Obituary for Herbert Ralph Schultz - my beloved father-in-law

Herb died peacefully on December 26, 2011, after a short but intense encounter with non-smoker’s lung cancer. Herb was predeceased by both his sister Lorna and his first wife Anne. He is survived and will be eternally missed by his loving wife Jan, adoring sons Jeffrey (fiancée Amanda) and Dalton, siblings Alma, Eileen, Linda, August and Doris and their families, as well as countless relatives and friends.

Herb was raised on a farm in Niverville, Manitoba. After graduating from high school, he moved to Winnipeg where he studied geography at both the undergraduate and master’s levels. Upon graduation from the University of Winnipeg, Herb began a series of career positions with the Government of Canada, including the Department of Regional Industrial Expansion. He then joined the civilian end of the Canadian Military as Deputy Chief of Staff of Civilian Personnel. His work with the Government of Canada frequently took him throughout Canada’s north and to Ottawa, where he maintained many friendships.

After retiring, Herb continued to remain busy, and became a consultant and administrator for the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada. He volunteered with Epiphany Lutheran Church, as well as shared church maintenance duties with Jeffrey. Herb was the team leader of a group of sandbaggers who worked tirelessly to save a home during the flood of 1997. One of his more explosive retirement pastimes was his position as a pyro-technician, where Herb and his cohorts would put together elaborate and colourful fireworks displays for various celebrations.

Herb deep in conversation with our friend Ty at my book launch - March 2011.

Herb met and married Jan in 1979. Throughout their life together, Herb and Jan shared many hobbies, including cross country skiing, gardening, ballroom dancing and relaxing at their trailer at Spruce Sands, Gimli. They belonged for years to a dinner club, which taught them the art of cooking gourmet meals. Herb was also a devoted father, and spent as much time as possible with both of his sons.

Throughout his life, Herb was both an avid builder and outdoorsman. Some of his more notable projects included a five-level tree house in the backyard for the boys, a walnut china cabinet, and a huge storage house and large woodbox that completed the setting for the nightly backyard fires he would share year-round with family and friends.

A large part of Herb’s life was his farm, located near Rossburn, Manitoba. Throughout the years, Herb, Jan and the boys often escaped to the farm to garden, swim, canoe, golf, bike, hike, sit around campfires, shoot targets with shotguns, watch “Lonesome Dove” on VHS and build additions to the house. They would also spend time with their wonderful neighbours and life-long friends Orest and Zelma Salyn, their son Tom (Jeffrey’s godfather), daughters Suzanne and Wanda and their families, as well as all the Maryniuk’s.

A memorial service to honour Herb’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 10 at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 200 Dalhousie Drive, Winnipeg, with Pastor Stacy Moroz officiating. Herb’s ashes were previously interred at a private family service on January 14. Donations, should you wish, can be sent to the Manitoba Forestry Association.

Below is the book launch video for my debut novel, Pieces. Herb is it it - just scan for the good-looking man in the leather jacket (same outfit as above).

‘Gone with the Wind’ by Margaret Mitchell

Spoiler alert: Some plot points are given away in this blog post.

For Christmas, I asked for a few novels that I have always wanted to read, yet have never gotten around to for one reason or another. One of the gifts I received was a copy of Gone with the Wind. As an avid writer and reader, it almost seemed like I was doing the literary community a disservice by not reading this incredibly popular novel, so I picked it up for the first time a few weeks ago.

Gone with the Wind is long. My copy was more than 1400 pages, and that doesn’t take into account the small, small print that fills each page in tiny, tiny lines. If you’re looking for an easy, weekend afternoon read, do NOT pick up this novel. It will take you a few weeks to get through – if not longer.

I managed to finish Gone with the Wind in under a week. I became engrossed with both the plot line and the characters. The “heroine” of the novel – Scarlett O’Hara – is the most evil, manipulative and unsympathetic character I think I’ve ever come into contact with in a novel. Everything she does is to advance her own self, and she marries three times for either money, or revenge.

Even though Scarlett does do a number of heroic things throughout the novel – such as delivering her sister-in-law’s baby while the city of Atlanta is being ravaged by war, or continue working her late parents plantation despite the fact that enemy soldiers keep tearing it down – there is always an ulterior motive for every action.

