In-Between Days - theHumm April 2020
In-Between Days - theHumm April 2020
By Angie Arendt
Not long ago I was curled up on the couch in the livingroom with a copy of “Discover Canada” in hand, asking and answering questions Jeopardy-style while studying for my upcoming citizenship test. Who is Sir John A. MacDonald? What is the Order of Canada? What is July 1, 1867? I’m an out-loud processor, much to the delight (and chagrin) of everyone in the house.
So Canada has been on my mind for a while now, the excitement building about replacing my permanent residence card with a passport one day soon and stepping into a voting booth the next time elections roll around. As luck or fate or the gods or whatever would have it, though, the citizenship test was cancelled right about the same time that March Madness was nixed and folks started playing around with the idea of working from home. That was only a few weeks ago, y’all… and so much has changed in the world since then, moving Canada (and every other place on the planet) from my mind to my heart. I imagine by the time you read these words that a lot more will have changed, too; things that for better or for worse disorient our days and discombobulate our hearts.
I’ve always known it to be true, but right now it seems more real than ever that life simply doesn’t come with any guarantees… except, of course, for the fact that we are born and we die. The former date is usually pretty easy to predict; however, the latter is not. And those valuable, precious days in between the day we draw our first breath and the day we exhale our last are fraught with danger and fear: from bears and fishers (both of which are new to me since moving North, btw), to poison ivy and porcupines (also a new thing) and oh-so-much more. Honestly, I think it takes a lot of courage for any of us just to get out of bed on an ordinary day.
But do you know what? These in-between days are also filled to overflowing with joy and light. As I type these words, there are crocuses popping up through the crusty ground and two golden retrievers wrestling in the yard. The sun busted up over the Mississippi River this morning like it was on fire (which, I guess, it was), filling the sky with pinks and blues and purples and oranges that you simply had to see to believe. And I just watched a video of isolated Italians singing together from their balconies and another of a brass band playing old spirituals in New Orleans to bring some hope and healing for folks who are hurting hard right now. Around Almonte, people are making soup for their neighbours, delivering groceries for those who can’t get out, creating scavenger hunts for kids in their neighbourhoods, chatting on the phone and tapping text messages and meeting up online to laugh and cry and pray for a while. How sweet is that?
Highs and lows. Joys and aches. Both/and every day. It’s all a part of the package and blessing of being human, no matter where you’re from.
I can’t help but wonder what people studying for the citizenship test in ten, twenty, or fifty years from now will be shouting into the air when they talk about this virus crisis; however, based on what I’ve learned in the books and from living with y’all for a while now, I have no doubt that when our children are grandparents they will tell tales about how these days were a test of endurance and inconvenience for many and a hardship and a gut-wrenching blow to others. And then they’ll proudly share story after story about how we not only survived these days but thrived in and grew through them, too, because that’s what we do in this maple-loving, moose-and-goose-filled birthplace of basketball (who knew?) country that so many of us love, that so many of us call home… me included, even though it looks like I’ll have to wait a little while longer before that’ll be a done deal.
That’s OK. We all are waiting right now for all kinds of unknowns to get clear. I’m not alone. And neither are you. Keep shining, y’all…
Angie Arendt is the Director of Big Stone House bigstonehouse.ca : a place where people share the highs and lows of life and learn and practice the art of sacred living as a way of bringing more joy, connection, and kindness into the ordinary, everyday round.
Re-purposing Your Gifts: from Costume Designer to Mask Maker - theHumm April 2020
By Kris Riendeau
In an article entitled “Covid-19 Cannot Harm Your Gifts!”, Bruce Anderson of the Core Gift Institute coregift.org writes: “…what is undeniable is that you have come into this world with gifts, and you will leave this world with those gifts, having given them along the way. Gifts form an essential part of our passion and purpose, and give us a lifetime of opportunity for finding our true identify and offering who we are to the world.“But, in times o......
