Mom and Dad's 50th

A full week has gone by since we gathered in the Kamsack Seniors' Centre to celebrate Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary.  Normally, I would have written about the experience shortly after it happened, but the combination of having a long drive (12 hours) and getting right back into rehearsals for A Christmas Carol left me with no quality time to put some refections together.

"It's so nice to hear these things when we're alive," said Mom about the powerful thoughts that were said and shared, particularly by the grandchildren.

Many of us welled up as Kristina, the eldest grandchild, set the tone by getting up in front of the large group gathered for the celebration and delivering an eloquent, heartfelt and emotional speech.

I doubt if there was a dry eye in the house when Maggie presented her drawing of the backyard and the bus and what it, and they, meant to her.

Dylan made a last minute decision to sing a Frank Sinatra song as his gift.  He knew that his brother Ben had drawn a picture of the Empire State Building, as Mom and Dad had honeymooned in NYC. He thought "New York, New York" would be a perfect choice.

I was proud of both boys and completely moved by all the grandchildren, even those who couldn't join us but sent along their messages of love.

There were several themes that resonated through the reflections of the young people about Mom and Dad.  The role of the bus and the backyard was significant; it was a fun and adventurous place to be.  There was also a sense of safety and comfort being around Memere and Grandpa and in the house that has hosted many a visit and celebration over almost 5 decades.

Hundreds of pictures were gathered and put into a slideshow that played throughout the afternoon.  It was fun to watch the reactions as images from the near and distant past scrolled by, each kindling a warm memory.

We gathered everyone into a big circle and played a game of Know-Wonder (Thanks Tim Hurson).  Each person drew a card from the deck.  If they got an odd number, they were to share something they knew about Mom and Dad.  If they got an even number, they were to share something they wondered about Mom and Dad, and their 50 years of marriage.

"Was Keith planned?" asked one person, getting right to the good stuff.

"Nope.  He wasn't planned," answered Dad.

"Where did the bus come from?" asked one of the grandchildren about the iconic camper bus that has been parked in the backyard for the better part of 30 years.

"It came from Uncle Blair," said Mom.  He had bought a new one back in the late 1970's and sold the old one to Dad.  I could confidently say that dozens and dozens of us are glad he did.

We heard about Mom and Dad living in the basement of Frankie Rodger's house in Edmonton when they were first married.  Frankie was a famous Canadian fiddle player.

Though the memory wasn't clear, their first date was at a bowling alley in Edmonton.  "Your dad was working; your mom was flirting," said Tante Georgette laughing.

There is something inherently powerful about sitting in a circle and sharing.  I've seen it a number of times in storytelling workshops that I've facilitated.  But seeing the effect in a family context was profound.  Things got emotional a number of times as barriers dropped and silent permission was given to share and release, both emotions and long-lingering questions.

The immediate family closed out the weekend by joining Mom and Dad at church on Sunday morning.  The Thomas clan took up about six full rows.  It was nice to be there and be present when Father Franklin made a special blessing over Mom and Dad.

"Fifty years," he said reverentially.  "A lot of work. A lot of work."

How right he was.  A good and long marriage requires a lot of things, chief among them, "perseverance," said Mom during the sharing circle the day before.  It is a marriage that has had its share of ups and downs, like most do.  But after 50 years, the rewards are clear: a family has been built, steeped in love, respect, tradition and consistent care.  It was an honour and a blessing to observe it all during our short visit back home.

By Remembrance Day, the wind scattered most of us across the country.  A big piece of our hearts will always reside at 586 Second Street in Kamsack, a place where a warm welcome always awaits, and a bright blue and silver bus stands sentinel in the backyard.

To view (or download) all the pictures from the 50th wedding anniversary celebration, please click here.

Creative Summer

It's hard to explain what happened this summer.  Shortly after a May visit by Neil and Susan, I went on an inexplicable painting spree that started with the mural of Elsie Yanik that I wrote about in our last update, but continued with a portrait of the first Aboriginal First Nations chief in Alberta, Dorothy McDonald, on the east wall of the shop.  From there it was non-stop, producing a mural of our neighbour Norm Sutton, and multiple smaller format paintings of Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Adam Levine, Katy Perry, and so on.

