I’m fine and Dave and the girls are fine, but there are just too many people I care about that are getting kicked in the teeth by life right now. It’s making me feel overwhelmed and helpless.
So what can you do when your happiness is being crushed by a heavy heart?
Hug your loved ones and tell them you love them every day.
Have a good cry if you need to.
Be grateful for friends, family, and the people who will be there when you need them most.
Try to find solace in the smallest joys and moments.
And bake a lot of banana bread*.
My heavy heart goes out to all of you right now, you know who you are.
*The banana bread reference is a funny story worth sharing to end this week’s blog with a smile, even if it is a sad smile. When my sister-in-law MaryAnne was sick, I brought food over every week for her and Mac. Their wonderful neighbours in Westport also dropped off meals and baked goods regularly. One day when I showed up with soup and some cookies, Mac said “As long as it isn’t another f**kin banana bread!”
We were greeted in the farm store by a young girl, who handed us a self-guided map and invited us to take a tour of this working farm.
Our tour guide was an Australian shepherd who led the way from paddock to pen to the various barns and milking stations.
The farm has a massive herd of 800 water buffalo and the paddocks are organized by age, with the adults, tweens and babies separated in the calf barn.
I was very taken by these interesting creatures. The babies in the calf barn were either very curious and friendly, eager for a pet or very shy, backing away from the stall when you went to touch them.
The adults were HUGE with massive teats, broad girths and some with devil horns that twisted around their head.
The farm operation was very modernized, with robotics in the milking barn that steered the cows into their stalls and automatic milkers that disconnected immediately as soon as the cows gave their 8-10 litres per day of milk.
We learned 15% of the world’s milk comes from water buffalo and an adult water buffalo can reach weights up to 2600 pounds.
After our tour, we shopped in the farm’s Buff Stuff Store which carries every type of buffalo meat you can imagine from testicles (limit one per customer!), to liver, to beef patties and steaks and cheeses made from the buffalo milk, their most popular being their mozzarella di bufala, as well as jewelry and steins made out of buffalo horns.
After buying some buffalo burgers for the barbecue, we chatted with owners Martin Littkemanna and Lori Smith, whose young daughter was selling lemonade and homemade cookies to raise money for a friend whose mother was fighting cancer.
Dave asked about the different species of water buffalo, since when we were in Tanzania we had been warned that they could be aggressive. Martin explained there are two main types of water buffalo, river buffalo and swamp buffalo and the ones found on their farm are domesticated with a much more docile personality than the ones we saw in Africa.
Fall is a great time to tour a farm and many local communities host farm events. If you live in eastern Ontario, Open Farm Days in Frontenac County run from September 1 to October 15 and offer a huge array of back-to-the-farm experiences, some free for the whole family. For more information, see openfarms.ca.
I’ve been obsessed lately with the cost of living. I just got back from a girls’ weekend and I’m sure my friends were heartily sick of hearing me go on about prices and how expensive things are.
So I’ve decided to stop talking about money, and take action instead. Here are eight tips for saving money:
Cash in rewards points.
Look for special promotions and deals. For instance, in honour of National Movie Day, Cineplex, Landmark Cinemas and some independent movie theatres are offering $4 movie tickets this Sunday, August 27.
Use up gift certificates sitting in your wallet.
Review your streaming packages and tech and see if you can streamline your services. We haven’t made the leap yet to get rid of our landline and satellite TV, but with services now like Stack TV, now may be the time.
Forage for food. This may sound drastic, but a few years ago, I made a pledge to start eating more off the land. In July I pick raspberries, in August, I make garlic scape pesto with my garlic scapes, and in the fall I pick apples from the local fields and make crisps and apple sauce. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.
Look for “free” days and times at museums and exhibits. For instance, in Ottawa, the National Gallery of Canada, The Canadian War Museum, The Canadian Museum of History, The Canadian Museum of Nature and The Bytown Museum are all free on Thursday evenings from 5pm – 8pm
Reduce food waste. Buy less perishable food, and get creative with leftovers. Stir fries, soups, quesadillas, burritos and bowls are all great ways to use up leftover meats and vegetables.
If you need to buy something, consider used, which is also environmentally friendly. Fall is a great time for garage sales, or shop on Facebook marketplace. Luckily vintage clothing shops have come back into fashion.