Humming On in Uncertain Times - theHumm April 2020
By Kris and Rob Riendeau
Welcome to the first-ever online-only issue of theHumm. Back in mid-March as we were starting to put this issue together, we began to get emails from event organizers. They were watching the developing situation worldwide and locally, and were letting us know that they might have to cancel or postpone their events. It’s hard to believe that that was only three weeks ago. As a publication whose mission is to connect people through promoting community events, we made the difficult decision to not publis......
Supporting Canadian Authors, Bookstores and Publishers in Precarious Times - theHumm April 2020
By John Pigeau
In her profoundly moving memoir “This Is Happy”, Camilla Gibb wrote: “We are the storytelling animal; our stories are what make us human.” Indeed. Books bring us solace and pleasure in difficult times. Some help us escape to exotic and faraway lands, while others generously introduce us to different cultures. Books rinse our minds of the mundane, offering us instead adventure and intrigue, beauty and laughter, and meaningful insights too.
Books remind us, even in the best of times, th......
Reflections on Public Library Closures During COVID-19 - theHumm April 2020
By Meriah Caswell
The Carleton Place Public Library closed its doors to the public at 5:30pm on Friday, March 13, without knowing when they would reopen.
The previous day I had been naively trying to convince my staff and colleagues that with increased sanitation measures and enforced social distancing, libraries could remain open to serve our communities.
When I received the news that the library would have to close, there was an immediate whirlwind of activity. Library staff franti......
In-Between Days - theHumm April 2020
By Angie Arendt
Not long ago I was curled up on the couch in the livingroom with a copy of “Discover Canada” in hand, asking and answering questions Jeopardy-style while studying for my upcoming citizenship test. Who is Sir John A. MacDonald? What is the Order of Canada? What is July 1, 1867? I’m an out-loud processor, much to the delight (and chagrin) of everyone in the house.
So Canada has been on my mind for a while now, the excitement building about replacing my permanent residence card with a passport one d......
Just a Bunch of Country Kids! - theHumm April 2020
By Sarah Kerr
Okay parents, here we are in April after an extended three-week March Break. We now understand that this was just a training camp for our new homeschooling reality, to keep our kids and communities safe. All I have to say is, let’s thank the heavens we’re in the Valley, so we can “go country”!
Now, what does that mean? Getting back to our farming roots with our kids of course! Our family has taken this a little far and are renovating our neighbours’ old bunny hutch into a fancy new chicken coop......
Call Your Neighbour: Building Communities in Difficult Times - theHumm April 2020
By Jeff Mills
Remember the ice storm? We all have our stories, don’t we? Neighbours helping neighbours in every way possible. I remember driving a neighbour to my parent’s house so she could shower. We in the country were without power, so no pump and no hot water. My parents were in town, and but for one short interruption of power, they really weren’t affected. Although this weather event was a time of great inconvenience for some, those days of neighbours getting closer and helping neighbours are now seen as a period of great community building. We all have our stories. It almost sounds romantic in ......
The Power of Tech Shabbats - theHumm April 2020
By Kris Riendeau
Back when COVID-19 was just a gleam on the social media horizon, Rob and I listened to an intriguing podcast while delivering the February issue of theHumm. Presented by The Long Now Foundation, it featured author and life-long techie Tiffany Shlain talking about her new book “24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day A Week” blog.longnow.org/02020/02/03/podcast-24-6-th......
Stand and Listen - theHumm April 2020
By Glenda Jones
We call our oldest Sheltie “Miss Clockhead”. At precisely 6:35am she starts making little squeaky noises that indicate she is ready to start her day, and we should be as well. The other two are still sound asleep when Bonnie starts this morning ritual. If the squeaks don’t get our attention, she will chase her tail until she falls over. We were looking forward to the time change, thinking naively that we’d get an extra hour of sleep since it would still be relatively dark. ......
Local Residents Roll Up their Sleeves on Climate Action - theHumm April 2020
Back in early March, over 100 Lanark residents attended a day-long workshop to plan deep climate action for our community. This Climate Action Where We Live workshop was organized by the Climate Action Network.
“We originally booked a hall that would hold 60, but within days of opening up registration we were at 80 and so had to find another venue,” says Gord Harrison, one of the event organizers. “We finally capped the numbers at 115, with a waiting list… It’s very hearteni......
