The Taste of Longing Your Invitation to an Imaginary Feast - theHumm December 2020
The Taste of Longing Your Invitation to an Imaginary Feast - theHumm December 2020
By Danielle K.L. Gregoire
In November I became the literary publicist for The Taste of Longing by Ottawa writer and historian Suzanne Evans. The book is a beautifully written account of the life of Ethel Mulvany, a force of nature born on Manitoulin Island. The focus of the book is about her time spent in Changi Jail during WWII. The book is a tribute to resilience and how imagination and community can help one get through the darkest of times.The moment I virtually met Suzanne and she shared her story about finding Ethel’s Starving Prisoner of War Cookbook, her decade-long research process of writing this meaningful literary biography, and how she wanted to host intimate virtual imaginary feasts, I knew we were a perfect match.At the beginning of 2020 I had no idea what was in store. I had just hit my stride and was running a small performance venue, creative space and gathering place called Curious & Kind in the heart of Almonte. It was a place for the community to harness their own artistic practices and to come together to make things, and write, and sing, and tell each other stories. It was a place for intergenerational sharing and it had been my dream of twenty-five years.In March, when the first case of COVID hit Ottawa, I shut down the physical space having watched what had happened in Seattle, where my long-distance romantic partner was still living at the time. An infuriating optimist, I thought it would be temporary and I moved Curious & Kind online, posting a daily creative challenge and running a weekly virtual storytelling show called The Iridescent Robot Storytelling Club. These things sustained me, and allowed me to connect with a community beyond Mississippi Mills, but I was missing my very own small community. I had taken to staying inside, and was homeschooling my youngest child. We did daily talk shows with puppets, and outdoor visits to the diversion ditch behind our house, which we called the faerie pond, and named each and every snake, frog and denizen we met there. I had groceries delivered. My youngest and I cooked extravagant meals. I kept shopping locally, and the cafés, the bookstore, and many of the little shops were happy to drop things on my doorstep. I spent each night on the phone with my love, hoping we could find a way to get my partner to Canada. The borders closed. I watched the response to the pandemic create divides in communities. I managed to go out twice to large public actions, one against homophobia and another against racism. I wanted to do more. I was using the money from my divorce to finance paying the artists for my storytelling club, and donating to bail funds, and artist relief funds, and soon the money I had set aside for helping began to dwindle. My emotional state became darker and darker. Depression set in. I stopped running the creative challenge, and shut down the weekly show.I decided after seven months of Curious & Kind being shuttered that I needed to talk with my landlord. After a heartfelt and teary conversation, he honoured my decision to let go of the physical space even though I had four more years left in our agreement. He reminded me that we could not have predicted a global pandemic and that he still believed in me. Those words buoyed my spirit, and he quickly found a tenant to take over the space we had renovated together.I decided to get off social media, feeling like a failure. I wasn’t ready to grieve publicly. I decided to find a puppy for my youngest child, and to go to Las Vegas to marry my partner. I spent, due to both those decisions, a month in quarantine total. Both times without my children. The first time just me and a two-and-a-half-pound cavapoo named Candy. I learned to paint. I started submitting my writing to literary journals. I trained our new dog. I was starting to get my sense of purpose back.
This is where my story begins to turn; with my spouse (and third parent to my children) finally in Canada after two-and-a-half years of separation I started to feel like I might be capable of doing something meaningful. Then I saw a post from my friend looking for someone to manage one of the freelance publicity jobs she’d been offered. I decided to put my hat in the ring. My friend, who has known me for fifteen years and supported Curious & Kind, sensed that this partnership was perfect for me.... and that is how I met Suzanne, and how everything I’d done in my career had led to this moment, and this book. Every night I read a chapter of the book out loud to my partner. Getting to know Ethel slowly and watching her surmount and deal with both mental health concerns and being interned as a prisoner of war — it has helped put my own struggles into context. Ethel and Suzanne have given me a sense of renewed purpose.On Saturday, November 21 we held our first Imaginary Feast, which was recorded for CKCU, and it was transformative. Suzanne and I were so heartened by the connection that arrived between folks who were, until that day, strangers. We put out a call for people interested in telling stories about their own meaningful meals or important recipes in the Millstone, and the response from people in the Ottawa Valley was immediate and enthusiastic. We have four more upcoming virtual Imaginary Feasts, to be held on Zoom, including three intimate ones on December 2, 7 and 16 from 7–7:30pm. If you’re interested in participating we’d love to have you come share with us, meet Susan, and hear more about Ethel and her life.On December 12, we have planned a virtual Imaginary Feast for those who would like to come to the table to watch a selection of poets, writers and storytellers talk about their meaningful meals, desserts or culinary traditions. That will be a ticketed event, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Ethel would have wanted it that way, and Suzanne and I agree.For more information, or to RSVP, send an email to curiousandkindalmonte@gmail.com with the subject Imaginary Feast and the date you’re interested in attending.... and please consider picking up a copy of The Taste of Longing by Suzanne Evans at your local bookstore (I happen to know that Mill Street Books ordered a dozen in advance, so reserve your copies quickly), I would love to hear what you think.With resilience and love,
Danielle K.L. Grégoire is the former creative director of Curious & Kind, and is currently a community coordinator and dreamer.
