Merry Christmas!

A little variety....

....to my fibre addiction this weekend. It was the twice-a-year quilting retreat organized by Muskoka Quilting and owner Debbie Suffern. What a wonderfully inspirational group of ladies!

Each session (April and November) I have the privilege of usuallly sitting near my dear quilting and knitting friend Linda, and at the same table as fellow knitters/quilters Gail and Connie. Sherry joined us this time too, and while she's not a knitter (that I know of), she certainly is a prolific quilter! We all share the same sense of humour (warped!), and laugh as much as we sew.

It's a wonderful three days where we can sew as much or as little as we wish, have our meals (and they're awesome!) provided, and can wander upstairs to our spacious rooms to nap when we want. We can sew on whatever projects strike our fancy and rely on motivation and/or assistance from our colleagues. This year I took several projects, but tackled much less than I usually do at these retreats -- much to the ridicule of my tablemates. For some reason, they think I can churn out inspired projects at the drop of a hat... and knit those too! That's a tall order to live up to, let me tell you!!

So for years, I've had this snowman wall hanging on my office door. This year I discovered a penguin pattern in my stash and thought it would be a nice change. It was fiddly to say the least, and my
patience was getting thin by noon on Saturday. Those who know me well were amazed I had lasted that long. So I putzed a bit more on it Saturday afternoon, knit a bit, participated in the after-dinner show'n tell, and then at 9:53 p.m. decided to start another quilting project.

By midnight, I had the makings of the blocks and it was just a matter of putting them together Sunday morning. We usually pack up by Sunday noon, and unfortunately I tarnished my image by not finishing the quilt Sunday morning. I chalk it up to my distracted brain this weekend....and I think that's due to the snow. It has that effect, you know -- especially when it arrives mid-November!

Now keep in mind, I'm not complaining when I see what Buffalo received, but I've always been a fan of snow a few days before Christmas, and then warmer weather taking it away early March. Apparently that's not the case this year, and the first "dump" arrived in conjunction with the quilting weekend.

I was going to drive up Thursday night, but that was when Huntsville received the culminating dump to the ton of snow already received. I wasn't about to tackle that drive after an already long day, and longer week! Friday morning was forecast as no precip and moderate sunshine, so I headed out. After a brief chat with Mom to determine the state of our driveway (had to pick up some quilting supplies), and picking up my friend in Orillia to drive her home to Huntsville, I headed to Mom's to find it impossible to get in the driveway (as predicted).

Thankfully my friend's hubby agreed to meet us there, and with the snowplow on his truck, took a few swipes at the drive making it passable. That left shovelling the walk, and leaving the remaining clean up to my brother and his snowblower, and I was away... or so I thought.  Totally forgot my pillow and sleeping bag.... then forgot the cream/milk for coffee.... geeeesh!

Not sure why I was so scattered, but I managed to correct those and get there in time for late afternoon Friday. At least the weekend went better after that! And just for the record, the snow that is up to the patio table (as well as on the table -- and hiding a gigantic pot of mums to the right!) all fell in four days!

So I hope to find time tonight to lay out the quilt blocks and finish the sashing and the quilt top... just to keep my image intact! Pictures to follow....

Keeping the Balance

It's not an official scale, but at the top of my Ravelry stash page and project page are numbers. Those numbers keep track of the projects I have finished, and the numbers of skeins (with multiple skeins grouped together as one) of yarn I have yet to knit. My goal is to keep these relatively balanced for now, to avoid adding to the yarn stash so it exceeds my time and ability to knit, and ultimately to increase the number of finished projects so it skews the balance in that favour.

I made a step in that direction this weekend -- actually one step was intentional, and the other by accident or oversight. Apparently I had forgotten to note one skein as used in a pair of socks, so that brought down my stash total by one. Another two skeins were added to the donation pile (for a friend whose wife works with newcomers to Canada, teaching them how to knit). While this doesn't officially count as knocking down the stash (mainly because these two skeins were never entered), it does make me feel somewhat virtuous!

