 I just finished working on an exciting project for a client. I created a recipe memory book using some of my client’s mother’s favourite recipes along with some photos showing her mother sharing meals with family and friends over the years. The pictures ranged from her mother cooking meals as a young bride to her sharing the Nanaimo bars she made for the bridge club ladies at the senior’s residence where she lived in her later years. Most of the recipes were handwritten on 5x3 white cards while others were cut-out from the newspaper or torn from a page in a magazine. Many of the cards had a name written at the top with a phone number of the person who gave her the recipe, while others said Mom or WW for Weight Watchers, and all were kept in her little red tartan recipe box with the golden top. They were all part of her story. As a bonus my client also had a few recipes that her mother had kept of her mother’s recipes which were handwritten on long sheets of foolscap paper, often 2 or 3 recipes per page. These added an extra flavour to the book, showing the importance of recipes in families and how often they are passed down from generation to generation.  I recently presented my client with the finished books, one for her and one for each of her two sisters and this is what she had to say. “Originally, I had considered simply providing my siblings with photocopies of our late mother’s favourite recipes but decided I wanted a more permanent way of preserving them. Faith incorporated these into a small book along with photos of our mother cooking, serving, and enjoying food with family members and friends at various stages of her life. I would recommend this approach to anyone wanting to preserve family recipes as it’s wonderful seeing the authenticity of the original recipe cards & clippings with handwritten notes. And you may be surprised to learn just how many photos of food related occasions that you can gather to contribute to such a book, to accompany the recipes. It makes a great keepsake to share, honouring the life and culinary efforts of a loved one, past or present.” To read the full testimonial click here.
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 Meeting Wab after he wins Canada Reads 2014. If you know of Wab Kinew then you already know he is a man who has worn many hats throughout his life. In the few years since I met him, he's been a defender, a host, and an author of both a memoir and a children's book and is currently a politician. I say currently because Wab is only 37 years old and I'm sure has many more amazing hats to wear. He's also been a broadcaster, rapper, and educator and has often been recognized for his contributions in these fields. The first time I saw Wab Kinew was at Canada Reads 2014 when he was defending the book the Orenda by Joseph Boyden. Between his charismatic personality and eloquent and powerful defense it was no surprise when his novel won Canada Reads 2014.  Wab hosts Canada Reads 2015. Many of us in the audience that week suggested he should run for Prime Minister. As it turns out Wab is now the leader of the NDP and the official opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Which begs the question did we planted a seed or watered a seed that was already there. In 2015, Wab hosted Canada Reads. After winning the previous year Canada Reads fans were already familiar with him and looked forward to seeing how he did on the other side of the table. Wab did not disappoint. He was a great host and many of us looked forward to him returning in 2016 but that was not to be. Wab decided to enter politics. He also wrote his first book The Reason You Walk the powerful and moving story of his relationship with his father.  Wab signing his children's book at the Appel Salon in 2018. In the fall of 2015, Wab was interviewed for his book at the Appel Salon by Carol Ott of CBC radio. He then returned to the Salon in 2018 to promote his first children's book Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes. So what is next for Wab Kinew? Who knows. I can only imagine that he will continue to do amazing things in his life, and it will be exciting to see what's next as his life continues to unfold. Subscribe today so you don't miss out on any upcoming blogs.
Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Getty Lee, Salman Rushdie, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout, and many more.  Kamal Al Solaylee's first book Intolerable was nominated and won numerous prestigious book awards including the Toronto Book Award. It was also shortlisted for Canada Reads 2015. A few months after Canada Reads 2015 I noticed on the TPL (Toronto Public Library) website that Kamal Al-Solayee was doing a reading at the Victoria Village Library in Scarborough. Although it was quite a distance to travel, I thought it would be fun to attend. I had really enjoyed his book and thought it would be a great opportunity to hear him speak and to get my book signed. The event took place in the lower level of the small library nestled on a tree lined street in Scarborough. Of the 25 or 30 people in attendance that evening the majority were from a local book club along with a photographer from the community-based newspaper The Snap. After most of the book club members had gotten their books signed and had their pictures taken it was my chance to speak to him. He was quite surprised and pleased to know that not only had I attended Canada Reads but had purchased each of the books. It was an added bonus for me that evening that the photographer hung around and took a picture of Kamal and I as he was signing my book. It was about a year later when Kamal’s second book Brown was released. When I saw that he was doing a book launch at Ryerson University, I decided to attend. On my way into the venue I saw him standing outside the room where we exchanged greetings and I added that I had met him the year before at Victoria Village Library in Scarborough. He said oh yes, I remember. I have a picture of you on my phone. I don't know if I was more surprised or happy, but I do remember thinking it was pretty cool that he'd remember me after a year. After the reading I got my book signed. I also had brought along a copy of the picture of the two of us from the previous year. He was a little hesitant about writing on the picture but after some convincing he finally did. The following Saturday I was standing in front of the Canadian Tire at Yonge and Church trying to hail a cab when I heard someone call my name. I turned around to see it was Kamal. What a surprise! We spoke for a minute or two before he was on his way and a taxi pulled up to bring me home. Since then, I have run into Kamal a few times at literary events including Word on the Street and the Appel Salon when his book Brown was nominated for the Toronto Book Award. It is always a pleasure to see him and to have a chance to say hello. Subscribe today so you don't miss out on any upcoming blogs.
Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Getty Lee, Salman Rushdie, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout, and many more.  It was already exciting to be sitting in the same section as Prince Harry at the Invictus games and meeting Ryan Shannon from team U.S.A., but who knew there was still more to come that evening. As I made my way back from the ladies room low and behold who did I see before me but Derek Hough. Not only is Derek a six-time champion of Dancing with the Stars but he is also currently a judge on World of Dance. It was only hours earlier that I saw him on The Social promoting the games as he was the ambassador for the U.S team. He spoke with such passion about the athletes and their dedication to their individual sport. It was that passion that inspired me to purchase a ticket for that evening's events. At first, I couldn't believe it was him. He was laughing and chatting with a couple of people but as I got closer, they shook hands and the man and woman walked away. Then it was just him, standing there by himself, I knew I needed to say hello. He’s always come across as having a very charismatic personality. He definitely did not disappoint and was very friendly and charming. Of course, I had to ask him if I could have a picture with him and without missing a beat, he took my phone, tapped the camera app, and took a selfie of the two of us. Obviously, he's done this a time or two before. After thanking him for the photo and telling how much I enjoyed his work I said goodbye, gave him a hug and made my way back to my seat. It seemed like the perfect way to wrap up my first Invictus games. Subscribe today so you don't miss out on any upcoming blogs.
Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Kamal Al-Solaylee, Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout, and many more. You may unsubscribe at any time.  Prince Harry at the Invictus games in Toronto, 2017. In 2014 the first Invictus games were held in London, England. The games, which were created by Prince Harry, are a multi-sport event for wounded armed service personnel. In the fall of 2017, those games were held in Toronto. I hadn't really thought much about attending the games until I saw Derek Hough of Dancing with the Stars, and The World of Dance fame on The Social promoting them as he was the American Ambassador for the games. His passion sparked my interest, so I purchased a ticket for that evening's sitting volleyball finals. When I arrived at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, it was pretty empty. My ticket was for general seating so I was told I could sit anywhere. However, the first seat I chose apparently was reserved for special guests, so I had to choose another. I decided to move further down in that section to the front row which was a better seat and closer to the action.  The woman behind me is pointing to Prince Harry who is at the very top centre. During the second round of the competition, a picture of Prince Harry was flashed on the big screen announcing that he had arrived in the building. Thinking that was pretty cool I slowly began to scan the arena to see if I could spot him and when I couldn't I turned to the two young women sitting behind me to ask if they had spotted him. Without saying a word, they both turned and pointed behind them. Yup, the seats that I was told were reserved were exactly where Prince Harry and his entourage were sitting. (And no, his then-girlfriend Meghan Markel was not with him). I'm sure he must have been aware of those around him taking his picture, but he carried on like anyone else just there to watch his team play. He wasn't in clear view since he was seated six rows behind me, so it wasn't until I climbed the stairs on the way to the washroom I that I was able to see him.  Ryan Shannon, a member of the U.S. men's sitting volleyball team. Although, I didn't meet Prince Harry one-on-one that evening I did get to meet another very special person whose name is Ryan Shannon. Ryan was a U.S. Navy veteran and a former petty officer 1st class and member of Team U.S.A. He, along with his teammates, won the bronze medal that evening for sitting volleyball. It was an amazing evening as teams from all over the world were competing against each other, but the audience cheered and clapped for every point regardless of which team had scored. It was the players, after all, why we were all there. Subscribe today so you don't miss out on any upcoming blogs.
Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Kamal Al-Solaylee, Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout, and many more.  When I was dancing up a storm on a Friday night, in the gymnasium of my junior high school, it never occurred to me that someday I would be standing beside the guy whose voice was blaring through the large black speaker in the corner. Whether it was You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet or Takin' Care of Business the dance floor was always full when those songs began to play. The music of Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) was a regular part of our Friday night dances and everyone knew the lyrics and sang along. I’ve never seen Randy Bachman play live, but I have been fortunate enough to see him interviewed in person twice. The first time was at a taping for The George Stroumboulopoulos Show on CBC. George’s skill at interviewing were equally matched to Randy’s at storytelling which made for an interesting and entertaining afternoon.  It was about a month later on April 8, 2014 that Randy was the guest author at the Appel Salon (Toronto Reference Library). He was there to promote his second book Tales from Beyond the Tap. The stories in the book are the extended version of the stories he tells on his radio show Vinyl Tap on CBC. Not only is Randy an amazing guitar player and songwriter he's also a great storyteller. Whether he’s talking about playing the violin as a child, his days in the Guess Who, or being on the road with BTO his stories draw you in. They’re detailed and filled with the who's who of the music industry of the 60s, 70s, and even up until today. It seems there are few major acts that he has not played with or had some dealings with over the course of his career. Although our meeting was short and sweet it was still very cool to have met him. Age 75 and Randy Bachman is still ROCKING. Subscribe today so you don't miss out on any upcoming blogs.
Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Kamal Al-Solaylee, Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout, and many more.  The first time I saw Mitch Albom was in 2003 at the Ryerson Theater in Toronto he was there to promote his book The Five People You Meet in Heaven. It was his first work of fiction after writing Tuesdays With Morrie. Of the stories he told that night the most memorable was about his first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey show just after the initial release of Tuesdays With Morrie. He told us his intention with writing the book was to raise money for his former professor’s medical expenses. The original print run was only 25,000 copies. Although it was a small print run somehow one of those books found its way to Oprah’s desk. Shortly after that he was invited to the show to talk to Oprah about the book. As he waited in the green room one of the show's producers told him he had better make sure his publisher had books ready to go as soon as the show finished. Neither he nor his publishers had any idea of what was about to happen. Finally, the last segment arrived, and Mitch made his way onto the stage to meet Oprah. He recalls it being a time when Oprah had really big furniture on her set. He then says, “as you can see I'm not a really big guy so when I sat down my feet barely touched the ground”. He continued telling us that he was so nervous talking to Oprah, that even though he had a shirt and sports jacket on that day he sweated through both. He laughed and said, “that’s not easy to do”. He finished the story by saying the producer was right, the demand for the book after the show exploded. To date, Tuesdays with Morrie has sold over 14 million copies. Not bad for a book that many publishers turned down before he was on the Oprah show. I saw Mitch Albom on Super Soul Sunday with Oprah discussing the 20th anniversary of the Tuesdays with Morrie. I noticed he was wearing only a shirt and no sports jacket. I guess he has gotten over being nervous talking to Oprah. It also looked like his feet were planted firmly on the ground. He has recently released his latest book called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, which is a sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I have enjoyed all his books and look forward to reading this latest one. Subscribe today so you don't miss out on any upcoming blogs.
Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Kamal Al-Solaylee, Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout, Randy Bachman and many more. Please leave a comment below.  Bobby Orr. What can I say about Bobby Orr? I've had a crush on him since I was eight. I can remember watching Hockey Night in Canada on Wednesday and Saturday nights hoping it would be the Bruins so I could see him play. My friend Angela and I used to cut out all the NHL standings from the newspaper and tape them in our hockey notebooks. We were pretty hard-core hockey fans even at that young age. When I was nine or ten, I got a Bobby Orr hockey game for Christmas. Of all the gifts I remember getting as a child my Bobby Orr hockey game is one that stands out. It had the original six teams Boston, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Montreal, and Toronto. Of course, being a Bruins fan that was the team I always played. I had Bobby, Phil Esposito, and Derek Sanderson on my team. A trio that was pretty hard to beat. Even after Bobby had stopped playing, I always hoped and dreamed that someday I would have the opportunity to meet him. Well on October 30, 2018 that dream came true. I was very excited but also a little nervous. I had been waiting 48 years to meet Bobby Orr and my expectations were pretty high. I was the first one in Group Four of the signing line. For the most part it was mostly men who were there to get their books signed, many of whom would not have been born when Bobby played defense for the Bruins. The line moved quickly and after a short time I was next in line. I handed my phone to the Indigo staff member to take my photo, quickly explaining what button to push and to please, please take more than one picture since I often blinked. I took a deep breath and then it was my turn. I stepped forward and the first thing Bobby Orr said to me was “Well hello young lady” and he held out his hand to shake mine. At that moment you could have knocked me over with a feather. As he signed my book, I told him I'd been waiting to meet him since I was a kid and that I'd had a Bobby Orr hockey game. Then it was time to have our picture taken. Not only did he turn towards the camera, but he held my hand and put his other hand on my back. I could not have been any happier as I left the signing line that night. In fact, I could have easily skipped all the way home. Not only did Bobby Orr meet my expectations, but he far exceeds them. I waited 48 years to meet him and it was worth every minute of the wait. Subscribe today so you don't miss out on any upcoming blogs.
Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Mitch Albom, Kamal Al-Solaylee, Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout and many more. Please leave a comment below.  Beverly McLachlin signing her first novel Full Disclosure.
On Monday, December 3, 2018 I went to see Beverley McLachlin, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, being interview by Rachel Giese at the Appel Salon in Toronto. You know it will be a good interview when Rachel Giese is asking the questions. Not only is she always well prepared but she always seems genuinely interested in the person she's interviewing.
It was quite a different crowd that night at the Appel Salon to see the Former Chief Justice of Canada. Instead of the usual row after row of grey-haired women, that night there were lots of younger women with all different shades of hair colour. The colour of their hair may have varied but the one thing many of these young women had in common was that they were young female lawyers, and many others who were there seemed to be in that pursuit. Ms. McLachlin had such a poise. She was smart, funny, and confident and very meticulous as she spoke, obviously important qualities to have as a Supreme Court Judge.  Rachel Giese and Beverly McLachin at the Appel.
My favourite story of the evening was about an event she attended with her son when he was a child. She had been talking to a young male lawyer who said that one day he'd like to be a judge. Without missing a beat, her young son looked up at him and said you can't be a judge only women can be judges. The Appel audience broke out into laughter followed by applause.
As the evening drew to a close many of us in the room lined up to get our books signed. I must admit I wasn't quite sure what to say to her but as I handed her my book to sign she said “what a nice name you have”. It certainly made standing in front of a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada for the first time a very pleasant experience.
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Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Bobby Orr, Mitch Albom, Kamal Al-Solaylee, Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout and many more.