What Will 2021 Bring? - theHumm December 2020
By Kris Riendeau
Howdy Humm readers! As we may have perhaps already mentioned, it’s been an interesting year to be an “arts & events” paper. Interesting, challenging, but ultimately rewarding and pretty darn hummbling as well, thanks to the uplifting support we have received from so many people.
At this time last year we were putting the final touches on an issue that was full of fabulous events happening all over the Valley, and at the same time preparing for a fun event of our own —the premiere of Who Stole Christmas from Mississippi Mills? — written by Rob Riendeau and directed by yours truly.......
Caroline Evans — Art Imitates Life - theHumm December 2020
By Sally Hansen
Art… and Soul
Happy endings are always satisfying, and particularly welcome at this time of year when we’re forced to reinvent our Christmas holidays. Quite by chance we discovered that our featured artist this month is enjoying a storybook denouement to a peripatetic life filled with adventure and challenge. Oil painter and batik artist Caroline Evans is loving every minute of her idyllic life on ten acres of wooded countryside near Perth. Her art career has been as non-linear as her locat......
Holmes for the Holidays! - theHumm December 2020
Storytelling predates writing, and is an integral part of the human experience. We love to tell stories and we love to hear, read and watch stories, which is why Studio Theatre Perth is embarking on a Christmas fundraiser that builds on the theatrical tradition of storytelling. Our one-man show An Evening with Sherlock Holmes opens on December 10.
The show is an animated reading of two stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, brought to life by Perth newcomer and veteran actor Ki......
Clash of the Blues Titans at the Cove - theHumm December 2020
By Rob Riendeau
In the world of the blues, it feels a bit ridiculous to call two barely thirty-year-old musicians veterans. But in the case(s) of Jimmy Bowskill and Steve Marriner, the term is perhaps an understatement. These two musical heavyhitters started paying their dues early and they are continuing to grow and challenge themselves. A performance by either one on their own would make for a supremely entertaining evening out, but both together is a combination that cannot be missed. And that is exac......
Winterwords —an Invitation to Write - theHumm December 2020
By Kris Riendeau
As we head into hibernation during this first full pandemic winter, creative outlets may be more important than ever. With this as an impetus, I’m going to take the plunge and launch an idea that is not yet fully formed as of press time. Not fully formed, but not completely ethereal either — it has already been mulled over by two dynamic and talented writers, Robynne Eagan and Sarah Kerr. Perhaps you would like to participate, or even assist?
We’re calling it Winterwords, and it is in essence an invit......
SchoolBOX Virtual New Year’s Join the Party on December 31 at 11am - theHumm December 2020
By Sarah Kerr
SchoolBOX is planning their most casual and cozy fiesta yet! Tickets are priceless, but also free, at schoolbox.ca/nye . And yes, you read it correctly —it’s happening at 11am eastern standard time. I mean, this is a children’s charity. So BYOC (bring your own coffee), wear your cozy holiday sweater and don your silliest New Year’s glasses and hats. We’re going to Zoom with the SchoolBOX teams from Almonte, Nicaragua,......
