Saturday, July 31, 2004

Essential Music

No real plans on this long weekend so I'm just doing some DIY projects around the house and listening to the radio. Right now there's a show on CBC 2 called 50 Tracks, with four panellists choosing what they feel are the top 50 songs on the recorded music era by decade (today they are in the 1950’s).

Now, I consider myself more knowledgeable about popular music then your average person on the street, but I’ve never even heard of some of these tunes! I know music preferences are a deeply personal thing but Mel Torme over Elvis? Hank Snow over Johnny Cash or Patsy Cline? I don’t think so!

So, your assignment is to leave me a comment about what you believe are the most essential songs or artists in each decade from the 1950’s to the 1990’s. This is a good site if you need some help. I love a lot of the music prior to the 50’s but to keep this easier, let’s just consider the last 50 years.

Places to Visit

Oh yeah, I was going to give you links to some favorite places that we visited on the east coast. You should check out these spots if you're planning a trip:

PEI: Confederation Bridge, Avonlea Village, Founders Hall

Nova Scotia: Pier 21, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Peggy's Cove, Annapolis Royal

There's lots more to see and do, these are just a few that we really enjoyed!


Thursday, July 29, 2004

A Great Vacation!

Although it was a bit of a whirlwind tour, we had a great vacation in the Maritimes and we discovered where we would like to visit again and where we wouldn't bother with. Prince Edward Island is absolutely gorgeous on the North Shore and is perfect for a week of relaxing on a beach. We only had a couple of days camping, but next time we'd rent a cottage for a week, stay on the beach, and not bother visiting the cities/towns. Cavendish is great, but Charlottetown and Springfield were a little disappointing.

Nova Scotia is great too and Halifax is my favourite city in the world. Gorgeous harbour area, plenty of history, lots happening, friendly people, and a pace of life that is so much more sane than here in Ontario. I don’t even have the right words to explain my affection for Halifax. It goes beyond words to my very soul. When I am there, all is right in the world. When I have to leave, a piece of me stays behind just waiting for my next visit.

Lunenburg is a beautiful little town filled with colourful houses, maritime antiques, and artisan shops. We're not talking your mom's ceramic garden gnomes here; we're talking truly amazing works of carving, glassware, and folk art. We will definitely visit again – hopefully when the sun is out!

Port Royal used to be the capital of the province back in the days before the British forced the Acadians to leave. Although I didn’t take many photos, it’s a picturesque little town that was a perfect spot to spend our last night before heading home. A number of the B&B’s and shops are owned by people who fled the rest of the country for a more sensible life. As one person put it, “I was sitting on the 401 in rush hour traffic and just thought, is this really worth it. I visited Nova Scotia and didn’t ever want to leave.” She and her husband moved permanently a year later. They now officially qualify as "CFA's - come from away."

But now we are home and it feels good too. No matter how great it is to visit other places, there is always something wonderful about being in your own bed in your own home. It makes me think of the longing in every human heart for heaven. Whether it is recognized as such, we all have a desire for "home", that place where we will find our ultimate comfort, peace, and rest.

Thanks for enjoying this little trip with us. I hope someday you’ll be able to visit this part of our country too and discover just how amazing it is!


The sun sets on a great vacation. Posted by Hello

A stop for lunch in Quebec City on the way home to see "our hotel" the Chateau Frontenac. Posted by Hello

One more very important stop before heading home - Windsor, NS - the birthplace of hockey. Posted by Hello


The Europa visits Port Royal. Posted by Hello


Down to Lunenberg. Lots of fog = not many photos! Posted by Hello

A deckchair from the Titanic on display in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Note the poster for the return trip to England. Posted by Hello

The Caledonia tied up in the harbour. Posted by Hello

On to Halifax... Posted by Hello

In town at Peggy's Cove. Posted by Hello

It's not all tourism. Some people actually work! Posted by Hello

Heeding the warning...sort of. Posted by Hello

Warning on the lighthouse. Posted by Hello

Peggy's Cove lighthouse. Posted by Hello

Leaving P.E.I. on our way to Nova Scotia. Posted by Hello

Green Gables (as in "Anne Of..."). Posted by Hello

On the beach. Posted by Hello

Lupines everywhere! Posted by Hello

Yes, the sand really is red. Posted by Hello
 
Touching the ocean for the very first time - "it's freezing!" Posted by Hello




Sand dunes on the North Shore of Prince Edward Island. Posted by Hello

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Vacation & Digital Cameras

My apologies for not posting in so long. I was away at a publisher sales conference, then to the Christian Booksellers Convention in Atlanta, and then on vacation with R to the Canadian east coast.

I now have a digital camera that R and I took on vacation with us. Is there a greater invention known to man than the digital camera? I don't think so. Sure, I can fly around the world, I can drive across the continent, I can use indoor plumbing, but as tough as that last one is to beat, the digital camera has changed my life!

I took 169 photos on our vacation to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. I have always taken lots of photos but I've never felt so free to just shoot away and not have to worry about film and processing charges. While we haven't developed any shots yet, just knowing we can pick and choose the ones we really want is a huge bonus!

I'll post some of my favorite shots here shortly as well as a little more commentary on the actual trip. For now, let me just say that if you haven't visited the maritime provinces, do it now! This is some of the most beautiful country in the world, and some of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet (except maybe for the drivers in New Brunswick!).