A Calgary Fiddler's Gig

Lexi (left)
Kaney (3rd from left)

Lexi playing the flute

Randal and I attended a Calgary Fiddler's Gig on Saturday April 28th.

My granddaughters Kaney and Lexi has been active in the Calgary Fiddler's Gigs for the past few years.

On this afternoon they were at a Calgary nursing home joining other fiddlers ages 11 to17.

We, along with the residents, enjoyed an hour of well preformed fiddle presentation.

The Nurtured Body

On Friday, April 20^th Randal and I attended a free two hour presentation on “The Nurtured Body” by Lisa from Embodi Inc

Embodi Inc offers a number of services to enhance your ability for embodiment (meaning to honour, to inhabit and partner with the body). To advance your capacity to realize your innate potential. Lisa is committed to one simple and powerful idea: you in partnership with your body. Hold the capacity to realize your full potential.


I gained knowledge on how emotion can effect the body while you eat meals. 

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The End Nigh

What is more exciting than to see your grand daughter in a school play.
My grand daughters attend the Calgary Arts Academy, their education is includes the arts.It has been an amazing journey for them as they have so much confidence.

On April 19, 2012 we rushed through a supper in order to take Lexi to Vertigo Theatre by 6:15pm. We all piled into Lynne's van and went to the theatre down town Calgary.


The Calgary Arts Academy School presented an original productions by the year 8/9students “The End Is Nigh”, which cast 90 students.  All the students gave their input into the story line with the help of, Play Write, Meg Braem.

The play was about at school class that had only 2 weeks before the end of the world. It was done in dialogue, song and music. Lexi played both the Sax and electric violin, in the band.

The Time Traveller's Wife

In March, while in Columbus, Georgina visiting Phyllis and Gil Stephenson, Phyllis gave me a book.

I have always been fascinated by the time travel concept and have seen other movies about the subject so I was anxious to read this book.

The Time Traveler's Wife is the debut novel of American author Audrey Niffenegger, published in 2003.

It is a love story about Henry DeTamble, a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about his wife, Clare Abshire, an artist, who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences. Clare and Henry's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossible romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love.

A movie of the story, with stars Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana was released in 2009. Now I will need to see this movie. 

The Mystery of 2012

I just finished reading the 2007 book "The Mystery of 2012".

It was a book on what the leading authorities on the 2012 phenomenon presented their insights about about this year.

The essays were written on the Mayan Calendar and the mystery from every angle on spirituality, economy, ecology, and science.

Predictions and revelations from several prominent thinkers may make you read it again and again.

Pick up the book and read it for yourself. It will make you think and ask questions.

New Foods.

Tasting different food is very good for you. I am amazed at the new things I've tried.

While vacationing in Southeastern US I saw outlets named “Boudin an' Cracklins”. I wondered what what kind of businesses they were. While touring the Tabasco Factory in Louisiana on Avery Island I got my first taste of “Boudin”, a rice and pork mixture with Tabasco sauce wrapped in an intestine casing. All along the South Louisiana there were restaurants and stores named “Boudin an' Cracklins” The “Cracklins” are fried pork skins. Another favourites is beans and rice. They are obviously one of the main courses here.

An other surprise was while shopping in a Texas grocery store I noticed there were cactus pieces along with the fresh vegetables. Now, this I never saw before. I bought a piece and added it along with collards stir fry dish I made for supper.  I since learned how good and how popular cactus is.  It has been eaten for centuries in many countries and are found in Mexican specialty markets. Cactus contain beta carotene, iron, a good source of Vitamin C, calcium and some B vitamins.

Here is a recipe:

Cactus Over Fish

1/2 cup of cooking oil

1 clove of garlic (chopped)

1 teaspoon of chili powder

1 cup of flour
1 pound of filleted fish

1 cup of diced and boiled cactus

1/2 cup of water (from the boiled cactus)
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

salt to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan, sauté the garlic until light brown, and then remove the garlic pieces with a slotted spatula or spoon. Combine the chili powder and flour in a bowl and roll the fish in the mixture. Fry the coated fillets until they're golden brown . . . add the water (be careful to prevent spattering—pour in just a bit at a time). . . reduce the heat . . . and cook the fish for a few minutes longer. When the fish flakes easily, remove it from the pan and serve it smothered in cactus and topped with sliced egg, lemon juice, and salt.

Collards I learned to eat at Full Circle Family Farm in North Carolina.

Until next time Discover it Live it 

Experiencing Louisiana

We spent three days in Lafayette, Louisiana in a KOA Kampground The short stay gave us a taste of the area and culture. 

We visited Acadian Village which gave us an account of the expulsion of the French families who arrived  from Nova Scotia, Canada  during the 1700s and settled along the Bayou in Louisiana in 1763-1785. In the Church there was a list that was presented from the Canadian Government naming all the names of the French who were sent here. Among the names was Bertrand. Could this be part of my history? 

In the evening we walked over to the Information Centre across the road from the KOA to a Cajun Jam Session We were there for 3 hours listening the a volunteer group of enthusiastic musicians, young and old. The instruments they played were  Cajun accordion  Cajun fiddle  triangle   guitars

The atmosphere was electrifying as each player put their heart and soul into the music. A couple of young men from England arrived later on to video tape the group. Each were filmed as they played. It will nice to be able to see the final production, only if we knew where to find it online.