2020: A Year to Fall in Love with Nature - theHumm December 2020
By Robert Betcher
This year we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people visiting Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) wilderness properties in Lanark County. Many other land trusts across North America have had the same experience. In response to the pandemic, our properties have become an essential back-to-nature sanctuary. Perhaps you visited one of our properties to catch your breath, find refuge from the lockdown, or explore a safe place with friends or family.
MMLT co-founder Howard Cliffor......
Perth’s Nine Lessons and Carols Will Take Place! - theHumm December 2020
By Hilary Barrett
The popular Christmas Nine Lessons and Carols in Perth has not been cancelled — we are going virtual! The service has been held at St. James the Apostle Anglican Church for 37 years with the joint choirs of St. Paul’s United Church and St. James’. The 38th service will air on Sunday, December 20 at 4pm and a link will be available on the two churches’ websites. Choir directors Peter Woodwark and Brad Mills are working very hard to make it happen and have some great music planned.
The recording will......
An Arty Anniversary in Almonte - theHumm December 2020
Sivarulrasa Gallery’s 6th Anniversary Show is their biggest of the year — come and see it in-person during regular gallery hours at 34 Mill Street in Almonte: Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm. The exhibition will run until December 30.
Due to pandemic restrictions there will not be an in-person vernissage; however, the gallery will host two Artists Talks/Virtual Vernissages online via Zoom, where artists will join in live from across the country to talk about the......
The Hub Children’s Christmas Mailbox - theHumm December 2020
By The Hub Elves
With our thoughts turning towards Christmas during the upheavals that COVID-19 has created this year, the holidays are taking on even greater importance.
Every Christmas season, The Hub in Almonte holds a Children’s Christmas Shopping Day. At this event children up to the age of 13 visit The Hub and are able to buy gifts — any gift is one dollar — for immediate family members by themselves, and this year is no exception.
But this year The Hub is taking a different, COVID-safe approach......
NYE at Perth Manor! - theHumm December 2020
By Linda Craig
On December 31, we at Perth Manor Boutique Hotel are pleased to adapt and present our annual New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner — this year in a COVID compliant environment. We weren’t sure we would be planning this event this year; however, after receiving calls from last year’s guests inquiring if they could reserve a table, and chatting with the health unit, we reconsidered.
We contacted our featured pianist, Valerie Leavitt, and she is on board for a return engagement — mask and all — so we began pla......
Perth Community Choir AGM - theHumm December 2020
Although the Perth Community Choir (PCC) has unfortunately had to stay dormant through the fall of 2020, they are looking forward to the time when they can once again prepare for their next production.“In the meantime,” says Board President Kristen Widenmaier, “it is important that we continue to ‘keep the lights on’. One of the important jobs we must do is hold an Annual General Meeting.”
This year the Annual General Meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, December 9 at 7pm. This means you can join from the comfort of your home — all you need is a device and an internet connecti......
A Calendar of Kindness Finish this Year with a Bit of Cheer! - theHumm December 2020
By Sarah Kerr
Well, here we are heading into the holidays and this final stretch of 2020, a year that not too many of us are going to grumble about saying goodbye to. Because what a year this has been. Our personal values, resiliency, and the strength of our community have all been tested in a way that most of us have never had to face in our lifetimes. And yet, it has been remarkable to see the small acts of kindness that have connected us, from a distance, through this pandemic. Folks offering up patience and co......
Humm Helpers & Hershey Kiss Cookies - theHumm December 2020
Dear readers,
We’re so glad that you picked up this festive edition of theHumm. We also hope you feel your spirits lift after seeing all the ways that folks in our community are working to support each other and express their creativity through this unprecedented holiday season.
In case you missed a couple of issues this fall, we are excited to share that some of our wonderful readers encouraged us to launch a subscription membership. The idea is to offer folks the opportunity to directly help with our publishing costs, in order to keep theHumm free for all. There are a few diff......
Growing Community in Lanark Highlands - theHumm December 2020
By David Hinks
There is an old adage that says: “Life is what happens when you’ve planned something else.” The philosophy of an enthusiastic volunteer group in Lanark Village is: “let’s skip Plan A and go straight to Plan B”. The initial impetus for Plan B was a perceived lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in Lanark Highlands. Once that was dealt with, Plan B has grown into a multi-faceted volunteer organization responding to many issues in the community. Director Melanie Mills observes that the goal is ......
