Milestones and McGregor Camp

Well, July has come and gone, and a lot of really wonderful things happened. We had the last of the kids get married as our son tied the knot at a beautiful ceremony at Belle Acre’s Golf Course north of Winnipeg. We were able to spend time at the lake with friends, venturing out to Sportsman’s corner at Westbourne, and Delta north of Portage. We even tried golf for ourselves for the first time, although people are telling me that shooting 100 on a par 39 course is not the same as getting 100%...I still had fun! I’ve decided that it’s not one of my strengths, but is still a great way to put in a summer morning! There were a couple of other really notable things that happened in July I want to share as well.

Me 50 years ago!

That’s me! Can’t believe I reached the day…the big 5-0….wow, it’s been something to wrap my head around. Although looking at the picture of me 50 years ago, not that much has changed I guess. Still have short fingers, chubby arms and still have that smile (although today it’s fortunately still equipped with a full set of teeth!). Wow…fifty years. Who’d have ever thought…we the children of lead painted cribs, and cars with no baby seats…we made it in spite of everything that is considered to be so unthinkable in today’s world!
It was kind of a hard day, and was a bittersweet milestone. Knowing that there are more years behind then are likely to lie ahead, thinking of all those that aren’t here to celebrate this day, reminiscing of those that didn’t get to make this leg of the journey. There were lots of mixed emotions to be sure, but upon returning home from a birthday lunch in Treherne, I was greeted by a surprise party and all my family and friends. Suddenly the sadness of what’s been lost was overridden with the appreciation for all that I have, and it was a marvelous day of celebration with the people that matter most in my world!

The beautiful birthday cake designed by my daughter Bianca

July offered another opportunity for which I’m still on an adrenalin high from. It started with an email I received back in December from Faye Mc Gregor in Switzerland, asking how she would go about getting several copies of my most recent CD. She also wondered if I’d be available to come out to Lake of the Woods to perform at the first McGregor Leadership Camp that she and her husband Mark were going to be hosting there come July. I’ve known Mark and Faye since high school, and was thrilled that they’d think of me for this opportunity! I was honored.

Our Hosts, Mark and Faye McGregor

Mark and Faye are one of those amazing couples that seem to have accomplished so much in their lifetime together! They’ve taken the lessons learned in pursuing their own goals and passions, and have turned them into a career focusing on leadership trainings that have taken them around the world, opening doors and changing the lives of the people that come to the sessions.

At home in the cottage

Although Mark is the front man, a former professional hockey player, coach and manager, he has taken his message to the public forums that have supported him to become one of the most popular management-trainers, coaches and keynote-speakers on an international level, there is no question that it is a family team effort that has enabled so much success. (for more about Mark’s offerings go to http://www.markmcgregor.ch/1_frameset_eng/frameset_eng.htm )

Explaining the activity to be accomplished during

July 201o's McGregor Leadership Camp

One of their family dreams had been to finally have their own place to hold the leadership camps and trainings, and McGregor Camp on beautiful Lake of the Woods was the summation of that dream!

So on July 8th, my wonderful friend Dixie accompanied me as I headed off towards Kenora for a evening of friendship and singing. The first McGregor Leadership camp involved 5 remarkable people from Germany and the Czech Republic, who had come so far to focus on developing their leadership skills, and enhance the quality of their personal lives through the tools and lessons that Mark shared with them. We also got to meet another terrific couple from a little closer to home who share my passions for writing and photography, so there was never an end to great conversation! My participation for the evening was to perform a house concert to entertain their guests for the week, and give them a bit of a change up from the work that they focused on during their days. At the last minute, during our phone conversation earlier that week, Mark had thrown something out about a sing-a-long…so not knowing what to expect, we went prepared for the unexpected! I put together some songbooks of songs that I hoped even folks from across the big pond may have been familiar with, and Dixie and I stopped at the Dollar store on our way through Portage to stock up on tambourines and other assorted percussion instruments, so that even if the singing didn’t work, everyone could participate!

