New Beginnings

Well, here we are again, at the start of another school year. In September of  2011, I had a piece in the Ottawa Citizen entitled Education is a long road. It was written as a thank you to all the teachers, relatives and friends who helped us to raise our three children. In it I stated that "this school portion of our journey is over".

Well, it seems that I spoke too soon. Our youngest "child", Brendan, who has been working as a French to English translator for the last 3 years, has changed course. He has quit his office job to go back to the books. On Labour Day he started classes in a journalism degree at King’s College in Halifax. We’re very happy and excited for him.

King's College, Halifax

So we have been busy, helping with his big move. Personally, I think I deserve an award for the sheer amount of stuff I managed to cram into our car for the drive to Nova Scotia. It was an intense week of packing, driving and setting up but it’s all over now. We're back home.

So for Brendan and all students, this is the new year: a fresh start, new surroundings, new classes and new people.  Norah and Sean will also have a new person in their lives soon. Baby number two is due to arrive later this month. We're excited to meet him/her.

Parenthood is a heck of an adventure, with all kinds of unexpected twists and turns. Somewhere I read that it is a job that you gradually ease yourself out of, but really, you’re a parent for the rest of your life. Although we’ve been saying goodbye to Brendan off and on for the past ten years, ever since he went to Guelph, the goodbyes don’t get any easier. Don’t sign up for parenthood if you’re not ready for an emotional ride.

This morning on The Sunday Edition, host Michael Enright spoke about dropping his son off at school. I liked what he said about having kids and starting school being acts of optimism.

So here's to all the students, teachers and young families out there…a very happy new year to all!

Remembering our deceased

In the midst of summer, our family had the opportunity to remember some of those we have lost. On Saturday, August 9th, one of this summer's truly stellar days, about 60 relatives and  friends gathered in Douro, near Peterborough, to bury Pat's brother Matt's remains. We celebrated his funeral mass in Peterborough last December but in true Matt fashion, he was late for his own funeral. His cremated remains did not arrive back from San Fransisco in time for the funeral. We decided to delay his burial until August, when many out of town family members could all gather.

And they gathered; from Dubai, California, Vancouver and all over Ontario. If a burial can be special or lovely, this one was. As we walked over to the cemetery an Irish family friend played a slow and mournful tune on the flute. It was a scene straight from an Irish movie. Matt's musician friend "Washboard" Hank, started things off at the gravesite by strumming his banjo. Many of us joined in, as he sang "That's the Glory of Love".  As on Matt's funeral day, we were blessed to have Fr. Leo Coughlin with us. Near the end, he asked us to make a circle as we said the Lord's Prayer. It was a simple but powerful gesture, to be able to see everyone together; Matt's community. The whole event was sad, moving and peaceful. Leo reminded us that our tears were a means of healing.

After the ceremony we went back to Matt's cabin and enjoyed food and music, courtesy of Matt's friends. The weather made it extra special; a perfect day to be at the Shaughnessy Research Labs, also known as Windswept Meadows. Later on, many of us had a swim in "Lake Shaughnessy", the gravel pit across the road.

In the late afternoon we drove about 10 minutes, to cousin Lori's place. She and her family hosted a Shaughnessy reunion. There were about 180 there. Lori and her family did a great job. Not only did they organize a wonderful party, they also included a ceremony to remember the sick and deceased members of the Shaughnessy family. After a moment of silence and a reading of an Irish blessing, we let helium balloons, in the colours of the Irish flag, rise to the sky. It was another poignant moment as we thought of those we have lost.

Family or school reunions send many people running in the opposite direction. However, as  life seems to be speeding up, I'm happy to take advantage of these opportunities to visit, on a positive occasion, rather than waiting for yet another funeral.

And so we were lucky, to celebrate two special family events on a glorious summer day.

Summer

In some school districts summer vacation has been shortened. They have a "balanced" school year with vacations spread throughout the year. Although research may point to better retention of learning, it will take a lot to convince me that we should shorten our summer holidays. After the long, brutal winter that we experienced here, I am simply relishing every opportunity to enjoy summer. The simple pleasures of sitting and eating outside are a treat.

There are many topics to write about but I have simply been too busy enjoying our summer visitors and times at cottages. In the fall I will devote more time to these ramblings. In the meantime, here's a quick peek at our little guy.

What fun to see a boy in his first car!

or playing with his first frog!