Perhaps this was an exercise in stabilizing a ship that had been rocking for some time; or perhaps it was a way to fill an excess of time during a lazy summer. As it turned out,  painting has completely supplanted fishing as my go to leisure time activity, hours of relaxation and creativity that has become an unexpected and delightfully surprising revenue source.  With two exceptions - painting I can't share as they are commissions that are being given as surprise gifts - here is my collected works produced since mid-June.

Elsie Yanik, 96" x 54", acrylic on wall

Dorothy McDonald, 96" x 60", acrylic on wall

Miles Davis, 16" x 25", acrylic on pine
GIFT

Oscar Peterson, 12 3/8" x 12 3/8", acrylic on record jacket
SOLD

Bob Dylan, 18' x 24", acrylic on canvas
SOLD

Norm Sutton, 60" x 48", acrylic on wall
COMMISSION

Adam Levine, 18" x 24", acrylic on canvas
COMMISSION

Stevie Ray Vaughan, 12" x 12", acrylic on canvas
COMMISSION

Katy Perry, 18" x 24", acrylic on canvas
COMMISSION

Keith Richards, 12" x 24", acrylic on wood
COMMISSION

Freddie Mercury, 18" x 24", acrylic on canvas
COMMISSION

Freddie Mercury No. 2, 12" x 24", acrylic on canvas
COMMISSION

Robert F. Kennedy, 18' x 24", acrylic on canvas
COMMISSION

The requests have poured in as I've shared this creative journey online.  In order to keep track of future painting projects I have about 15 photographs tacked up in my shop.  The response to this style has been nothing short of extraordinary.  Depending on size, complexity, and whether the finished work is framed or unframed, prizes have ranged from $250 to $550.  I'm overwhelmed and delighted that this has turned into a great injection to our vacation fund.  I never would have guessed it was possible.

Dylan had an outstanding life-altering experience at Artstrek in July, Alberta's provincial theatre camp held in Red Deer.  He lights up and bubbles over when describing it to people.  It is completely obvious that he thrives in a creative, social, and exploratory environment.  He made many new friends and has set himself up incredibly well to transition into Westwood Community High School, which has a thriving drama program led by a good friend of ours who also played my lovely wife, Madame Thenardier from Les Mis, Terri Mort.  

Ben is about to complete his three week adventure with DramaFORCE at Keyano Theatre.  The 19 students in the drama intensive have put together a stunning production of Aladdin Jr. in that short amount of time.  We were able to all attend the opening performance yesterday.  Ben did an outstanding job, singing, acting, and dancing as Razoul.  We are very proud of his work ethic, teamwork, and talent.

We enjoyed a short but excellent visit with the Wagner side of the family during our annual summer get together, this time in Crownest Pass, on the August long weekend.  The highlight had to be our Crowsnest Pass scavenger hunt, which you can read about in detail by clicking here. Here are a few photo memories worth sharing.

Don't those pictures look intriguing?  Bet you want to go read about the Crowsnest Pass scavenger hunt now.  It was such a hoot, and a great way to spend time together as a family.

Most of us went on a search for Window Mountain the following day.  We didn't quite find it, but we sure enjoyed breathing the wonderful mountain air and doing a vigorous hike.

On our final day, Ben and I went parkouring on Frank Slide, jumping from rock to rock looking for the sculpture he had made the previous day during the scavenger hunt.  We never did find it, but we sure had find searching for it.

I'm grateful that this family tradition was started and that each year we reconvene for some quality time together. It was only a couple of days, but they were very good days indeed.

As we wile away the rest of the summer, Dylan and I have one more trip before the fall kicks in.  We will be off to Mindcamp on the 19th.  He'll be serving as a "Banana", or a conference helper, while I'll be filling my mind attending multiple sessions over three days.

Summer will come to a close with a pretty significant milestone for Heather.  After many months of waiting, she finally has a surgery date.  We will travel down to Edmonton on August 28th as her pituitary procedure is slated for the following day.  The doctors anticipate she will spend 3 or 4 days post-surgery in hospital (U of A).  I will be staying with her the entire time, with my home base being at Graham and Jenn's house, just a short drive away across the river. (Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Graham and Jenn)  Neil and Susan has generously offered to travel to Fort McMurray to be with the boys while they begin the school term.  (Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Neil and Susan)

We anticipate very positive results and a speedy and complete recovery, but would appreciate all the positive thoughts and prayers you can offer.  