The original cover of the novel. It was published in 1936 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937 - not bad for her first full-length book...

Rhett Butler – the man who infamously “chased Scarlett for twelve years” – is one of her love interests throughout the novel. The two do eventually marry, even though Scarlett made it quite clear that she didn’t love him when she said yes. Their relationships is tumultuous at best, and one can’t help but feel sorry for Butler. Scarlett plays him just like she plays everyone else, and by the end of the novel he finally had enough.

If I were Rhett, I would have left Scarlett to her own devices early in the novel and tried instead to find myself a nice girl who actually appreciated me. But, it wouldn’t be much of a love story then, would it?

I did some research about Gone with the Wind before I started reading it. In America, the novel is the second most-read book after the bible. Margaret Mitchell became instantly famous when it was published, and her popularity increased even further a few years later when a feature film of the same name came out in 1939.

If you are one of the people who have avoided Gone with the Wind in the past due to its size, I urge you to give it a try. The novel isn’t for everyone, but if you like reading about war, love, turbulent times and broken hearts it is definitely a novel for you.

Hello KOBO

When the eReader first came out, I was completely opposed to even looking at one. How dare companies try to create an electronic device that people will choose over a traditional, print book? There was NO WAY I would ever consider an eReader, and I quickly put the whole concept of them out of my mind.

Then, I landed a job as the publicist for the Winnipeg International Writers Festival last summer. I was going on a trip to Toronto, so my boss handed me the festival eReader that everyone uses when they travel. It was already loaded with copies of at least ten novels, which meant that I didn’t have to lug around a pile of books in my luggage.

I grudgingly accepted the device, and went merrily on my way.

While I hate to admit it, the eReader made my trip so much easier. I was still able to read at my own rate – which is very quickly, if you’re curious – but I didn’t have to deal with the hassle of carrying around multiple books. Slowly, I was beginning to see why so many people were falling in love with the eReader.

When I returned to Winnipeg, I decided to do more research about eReader’s. I discovered that books are cheap if you buy them for your device, and you can sync all of your electronics. This means that I can read a book across my eReader, smart phone AND iPod. It will remember the spot I left off on, and will update automatically when I log into my account.

It is an intuitive system that is both easy to use and addictive. No wonder so many people love eReaders.

Then, I discovered the touch screen KOBO eReader with wifi – and I was hooked. I had finally given in, and for Christmas my fiancé bought me exactly the eReader I wanted. Within an hour of opening it, I had already downloaded as many public domain classics as I could find. Then, I moved onto the new releases.

I’ve had my eReader for a few months now, and I absolutely love it. I still read traditional print books, and buy them just as often as I used to. Even though I have a new, electronic device, I won’t give up on print entirely.

Say love with a song

For the last few months, Jeff and I had been trying to decide on the first dance song for our wedding.

Initially, we thought it made sense to go with Do You Remember by Jack Johnson:

Then, we started thinking about This Year's Love by David Gray (I can play it on the piano really well, but it's a bit too low for me to sing...):

And then, finally, we heard Crazy Love by Harry Manx performed live at the Centennial Concert Hall yesterday. And we were sold:

I can't wait to dance to it with Jeff! Seven months, and I'll be married...

A note on grief...

Grief is a funny thing.

It affects everyone so completely yet so differently.

Some people respond by closing off the emotion, trying to think of something else, and plowing forward like business as usual.

Others completely break down, and become hollow and irrational shells of their former selves. Nothing can take the grief away, and it is as if the griever is the one who has died.

Somewhere in the middle is a different type of grief. The person can still fully function – most of the time – but is occasionally gripped by bouts of overwhelming emotion.

When all of the above types of grievers share the same space for an extended period of time, disaster will sooner or later be the end result…

The 'Millennium Series' by Stieg Larsson

For some reason, I didn’t hop on the ‘Millennium Series’ bandwagon when the first of the three novels – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – hit North American bookstores in 2009-2010. I think a part of me thought it was another Twilight fad, which was something I had no desire to be a part of.

