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Planet Nilknarf

August 2014
Welcome to Planet Nilknarf
I know it's not Easter but that doesn't mean I'm not creating a variety of different things all year round.
My Easter Bunnies Quit will actually have four different panels depicting Dentzelstyle carousel
rabbits! but I won't be able to finish the last panel until I can find myself more of that sparkling gold
metallic thread! either at "abricland or Michael's. #nd right now I am $ust making do with whatever I
have around the house until I can afford to spend my money on a few e%tra things. &his means that
there will likely be plenty of unfinished pro$ects! at least until 'ovember. I am trying to hold onto as
much money as possible toward the (uelph and 'ew )ork trips as I deal with the disappointment of
having only made *+, at my -ig -obcaygeon #rt .how. I have to be honest when I say I feel like I've
been given the bum's rush. /as it something I said or did that offended anyone0 1kay I may have
come across as a little less than friendly when I arrived at my show in a panic because there was no
pro$ector for my presentation. I even learned the hard way that there was '1 (2E.& -113 for
people to write their comments. I was supposed to have brought my 1/'4 5ello0 Didn't they provide
one 6#.& &IME0 #nd isn't it supposed to be part of their #785I9E.0 #nd I'm afraid to confront them
about feeling slighted. &here was some rather upsetting drama behind the scenes that actually has
nothing to do with me at all but was probably a big part of the reason why I was kept out of the loop!
intentionally or not.
8ould it have been &5I.0
.eriously! I was not deliberately trying to be racist. &rue my former boss would probably shit herself if
she could see this but I'm only depicting it the way it e%ists. I'm talking about the politicallyincorrect
little /atermelon (uy peeking out from $ust behind the saddle on the :&8 ;< tiger. :erhaps this is
supposed to be 6ittle -lack .ambo. I remember that story! a politicallyincorrect children's story about
a little black boy whose parents were named Mumbo and =umbo. #t one point .ambo is chased by
tigers and he climbs a tree to escape from them. &he tigers end up chasing each other around the tree
in circles and they run around in circles so fast that they turn into -2&&E744 6et's see what /ikipedia
has to say about this tale...
http>??en.wikipedia.org?wiki?&he@.tory@of@6ittle@-lack@.ambo
#nd this cartoon...
https>??www.youtube.com?watch0vAB.f(vpt6@&)
1kay! people already hate me for being fat! being autistic and supporting gay rights even though I'm
straight. &hey can hate me for being racist too! even though I'm not.
.eriously! one of the issues we discussed when I was in my #boriginal studies class was the concept
of racial stereotyping. #nd the #boriginal folks have been the brunt of it in spades444 /e talked about
.ports &eams. )ou don't see C&he 8leveland 5ispanicsD! C&he 8leveland #siansD or the C8leveland
#fricansD so /5) the C8leveland IndiansD0 :robably because of the way #boriginal peoples have
been portrayed in our culture.
/e looked at the four basic stereotypes> the Indian :rincess! the .avage /arrior! the 7omanticized
Indian and the 6azy Drunk. It is sad that too many times aboriginal peoples have been mistreated
because of these stereotypes. 1ne particular story comes to mind from 8-8 radio when a woman
was talking about trying to take her mother to the hospital because she'd had a stroke. 'obody would
believe her. 'obody would help her. &hey stupidly assumed that $ust because the poor woman was
aboriginal! she was D72'344
/e had discussions about the following video clips>
https>??www.youtube.com?watch0vAfEyEF&32-@M
https>??www.youtube.com?watch0vAGavH.QsMIiF
# related debate in the media lately is whether or not the /ashington 7edskins should change their
name. #s a $oke! someone on "acebook posted a picture of 7edskin potatoes. I suppose they could
have also posted a picture of the kind of peanuts found in a Dairy Queen :eanut -uster :arfait.
#nd while we're on the sub$ect of weird and controversial cartoons! here's an interesting tangentI a
-etty -oop cartoon banned for Drug 2se444
https>??www.youtube.com?watch0vAEH&b,&MibkJ
I try to keep an open mind about everything! believe it or not. I guess it's been going on since the
dawn of timeI people discriminating against one another $ust for being different. Even in apparently
C2topianD societies there has been the drowning of children born with birth defects. &his is why I hate
things like #utism .peaks! residential schools and the 'azi death camps. #utism .peaks claims to be
a charity that helps people on the #utism .pectrum! but the ma$ority of stuff they post is negative!
doom and gloom! portraying children with autism as a burden to their families. :roductions like CI am
#utismD portray it as a devastating demon that destroys marriages. Even #utism the Musical had to go
on about people whose marriages were destroyed because of the hardships of raising an autistic
child.
:ersonally! I think that if you're going to be a parent! you should be ready for #')&5I'(44 I can't help
wondering if these parents would have divorced anyway! regardless of whether their child was autistic
or not. It's obvious that their marriage has failed the test of surviving through adversity.
Even without kids! Dave and I have had our ups and downs but we've survived. It's possible he might
not have married me in the fist place if he'd known I had #sperger's .yndrome or -ipolar Disorder. -ut
we're solid. &here is no temptation whatsoever to have an affair with anyone else. 5e's worth staying
here in 1shawa for even when I feel like I hate Kalmost4L everything else about this town44
My dear friends! Mark and =anette have recently come under a certain amount of $udgment and
condemnation lately $ust for attending the :ride :arade last weekend>
I see nothing wrong with it but a mutual friend of ours kind of bit Mark's head off about it. In fact she's
kind of bit our heads off about a few things over the past year. &he less said about that the better. I see
nothing wrong with going there to observe the bright colours and show support for others with whom
we can empathize for being persecuted in life. 6ast year when =anette and I were staying in &oronto
for the weekend of the 3I.. concert! this $erk in the elevator mistook us for being lesbians. #nd of
course his tone of voice said it as if it were a -#D thing. I should have thought about the source.
1bviously! someone who makes blind assumptions about other people's se%uality is probably lacking
confidence about his own. 1f course I don't think of these snappy comebacks until over a year later.
#nd besides! ne%t time someone mistakes us for lesbians! I'm going to take it as a 81M:6IME'&44
.ome of the 8116E.& women we know of are gay444
#nd that includes 8andy :almater and her wife! Denise &ompkins. I have been a huge fan of her show
for about the last year or so and she was the sub$ect of my summative pro$ect in #boriginal .tudies. I
really wished that I could have had the chance to actually interview her but I understand if she was too
busy. I had a lot of fun with my pro$ect on her. It 5#D to be done on "617E.8E'& :I'3 -ristol board
with lots of pink feathers around the border. I wanted it to match the CbedroomD on her show where she
interviews her guest.
8andy is a standup comedian who does a variety of guest speaking engagements and emcees
various events. .he speaks at schools about antibullying campaigns and both gay and 'ative rights
and coined the term C(aytiveD for gay native.
