Stuart McLean Passes Away

CBC radio just reported one of their longtime radio personalities, Stuart McLean, has passed away. In December 2016 he suspended his long-running radio show The Vinyl Café to focus on his treatment for melanoma which he was diagnosed with in late 2015. Today, he lost that battle.

I had listened to his show, The Vinyl Café, soon after I started making deliveries back in 2011. His stories about Dave and Morley and their friends and family brought a smile to my face week after week. Without fail, I would tune in every Thursday at 1:00 to listen to some songs and a couple of stories he'd tell about some crazy misadventure in Dave's life.

McLean told stories about Dave's life growing up in Big Narrows, Cape Breton with his mother, Margaret, and sister, Annie; his adventures on the road with different bands; and his record store, The Vinyl Café. He told stories about Dave's family - his wife Morely and their children Stephanie and Sam and their pets Arthur the dog and Galway the cat.

There were stories about Dave's friend Kenny and his restaurant Wong's Scottish Meat Pies; and his neighbours Bert and Mary Turlington, Jim Scoffield, Carl Lowbeer and Eugene Conte. Each week the characters were more and more flushed out. And, each week, I was more and more invested in them and their lives.

McLean's stories were pure Canadiana... a wonderful escape from the drudgery of everyday life. I'll miss that as well as his unique style of storytelling and his one-of-a-kind voice. It's a sad day for Canada, a sad day for Canadians.

When God was a Rabbit

I went to the library the other day. Just to see what was there. Ever since they renovated it I like going there. It's such a nice place to hang out.

When you first enter there's a section of new books on the left. One of the first ones I saw was a design book on logos. I took some time to go through it and realized I still love design.

The next book I picked up was When God was a Rabbit, by Sarah Winman. I'm not sure why I picked it up, but I did. Perhaps it was the cover. Or maybe the reference to God, who knows?

I took it, I found a good chair and started reading.

Ms. Winman writes really well. I have to say, I'm not a big reader. But, the way she describes things is marvelous.

Now I'm not going to go into much detail, but the book is basically about a girl named Elly. It follows her life, from youth through to her mid to late thirties.

It's about her relationships. With her older brother Joe, Joe's friend Charlie, her best friend Jenny Penny, her aunt Nancy, her parents, Arthur and more. You find out how these people shape her life and you begin to care for them.

Along the way, Ms. Winman, inserts actual historical events. Some of them, like the passing of John Lennon or Princess Diana act like signposts along the way. Telling us, this is the particular time that we're now in. Others, like the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in New York City, play a more integral role in the story.

The overall theme is of sadness and struggle. Of learning to live as an outsider. Someone who doesn't quite fit it. At the same time it shows compassion and caring. From those who are close to you. The people who love you.

I enjoyed the book.

About the author: Sarah Winman grew up in Essex and now resides in London, England. She attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to act in theatre, film and television. Winman’s debut, When God Was a Rabbit, is an extraordinary novel about childhood and growing up, friendships and families, triumph and tragedy, and everything in between.