WhatYouOughtToKnow — Things We Say Wrong

I always want to correct people who say "I feel bad." It's BADLY!!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic! Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ottawa Riverbank rich in inukshuks and fossils

What an incredible shoreline the Ottawa River has. How ironic that it's lined with fossilized patterns and creatures of older river beds. Every year in September, artists flock to the shore to make inukshuks with this fossilized rock. From what I can tell, the artists challenge themselves to choose oddly-shaped/weighted and fine-pointed rocks. In some close-ups, you can see that they've used tiny rocks to wedge/shimmy things into place.

On this visit, many of the inukshuks have fallen victim to wind and rising water. Unfortunately, I didn't think to bring my camera on my first visit and so aren't able to show you some of the more impressive ones that were such bold balancing acts that I was afraid my simple act of observing might cause them to collapse.
Millions of years from now, will paleontologists find these odd, anachronistic configurations of fossil and wonder what happened?
• Wikipedia "Inukshuk"

Canada Council for the Arts - 5-yr Plan

Toronto, October 20, 2010 – The Canada Council for the Arts outlined today its priorities for the next five years with the release of Strengthening Connections: Strategic Plan 2011-16.

Donation of Artwork

*****Update: Nov 18, 2010: SOLD! This artwork sold and has netted $45 for the Constance Creek Wildlife Refuge.

The goals of a local wildlife refuge caught my attention and so I'm donating some "wildlife" of my own. "Dragonfly Reflecting" will be one of the 15 artworks on display and for sale at their upcoming fundraiser.
"Dragonfly Reflecting"
mirror, japanese paper, gold acrylic
10 " X 10 " (25 X 25 cm)

Where the Wild Things Are — Fundraiser for Constance Creek Wildlife Refuge
• November 6th, 6 pm
• Sandy Hill Community Centre, downtown Ottawa
• Tickets: $40
• www.ccwr.ca
• Cash bar, live band, dance, and vegetarian dinner catered by The Green Door restaurant. Silent Art Auction. Sponsorship and straight donation opportunity with tax receipt in return.

The goal? To raise desperately needed funds to complete qualifying projects to gain them government accreditation to take in orphaned wildlife. Did you know that the Ottawa area has the most collisions with deer in all of Ontario, and the closest place that takes in orphaned fawns is Napanee? CCWR is a haven for many abandoned or abused domesticated farm animals and pets already. With your help, we can give injured and orphaned wildlife the local care that they need. For more information, visit www.ccwr.ca.

Marketing Monday

Trilo"bike" stand
This Summer I visited the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Anyone who reads my blog knows that I love this museum. Even on walking to the museum you know you're in for a treat when you come across bike stands shaped like trilobites! This ancient arthropod is just one of the fossils that you'll encounter in the Paleozoic Era displays inside. I think it's brilliant to, 1. encourage bicycling to the museum, and, 2. show walkers-by a hint of what they're in for. It's a very smart way to lure visitors. Kudos!

Marketing Monday is a column devoted to innovation in the world of commerce. It celebrates companies, products, packaging and campaigns that swim against the current and find creative ways to stand out. Got a suggestion for the column? Send me a comment.

Marketing Monday

'Passion' for Selling Soap
In the mall recently, my niece needed to make an emergency pit stop. As the devoted Auntie, I made the obligatory overtures to my sister who was more than busy enough with my nephew, then hurriedly carried the leg-pinched little lady to the potty.

With great relief that the timing worked out (anyone who's ever rushed a kid to the bathroom knows what that means), but a new anxiety to complete our shopping before our window of opportunity was lost (anyone who's ever shopped with a kid knows what that means) we exited the stall for a quick hand-washing at the sink. Here's what we found there...

Brilliant! Fruits & Passion had filled the soap dispenser with lovely, fruity suds that made all my worries wash away.