It wasn’t until I read about the release of the American version of the film that I became intrigued. If a series of novels is popular enough to be published posthumously, turned into three Swedish films, and further turned into an American adaptation, it must contain a good plot line.

I purchased The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a week before Christmas, and finished it in two days. The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest quickly followed, and by the New Year I had read the entire trilogy. As a whole, the novels were engaging, well-written, interesting, and at times, spooky. Finally, I understood what all the fuss has been about.

There are two main characters in the series. The first – and most important, in my opinion – is skinny, mid-twenties, asocial computer hacker Lisbeth Salander. She has a troubled past, and is deemed to be mentally unable to care for herself. However, the diagnosis passed down by the court does nothing to curb Salander’s photographic memory and love of mathematics.

The second character is journalist Michael Blomkvist. He is a womanizer in his forties who crosses paths with Salander unexpectedly in the first novel. After their initial interaction, the pair is hopelessly connected throughout the rest of the series. I believe the author modeled the character Blomkvist after himself (with a bit of wishful thinking when it comes to the many women he has relationships with throughout the trilogy).

One of the original covers for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...

Swedish investigative journalist Stieg Larsson wrote the ‘Millennium Series’ as a personal project. When he came home in the evenings from his stressful job documenting and exposing Swedish organizations, he would work on the manuscripts as a way to kick back and relax. Larsson apparently submitted the series to publishers once, but was rejected. After he died suddenly in 2004, the novels were discovered and published posthumously.

The content of the ‘Millennium Series’ is quite eerie. Some of the recurring themes include violence against women, men who hate women, mental instability and murder. Larsson witnessed and wrote about countless violent and disturbing events throughout his career as a journalist, and he included fictionalized accounts of many of his real-life experiences throughout the series.

Larsson’s long time partner – Eva Gabrielsson – is currently in possession of Larsson’s computer which contains a partially-completed, fourth Millennium novel. There are also rumours that the computer contains synopsis or manuscripts for a fifth and sixth novel. Gabrielsson has stated that she is capable of completing the fourth novel, and I’m interested to see if she will actually do it.

There is currently a legal struggle over Larsson’s work, and this is making it difficult to move forward. Larsson and Gabrielsson never officially married, even though they lived together for many, many years. According to Swedish law, any married couple must publicly declare their address, making it available to anyone who is interested enough to look it up. Larsson was concerned the people he was investigating might track down Gabrielsson and hurt her to get back at him, so they decided not to marry to keep their address private.

Unfortunately, a partner is not technically a spouse in Sweden, meaning that when Larsson died, she was entitled to nothing – not even his computer that she currently is in possession of. All of Larsson’s estate is to go to his father and brother, who are his next of kin. At the time of his death – and for many years prior – Larsson was estranged from both men. Gabrielsson is fighting the legal battle of her life to get both Larsson’s money and the rights to his novels and other literary work.

I plan to see the American adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in theatres over the next week. Then, I plan to rent all of the Swedish versions of the films. Many North Americans apparently had difficulty following the Swedish subtitles in the original three films, but I’m not concerned.

Stay tuned, because I’ll post my observations about the films once I have a chance to see them all…

2011 in a nutshell

Things have been a little hectic for me over the past few months. As a result, I have definitely neglected my blog. Part of me wasn’t interested in writing – another part was too tired to think about it. But now that 2012 is finally underway, I will make a conscious effort to write and update this blog that I’ve come to love so much.

When looking back at 2011, here is a brief list of the most impactful events that took place in my life…

January – I spent three weeks as an intern at MTS, where I realized that I actually AM interested in pursuing a career in PR.

March – I launched my first novel – Pieces – at Cre8ery Art Gallery.

April – After two years of intense work, I attended my last CreComm class.

May – Copies of Pieces became available at McNally Robinson Bookstore.

June – I attended my CreComm convocation.

July – My close friends Tyler & Kristen were married, and I was the MC at their reception.

August – Jeff & I travelled to Toronto for a week.

September – I was the publicist for the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, and had the opportunity to meet writers such as Miriam Toews, Guy Vanderhaeghe and Elizabeth Hay.

October – Jeff proposed.

November – I started working as the Communications Coordinator for DUC.

December – Jeff’s dad – my future father-in-law – passed away after a seven month battle with cancer.