As for the intentional step in maintaining balance, my attempt to knit a pair of socks was foiled by the cables in the design. The cables ended up drawing in the sock so it was no longer easy to pull over my heels. These were NOT thrown back in the project bag with an overwhelming sigh, but instead became a pair of fingerless gloves. Modiifcations to ensure the cabling pattern was showcased on the back of the glove as well as the palm, and the thumb gusset appeared as naturally as possible were successful.

Next on the list (so I can guiltlessly cross these off the stash page) are finishing two sweaters. One has to be sewn together and the neck band added -- you wouldn't think that is a big deal, but it's just getting to it that has posed the challenge! And the second sweater has the sleeves almost done, then it's on to the body (knit top down). It's been languishing since summer, so needs to be done so I can wear it in a few month's time when I need to balance the blah greys of winter with  perky pick-me-up of warm spring yellow!

After all, it is all about the balance!

The New Season...

Some might say Fall is upon us, the start of a new season, heralding the arrival of the haunting October winds and the grey days of November. That may be true, but for those of us who enjoy the fine art of fibre, it is the advent of Knitting Season!

The needles come out, the yarn carefully caressed, and the pattern selected. Cowls, socks, mitts, sweaters... nothing escapes our review as we make careful choices about what goes on the needles and what is to remain in the queue. It is the ideal weather for knitting.... albeit this past weekend may not have inspired many with thoughts of wool!

I have cleared my WIP list of a few items -- three shawl/scarves were blocked this weekend, excess sweater yarn returned within the 30-day time limit (that was a first!), and a few balls of yarn wound into cakes. The weather was ideal for blocking on the patio table; the deck awash in the warm sun and leftover summer breezes. And the view you see above (in the header), and these few snapshots, provided the backdrop for finishing these three projects.

Progress pictures, you ask? You bet!

The first is the long-finished "Sparkling Waves" shawl -- about three gradient skeins (teal) of Grant Creek Yarn called "Glimmer".

I modified the pattern to make it larger, utilizing all but half of a skein. The original pattern had about 1/4-1/3 of each skein left over. By adding more "waves", "froth" and "seafoam", the shawl ended up being much larger, but the yarn is still deliciously drapey so will wrap around to fill in the neck of a jacket when headed outdoors, or cover cold shoulders while watching television!

Next was a "purple" project for the current knit-along with the Hazel Knits crowd. This colour ("Primrose") was a club colourway -- which means it's a membership-only thing -- and has such a depth of purples and blues in the yarn! A knitworthy friend of mine wears this colour really well, and therefore this is going in the gift pile.

The pattern is called "Estuary", and the waves and lace lines really do look like rivulets in the sand. It wasn't a difficult knit, but it did require some attention. I think I modified one end of it due to not repeating the entire chart (rows 1-40), opting to continue repeating rows 21-40. It looks fine, and gives it a unique look!

Third to the blocking mats this weekend was a recent finish. In fact, the yarn was a recent addition -- from the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitter's Frolic in early September..... three skeins of it followed me home!

This was my first experience with "Mrs. Crosby Loves to Play" (yes, that's the brand name of the yarn!), and the worsted variety was called "Steamer Trunk". The colourway is "Peacock". It was a lovely knit in the pattern "Brickless"....and I know this sounds funny, but the yarn smelled lovely -- fresh and inviting -- as I knit!

So now on to new projects.... (okay, I do have one summer sweater yet to finish, but in all fairness, I only started it at the end of August!). On the needles now, I have another sweater to work on for spring (a sunny Hazel Knits yarn!), a mitt without a mate, and a pair of socks that have taken a back seat. I'm attemping a beaded shawl, and have another gift underway in a String Theory Caper Sock awesome cashmere blend.

My goal for the "new year" (yes, September is the start of the "new knitting year"!) is to complete one project before starting an entirely new one. The only exception to that "rule" is my beaded shawl.... aptly named A Thousand and One Nights! Given it's two skeins of yarn and 300+ beads, well..!! (And trust me when I say putting those on the required stitches is not done at the speed I'm used to when knitting!)

Happy Knitting New Year everyone!

Oma would be proud...