I was so impressed that I sought out the Fruits and Passion store in the mall, let them know how much I liked their idea and left the store with their product as a reward (for me as much as them). This is smart marketing: their product in a room that almost every shopper is going to visit and they didn't even have to pay rent for the space. Kick-ass idea.

Marketing Monday is a column devoted to innovation in the world of commerce. It celebrates companies, products, packaging and campaigns that swim against the current and find creative ways to stand out. Got a suggestion for the column? Send me a comment.

Art Fundraiser for Canadian Cancer Society

*****Update: Sept 30, 2010: SOLD! This artwork sold and has netted $45 for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Support The D.A.D. Project!
The D.A.D. (Drawing A Day) Project is an ongoing, online, art-based fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, the largest national charitable funder of cancer research in Canada. Sisters Emily and Serena Chen used their creative talents to start this fundraiser when their father was diagnosed in May 2009 with metastatic stage 4 colon cancer.

The D.A.D. project won my heart so I donated a painting for their cause. If you like my fish, buy it through D.A.D. and help them raise money for continued cancer research.
Fundraising progress:
Goal: $1,000.00
Achieved: $600.00
Almost there!

• Make a donation (as much or as little as you can).
• See/buy my donated artwork
• See other artworks for sale through the Fundraiser
• More about the DAD project
• Join D.A.D. on Facebook

Here's the work that I donated:

Congratulations, Linda!

Congratulations to Linda Rae Dornan on her Strathbulter Award!

The $15,000 Strathbutler Award (The Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation) is given in recognition of a New Brunswick artist who has achieved excellence in visual arts while having made a substantial contribution to the province over a significant period of time.

Sackville artist, Linda Rae Dornan will receive the Strathbutler award on October 6th at a Gala event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Strathbutler Award. Selected by a jury of independent art professionals, Ms Dornan has been chosen to receive this award in recognition of both her pioneering embrace of interdisciplinary media and her significant community contribution to the visual arts in New Brunswick.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence."
— Robert Frost

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Many secrets of art and nature are thought by the unlearned to be magical."
— Sir Francis Bacon

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
— Pablo Picasso

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

More important than learning how to recall things is finding ways to forget things that are cluttering the mind."
— Attributed to both James Waddell Alexander, II and Eric Butterworth on various web sites.

I can't ascertain who actually said this but it rings true nonetheless. We could all use to forget hate, jealousy, envy and negativity in general.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
— Mark Twain

Apple Picking in Canada

Written by Choleena DiTullio of Demand Studios for publication on eHow.com. The published article at eHow.com.

Canada is “ripe” with apple-picking opportunities! Depending on the variety of apple, weather and location, apples are ready between August and October. U-pick or Pick-Your-Own (PYO) apple orchards can be found in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Picking Tips
The color of the ripe fruit depends on the variety, so ask staff for picking tips on the varieties that they grow. It’s usually best to pick apples that are firm and free of bruising. If it's early in the season, pick from the outlying branches, since they ripen first. As the season progresses, pick from inner branches. Try not to sharply pull the apples from the tree, because this could cause other apples on the same branch to fall. Instead, lift the apple upward and give a sharp twist. Place them gently in your basket so that they don’t bruise. Although many U-picks supply ladders in the orchard, if you're taking children on your outing, consider selecting a U-pick that has dwarf trees with easily-reached branches. Bring sunscreen and hats if it’s sunny.

Storage Tips
These tips will help the apples keep fresh longer. Don’t wash the apples until you’re ready to use them. Keep them in a cool but not freezing location such as your basement or cellar. A slightly humid atmosphere will help keep them from shriveling or drying out. According to Outdoors.ca and PickYourOwn.org, apples should not be stored directly beside potatoes. Potatoes release a gas that speeds up apple spoilage.

