outside Toronto is the one in the centre of Collingwood, a town on the southern shore of Georgian Bay. It runs every Saturday from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, from Victoria Day weekend to Thanksgiving weekend.

This market has all the usual vendors one can expect as well as a few surprises. My children love the live alpaca and the soft socks, hats and clothing that vendor sells. It isn’t a summer weekend for my nephew unless he gets his raspberry filled doughnut from a specific vendor (who also makes and sells the best pierogis) and my parents can’t leave without buying up all the fresh samosas from a vendor called Ali’s Kitchen (who has a restaurant in Collingwood). The market often features live music, it’s bustling on a warm and sunny Saturday morning and it represents everything a good farmers’ market should be.

One of my favourite farmers’ markets that I visited as a tourist was a Thursday morning market in the Napa Valley in California. In addition to local fresh produce, breads and jams, there was a live cooking demonstration. Using food all available at that market, a local chef demonstrated with mirrors and cameras, how to put some simple and fresh dishes together. It was a great way to show off what was on offer from the vendors, the local chef showed off her talent and plugged her restaurant and everyone went home with some new recipes and cooking skills.

I encourage you to swing by a farmers’ market this summer, in your own city or town, in a community just outside where you live or on summer travel. You are guaranteed, fresh, local, quality food and merchandise with kind and friendly service.

June 14, 2017

Why I am a Fan of the Carolina Hurricanes

It’s time for sports Wednesday! My son told me that Wednesday is the only day of the week he reads my blog because all he cares about is sports. Today I am going to share my story about why I love the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Carolina Hurricanes.

How could someone from Toronto, with no connection to Raleigh-Durham or any part of North Carolina, be a fan of the hockey team that plays there? It’s simple – they’re good people.

My personal connection to the Canes goes back to the fall of 2001, when I worked as a producer in my first job at the Team 1050 sports radio station. I was young, inexperienced and had few connections in the industry. I did not produce my own show as I was more of a floater, producing the evening and weekend shows and filling in for producers during the day. I didn’t have a black book full of phone numbers of players, coaches and management in sports. I want to thank my colleagues at that radio station once again for giving me names and phone numbers so that I could build my own black book.

By late in the fall I started to produce a regular Saturday hockey talk radio show and found it challenging to book players, coaches and management from Canadian hockey clubs. Every journalist wanted to interview them. But I had to fill my show. So, I looked south of the border and decided to contact hockey personalities in American markets where hockey was not so popular.

That’s when I found the Carolina Hurricanes. This team was having a good but not great season and somehow, I felt they were going somewhere. And nobody noticed them or gave them really any attention. I contacted the team’s public relations department and asked if the captain, Ron Francis, could be on my show. They were thrilled to help me out and Ron was booked.

That Saturday Ron Francis was the featured interview on the show. He was knowledgeable, polite, friendly and really everything a great guest should be on a radio show. I had a chance to speak with him after the interview, and he actually thanked me for booking him! He told me that they don’t get too many interview requests in Carolina and that he and other players would be happy to come on my show again.

For the rest of the NHL season I regularly booked various people connected with the Carolina Hurricanes on my hockey show and other shows, and I saw for myself that this was a first-class organization. When they won their division and made the playoffs I was excited to keep the relationship going and to continue to feature them on my shows.

Because of my loyalty to the Canes all season the public relations staff thanked me by giving me great access to interviews during the team’s incredible playoff run. I remember that I got one of the first interviews with their General Manager, Jim Rutherford, when they won the first round of the playoffs. Even though it was 15 years ago I clearly remember our conversation after his on-air interview. He told me that he appreciated my support for the Canes all season and that I would get some of the first interviews with him, the head coach Paul Maurice and the various players each time they advanced to the next round.

At that moment I knew I had become a fan of the Carolina Hurricanes and I told Jim as much. I told him they were going to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and that I would be there to support them all the way. They didn’t win the Stanley Cup that year, but they did make it to the Finals! Jim Rutherford, Paul Maurice, Ron Francis and so many of the team’s players were guests on my shows during that incredible playoff run. I told them all that because of them I had become a fan for life of the Carolina Hurricanes.

I can’t even begin to explain the excitement I felt a few years later, in 2006, when my Canes actually WON the Stanley Cup. I wasn’t working in sports media anymore, but it didn’t stop me from cheering my team on and wearing my Carolina Hurricanes baseball cap proudly.

I will always be a fan of the Carolina Hurricanes and the players, coaches and management associated with the team during the 2001-02 season. Thank you to all of them for making my time as a hockey producer so memorable.