-ack when she was in high school she dreamed of becoming a lawyer because of her interest in
$ustice and her desire to advocate for people. 5er school guidance counselor told her she'd never
make it because nobody wants to hire an aboriginal lawyer. &his made her all the more determined to
prove them wrong. #nd prove them wrong she $olly well did44 5owever! she found out within the first si%
months that she actually 5#&ED being a lawyer. .he managed to stick it out for two or three years as
she made the transition to becoming a standup comedian and guest speaker and making a fulltime
career of it.
I have a great deal of admiration and respect for 8andy and I'd like to meet her someday. Maybe she
and Denise can $oin me and =anette for tea4 >L
/hile I was googling images to use in my pro$ect on 8andy I happened to find &5I. picture of her>
# fellow 3I.. fan too0 I would love to know the story behind this picture4444
Cover Story
&he cover of this month's issue is my first sBuare for the C8arousel #rt &rilogyD series of Builts I've
been planning on making. It has been my goal to make my e%hibition of Builts as informative and
educational as it is colourful and whimsical! even if my last show has left me feeling somewhat
defeated. &here are three basic styles of 'orth #merican 8arousel #rt> 8oney Island! :hiladelphia!
and 8ounty "air. &he Illions logo is a representation of 8oney Island! and my 8./ :arker patriotic
horse is 8ounty "air>
&hat C8ounty "airD logo at the top of the sBuare was actually left over from a previous Builting pro$ect
which I had bought when I was at the -obcaygeon Quilt .how last "all.
Joey's Project
!y "us#an$ %ooks %ike a &amous 'ock Star(((
.everal months ago! a picture of 8hris -urney! from -owling or .oup! appeared in "acebook that
looked so much like Dave! I did a doubletake444 .o we recently got him to pose holding my electric
guitar! wearing the fake tattoo sleeves I'd put into his 8hristmas stocking many years ago. /hich one
is the 7E#6 8hris -urney0 =ust email me at nilknarf<,Msympaticl.ca with the words C-". 5ubbyD in
your sub$ect line. "irst five correct answers receive a free carousel horse tree ornament4 IL
Anot)er %ocal Carnival
1n the 8anada Day weekend there was a carnival at 6akeview :ark. 1ne of my friends from school
had posted some video footage of one of her kids riding the carousel so I decided to check it out.
#t least I got a few nice pictures of the horses>
2nfortunately! this carousel does '1& deserve to be nominated for a C8arousel of the MonthD
column....
6ike 5E66100044 /&"44 Even when I /#. a kid I've 'E9E7 weighed under NJJ pounds in my 6I"E444
)eah! I know what you're thinking. /hat about when I was a -#-)40
5E66140 I had to be delivered in an #I787#"& 8#77IE7 with assistance from a .5E7M#' &#'3!
several lengths of heavy chain! a the =#/. 1" 6I"E and a "1736I"&4 My poor mother was pregnant
with me for two and a half years and they literally had to nearly saw her in half to get me out44 #t least
they managed to do so without severing her spinal cord but it reBuired seventeen operations to put her
back together again. .he was in the hospital for the first two years of my life and they weren't sure if
she'd ever walk again and I was raised by an entourage of doctors! nurses! nannies and a Mongolian
.herpa who taught me to speak .anskrit and milk goats. /e also had roundtheclock security guards
to keep the :aparazzi out.
Despite the strictest security to keep me a secret! my parents were offered tons of money from
(uiness /orld 7ecords people and various freak shows! not to mention the 'ational EnBuirer! but
they stubbornly refused. 'o money in the world was worth e%ploiting my reputation even if I really was
the /orld's -iggest -aby.
'early OJ years later and I .&I66 #M44
-#PI'(#4
5ad you going there! didn't I0 .eriously! I was born a normal singledigit baby weight although I do not
remember what. It might as well have been a hundred. "rom the time I started kindergarten all I knew
was shame about my size. 2ntil then I had no idea I was different from anyone else. &he first thing I
learned in school before I learned to read or write or anything else was C&hin is good and fat is bad.D I
was bullied mercilessly and my teachers were very mean. My kindergarten teacher could not
understand why I cried all the time. 5E661004 .he was always )E66I'( at me.
&he worst thing about bullies! aside from the actual namecalling was their sheer 612D'E..44 It hurt
my ears. -eing yelled and screamed at was worse than any kind f beating and even now I feel noise
physically as much as I hear it. It's an autistic thing! go figure! even if I didn't know I was on the autism
spectrum until a decade ago. My theory is that it's because hearing and vestibular are connected. It
was only in recent years that I learned that we have not $ust five! but .E9E' senses. &here's the
usual hearing! seeing! taste! smell and touch! but there's also vestibular and proprioceptive. 9estibular
is our sense of balance that tells us we are moving. :roprioceptive tells us how close we are to other
ob$ects and lets us know when someone is in our personal space. &he fact that hearing and vestibular
are connected is because our vestibular system is also located in our ears! because of fluid in the
semicircular canals. &his is why going to a loud rock concert can induce a state of euphoria akin to
riding a roller coaster! or why sour notes of badly played music can sometimes make you feel
nauseous! besides that being a synaethesia thing. It's also why sudden loud noises make me feel like
somebody pummeling or pushing me4 /hen kids would run after me roaring and pretending to be
monsters! it was as though they really /E7E monsters. &heir sheer loudness came at me like sharp
blows. 1ne summer my 2ncle #le% realized he couldn't play with me the same way he played with his
grandchildren. 6aurie! 6eanne and 7ussel would laugh and scream with delight at such boisterous
horseplay but run after me yelling and roaring and I'm terrified444
-esides the bulling from other students in school I had to deal with the tag team harpies of Mrs.
/heeler and Mrs. (riffin gasping in horror! shaking their heads and going tsktsktsk if I had a small
chocolate bar in my lunch bo%. I would $ust glare at them and continue to eat it. &hey would even ask if
they could have it. I would $ust glare and say C'14D "rom the way they were reacting you'd think I was
.M13I'( 87#83 in front of them444
1n our school trip to the bakery I was the only one who wasn't allowed to have a treat.
'owadays if a kid is fat! everyone blames it on fast food and?or bad parenting. /hen I was a kid we
'E9E7 had fast food. McDonald's was a rare treat. I was lucky if I had it once or twice a year. /e
almost 'E9E7 went out for dinner. Mom thinks it was because she stopped breastfeeding me too
soon. I was seven months old. #nd I already had my FIRST TOOTH at THREE MONTHS so I don't
blame her4 &hat must have HURT!!! .ince I already had my teeth so soon it's not surprising that I
probably started eating solid foods earlier than most kids my age. &hat's another reason I never want
to have kids. Even during foreplay I've 'E9E7 really liked having #')1'E suck on my boob444
I knew that when I posted these pictures I would get off on a tangent. &hat's my life go figure.
'eflections on *urning +0
# decade ago I was also in a slump. I was frustrated because I wasn't selling anything. Even at
7oseneath. &hat last sale was an absolute fiasco. I had carousel horse ornaments and &shirts for
sale but if anybody wanted any carouselrelated souvenirs! I could not compete with the gift counter
that was at the carousel itself. 'obody was entering the barn where us vendors had our craft items for
sale. Even when it was raining. Dave's aunt took him fishing for the day and when it was time to pick
me up and drive us home I cried all the way home. I was devastated4 #unt 3athy thought I was having
a nervous breakdown and referred me to her psychologist! Marlene.
