Reblogging my post from a year ago. This is the first anniversary of our mother’s passing, and a difficult year it was. You are always in my heart, Mom x
Blog
Reinvention
In a recent telephone conversation with my aunt in the U.S., we got to talking about my dad (her brother), in his early years. Long before he fell in love with and married my mother, my father was an interesting fellow in his own right, excelling in his school studies and discovering his deep passion for all things musical.
Most likely because of the popularity of the big bands and swing music back in the day, his first musical instrument of choice was the saxophone.
Later, when icons like Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, and Glen Campbell, to name a few, came on the scene, Dad took up the guitar. When Beatlemania exploded, he joyously took part by buying their albums and learning to play many of their songs. As many can attest, he stayed devoted to guitar music the rest of his life.
As you can see from the above photo, my father was very thin when he was young. But after he married Mom, he began the quest of bodybuilding, transforming himself into the strong, well-muscled dad his children grew up with.
Pondering these things about my father made me think about the power of reinventing oneself. Sometimes the reinvention is necessary for survival, for instance a health issue demanding change. Other times it is a choice we make in the belief it will make us happier and more fulfilled.
I have had some reinventions of my own throughout my life. A few examples:
1. stay-at-home mom
2. customer representative in a bank
3. writer and blogger
Number three became possible when my husband and I did what my parents had done later in their lives: made the big move out of the city and into the country. Doing so gave me new insight into why they made such a change, and the benefits of this lifestyle which happen to better suit our personalities too.
People who cannot invent and reinvent themselves must be content with borrowed postures, secondhand ideas, fitting in instead of standing out. ~ Warren G. Bennis
Have you done anything in your life to reinvent yourself? I’d love to hear from you if you have your own tale of reinvention to share. Don’t be shy. 🙂
~~Special thanks to Auntie who sent me these precious photos XOXO~~
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“Mom, where do babies come from?”
During our stay in Bonavista last month, we took a drive to nearby Elliston. The claim to fame of this charming little community is its reputation as the
“Root Cellar Capital of the World.”
More than 130 root cellars have been documented in the Elliston area, dating back as far as 1839, and some of them are still in use today. The people who settled here grew their own vegetables, which were stored in the root cellars. A well-built cellar stayed dry and kept a constant, cool temperature year round.
But by now, you are probably asking, what does any of this have to do with where babies come from?
Well, according to Elliston folklore, the older folks told the children that babies came from root cellars. In the words of a Mrs. Ella Pearce,
They said they used to dig the babies out with a silver shovel. We used to go to the cellars and listen for babies. We never questioned our parents. We thought everything they said was true. They had midwives in them days, and we thought they used to dig them out.”
So folks, I’ve learned about yet another way babies come into the world, to add to the well-known tales of the Cabbage Patch and the Stork.
Are there any other explanations for how babies got here, that parents may have told their children? (besides the TRUTH, of course!)
Please share with me below if you have knowledge of more fascinating folklore!
For more info on Elliston, click here.
A Step Back in Time: Scenes from Bonavista
A couple of weekends ago, my husband and I visited friends who had relocated to the town of Bonavista last year. It was a three and a half hour drive away, the weather was lovely and it was our first time seeing the beautiful and historic town, so of course I had my camera ready. It was extremely difficult to narrow down the photos to only these!
Relaxing…in a Bathrobe?
Both of my cats enjoy grabbing opportunities,
wherever they may find them,
to cozy up and have a luxurious cat nap.
A carelessly dropped bathrobe has become
this morning’s perfect chance location for a purry snooze.
In this case, as in most,
Maisie is the one who finds the sudden bed,
and no sooner does she get nice and comfortable,
but Vivian happens along and surreptitiously joins her sister.
♥
This has been my contribution to Ailsa’s Weekly Photo Challenge – Relaxing.
Related articles
- Guest Post: Vivian’s View from Here – Part III (jenniferkellandperry.wordpress.com)
Completing My First Draft: Three Things I’ve Learned
Two weeks ago today, I had a fabulous evening.
Late on that Friday afternoon, I typed the last word of the last sentence of the last chapter of my Work In Progress. It felt wonderful! What a sense of satisfaction filled me as I raised my glass of Cabernet and toasted to my awesomeness. What an accomplishment! I spent the rest of the evening, and well into the night, celebrating, mentally patting myself on the back and grinning like an idiot.
My euphoria lasted about as long as the hangover. Over the next couple of days as planned, I reviewed a few of the writing tips and tricks I had bookmarked for my upcoming revision and editing process, and I crashed back to sober reality. I realized there was still plenty of work ahead, and instinctively I know certain areas have to be improved, rearranged, and completely rewritten, and then there’s my iPad with an app full of collected notes, jockeying to make it into the finished product as well.
