Penguin Cookies

This filker had little money for conventions or travel but I am posting here in case I have readers who knew him and are not on the UFO email list. (You can subscribe at https://ufo.filkontario.ca/listinfo/ufo)

This death notice appeared in the Globe and Mail today:

LAYMAN, Eric December 15, 1943 to April 27, 2008 - Lawrence Eric Layman born in New Westminster BC, has lived in Toronto since 1957 where he attended U of T and made a living as a poet, writer and copy editor. He died suddenly of complications resulting from emphysema an a lung infection. He is much missed by his three brothers and sister, and many, many friends. Eric's poetry, his love of languages, music and a spirit of open inquiry inspired anyone who knew him. he has left us a great example of how, above all, to live our dream, and he has left us a sizeable legacy of writing. His remains were cremated at the St. James Crematorium in Toronto, to be scattered by family members. Family and friends will gather to celebrate Eric's life on Sunday, May 25, from 3 to 6 p.m., at the Performing Arts Lodge, 110 the Esplanade.

Perhaps we can also have a short remembrance of Eric at the house filk on May 17th, for filkers who cannot attend on May 25th.

FYI, a new summer filking schedule will be sent out shortly. The June 21st date in Guelph is unchanged.

Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk and search for "penguins". Pick the video (top right) "If Penguins Could Fly". Suffer through the commercial while it loads - I think it is worth it.

I hope to spend time with many of my Friends this weekend! FilKONtario is going to be great, as always. I am running registration, going to the wedding and moderating, if needed, a polite chaos filk on Friday night so I should not be hard to find. Come by for a hug, please.

If you are still dithering, check out the pocket program now on the www.filkontario.ca web site. With concerts by vixy and Tony, Bill Roper, Marilyn Miller, Bedlam Bards, Urban Tapestry, Heather Dale and Yu and Katy, how can you miss this? Not to mention the wedding of the year, the workshops, the song contests, the Interfilk Auction silliness and the many hours of making music with great people.

Phil and I will have the added pleasure of hosting Deborah before and after.

Blanco is a pure white, 18-year old horse who would have preferred a nice nap and pasture, or even a movie set, to being repeatedly in an arena where people kept clapping. The relationship between him and his human was wonderful though. He clearly thought his evening Pegasus performance was silly - Mommy, why do I have to wear wings? I bought a T-shirt of course and a little stuffed Pegasus anyway (white, not pinto). I watched both clinics and both evening performances, though the final one was boring.

It was lovely surprise to find that Heather Bruton had a booth at the Equine Emporium, mostly with horse stuff. She seemed to be attracting a lot of attention, and she has great stuff to bring to FilKONtario.

There were excellent clinics and I learned quite a bit about trail class obstacles. I would have spent more time at clinics but half of them were in the main arena where the seating was bleachers only. I was already aching in many places from some extra efforts on Thursday and am now really sore from being on a bleacher from 7-10:30 for the evening extravaganza. It was easier to spend most of the day chatting, looking at horses and shopping, though I did not buy anything else. There was a particularly wonderful multi-coloured large Icelandic horse I really wanted to ride. Much nicer than the albino Thoroughbred stallion. The most interesting horses were the Gypsy Vanners - large, strong pintos with wonderful feathers (long hair on lower legs).

I may go again next year, but will take lunch or pick up stuff en route; the food was pretty lousy.

A story from the UK of interest to Pratchett fans and anyone who might someday get or know someone with Alzheimers (in other words, all of us):

Terry Pratchett (copyright: Robin Matthews)

Best-selling sci-fi author Terry Pratchett will today pledge $1m (£500,000) to UK-based charity the Alzheimer's Research Trust. Pratchett was diagnosed with the disease in December 2007.

Pratchett will announce his donation at the charity’s conference in Bristol this morning. He will also discuss his intention to raise awareness about the disease and about the lack of funding available for research.

“It is a shock to find out that funding for Alzheimer’s research is just 3 per cent of that to find cancer cures,” he will say.

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: “While we were deeply saddened to learn of Mr Pratchett’s diagnosis, we are delighted that he has chosen to speak out about his experiences. His generous donation will fund promising UK research.”