My knitting skills are largely attributable to my Oma -- my Dad's Mom. I can't remember a time when she didn't have a knitting project on the go, either in her hands or on the sofa-seat beside her. And boy, could she knit fast! She was the one who taught me the long-tail cast on long before I realized it was the "cool" thing to do, and I thought she created the three-needle bind-off! She would count the stitches in Dutch (I can still catch myself counting to ten in Dutch as I cast on), and distinctly remember her showing me this picture of a knit dress (yellow) that she wanted to knit for me -- I gracefully declined in favour of sweaters, which she knew would get more love/use.

One of my fondest memories of Oma's knitting was her entries in the fall fair each year. She would select her prized items, and Dad would drive them down to the fairgrounds for her in time for display and judging. It was an adventure to go and see what ribbons she had won after the judging had occurred, and there were always ribbons. I think I still have the red first-place ribbon she won for an intricate poncho she knit for me in public school.... and I know I still have the poncho!

Those memories were forefront in my mind this weekend as I took advantage of the encouragement from a work colleage and entered some of my handknit items in one of Ontario's oldest fall fairs. I had done this last year -- more of a lark -- when she suggested I enter some of my things. At that time, my three entries all garnered first-place finishes and I have tucked away the ribbons that accompanied those "wins".

This year I did it as much for me as for Oma, knowing she would have appreciated the sense of tradition, even though she's no longer with us.

Out of six entries, I'm proud to say five items were worthy of ribbons -- four of them first-place ribbons and one second place finish. Thanks Oma!

Down time

It's amazing how downtime (vacation) can give you a different perspective. I had a glorious four weeks away from my regular routine, and I chose to spend a good deal of it knitting, spending time with friends and family, and catching up on stuff I wanted to do (vs. needed to do).

There were some particularly oustanding moments in that time, including a wonderful "reconnect" with a very special lady and two awesome youngsters who are dealing with some turmultous issues right now (and without much deserved support within their home); relaxation time witih a great group of women where there are no boundaries or judgments when it comes to expressing your thoughts; family comfort in "bonding" moments with my siblings, and some insightful moments with my Mom.


All in all, it was a great holiday.... and I did get some knitting done too. A scarf/shawl I had been working on finally came to a conclusion after my attempts to slightly enlarge it were less subtle vs. exponentially HUGE! A gorgeous orange silk/merino yarn that had been languishing in my fibre stash for years finally saw the light of day -- and the third attempt at trying to match gauge, pattern and yarn was successful. I'm a buttonband away from a great sweater to wear this fall.

A brochure picture did tempt me (resistance was futile!) to order a wonderful cotton/modal blend to do a short-sleeved summer sweater. It's a quick knit (or at least so far it is!), and with the sleeves done, I'm working my way up the body of that sweater. Again, monogamy fails me when it comes to knitting as I should be finishing that lovely orange sweater first.

Oh, and of course, there's my yellow sweater and the beaded shawl that await my attention.The yellow sweater will come back to life as I start into the routine of meetings this fall. Even during vacation, I was unable to sit and watch a movie without knitting in hand.

The beaded shawl has aptly been named "One Thousand and One Nights" (modified from the original pattern name), but likely it'll be that long 'til it comes off the needles!

So, there you have it......what I did on my summer vacation. Technically it's not over yet... I'm looking forward to spending some time with family doing some touristy things this weekend. Knitting will have to wait.... again!

It's been a while....

....since I've posted anything on my blog.

Time does have a way of getting away from me each spring. My "to do" list (not just fibre-related projects) seems to grow exponentially with the increase in warmer temperatures!  This spring saw some big changes in my residential space -- new paint, new hardwood floors, and a huge reorganization/culll of stuff I had been collecting for more than 15 years.

Perhaps I could call it spring cleaning, because I certainly did provide a number of bags of clothing to charity, and household items too. There's still lots to do -- it's amusing to note how quickly things went into boxes, and comparatively how slow I am in unpacking! I really want to sort through the items that I return to shelves and drawers... if I'm going to do it, I want to do it thoroughly! But it takes time.

Time is at the crux of anything done well.  My knitting projects really are no different than the hardwood floor now in . If I'm spending the amount of time on a project with intricate design details or stitches, then I want to do it well. When it's done, it should be an item I'm proud to share. I'm definitely proud of my hardwood floors....and genuinely thankful to my dear friends and their incredibly generous offer to complete the installation.