Giving the Gift of Trees - theHumm December 2020
By The HHNL Board of Directors
You may wonder why Home Hospice North Lanark (HHNL) is launching another fundraiser hot on the heels of our very successful Hike for Hospice, which would normally have taken place back in May. We are 100% funded through donations and targeted fundraising, and our Tree Fundraisers have always proven popular for Christmas gifts, so we need to get this moving!
Our Tree Fundraiser shopping site is open for business at trees.hhnl.ca , and we ar......
The Trouble with Tradition - theHumm December 2020
By Glenda Jones
“Christmas will be different this year.” For sure it will, but get a grip and we can re-invent the wheel.
Many can’t believe that they will survive “different”, because “we’ve always done it that way”. If that were the case, my Christmas tradition would be doing the laundry, and when the kids were little, tending to all manner of Christmas crises like scalds that sent us to the emergency room or migraine headaches that led to… well, not a nice picture after Christmas dinner. I can’t recall......
An Open Letter to Humm Readers - theHumm December 2020
By Glenda Jones, AKA The Reever Reporter
More than 20 years ago Kris Riendeau allowed me to publish my first article, a little piece about walking my dogs. Every month since, she has given me that same opportunity, a privilege I cherish. What started out as an idea to organize the cultural life of our area has grown into an essential medium for all of us who want to share a corner of our lives. When we have endeavours that we need to advertise we turn to theHumm, and oh my, does it deliver! We see Kris and Rob, coffee mugs in hand, dropping off theHumm all over town, making connections, chatting with shop owners and readers, and......
The Taste of Longing Your Invitation to an Imaginary Feast - theHumm December 2020
By Danielle K.L. Gregoire
In November I became the literary publicist for The Taste of Longing by Ottawa writer and historian Suzanne Evans. The book is a beautifully written account of the life of Ethel Mulvany, a force of nature born on Manitoulin Island. The focus of the book is about her time spent in Changi Jail during WWII. The book is a tribute to resilience and how imagination and community can help one get through the darkest of times.The moment I virtually met Suzanne and she shared her story about findi......
MERA’S Christmas FairGoes Virtual for 2020 - theHumm December 2020
MERAs 18th annual Christmas Fair is moving online. From November 15 through December 20, visitors to meraschoolhouse.org will be able find special gifts for those they love. Even though the MERA Schoolhouse will be empty for this year’s Christmas event, the much-loved offerings of art, weaving, pottery, wood turning and other crafts will still be available.
“The fair has always been more than a fundraiser,” explains Elaine Wilso......
Another Kind of Gift Core Gift Discovery with Bruce Anderson - theHumm December 2020
By Maggie Dimock
While completing my Bachelor of Social Work at Carleton University I have had the privilege of completing one of my field practicums at Carebridge Community Support, located in Lanark County. As part of my practicum, I participated in Bruce Anderson’s Core Gift Discovery Master Facilitator Certification workshop. This workshop taught me about core gifts, and how we each have one that is unique to who we are and is meant to be shared.
After learning about them, how they manifest in our lives, how to uncover the core gifts of others, and the ways in which they can help promote positive ......
The Power of Saying Hello - theHumm December 2020
By Kris Riendeau
Smiths Falls native Mark Quattrocchi has just launched a book entitled The Cycle of Life: The Power of Saying Hello. It’s about his bicycle journey around the world (covering 40 countries over two years), and he describes it as a “motivational, adventure, travel book”. It’s a journey with purpose that helps others find their own. After watching his captivating TEDx Talk, we decided that we needed to hear more about this enthusiastic author, his ambitious trip, and his new book.
theH......
On Hope Notes from Climate Network Lanark - theHumm December 2020
My anxiety regarding the recent US election was deep-seated and gut-wrenching. To remain hopeful I kept repeating to myself Dr. Martin Luther King’s wonderful quote, made famous by Barack Obama: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
Whew.
Then I happened to hear a CBC interview with Canadian researcher, teacher and author Dr. Elin Kelsey on her new book Hope Matters. The subtitle is “why changing our thinking is critical in solving the climate cr......