Canada Day in the Capital

Well, Pat has taken down the flag on our house and I've put my red and white T-shirt away until next year. Canada Day is long over. If you have never experienced Canada Day in Ottawa, you really might want to put it on your bucket list.

Most years we head downtown by bike, along the beautiful Ottawa River Parkway. (I refuse to call it by its new Harper name; the Sir John A. MacDonald Parkway.) There are always lots of folks biking along beside the river, towards Parliament Hill. This year the skies looked threatening so we took the free bus option instead. By 9:30 am buses were already packed with people of all ages.

People watching is one of the main events. Pretty well everyone wears red and white. Some people wear great outfits.

Over the years we have established a bit of a routine. About five years ago we started attending the free Unisong concert in the National Arts Centre. This year there were five Ottawa choirs who were joined by six choirs from across the country. Unisong was created in 1997 to foster understanding and patriotism.             

This year's show was great. The program consisted of pieces representing various regions of the country. Especially moving was a piece by James Wright, entitled To Young Canadians. It was the first time that we have heard this piece, that sets to music the final speech/letter of Jack Layton.

After Unisong we usually head to the Hill and listen to some of the noon hour concert and O Canada. It's alway a thrill to be anywhere downtown when the Snowbirds fly over the Peace Tower. Then we head over to Major's Hill Park for the Canadian Chicken Farmers bbq chicken sandwich.
When our kids were young we would walk across the bridge to Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau, Quebec. This year it was too windy for the Sky Hawk parachute team which usually  lands there.

The Skyhawks..always fun to watch!

Later on in the afternoon when our feet are fading, we often attend an afternoon concert in Confederation Park. However this year we went back into the NAC. One of the best things about Canada Day is that we always bump into someone we know. This year was no exception. While watching a concert by a group called The Peptides, my gaze went from the singers at the front of the stage to the young drummer at the back. Was he one of my former students? After they finished I went over to speak to him and yes, he was Alex, a student from my Holy Trinity days. It was fun to meet up with him again.

We were walking out of the building after that encounter when  a young woman came up to Pat, enquiring, "Mr Shaughnessy?" Again, a former student, Brittany. She had recognized her kindergarten teacher and just wanted to say hi. It was a pleasure to meet the grown up version of these former students.

Canada Day Tips:
Do not attempt to walk your bike around downtown. Lock it up and walk to the various parks. The stupidest thing we saw this year was a family on bikes. The mom was walking her bike through a throng of people. She had a toddler on a bikeseat and was having a hard time keeping up with her husband. He was attempting to push his way up the hill on Rideau Street with a tandem bike. He did not have just one kid bike attached to his own. No, he had two kids, on their own bikes, attached to his!

Don't go downtown if you hate walking in crowds.

If you think you might make a special effort to attend Canada Day just one year, do not come in a year when royalty is in town, unless you're really into the Royal Family.

Because of the extra security, barricades are put up all along Mackenzie Avenue, which runs beside Major's Hills Park. The barricades continue around the corner, onto Rideau Street to Parliament Hill and you can get totally trapped on one side of the street. The year that Kate and Will were here, we ended up standing in the sun for half an hour, virtually unable to move, in a crush of people, while we waited for the RCMP to let us cross the street into the park. And that was after the carriages had already passed by!

Even without royalty, the Governor General and the Prime Minister always drive along Mackenzie in horse drawn carriages, so after they pass, watch where you walk.

Drop in to The Chateau Laurier Hotel. The air conditioning provides welcome relief on a hot day, the chairs in the lobby are comfy and the washrooms are definitely a step up from the porta-potties outside. The National Gallery and The Museum of History (Also recently renamed by Harper…..for twenty years it was the Museum of Civilization) are also great indoor spaces to escape either heat or rain. All the museums are free on Canada Day.

Enjoy the music.

There are all kinds of free concerts in the parks as well as musicians and entertainers on many corners. Many years ago, on Canada Day, we saw Al Simmons for the first time. He is my absolute favourite family entertainer. For pure, goofy fun he cannot be beat.

On the Sparks Street Mall

This year we came across these fencers! 

During the day, downtown is full of families. The evening is a different matter.We used to go back downtown to see the show on Parliament Hill and watch the fireworks but lately we find that in the evening, the young drinkers are out. Now, if we choose to watch the fireworks we go to a spot far away from the Hill. There are plenty of locations along the river  where you can see them. It's a great way to end the day.

