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Writer's pictureBluenose Jewess @60

See ya later, '50s, it's been a slice!

Updated: Dec 4, 2019

It's good to take stock every now and then. Like, once a decade? I know someone who only has a birthday party every ten years - he says the other ones aren't worth celebrating. Well, I don't believe that - they're all worth celebrating. In fact, every turn around the sun is a precious gift.


But as I turn 60, this birthday seems like a particular milestone. I will have lived four years longer than my Dad did, who died at age 56. When I was 20, 60 seemed ancient. And approaching this birthday, I've really thought about those I've lost and the time that remains, and about how I want to spend that precious time. Made some changes, will hopefully make more.


I've read that as one ages, you become more truly who you are, or who you were meant to be. But really? What if you were meant to be a loafing bumsky, sitting on a park bench? However, there does seem to be this increasing understanding that time is now shorter than longer, and I guess that's why bucket lists become so popular. I don't really have one (too busy!), but, I did waste an hour thinking about all that has happened to me and my family in the last ten years. It's been quite a ride. Thank you all for being part of my story so far.


Herewith, in random order, are my '50s highlights:


Rode a camel (that really isn't my #1, but it's the first thing I wrote down!)


Somewhere in the West Bank, February, 2011

Had my adult bat mitzvah, and went to Israel for the first time (but still haven't mastered Hebrew!). Learned a Haftorah with unique musical learning aids created by dear Hubby. Studied with David and Hannah and wrote a poem to son.


Mah zeh?


A very windy day in Caesarea, Israel, February, 2011

Performed with the Aeolian Singers, Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus (Messiah, almost Brahms Requiem, Mozart, Beethoven) and sang with Rajaton - all thrilling!


Velma, Dorothy and Roxie
Babes on Broadway, May, 2013 (the things I have done for the Aeolians!)

Altos! Messiah, 2016

Hanging with Rajaton post concert, 2010


Played a Nun




Lost some dear friends and relatives


Boxing Day Brunch with Marj MacLeod was a tradition for many years. Miss you, Marj.

Bye, Kevie, you were so ahead of your time.

Farewell, dear music lover, Shari Clarke.

Farewell, Tasha. We sang your beautiful poem, set by David.


Made CDs for/with the Aeolian Singers, Rhapsody Quintet, Halifax Camerata Singers



Camerata Board with A Time For All Things


Travelled a bit - to The Rock (Cape St. Mary's!), Ottawa (can't count how many times any more), PEI (almost can't count), Cape Breton, Montreal, Moncton, Edmonton and Israel again


Pretty sure my kids moved away to make me get over my fear of flying...the things I do for them...oy veh!!

Enroute to Edmonton with Hubby/Camerata

Finding the synagogue in Montreal where Josh and I had our conversions, June, 2013, thirteen years after "the dip."


Saw my daughter-in-law's conversion - moving and tears of joy


Two Jewesses, Ottawa, July, 2010


Watched our daughter graduate from high school, her undergrad and her graduate degree


"If it hadn't been for you, if it hadn't been for me..." If it hadn't been for Han!


Attended my son and daughter-in-law's graduation



Watched my daughter dance en pointe and thrilled to her final piano recital as she got her Grade 9; car-pooled/drove said daughter to umpteen rehearsals, concerts and such.


Han and Tiete

Pointe shoe days at Halifax Dance.

Saw the Queen with Bobbi, wondered if she got her dress at Laura.


June, 2010, royal watchers

Hmm...those ruffles are strangely like the dress I wore to Josh and Maria's wedding. Just saying


Worked for a ballet company for six years; saw their Anne of GG and took silent credit for suggesting it


"Guerilla" PR with Cinderella's Prince - Ballet Jorgen, 2010


Left the book world, joined the professional choir world.


ECMAs 2017 (not that I was there...)

With Emma, Camerata fundraiser, October, 2014


Attended APAP in NYC and saw one of the last performances of the Merce Cunningham Dance Co.