Marlene was great. /e got along well. -ut it cost a thousand dollars for each appointment with her
and Dave's workplace could only pay for a couple appointments. It was after my first or second
appointment with her that I learned about #sperger's .yndrome. I'd received an email from my friend
6isa who said she had it. /hen I asked 6isa what it was! she sent me a couple links and when I read
them I 3'E/ I was reading about myself444
#t the time there was very little information out there about #sperger's .yndrome. &here was nothing
in our library and I found it kind of frustrating that the ma$ority of books available about the sub$ect
were for :#7E'&. of 85I6D7E' who had it. &he first book I found on the sub$ect was American
Normal by 6awrence 1sborne. I was like the robot =ohnny O in the .hort 8ircuit movies4 I couldn't get
enough I':2&44444 I was bouncing off the walls. It was Buite possible I may have already been having
my first manic episode back then as I stayed up all night surfing the net and printing off everything I
could find about the sub$ect of #sperger's .yndrome.
I felt a mi%ture of relief and e%citement! like I'd $ust discovered my own home planet. #nd I knew that
=anette had e%perienced those kinds of feelings and situations in life too. &hat's why we've always
gotten along together so well and e%perienced so many of the same kinds of things in life.
-ut it's not always such a perfect fit. &he ma$ority of other #spies I know don't have as much in
common with me. Most of them are into things like anime! video games and rollplaying games and I
am the oldest person in my support group. &he only thing I have in common with people in my group
here is having #sperger's .yndrome. I wish I could meet others besides =anette and myself who are
our age and interested in art and carousels.
1n the way home from 7oseneath I was disgusted with myself for loving carousels as much as I do.
.ometimes it feels like they're the bane of my e%istence. My teachers at Dublin :ublic school used to
get so bloody angry with me because they were all I wanted to draw! talk about or read about. #nd
=anette and I were planning on going to :ort Dalhousie for my birthday! along with the men in our
lives. I'm glad the four of us went after all because out of the three times we've been there! that
second trip was the greatest.
&he first time I'd ever been to :ort Dalhousie! =anette and I took a ferry from &oronto. It was a three
hour boat ride into the fog and there was this horrendous feeling of impending doom that made it
difficult to talk to each other. It was the day after this trip that I allowed -utthead to move in with me
and turn my life upsidedown for almost an entire year. 5e lived with me from =uly GE
th
of NHHE until
May G<
th
of NHHF. &he less said about him the better. .ure! I've counted my blessings and moved on
but I still deal with unpleasant flashbacks and feelings of anger no matter how much I try to forgive.
1ne of my favorite things about :ort Dalhousie is the fact that they still charge only a nickel a ride4 )ou
wonder how they can afford to operate for so little! but most people buy more tickets than they can
actually use. 6ooneys and tooneys worth44 #nd many people throw in charitable contributions. &he first
time we were there =anette and I gave away several of our leftover tickets to several kids as we left
and made our way back to the boat. 6ast time we were there I think we used up all the tickets we had.
I must have had at least NO rides that day4
My +J
th
birthday was also the edge of a new chapter in life. I was living in 6indsay and both =anette
and I were aware of so many doors closing all around us. 5er mother had passed away the year
before and she had lost her $ob at #lma%. #lma% had closed down and it didn't look like =anette would
find another $ob. #nd I was getting pretty darned sick of the one I had44 -oth of us had become
obsessed with the children's rock group! 3IDE1 and we were inspired to write songs and pursue our
own career in music.
1n the actual day of my birthday I had to work overtime. #t least my coworkers did what they could to
try to make things nice for !me and gave me a little party but it still felt like I was never going to get
home. #nd this was one of the few times in my life that I can remember actually .&E#6I'( anything.
#bout a week before another group of coworkers had had a birthday party that I wasn't invited to.
&here was even a 861/' and -6#83 "17E.& 8#3E4 /ell! I never did get to see the clown! but
half that cake sat in the fridge for at least an entire week and my coworker! 3athy! saw me sneaking it
out of the fridge and stuffing it into my backpack. #nd she didn't tell anybody4
-esides! by then =anette and I 3'E/ we would soon be moving to &oronto to start a new life44
/e may not have become rock stars as we'd hoped but it was a pretty wild and crazy ne%t eight years
for me until I met Dave via Speaker's Corner in "ebruary of GJJN. /e corresponded by sending each
other tapes for many months until we went on our first date in 1ctober of that year and married the
following =uly.
I don't even remember my GJ
th
birthday44 I do remember that I already knew =anette back then and it
was either this one or my GN
st
! hard to tell because both birthdays kind of blend together! that I had a
:27:6E birthday cake. /ell! purple frosting anyway! with rainbow sprinkles. #nd it was either that
year or the ne%t I had that bright green dress with unicorns embroidered on the pockets. My hair and
makeup were a cross between -oy (eorge and 8yndi 6auper with braided neon scarves wond around
my head and a single black lace glove.
#nd my actual GJ
th
year was spent sometimes helping my aunt at 3ing #lbert :ublic .chool and being
a &eacher's #ssistant at "enelon "alls public school for several months on the 18#: program. I
en$oyed working with the children. I worked with first and fourth graders. Is it my imagination or were
kids better behaved in those days0
&he ma$ority of my GJ's were spent living and working in 6indsay as a laundry wench at 9ictoria
6aundry.
My +J's were mostly spent living in &oronto and working as a Cdoll makerD. I use Buotes because
although that was my main occupation I had to perform a number of other duties too. Even though
=anette gave up on music and eventually gave away her guitar after our music career failed! music
helped me survive my breakup with -utthead while I continued to write songs and recorded my own
8D which led to Dave finding me on .peaker's 8orner.