Apple Dishes
Apples are versatile in cooking. They are a main ingredient in many types of food across many cultures. Common apple foods and beverages: cider; juice; fritters; cake; vinegar; candied; dried; wine; schnapps; butter; pie; flan; jelly; sauce; cheesecake, crisp; strudel; dumpling; and crumble. Apple is a minor ingredient in many dishes such as creamy coleslaw, pancakes, muffins and stuffing. According to Scientific American, apples quickly oxidize (react to oxygen in the air) and turn brown when bruised or cut. Prepare apples last or toss them with a small amount of lemon or pineapple juice to counteract the oxidation process.

U-pick Farms
U-picks are not restricted to apples. Many farms have opened their fields to the public so that customers have access to many kinds of fruit and vegetables. If you’re specifically looking for apples, make sure that’s what the U-pick is offering. PickYourOwn.org is run by a U-pick lover who has put together a fairly extensive listing of U-picks in Canada.

Other Activities at U-Picks
U-pick farms and orchards often offer related foods, services and activities to provide a complete package or day adventure to locals and tourists. Some features might be horse and wagon rides, mazes and themed meals. Pre-picked fruit and vegetables are often available, and a retail shop may offer foods made with produce from the farm. Some farms even maintain a winery and offer liquor sales and tastings. An example of an orchard that offers extensive products and experiences is Belliveau Orchard in Memramcook, New Brunswick, Canada.

References
PickYourOwn.org: Apple Picking Tips
Outdoors.ca: Apple Picking in Canada
ScientificAmerican.com: Why do apple slices turn brown after being cut?
PickYourOwn.org: U-pick farms in Canada
AllAboutApples.com: Orchard Listing

Resources
CanadianLiving.org: Apple Recipes
Belliveau Orchard: Welcome

My kind of art — it's all recycled!

"40 terrific works of art made from common trash" compiled at noupe.com

The Difference Between a Loft and a Studio Apartment

Written by Choleena DiTullio of Demand Studios for publication on eHow.com. The published article at eHow.com.

The differences between a loft apartment and a studio apartment are size and type of living space. Loft apartments are large living spaces either situated in a loft area (the space just below the roof) of a building or the apartment contains a room that overlooks the main living space. A studio apartment is small with just one or two rooms often containing a combined living/sleeping area. It contains no raised or second-story (loft) room.

Similarities
Both have a self-contained living setup including kitchen, bathroom, living and sleeping space even though some spaces may be combined. They are open-concept with few dividing walls. As apartments, both are rented.

Origin
Loft apartments were most often converted upper-story levels of commercial buildings; a way to reclaim abandoned manufacturing and industrial buildings. Because of their popularity and generally higher rental income potential, today's architects design loft-like apartments into new buildings.

Architectural Features
Because of the origin of loft apartments, they often are large, open spaces with large windows and high ceilings. Since the ceilings are very high, a raised sleeping area (or loft) can be built into the same space, gaining extra floor space. This room overlooks the rest of the living area and can often be reached by steep stairs or a ladder.

Loft Apartment versus Loft (or Loft Area)
As opposed to a loft apartment, a loft area is a space created above a living space that has very high ceilings. It is reached by a staircase or ladder, and is used for sleeping or storage purposes. It does not have to be in the top floor of a building or have the architectural features such as large windows of a traditional loft apartment. Any living space—apartment, house or condo—can have a loft in it.

Etymology
Loft: Middle English, from Old English, air, sky, from Old Norse lopt; akin to Old High German luft air. Date: 13th century. An upper room or floor; a gallery in a church or hall; one of the upper floors of a warehouse or business building especially when not partitioned.

References
Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Loft
Vertex Realty: Building and Apartment Definitions
Metro Apartments: FAQ

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Feel good. Feel terrific. And chase that feeling for the rest of your life. You can recapture it every time you do the right thing."
— Peter Mansbridge, Host of CBC's The National and 8th Chancellor of Mount Allison University

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might have-been has never been, but a has was once an are."
— Milton Berle

Pac-Man is 30 years old

That means that *I'm* getting old, too.

Globe & Mail's Google doodle celebrates Pac-Man anniversary