Overall, I would consider it to be a positive year, even though the recent death of Jeff’s dad has been very difficult for everyone (and you can expect to read more about that later).

Now, as I enter 2012, there are a number of things that I am looking forward to. In addition to my wedding and honeymoon – both of which are only a short, nine months away – I have plans to attend concerts, plays and cultural events. I look forward to lots of time spent with family and friends, and will hopefully have many more good days than bad…

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

... and Charles Dickens definitely knew what he was referring to with that particular sentiment.

I want you to want more…

A few weeks ago, I was invited to be the guest speaker at a book club meeting.

Somehow, the stars had all aligned at the proper moment, and Pieces was selected as the book everyone in the club would read. Nine copies were purchased at McNally Robinson Booksellers, and when everyone finished reading, they wanted to meet me.

Flattering, right?

Obviously I said yes, and I also brought my mom along for the ride. It’s her family history too, and she offers a unique perspective. The novel I wrote is historical fiction, which means it’s based on fact but some sections have been made up. Mom knows the story as it actually happened, and I knew she would be a great addition to the evening.

Well, let’s just say the club asked a lot of tough questions…

As a writer, I want a certain amount of mystery to remain with the reader after they have finished the book. I don’t want to give it all away, and it’s a good thing for people to want to know more. If a reader were to finish a book and say “that was a decent story, but I never need to think about it again” the writer has failed.

Everyone in the club wanted to know more, which was fantastic to see. It became difficult, however, when they wanted to know specific details that I wasn’t particularly interested in sharing. I never stated that the content of Pieces is 100 per cent accurate. As I mentioned at my launch, it was necessary to take certain liberties with characters and events because all the people who could confirm what I needed to know were dead.

The club wanted to know what I had made up and what was real. I told them a few things, but tried to keep the rest back. They pushed, and I pulled. Mom provided a bit of additional information – some of it being details that I didn’t even know – and in the end, I think the club was satisfied. They are now privy to SOME of the secrets of Pieces, without knowing everything.

Like I said, I want people to want to know more.

Participating in a book club meeting was a great experience, and it taught me a lot. I learned that I actually do need to prepare answers to questions ahead of time if I don’t want to be stuck. I also learned that people will not give up asking a question if they really want to know the answer.

Finally, I learned that the club truly enjoyed my book. I’m pretty sure they would have told me if they didn’t, and knowing I wrote something people take pleasure in is the highest form of flattery a writer can receive. I hope they weren’t too disappointed that I didn’t answer every single question they asked.

But, in the end, a girl’s gotta keep some secrets to herself…

Remembering NOT to forget

The following was a CreComm journalism assignment I wrote on November 11, 2009. I think it's one of the best stories I've ever written, and I'll let it speak for itself...

Remembrance Day at the Minto Armouries was celebrated by hundreds of sombre men, women, and children. They crowded the main floor and filled the balcony, eager to find a decent spot to watch the ceremony. Military personnel wearing formal uniforms, camouflage, and kilts stood in formation and awaited instructions. Many people in the audience wept throughout the ceremony, especially during the moments of silence.

Sgt. Smith, from the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders, quietly explained that attendance at this year’s ceremony was down. “There are fewer people this year than last, and I believe that is directly related to H1N1,” he said. “But since our troops entered Afghanistan in 2002, many more people have started coming. I’ve attended for 35 years, and it’s moving to see that people care enough to come to a ceremony.”

The young Air Cadets were among the many uniformed personnel who stood in formation on the main floor. Trevor Malcolm, a former cadet instructor, explained that his favourite part of the ceremony was watching the youths break formation.

“We count every year,” he explained. “They have to stand at attention for the whole ceremony, and many start to get dizzy and sick. They are instructed to go down on one knee when they can’t stand anymore, and someone comes to get them.” A number of officers swarmed the area, waiting to rescue anyone who began to sway.

In total, 28 white-faced cadets were removed during the ceremony.

“We think it’s a metaphor,” said Malcolm’s wife, Nancy. “They drop so quickly. But, in an actual war or conflict, that’s how quickly a soldier dies. One second they are fine, the next they are dead. It’s sad... so very sad.”