Along with these domestic disruptions, it's a crazy time at work as well. In my role, things have a tendency to escalate toward the end of the school year.  Coinciding this year is the upcoming (Fall) municipal election which signals the potential change in elected officials. That makes the realization of "time running out" a stark reality for some, necessitating drastic and spontaneous activity to accomplish what goals they had set out at the beginning of the year/term.

In all of this chaotic activity, there are two messages I believe are critical.  And I will end this post with these words of wisdom...

Monogamy

When it comes to knitting, I completely fail at this!

Right now I have seven projects on the go...(okay, there may be more, but those are the ones I'm admitting to!) There comes a point where that number will push me close to the edge. I'll think I'm overwhelmed and finally finish one or two to make it "manageable",  but I'm not there yet. I don't even see the edge. In fact, I'm wondering what else I can knit on -- and that may be avoidance.

Last night, after knit night (where I was working on two projects -- a sleeve and a pair of fingerless mitts), I went home and sorted out the sleeve. Toward the end of knit night, I seemed to have dropped a stitch, or miscounted, or threw something out of whack. A bit of TLC and all seemed to be fine -- until I looked at it this morning, and there happens to be a "wonky why-won'tcha" (that's a knitting technical term, by the way), mid-way up the sleeve where two sets of yarn overs aren't offset in the way they're supposed to be. Instead, they're neatly lined up like a marching band, oblivious to the fact that they're supposed to be one step over to the left -- in the next line, if you will, playing with the trombones instead of the flutes!! Sigh!

So using my well-practiced avoidance techniques, I set down the sleeve (until I decide whether to tink it back and fix it, or live with it and move on), and picked up the fingerless mitts and knit on those. There is this band of lace just up from the cuff, that according to the directions, should be mirrored (twisting in opposite directions) on the opposing cuffs.  Did I read these directions? Sure... but 16 rows after I had knit both cuffs the same. So, I'm knitting along, ignoring the fact that the lacey section at the cuff is not mirrored. It's still taunting me, but that tiny nagging voice is still audible. I've admitted my error to my fellow knitters on Ravelry (my cast-on post for a kint-along), so hopefully that should silence the voice..

For those who know me, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm still hearing knitting voices! Now the voice I hear is my Wheelwright shawl calling me... feeling incredibly neglected. This is a laceweight endeavour that will be absolutely stunning when done -- a rich blue with lots of lace, and I'm about two-thirds of the way through. It has travelled with me through two previous knit-alongs (2 month duration for both), and is now appearing in its third encore. With about 20 or so rows of lace to do (yes, there are 300+ stitches per row), it's not unreasonable to think this should be finished in the near future. But as with my other projects, there's competition!

There's another sound in the background... the "Baaaaa-ing" of sheep. Remember those two Welcome to the Flock sweaters I had on my knitting agenda? With the exception of those awesome sheep buttons, the green one is done (unless I choose to redo the front band... that's a nagging issue constantly brought up by my conscience), but the turquoise-blue one still has the sheep to finish, and the bands. I really need this for a baby shower on the 29th... Maybe the bleating of the sheep should win out...

So maybe it isn't monogamy that's the issue... maybe it's KADD.... Knitting Attention Deficit Disorder. 

Whatever the name, I think I'm in trouble.....

Timing...

...is everything. It's the "location, location, location" of real estate, but in real life!

And for me, it's been good timing lately. Case in point...

Last week, a dear friend texted me after midnight knowing I'd be awake. She'd been notified of tickets to a tv show taping -- Rick Mercer Report. Anyone who likes satirical comedy and quick wit can appreciate Rick Mercer's approach to Canadian politics, social trends and life in general -- often the subject of his
famous "rants". I'm one of those people who appreciates his comedic style, as does my friend. So, when she asked me to accompany her to the taping, she was thankful I was awake (as predicted) at that hour..... and so was I!

But my timing may not be so great when it comes to my knitting plans.  I have a few projects on the needles now, and am (in some cases) a few inches away from finishing. In the midst of these, I chose to have my condo painted. This means a lot of stuff was moved so walls could be accessed. Sorting through that "stuff" is imperative, because I'm not moving anything twice that doesn't need to be moved twice! Part of the disruption is the lack of a quiet knitting space. I relished the time I had up north during the "March Break" to do some long overdue knitting, and that has motivated me to review projects in my queue. Startitis might be setting in! It's hard to keep it at bay when the winter weather refuses to leave, and handknit scarves are still wrapped around my neck.

