Erin's Journals

 

 
What a deeply gratifying moment it was to sit side-by-side with this woman who’s shared morning radio hours with me for almost my entire time in Toronto. Yes, our stations competed, but she was never anything but kind and gracious. As much as we had wanted to share a set one day and have a good talk in front of the cameras, it never came to be: I had invited her on my Rogers TV show (in about 2000) and for a little while it looked as if it was going to happen, but powers that be – or were – wouldn’t allow it, or so we were told.
 
Anyway, that visit finally came to be during my book tour in Ontario in February. I’m so grateful to her for helping to spread the word and message of Mourning Has Broken. I hope you’ll see our episode today at 10 am Eastern (and throughout the day on various CTV affiliates, or online at marilyn.ca). It was pretty special.
 
To be completely honest, I’m looking forward to seeing it for the first time – they did some pre-shooting with me in the Presidential Suite in the King Edward Hotel (I was NOT staying there – it was just a room that was borrowed for the shoot); I’m quite interested to see how it all turns out! After all, one’s never quite sure about lighting, editing and all of that. Here’s what that suite looked like. I know I will never see the insides of it again!
 

 
I must tell you that for a great many years I was envious of Marilyn. When the CityLine show needed a host, they only had to look down the halls at CHUM (City was owned by CHUM Ltd.) and there was the friendly, relatable, funny host, ready to take her place under the TV lights. All the while, I sat at CHFI doing my radio show year after year, wondering what I was going to have to do to get a chance, too.
 
I auditioned for various cable network shows. I toiled for two years on community TV (what I called my hands-on television university), and later, when I was without a radio job, I had the surprise and pleasure of hosting a season of live phone-in TV on W Network. Up against a talk show newcomer named Ellen somebody at 11 am. Um…yeah. I didn’t win that one, nor did I deserve/expect to!
 
Long story a little shorter: none of it amounted to anything and it turned out that radio was where I belonged and where I’d stay. Now, don’t get me wrong: I am grateful for everything that came my way and whatever I may have achieved over my career. But I always wished I could have succeeded in one more medium. I see now it was not about not having enough, it was always about not being enough.
 
So you see, Marilyn was always the reminder of what I perceived as my failure. The fact that people so often called me by her name was a further poke, coming at unexpected moments (like when I was handing out free stuff at a CHFI event) just so the gods kept me humble, as they always do.
 
It didn’t take long for envy to turn to respect and some incredulity that she was able to co-host her morning show and then go on to do a television show a few hours later every single day. It made for what I know were extremely long days, year after year. Every accolade, every bit of praise and every award she’s won has been hard-earned and much deserved. My wish now is that she finds the same satisfaction and joy in her role (later this year) as a grandmother. Those of us already in that club know how much fulfillment and excitement await.
 
I’ll always look up to Marilyn Denis, as so many do, as an example of someone for whom no one has an unkind word. She works hard, has a good heart and deserves all of the success and, most of all, all of the happiness in the world.
 
Thank you, Marilyn, for your kind words printed on the back of my book and for proving, as always, there’s bounty enough for all.
 

Hey there – and welcome back. If you missed yesterday’s journal because of Easter Monday, we took a quick side trip to Paris with some special pictures that you might enjoy, including some banners that were hanging in Notre-Dame. Please check it out here. 
 
We had a peaceful Easter Sunday; after putting on our Rotary aprons and volunteering downtown for a few hours, we came back, got changed, got snacks out and started watching the hockey game on the PVR. In case you didn’t see it on Facebook or Instagram, here’s our table, replete with chocolate and some eggs (nestled in blue shell candle holders) that I blew out and painted YEARS ago. How long? There were 12. I think five survive.
 

 
The snacks, by the way, were mixed nuts combined with Cadbury Mini Eggs and Hershey Eggies, but the real star – sorry I didn’t take a picture – were the devilled eggs that had a little “nest” of shredded Tex/Mex cheese on top and a few (real) bacon bits. I picked and chose elements of different recipes and ended up adding puréed dill pickle relish, a hint of curry (my usual touch for eggs as well as turkey) and even a dash of Tabasco.
 