#nd now I've spent my ,J's living here in 1shawa! happily married to Dave but lessthancontent
about my employment situation. I should have a real $ob but I've been out of the loop too long since I
Buit my $ob in &oronto and my art .&I66 isn't getting the recognition it deserves44
)et I continue to persevere because my art is a mad addiction444
Meanwhile! I shall a few pictures of birthdays from my childhood. &hese were taken when I turned five>
&his was my favorite dress! my C8andy .tripeD dress4 &he little boy with the milk mustache is -rucie
/hitaker! and the girl on my right is his older sister! 6inda. I remember those round goblets on the
table used to come from .ilverwood Dairy. &hat was back in the days when milk was still delivered to
the house and these glasses used to contain cottage cheese. I haven't seen either of these kids in
years but I remember going to -rucie's birthday party a few years later. &he thing I remember most
about that party was that they had hired a magician to perform. &he magician wore a yellow turban
and his magic word was C5opscotch -ananas4D
&his was my si%th or seventh birthday>
&hat's me in red. &he lady in the green chair is my friend Della's mom. Della is the girl with the ponytail
in the foreground on the picture in the left and the yellow hat in the picture on the right. &hat's -rucie
wearing the green hat and I'! pretty sure that's 6inda on the very edge at the left of that same picture. I
may not remember who everyone is but the boy at the corner of the table is &arBuin and the boy on my
left touching his ear is his brother &ristan who was in my class at Dublin :ublic .chool. -oth of them
went to my summer school. I remember that for this party I actually made my own party hats. Each
one was a different colour of construction paper and although it doesn't really show up in this picture
each one had a purple tassel on top. #lthough I'm not wearing it! my own hat was two different shades
of purple. 1f all the kids in this picture! the only one I still know and keep in contact with nowadays is
Della44
#nd this is me driving the 3razy 3art at Dublin :ublic .chool>
I'm glad I still have this picture because once I was trying to do a (oogle image search about 3razy
3arts but all I could find was stuff about the .uper Mario video game4 I remember e%plaining to
someone that it was a round! plastic vehicle where the rider sits in the middle between two large
wheels and makes it go by turning handles attached to the wheels. I loved that 3razy 3art4 7iding in
the 3razy 3art had to be the most fun thing in class4 2ntil my mean old nasty teachers suddenly
decided I was too heavy for it44 BOOOOOO!!! HISSSS!!!!
&,'S* CA'-.S/% 0.,%* &-' SA%/((((((
/ell I DID I&444 I decided to swallow my pride and put my first 8arousel of "riendship Quilt up for sale.
/ell! back then it was still called the #utism #wareness 8arousel. Most of my readers have probably
seen this before but if you haven't! here it is>
)ou can find more information about it here>
http>??www.scribd.com?doc?+JJ<GN<J?8arouselQuilt:ro$ect
#nd you can buy it from me here>
http>??www.ki$i$i.ca?vviewdetails.html0adIdANJJGJOEGO<Qad#ctivatedAtrue
&he thing about 3i$i$i is that all transactions take place in person. If you want it! call me first or email to
book an appointment and then come and see me with the cash4 >L /e'll probably meet at the library.
#nd while we're at it! here's something totally unrelated that I find amusing>
https>??www.youtube.com?watch0vAgm16pe3w/(I
I was hoping I'd also find the 9icar of Dibley scene with the chocolate fountain while I was at it but it
doesn't seem to be around anymore4 >K
1ear !om an$ 1a$
.unday! =uly <
th
! GJN,
Dear Mom and Dad
5ello. 5ow are you0 5ow is everything up in heaven0 I miss you both very much. &hings have been
crazy around here. Dave has $ust had his second week of holidays so we've basically been taking it
easy. /e've pretty much been somewhat nocturnal these days. .ometimes we like to sit out on the
front porch late at night and watch for animals. &he other night we saw EI(5& raccoons44 "irst we saw
four of them cross toward to the other side the street and then they came back toward our side of the
street with four more44 I wish I could have caught them on video but my camera takes so long to boot
up that they'd probably be gone before I'd have the chance to film them.
.1 far I'm kind of disappointed with the way things have been going with my 3i$i$i ad. I actually had a
response less than two hours after I posted my ad. I 3'E/ it had to be too good to be true. 3i$i$i deals
with doing business the oldfashioned way! having your customer meet you in person and pay in
8#.54 -ut this person kept insisting on using :ay:al. Even if I D1 have a :ay:al account I've used it
so seldom it has become dormant and I've only used it maybe two or three times and always for
.E'DI'( transactions! not 7E8EI9I'( money. I knew I had a gut feeling so I did my research and
reported this customer. .hortly after having done so I haven't heard anything else since. I am so sick
of getting my hopes up only to have them dashed. Disappointment has been my lot in life time after
time this year. It's about time things worked out for a change. I am so frustrated4
=anette was here for the weekend. /e had a nice time and she actually had a very nice surprise for
me. .he was going to wait until my birthday when she gave me back my purple i:od with the playlist
we listened to last time on there! plus something else! but she decided to surprise me early4 &here's
this wonderful little shop in her neighbourhood that actually converts tapes to 8D's and home movies
onto D9D's so I was delighted when she presented me with #66 &57EE 3IDE1 #6-2M. on 8D44 #nd
Markus' Bi! Beauti"ul #orl$% It was so nice to hear all those old songs again44
I can't believe it's been &/E'&) )E#7. since our fascination with these guys inspired us to move to
&oronto. &hings may not Buite have turned out the way we wanted them to at the time but they worked
out for the time being. Events leading up to my +J
th
birthday were the start of a ma$or chapter in my life
and their music seemed to be the official soundtrack of that season.
&o think it's already been GJ years since not only did =anette and I move to &oronto! we went on our
first 'ational 8arousel #ssociation convention together4 It was my fourth but her first. #nd she hasn't
been on anymore with me since until now. /e're going to 'ew )ork together in .eptember4
#fter that Denver convention in NHH, I couldn't afford to go to another one until GJJ+44
#nd this evening Dave and I $ust happened to be watching a 95. tape we found that had been
recorded in December of GJJ+4 1n it was an old episode of C3ing of the 5illD and a Ghour biography
special about Dr. .uess. I remember Dr. .uess died in .eptember of NHHN. It actually happened when
I was at my first '8# convention.
.peaking of 95. tapes! I was hoping I could find the tapes of 3IDE1 episodes to give to =anette so
she could take them to that shop to put onto D9D's but I couldn't find them anywhere4 I hope we didn't
throw them out during the -ig 8leanup. -etter still I hope I gave them to =anette earlier when she
thought her brother might be able to convert them to D9D a couple years ago.
&hat shop did do a wonderful $ob with Fall&'()! her family's home movies4 &he picture Buality is
e%cellent and the music they chose really adds to it! starting with "rank Mills Music Bo* +ancer and
several other pieces of familiar instrumental music. I remember seeing the home movies at her
parents' house on the old screen back in the FJ's when we were $ust out of college. &here is footage of
her first birthday party and scenes from the :eterborough "air of =anette and her brother on some of
the rides. It figures after barely a second of the carousel they ran out of film4 &eehee.
/hile =anette was here we also watched the second Smur"s movie4 It was great4 /e both thoroughly
en$oyed it. &his weekend has already felt like an early birthday celebration for me and in this movie
they happened to be celebrating .murfette's birthday. Every year on her birthday! .murfette would
have nightmares about how (argamel created her and she'd start Buestioning about her origin and
where she belonged.