Timing was also an issue in a course I was keenly anticipating. Last December, I enrolled (for my own personal learning) in a fiction screenwriting course. As an afterthought -- and because the course outlilnes were very similar -- I also added documentary screenwriting to my schedule. Surprisingly, I have thoroughly enjoyed all elements of the documentary class -- from in-class screenings and discussions about synopses, outlines, treatments, budgets and interviews as well as writing techniques. These were the items listed in the course outline as being topics to be covered in the classes.

That leads me to my soapbox for this post.....

The course outline was very similar -- almost identical -- in the fiction screenwriting course, but apparently that wasn't to be. Eternally optimistic, I hung in there -- through the class read-aloud sessions I hadn't done since Grade 6, to the screenings of "classic" dialogue (Rocky III -- seriously??!?), and through the "iconic" comedy of "Baseketball" (who actually has heard of this sophmoric stupid slapstick, let alone found it funny?!) -- thinking we'd get to that "indepth" discussion about writing. That was not the case. There was not much within the in-class offerings that matched the course description. I'm pursuing that now -- but according to the refund timelines identified in the university's policy, my optimism may have scuttled by timing. We'll see... I'm still optimistic (and that's based on the belief that what is advertised should be offered).

So now I'm hoping timing will work in my favour.... While things are in an upheaval at home, I'm hoping to have hardwood installed. The application (because of the condo requirements) is before the board, and I'm awaiting a response. Hopefully the stars will align and everything will be in place to have it all completed by mid-April. That's when my friend (remember the Rick Mercer tickets) is coming for a visit, and I'd like to have my Mom come for a few days....

At the least, maybe I'll have a quiet knitting space set up by then...

15 years...

That's the amount of time it's taken me to amass more crap than I'll ever need. This comes in the form of fabric, books, magazines, kitchen utensils, glassware, decor items, and penguins.....more penguins than I can count.

Years ago I started collecting these little tuxedo-wearing cuties, and people became aware of my interest. They added, with good intentions, various versions of the feathered friends and my collection grew..... exponentially! Add to that my interest in new and fun kitchen things, books including those related to sewing, knitting and quilting patterns and techniques -- and for good measure, toss in a few antique sewing machines -- and this is what it looks like....

I'm having my condo repainted, and within the next month, a new hardwood floor will replace the carpet. I'll be living in chaos for a bit, but I'm using that as motivation to sort and purge. It's time to go through those magazines, books and other accummulated items to sift it down to something a lot more manageable! I totally understand why people comment on the benefits of moving at regular intervals. Moving helps sort what's valuable -- and worth moving -- versus the stuff you collect because "it may come in handy someday", or even something more basic like "that's nice!" Trust me when I tell you I don't want to move anything more than I absolutely have to!

I've already made critical decisions about greeting cards I've kept during the past number of years, glassware I'll never use, magazines that will be appreciated by others, and items that will be valued by charity outlets. That doesn't mean there isn't lots left to do..... 

Wish me luck!

How I want to be remembered.....

This week, I have lost a dear friend.

Camille was not only a work colleague, but someone who had a ready ear, a welcome grounding perspective, a quick wit and a willing attitude to do almost anything.  From lunch on a workday to shopping on a Saturday, or theatre when the tickets were too good to pass up, I was very fortunate to be able to call on Camille, and away we'd go.  I will miss that. I will miss that a lot. I will miss Camille. A lot.

When a dear friend suddenly passes away, it's not uncommon to reflect on the many shared moments, and what made them special. Often it's the person, moreso than the act itself, that makes them memorable. And as I find myself writing a tribute or card, I tend to reflect on these moments and characteristics of my friend that made them such outstanding representatives of human character.

Camille was one of those friends -- an outstanding human being. Compassionate beyond words. Steadfast. Loyal. True and without pretense. When she'd ask how your day was going, she meant it -- good and bad. She'd listen, and keep you grounded -- and she'd make you laugh. She had lots of life experience, yet tried new things without hesitation. She'd have a hot cup of water on her desk in the morning, but she'd go for a vanilla shake at lunch. She was elegant, sophisticated, and enjoyed every weekend she could muster at her daughter's cottage, kicking back with the kids. She was a kid at heart!