Practice, practice, practice

Drove ballet dancers, publishers, actors, writers, pianists, colleagues, violinists, etc. to media events, shows, showcases, launches.


2014, Holocaust event with Mr. Riteman and our friend Amali, visiting artist from Israel.

In the newsroom with Mateo, Amy Smith and Jean.

Miss A. Cello's gotta get around too!


Dug up our backyard and remade it for our son's wedding


June, 2010 shed construction


Watched with amazement Josh marry his Maria in one of the most joyful, fun, celebratory weddings ever. Had a good hair day.


Mazel tov! August 1, 2010


Survived Hurricane Juan and his little brother Dorian. Gave thanks for lights and heat.


Celebrated by mother's 86th birthday with much joy after she almost left us two years earlier. Saw her pass her driving test, get healthy again and enjoyi(ng) life.


New Year's Brunch with Rhapsody, Prince George, 2017


Journeyed with our daughter through a life-threatening illness. Gave thanks for her and her care providers every day.


Gorgeous daughter, White Point, Sept. 2011

Gorgeous daughter needing a head shot, March, 2017


Slept in Joseph Rotblat's and Mrs. Kindred Jones' bedrooms at Eaton Lodge.


Eaton Lodge, July 2017

Wondered for ten years what to do with our family home in Pugwash; meanwhile met and reconnected with wonderful new and old Pugwash friends. Gave said home lots of $. All worth it.


Lissy on the deck of Eaton Lodge, July, 2017


Celebrated with family in Pugwash


July 1, Pugwash, 2011

Shimon and Terry, July 1, 2009 (um, it's red and white, guys....!)

Isabel, Shimon & Han, July 1, 2009

Celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs, anything really, that involved good food and drink!


Grammie Sapp's birthday, July, 2009


Found new cousins (!) but lost my dear cousin Terry too early. Still processing that, thinking about his life, and wondering what to do with his framed diplomas.


A great day with Cousin Terry in Parrsboro, July, 2017

Maya Sari, Sally and me - new cousins! July, 2019, Kolbec, NS

New PEI cousin, Shelagh, Charlottetown, May, 2019


Bid adieu to some long-term friendships


See ya later, alligator! May you be well.


Took thousands of photos and videos


Atlantic Book Awards, 2017

Rhapsody at NAC


Wrote over 700 media releases (got carpal tunnel to prove it!)


Canadian Pugwash piece on Global, July, 2017

AJFF 2017

Aube's wonderful film gets some love, March, 2019


Wrote more than 60 grant applications, mostly successful and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the arts in Nova Scotia - yeehaw!




Sold many thousands of dollars of program ads (ugh!)


Thank you all for supporting the arts!

Booked and managed artists; stopped booking and managing artists


Even artists lose it sometimes.....

What is it with pianists?!



Laughed, cried, drank wine


New Year's, 2011

Me and Mateo pretending it's warm at the beach.


Attended over 1,500 events, concerts, book launches, film screenings, art openings, plays, concerts, Jewish events, CD launches, etc.


Public Gardens, July 2017

Concert at Parkland, March, 2016

Stratford trip, 2009


Served on Boards; got off Boards


Me and Erroll - Atlantic Book Awards

Palifax

Gained 20 (?) pounds


Can I blame it on menopause?!

Not exactly as illustrated....

Rescued two old prints from a flea market that ended up hanging in a show in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia


Have you noticed that flea market items cost a lot to reframe?


Painted our house red


Got beaten at Scrabble and Chinese Checkers many times by people much smarter than me


Shirley "when all else fails, clear the board" checkers star!

Got nominated for awards, won awards, attended awards shows


Team CMC/ECMA, Sydney, 2016, with Allegra and Mhiran

Started a successful contest for people to win local books, produced Pitch the Publisher and read many fine and some not so fine books


Shopped vintage, "picked," went to auctions, bought and sold "treasures" (more buying than selling)


Painting by Eva Fischer, Holocaust survivor - Picasso told her to paint boats.