As some of you know, I am still very much grieving for the loss of my best friend Barbara (Kiesecker) in June 2006. This week another one died, with weird coincidences, for those who believe in coincidences ( Read more... )

I loved Jeff's rock music, because he was such a great guitarist. I listened to some of his jazz talk on radio; he was incredibly knowledgeable about early jazz. So I always meant to go hear him play jazz, with friends who love jazz. He played all the time in Toronto, at his own club! But somehow we never got that outing scheduled, and now he has lost his battle with cancer. So dumb of me not to have gone to see him long ago.

The Globe and Mail had a nice appreciation column today here and obit yesterday < here

I do not know whether Phil gave me his cold or I caught it from any of the thousands of Torontonians filling the subways and stores with coughing and sneezing. But I have a really sore throat and that is how my colds usually start. And a bad headache that makes working difficult. Sigh. I really need to be downtown tomorrow for a work event so I guess I will cocoon and rest today.

Remember the gorgeous white horse ridden by Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies? Well, he is London Ontario March 14-16, and I have just arranged to go on the 15th to see him. His actual name is Blanco.

Go to http://www.canamequine.ca and search for either name to get the details.

Anyone want to come with? It would be a long day I plan to attend clinic throughout the afternoon as well as stay for the evening extravaganza.

My friend Audrey and I went to the Toronto Zoo with cameras yesterday to try to get some pictures for our next camera club evaluation group. At the first pavilion, a very nice older gentleman asks us to take his picture in front of some Indo-Malayan flora, to send to a friend in Japan. We keep running into him at different exhibits for the next couple of hours, as we are moving at about the same speed, so when we realized he has arrived at the fast food place just ahead of us, and is going to eat alone, Audrey invites him to sit with us.

He is an excellent story-teller who has led an interesting life, so that was a great decision! But he mentions an interest in music and that he plays a little harp, flute, etc. When I ask if he reads any fantasy, he starts listing fantasies he likes. So I suggest he come to a music convention where the music of fantasy is played. He already knows about it. You can see where this is going, can't you?

Yes, this was Fred Ohi, father of Debbie and Ruth! (For those who do not know, Ruth is an award-winning author of books for very young children and as animated a reader on stage as Debbie is as a musician). There are 5.6 million people in the Greater Toronto area, and quite a few of them are Japanese, but I find Debbie's father at the Zoo!

My friend took a photo of us just as I was telling her to move over to my left so I was not squinting into the sun. I am not photogenic to start with and this is one of the worst ever; I hope the one she took on his camera turned out better. And I have not yet learned how to use my Flickr account so cannot post it. I will email it to Debbie.

I do hope Fred comes out to some filks as I am sure he would enjoy them and be very welcome. He sounded too busy! He has my contact information.

It did not start well. The freezing rain on Sunday meant no driving to go horseback riding, and the person I was working with on a rush proposal went incommunicado all weekend. I scrambled to deliver the proposal at the last minute, then since they were supposed to respond on Wednesday if I got an interview, I thought it was for nothing.

But:
- My lovely songbook and CD arrived from Conflikt from my supporting membership
- Phil said yes to going to Duckon - and we get to travel with Tom and Sue again!
- Both Nalo Hopkinson and Guy Gavriel Kay were excellent at yesterday's Speculative Fiction Lit Lunch (part of the Toronto Public Library's Keep Toronto Reading series)
- I got the best feedback ever on my photos at the evaluation group - mostly on efforts to take pictures with just the right amount of blur out the window while Tom drove us back from ConFusion
- the potential client advised they were taking longer to review submissions, so I am still in the running
- an organization that talked about hiring me in January 07 just got in touch to say they might be ready to start
- today looks lovely for riding (even if cold)
- And now Marilisa is coming to FilKONtario!

Of course, I can never get enough of things going well, so keep 'em coming.

Of course, MEEZ thinks English jumping saddles come with Western horns! I did not find a cowgirl style animation yet.

jodimuse tagged me to post 7 surprising or obscure facts about me. So here goes ( Read more )

And I am supposed to tag seven others so here are some people I would love to know more about and have not seen do this meme:

parrotparty , trulinor , blueeyedtigress , callylevy , vaurien , technogeek (who I see all the time but he is so quiet!) and trektone.

Only if you want to, of course. I rarely find time to do the memes that circulate and will understand if you skip this one.

For filkers in southern Ontario, it's time for more music! You have the right to sing and play at 91
Highland Park Blvd from 2 - 10ish. Expect a cat to participate, and maybe a
glimpse of another.