“It’s easy to forget about Remembrance Day, if you sit at home and don’t get involved,” she added. “But it’s important for everyone not to forget. These are our people, this is our history, and if we forget we’re destined to repeat the past.”

Note: All of the above names have been changed.

We have a date!!!

Mark your calendars people, because on Saturday, September 15, 2012, THIS GIRL is getting married :)

Yep, true story.

McDonald's complaint letter

I wrote the following letter - and mailed it - earlier this month. I've decided to post it because I didn't receive a response from the company. Maybe now I will...

McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. 


McDonald's Place


Toronto, ON

M3C 3L4

October 3, 2011

Dear sir/madam:

I would like to begin this letter by making it clear that this is the first time I have written to a company with a complaint. Usually, I simply explain my grievance to as many people as possible, and hope that word of my frustration spreads. This time, however, I feel it is necessary to ensure my voice is heard.

For the last eight years, I have not eaten fast food at any chain restaurant – McDonald’s included. It is not a type of meal that appeals to me.

This past summer, I discovered your Dollar Drink Days promotion. It was an unusually hot July afternoon, and my coworker took me through the drive thru. She ordered me a vanilla iced coffee – even though I politely declined – and grudgingly I drank it.

It might have been a combination of the heat, my overall exhaustion, or the employee who mixed the drink, but I can honestly say it was the best iced coffee I have ever had in my entire life. Period.

I have driven to McDonald’s (even when the nearest location was nowhere near my destination) almost every single day since that initial encounter in July. My purchase is the same every time – a large vanilla iced coffee – and some of the employees at the branch near my home have even started to recognize me. I realize that I’m not buying full meals from you, but I am still a paying customer who likes a product.

Enter my frustration.

After work today, I drove through McDonald’s as I normally do to order my iced coffee for the drive home from work. When I was handed the beverage, I knew something was wrong immediately. The liquid was completely discoloured, and looked more like milk chocolate than the caramel tone I was accustomed to.

I asked the employee at the window if something was off with the beverage. He rolled his eyes, curtly replied “no,” and shut the window. As I explained earlier in this letter, I really enjoy your product, so I knocked on the window. When the employee opened it, I asked if he could remake my drink. He rolled his eyes again, and said “lady, there is nothing wring with it.” Then, he closed the window again.

Fuming – and slightly embarrassed at having been denied – I drove away. Sticking the straw into the drink as I entered rush hour traffic, I took a cautious sip.

Awful. Simply awful.

The coffee was either burnt or very, very old. Either way, it was definitely not drinkable. I considered turning around and returning to the McDonald’s branch, but decided against it. At that point, I just wanted to get home. I also decided against calling the branch and complaining, because I didn’t want to encounter another employee who was as rude as the one at the drive thru window.

All I purchase at McDonald’s is iced coffee. It is the best I have ever had – until today – and rivals every single high-end coffee shop I have ever visited. McDonald’s is pushing to be recognized as a coffee shop in addition to a restaurant, and I was on board with this shift. Now, I am frustrated and unsure how to proceed.

I don’t know if I will continue to purchase iced coffee at your branches anymore. I’m very disappointed – both in my treatment by your employee and in the condition of the beverage I purchased. It should have been a no-brainer – make the customer happy and mix another drink.

My email address is amanda.hope@live.com. I would love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Amanda Hope

Weddings: what is right?

Over the past few years, I have attended a number of weddings. I am one of those people who cry during the ceremony – whether I know the couple well or not – so it’s no surprise that I’ve enjoyed myself at each and every event.

What I’ve found interesting is that each wedding I attended was so completely different from all of the others. I think I’ve seen a complete range – from inexpensive yet personal, to thoroughly expensive and trendy. This range of experiences has left me highly confused, and I honestly have no idea what the “right” type of wedding consists of.

Four years ago, my friends Matt and Leah were married. They were the first of our friends to tie the knot, so they had the daunting task of planning the first wedding. Deciding to be unique and original, their marriage ceremony was conducted amongst the ruins of the St. Boniface Monastery. And, to make the setting even more magical, the bride was escorted in via horse and carriage.

It was completely unorthodox, yet inexpensive, gorgeous and magical.

