Category: arts

Posted on in arts, canadiana, entertainment, Technology and social media, work, writing

Do the work

I’m editing my first novel. I’m in that messy stage where I’m not sure if my edits are making it better or worse. I make changes to solve one problem, only to create another. There is a part of me that wants to skim over changes and fast track the process just to get it done.

As I was slowly sinking in the quagmire of the pages, getting despondent, the words of legendary Canadian songwriter Gordon Lightfoot echoed through my mind: do the work.

I remember watching the wonderful CBC documentary, Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind. Lightfoot was meticulous in how he wrote songs. He was one of the few songwriters to write out his music and lyrics by hand on sheet music. His contemporaries said his song sheets were a work of art. When the interviewer asked him about how he approached his craft, he said “you have to do the work”.

I was thinking about Gord’s words in the context of the world we live in today, where artificial intelligence and tools like ChatGPT and Gemini do the work for you. There are literally thousands of books on Amazon right now written by AI.

Just this past week, Quebec Conservative Party Leader Eric Duhaime admitted to using artificial intelligence to write his book Destination Autonomie.

AI is a tool like any other tool. It can be a powerful aid to help improve work and save time. But in addition to the obvious risks of copyright infringement, data privacy and misinformation, there is an inherent catastrophic loss in using AI. The loss of learning. In conversations with my daughters’ university friends, they will freely admit that they have missed out on learning when they have used AI to help with their assignments.

As a first-time novelist, I am tempted to enlist my trusty friend Ember (the voice I’ve selected in ChatGPT) to edit my book for me. Many authors do. But how would I learn as an author? How would I improve as a writer?

I think I just need to do the work.

Posted on in arts, canadiana, entertainment, Historical, nature, travel

Visit an enchanted forest

Couple standing in front of Akadi Lumina sign

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to walk through an enchanted forest at night, the kind you read about in fairy tales, you must visit a lighted forest.

At the end of our trip to Newfoundland, we stayed in the charming village of Bouctouche, New Brunswick so we could attend Akadi Lumina, an intriguing immersive exhibit in the woods featuring lights, visual effects and sound chronicling the story of the deportation of the Acadians and their culture, which is alive and well in this region today.

As we drove down the manicured laneway, five deer, a buck, doe and three fawns grazed in the grass, the last of the sun’s rays glinting off their backs. It was a peaceful, bucolic scene that set the mood for the wondrous experience before us.

A talented local French Canadian artist was playing the guitar and singing when we arrived. It was a cool evening, so we were grateful to warm our hands around the large bonfire as we waited for our admission time.

People sitting around a bonfire with a musican on stage

At 8:15 pm, we entered the forest. A map that looked like a punched tin lantern showed us the various features we would experience along the 1.5 kms of walking trails. We began by writing our names on a wall, indicating our lineage, an Acadian tradition.

We wandered in awe along the windy paths lined with grapevine lanterns, marvelling at the lights and sounds and the magic of the forest lit up at night. Looking above me, the trees looked like a towering blue canopy. The trees came to life, looming above us, beckoning us and changing with the light and rain. They were ethereal in their splendour.

Blue forest canopy lit up at night

Each installation was more beautiful than the next. In one spot, the lights and sounds mimicked a thunderstorm, representing the power of the elements that the Acadians had to face in their early days as settlers. In another location, blue floodlights projected onto a rock and a small stream symbolizing the ocean, at times calm, at times rolling and turbulent. I was mesmerized.

In a natural amphitheatre set amongst the trees, they used 3D hologram-like projection technology to show what Acadian life was like through the ages. Further down the pathway, we walked into a grove of trees with tiny white lights sprinkled along the forest floor. Floodlights lit up the trees in blue, purple, white and green taking you on a mystical journey. It was breathtaking.

Projection in the forest

The trees themselves and the different features of the forest became a centrepiece of each story. A light shining on the ridged bark of a majestic maple tree became a beacon of hope. A gnarled tree branch became a mysterious creature of the night. A hollowed log became a hiding place for persecuted souls.