John Doull said "hang on to this one."


Saw Hubby through surgery, fainting and negotiating wheelchair and cello.


Yeah, that was fun. Let's not do it again any time soon. April, 2017 DCCA concert with Rhapsody.



Complained about students; started a Facebook page about that


Excellent use of the compost!


Went to Israel again


The last time I saw David, May, 2014


Glida with Bela, Rishon le Zion, Israel, May, 2014

Proudly watched Hubby play the opening of the new library, dreamed about the old library. Watched Hubby get new library a piano (thanks and farewell to Peggy Corkum).


Lost my dear father-in-law, David, my Dustin Hoffman


Shimon and his Mum and Dad, Israel, 2011


Grateful for seeing my mother-in-law three times; learned more about her story, became slightly obsessed about it and genealogy. Made decision to visit Vilna in 2020.


Me and Mama Bela, August 2010 in NS


Gave thanks for being able to attend some of the big celebrations/milestones with family members, but realized it's actually the little day-to-day events that I miss more (sushi, coffee, Shabbat dinners...)


Shimon and his family on his 60th, February, 2011

Birthday party, Israel.

Lovely children at backyard BBQ, Ottawa (plus Han is wearing my old shirt, so, yah!)

Shimon's Dad's hands.....Israel.


Got frozen shoulder, thawed frozen shoulder. Cried with pain. Thanked massage therapists, osteopath and physiotherapists for their healing hands.




Got diagnosed with sleep apnea, developed love-hate relationship with CPAP machine


Said good-bye to Howard Cable


Met Alison


New boots for a Canadian winter! March, 2017

Alison's Sweet Sixteen with her NSYO friends. 2017

Musicians always have to work...even at their own grads (Cohn, June, 2019)


Produced posters, brochures, flyers, ads, a magazine, catalogues, bookmarks, t-shirts and concert programs with very talented designers and editors, all selling and promoting books, music, film, art, Jewish and multicultural events.



Well actually Nicole produced this....

Buy local!


Organized photo shoots with wonderful photographers


Aeolians photo shoot 2019, MMA, before the power went out....

Advocated for our built heritage, Hubby names me "Patron Saint of Lost Causes."


Before the wrecking ball, Dresden Row, 2017

Tearing down the Halifax Infants' Home did not inspire me, St. Mary's.


Said shalom to teachers/Rabbis Eisenberg, Printz, Weiss, Rank and Karlin - I have learned from you all.


Purim 2012 with Ari and David Korn, Shaar Shalom


TWO GRAND-DAUGHTERS - OMG!!


Reading to my Spunky Monkey, 2017

Waiting for Miss Emma, March, 2017, Ottawa.

Miss Emma Rose is here!

She loves her Daddy!

Readers are leaders!


Helped new music to be born and heard it for the first time.


CMC Associate Composer, Chris Palmer

Cellorgan!


Worked with many artistic directors and artists and tried to translate their vision from the page to the stage


Fran Farrell, Interim Artistic Director, Aeolian Singers, 2016-17 season

With Jeff Joudrey/Camerata in Edmonton, June, 2017

Bryan and Heather, Aeolians Fundraiser, March, 2019

Les Girls


Said auf wiedersehn to our friends Shirley and Bernhard and so many good meals, conversations, laughs, arguments (politics/Israel). Wrote a poem for B.


SB (or BS, if the photo was reversed...) - June, 2019

Final SNS concert with my balcony seat-mate of oh so many years....


Bernhard and Jeff, November, 2014


Attended what I thought would be a fun victory party for Hilary - it wasn't.


Wrote an original script, loved doing research in Archives, selected readings and images for a show and realized how much more fun creative work is than creating spreadsheets. Decided to apply to King's for Master of Fine Arts in Creative Non-Fiction (gulp).