A few months ago, friends Tyler and Kristen were married at St. Luke’s Anglican Church on Nassau Street. The church was chosen specifically for its aesthetic value, because it boasted gorgeous, stained glass windows, a long, center aisle, and a collection of church bells to announce the exit of the newly-married couple.

It was also unorthodox, as neither bride nor groom actually attends that particular church, yet it was definitely magical.

And a few weekends ago, friend’s Kelvin and Tavia were married in the bride’s childhood Catholic church. It was her Reverend who conducted the ceremony, and members of her congregation who led the audience in song and prayer. The ceremony was very traditional, but that is exactly what the couple wanted.

When thinking about the reception, I have experienced everything, including local community centres, banquet halls in hotels, church basements and country clubs. There have been cash bars, open bars, gigantic centrepieces, colourful cakes, dessert bars and even candy and chocolate buffets.

There seems to be no guidelines whatsoever when it comes to the reception, and anything a person imagines can be created.

I will admit... I really DO care about the cake...

So what is considered to be an acceptable cost for a 20-something’s wedding in the 21^st century? According to Wiki Answers, anywhere between $25,000 – 50,000 is acceptable for the “common person.” A friend who is currently in the process of planning his wedding told me that $12,000 (including honeymoon) was what his day will cost.

I like the second option much better…

I guess there really is no right or wrong answer, and each couple is free to plan (and spend) what works for them. In the past, a wedding has been an illustration of the wealth of the couple – and their parents. Not anymore. Personally, I think I’m making a more positive example of my financial situation by holding a thrifty yet personal wedding while saving enough money to purchase a house soon after my nuptials.

My little book of history

I have literally spent years of my life immersed in the study of history.

Even before I declared history as my major at the University of Manitoba, I was buying books, watching shows and conducting Internet searches related to topics of interest. My notes about the Titanic filled five binders, and my books on the World Wars weighed as much as a small child.

In total, I must have written about 30 historical academic papers during my time at the U of M. I could tell you all about the rise and fall of the Soviet Union without stopping to think, and I could explain the importance of D-Day in a way that would make you want to jump up and cheer.

Remembering dates was always a specialty of mine, and I could pretty much recite the day, year, and occasionally, time of most important events throughout the 20^th century. I was a walking encyclopedia of historical information, and I loved it.

Unfortunately, if you don’t use it you lose it.

I can still remember the overall concepts of what I learned in university. The parts that I’ve become a bit shaky on are the details. For example: I can recite the overarching themes and dates of the First World War, but I don’t remember the specific battles or people involved.

Now that I’m no longer a student, I have time to revamp my historical knowledge. To some people, this may seem like a silly waste of time. But, when you spend four years of your life learning something, it’s a bit difficult to simply walk away.

Meet my little book of history.

Last night, I grabbed one of the many gorgeous yet unused journals I have in my possession, and started writing. With my laptop on my left and my journal on the right, I researched all the dates that I used to know but have forgotten. Carefully, I copied them into this new book – with small yet descriptive explanations included.

Now, my task is to carefully research major historical moments (such as the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the Rise of the Iron Curtain or the Chernobyl Disaster), and record the details in the book. I will create some sort of fancy colour-coded tab system to keep everything organized, but my goal is to have a book filled with everything I used to know.

Every evening, I will record another historical moment in the book. The plan is also to carry this book around at all times – in case I have a few free moments where I can Google a date or two.

This might sound slightly psychotic, but anyone who knows me will get it…

Da Vinci definitely was a genius

Last night, I visited the Da Vinci Exhibit with a few friends. It was a completely random, last minute adventure, but I had been dying to visit it for months. I’ve made a point of attending every exhibit that is showcased there, and so far, they all have been fantastic.

The Da Vinci Exhibit was no exception. I knew that he had been both painter and inventor, but to what extent is incredible. In addition to creating prototypes for hang gliders and parachutes, Da Vinci was the man behind the tank, the life preserver, the light box, scuba diving gear and the submarine. He developed pulleys and hydraulic systems, as well as tools for warfare, including cannon transportation devices and ladders to scale buildings.

A replica of the tank Da Vinci created...