I could identify with how birthdays tend to be a time of reflection. I remember having to work overtime
on my +J
th
birthday while =anette held fort at my apartment. /e were already making plans to move to
&oronto. I probably mentioned the stolen -lack "orest cake earlier in this issue. /e actually ended up
celebratng the following weekend. 7emember how before we made our actual move we didn't know
where we'd be living yet so we rented a post office bo%0 /e rented a post office bo% at the same place
where 3IDE1's management picked up their fan mail in hopes of possibly running into our heroes! but
also because we didn't know where we'd be living. &here used to be a restaurant in that plaza where!
whenever we were in that neighbourhood we'd share a plate of fries and gravy. I remember us eating
our fries and gravy and going through the ads in the paper to look for an apartment but we ended up
abandoning our search in favor of spending the day at 8enter Island and celebrating my birthday with
+J rides on the carousel44 5ow did we do it all in one day40 /ell! we'd have , or O rides! then go off
and do something else and come back for a few more rides and I remember writing in my Important
.tuff -ook to list every animal we'd ridden for each ride44 /e even have it on video somewhere. It
figures there had to be a screaming kid bawling though the entire ride ;NE444 -ack then it seemed to be
the e%ception rather than the rule. 3ids didn't seem as cranky then as they do nowadays.

&oday we finally got the chore over and done with of booking our shuttle buses to get us to and from
the airport in &oronto and 'ew )ork. /hy is it so e%hausting dealing with people on the phone0
Especially since #merican #irlines and /est=et are both owned by the same company so the terms
are used interchangeably. &he first time I got through to the shuttle bus service in 'ew )ork the first
lady I spoke to was incredibly ditzy and confusing and ended up hanging up on me. #ll of a sudden
there was a click and a busy signal. #t least the second lady I contacted was more coherent and
efficient. .till it was an e%hausting ordeal $ust the same.
#t least I know what Dave and I are doing for our anniversary4 )esterday Marnie called to invite us out
for a drive and they are taking us out to dinner at this place on 8hemong 6ake. I am so grateful4 1ur
anniversary falls on a .unday this year and I honestly wasn't looking forward to the idea of taking the
(o train to &oronto and dealing with the crowds! construction and other stuff. &hat new 7ipley's
aBuarium at the 8' &ower is #6/#). so crowded! and of course! oversprogulated44 Most places are
no fun anymore because there are too many cranky! badlybehaved! whining kids4 I'm thankful for the
idea of $ust being driven somewhere peaceful4 #nd since =anette and I plan on going to (uelph for my
actual birthday! this anniversary dinner Dave and I are going on will be a combination of both our
anniversary and my OJ
th
birthday. I don't really want any presents this year! $ust #merican money to
use on my trip. Dave and I were talking about a few books we'd like to get for each other but I can't
find that Secret ,i-es o" +octors book that he wanted. I'd mentioned to him that I wanted T.e
Incon-enient In$ian by &om 3ing and another book called C.il$ren o" /ara$ise! which is a fiction
novel that takes place during the =onestown Massacre. /e learned about that in /orld 7eligions class
when we studied that unit about cults. &he phrase CDon't drink the 3ool#idD is a reference to that
incident. I had to leave toward the end when they were showing that movie about it in class though.
&oo many screaming babies444
/hen I got home from dismantling my art show I found out that 6orraine placed a nice little gift for me
in the outer compartment of my :ink .uitcase>
&his book is a cardboard cutout kit to build your own miniature model carousel4 5owever! as I leaf
through the pages! the wheels in my head are turning as to how I can trace these pages as a template
and construct a more permanent model out of stronger materials such as balsa wood and various
fabrics! using pictures from the computer of my own carousel animals that everybody has already
seen on my Built sBuares. It will be more personalized! like an actual model of the 7E#6 carousel I
hope to build someday.
I still have the carousel we built together! dad. I was going to donate it to the museum but after the
way they seemed to treat me this time I didn't feel like they deserved it4444 -esides I missed it where it
was and I'm glad to see it back in its proper place.
-ecause =anette and I are going to be gone for over a week! there's no point in me going back to
school $ust yet if I'm going to be gone so long4 I'll be back in the same old art class in 'ovember. :art
of me really doesn't want to be back in the same old art class! creating more papiermache animals
that are only going to take up space around here. I want to be in a 7E#6 workshop making 7E#6
carousel animals44 It's $ust a matter of meeting the right people with whom I can form my &7I-E444 &he
class I 7E#66) want to take! C-e )our 1wn -ossD doesn't start until the end of =anuary4 &hen in #pril!
the art class starts again and I will be taking the (rade NN computers class $ust to help me become
more familiar with /indows E. I still haven't figured out how to loaderize more music onto the
computer and into my M:+ player. It's a different system from the old computer and I wouldn't mind
loaderizing the old 3IDE1 songs onto my M:+ player between now and then.
&omorrow I M2.& go to the go back to the government office to apply for a new health card. Dave
went with me on "riday but I didn't have the right stuff with me. &hey need something with my address
and I hope the bank statement Dave $ust found will work. I forget what I used five years ago. My
passport $ust won't cut it. It's got to be something with my address. -ut our utilities are included in our
rent and I don't collect 1D.: or anything like that. 1n "riday I stood in line for over half an hour for
nothing4 -ut at least I had good music on my M:+ player. It's impossible to stand still during # &ribe
8alled 7ed's Electric /o00o0!! &hat's got to be one of my favorite albums and at the time it was a
"7EE-IE444
/ell! that's all the news for now. .ee you in my dreams.
6ove!
Margaret
Wor$s of Wis$om
I'd like to thank my friend =ohn 8aruso for emailing me the following post. I'm supposed to forward it to
seven people but since #. I don't know seven people to forward it to and -. Even if I did my mailing list
still isn't complete on my new computer. .till! it's worth sharing $ust the same...
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world! too soonI before they understood the great
freedom that comes with aging.
/hose business is it! if I choose to read! or play on the computer! until , #M! or sleep until noon0 I will
dance with myself to those
wonderful tunes of the OJs! <Js Q EJs! and if I! at the same time! wish to weep over a lost love! I will.
I will walk the beach! in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body! and will dive into the waves!
with abandon! if I choose to!
despite the pitying glances from the $et set. &hey! too! will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. -ut there again! some of life is $ust as well forgotten. #nd! eventually!
I remember the important things.
.ure! over the years! my heart has been broken. 5ow can your heart not break! when you lose a loved
one! or when a child suffers! or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car0 -ut broken
hearts are what give us strength! and understanding! and compassion. # heart never broken! is
pristine! and sterile! and will never know the $oy of being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray! and to have my youthful
laughs be forever etched into deep
grooves on my face. .o many have never laughed! and so many have died before their hair could turn
silver.
#s you get older! it is easier to be positive. )ou care less about what other people think. I don't
Buestion myself anymore.
I've even earned the right to be wrong.
.o! to answer your Buestion! I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am
not going to live forever!
but while I am still here! I will not waste time lamenting what could have been! or worrying about what
will be.
#nd I shall eat dessert every single day Kif I feel like itL.
M#) 127 "7IE'D.5I: 'E9E7 81ME #:#7&! E.:E8I#66) /5E' I&'. .&7#I(5& "71M &5E
5E#7&4
#nd this was at the beginning>
R(ood friends are like Builtsthey age with you! yet never lose their warmth.R
An e2cellent link a#out $e3ression
http>??www.buzzfeed.com?ale%isnedd?thingsnobodytellsyouaboutbeingdepressed
I know because I've been there recently and I'm still struggling. .o is =anette .6ife has been hard for
both of us these days. .ince the day I took down my craft show I've kind of let things go back to hell
around here. Many of my bags still haven't been put away and I haven't made my bed in weeks. I
would give anything for some good news for a change.