So thanks to my fellow Canadian taxpayers. Every year Canada Day gives us many reasons to be glad we're here.

Rafting on the Ottawa River

Somehow it is already July 1st! Happy Canada Day! Instead of a long list of excuses for my absence, I offer the following...just one of the many activities that have kept us busy these past few weeks.

"Cruising down the river, on a Sunday afternoon…"

There’s a new show in town. And I’m not talking CFL football. No, it’s rafting down the Ottawa River, right here in the city. For years I have wanted to go on a rafting expedition but simply never got around to organizing a trip out of town to do it.

Now, if rafting is your wish, there is no need to leave Ottawa. Wilderness Tours has recently expanded operations to include their Ottawa City Adventure trips. On a recent sunny Sunday afternoon, nine members of my family celebrated my sister’s 60^th by paddling, sightseeing and talking our way from Brittania Beach, in the west end to Lemieux Island, which is just before the War Museum.

  

Along our way we went through the Deschenes, Champlain and  Remic Rapids. If that sounds dangerous, it isn’t; not when you are in the hands of an experienced paddler like our guide Cameron. It’s true that on that very same day, a family had to be rescued from the Deschenes Rapids. However, that family was not in a large, inflatable raft with a seasoned guide. You have to know and understand the rapids in order to navigate them successfully. Although it was fun to bounce through the rapids, at no point did we feel uneasy. As promised at the outset, this was a gentle introduction to rafting. The only time we got wet was when some of us chose to cool off with a quick swim when we were in a quiet section of the river. Cameron hauled us back in by the straps of our lifejackets. 

Cameron sat up higher than us and steered our craft with a pair of high tech oars. We were all issued paddles and although we contributed to the paddling effort, it was no big deal if you decided to take a break and simply enjoy the passing scenery. Cruising down the river affords you a unique vantage point. In the middle of the river, the sounds of the city disappear as you take in both natural and manmade landmarks on both the Quebec and Ontario sides.

Along the way we passed Westboro Beach where we took swim lessons as kids in the 60’s. Then we passed The Point, and Remic Beach where our mom swam as a youngster. We reminisced about the days when the log booms were still along that stretch of the river. They were huge squared timbers, chained together to keep the logs floating down to the EB Eddy plant from going ashore. As teens, we used to swim out to the booms and see how far we could walk along before falling off. Remnants of those days can still be seen. On our ride we passed an upturned log. That visible end was notched, where a chain once attached it to its place in the boom.

Our journey ended among the tiny islands around the water filtration plant, a very peaceful, picturesque section of the river. Just past the bridge that goes to the plant on Lemieux Island, we went ashore, where a van waited to drive us back to Brittania Beach.

Hopefully before the summer is over we'll go again but this time we will take our mother along. It would be fitting for her to go along this historic river, as her grandfather made that trip many times as a river-man, working on the log drive.     

The Ontario Election

A funny thing happened at our annual block party on Sunday. We got ambushed by a candidate in the provincial election. It raises the question that underlies much of what we hear on the news all the time: Just what is fair in politics? Today both Tim Hudak and Kathleen Wynne were forced to apologize for  recent actions of their parties. Federally, there has been a lot of chatter lately about the mailings that MPs regularly send out.Tonight on the National there's going to be an item about a behind the scenes person who "helped" all kinds of politicians rise to power. Who knows what really goes on behind political doors?

Anyhow, what happened at our place on Sunday does not involve anything remotely illegal. Rather, it was just a questionable move. Every year we host our neighbours at a very informal gathering. All we do is set the date and provide a place to gather. It's our neighbours who bring the food to share. The weather was picture perfect on Sunday and we had over 50 people on the laneway, chatting and eating when a friend of ours came up to me and said, "What do you think? Isn't that tacky? Imagine the nerve!"

I had no idea that the NDP candidate for our riding was working her way through our neighbours, introducing herself. She also had a veteran NDP person with her and at one point he advanced to the barbecue area and asked for a burger. Someone opened the bbq lid and as it happened, it was empty at that point. Tough luck!

Everyone was very polite but I think we all felt the same way. This party was our effort to build community on the street...to give all of us, especially the new young families, a chance to meet each other, so that from now on,  we'll perhaps remember names and have more than "hi" to say to each other. We've never had a politician attend. Usually, the highlight at our block party is the "eat the donut off the string" event.