They went over very well and certainly kept our tummies full while we rode the rollercoaster ride that was the Leafs/Bruins’ game 6. So here we go again tonight. A seventh game. In Boston. Isn’t it time we changed the trajectory of this team’s recent history? Let’s do it! (And GO RAPTORS!)
 
Hey – while you’re near the TV tonight – I’d like to remind you to set your PVR for tomorrow’s Marilyn Denis Show on CTV. The network is airing the conversation that Marilyn and I had along with her regular guest, family therapist Joe Rich. Here’s a shot they took after the interview of Marilyn and me.
 

 
I hope you’ll see our episode tomorrow at 10 am Eastern (and throughout the day on various CTV affiliates). It was pretty special. Tomorrow I’ll tell you why – there are a lot of layers to this one that go back decades – and then we’ll get back to tulip pictures, I PROMISE!
 
Okay – here are a couple from one of the most special places in the world, the Keukenhof. I’ll explain later!
 

 
Have a great day!
 

Oh, I hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend and that the Easter Bunny was good to you. Me? I decided (rather unwisely) to answer the question: which are better, Cadbury Mini Eggs or Hershey Eggies? I’m not sure I’ve come up with an answer, but I will leave my sugar-coated body to science and let them work it out!
 
Actually, yesterday, Rob, our friends Charles and Nancy and I volunteered to serve meals to the homeless in downtown Victoria. It’s the first time I’ve done this (as we were always away or cottage cocooning on long weekends in the past) and the experience is still settling in. Maybe I’ll write about it in the future; maybe I won’t. We’ll see.
 
Ah, but the international news was tragic yesterday and our hearts ache for those who’ve suffered so horrendously on a South Asian island named by Lonely Planet as the country to visit in 2019. As of this writing, 290 innocent people have died and over 500 were injured in numerous Easter Sunday explosions blamed on religious extremists, but for which no one has yet taken responsibility. So much sadness, pain and loss.
 
Before the news headlines yesterday were darkened with the horrific toll out of Sri Lanka, my thoughts were with another church that has also been on front pages and at the top of websites for the past week now. 
 

 
Rob and I have been fortunate enough to visit the City of Lights a few times; our favourite spot is the Musée D’Orsay, a former train station that was converted into an incredible art gallery, set on the shores of the Seine. It also affords a stunning view of another famous gallery, the Louvre, across the river.
 

 
But it was a venture to Paris that we shared in April of 2005 that will always stay in my mind now, especially in light of the awful conflagration that hit the beloved Unesco World Heritage site, landmark and place of worship and admiration, Notre-Dame de Paris, one week ago today.
 
You see, we visited in the days just after the passing of one of history’s most beloved popes, John Paul II. Rob and I were just two of the some 30-50,000 visitors to Notre-Dame that day (as there were every day) and I just had to capture the image of these massive banners.
 

 
And now, we wait and watch as the rebuilding begins and the inventory of what musical, artistic, historic and religious treasures were saved, and which have been lost to the inferno.
 
I came across this story about the timeline of the firefighters’ efforts to save the treasures inside Notre-Dame. One of those is this tunic, from the 13th century, worn by Saint/King Louis IX (who is purported to have brought the precious Crown of Thorns – which also survived the fire – to Paris).
 

 
And safely ensconced in this elaborate display is the relic of the Cross of St. Claude. Just imagine the pieces that were hidden in the massive vaults below the cathedral. 
 

 
I was amazed to read of a robot that was doing some of the salvage work in those incredibly tense hours during and after which the flames blazed. Of course, at the top of the list of heroes and heroines, though, are the firefighters who lugged immensely heavy equipment up the narrow steps of the Cathedral to fight the flames with careful urgency. No doubt their efforts saved the bell towers and give the city hope of rebuilding this massive and majestic piece of history once again.
 