McGregor Leadership Camp on Beautiful Lake of the Woods

Upon arrival I realized that the cottage at the centre of my vision board was not in fact on Falcon Lake, but right in front of me! They’ve built a beautiful place there, that seconds as a learning camp, as they’ve developed a second building on the site into a center that has a large seminar room for trainings, an exercise facility for down time, and even a space for massages or experiencing the yoga that Faye teaches. They really offered a little bit of everything to those that attended!

Off to explore Lake of the Woods with our new aquaintances!

Shortly after arriving, we were all treated to a boat ride to explore a bit of Lake of the Woods, heading out from the sheltered bay that their camp inhabits. It was beautiful! The night was perfect, and the company was wonderful!

Dixie and I enjoying our evening boat ride.

The view of the Lake from the boat dock at McGregor Camp.

Upon returning from our ride, we were treated to an amazing dinner prepared by our hostess with the help of her Mom and her friend, shared a glass or two of wine, then moved into the veranda to share an evening of music. With Dixie as my supporting manager, I shared an hour of my music, and then we switched up the evening into a campfire sing-a-long (without the campfire, or the bugs…but the sensation was the same!)

Dixie and I with our host and friend, Leadership trainer Mark McGregor.

It was one of those evenings that absolutely filled my spirit with joy, a feeling I haven’t been getting enough of in the past many months. It was a very welcome reprieve! It was a wonderful evening for me, and I think everyone else enjoyed it as well. Mark ensured that the attendees all received a copy of my CD, so that my music has now had the opportunity to spread a little further…and I’ve ended up with a great new circle of people, many of whom I’ve remained in contact with since!

Evening House Concert and Sing-A-Long

One of the most amazing things about the night was Mark’s suggestion that he and I collaborate together on putting together a collection of presentations to take out to educators and various other community and business sectors here closer to home, combining his expertise and my music. It was as if he’d reached into my mind and picked out the idea that had drawn me home from Salt Spring Island all those months ago…the notion, or rather the knowledge, that I need to find a way to keep sharing the story, and the message and the lessons learned! That opportunity to perform has led to so many possibilities, that my head is still spinning…but in a very, good way! I’m thrilled about the potential, and excited about it every day. That is such a wonderful place to be each morning, especially after the pain of the past many months. I feel like my stars are aligning, and life really is very good! I’ll keep you all posted!

Lake of the Woods sunset from McGregor Camp deck

Till next time!

Lynda

http://www.musicwriter.ca/

Our first Ten days as Salt Spring Islanders....

Eagle soaring over boat in Ganges Harbour

Well, it seems that we’ve managed to get through the first 10 days as Islanders. We finally got our internet and phone service last Thursday, so I’m feeling a little more connected to ‘my’ world. There are so many things to do here, unfortunately we’re finding that our energy levels are about the same as they are back home, and lots of evenings we’re more prone just to stay home and vegetate than to go out and socialize. Hopefully that will pass gradually, as we get more acclimatized and get to know more people.

Ganges Harbour on one of the sunnier days we've experienced.

We actually have done a fair number of things since our arrival, I mean besides exploring restaurants and some of the local haunts, in hopes of meeting people that can teach us what we need to know. Monday night we attended a concert at the Fulford Hall where the Salt Spring Folk Club has monthly concerts. It was amazing how many people come out to support the event, being it was a Monday. Prior to the concert, people could go and have dinner at the hall. We hadn’t realized that, so ate at home first, but the food there smelled delicious!

Salt Spring Folk Club at Fulford Hall.

Connie Kaldor

This particular evening, Connie Kaldor was the entertainer, with KC Kelly as her opener. Connie has been a staple of the Canadian Folk circuit for years, entertained a full house with her engaging songs and hilarious, entertaining stories. We really enjoyed the evening, and wondered how it is that an island of only 10,000 people can have such turnout for event after event! It’s wonderful to see. It was strange for one from the prairie who has frequently ventured out to watch Valdy in concert seeing him working the sound system instead. This island is full of surprises!

