An Unexpected Briefing: Hobbit themed Safety Video

Since I began the Walking to Mordor Challenge I've really had Middle Earth & Hobbits on the brain.

 

I've always loved Tolkien's magical realm and now that I'm "walking" through it I'm catching frequent glimpses of it in the everyday world.  Apparently I'm not the only one!

 

Air New Zealand partnered with WETA Workshop on a brand new Hobbit inspired Safety Video. It features cameo appearances including Sir Peter Jackson and it really is a lot of fun.

 

Enjoy!

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Find Tatiana Dokuchic on Google+

The King's Trip: George VI visits Oba, Ontario

My family is rich in photo albums.  This wealth is the result of generations of avid, amateur photographers eagerly capturing the moments, preserving them and passing them down through various branches of the family.  Though we've begun the process of digitizing our treasures, the backlog is more than a bit daunting especially when it comes to identifying some of those smiling faces from times gone by.

A recent family gathering saw us clustered around one such family album dedicated to Oba, Ontario.  I've heard Oba described as being "in the heart of Canada’s vast wilderness" and these pictures from the 1930's & 40's certainly highlight this aspect with beautiful lakes, endless forests, little boys holding large fish and ... on the very last page ... a posh-looking couple posing in front of a train?

As it was late in the day and the photo rather small, I had to squint to make out the image.  Yes, it turns out it's a picture of George VI and Queen Elizabeth snapped by one of my grandparents during the 1939 royal tour of Canada.  The royal couple looks relaxed & happy and I can just imagine my grandmother asking them to please hold still while she adjusts her camera and takes the picture!

My father can remember the train stopping for water that day in Oba.  Of course almost the whole town, just over 100 people at that time, turned out to see it.  That the royal couple actually got out and wandered amongst the "crowd" seems astonishing to me but I guess it was a very different time.  The 1939 royal tour marked the first visit of a reigning monarch to Canada and these pictures show some of the first "walkabouts" ever performed by the royal family.

The very sight of the Queen gave pleasure, as did her manner. ... During the long journeys across the continent, she and the King took full advantage of halts, even short ones.  Day after day they would leave the royal train and, to the consternation of the security men, plunge into the crowds and talk. ... Queen Elizabeth gave instructions that the King and she must be told whenever the engineer observed a collection of people by the side of the line ahead, so that they could be seen waving back from a window. 'Slow down, so that we all get a good look', she said.

 Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother by  Godfrey Talbot

It seems more than fitting that these photos came back into our lives just as Elizabeth II is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee and I'm delighted to have discovered this little connection between the royals and our family.

I think that I will celebrate with a night spent watching The King's Speech.

Photos: Tatiana Dokuchic Family Album (1939)
Update: Find out more about Wallis & Elizabeth

Have you ever unearthed unexpected treasures in your family photo albums or scrapbooks?  I would love to hear the stories of your discoveries.
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Find Tatiana Dokuchic on Google+

Step by Step: The View after 500 miles

l really couldn't have asked for a better place to earn my 500 Mile Badge from Fitbit.  Just look at that view of Lake Superior taken from the cliffs of the Welcome Islands!

I would like to think that karma had something to do with it as I certainly wasn't planning on reaching this milestone while enjoying my favourite wilderness spot but everything just magically fell into place.  I was having such a great time scrambling over the rocky shores, hiking up the cliffs and even breaking a bit of a trail through the forest that I wasn't even thinking of the fitness points that I was racking up.  Fitness for fun - what a concept!!

I've written before about how virtual "pats on the back" help to keep me going on the fitness trail  (Fitbit Challenge: Virtual Badges & Real-Life Rewards) and so it's exciting to realize the real-life reward of being able to negotiate this rather challenging terrain almost like when I was a child spending my summer days playing there.

Speaking of real-life rewards, I also got to go on a bit of a shopping spree at Take a Hike, an excellent outdoor lifestyle store that I make sure to visit every time I return to Thunder Bay.  You just have to love how weight loss goes hand-in-hand with buying new clothes!