One of the most memorable moments for me, that defined Camille as an incredible friend, was a Sunday morning as I walked into my husband's room at Princess Margaret Hospital (Toronto). This was about 5 years ago when he was unable to walk due to a metastisized cancer near his spine. Since Ken was not from the city, it was rare we had visitors until late in the day. There was Camille, sitting quietly chatting with Ken, both of them drinking something from Tim Horton's.... Camille had been to visit a family member, and dropped in. She knew she was family to us too.

That's how I want to be remembered by friends.... the same way I'm remembering Camille. If I can do as she did -- to be there for those who need me, to offer a compassionate ear and a hug when required, to be rich in life experiences and wise in knowing when to share that knowledge, and being genuine, caring and maintaining my integrity in all situations, then I will have done what Camille has done -- left this world a better place.

Rest peacefully, my dear friend.

Random Rants....

In the category "Think! It's not illegal yet", I offer this gem. I'm early for my haircut appointment and the waiting area is part of the main traffic area between two areas in the shop. A young man (late teens) is there with his mom, and is purchasing a coffee and donut for her, at her request. This necessitates the young fellow to traipse through the waiting area on his way to the coffee shop, stepping over my feet on his way. Seconds later, he's back to inform his mother what types of donuts are available. She makes a suggestion. He makes a third trek through the waiting area and navigates around where I'm sitting, in a quest to purchase the required donut. Apparently the preferred flavour was not one of the available options, and this necessitates another trip back to mom to inform her. On his fifth trip through the waiting area, I'm seriously wondering what independent decision-making skills this person will have when he branches out on his own at post-secondary or the workplace?

In the category of "open-minded creativity", I present this nominee. At a screenwriting session, a group of a dozen people are participating in an instructor-led session on idea generation. Responses to the question "Where do ideas come from?" generated a number of expected responses -- history, travel, life experiences -- the usual tangible regurgetation of plotlines. Recognizing my brain may not necessarily operate in a similar fastion to others, I offer "imagination" as a source -- recognizing the creative newness of ideas that may pop into one's mind at random intervals. Nope. Apparently not. According to this group, and supported by a smaller sub-group of 20-somethings who think a 4-year-old's story about Barbie using lipstick is creative genius, there is only a role for imagination when used as a tool to recreate a tangible storyline generated from external stimuli. Wow. I wonder what external stimuli created that blue dude in Avatar.

And finally, this has the potential to be a winner in multiple categories including "Technology Sucks", or "Crap that You'd Expect to be Reliable", or "How Many Laptops can I Crash".  After years of a mututally beneficial relationship with my HP laptop, it finally surrendered to age and flashed the blue screen of death before gasping its last breath. The series of subsequent technological failures in recent months have made me mourn the loss of that workhorse. The succession workplan had a Lenovo ThinkPad step up to take over. That lasted six months before it became incapable of switching between applications and opted to freeze as a way of dealing with its overload issues.  After our IT staff provide CPR, and promise a less stressful environment, it becomes a backup laptop with a guaranteed schedule of morning sleep-ins and afternoon naps.

Taking its place on the main stage is Lenovo ThinkPad the Sequel. Six weeks later, it decides it can't handle the pace, and mounts a slower reaction time to every user request in hopes of being assigned the same fate as its predecessor. After frustration with regular eight-minute start-ups, and consistent "not responding"' messages, The Sequel is relegated to a corner of my desk where it awaits an understudy role if required.

Enter Dell, the new upstart that promises to outshine all others before it. It's not without its quirks -- an offset keyboard with about 20% of wasted real estate that generates a sentence of gobbledygook every time you line up your hands directly in front of the monitor, and skewed key placement that results in launching the calculator on the excessively large number pad vs. hitting the delete key. But once we'd come to an understanding, most things seemed to be going well.... that is, until it started randomly moving the cursor to different locations in the application I was running. Before you suggest it might have been an unwanted grazing of the trackpad, let me assure you it wasn't. Not only have I been successfully using a trackpad for more than 15 years, after my first experience with this Dell, I set the sensitivity of the trackpad to "pound for action" mode. Besides, even grazing the trackpad in error could not result in Dell randomly choosing entire paragraphs to delete, or launching other applications when fingers were no where near the keyboard!

