Tomorrow I head to the Doctor to find out how much longer this cast stays on, if at all. I think I have a better than 50% chance! I am a little restless tonight, as you might imagine, so I am here instead of in bed where I should be. I am considering a walk to burn off the nervous energy, but isn’t that what got me into trouble in the first place?
I have spent days considering the consequences of a single moment. The next few months of my life and career hang in the balance and in order to cope, I have looked at this from every angle. I am certain I can keep painting no matter what the outcome. There could be a long lesson in this, or just a short one, either way, the present has my attention. I have fully noted that the best laid plans…. well you know the rest. One thing that does happen is you start to think about the things you take for granted. And then, when that is done, you might start to look around you.
One of the great things about blogging with Feedburner, is that it collects great statistics. It tells you how many visitors you get and what pages they are viewing. It even tells you what city they come from, which is great because you can truly see how international the web is. But, sometimes, it is very close to home.
My grandmother was born in a little town slightly more than an hour from here. My grandfather and great-great grandparents are buried there, along with many cousins. My father spent the summers of his youth in this place and I know it holds a special place in his heart. This branch of the family has a 350+ years in Canada. My grandmother is now almost 92. She told me stories of waking up in her bed on the second floor of a house that no longer stands with her eyes ‘frozen’ shut; of her mother and sisters making preserves in the summer kitchen, when she was a small child. She told me stories of her father’s long absences up near the French river in the lumber camps and of when he came home and made the best pea soup ever. He would tell stories and draw wonderful pictures. I know my father cherished the time he spent with his grandfather. She told me about the huge muskies that her brothers would catch in Georgian Bay – so large that one fish would feed her family of eight children. Her family moved to Toronto when the mill closed, but she would return to keep a cottage there until the 1960’s. My grandfather spent a lot of time fixing the church and doing a number of projects for them. This place is at the south eastern part of Georgian Bay and has come up in my statistics quite a few times in the last couple of days. The town is Waubaushene.
I was there last in June, visiting my grandfather’s grave on my way to Penetanguishene for a weekend vacation. It is my hope to get back out there this Winter with my camera and take pictures of this beautiful tiny place and of the Georgian Bay, on whose shores Waubaushene sits. I think that landscapes can tell a story. Every small town has at least one – often many. Perhaps my visitor has a story to share of their own. I hope my visitor from Waubaushene, has been enjoying the blog and I send a big ‘hello’ to you.. and perhaps even a ‘see you soon’.
I thought I’d add a picture I took several years ago of a sunset taken from the bridge beside Highway 400 at Waubaushene.