S3oons !eta3)or /23laine$ 4it) a &e4 !ore 1etails
)ou've heard me and =anette talking about not having enough CspoonsD to do this and that. "rom time
to time I've referred to the C.poons &heoryD 5ere. &his link I $ust came across on my "acebook feed
talks about the spoon theory with a few more relevant concepts>
http>??www.lunalindsey.com?GJN+?NJ?splinestheoryspoonsmetaphorfor.html
I found myself losing spoons rapidly on .unday when =anette and I gathered around the computer so I
could phone 8lassiBue and .uper .huttle to book our ground transport for our 'ew )ork trip. It didn't
help that #merican #irlines and /est =et are owned by the same company so the terms are used
interchangeable. 8lassiBue was the easy part. -ut I had to call .uper .huttle a second time. "irst
there is an e%tremely loBuacious preamble of recorded options before they finally let you speak to a
live person. &he first live person I got through to was e%tremely ditzy! confusing and unorganized and
ended up cutting me off. &here was a click and a busy signal and I had to start all over again. 7ight
then and there I already felt like I was on the verge of a meltdown. #t least the second person I got
through to was much more efficient and competent. 'evertheless! after all that I felt downright
e%hausted4 Making calls like these tends to use up a lot of spoons.
&oday I went to the mall to buy my husband's anniversary gift. 'othing fancy! $ust an 5M9 gift card. I
figured that would be best because that way we wouldn't give each other the same thing by mistake.
&here are a few D9D's we both want and the other day we were talking about a certain movie. I forget
which one. #nyway! going to the mall is no easy task around here because f all the construction going
on. Dave and I literally live almost ne%t door to the mall! but because of all the construction! most of
the entrances are blocked on the side of the mall facing us. -efore the construction began! the nearest
entrance was either Pellers or the entrance ne%t to 8asey's where the movie theatre used to be. &he
movie theatre was the first thing to go. &hey got rid of it at least three years ago. &he last movie Dave
and I saw there was the first Trans"ormers movie. -ack when it e%isted we used to go there often.
/e could literally zoom across the parking lot and be there in five minuets. 1ften we would go to the
last show of the evening! around eleven pm and have the whole place to ourselves. Pellers
disappeared over a year ago. &he last thing I bought from them before they closed up was my
8hristmas tree $ust before my December GJNG?=anuary GJN+ art show in -obcaygeon. &he whole
parking lot has been taken over by construction and the nearest way to get in now is $ust past the bus
loop. #t least that particular entrance is close to the dollar store and my dentist but it's a long walk to
the other end of the building to get to 5M9. #t least listening to music on my M:+ player makes that
long walk and all the way back again bearable.
-ut it still took a lot out of me. It was Buite hot out today and ever since the big power outage back in
GJJ+! the mall tends to skimp on air conditioning. I was a sweaty sticky mess when I got home and
didn't have the CspoonsD to do much else for today other than work on my craft pro$ects and take a
darned good nap at around ,>+J.
In fact I've been taking naps every day this week. =anette and I had to drop everything and take one
on .aturday after we finished watching the .murfs movie. I remember I had to go to the bathroom
badly and I knocked over a whole stack of craft supply bins ne%t to my chair. /hile I was in the
bathroom! =anette Buickly cleaned up my bins and whatever had fallen out of them and then we went
to my room and crashed. I crashed for awhile after she went home on .unday and these past few
days I've basically had to drop everything and crash around the same time each day this week. I'll
retreat to my bed around ,,>+J and Dave will usually wake me up in time for 1ilmore 1irls%
.ince he's been on holiday we've basically been a couple of bad smurfs! eating whatever we want.
&his has got to stop when he goes back to work. I refuse to use the word CdietD. I've (1& to get back
to the sensible eating habits I was starting to adopt during the last couple months of the school year. I
7E"2.E to brag about the number of pounds I've lost because I refuse to weigh myself or let my
worth be determined or governed by numbers. My $eans were actually getting looser on me. I was able
to put on my socks with less difficulty and I was able to climb stairs without puffing as much. I'm afraid
I haven't been as active these past couple weeks and I usually don't wear $eans in the summer
because I'm $ust too hot in them4 #t least I'm gradually getting back into the habit of having a highfiber
breakfast of fla%seed oatmeal topped with bran cereal and various fruits with plain yogurt. I used to
lose weight like crazy by having nothing but fruit for breakfast but I've discovered recently that I can't
do this anymore because it makes me constipated. 'owadays the most important Buestion I ask
myself about food is C8an I actually DI(E.& this0D I 7E"2.E to starve myself anymore. I actually
'EED food to :2.5 12& whatever I've eaten before. During that scary bout of constipation in #pril I
think one of the best cures had to be those si% eggrolls I ate4 )ou'd think the bean sprouts would be
enough and I should have $ust had chow mein! as that's what eggrolls are filled with anyway. )ou'd
think that the crust could be considered fattening and counterproductive. "rankly! the crust of the egg
roll combines with the filling to provide the right amount of lubrication to help hurry it through the
digestive system. .eriously! I wonder what the world record was for most eggrolls eaten.
I know the record for most hotdogs has been <H in seven minutes44 #nd the guy who ate them is as
skinny as a rake4 It was on a program called &22 Fast Foo$s t.at C.ane$ t.e #orl$. 5otdog was
;G. -urgers were ;N. &he hotdog eating contest took place at 8oney Island and the guy who won the
record would $ust grind them down like a woodchipper! nyenynynyenynnnnnnnnnnneeenn!!!
#nd while we're on thie sub$ect of worthwhile links to share! here's this one that also showed up on my
"- feedS
http>??thegirlwiththecurlyhair.co.uk?blog?GJN,?JE?JF?NJthingsshouldntsayfemaleaspie?
, Scream5 6ou Scream
7eflections on a favorite treat...
&oday I $ust happened to be listening to 8-8 7adio's Ideas in the #fternoon and they $ust happened to
be doing an ENTIRE SHOW about ice cream44 C.ounds boring.D said my husband when I told him. 1h
really0 :ersonally I was Buite amazed. .ome of it was stuff I already knew and some of it was stuff I
hadn't heard before. Did you know that ice cream! in one form or another! has actually been around for
thousands of years4 &he ancient (reeks and :ersians actually brought snow down from the mountains
and flavoured it with honey and?or pureed fruit. =ust about every country makes their own version of
ice cream. :akistani ice cream comes in a solid si%inch cone shape on a chopstick similar to a
:opsicle and they seem to have their own district in town where it's all nothing but different ice cream
shops.
I had already heard the story years ago about how the first ice cream cone was invented. I believe it
was at the NHJ, /orld's "air. 'ot only ice cream! but cotton candy and hotdogs first became available
to the public there! as well as waffles. Ice cream back then was usually $ust served in a dish with a
spoon. 5owever! the ice cream vendor suddenly found himself out of dishes. 6uckily! he $ust happened
to be ne%t door to a waffle vendor and they came up with the idea of rolling the waffles into cone
shapes. &he rest is history.
