4 - Friday, July 9, 2010
Prairie Post - Prairie Life, Prairie People
There’s no place for a woman when males are bonding Judy
Well, the Ol’ Geezer took off to the shack by the slough for a few days of fishin’ with his buddy Norm.
The Ol’ Geezer invited me along on this adventure but I not so graciously declined. You see folks, I’ve been along on these trips with him and his buddies before and this is not a place for Jude.
Gosh, when guys do their male bonding thing they like to walk around in their underwear, they can produce enough methane gas to fuel a city, they eat like combines and they can drink enough to float the Titanic.
THEISE 40 & Plum
If this isn’t enough, they each talk louder than each
other so you can’t sleep even if you’re 70 feet away. I can’t figure out why some of these guy’s wives want to go along on these guy-trips ’cause I did that once and it cured me of all inclination to ever try it again. Okay, so I knew the Ol’ Geezer and his buddies Ted and Tim were up at the Shack by the slough. Then I got told that my lady friend had passed away of cancer. I thought that as the shack wasn’t far away from the church, I decided to go to there the day
before, go the funeral and then drive home. Bad decision.
First of all, I didn’t get any sleep. Secondly, I had to get
Believe me, he’ll show up when he’s hungry and his clothes are dirty. That’s been my experience anyway.
The simple beauty of the prairies … and of life visited Heart of
I recently returned home to the Prairies after a three-and- a-half week camping trip with my husband and two daughters. We traveled through the mountains to the west coast and back again. It was a memorable trip, full of many firsts for my two young daughters — first mountains, ocean beach, waterfall, cedars, live starfish, bear in the wild, rope course, ferry ride … the list goes on. Our last stops were in Yo-Ho and Banff National Parks, admiring the rugged beauty of the Rockies. Who could deny the majesty and magnificence of those mountains as they tower above you? They are awesome in the truest meaning of the word!
As we headed for home the last day, the mountains
receded in the distance and we gradually returned to the Prairies. We realized we’d grown accustomed to the sight of the mountains around us. The skyline seemed empty at
first. Gazing around, I thought about the many people who dismiss the Prairies as boring and flat. Yet, as I looked out over the landscape, I celebrated and appreciated the unobstructed view, the endless expanse of sky, the dancing and shifting clouds, and the lush green of the gently undulating hills. The Prairies embody a simple, unassuming beauty of their own. We just need to slow down and look deeper to discover it. I realized the parallels in our
everyday lives. We’re often so busy looking for the “smack-you-in-the-face” beauty of the
SUCCESS By Stacie Noble-Wiebe
dressed, attend my friend’s funeral and drive back more than 300 kilometres with the windows open so I could stay awake.
Friends, I should have stayed away from the shack by the slough that day but I did learn my lesson ladies. When there is a guy thing going on, stay away as far as you can, even if you have your car motor revved and your running shoes on. Believe me ladies, you are not going to want to be in one of those male bonding things. Ladies, I don’t know how many of you still want to go along with your ol’ Man and his buddies when they take off fishing or hunting but take it from me, you’re better off sitting at home.
Rockies — for the obvious and huge accomplishments, events and life moments - that we miss the quiet, gentle beauty of the moments we live every day. People are often skimming along the surface of life so rapidly that only that which is big, loud and fast can catch their attention. We need to slow down, take the time and create the space to realize the beauty, awe, wonder and amazingness of the simple moments in our lives. They’re equally beautiful — just as the mountains and the Prairies are — just different. Stacie Noble-Wiebe owns Heart of Success Training, based in Swift Current. You can visit her website at:
www.HeartOfSuccessTeam.com and
her blog at:
www.RechargeForMoms.com. Toronto singer enjoying many cross-Canada adventures
BY RYAN DAHLMAN PRAIRIES Andrea Ramolo could be categorized as one who enjoys travelling and throws out the stereotype of Toronto residents who can’t get past their city’s borders. Travelling in a passenger van with her bass player Jason Skiendziel, the self-described indie-roots singer embarked on an ambitious, five-month, 78-date, cross- Canada tour which she booked herself. This year, they’re missing Newfoundland, but they’re hitting 82 spots. She's been making her way through Alberta including stops in Calgary, Waterton, and Lethbridge before moving on to British Columbia. Thank You for the Ride, her aptly named debut album of 12 songs, was released last year. It went over well. Now the Canadian tour: Part II has been even better than the first time around.
