Do You Believe In Ghosts?

It was a Friday night, getting late, and we were all getting a little tired.  But we were also really psyched about our next guest:  Kyle Upton.  Kyle began the Ghost Tour of Fort George many years ago, and it's success grows every year.  Let's face it, most people love a good ghost story, and that's what Kyle, and the other Ghost Tour Guides do..tell Ghost stories. 

Given it's bloody history, it's no wonder that many people believe that Fort George in Niagara on the Lake is haunted.  And there is no shortage of stories to tell as you take the tour. 

Kyle has also published a book on the subject:  "Niagara's Ghosts at Fort George" in which he recounts many of the ghostly tales you will hear on a tour.   Does Kyle believe in ghosts himself?  And what does he think of all these electronic gizmos that you see on any number of "ghost hunter" shows on tv?  Has anyone ever brought things like that into the Fort? 

We talked about all of that and much, much more. 

When the show was finished, the cameras off, still we sat and talked.  The crew came out of the booth and all gathered around to listen too.  No one wanted to go home. 

For more information on the Ghost Tours, visit:  http://www.friendsoffortgeorge.ca/ghost.htm

You can buy a copy of Kyle's book at the Fort Gift Shop. 

Yoga with Randi

Randi Saks has been a Registered Yoga Therapist for several years and teaches locally.  Jacquie and I met her when we took a class she was teaching through the school board last year.  We knew she'd be a perfect guest! 

Randi explained about the many different types of yoga that you can learn, the philosophy of the practice and the health benefits.  Although movement was limited in the studio, Randi also showed us some stretches we can all do at work when we've been sitting for far too long...or like me...hunched over a computer keyboard!  We also practiced our breathing as a way to just take a few minutes and de-stress during the day.

Jacquie is still taking Randi's classes, but I, unfortunately couldn't quite get them into my schedule this time around.  I've been trying to figure out how to remedy that situation.  Last week, my shoulders full of knots, I went for a massage.  After an hour of kneading my poor muscles, the massage therapist said, "You know, you should really take Yoga.  It would really help you!"
: )

You know, every morning, the first thing Rascal does when we wake up is assume the "downward dog" yoga position.  He looks so blissfully happy while he's doing it. 
Animals clearly know what's good for them.

Namaste.

http://www.gravitatetoyoga.com/#!meet-randi-

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,..." Shakespeare

Many months ago, Dr. Brian Pihack spoke at a C.F.U.W. meeting that I attended...even before the one where I got the idea to be on tv!   His talk that evening was about how many of the holidays we celebrate today,  for instance Halloween, originated as pagan celebrations.  His talk was fun and entertaining, as well as educational.  During the question and answer period at the end, one of the ladies asked him what he thought about the Mayan Calendar and the end of the world in December!  His answer? 

"Don't even get me started!"

I wrote his name down on my newsletter, I knew some how, I'd want to talk to him again!

When I approached Brian about being on the show, he was a little hesitant...not about being on tv as I later learned, but about me.  Understandable I guess as he'd never actually met any of us before!  So, we too arranged to meet over lunch.  We met at a little diner in Niagara Falls close to where he works as a Chiropractor.  Our conversation went from pagan holidays to 2012 to dinosaur DNA to aliens and just about everything in between.  It made me dizzy and I loved every minute.  Lunch was over much too soon.
And Brian agreed to be a guest on the show.

Being as he also happens to be the Vice President of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Niagara Centre, he agreed to talk about the stars...more specifically what we can see in the night skies around Niagara!  He also agreed to bring along some really cool photographs taken locally. 

Before the cameras were on and we were getting set up, Brian was giving the website address to our Producer to put in the credits, and he mentioned how often people say "astrology" instead of astronomy, and how in fact, the last time he'd been interviewed, they had introduced him as an Astrologer!  I looked at him aghast!  "Why did you say that?"  I asked him.  "Now, I'm going to say it.....!"

In the seconds leading up to that little red light coming on, I sat in my chair chanting..."astronomer...astronomer....astronomer...astronomer....."

And then I introduced Dr Brian Pihack, local astrologer!  I caught myself immediately, and we came close to dissolving into a fit of laughter, but somehow managed to pull it together! 

To see some of the amazing pictures that Brian showed us, and to find out more about the skies over your head Niagara,check out:

http://www.astronomyniagara.com/html/contact_us.html

Mary...give that mask back!

Robin Patterson is the co-founder and artistic director (and any number of other things) for Theatre Beyond Words. 

www.theatrebeyondwords.ca

We were fortunate enough that Robin was willing to bring some of her "friends" with her from the Theatre company.  And, she let us play with them. 

 Four of her friends were of the "Potato People" variety...non verbal larval masks.  It was truly amazing to see how each mask presented a completely different personality...without making a sound!  It was all in posture, and movement.   

We talked about the challenges of writing a play without any words, just movement.  We also talked about how everyone wears a mask, now and again. 

Mary tried on a mask reminiscent of a fair damsel in medieval times, with long blonde hair and suddenly she became a different person too.  Her movements as she tossed her hair and looked down at us with that haughty gaze...we weren't sure she was going to give it back!! 

Thanks for letting us play Robin!!

Tracing your Family Tree from Niagara to....Japan?