Obviously, there is no shortage of things to share in our happy, healthy, creative life in the north.  I'll close with the very positive thought that my job with the United Way of Fort McMurray is going spectacularly well.  It is fulfilling, challenging, and inspiring - a great combination.  I also get to work with an awesome group of people (pictured above).  Yes, I'm the token male in the group, but I'm OK with that.  I'm comfortable in my masculinity (LOL).  

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

The Lord Provides...

Our world has changed in a month.  Uncle Joe, who was perpetually the first to respond to the Wood Buffalo Update, has left us, though not before leaving an impression on the world that will resonate for generations.  I will miss his thoughtful observations, words of encouragement and the flavour he added to life.

My time at Keyano College came to a close on May 30th, as I handed in my keys and walked out the door after 15 years.  I spent the next week working a short-term contract for Arts Council Wood Buffalo, helping the new executive director get introduced to the organization and the community.  A promising seed that had been planted one month earlier broke through the soil last Friday and I began my new job the following Tuesday.  In the end, I was unemployed for one single day.

Backing up just a bit, Heather and I made the big leap to incorporate last month. I knew that the direction I was going would include a substantial amount of contract work.  So, rather than the two of us each having sole proprietorships, we decided to get Birdsong Connections Inc. off the ground.

The decision made, we went through the incorporation process, got our business license and unveiled a logo.  Designed by my friend Adityo in Indonesia, it speaks to both Heather and I in terms of its earthiness, elegance and simplicity.  Response to the logo has been phenomenal.  I did my first contract on Thursday, organizing the hiring of artists for a Suncor event.

Heather will soon be launching her H3 program as part of Birdsong Connections.  I won't presume to explain it, except to say that while I will be working with organizations and systems, Heather will be working with individuals to help them work toward a healthy, happy, harmonious life (hence, the H3 program name).  She will be continuing the bulk of her other work through the Ananda Center for Balance: yoga instruction, yoga teacher training, reiki, craniosacral therapy, etc.

She is away this weekend at some training sessions down south. Despite being out of town, she still was able to audition for TEDx Fort McMurray over Skype yesterday.  She had put this aspiration out to the universe a year ago, and followed through with her dream to present "the talk of her life" as part of this prestigious event scheduled for September.

My new job!  I am the Director of Communications and Community Impact for the United Way of Fort McMurray.  In addition to leading the communications effort, I will be team lead on the development of a major social profit (nonprofit) shared space centre in Shell Place, which is the new addition to the Suncor Community Leisure Centre on MacDonald Island.  Already the largest community recreational facility in the country, it will be even larger when the new development gets opened up in spring 2015.

I'm currently working out of The Redpoll Centre, also a social profit shared space, just a lot smaller than the one we'll be opening up at Shell Place.  It is a convenient three block walk from the house.  Dad was pretty excited about this fact.

As with every job, there is a learning curve, which I'm going through in earnest right now. Thankfully, I had been collaborating with the United Way on several other initiatives over the years, so I have a healthy head start.

While Heather was out of town this weekend, I set out to paint a large portrait of Metis elder Elsie Yanik on a spot on our shed that had been tagged out in the back alley.  She is 96 years old and received an honourary doctor of laws degree from the University of Alberta on my birthday, just a few days ago.  I had run into her at an event two weeks ago.

"Elsie, I have some disturbing news for you," I said.

"What's that?" she asked.

"I'm going to be painting a portrait of you, 8-feet tall and 5-feet wide."

"What??"

"When I'm done, I'll be sure to bring you over to see it.  If you don't like, be sure to lie!"

She laughed and laughed.  I hopes she likes the end result. She's pretty excited to see it.  I just got off the phone with her. Had she not been in her sleeping clothes, she might have allowed me to pick her up to see it tonight. Instead, we will bring her over on Tuesday.  I can't wait to post the picture of Elsie getting a #SelfieWithElsie.

My public art project was capped off by the installation of a simple bench made from boards that Ben found along the Athabasca River today.  It's an amazing spot, a perfect sanctuary for reflection...when the mosquitos are not biting.

Happy Father's Day from all of us to all of you.

