The work is almost done and the Festival is just about upon us. In a few days, Little Lake will be buzzing with women from around the world, here to celebrate life and participate in the 2010 International Dragon Boat Festival for Breast Cancer Survivors. Yep, right here, in li'l ole Peterborough. I've been helping out over the last year or so, collecting registrations, taking minutes, and putting my incredible Excel skills to use whenever needed. Darlene, my good friend next door, is one of the co-chairs (and a survivor) and was a newbie to Excel before the work of this Festival began. She's an old pro now; if ever I need help at work, I'm sure I can call her. This week, I'll be spending my days at the t-wharf helping out with practices. I'll do anything for time off work. ;-)
For the last while, evenings have been spent sorting out and filing all the registrations. I'm so close to being done that I can taste it. My neck's been hurting for days as I've looked down at the forms and then up at the hockey game. (It is the Stanley Cup finals, after all.) And, in between, we've worked on the chicken coop. All that's left is to figure out an outdoor run and we'll be in business. Yes, folks. The excitement around here never ends. But please, don't mention the garden.
Right now, I'm taking a break from registrations and getting a little baking done for the kids' lunches. Homemade goodies were nowhere to be found over the last couple weeks because of the unbelievably hot humid May that we faced. So store-bought cookies were the order of the day. Funny how the kids think of Mr. Christie and Dare cookies as a treat. The last few days have been much closer to seasonal and we've finally had some rain. Nice to see the grass greening up again. Now I'm off to finish up and then back to registrations.
Getting ready to welcome survivors from
across Canada and around the world
It's been a busy couple of days. I started a week-and-a-half vacation yesterday...at the dentist's office. Riley's last baby tooth wouldn't come out even though the adult tooth had already grown in, so she had to have it pulled. The tooth broke in two and she only had half to put under her pillow but I'm guessing that the tooth fairy took pity on her for what she had to go through to get it. Ri found a toonie and a loonie this morning - all other teeth have been worth just the two dollar coin. Lucky kid. (Although, come to think of it, she does owe me money.)
Ri was feeling okay after the appt, so we picked up a few back-to-school things. Nolan picked out a transformers lunch bag and a batman pencil case, Ri and Cammy found a couple of things that they needed and we added one more small thermos for Nolie to the lunch container collection for those hot lunches on cold days. Not sure I really believe that my wee Nolie is starting school in a few weeks.
Next, a few groceries and then home. The afternoon disappeared in a fog (I fell asleep in a chair) and last evening I was back into Peterborough for a meeting about the 2010 International Dragon Boat Festival. This was the first committee meeting we've had since January or February so it was a good chance to catch up and start to assign roles. Finally, we locked up and headed out in one helluva storm.
This morning, back to the dentist for fillings for Nolan and down to Oshawa to wish Dorito a happy happy birthday. (Happy Birthday, Dorito!) As the kids and I started the trip home, I changed our course and headed down to Lakeview Park. We went for a walk along the beach and out on the pier. The boys were pretty amazed at the size of a couple of the ships in the harbour. They had cranes! That's when I realized they'd never seen Lake Ontario before. I know. Sad. But we've rectified that now. We spent some time at the playground and then home we went.
No plans to go anywhere tomorrow other than the Farmers Market in town. Peaches are in season.
Saturday was the official opening of the Millbrook Community Garden complete with our Reeve, Council Members, a First Nations prayer and smudging and a song. Dorito and I attended before heading up to Bobcaygeon for the day. Dorito was especially moved by the song - The Garden Song - as sung by John Denver. I don't think I'd ever heard it before. Dorito, however, seemed to recognize it but she's a closet Fozzy Bear fan. I think it was about then that she fully realized that she wasn't in the city anymore. The whole ceremony was wonderfully small town. And communal.
Much of the work breaking the sod and turning the soil was done a few weeks ago. Can't remember which birthday we were celebrating but I missed the prep jobs. Potatoes, tomatoes and some other veggies had also been planted, all to be donated to Millbrook Food Share. After speaking to Joanne on Saturday, it was decided that tonight the newbies would meet up with the rest and get our hands dirty. And so we did.