It's been quite a journey between 250 miles (Step by Step: 250 Miles and an Earbug) and 500.  Many thanks to all my Fitbit friends who provide daily encouragement to get in those 10,000 steps.

On that note, I'm always looking to make new Fitbit friends, so if you're interested give me a shout.  I'll try not to talk your ear off :)

Photos: Tatiana Dokuchic Family Album (June 25, 2012)
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Every Day in Tuscany

I have to admit I'm shocked to learn that Frances Mayes will soon be celebrating her 20th anniversary at Bramasole!

Where has the time gone?  It seems like only yesterday I discovered her first book celebrating the good life in Italy, Under the Tuscan Sun.  No wonder that her latest installment, Every Day in Tuscany, feels just like catching up with an old friend.  After all, I've been spending time with her for almost 14 years now and during all of that time she has been reminding me to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. 

I've always admired the guts this woman had, to take the dare, cash out her savings, renovate her house and her life all at the same time.  The risk paid off and perhaps her success enables me to be a bit braver in my own life. 

So while it's entirely possible that I will never get closer to Tuscany than the local Fratelli's restaurant, I will keep in mind her words written for Every Day in Tuscany:

"If you read it, I hope that it’s a reminder of life-in-the-moment, wherever you are. Tuscany is a state of mind; you can have that state of mind anywhere."

Congratulations on the new book and on your 20th anniversary, Frances. May you & yours enjoy many more happy years!

Channeling "Paris in the Spring"

My Cherry Blossom Tree by Bardot in Blue 

Seems like today is the perfect day to be channeling "Paris in the Spring" from Ottawa!

Seeing that it was Saturday, I indulged myself with a little reading before I got out of bed this morning. As it happens, I am currently enjoying A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle and so I greeted the day with March:

“The almond tree was in tentative bloom. The days were longer, often ending with magnificent evenings of corrugated pink skies …. The People of Provence greeted spring with uncharacteristic briskness, as if nature had given everyone an injection of sap.”

I wandered down to breakfast, images of those blooms in my head and found the Ottawa Citizen’s “style” magazine waiting for me on the kitchen table. I was immediately drawn to the article Paris on the Rideau by Charles Enman.

“It may not have the same ring as “Paris in the Spring.” But Parisians who live in Canada’s capital say it has its own virtues."

Sure it does, excluding days like yesterday when the temperature dropped overnight from 15c to -18c sending all the budding crocuses back into hiding.

Over to the computer with my morning coffee where I mentioned to a friend that I wanted to go to the Ottawa Home & Garden Show today prompting him to mention the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show with the theme of, you guessed it, Springtime in Paris.

I topped off the morning with the latest post (March 26th, 2010) from Barod in Blue My Cherry Blossom Tree  with its beautiful images.

Yes, it’s warming up out there in Ottawa, -2c with a high of 6c predicted for today so I’m off to Landsdowne Park where I’m sure to reinforce my daydreams of springtime in Paris.

Renaissance Daze/Days

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” ~ Basho ~

ren·ais·sance ~ noun ~ A rebirth or revival. 
daze ~ noun ~ A stunned or bewildered condition.
daze ~ verb ~ To dazzle, as with strong light.

I love good renovation stories. I love how they seduce me with their whispered promises, endless energy, optimism and, of course, their humour. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes is a classic renovation story. Classified as Travel/Memoir, it tells a tale of a woman that manages to renovate her life along with her beloved Bramasole.

Much to my surprise, I find myself embarking on just such a renovation or renaissance. No, I’m not packing up and moving to Italy but I did find the nerve to quit a job that I had held (or had increasingly held me ever tighter) for twenty seven years. And, no I don’t have something else lined up to take its place but I do have a sense that life is short and I had better get back to enjoying my journey through it before it’s too late. You can imagine that for a “risk adverse” person, this has left me a bit dazed!

Now that I can view both my home and my life with a fresh eye, I see all the ingredients of a great renovation story. Things appear a bit tired & run down but the “bones” are still good and potential abounds. I’m looking forward to my journey from Renaissance Daze to Renaissance Days and I would love to share the tale with you. Please come along for the adventure!