He was also interested in human anatomy, and is rumoured to have dissected over 30 cadavers throughout his life. This I found to be slightly creepy – especially when faced with a wall of his drawings of human parts – but it was the only way to learn about the human form at the time.

This all came from the man who painted both the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper – two of the most famous paintings in the world today.

The Mona Lisa - the real painting is tiny, but that doesn't stop millions of people from travelling to the Louvre in Paris to see it every year...

Da Vinci kept a collection of detailed journals throughout his life (five of which are featured in the exhibit). He was also always drawing, and making notes on the pages. Any time he would write, Da Vinci would write backwards. By using a mirror, one could read his text properly.

Some people believe he was dyslexic; others believe he was paranoid, and didn’t want his words to be easily read by competition. Either way, the backwards style of writing is uniquely Da Vinci, and adds yet another level of mystery and intrigue to an already interesting man.

I guess a person can create many, many things throughout his or her lifetime when they lack modern amenities such as television, the Internet and the radio…

Check out the exhibit soon, because it’s only in Winnipeg for a few more weeks!

Leonardo da Vinci:

- Born April 15, 1452, near Florence, Italy

- Died May 2, 1519, at Clos Lucé, France

Facebook updates from beyond the grave

This morning, a friend on Twitter posted the following: “I hate getting Facebook birthday reminders from friends who are dead. It’s creepy.”

Immediately, I responded with: “Ack! I really hate that too.”

I continued with my morning, but there was something about the brief Twitter exchange that I couldn’t erase from my mind. When I started to really think about it, I realized that I have wanted to write this blog post for a very long time…

Many people have the unfortunate experience of losing a loved one. Now, with social media being so prevalent in our world, the loved one who passed was probably a Facebook user. The family left behind is faced with the daunting and uncomfortable task of contacting Facebook, explaining the situation and asking for the profile to be removed.

No one wants to do that, and I can’t imagine it’s an easy process.

As a result, some families leave deceased Facebook profiles as they are. Friends can continue to post for days, months, or in some cases, years after the person has died. And, friends also receive pre-set updated from that person – including birthday reminders.

Currently, I am friends with two deceased Facebook users. I refuse to delete them, because I feel as though that action would dishonour their memories in some way. Eventually I will delete them, but for the moment I am stuck receiving their notifications.

This brings me to the question that lies at the heart of this blog post: Is it okay to ask the family of the deceased person to have the Facebook profile removed?

If I am not particularly close to the family, I wouldn’t ever think of asking. But what if the person who died was a best friend, a relative or an ex-lover?

I don’t know if there is a “right answer” to this question. I guess I just had to get that out.

The mutant turkey from hell

I do not enjoy cooking, and the prospect of preparing an entire holiday meal is enough to make me want to hide in a closet, shut the door and turn off the lights forever.

The holiday meal preparation – in our household – is left to my mom, who is much more efficient and talented than I will ever be in the kitchen.

The “event” took place in 2003 (insert scary drum roll here). It was our first Thanksgiving in Winnipeg after moving from Calgary, and mom went all out with the meal planning…

… except for the fact that she purchased a deformed turkey.

Apparently grocery stores sell a thing called a “utility grade turkey.” Ours came from Sobeys, although I’m sure you can purchase this atrocity from anywhere. When choosing a utility grade turkey, the consumer accepts the fact that not all of the limbs are intact. An arm or a leg may be missing, and the turkey as a whole lacks the “A list” aura that surrounds all the expensive birds further down the aisle.

This is an A-list turkey. Totally ready to party...

Mom bought a utility turkey. She said she’s done it before, and only a “little bit was missing.”

Well, a little more than a few “bits” were missing from our holiday feast. As mom pulled the turkey out of the bag, we noticed right away that both legs were missing. Upon closer inspection, so were both arms. As we tried to suppress giggles of horror, mom and I realized at the same time that we were staring at nothing more than a torso.

Did we ever buy a utility turkey again? Hell no. Did I eat turkey that Thanksgiving? Absolutely not. It made a great story over the dinner table, but at the time I was horrified. Who would sell something like that? And where did the limbs go??

Now this is a happy turkey...