This was not an open public gathering at a neighbourhood park or town hall. It was a private party. I have nothing against the NDP. I have voted for them many times. However, I think she crossed the line by crashing our party. If I had voted for her in the advance poll I would have been regretting that.

However it was my current MPP, Liberal Yasir Naqvi, who got my vote. Yes, I know all about the gas plant scandals but I am not holding Naqvi or Kathleen Wynne responsible for that. This is a corny thing to say but, on the surface at least, I like both of them. They seem to be good, decent people. That sounds very naive.

I question Horvath's timing in suddenly pulling the plug on the government after they put forth a budget with many NDP features. And Hudak? Please protect us from that man. His plan to cut so many government positions scares me. I admit that I am no expert in economics but I simply do not understand how cutting 100 000 government jobs will create one million jobs.  There have been many pieces written on this but basically it's education that worries me the most. The idea of increasing class sizes and eliminating most of our educational assistants in classrooms is ridiculous and almost unbelievable. Children need more, not less, of adults' time and care. This morning I heard an interview with the parent of a murderer. He spoke of his child's rough time in school. These young, vulnerable children need care, attention, and supervision, besides academic instruction.  One teacher on their own simply cannot attend to the multiple needs of today's classrooms.

Years ago we chose to send two of our kids to nursery schools when they were four. The ratio there was eight to one. Today, nursery schools are still governed by the Day Nurseries Act, which stipulates that four year olds must be in an 8:1  setting. However, these same 4 year olds, if in a school, under the Education Act, could be in a classroom with over 30 students. Many of today's full time kindergarten classes have about that many kids, with a teacher and an Early Childhood Educator (ECE). At a nearby school, in a combined JK/SK class there are 31 kids. How can one adult keep up with 15 or 16 four and five year olds? And Hudak wants to eliminate most of the non teaching staff in our schools?!

It is so obvious that it seems silly to say, but really, our future society hinges on the start that we give to all our children. Hopefully Ontario voters will remember that.

Great Glebe Garage Sale

Well, garage sale season is now in full swing. Here in Ottawa, the unofficial opening sale is the Great Glebe Garage Sale.

Every year, on the Saturday after the May long weekend, you will find thousands of people downtown, partaking in the Great Glebe Garage Sale . It's been going on for years. What started as a collection of garage sales has become a real community event. Along with the private garage sales are a good many sales where the money raised goes to various causes. Many of Ottawa's charities…Habitat for Humanity, Ecology Ottawa, Grandmothers to Grandmothers, and so many others, have huge fundraising sales. Along with new and used items they offer crafts, baking and plants.

The Great Glebe is a feast for all your senses. People arrive very early.  Breakfast at home is unnecessary because so many homes offer all kinds of food.  I had lemonade from a young girl raising funds for CHEO (Ottawa's children's hospital) and a peameal bacon sandwich from teens who were raising money for a summer trip to an orphanage in India. Here's a vendor with a sense of humour with her aptly named, breakfast on a stick.

Then there are the smells: all kinds of barbecue offerings plus the fragrance of so many flowering trees. It is possibly the loveliest week to go for a walk because lilacs, crab apples and so many other flowering trees are at their best.

It is a people event. With everyone crowded onto the sidewalks you hear some pretty funny conversations as friends and families try to stay together or find each other . With so many people all over the streets we always bump into someone we know. The highlight of the day for me, at this year's sale was a conversation I had with Clive Doucet. He was a city councillor here in Ottawa for many years and ran for mayor in the last municipal election. He is a fine person, very concerned about the environment. His retirement from civic politics is our loss for sure. What a wonderful mayor he would have made.

Musicians are playing on many corners. My absolute favourite sound from this event is this lively jazz band. Every year they are out there, accepting donations for the Ottawa food bank.

Of course there are all kinds of interesting sights: crowds of happy shoppers of all ages, people walking down streets carrying all sorts of bulky articles and beautifully manicured gardens.

After all is said and done, it is a shopping day. Unlike shopping in a mall where everything is predictable, this is fun, surprising shopping. That's what I like; the unpredictability of it all. You never really know what you will find. The challenge is to buy only what you truly need. If only I could follow my own advice. I didn't exactly need this; my favourite buy from this year's event!

Really, who could resist this Little Tykes slide for $6.00? Not I! While it awaits Avery's next visit, it  has taken up residence in a neighbour's yard.

You may not find what you are looking for at the Great Glebe Garage sale but it is always an entertaining walk on a spring day.