They say people resemble their dogs. This is definitely true for Bentley and me. During the summer months, we know it’s been a good day if we’re wet and bedraggled.
Bentley of course, wears the look much better than me. After a day of swimming at the lake, his gorgeous russet brown fur glistens in the sunshine, making swirly patterns on his back.
I’m more on the bedraggled side, but I come by this look naturally. I have fond memories of my Mom, wet and bedraggled after a day at the beach at Lake Simcoe.
She’s been gone almost 40 years now, but I can still picture her walking back from the beach, in beat up old running shoes filled with sand, her short brown hair tousled with a few strands falling across her face. She wore an old one-piece bathing suit with a towel draped around her neck with a big smile on her face. We were always happy up at that old beach cottage.
I think about my Mom as I trudge up our wooded path from the lake, my feet squishing in my crocs feeling clean and refreshed. I’m in my happy state, wet and bedraggled.
We’re very fortunate to have a true gem in Canada right here in our backyard: the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque.
I fell in love with the Thousand Islands Playhouse the first time I ever laid eyes on it. A former canoe club, it’s situated at water’s edge on the shores of the St. Lawrence River. CBC Radio once called Canada’s dockside theatre “the most charming theatre in Canada”.
Dave and I went last week to The Sound of Music at the playhouse. We arrived early to enjoy a glass of wine and a beer on the wooden benches overlooking the river and watch the sunset.
The building itself has a wonderful, relaxed vibe. The lobby has swinging screen doors and old wooden floors with boards that creak. As we sat watching the boats on the river, we chatted with people from Gananoque whose neighbours’ kids were some of the Von Trapp children in the play. It is one of the most idyllic venues in Canada.
I’ve seen many plays at the playhouse, but I was blown away by the quality of this particular production. I saw the Mirvish production of The Sound of Music in Toronto many years ago and enjoyed this one much more.
There is something about local regional theatre that is so intimate and engaging. You are up close and personal with the actors (there isn’t a bad seat in the house), and you become immersed in the performance.
It was an ambitious production with a cast of more than 40 actors and executed flawlessly. They even had two sets of children who must have alternated nights.
The leads were phenomenal with superb voices. I could have listened to the Mother Superior, Maria and Captain Von Trapp sing all night. The scenes with Maria and the children were simply enchanting. The costumes were impeccable and since you’re so up close, you can see every embroidered detail in the traditional Austrian dirndl and leather lederhosen.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it is one of the most well-known, beloved stories of all time. Audience members were smiling, swaying in their seats and singing to their favourite songs, entranced by the performances.
Often with local theatre, you need to suspend your imagination to make the set design work, but this production was brilliant in its design. It featured majestic mountains as a backdrop and floor-to-ceiling porticos that transported you through the various scenes, making you feel like you were in the abbey, dancing at the Von Trapp estate and attending the famous music festival where the family makes their escape at the end of the play.
The Sound of Music is now officially the most popular production in the Thousand Islands Playhouse’s 40-year history. They’ve extended the run for another three weeks, so if you want tickets, get them fast.
This week’s #HappyAct is to support local theatre and enjoy a local production in your area.
Last weekend, my friend Barbara and I went to the Clark’s Drag Show at the Thornbury Craft Company. It was part of Collingwood’s Pride celebrations which they hold in July instead of June presumably because that’s when the town is hopping with cottagers and summer visitors.
It had been more than 30 years since I had been to a drag show. The last time I had seen drag queens on stage was at a bar on the island of Mykonos in Greece when I was in my 20s.
It was such a fun afternoon! The three queens Katinka Kature, Heaven Lee Hytes, and Mira Fantasy strutted their stuff in their sequined outfits, leotards and stunning wigs, hamming it up for the crowd to their favourite pop tunes. There was a bachelorette party on the patio, and everyone was singing along, dancing in their seats as we sipped on our ciders and stuffed tips down their tops.
As I watched the queens perform, it struck me that to be able to assume an exciting, alter-ego would be so incredibly fun and liberating. It made me wish I was a man who could dress up as a woman. Since I can’t sing a note, this would be the perfect performing outlet for me!
It also made me wonder why we just can’t accept people for who they are and appreciate them. I must confess I don’t understand and am saddened by the latest wave of 2SLGBTQ+ violence happening in some communities. Humanity is not defined by what we wear, the colour of our skin or our sexual orientation. It is defined by how we act, kindness, acceptance, and love.
