by Sylvia McNicoll | May 4, 2010 | Sylvia McNicoll
On April 24th Gisela Sherman (another great writer and good friend) hosted a welcoming celebration for my new grandaughter Violet Vivien McNicoll. Because the ladies who came seemed so much like fairy godmothers to Violet, I asked them each to write out their wishes for her, hoping that no 13th fairy would show. Now there is at least one wish missing so I hope that “fairy” will write me theirs so it is not lost for all time. Also the painting wish needs to be identified.
Because most of the attendants were writers, their take on the assignment varied. Here are their wishes:
Cathy Miyata: Expensive jewellery, opals and diamonds (I asked for specifics and this one is so juicey and decadent, it’s perfect
Grandmama Maureen: In your search to find love I hope, just like Mom and Dad you find it in an easy and obvious place. (This wish refers to the fact that Erin, Violet’s mom, and Craig, her dad and my son, saw each other a long time before actively seeing each other, if you know what I mean. Erin is Jennifer, Craig’s sister’s best friend. Complicated but they found love through family and friendship. A lovely wish.
I wish for Violet to have extreme skills in breakdancing and to be fluent in Mandarin. Auntie Robin
I wish for Violet to become an awesome Karaoke Diva Auntie Jen.
May your favourite colour be violet and may you use it in all your paintings.(I think this is Becca’s)
May you enjoy the company of many siblings and cousins.(This one’s mine and I made it because every Friday we have large family dinner gatherings that are loud, messy and hopefully fun for Violet. )
Vivacious
Intelligent
Outstanding
Love
Elegant
Ticklish Acrostic poem by Estelle Salata and her daughter Paula
I hope you read 11,000 great books! (including mineJ Gisela
We wish for you the ability to time travel and meet all the great McNicolls of the past. Jane and Wendy McNicoll (I agree with the sentiment behind this one. There are people who have passed on to a different leg of the journey who would have loved to meet Violet and give her their good wishes)
by Sylvia McNicoll | Apr 30, 2010 | Sylvia McNicoll
It starts with the whole school playing frozen tag when Oh Canada broadcasts over the intercom. The arts day presenters get introduced in the theatre room by an enthusiastic drama student. Then I head for the conference room and present, over the course of the day, to four grade 9 and 10 students, some gifted, some improv, some so bored with life that eyerolling is their only exercise. They can pretend they don’t like it but I know they did. “You can’t say you don’t know, there are no wrong or right answers,” I tell them. “You should say instead ‘I need a moment to consider your question'” . In my mind I figure I’ve given them at least one lifeskill to use in the all important job interview.
It’s amazing how alive some of their words can become with some coaching. The last group became way more willing to share their work once the cool kid decided he would read his romantic poem aloud in order to win a juice box. The Juice Box Writing Competition was on.
I do love working with this age group. Not a lot of warm fuzzies like with the younger groups, the rewards are much more subtle.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Apr 30, 2010 | Sylvia McNicoll
How do you
start a book? Where do you get your ideas? Bah! It’s the flashing curser and nothing-happening moments that create the real problems in writing sometimes.
Here I demonstrate how I insert day to day real life in my stories. My grandmother used cucumber peels as a facial mask on her kids. My mother put them on our faces. I did on my kids, and then on my character Elizabeth in Bringing Up Beauty and now of course on volunteers in writing presentations. What does it look like, smell like, feel like…and click, click,click (pores closing under the cool sensation) sound like? Here I am at Clarksdale, getting a volunteer writer to peel the cucumber and another to describe the experience. Ahh writing!
Aww kids!
by Sylvia McNicoll | Apr 12, 2010 | Sylvia McNicoll
For years my husband Bob worked as an IT manager. Say what? No one ever understood what he did, especially the kids. Now he works parttime as a schoolbus driver while he pursues his passion of photography. Both are things our descendants, kids and grandkids enjoy and understand. Here’s William and The Driver, as well as William with his mom enjoying the
school bus.
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