Peter and Coco Win The Betty

I need to do a little more research before I post the column I intended to post this week, because Loyal Reader, you deserve the best I can give you. I hope to have that column up next week. In the meantime, here’s a look at one of the mammals residing at Chez Montreuil-Stevenson.

Pat Blythe – Here comes summer!!

March 30 was the last column I wrote for this site…..the “Canadian edition” and finale of my jazz series. It’s now been six week since DBAWIS was able to publish due to some serious computer issues. There’s a wee bit of catching up to do. Live music is happening again, the camera seems to have found its way back into my life, the whole England move has been sliding sideways, reviewing photographs (not just Chris’s, but mine too) has sent me down several rabbit holes, and life generally, has been pretty busy. So…..let me just dive right in.

Roxanne Tellier – Modern Motherhood

Over the years, I, and many other writers, have written columns thanking our mothers for being our beloved mothers. The overall tone of these columns tends to favour the sappy and romantic notions we see in greeting cards, and in Hallmark movies. And that’s great! Mom’s put up with a lot dealing with their kids and being a mom, and they deserve at least one day a year in which their hard work is acknowledged. 

Segarini – What Entertained My Mom

There’s a link to my Annual Mother’s Day Tribute to my Mother at the bottom of this column, but I decided to do something different this year.

Peter Goes Back to Bed with Betty

Well, I am grateful to be back, thank you all for your comments and support. This week I am going to be writing about “gratitude” and being a nice person, inter alia. 

Peter Recalls the Charm of a Canadian Childhood – Playing in Traffic

Some time ago, I wrote about my successful quest to acquire a goalie stick. Some of you are probably wondering what I did with it once I got it. Well, careful what you wish for…….

Pat Blythe – All That Jazz VII – The Canadian Connection

Jazz was birthed in the U.S. but it didn’t take long to head north to Canada. It was first introduced to Canadian audiences in 1914, when a New Orleans band The Original Creole Orchestra performed a matinee gig at the Pantages Playhouse Theatre in Winnipeg. The stop was part of their western Canada tour. The band of six musicians included one of jazz’s early masters, cornettist Freddie Keppard. Jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton performed in Vancouver cabarets from 1919 to 1921. Canada and the U.S. share the longest land border in the world so it was no surprise Canada quickly became the first country outside the U.S. to cultivate its own jazz scene.  “In Canada, as elsewhere, musicians took to jazz and made it their own, although not before they’d had the benefit of good tutelage from touring U.S. musicians – mostly black – for whom “Canadian time,” as they called touring north of the border, was a relief from the constant racism of the U.S. and a new, quite profitable source of revenue.” – Quill & Quire

Gary Pig Gold has EIGHT QUESTIONS for BIG BOY PETE

Allow me to quote, word-for-most-accurate-indeed-word the shrinkwrapped stickerhype affixed to Mono-Tone Records’ The Cosmic Genius of Big Boy Pete 1965-1977, the very first of two (so far!) volumes of audio esoterica culled from the great man’s already voluminous discography:

Like an English Kim Fowley produced by Joe Meek or a one man Barrett era Pink Floyd, Big Boy Pete is the unsung hero of the sixties! This first ever vinyl compilation features his best 60s stuff on one side and seven unreleased gems from the 70s on the other – ranging from wild and fuzzy garage to psych pop and freaky country-rock!

What more could ever I hope to add to that?? So instead then, Let’s let the Big Boy speak for himself:

Roxanne Tellier – What’s Normal Anyway?

People are funny; they want their lives to be interesting and noteworthy, but most of us are good for

about 24 hours of novelty before we’re pining for ‘the good old days.’

Chef Tom – Whiskey-A-Go-Go

The word “whiskey” comes from the Gaelic uisge, a shortened version of uisge beatha meaning “water of life,” also known as aqua vitae in Latin. 

Whiskey was originally used as a medicine, both as an internal anesthetic and an external antibiotic.

There is no wrong way to drink whiskey. The higher-end whiskeys (e.g., really old scotch and specialty bourbons) are often enjoyed straight. Some people like their whiskey on the rocks while others add a splash of water. This can open up the aromas and flavors, particularly of high-proof whiskeys. A shot of whiskey is popular and it’s often mixed into shooter recipes.