As the queens performed their big finale, we raised our glasses in cheers. Portions from each flight were donated to Collingwood Pride.
Here are some fun pictures of the afternoon. If you’re interested in catching a drag show, The Hayloft Dance Hall in Prince Edward County holds drag shows on Saturday nights during the summer months.
With groceries, hotel and restaurant prices through the roof these days, it can be a challenge to find things to do without spending an arm and a leg.
But as I recently discovered, there are still lots of things you can do for free and still have fun. Here are some fun events and things to do that don’t cost a dime coming up:
Fantasy in the Forest, July 15-16: if you’ve never been to Jamie Brick’s art show, you’re missing a real treat. Set on the shores of his beautiful property on Draper Lake, this unique local artist invites other fantasy artists to showcase their wares. One of the most interesting and unique shows you’ll ever attend in a drop-dead gorgeous setting.
Music in the Park: Thursday and Friday nights in Kingston. My favourite night is country music night on Thursdays when you can catch live music in the park, then head over for Movies in the Square. South Frontenac Township also hosts live music at a different beach each month in the summer. On July 29 it’s Dewy Roadkill at Gilmour Point Beach and on August 19 it’s Tyler Brett Forkes at The Point in Sydenham.
Brockville Railway Tunnel: Walk the 1km long old railway tunnel and marvel at the magical lights. Still one of the coolest, free tourist attractions in Eastern Ontario.
Princess Street Promenade in Kingston: it’s always a fun day when the main street in Kingston becomes a big pedestrian walkway. The next promenade is August 5, 2023.
Movies in the Square: grab a lawn chair, popcorn and beverage of choice and watch a favourite flick under the stars in Kingston’s beautiful market square. Every Thursday night throughout the summer. Read my post “Watch a movie under a starry sky”.
Jones Falls Stone Arch Dam: Park the car at the top parking lot and hike the trail, from the magnificent stone dam, down along the locks of the Rideau Canal. Bring your bathing suit and a picnic and make a day of it.
Elbow Lake Environment Educational Centre offers free presentations on Thursday nights throughout the summer. Upcoming talks include Nocturnal Animals on July 27, What Lurks Beneath: Aquatic Species Study on July 3 and a viewing of the Perseid meteor shower on August 10. You can even stay overnight (for a fee) in one of their cabins. Clare and I did this one summer.
For more ideas on fun, inexpensive things to do in this region, see 25 Things to Do in South Frontenac. Everything with an asterisk is free.
Kingston is a great place to catch music in the park followed by movies in the square on Thursday nights
A few weeks ago, I was rummaging through some of Clare’s castoffs and found an unopened 2023 Dog Trivia Daily Desk Calendar.
I took it to work and have been catching up on my dog trivia ever since. Here are some fun facts to make you smile during the Dog Days of Summer:
Dogs sleep between 12-14 hours a day
Elvis Presley sang his song “Hound Dog” to a top-hat wearing basset hound on a July 1956 episode of The Steve Allen Show
According to a 2017 study from the Journal of Nature, dogs make dramatic facial expressions and “puppy eyes” when they know humans are watching them
Hamilton composer Lin Manuel Miranda was inspired to write the ballad “Dear Theodosia” after adopting Tobilio, a stray puppy in 2011 (note you can catch the Toronto production of Hamilton on stage now)
Julius Caeser described mastiffs in his account of the Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC
The Scottish terrier has been one of the Monopoly tokens since 1942
A golden retriever, Mayor Max II, was Mayor of Idyllwild California for eight years until 2022
Afghans have dolichocephalic (long) heads giving them a field of vision of 270 degrees
Weimaraner puppies are born with striped fur. Within days, the stripes fade
And for all you fellow dog lovers in South Frontenac, don’t miss the Dog Days of Summer event at the Frontenac Farmers Market this Friday, July 14 from 3-7 pm in Centennial Park.
Bring your pooch for a dog-themed outing. Get their photos taken, nails trimmed, enter to win a “ruff”-le basket and let your four-legged friend have some fun at the off-leash dog park. All proceeds go to Happy Tail Animal Sanctuary and Kingston Humane Society. I also read that the Kingston Humane Society has been at capacity recently. Summer is a great time to adopt a pet.
Did you know the dogs of the Frontenac Farmers Market have their own Instagram account? Follow them at frontenacfarmersmarketdogs.
Happy Act 