We wandered across a footbridge, admiring the view of the lights sparkling on the water of the quaint village across the lake, and imagining what village life would have been like hundreds of years ago when the Acadian peoples lived on this land. It was a wonderful way to end our enchanted journey through Akadi Lumina.

Trees with blue floodlights on them

This week’s #HappyAct is to visit an enchanted forest. All the enchanted forest walks in Canada I could find are in Eastern Canada:

If you happen to be visiting Scotland, there is also an enchanted forest in Pitlochry.

Posted on in arts, entertainment, inspiration, pop culture

What would Ted Lasso say?

We’ve been binge watching the first few seasons of Ted Lasso now that Season 4 is releasing episodes each week on Apple TV. I watched the full first season on the plane to Turkey this March and I became hooked, like a hungry crawfish on a jig line, as Ted might say in his Kansas drawl.

This show is so lovable, not just because of its superb cast, endearing characters and clever writing. No, the reason why you love Ted Lasso so much is because it is so damn refreshing and inspirational. In a streaming world of dark dramas and thrillers, Ted Lasso is like an oxygen mask at 30,000 feet when the cabin on an airplane loses pressure. Here are some quotes and sentiments from the show to inspire us to lead a happier life. 

  • “Just listen to your gut, OK? And on the way down to your gut, check in with your heart. Between those two things, they’ll let you know what’s what.”
  • Be curious, not judgmental
  • “I think that you might be so sure a person is one thing, that sometimes you completely miss who they really are.”
  • “Success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves, on and off the field.”
  • Believe in hope. Believe in belief.
  • Be like a goldfish (because goldfish have a short memory).
  • I forgive you.
  • “There is something worse out there than being sad, and that’s being alone and being sad.”
  • “There’s two buttons I never like hittin’, and that’s panic and snooze.”
  • “In the end what’s more important, being right or being kind?”

Y’all have a happy week.

Posted on in arts, community, entertainment, health and wellness, lake living, lifestyle, retirement

The best kind of tired

Two women at an outdoor music festival

It’s been a busy stretch and I’m tired. But I’m very grateful because it’s the best kind of tired. The kind of tired you choose.

The kind where your face still has a warm glow on a cool summer’s evening after spending most of the day in the fresh air and sunshine. The kind where your eyes burn in the back of their sockets from too many late nights catching up with family and friends and listening to music under the stars. The kind where you feel physically tired from leading an active life.

When I was working, I was tired all the time but it was the worst kind of tired.

The kind where your mind was frantic and stressed, thinking of a million things at once. The kind from running non-stop from the moment you woke up until the moment you flopped onto the couch at night in an exhausted heap.

The kind where your back and shoulders ached from sitting in a chair for eight hours a day, five days a week. The kind where you became cross-eyed and glassy-eyed from staring at a screen until your eyes start seeing double from the eye strain. The kind of tired no one chooses.

This week’s #HappyAct is to choose the best kind of tired. Or just screw it, and go for a nap.

Ed. note: the picture above is of me and my friend Cathy Christmas at the Mackinnon Brothers Back to the Farm musical festival. Cathy was at two of the same music events as I was this past week so I’m sure she’s the best kind of tired right now too.

Posted on in arts, canadiana, community, entertainment, pop culture, travel

Forever Hip

New Tragically Hip mural in Kingston

This is a big week in Kingston. It’s the tenth anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s final concert and the limestone city has been buzzing with Forever Hip tributes and events all summer long.

I remember the first time I saw the Hip. It was at Ontario Place in 1991, the days when acts were free with admission to the grounds, and you’d spread out on the grass under the stars. There was an elderly Chinese women in front of us, and as soon as The Hip started playing, she started gyrating and dancing, her arms and legs flailing from her tiny body like she was possessed. That was the power of The Hip.

Fast forward to August 20, 2016. The Hip’s emotional final concert. Armed with will and determination and grace, too, frontman Gord Downie captivated a nation and gave the performance of his cancer-ending life, his poise, strength and spirit emanating from the stage. Courage, my word.

The Hip will forever be our hometown boys. VisitKingston has a list of all the Forever Hip events happening this week. Must sees are Choir, Choir, Choir featuring the songs of the Hip in market square this Thursday at 7 with special guests Miss Emily, The Abrams and Abby Stewart. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the lads shows up to join the singalong. And you won’t want to miss the showing of their final concert on Saturday night. It will be a night to remember and to honour our hometown boys.