A Dumbell, found in the NS Archives for Halifax 1917: From Dreams to Despair

Rehearsing our original show, Halifax 1917: From Dreams to Despair, Paul O'Regan Hall, March 2017


Got plantar fasciitis; trying to get rid of plantar fasciitis


Spent three years working on a national pipe organ festival - yes, pipe organ!


Peter and Shimon pay tribute to our friend, David MacDonald, July, 2019, All Saints Cathedral


Had some very good hair days thanks to my dear Paul - more than 25 years his client and I hope friend!


Love you, Thumpers! Je t'aime, Paul!

Life BP (before Paul)



Met daughter's new BF and welcomed him to Nova Scotia


Emma's birthday party, Ottawa, April, 2019

The beach! July, 2019

Grad from Carleton celebration, June, 2016


Tried for the third time to organize my synagogue's library - work in progress


Zak demonstrating how we are people of the Book, and more books....

Started working for Concerts in Care - bringing music to those who can't get out, paying musicians= win/win!


Barbara Hannigan and David Lemon, Shoreham Village, Chester, NS, August, 2019


Said farewell to Mahone Bay Concerts after many years of great summers there, amazing concerts, late night giggles and spending time with my cousin, Ama


Finding a "new" relative in Ama Phyllis in Mahone Bay, summer, 2011.

Big sister, little sister.


Attended Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa (lifelong dream!)


It gets really cold in Ottawa. Even in November.

War Memorial, Ottawa, November, 2017


Cleaned up my Mum's house with much help from family and friends, round one


Bye bye, ringer washer that went to a guy with a very large pet snake in a very small apartment.


Created and attended EMCA classical showcases, so there is something for classical musicians to do there now.


Missed this one....but celebrated from home!


Created a website for classical music in Nova Scotia, had fun writing reviews and interviewing musicians. Made very little $ from it but learned a lot and thankful daughter has not abandoned being my webmaster.


Classical musicians have the best wardrobes!


Developed way less tolerance for working with bullies. For bullies in general.


Just....don't...

Remembered...


Annelies, in memory of Shimon's family, November, 2018

Annelies, November, 2018, Shaar Shalom

Annelies, Jane Archibald post concert, November, 2018


Congratulated daughter-in-law on finishing her Masters and realized that not everything has to be done quickly to be well done



We are all proud of Mummy!


Sang final concerts and church service as a member of the Aeolian Singers after 35 years.


PEI, May, 2019

PEI, May, 2019

With Corinne, PEI, May, 2019


Joined the gym, started walking, took personal wellness classes, signed up for yoga - no results, nothing. Well, more awareness about my health


Back at 'er, Dalplex, March, 2019



Saw daughter launch her career, saw son and daughter-in-law movin' on up, proud of them all! and remembered early morning meetings, endless outcome documents and gave thanks for working from home (especially on cold winter mornings).


Fall docket, 2019


Saw Alison's beautiful high school graduation


The proud Papa!

Proud of this girl!


Realized that my future might involve looking back


Must find out what happened to you after the Halifax Explosion, D.M. Matheson

Shimon's family pre-Shoah, Vilna



Filed HST on time - yeah!


Do ALL the paperwork, Ava Elizabeth!


Went full-time with my own business; thankful for loyal and ongoing clients.


Brundibar, May, 2019



Sat on juries


And conference calls.....


Worked for over 94 different arts and culture clients - thank you for trusting me with your art.


Atlantic Book Awards/Bookmark



Saw Hubby play the cello more times than I could ever count, listened to his students and swelled with pride at his successes, gave thanks that G-d gave me such a supportive. loving, artistic soul, my Beshert. Ok, that one wasn't in random order.


Anniversary, 2010 (PS he likes to surprise me...)

June, 2011, Wolfville, NS


All white - Edward Street, February, 2017

Those eyes....


Love you then, love you now, Hubby!






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