Jacquie met Cathy Kerr some time ago through her job, and when we were brainstorming who we would seek out to be guests, she thought of her immediately!  Jacquie asked Cathy if she would be willing to share her story with us.  Like most people when first asked, Cathy wasn't sure about being on a talk show.  She told Jacquie she'd have to think about it.  I called her a few days later, introduced myself and said "Jacquie told me to call you and talk you into it".  : )

Cathy is an amateur genealogist and had been using the Internet to try and trace some of her relatives, one in particular...



Her great-great aunt Martha Cartmell.  After doing some research, Cathy discovered that great-great Aunt Martha, who was a teacher, founded Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin, an all girls school in Tokyo, in 1884.

Having been in contact with the school Cathy and her husband were amazed and delighted to be invited there, all expenses paid, to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the school!  What a trip, and Cathy shared some of her pictures with us. 

We loved hearing all about Cathy's adventure.  I guess the lesson here is that you just never know what you might find out once you start looking into your ancestry.  

Laura Gyldenbjerg...our second episode

The first show was wrapped, and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief.  We had done it.  No one had passed out!  It was done!  It hadn't aired yet, but hey, it was done.  Then we realized we had 9 more episodes to go!

Our next guest was Laura Gyldenbjerg, a Trustee.  Again, it was a Saturday morning.  A very snowy, blowing, blizzardy Saturday morning.  Anyone with common sense would have stayed home.   I counted 12 accidents on the way.  The problem was, I had only ever talked to Laura at her office, and had no way to get a hold of her that morning to make sure she still wanted to come in, despite the weather.  Sure enough, when we finally got there...25 minutes late....there she was, all smiles. 

You have to love the Internet.  That is how we found Laura.  I was looking for someone who could talk about pitfalls of getting into debt, especially for young people just starting out, and when I came across her website, I knew I'd found her.  The site is clear and easy to understand, and Laura herself is personable, easy to talk to and full of great advice and solutions.

We talked about things such as debit card use, cell phone contracts, credit card interest and cheque cashing services.  Just to name a few of the pitfalls that people fall into.  But Laura also had solutions.  We also talked about teaching your children about money.  Mary told a great story about her young daughter and the first time she took her with her to get money out of an ATM;  her daughter thought it was some kind of game, and they had won!  "Let's play again, Mom" she shouted. 

We learned a lot of helpful things from Laura and really, really appreciate her driving out in a blizzard to be there!!!!

To contact Laura Gyldenbjerg, http://www.lauracanhelp.net/en/

Laura also suggested checking out http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/bsf-osb.nsf/frm-eng/SBEE-7JCKVV a site that offers booklets to teach children about money, published by the government. 

I'm not really a talk show host, I just play one on tv!

We're finally here.   Cogeco studios on McLeod Road in Niagara Falls and our first guest is David Hemmings, noted local historian and author.  I had heard about David through the St. Catharines historical society with regard to the book he had written on Laura Secord, "Laura Ingersoll Secord: A Heroine and her Family".

I took a drive out to the Niagara on the Lake historical museum and picked up a copy.  Before I was even half way through it, I knew I wanted David on the show.  The question was, how to convince him!   I sent him an email explaining who I was, and a little bit about the show and asked if he would be interested in being our first guest!  I suspected it was the first time he'd received an email asking him that.  We went back and forth for a bit, and I did my best to answer his questions, and we finally decided we should meet and talk in person.  I invited him to lunch.  [for a look at how the morning went leading up to that lunch, check out http://nancyr-meetme.blogspot.ca/2011/09/you-know-you-should-have-stayed-in-bed.html]

Well, we hit if off like gangbusters!!!  Not only is he a great writer, but he is charming as well!!  Lunch absolutely flew by and before I knew it, I had to get back to work.  But the best part was, having met me and deciding I wasn't really crazy after all, David agreed to do the show. 

We taped on a Saturday morning.   None of us had ever done anything like this before and we were all a little nervous.  When they were showing me how to attach the microphone properly, I started feeling a little sick.  Jacquie and Mary were both giving me the look.  You know the look.  The "I can't believe I let you talk me into this" look!   When they counted us down and the red light came on, I completely forgot what I was going to say, but just for a second.  It came back to me and I introduced myself, my co-hosts, and of course our guest, David. 

David said later that he'd been nervous too, but he is so passionate about his subject matter that once he started talking about Laura Secord, we all forgot to be nervous anymore, and a great conversation ensued.

Of course, we all think we know the Laura Secord story, but I'm willing to bet that most of us don't really.  And David presents it in a really unique way in his book.  He looks at Laura as a spy behind enemy lines, which is exactly what she was.  I just never thought of her that way before.  David really brought her to life. 

We discussed not only her story, but what it might have been like being a woman in those times, in those circumstances. 

At the end of the show, David mentioned the walk that is planned for the anniversary:  a 32 km hike from Laura's home (now a museum) in Queenston Heights, to Decew House in Thorold.   After learning so much about her and what she had gone through, we decided that we will do the walk this summer ourselves, to really experience it through her eyes...or feet I guess!

Please look for David's book at the NOTL museum or online at

bygonespublishing.com

You will not be disappointed.

And for more information on the walk, visit

www.niagarafallsheritage.ca/heritage/show.asp?id=354165