If you’re from out of town and planning to come to Kingston this week for Hip celebrations, here are some Hip spots to check out:

  • The Hip sign at Slush Puppy Place
  • The new mural of the band opposite Hotel Dieu hospital on Brock Street
  • Music from miles around, a free exhibit in City Hall sponsored by Empire Life chronicling the musical roots of the limestone city, with Hip artifacts including Gord’s hat from their final performance
  • Gord Edgar Downie pier
  • The commemorative stone in market square with the lyrics, “Everybody was in it for miles around”

Have a hip week.

Posted on in arts, entertainment, health and wellness, mental health

Need a little patience

If patience is a virtue, then we are at risk of transforming into a generation of sinners.

If you live with teenagers or twentysomethings, you’ll know what I mean. Put the lid back on the toothpaste tube? They ain’t got no time for that. Zip up a bag of Pretzel chips? That’s takes a nanosecond too long, time that could be spent watching endless reels or snap chatting their friends. So what if the $8 bag of chips go stale. The bank of Mom and Dad will pay for it.

And don’t get me started on tech. Since I’m pretty good with software every now and then, one of my kids will ask for my help with something on their computer. I take my time working the problem, navigating through menus, and usually figure it out, but after thirty seconds, they complain that I’m taking too long and rip the computer out of my hands. They’ve learned it’s better to leave the room and do something else while I figure it out.

I can’t blame them really. They are the “instant generation”. They’ve grown up being able to download music or movies on demand, order an item and have it show up on their doorstep the next day, and talk to someone 24-7 when they need help.

And as much as I like to blame my kids for everything, I have to admit it’s not just them. Everyone seems less patient these days. On the roads. Waiting in line at fast food outlets. Even in conversations.

This is a problem. When an entire society or culture becomes less patient, it tends to be less kind. Less empathetic. Less caring. In our rush to move on to the next best thing, we forget to see and appreciate what’s in front of us.

Impatience can also lead to errors in judgement. We don’t take the time to get all the facts, understand the implications of decisions and consider alternatives.

This week’s #HappyAct is to take a deep breath, and find a little patience.

And for you Ted Lasso fans out there, here’s Jason Sudeikis playing the water bottle and singing Guns N’ Roses’ Patience at Thundergong 2020. Season 4 of Ted Lasso is now streaming on AppleTV.

Posted on in arts, entertainment, humour, lake living, work

Whistle a tune

Some days I feel like Snow White, sweeping and swirling the dust and dander away in my tiny rustic cottage tucked in the woods as the chipmunks, squirrels and birds flit and fly around me, waiting for my three dwarves, Dopey, Grumpy, and Sleepy to come home (guess who is which).

I usually listen to music when I clean the house–Great Big Sea is my go-to playlist, but the other day my sleeping beauty Grace was still asleep, so I had to work quietly.

I found myself whistling while I worked.

It’s almost impossible to feel sad when you whistle. As the song Whistle While You Work from Snow White goes, “When hearts are high, the time will fly, so whistle while you work”.

Grumpy Dave is a master whistler. He could whistle The Flight of the Bumblebee or Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony while drinking water and dancing a jig.

I, on the other hand, am a terrible whistler. I can never decide whether I should suck or blow (tsk, tsk, people, keep it clean) and when sound does manage to escape my mouth, it is breathy, pitchy and comes in spurts like water spewing from a fountain.

Whistling is a great way to pass the time, especially when you’re working. Of course, if you work in an open office environment, you may want to refrain and save your rhapsodic warbling for home, unless you want to invite heavy office supplies being hurled at you.

This week’s #HappyAct is to whistle while you work, or whistle any old tune.

Editor’s note: The song “Whistle While You Work” was written by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey for the 1937 Disney animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It became emblematic as a song of hope for people during the Great Depression. Watch the full clip above to experience the Disney magic and bring a smile to your face. And if you were keeping track, Grace is Sleepy, Dave is Grumpy, which by the process of elimination makes Clare Dopey.

