Wednesday, January 16, 2013

A Charming and Impressive Library

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the Cambridge Narrows Regional Library. Check out the web site. www.cambridge-narrowsregionallibrary.ca I was very impressed with the facility. With a lot of hard work by volunteers and their ongoing dedication and lots of support from the community, they have taken an old building and turned it in to a vibrant part of the community. The selection of books and other resources is astounding. The programs and activities they offer are numerous . The décor is welcoming and nurtures a love of reading in all ages. I was invited to meet in the morning with a group of grade eleven students and their very enthusiastic teacher. I was happy to meet Andrew, Brandis, Devon, Carly, Kristen,Justis, Greg and Mrs. Goodin. They had read The Year Mrs. Montague Cried and I was pleased to answer their questions and receive their comments.I talked more than I should have because we ran out of time and I would have loved to have heard more from them. Thank you so much Mrs. Goodin for sharing my book with these great kids and for inviting me to meet them.I then was invited to the home of Brenda Dunsmore for lunch. Brenda has been one of the people instrumental in the existence of the library and certainly is very involved in it's vibrancy. Brenda a former colleague and fellow Kingston Peninsula resident along with her husband Bruce have chosen to spend their retirement years in Cambridge Narrows. After having visited them in their lovely lake front home I can not blame them. I am sure they are getting back as much as they are putting in to their chosen location. After a lovely lunch with Brenda ,Betty and Pat I returned to the library where I spent a wonderful afternoon with a book club of about twelve ladies. What a welcoming group these ladies were. Again I probably talked too much but we also had a lot of discussion,some laughter and the emotion that makes tears well up.Days like this are such a joy for me. They combine so many of the things I love; spending time with kids, watching excellent teachers do what they do,being surrounded by books, sharing my work, telling my stories, listening to the stories of others,selling a book or two, and making another memory in this evolving career as an author. So today as I prepare to give the rest of this day over to writing I am reminded of why sitting here day after day alone turning words and sentences in to story is rewarded not with money but with the moments just like the ones I had yesterday at the Cambridge Narrows Library.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Welcome 2013

The sun is streaming through my office window and I am warm even though the outside temperature is -17. The furnace is well stocked , the kitchen stove is beginning to heat the water in the kettle and I am sitting in the quiet comfort of this room letting the frenzy of the last week settle.Yesterday we welcomed a large group of family and friends for our now annual New Years Day feast. For two days I work non stop to present a meal reflective of the efforts we have put in to growing vegetables, preserving the harvest and raising turkeys, chickens and pigs over the summer and fall months.I look to 2013 thankful for the gifts of 2012, ready to receive the blessings and challenges that lie ahead and very thankful for the memories I hold within the walls of this house and in my heart. I celebrate the people ,place and purpose I have been given.