LCIH Virtual Holiday Giving Campaign - theHumm December 2020
Lanark County Interval House and Community Support is thinking creatively this year — they’re taking their annual Angel Tree campaign online! The virtual Angel Tree website allows people to choose how they would like to support LCIHCS, whether by giving gifts or monetary donations, from the comfort of their own home. At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on women and incidences of gender-based violence are on the rise, the need for donations is high.
“We have seen a 75% increase in crisis calls due to the pandemic,” explains Executive Director Eri......
The Importance of Indie Bookshops - theHumm December 2020
By — John Pigeau
An author friend of mine wore a T-shirt the other day that read: “Some of my best friends are books.” I laughed when I saw this photo of her on Instagram, but then I thought, how true. And for a book lover, it genuinely is. In troubling times, a good book can be as comforting as a tender or affectionate hug. Insightful books about grief, loss, anxiety, depression can often be every bit as helpful as a good therapist or a kind, caring, cherished friend. Once we own them, books are a......
Stuck in a Slump? How to Renew Your Zeal for Reading - theHumm December 2020
By Karen Schecter
In chatting with people both inside and outside of the library, I have found that many readers report that they are not reading as much as usual even though they have more leisure time. These readers have experienced difficulty concentrating during the COVID crisis. Psychologists suggest that the increase in anxiety because of the pandemic is making it hard for some people to focus. This lack of focus could lead to an increase in the consumption of more passive pursuits such as watching Ne......
Smiths Falls Makes the Season Merry & Bright - theHumm December 2020
Riding high on the success of their summer/fall PICNIC program, the Town of Smiths Falls will be continuing to focus on local businesses with their Merry and Bright Christmas Box initiative. By partnering with local retailers, they are helping them offer fantastic packages of gifts and goodies that will appeal to anyone who “loves local”. Businesses will select their own items to put in the custom-stamped boxes, and then the Town supplements each box with a complimentary collectable gift, ......
Grief, Holidays, and COVID - theHumm December 2020
By Patti Koeslag is a volunteer with Lanark County Home Support
We are all experiencing some form of isolation and loneliness in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, but for those walking with the death of a loved one this time of holidays and celebrations can be particularly difficult. This year, many people have not been able to be at the bedside as loved ones died, or have not been able to have traditional mourning rites such as visitations, funerals, celebrations of life or the comfort of the hugs and presence of friends and family.
Grief at the best of times is heavy work. We cannot go around it… the only way to deal with grief is by going thr......
Textiles Return to Victoria Woollen Mill - theHumm December 2020
By Darrell & Thomas, Founders
In 1857, James Rosamond built a four-storey stone building, later known as No. 2 Mill. The Rosamond Woollen Mill remained one of the largest woollen mills in the country until the First World War. The Rosamond family continued to operate the mill after the war, but by this time the mill was not a major part of the woollen manufacturing industry. The Rosamonds were leaders in the community as well as the textile field. The mill remained in operation for 120 years.
This fall, the textiles industry ......
Puppet Town - theHumm December 2020
By Kris Riendeau
Back in September of 2018 we received an email from Fred Forse that said: “I am a photographer and writer from the UK who has been staying in Almonte for the past two months. Having visited A Puppet Retrospective at the Mississippi Mills textile museum, I’m fascinated by the tradition of Noreen Young making puppet lookalikes of well-known locals.”
Fast-forward to November of 2020, when Fred contacted us again about the launch of his new book: “A small Canadian town called Almonte (population: ......
Apr 20 Perth Trashure Hunt Clean-up
Apr 20 Solitary Man
Apr 27 Festival of the Maples
Apr 27 The Moth Project
May 4 - 5 Spring Fine Art Show
May 4 Outskirts
May 5 Music at Mera: The Andrew Collins Trio
May 11 - 12 Art in the Attic
May 11 Engelbert Humperdinck & Tom Jones Tribute
May 16 MMLT Talk & AGM
- IS THIS A PROTEST?
- A Classic Whodunnit Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee at Studio Theatre
- Readers, Writers, and Poets
- Celebrate Indigenous Culture in CP
- Celebrate the ClassicsWith the Arnprior Choir
- 4F Auction Concoction Food, Fun, Fashion & Favourites
- Cheerfully Made Spring Market
- Electrify to Decarbonize Lanark
- Volunteer Forum
- Frankenstein Comes to The Station Theatre