Wednesday was Remembrance Day, so we attended the pancake breakfast at the Legion Hall before heading over to watch the service at Central Park. There was a great turn out for that as well. Remembrance Day can be a tough one. It was such a huge thing for Dad, from the laying of wreaths to his hours spent ensuring that the graves of all the local veterans had poppies marking them prior to the day. I knew this day would be no different. Memories, memories, memories. There hasn’t been a Remembrance Day service for so many years where Shane’s hoot didn’t pierce the two minutes silence….it was very strange to have it so quiet.

I was getting ready to go out for the service, knowing it was to be another hard event, when another of the many strange occurrences that keep happening in my life happened. We’re living a little more minimally here than at home, and with that there are less plug ins, less furniture, less of lots of stuff. My bedroom windowsill doubles as my hair dressing corner, and we’ve hung a small round mirror by the big bedroom window to do my hair at, as there are no electrical outlets in the bathroom here. I was curing my hair the morning of the 11^th, staring out the window at the water, when something else caught my eye. It looked like a perfect pink rose bud, on a tree with not even a leaf to speak of left on it. I kept staring at it, finally thinking that it was likely a plastic rose that had been stuck there earlier, that I’d neglected to notice until just that moment. As soon as my hair was done, I went out to check it out, and sure enough there was a gorgeous single rose growing off the bush that had shut all other functions down for the season long before.

The rose among the branches.

Cecil always ensured that for every special occasion, Shane had a single perfect rose to give his mother, be it Mother’s day, Valentines, a birthday..but there was no way he could orchestrate this one. Maybe I’m starting to lose it, but seeing that rose brought an instant sense of peace, that it was okay. I clipped it and brought it into the house to enjoy for the remainder of its days, it’s timing impeccable. As odd thing continue to happen, I have the time now to pay more attention, so maybe they’re things that have always been happening that I was always to distracted to notice. When things happen that leave me with a sense of wonder, I like to look up what the meaning might be by other’s standards, so I looked up roses stand for. Roses have so many symbolic meanings…love, honor, faith, beauty, balance, but in mythology, the rose is synonymous with Aphrodite, and the most common interpretation is that the rose symbolizes an immortal love or a union that will never fade - even through time or death. A pink rose symbolizes first love, innocence and healing. How appropriate…how strange.

One single rose, found budding on the bush outside my bedroom window.

Sunday afternoon we attended a play put on by the local community theatre called “Having Hope at Home”, written by David S. Craig. It was a wonderful way to put in the afternoon, and the play hit home in so many ways, buy it’s references to the many rural things that define who we are, and the desire to return to a simpler way of life. My understanding was that the playwright was originally from Saskatchewan, so that would explain lots! A quote by the playwright on the program information really struck me, at this time as we venture off trying to discover who we are and what we should be doing. It said “I’m almost certain humans are pack animals and our separation from the tribe, despite the potent freedom it provides, is causing us a great deal of anxiety. My sense is that reconciliation is the challenge of our age. The story I am longing to hear must show people creeping back from isolations towards the vulnerability of community.” It made me think of my own tribe, my pack back on the prairies. It also made me think of the work I’ve put on hold, the work of reconnecting people with disabilities to their communities. Huh….seems I’ve come a long way only to be shown what I’ve left behind.

Trincomali Channel at sunset.

The rest is gradually settling. Lots and lots of rain, but the weather remains mild. My walks are more infrequent than I’d like, as I’m not that accustomed to getting out in the rain as other’s on the island obviously are. I also don’t want to get sick yet…I’ve still got too much settling in to do, but that too will come I’m sure. After all….I did get the rubbers for it!

Not authentic Salt Spring Island...but when it's pouring rain, I don't care!

Till next time,

Lynda

www.musicwriter.ca