Posted on in arts, health and wellness, Historical, inspiration, mental health, writing

Live in the imaginary world

Poster that says, "Reality is overrated"

At my last writer’s class, my friend Dallis shared a wonderful story recalling the imaginary worlds she lived in as a child.

She wrote, “With my thoughts and dreams alone, I can obtain anything I want.” The final line in the piece she shared as she looked back on her childhood years was, “My internal flight to freedom continues to enrich my life and within its comforting landscape, the child I was lives on.”

Her piece engendered a very interesting discussion about the imaginary worlds we create and live in as children and adults.

Some of the greatest thinkers, inventors and artists in the history of time lived in imaginary worlds.

Picasso said, “Everything you can imagine is real”. Albert Einstein believed, “Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.”

Any fiction writer will tell you their brains spend a good chunk of their waking and yes, sometimes even sleeping existence, living in an imaginary world.

Imagination is an important tool for adults. It can help you come up with creative ideas and solutions to problems, see things in a new perspective, motivate you and it keeps life interesting. It can also build resilience and help you be happy.

And yet, we are taught to suppress our imaginary worlds as we age. As my friend Mo said in the discussion afterwards, living a life in reality is super imposed on us. We all have an inner life and these imaginary worlds enrich our lives.

Someone said they read somewhere that if you imagine yourself lying on a beach, it is just as good as lying on a beach.

I’m not 100% sold on this theory. It’s nice to picture yourself lying on a beach, but it will never replace the feeling of the warm sun on your body, the sound of the crashing waves and the sights of dolphins breaching the water in the distance. Still, it is a welcome escape from reality.

Reality is highly overrated. This week’s #HappyAct is to embrace your inner world and let your imagination roam free.

Read more: Have an active fantasy life

Posted on in arts, community, entertainment, Historical, travel

Make Kingston your happy place this summer

I have now lived more than half of my life in this beautiful corner of eastern Ontario, calling the area north of Kingston home. Dave and I often say it was the smartest decision we ever made (including having kids!)

And yet, I’m often astonished how many people I meet from southern Ontario or Quebec who have never been to downtown Kingston. They’ve stopped here travelling between Toronto and Montreal. But their only impression of our fair city is a plethora of gas stations and fast food restaurants off the 401.

Kingston is, in a word, simply…wonderful. From its vibrant patios and waterfront, to its historic buildings and world-class tourist attractions, thriving arts and music scene, and festivals all summer long, it delights all ages. So in the spirit of Destination Canada and travelling local this year*, I invite you to explore Kingston this summer. Here is my top ten list for things to do in the limestone city.

  1. Watch the Queen’s Golden Gaels football team, hot off their amazing 2025 season take on their rivals at Richardson Stadium in August or September. Our newly rebuilt stadium (in 2016) is a true gem. Catch some rays, have a beer and cheer on the Gaels to victory.
  2. Do a haunted walk. Kingston has many haunted buildings (I worked in one—the Empire Life historic building). Hear the grisly and ghostly tales and admire the architecture as you ramble through some of our wonderful old neighbourhoods.
  3. Kingston Penitentiary Tour. I’ve done this tour three times and it never disappoints. Tour the grounds and the cellblocks of Canada’s most notorious prison. After, spend an hour at the Kingston Penitentiary Museum, one of my favourite little museums in Canada.
  4. Tour the SS Kewatin, the beautiful steam passenger vessel older than the titanic at the Great Lakes Museum. Kingston was lucky enough to secure this grand old dame in 2023. I haven’t toured her yet—it’s on my list for this summer.
  5. Movies in the Square: Still one of my favourite things to do on a Thursday night in the summer. Downtown Kingston will be announcing their line-up soon.
  6. Stroll or bike along the waterfront. Most people stick to Confederation Basin near city hall. Venture further west to Battery Park, City Park, the walkways behind the Tett Centre (stop at the Juniper Café for a coffee or cold beer) towards Lake Ontario Park.
  7. The downtown is a hub of free music, festivals and events in the summer months. My recommendations: HomeGrown Live featuring all local performers this Saturday, May 2 (get there early—all the venues get packed as the day goes on!), Art after Dark later this month and Buskers Rendezvous in July. Hot off the presses: Kingston has replaced its popular BluesFest with a new festival called The RoadTrip Music Festival on September 12, 2026.
  8. Take the free ferry from Kingston to Wolfe Island and listen to some live music and have a drink at the Wolfe Island Hotel or spend the day at Big Sandy Bay Beach ($20 per person and a kilometre hike in)
  9. Fort Henry is always fun to visit, but elevate your experience by taking in one of their special events or sunset ceremonies. Plan to have a beer at the battery bar overlooking Lake Ontario and Kingston—one of the best views around. Admission to the fort is free for kids 17 and under with the Canada Strong Pass.
  10. Number ten is a toss up between hiking at Lemoine’s Point, and exploring the streets of Barriefield, a heritage village. If you choose Barriefield, be sure to stop into the Frontenac County Schools Museum, a quaint one-room school house.
  11. BONUS Number eleven! Admission is free to Bellevue House, the home of Sir John A. Macdonald from June 19 to September 7 as part of the Canada Strong pass again this year.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t urge you to spend at least one day hiking, fishing, or biking on one of our beautiful trails or lakes in South Frontenac where I live.