But that’s okay. Every writer knows the first rough draft is exactly that: a first run, a rough copy, and yes, some of it is just plain shit. But in among the steaming heaps that stank, I knew there were jewels just waiting to be polished, the little jewels that make it all worthwhile.
Here are three chief concepts I believe every writer, who truly wants to be a writer, needs to remember.
1. No one wants to read about a Goody Two Shoes. If I expect readers to keep turning the pages, my characters have to be flawed. Whether that makes you like them, or love to hate them, depends on the types of flaws they embody – and maybe it depends on the sort of person you are, and what types of characters you are drawn to and like to read about. As important as plot may be, really, it’s all about the characters.
2. If you aren’t having any fun while you write, I don’t know how you will ever make it as a writer. A writer writes because she wants to, she has to, regardless of recognition or book sales. The fulfilment is in the process. And it’s a hard process. The best piece of advice I read about writer’s block was to put the manuscript aside and try penning a poem, or exploring another creative endeavor.
3. You have to want to write another book as soon as you’re finished the one you are now writing, The sweet possibility of a sequel keeps whispering in my ear, and that excites me. If I do write a sequel, however, it doesn’t mean the first one will depend on it. The novel I’m writing now will be able to stand alone in its own right. Then there are the flashes of inspiration for other book ideas that come during my writing, to which I can refer and develop when needed.
I’m waiting another couple of weeks to give myself more objectivity, before I start revisions. In the meantime there are plenty of good books and other reading material that beg for my attention.
Then on to the Second Draft!
Please share your thoughts with me about your Work in Progress. 🙂
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The Creation of a Novel: a Progress Report
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- The End… Of The First Draft. (beyondthefiction.wordpress.com)
Guest Post: Vivian’s View from Here – Part III
Greetings to all,
Folks, Felines and otherwise!
It’s me, Vivian K. Perry, the shedding-est, purring-est, head-butting-est pussy cat in the land, and once again I am pleased and honoured to cover this evening’s blog post, here at Jennifer’s Journal.
Maisie and I have been enjoying a gorgeous sun-and-fun-filled summer here on Perry’s Point.
Jennifer is feeling a little under the weather as of late, but no worries, I’m sure she’ll bounce back to her old self, quicker than you can say meow. We’ll see to that.
We entertained visitors on several occasions, but stayed clear of that overgrown Golden Doodle, Nico, because he is simply too friendly in that annoyingly brash doggy way of his.
We did take a two week trip to St. John’s, but were oh-so grateful to return home to our walks along the coastline, relaxing sun baths, hunting of tiny critters, and all that priceless freedom.
For those who don’t know how we got our names, here goes: When Jennifer and her husband adopted us from the SPCA, the lovely staff had already named us Maggie and Storm. But our new staff thought they could do better.
Jennifer asked, “Do we know a couple of sisters who are always together?” After some brainstorming, Jennifer’s husband suggested the names of two of Jennifer’s aunts, who often spend time together. “Yes,” she squealed. “That’s perfect! I always liked their names as well, so Maisie and Vivian they will be.” And the aunts got a kick out of it too.
♥ 
Meow! ♥
Further Feline Reading:
Vivian’s View From Here
Vivian’s View From Here – Part II
Cats on Ice – Exploring Spring Thaw in Iceberg Alley
Sunshine, Surf and Sand
Is there anything that captures the carefree magic of summer more than spending warm days playing at the beach? When the kids came to visit this week, they happily took advantage of the many delights the seaside has to offer. 
Building sand castles, catching hermit crabs in their little shells – and releasing them again – jumping over frothy waves and off of sand dunes, letting their dog run free, all this and more made for a memorable summer holiday.
Nico probably had the best vacation a dog ever had. The freedom to explore the coastline, running after beach birds that couldn’t be caught, he was a joy to watch as he galloped across the sand in wide circles around us.
Our little girl played with her new friend from Ontario every chance she got, as if they had always known each other. When the time came to say goodbye, she cried, but they exchanged addresses and made plans to become pen pals until they could see each other again. 🙂
The day they left, our little boy said he wished he lived here because he didn’t have a “backyard beach” at home.
Fifteen Years Ago Today ♥
“Love is like a friendship caught on fire.” -Jeremy Taylor
“Love must be as much a light, as it is a flame.” -Henry David Thoreau
Travel Theme: Architecture
Ailsa’s travel-themed photo challenge this week is Architecture.
While I was out and about in the older section of St. John’s last month, I stopped to admire some of the colourful Victorian rowhouses near the downtown. Tourists come every year looking for the street called Jelly Bean Row, but there is no one street. It is the nickname given to all the vibrantly painted row houses in the downtown area.