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 Clara and I at Canada Reads 2016. When Clara Hughes steps in the room there is no mistaking it. She is tall, fit and has a smile that will light up the room. If there is still any doubt whether it really is her then her beautiful red hair will assure you it truly is Clara. The first time I met Clara Hughes was at the 2016 taping of Canada Reads. She was one of five panelists and was defending Lawrence Hill’s book The Illegal. Clara came prepared as her book was peppered with yellow posted notes attached throughout the pages. When she spoke it was with passion and conviction. Not only was her defense based on passages in the book, but she was able to intertwine her own personal story into her defense. It was not at all surprising when The Illegal won Canada Reads 2016. At the end of each day's taping most of the panelist would stick around to meet members of the audience. It was on the second day of the competition that I got to meet Clara. At 5’9” she already towers over me, add heels and she is that much taller. However, when we had our picture taken you would never know there was such a height difference between us.  Clara's book during Canada Reads. A few months later it was announced that Clara Hughes would be the speaker for the June Callwood lecture series at the Appel Salon (Toronto Reference Library). Not only is Clara an Olympian who has won six medals between the summer and winter Olympics, but she was also a national spokesperson for Bell Let's Talk Day and an advocate for mental health. In her book Open Heart Open Mind, she talks very candidly about her struggles with depression and the journey she has travelled. When she spoke that evening at the Appel she spoke with such raw emotion. At the end of her lecture she told everyone in the crowd that regardless if they had purchased her book they could come and say hi and get a hug. Since that evening I have spoken to several people who were there that night, and all agreed she was outstanding. They also recall her telling the crowd that it was not necessary that they purchased a book in order to come and say hi and get a hug. Obviously, an impactful moment for many.  I had purchased her book, so I lined up with the others to get it signed and with those in hope of a hug. Along with my book I had printed out the picture taken of the two of us at Canada Reads to also get it signed. When it was my turn Clara said she remembered me but apologized for not remembering my name. That was okay since I wasn't sure I had even told her my name before. She gladly signed both my book and add a special note when she signed my picture. Although I didn't get a hug, we did have another picture taken together. Clara Hughes is not only an outstanding athlete but also a phenomenal woman. I am absolutely thrilled I've had the opportunity of meeting her not once but twice. Subscribe today so you don't miss out on any upcoming blogs.
Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Bobby Orr, Mitch Albom, Kamal Al-Solaylee, Beverly McLachlin, Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout and many more. You may unsubscribe at any time. Please leave a comment below. 
What an absolute treat to meet Sally Field. As a young girl watching The Flying Nun on black and white television in the late 60’s I would never have dreamed of meeting her someday. Now, 50-years later, 38 movies and numerous TV shows behind her Sally Field was as charming and delightful as I could ever have hoped she would be.
She has won two Academy Awards, three Emmys, been inducted into the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has numerous other accolades, but still there was a shyness about her or maybe it is better described as a quiet demure. Either way she most likely is a very private person and doing these appearances probably meant stepping outside her comfort zone. She certainly was doing a great job. I can only imagine how interesting it would be to spend an evening listening to her tell stories about the people she has worked with and those she has met over the years. In her memoir In Pieces she does exactly that by giving a glimpse into her world growing up and about the numerous roles she played throughout her career including her role as Sister Bertrille in the Flying Nun. You quickly discover that it was not as magical for her as it was for me as a child watching in fascination as she flew effortlessly through the air. When I met her in the fall of 2018, she was only a few weeks shy of her 72nd birthday and she looked great. One thing that struck me was her voice was as charming as always. I always thought she had such a positive upbeat sound to her voice, and it was still there when she spoke that evening. At most book signings they often allow candid photos to be taken while the person is signing your book, but in this case, Sally got up and posed with each person that was there to get their book signed. To me it showed what a thoughtful and caring person she is and how appreciative she is to her fans that have supported her throughout her career. To have a posed picture with Sally Field is an absolute thrill and one I will always treasure. It was such a pleasure to meet her and I’m so glad I did.  
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Coming soon to The Story Behind the Photo is Bobby Orr, Clara Hughes, Mitch Albom, Kamal Al-Solaylee, Beverly McLachlin, Diana Galbaldon, Terry Fallis, Judy Blume, Bryan Baeumler, Carol Shields (Anne and Nicholas Giardini), Nino Ricci, Kim Thuy, Ami McKay, Joseph Boyden, Elizabeth Strout and many more.
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