“The places we've seen, the people who have come out (the first time) have come back for this year’s shows,” explains Ramolo. “That’s the coolest thing. They know you. This year, the focus is to bring the new songs out along with the old ones from the first (CD). We’re doing a huge 40,000-kilometre tour. The type of venues we’re hitting are generally 200 to 400 seats.”
She has a feisty, engaging personality and checking YouTube highlights confirms that. As lyrics of a song state: “You know I come on real strong. but your heart will be mine by the end of the song.”
Ramolo loves hitting communities of any size and will play her music anytime, anywhere. That mantra has certainly been tested in southern Alberta.
One minute she's in Calgary playing at Prince's Island Park on
Canada Day, the next minute she's playing at a Veinerville property owned by Piet Visser after a gig in Medicine Hat was cancelled due to the restaurant/ lounge unexpectedly shutting down. She’s excited about any gig she plays. “It’s been an exciting time of year,” says the 20-something singer. “It’s been a better tour; I know the country we're visiting better. ...Playing is the best practice possible. It’s been great. The songs have been way tighter this year.”
No matter, it’s been an enjoyable ride in her young career. She also has earned three Toronto Music Awards (for Best Folk Album, Best Female Folk Artist, and Best Blues Song) in the past. Her songs are also feature on CBC Radio 3’s online programming, and on CBC Radio Two as well. Ramolo noted the new songs are better written and will be produced better. The second FACTOR-funded release is being done with producer Tim Thorney (Alanis Morissette, Jimmy Rankin) and they are set to hit the studio in the fall.
Photo contributed
Because of her aggressive tour, Andrea Ramolo is well-versed with Canada.
Ramolo added the life of a travelling musician is not necessarily like the stereotypical big name stars in fancy tour buses, jets and major Hollywood-style parties. The modus operandi is still the same. She drives in a van where there’s room to sleep. Often they pull off on the side of the highway to sleep.
She has washed in rivers, hikes and has gone fishing for food on occasion — such is the life of an up-and-coming performer. Unlike last year when the van kept breaking down, this year, transportation has been better. Ramolo also added it’s not all partying. She has to be
wary of fatigue and staying healthy is a major priority. Yes, have fun when you can, but working hard and doing great shows is more important.
“The lifestyle is: bust your (butt),” said Ramolo. “I love this country. This is my job, nothing compares to it.” They are able to overcome anything. Skiendziel had an
unfortunate accident with a blender and severely hurt his fingers so while on tour he had to play guitar with one hand. She also had to deal with the passing of her grandfather as well as family emergencies in Ontario.
Ramolo is versatile and multi-talented. She is actually a certified teacher and has two university degrees. She’s a theatre major and also has her Bachelor of Education. Besides being able to play acoustic guitar, she can also dance and has had a few acting jobs. She’s had a couple of movie roles including the 2005 ABC movie Once Upon A Mattress which included a cast of Carol Burnett, Tracey Ullman
and Zooey Deschanel. She sang and danced as the “Dancing Lady.” She was also one of the main characters, “Amber”, in the 2003 movie Zombie Night in which she has
Facts on Ramolo:
described as the worst
zombie movie ever made. Ramolo has made friends and earned fans right across Canada. It helps
when you mix with people, enjoy music and share with them.
• She still has a cassette recorded at daycare, singing nursery rhymes. • 20 years ago she was first runner-up in an international “Mini Miss Dance Contest”. • Her first vocal performance was at a school assembly;she won public speaking awards in middle school, and she started a songwriting club with her friends when she was eight. -When she was 15 and belted out “Stairway to Heaven”to the entire school.She got an ovation and, says this was when she knew she belonged on-stage.
53918900•07/09/10
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32