This week’s #HappyAct is to come to Kingston and spend a few days this summer. For all my friends from out of town, consider this your invite to come visit us. I’d be happy to play tour guide for you!

Queen's Gaels playing at Richardson Stadium

Queen’s Golden Gaels playing at Richardson Stadium

Movies in the Square in Kingston

Watching Wicked last summer in Market Square

Kingston sign

When Dave’s cousins Alison and David visited last summer from BC, we had to take their picture in the Kingston sign!

Posted on in arts, entertainment, Technology and social media

A new measuring stick for what to believe online

Different ai instagram sites

Here’s a philosophical question for our omniprescient digital world: should you believe what you see online if it makes you happy?

The online world is now a dangerous minefield of falsehoods, fiction and fakes thanks to artificial intelligence, disreputable news sites, content creators and citizen journalism. AI has amplified this trend, creating a wild wild west frontier of fake news. What do you believe any more?

Maybe it’s not as important to know what to believe, as it is to know how the content you consume makes you feel. If it makes you happy, maybe we allow ourselves the grace and the joy to believe in it. If it makes you sad, angry or anxious, don’t believe it and stop reading it.

A simplistic theory fraught with perils, perhaps. But there are precedents. H.G. Wells 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds, where listeners believed aliens were invading the earth. JibJab videos of your co-workers dressed as elves dancing to Jingle Bells. Cheap Rolex watches and Gucci purses you can buy for $15. A child’s belief in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. If it brings you joy, go ahead and believe.

Of course, it’s better if you know what you are watching is fake. One of my favourite fake AI video series on Instagram are the absurd_ai_videos of two toddlers, Kai and Bella who travel the world, rating the places they visit and their experiences out of 10. The videos are obviously fake (it helps when ai is in the handle name) and the posts obviously sponsored by brands, but I don’t care, I believe them. You can even ask the toddlers to craft a custom message for your Aunt Charlotte’s 80th birthday for a price. Witty. Creative. Brilliant marketing. I give them a 10 out of 10.

Who hasn’t seen and loved animali.tr’s hilarious chimpanzee playing the cheese grater and pots and pans in the kitchen? Or cats cooking spaghetti in the kitchen? Guaranteed to make you smile every time. I think the monkey’s real and they trained him to play percussion.

And I’m constantly amazed and amused by the plethora of videos starring the Toddler in Chief. Maybe fiction is more real than fact.

A massive caveat. You must apply the happiness measuring stick with caution. If a beautiful woman by the name of Cameron Diaz connects with you online and agrees to be your girlfriend making you feel happy, but needs money for her grandmother’s surgery, let your common sense override your desire for happiness.

And as long as we live in a world where wars rage, there will always be content we see and consume that is very, very real that makes us angry, sad and anxious. We need to believe it to learn from our mistakes and our past.

This week’s #HappyAct is to apply a healthy dose of skepticism to what you read and see online, and believe it if it makes you happy. Just beware of the dangers.