Dinner will be potluck so bring a contribution as well as snacks or drinks.
The house is one block north of Steeles and three blocks east of Yonge. If
coming by TTC, take the Steeles East bus from Finch subway.

RSVP to Sally Headford at sheadford at rogers.com or 905-771-0629 if you are
coming.

************************
Upcoming filk circles:
March 28-29, at Ad Astra (www.ad-astra.org)
April 4-6, FilKONtario! (www.filkontario.ca)

Debbie made some icons available to those who tested her new list.

My mom always wanted me to be a figure skater like her, but I just kept falling over on weak ankles. So I never looked like the woman in the icon, just a pink eleghant falling on my butt, or a milkmaid falling on my butt - you get the picture. Mom hated making costumes but kept making them for me and my little companions, and being DJ for the annual carnival as well. And I never managed a single spin or jump. I can no longer skate at all.

But I am a lifelong skating fan, and went to the World Championship the year it was in Ottawa (the final Torvil and Dean championship, as well as a gold for Canadians Underhill and Martini).

Thanks, Debbie!

My wonderful phillip2637 apparently wants me to stay home more - he gave me the full Babylon 5 set to watch (once we get through the final three Fireflys), organic hot chocolate and two filk CDs. And a supporting membership to Conflikt, since we want to support its first year even though we cannot go.

Others may want me to get out more. At the stable where I ride, I was given a bone stick for the native drum I have not yet learned to play, and an amazing native turtle rattle. I will bring these to the Saturday filk since maybe someone there can show me how the stick is meant to be used with this drum.

Of course, the best part of life is friends. Phil is my best friend, and he endured a horrible rush hour drive to Hamiton for the Dale/Francy concert which was also part of his birthday gift to me. So I got to spend part of my birthday weekend with Dave and Judith, then dinner today with my brother and nephew. The birthday extends to tomorrow when Forrest Ann and I go to see Enchanted. I am so lucky!

What could be better than a concert with both Heather Dale and David Francy, in a really good folk venue? Going to the concert with Dave and Judith, that's what!

Heather and Ben were high energy and the crowd loved them. David and Craig were lower key but wonderful. I think they all really enjoyed playing in Hamilton, and I bet they sold lots of CDs. Heather had never heard David live, and David started his set by saying how pleased he was to be closing for Heather and Ben!

We got to have a pleasant Thai/Vietnamese dinner first too, since the Haymans know where to find the kind of food I like.

Many thanks to phillip2637 for buying the tickets and putting up with driving to Hamilton in rush hour.

A very happy day and wonderful year to my friends

smoooom who deserves a year without pain, family crisis or tragedy (yes, everyone does, but Heather has had far too many bad years in a row)

and

catsittingstill who I do not get to see and hear nearly often enough.

Since I think some of phillip2637's recent songs have mainstream potential, I started being silly last night about which commercial performers could sing them. One funny one seemed right for Peter Noone (for you youngsters on my friends list, the lead singer of Herman's Hermits, still around and performing last I heard). After a few bars of one of Noone's old pieces, "I'm leaning on the lamp post at the corner of the street in case a certain little lady walks by), Phil went into that style and did his whole song as Noone. With no prior warning or practices. He got it so right it was really wrong.

Now who shall I suggest tonight?

From the Sunday Telegraph, reprinted in the Globe and Mail:

British researchers have found that everyone needs at least one hug a day to cope with stress. But a British survey showed our hectic pace of living had killed off the hug, leaving a nation starved of daily physical contact.

I guess they did not survey filkers!

Perhaps this is another way to promote filk conventions ...

What was good about it?

- The therapy is working. My neck is still sore and my knee was bad last night but my back is better and my headaches less frequent. I think the massages are helping the most

- I got wonderful feedback for my remarks on Shared Values in the NGO Sector at the WANGO conference (see prior post) and some quite unexpected business leads

- I had a great time at the races with sposter and hope to get her and sexybass to a track again

- I managed to get a saddle on and off Naomi when the person who was supposed to help me on Saturday morning did not show up until after my ride, so I am no longer quite so dependent on help because of the whiplash

- I had a lovely visit today with a friend and colleague from Ottawa I had not seen in far too long; he came to speak at the monthly ethics luncheon I organize

AND
- I actually nailed a song on Wednesday in front of some local filkers over for practice!
New goal: Nail a song and not cause astonished stares.

In the next two days I have a board presentation to do and two focus groups to facilitate, so I hope the good times continue.