First job was to get some hills, well, hilled and Nancy and I planted the squash and pumpkins. Then I readied the soil and in went the zucchini seeds which will be donated to the Millbrook Zucchini Festival. (You're laughing, aren't you, Dorito?) Leaves were thrown down between hills and straw, donated by the Reeve, placed on top of that.
The kids came along for the ride and were awesome, spending their time at the playground behind the Old School. Riley even met up with a classmate whose family has rented a plot. The kids can't wait for the weeding to begin, although I'm not so sure they have any intention of helping. Sure can go high on those swings though.
The Old School
Millbrook Community Garden(complete with red ribbon)
A few weeks ago an article appeared in the local village paper about the start-up of a community garden. Tonight there was a meeting so I braved the crappy weather and went out to learn more about it.
Millbrook is our closest big village. There are several stores in Millbrook that don't start with the word 'General' and there's a grocery store. The kids have taken skating lessons there and it is home to the cutest little bowling alley. There are even two four-way stops. We're talking about a happening place. (And there's this house on the main street that has a tarp for a roof and was jacked up for a lot of last year - you could see right through to the backyard - crazy. Just like the owners. One of whom I work with. ;o) )
Anyway, a group of women came together with this wonderful idea for a community garden, approached the Township late last year, and have almost everything in place to get started. The only hold-up now is finalizing paperwork with the YWCA in Peterborough for insurance reasons. Nothing's ever simple but they seem to have things under control and the work can begin soon.
The Township has 'donated' 7200 square feet next to the Old Millbrook School and plots will be allocated to both individuals and Millbrook Food Share, that is located within the school. Volunteers are already lined up for tilling or plowing the garden and, as Millbrook is the centre of a large farming community, it would seem that manure is readily available. Members of Council were present too. Peterborough Green-Up is a nearby source of compost. And local businesses have donated seeds.
There was a good turnout and people seemed extremely interested. They put on a good presentation. After questions and answers, I wandered over to the sign-up sheets and added my name. I'll be volunteering my exceptional weeding skills to the Food Bank. Maybe I'll even gain some insight into growing sweet peppers. Stupid peppers.
Picture courtesy of this site.
I had the greatest night!
A little background first. My dear friend and neighbour, Darlene, is a member of Survivors Abreast, the Peterborough Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Team. Darlene and a few others took it upon themselves to put in a bid for the 2010 International Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Festival. They won. Hands down. Darlene has since drafted me to help out on the Committee and has already had me contacting teams internationally, gathering information and sending out the official invitation. It's a project that helps the committee but also makes me feel pretty darn good to be a part of. Tonight, at the Holiday Inn, was our first official meeting. There was excitement in the air - these women are so full of passion and life and I'm honestly humbled in their presence.
But that's not it. We were picked up by another friend of Darlene's who had contacted her about helping out. I had never met Andy before but have seen his name in the local paper. He ran for the Green Party in 2006 and worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources. And he knows a lot about trees. Apple trees. Pear trees. Cherry trees. Fig trees. Grapes. The list went on and on. And I was thrilled to be talking to him.
I told him about my apple sticks and he asked a few questions about them (wish I'd met him a few weeks ago). Then I told him about my wild apple trees and how desperate they are to be pruned. And then I admitted that I've neglected them because I don't have the confidence to do the job myself. He offered advice. He said he could come by later in the season and show us how to handle the job. He gave me his email address and phone number - I sent him a note the second I came in the door. :-) And he told me about a place in Montréal where he gets his apple trees (he has several different varieties!) and would be willing to help us order some in if we were so interested. I can't tell you how excited this made me!
We talked a little about the environment and oil. We talked about made in Canada and shipping our jobs overseas. He worries about what will happen in twenty years when oil reserves are so depleted and expensive that we can't afford to ship barges of goods across the ocean and there are no factories left in North America. Or skilled labour. He mentioned exploiting our water, the growing lack of knowledge on this continent about basic things like growing a potato. What are we going to do? And what will we be left with?
It was a wonderful night. On so many levels. I'm so glad you forced me to join in, Darlene.
~Liz
Getting ready to welcome survivors from