/hen my friend -onnie was a missionary in -razil! she and her colleagues couldn't understand why
ice cream cones were served with a spoon. #s far as we 'orth #mericans are concerned! a cone is
meant to be licked from. .poons go with dishes. )et -razilians will use a spoon even with a cone.
-onnie and her pals would $ust throw away the spoons and lick from the cone as usual and couldn't
figure out why people kept giving them dirty looks4 /ell! it turns out! as I'd heard elsewhere later! that
in -razilian culture! the tongue is considered a private part and any woman who accepts an invitation
for ice cream from a gentleman caller may be $udged for being a slut4 (o figure! that being said they
probably consider (ene .immons to be a ma$or e%hibitionist4 IL
Ice cream. "ewer foods are regarded with as much notstalgia. It's the perfect companion to birthday
cake! and no holiday is complete without it. "or me the perfect vacation has got to have the following
three things> 8arousels! swimming and ice cream. Make that four if you add Margaritas4
Everyone has a favorite flavor and memories associated with ice cream. If you were to ask me I would
have to say CDo I have to have =2.& 1'E0D "or me it depends on my mood but if I had to pick I
would say licorice! green tea! pralines Q cream! cotton candy! and #') kind of chocolate44
/hen "airview Mall first opened in the early EJ's! downstairs near the bottom of the escalator there
used to be a place called &he Igloo. #nd it was there I first had 6I817I8E ice cream4 2p until then my
favorite flavor was always chocolate! despite my dad's insistence that I try something different for a
change. /ell! I guess licorice was the gateway to greater things to come4
&he Igloo used to serve a sundae called the :ig's Dinner! which was so big that anyone who finished it
would receive a free button that says 3I #AS A /I1 AT THE I1,OO!4 'o! I have never had the :ig's
Dinner! nor would it be something I'd willingly admit to in those days for obvious reasons4
#fter a couple years the Igloo became the -orden Ice 8ream :arlour and then it was eventually
replaced by =apan 8amera 8enter. If you wanted ice cream at "airview Mall! you could still get it at
6aura .ecord's! Maynard's! or a place called &he 8ounter. &he 8ounter had a dinerlike setting where
people could sit on stools! or you could $ust go up to the kiosk at the corner if you $ust wanted a burger
or ice cream to go. &hey $ust had your basic softserve chocolate and vanilla. )ears later I found out
that evangelist -enny 5inn used to work at this place when he was in high school. 5e never actually
mentioned it by name but I knew this place by its description.
I remember when I was a kid my dad's company used to have family picnics in the summer time and
one of the highlights there was ice cream that came in little cardboard tubes! about the size of a toilet
paper roll. It came in your basic chocolate! strawberry and vanilla and they would serve a perfect!
unwrapped cylinder in a cone.
/hen I was in 5olland we sometimes had ice cream that was sold in a large! sausageshaped paper
tube. It could easily be served in perfect! round slices.
-ack when I lived in &oronto and worked for Maggie! sometimes when I had errands to do at the
Dufferin Mall I would treat myself to ice cream. -askin7obbins was $ust inside the door. It became
sort of a running $oke between us. I don't know how she knew but she #6/#). knew when I'd
stopped for ice cream44
'iagara "alls has &/1 -askin7obbins! right across the street from each other. /henever =anette
and I are at 'iagara! we usually stop there for a .undae. 1r we go to this place on 8lifton 5ill>
&he mochacappucino is my favorite. &he .ecret (arden has good ice cream too4 &his picture was
taken on our GJJE trip. 6eft to rightI Mark! Dave and =anette. &hat's the last time all four of us went
there together.
/hen we went to :ort Dalhousie for my ,J
th
birthday! we found a place that had -I7&5D#) 8#3E
flavoured ice cream4 It was amazing4 8hunks of golden cake with sprinkles and swirls of blue frosting.
6ater when the four of us were at 'iagara on our GJJE trip we found -irthday 8ake ice cream at that
8oca8ola shop but it wasn't as good. &he small was 7E#66) small! a serving of little more than a
heaping teaspoon and this kind was pretty much $ust vanilla with a few sprinkles.
Ice cream. It's one of those things on the seemingly endless list of stuff my doctor tells me I shouldn't
be eating. 5ello0 It's not like I have it every day4
I'm happy to say! however! that after more than +J years I finally did discover a place where I could be
once again reunited with my beloved 6I817I8E4 It was during the GJNJ '8# convention when we
were at the 5elena convention. &here was free ice cream for everyone at the carousel that night.
/hen you're in Montana! E9E7)&5I'( is 52836E-E77)4 5uckleberry cheesecake! huckleberry
pie! huckleberry fudge! &wizzlers! you name it. .o I had a dish with a scoop of huckleberry and a
scoop of licorice. #nd it was melting fast as I was e%citedly chatting with my friend -ette =acBues. CIt's
beginning to look like 8ampbell's 8ream of Elephant soup4D I e%claimed and that caused us both to
erupt int a ma$or fit of giggles4 Ironically! this shop called their flavor C6ast 8hance 6icoriceD. I hope this
won't be my last chance to have licorice4
Water 7oom3)s
I came across this interesting link on my "acebook feed. Most of you who have been regularly reading
:lanet 'ilknarf over the years will probably know what I'm talking about when I refer to C-oomphsD
http>??www.viralnova.com?coolbackyardstuff?
&here's a whole bunch of cool stuff on the page but it was the CboomphsD that really caught my
attention. -oomphs are what =anette and I call those circular globe lights. .he made up the term when
she was about nine years old and it has stuck ever since. I'll never forget the time we were in that
bargain basement store at the Dufferin mall and I saw this round ob$ect! picked it up and casually
e%claimed C1h! it's a clock with a -oomph on top4D &hese two little old ladies who didn't speak much
English turned to each other and said C# -1#M:50D I swear I thought I was going to fall on the floor
laughing4 )ou had to be there4
Janette's 'evie4
I 0oul$ like to t.ank 5anette Tansle6 "or .er pararap. a7out .er -isit to t.e /ri$e /ara$e8
Mark & I had decided to go to this year's Pride Parade downtown because we wanted to see all the
colourful decorations everywhere; also to show our support to people who society has stigmatized (and
still does!
"e got out at the #onge$"ellesley subway stop and we were %blown away% by all the colourful
rainbow themed decorations everywhere; "&"' "e love colour'' (he rainbow means different
aspects of Pride; it's not meant to disgust anyone! "e wandered around) picking up a few free stickers)
bracelets) pamphlets) etc! I bought several colourful magnets and a pretty wooden *ussian Pride doll
with smaller ones inside it!
I wanted to take more pictures of the festivities; unfortunately it is very difficult to take pictures outside
with an iPod (ouch because the screen is blacked out! +fter wandering around some more we had
lunch in a nearby pub! ,y now I was really feeling the heat so was glad to be in an air conditioned
place!
