Imagination

Kenneth Grahame, author of The Wind in the Willows, believed that imagination is a "higher gift." We watch a beautiful three-year-old play throughout a day creating a series of fascinating imaginary worlds.

Using few props, she excitedly draws the adult into her games incorporating stories that she has been told, experiences that she has had in her short three years and her childlike, innocent imagination. The line between fantasy and reality is indistinguishable, barely defined.

In Joy of Books, Eric Burns expands on Faulkner's theory that a story comes from three sources: observation, experience, and imagination. Faulkner explains that it is hard to know just how much comes from which source.

We watch our three-year-old go off to Junior Kindergarden on September 8. Will her imagination survive or will she be channelled and moulded into a replica of students who came before and those who will inevitably follow?

Sights on Jarvis ~ Haldimand Ontario

Newspaper clipping* launching Robert Schweyer's book, Sights on Jarvis, a documentation of the Second World War years at the Jarvis training school for pilots from all over the world.

We join with our readers in sending our thoughts and prayers to our friends, Robert Schweyer and family.

~ Please get well soon, Robert.

* Times - Reformer, Vicki Hartlen.

Lake Erie at Kohler Road

Quagmire ~ A series of alterations to the ditching/culvert system along Lakeshore Road and the construction of a significant rock pier, have reduced the lake's natural ability to renew itself.

Stagnating sludge and noxious weeds *

What used to be one of a few public accesses to a small, sandy beach on a cove has turned into a stagnant swamp. Lakeside owners vacation steps away from this sixty-six foot road allowance.

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The village of Cayuga is located on the Grand River which flows into Lake Erie. Kohler Road/Lakeshore is fifteen minutes from Cayuga.

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* For larger images, click on picture. For additional photographs and information, search Lorna Walker on Facebook. Property owners have contacted Haldimand County, Ward 2 councillor for help in cleaning up our lakefront.

http://www.haldimandcounty.on.ca/ for tourism maps of Ontario's South Coast.

Eric Burns, in The Joy of Books, emphasizes the importance of life-experiences to a writer. He concedes that a writer may study English at a university if he chooses; however, insists that the author "must have lived abundantly before writing it."
"He must have scaled summits and sunk into abysses, completed marathons and stumbled at starting lines, mingled with the throngs and dwelt in utter isolation. He must have laughed and cried, bellowed and whimpered, censured and praised. He must have been sinner and saint, knave and hero and clown. This is not to say that his experiences should have been unique; rather, they should have ranged far in the realm of the typical. He must see clearly, but have had moments of blindness; hear acutely, but have gone through periods of intense silence...It is the quiet times in which a writer writes, but without tumult there is nothing to say."

Supporting this theory, Nobel Prize winner for literature, Sinclair Lewis, when asked how one should prepare for a life in letters, said, "Run a filling station."

Writer/Illustrator William Bart with fans, Kathleen and Faye.

Photo: Courtesy of Marilyn Hamilton. Thank you, Marilyn. Half of Me is a special story ~ beautifully illustrated.

Visit http://www.williamjbart.com/ for an insight into William Bart's wonderful world of design and storytelling. Click on ILLUSTRATION.

Half of Me

We are pleased to host an afternoon with illustrator, author, William Bart, in The Neat Little Bookshop on

Thursday, August 26 1:30 p.m.

William's first book was a humorous tale about a peanut-butter addicted rat who is continually getting into awkward predicaments with long-time foe, Blink ~ a cat who also happens to like peanut butter.

His second book titled Half of Me addresses a much more thoughtful subject. Many of us can gain greater understanding from William's rather special book about young people overcoming the challenges that life can pose.

Meet and visit with William Bart who has written ~ and beautifully illustrated ~ a book that should be mandatory reading for all of us.

http://www.williamjbart.com/ Note: Be sure to click on ILLUSTRATIONS for more pages of Half of Me.

Sights on Jarvis

Today we send out our thoughts and prayers to author and historian, Robert Schweyer. Robert is in the fight of his life and we know he is strong.

Robert impresses us with his limitless knowledge of No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario, through the war years, 1940 - 1945. From the age of nine when he witnessed his first crash site, Robert has passionately collected memorability and information. He has communicated with many of the families who lost loved ones in the tragic plane crashes during training. In his book, Sights on Jarvis, Robert documents the historical facts.

To Robert and Cindy, to Sarah and Mathew, know that your many friends are sending beautiful thoughts your way.