Maybe this incident is the reason why I don’t like turkey. Or, it could be the reason why I despise cooking. Either way, the mutant turkey left enough of a lasting impression that not a Thanksgiving goes by that I don’t think about the bird that just wasn’t good enough.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Publications at IISD

It seemed appropriate to take a moment and point out a few projects I worked on while completing a CreComm internship at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

When I entered the office on my first day, a huge stack of scientific-looking documents greeted me. Immediately, it was explained that my job would be to read through the teetering pile of information, extract the most important points, and write content for a brochure that would be easy for the “everyday person” to understand.

Then, I would take the same content, modify it and turn it into copy for a video that I would also voice. It was no easy task, but I actually enjoyed learning the definition of words like eutrophication.

To view the brochure I wrote copy and created the design for, click here.

To view the video I wrote copy for and voiced, click here.

Internships are a fantastic thing. They provide an opportunity to step outside one’s comfort zone and into a completely new world. It allows soon-to-be-graduated students an inside look as different career options. I wouldn’t trade my internship for anything, and I am very excited I have something to show for my three weeks at IISD.

Forays into beat poetry

This post is in honour of my first experience reciting rhythm poetry. It was something I never thought I could do, and I was incredibly nervous as I took the stage at THIN AIR 2011’s After Words Jazz Club on September 24th.

As your reading the lines below, picture a stand up bass and a Les Paul electric guitar filling in the melody and rounding out the sound…

Stepping up to the microphone,

my knees begin to shake and

my heart starts to ache.

How do I know if my words

are a mistake -

Is my rhythm fake?

Is the crowd awake?

The music starts to play

as I find my voice.

The crowd is waiting, watching,

I know my only choice

is to speak, to move,

to try to feel the beat -

To smile, to do something,

to start to tap my feet.

The jazz music flows

as I find my rhythm.

I feel the crowd watching, moving,

experiencing the rhythm,

the energy,

the beat, I finally found the beat.

I’m a poet, I’m free,

all eyes are on me.

Even yours, I see,

are watching me.

You move with the beat,

your foot taps the floor,

My knees start to shake and

I feel my heart ache.

A publicist reflects…

When I accepted the position of publicist with THIN AIR, the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into. I had already accepted another summer job – one that was full-time and quite demanding – and I had no idea how I would manage to juggle both.

But within days of accepting the position with the festival, my doubts were completely eradicated. I fell in love with the job, the staff, the writers and the volunteers, and suddenly I wanted to do nothing else…

A shot of my coworkers and me in the hospitality suite on opening night.

I'm the one on the left...

My favourite aspect of working for a small and local non-profit organization is the freedom that comes with it. I am literally the entire communications department, and I make decisions about what works, what doesn’t, and what I want to do next. If I have an idea to start a blog, I can, or if I want to create a contest on Twitter, I can. The sky is the limit when it comes to the initiatives I can implement as part of a non-profit organization, and my only restriction is budget.

There have been many new initiatives that I’ve introduced this year. Some have worked well, others not as much. As I tried new things – and monitored the results – I gradually figured out who my existing target audiences were. I also realized who wasn’t paying attention to my efforts, and started thinking about how to reach them in new and creative ways.

As of today, @WPGTHINAIR has 485 followers on Twitter. My goal was 500, but this is close enough that I’ll call it a success (especially since we had only 75 followers when I joined the staff in June). A big part of our growing number of followers are the contests that I offered in the weeks leading up to, and during, the festival. I gave away books, tickets and THIN AIR merchandise. People love free stuff, and I used that to my advantage.

I also created a new blog, which is aptly named THIN AIR: the blog. It was initially a forum for me to write about the books I was reading by writers who would participate in the festival in September. Currently, it has 2500 page views. I employed a team of bloggers during festival week, and they were responsible for attending events and writing about their experiences. This was a huge success, and I am very grateful to have a fantastic group of friends who agreed to help me when I needed them.

Our programs as they stood on the cobblestone at Oodena Celebration Circle...

Currently, I am in the process of revamping my communications plan for next year’s festival. I have every intention of returning and reclaiming my job. Having the freedom to make it my own has been an amazing experience, and I couldn’t imagine not being a part of the THIN AIR team.

*Photos copyright Leif Norman