+fterwards we walked up a -uiet street) then out to #onge .t! to wait for the parade! +ctually being
here) seeing all the colourful floats with people celebrating their diversity) made me feel amazed by
how many people are in this community) people who have really struggled with the feeling of not
fitting in! (his feeling Mark) Margaret & I could all relate to and it made us feel compassion!
+s today was a broiling hot day) I needed to leave after about an hour and a half standing to watch the
parade! It was going to continue until about /012) and I 3+4 to get out of the heat) so I found the
nearest subway station and went home! I was glad that I had come!
A "a33y 12
t)
Anniversary
1n .unday! =uly N+
th
! Dave and I celebrated our NG
th
anniversary. #ctually it was a combination of our
anniversary and an early OJ
th
birthday celebration for me. I would like to thank his dad! &ed and
stepmum! Marnie for a wonderful outing. /e en$oyed a drive in the country! seeing all the beautiful
homes and cottages along the lakeshore and a delicious dinner at the 8hemong 6odge. &hey usually
have pamphlets with literature about the place but there was none available this time. &he place used
to be somebody's cottage and it is full of assorted interesting artifacts on the wall! such as antiBue
farming! logging and fishing eBuipment.
#nd! of course! the food is delicious4 -y the time we got there I was very hungry so I really en$oyed the
stuffed mushroom cap appetizers. &hey are filled with a tasty mi%ture of cheese! spinach and crab
meat. "or our main courses Dave had the prime rib! served with )orkshire pudding! and I had the
seafood fettuccine. It has shrimp! scallops and mussels. &wo of the mussels were closed so I didn't
eat them. I've heard that you're really not supposed to eat them if you can't get them open. 1ther than
that my meal was great. I had &/1 Margaritas444 #nd for dessert I had the 8ookies'n'8ream
cheesecake. Dave had the 3ey 6ime cheesecake! Marnie had the pecan pie and &ed had the apple
pie. #ll desserts are served with a dollop of whipped cream and a strawberry or two.
#nd our table had a beautiful view of the lake outside our widow.
5ere we are! posing with the wooden moose statue! unfortunately you can't see it because Dave is in
front of it and Marnie couldn't really see what she was doing with my camera. .he was trying to peek
through it as you would with the old kind of +O mm camera and I had to e%plain that it's more like a &9
screen. 2nfortunately! I can understand how hard it is to take pictures with my camera on a sunny day
when the screen is obscured by glare. #t least it's a nice picture of us even if you can't see the moose.
7eetle#om#'s 7ook Nook
&his month's literary selections are> In t.e S.a$o0 o" t.e #on$er #.eel 8arren .tock! /er"ect
/eace by Daniel -lack! and ,i"e! Animate$ by 7on .uskind
In t.e S.a$o0 o" t.e #on$er #.eel 8arren .tock
Mallory Mc(ill can't find her baby4 'or can she remember what happened the night she was born4 #ll
she knows is that the child 5#. to be alive somewhere4 .he knows it4 .he can sense it4 .he M2.& be
okay4
&he last thing Mallory can remember is being taken to the hospital. -ut it wasn't a hospital at all.
Mallory is taken to this makeshift place that specializes in backalley abortions and selling fullterm
babies on the black market. .he finds herself wandering around 8oney Island 8reek! being accused
of a horrendous crime she wouldn't even dream of committing44
In t.e S.a$o0 o" t.e #on$er #.eel is a fascinating read from start to finish full of une%pected twists
and turns.
/er"ect /eace by Daniel -lack is a fascinating fiction story of an #frican#merican family growing up
during the depression. Emma =ean :eace is already the mother of si% sons! yet she wants a girl so
badly! she does the unimaginable and raises her seventh son! whom she names C:erfectD as a girl.
.he had a bad childhood herself! raised by an abusive mother who hit her over the head with a frying
pan on her eighth birthday. .he $ust wants a little girl to pamper and give to her the kind of childhood
she never had! with dolls! pretty dresses and everything else she wished she could have had. 5ow
she manages to keep :erfect's secret from the rest of the family is hard to imagine. Especially when
his best friend wanted to play ChouseD and it would get kind of steamy. It's a wonder his secret isn't
discovered already then4 Imagine the drama that unfolds when :erfect! and everyone else around him
finally learns the startling truth4 /ithout giving too many more spoilers away! I can honestly say this
was a fascinating read from start to finish4 I couldn't put it down444
,i"e! Animate$ by 7on .uskind! chronicles the fascinating life of his son! 1wen! who has autism and
a lifelong obsession with Disney cartoons. It kind of frustrated me when he says that when his son
became autistic! he CdisappearedD but near the end 1wen corrects him. It is when 7on says C)ou've
been watching these same movies over and over since you were three.D C.ince I was 1'E4D 1wen
corrects him. 1wen can actually pinpoint the moment when he became autistic and describes it as
how all of a sudden he couldn't understand people's speech. .uddenly everyone was $ust CblabberingD
and he didn't know how to communicate back to them either. &he only thing that didn't change were
the Disney cartoons! and the more he watched them! the more things he noticed that he hadn't seen
before.
#nd it was Disney cartoons that got him to communicate. 1wen's older brother! /alt! always used to
get depressed and cry on his birthday. It was on one of these birthdays! 1wen spoke his first full!
sentence in years! and it was surprisingly Buite profound> C/alt's sad because he doesn't want to grow
up4 5e's like :eter :an or Mowgli.D
/hen 1wen watched a Disney movie he would watch the whole thing from start to finish and
memorize all the credits. 5e knew e%actly who was who and who did what! not to mention an uncanny
knack for memorizing much of the dialogue! imitating the voices and drawing amazing pictures of the
characters.
1ne of the highlights of 1wen's life was when his family went to see the stage version of T.e ,ion
9in and one of the cast members was the actor who did the voice f =afar in #laddin. &hey arranged it
so that on his birthday the actor would talk to him on the phone. 1wen would do his best impression of
Iago! =afar's parrot! and they would act out scenes over the phone. &hey have been friends ever
since.
It has been 1wen's dream to be a Disney animator when he grows up and when he finally made it to
college he started hosting his own Disney club where about a dozen people meet over at his place
and gather to watch a classic animated Disney film and have discussion about it afterward.
In light of this! the wheels in my head have been turning to start a Disney club of my own. I phoned
3erry's :lace and left a message with 3ristine about my idea but I still haven't heard anything back
yet.
Closing Wor$s
/ell! we have now come to the end of this month's issue. &omorrow at this time! =anette and I will
probably be boarding a bus from 2nion .tation to 1UE,/H!!!! I've been buzzing around here doing all
my last minute preparations and frankly I think =anette is more e%cited about this trip than I am. /e
$ust want a safe and peaceful $ourney without any unwanted drama. I got my money out of the bank on
&hursday and I've gradually been packing. I can't believe the day after tomorrow s my birthday.
#s usual! I will be writing up an account of this salubrious adventure and I will be publishing it in my
.cribd account shortly after I get home.

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