The Music Will Keep Playing - theHumm April 2020
By Tony Stuart
These are definitely interesting, challenging, and frightening times. I don’t think anyone expected to see society shut down the way it has. This shutdown is having profound implications for all of us, and I hope that all of you who are reading this are able to stay healthy and keep your spirits up.
Obviously, I have been particularly aware of how social distancing and self-isolation has affected musicians. We have seen all of our gigs completely dry up, with no end in immediate sig......
Updates from Area Museums - theHumm April 2020
By Jennifer Irwin and Michael RikleyLancaster
Most years, local museums begin fundraising in earnest with the return of spring. This year they are having to cancel or postpone events and close their doors, so they are reaching out to patrons and community members for support. Here are some updates that were sent in response to theHumm’s recent query.
The Carleton Place & Beckwith Historical Society and the Museum are thankful for the ongoing support of The Town of Carleton Place and of Beckwith Township; however, March and April are traditio......
greenshaus, inc. (aka the Thursday Lettuce Place) - theHumm April 2020
By David Hinks
“Not bad for a guy that knows nothing about growing.”
I am standing in the midst of hundreds of gorgeous heads of buttercrunch and romaine lettuce chatting with a very modest Rob Lyle. Rob is the owner of a modern looking high-tech greenhouse on the north side of March Road east of Almonte, just a stone’s throw from the border with Ottawa.
Rob is a relative newcomer to the world of horticulture, having worked in the banking system as an investment manager for 27 years. He lost interest in tha......
Mandatory Mindfulness! - theHumm April 2020
By Helen Antebi
To quell COVID-19 and do our part to support health care workers, not to mention our families, friends and our communities, there is one skill we must acquire if we have not already.
The skill or art (depending on your approach), of mindfulness has been “trending” now for some time. Maybe there was a reason. Virtually overnight we have had to become acutely aware of our environments, the contact — or rather the distance — we have from others, the way ......
Art… and Soul… and Social Distancing… and Advice on How to Cope from Valley Artist Valerie Fulford - theHumm April 2020
By Sally Hansen
Over twenty years ago theHumm appeared on the scene to promote the arts in the Ottawa Valley. April 2020 is our first non-appearance on your newsstands and at your local businesses and libraries since then. We, like the artists and arts-related businesses and events we publicize, are struggling to survive in the short term and to figure out how to revive and thrive in the future.
These are extremely challenging times. Humans dislike uncertainty and right now there are more than 7.7 billion pe......
Time for Takeout! - theHumm April 2020
By Sebastian Weetabix
Weetabix has long been of the view that food matters are well within the editorial mandate of theHumm (food combines art, entertainment and ideas!), but there is a key difference which is one of urgency. The famous aphorism of Rene Descartes “I think therefore I am” should perhaps be restated to “I eat therefore I am” since clearly if one does not eat, soon one is not. On the contrary side we have all experienced too many examples of those who do not think and yet clearly, they are. COVID-19 pres......
Dec 6 - 7 Chocolate Party
Dec 6 Light Up The Night
Dec 7 Pakenham Santa Claus Parade
Dec 7 Almonte Holiday Farmers' Market
Dec 7 - 8 Christmas At Pine Ridge!
Dec 7 Nick of Time Artisan Show
Dec 7 Rock & Roll Christmas - The Piano Men
Dec 7 - 8 Holly Jolly Art Show
- Shane Belanger — Having a Whale of a Time
- Cabaret Extravaganza! Celebrating 5o Years of The Hub | Rebound
- The Beatles Come to St. Andrew’s United
- The Wizard is… Odd!? A Hilarious and Odd-ly Relatable Original Musical
- The Sky’s the Limit at MMLT’s Fundraising Gala
- Come to the Merrickville Makers Market!
- 10th Anniversary Show at Sivarulrasa Gallery!
- Library After Dark A Night of Music with Jeremy Lyall
- Showing the Local Love for the Holidays!
- I’m Not Imelda Marcos