So, after Dell's possessed actions this morning, I rebooted it (does anyone else really think there should be a different definition for reBOOT?!), only to end up with a computer with skewed icons (some I have no idea where they've come from), and no mouse function. Back to the Lenovo understudy.

Things were going well with Lenovo -- I figuure the holiday had left it well-rested. That was until 20 minutes later when the blue screen of death appeared -- and with its gasping breath, was heard to exclaim something about a crash dump.

I'm reluctant to grab the back-up to the back-up in case things happen in threes! Of course, I was very reticent to use my iPad too, for those very reasons. I'm going to save this now and post.... I hope!

There's a difference between a "groupie" and appreciation!

Today I had the distinct pleasure of meeting three Canadian actors who are starring in one of Canada's hottest comedic crime dramas -- Republic of Doyle. Set in St. John's, Newfoundland, the private investigator Jake Doyle (Allan Hawco) assists the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, particularly Sargeant Leslie Bennett (Krystin Pellerin), to solve cases -- with some assistance from colleague Des Courtney (Mark O'Brien) ...among others.

It was "Jake", "Leslie" and "Des" who were in attendance at the CBC Connects event today in Toronto, talking about past and future episodes, the creative process and how they all ended up in The Republic of Doyle. And I was impressed. What impressed me was the candid nature of the comments made by the actors, the level of comfort and appreciation for each others' talents, and the comraderie between them as they responded to questions and built on each other's comments.

Granted much of that comes with having built five seasons of a successful television show, but what I saw was a Canadian flavour to it all. There was the stereotypical Canadian politeness, the laughter and the easy feeling about it all... a genuine comfort of inclusion. There was no "stardom", no pretense; there were quick laughs and lots of smiles; there was a comfort and ease when the conversation jumped from one to another. I'd suggest if you had just dropped in to the CBC and had not seen the lights and microphones, you may not have known from the way the team spoke, or their easy-going manner, that these are busy Canadians who are also actors with a commitment and depth of character belied by this meet and greet appearance. In addition to "Doyle", Krystin is involved in SoulPepper (Toronto theatre) and is an accomplished singer; Allan is co-creator, writer, show-runner for the "Republic" as well as a founder/director of the Company Theatre (Toronto), and Mark has made a name for himself as a film producer...this in addition to their "normal" lives!

And after the "formalities" of the interview, the three ambassadors of Canada's most eastern province made things as comfortable as if one was sharing a pint at the Duke of Duckworth.  In one-on-one conversations, there was no hesitation in having Allan respond about how tight-knit his writing team is; having Krystin comment on the unusual spelling of names; and having Mark easily laugh off "solving the case of who has whose Sharpie" when Krystin used mine, and I had Allan's.... (ooops!)

I hope that doesn't sound too "groupie"... I think I made that transition more than a decade ago!! At this stage of my life, my appreciation is for the people who work to create this entertainment for our enjoyment -- the writing, concept and character development, and the camera work advancing the storyline. In fact, I would suggest that "Doyle" was a motivating factor in furthering my interest in screenwriting after years of news and publicity writing. Now before you think that's entirely altruistic, to be honest, it doesn't diminish my appreciation of the "eye candy" at all! And for the record, yes... Allan's eyes are THAT blue, Krystin is gorgeous, and Mark's quick, quirky and ready sense of humour is as evident out of character as in the role!

Today I was again really proud to be Canadian.... to appreciate that sense of humour and politeness, and to share the interest and congeniality with three people who are part of the Republic of Doyle. It reminded me of the "proud to be Canadian" moment when, after waiting for an hour at a recent event in order to have Commander Chris Hadfield sign a copy of his book, he said "I'm sorry you had to wait so long." And by the way, those folks in the back row of this photo are the CBC's broadcast team for hockey at the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics.... some more Canadian talent indeed!

True Canadianism is much deeper than a polite "sorry" or "thank you"..... these folks demonstrate that. It's genuine, and right to the heart!