New Beginnings

Ben snapped a picture of me jumping off the picnic table, seemingly suspended in the air.  The image captures how I feel about the upcoming change in my professional life, now a mere two weeks away.  My secondment to Arts Council Wood Buffalo will come to an end, as will my 15 years of service at Keyano College.

At first, I was having panic attacks with the thought of leaving the nest of a steady income and the comfortable safety net offered by Keyano College.  I would sit on the sofa, imagine being totally unemployed with no prospects, and my heart would start to race and beads of sweat began forming on my brow.  I was petrified.

When the news came that I wouldn't be getting the permanent executive director role with the Arts Council, it felt like a kick in the gut, to be completely honest.  But, I quickly reframed the situation, realizing that I could now move forward and freely explore new opportunities.  I wrote a blog (At the crossroads) sharing the news that for the first time in 25 years, I would be out of a job come May 31st.  There is an advantage to having a large social network, especially when you want to get the word out fast about something.  Almost immediately, employment and contract overtures starting falling from the sky.  It's been a remarkable couple of weeks, being reminded that I have a toolbox of skills and experiences that are in demand.

I'm still in the phase of sorting out the details of what the future will look like, which, for the moment, precludes me from being specific.  However, I can share that contract and job opportunities have popped up that would leverage my strengths in strategic communication, social media, event planning, facilitation and community development.  Everything that I'm exploring resides in the social profit (nonprofit) sector, which makes me incredibly happy.

Meanwhile, Heather and I continue to talk about incorporating.  Rather than having two sole proprietorships, it would be more advantageous to roll things into a single business entity.  We're playing with naming ideas and looking into the details.

I'll be drafting a reflection/gratitude piece in the coming days, about what my 15 years at Keyano College has meant to me and our family.  We'll be forever grateful to Julie Brown for taking a leap of faith in bringing me over from the radio station back in 1999.  In the cradle of the College, I was able to develop a broad set of skills, participate in great learning opportunities, and reap the benefits of working with some amazing people.  Yes, there were some incredibly difficult times - employee challenges, leadership change, arts programming cuts - but they only added to the value of the experience.  There will be no anger, resentment or regret at the end of the month when I pass in my keys and do my out clearance.  There will only be appreciation, respect, and a treasure trove of great memories.

What a great time of year to go through a transition.  Spring, which came late and only now has settled in, has brought with it optimism and hope.  The grass is beginning to turn green, the leaf buds are forming, and our backyard has turned into a remarkable bird sanctuary.  Bohemian waxwings, red-winged blackbirds, purple finches, evening grosbeaks and yellow-bellied sapsuckers swoop in by the dozens, enjoying the offerings of the bird feeder and the fermenting berries on the tree behind the shop.  We have a set of binoculars on the windowsill, at the ready to identify new species that seem to arrive on a weekly basis.

The warmer weather has also allowed me to get back fishing on the Athabasca.  Heather's brother Michael was a little jealous seeing the above photo on Facebook.  I caught a beautiful 68 cm walleye on my first outing.  Two days later, I caught another, almost as big: 66 cm - a great way to start the season.

Heather is feeling fantastic these days, pursuing her professional aspirations with amazing energy, enthusiasm and vision.  There has been no word about a surgery date.  Instead of worrying about it, she is moving forward will full intention and attention.  Heather is a force to be reckoned with.

Dylan is nearing the end of Grade 9 and getting increasingly excited about his summer trip to Red Deer for Artstrek, the provincial theatre camp for teens.  There is no question that his experiences with Les Mis and Hometown...The Musical! have inspired him to continue his dramatic explorations.  Like his father, he also enjoys his politics, and was thrilled to be able to get up close and personal with Trudeau-the-younger.

He also continues to educate the gaming community with his series of "Let's Play" videos.  You can check one out below.

Ben is sliding to the end of Grade 5.  His favourite activity is something called parkour.

The above definition gives you a sense of what it is.  Here are some pictures to give you a better sense.

You can also watch a short film he made of his parkour exploits.

Neil and Susan (Heather's dad and mom) arrive on Saturday for a much-anticipated visit.  It will be nice to have them around for a few days.

My mom (Loraine) celebrates her birthday tomorrow.  She will be a spry 71 years young.  I wish we could be there to celebrate, but we'll have to send our love from a distance.

All the best from all of us.