Have a gentle day and I’ll be back here tomorrow with a salute to a former competitor who welcomed me like a sister.

Isn’t that quote just perfect? Before we let the good times roll again today, I’ll be linking at the end to this week’s Walmart piece on getting the place spruced up before company arrives this holiday weekend. Give it a look and good luck!
 
Whatever you’re marking: Easter, Passover or even just an extra day or two to sleep in, I hope you have a great weekend. Come by Easter Monday for a few Notre Dame memories, but for today, more stories and pictures!
 
Wednesday of last week saw us venture into Belgium. While Rob and I opted to relax on the boat, others took bus trips into Ghent and Bruges. It’s a good thing we stayed behind: Rob spent hours downloading music on WiFi for a rather impromptu “Coop’s Classics” dance that night! Thanks to Mali Bickley for the photos of the evening which started with me goofing around on the piano…
 

 
…and then The Captain joined Tennille….
 

 
As the dance began, Mike took the reins…
 

 
And all three of us – Rob, Mike and I – worked together to pick just the right song!
 

 
When all was said and done, Holy Hannah, we had fun. The shiny tile floor was jammed for two solid hours (we were supposed to play for one) while Mike and I traded off hosting duties and Rob had two laptops practically on fire mixing and alternating great songs. It turns out the next day lots of guests from outside our group – all of them Americans – were raving about the party the night before; just think if we do this next year and we get to take over the whole boat…OMG. AmaWaterways won’t know what hit them!
 
If you’re interested, just click here to email Gerry Koolhof, our host from New Wave Travel in Toronto, and let him know. He’s putting this together as soon as he returns from his trip to Paris. I can only imagine the stories he’ll tell of his experience in the shadows of Notre Dame on Monday. I’ll have a few memories of my own here this coming Easter Monday.
 
Here are some (hopefully MOST) of our group at the week’s second private dinner.
 

 
Heck, no wonder Rob and I slept ’til 11am the next day. It helps that we were up against another boat, moored in port, so it was dark in the cabins AND no one’s doors ever slam on this boat (a big plus when you’re trying to sleep, whether on a ship or in a hotel, as you well know). Perfect for catching up on that 9-hour time difference Rob and I experienced as west coasters.
 
I feel that after a week of pictures of Amsterdam and Belgium I haven’t even begun to show you the beauty of our trip. So I promise many, many more pictures next week and thanks for sharing in them. See you here Monday for that side trip to Paris.…
 
Now here’s a link to that piece I wrote this week for our friends at Walmart. So the Easter Bunny doesn’t find his cousin Dusty when he visits this weekend! LOL
 

One of the wonders of the week we spent meandering through the canals and waterways of the Netherlands, and later Belgium, was seeing a dear friend come back to life.
 
Last summer, my former radio partner Mike Cooper let us know, some eight months after signing on with us, that he just couldn’t see himself coming along on this trip through the Netherlands after all. He was having trouble picturing life going on, so deep in the midst of grief was he as he watched his wife’s fight against colon cancer come to its conclusion. Fortunately, before Debbie left us, her oncologist told Mike he was going to need things to look forward to when she did – and boy, this cruise managed to tick all of the boxes.
 

 
To every person who wrote and told us to give Mike a hug: trust me, he was well and truly hugged. And kissed. And listened to and laughed with. He held court at dinner, entertained us all and laughed heartily through our many hours together. The service staff got to love him too – especially Michaela, who teased him with the “cup’s full” trick….
 

 
If you look closely, you’ll see how the trick is done, but it was a great sight gag and his face was EVERYTHING! (Thanks to Deb Hill for the photo.)
 
Mike himself was hilarious, too. He’d go around at the Chef’s table dinners we held with our group and take “selfies” – only he was the only one in the pictures. Trust us, it was hilarious. Oh my goodness, we laughed. More on that in a bit.…
 
For a time, he really did find his center, his happy place again. I don’t know if a heart so utterly shattered can ever heal completely, but there were signs of it being gently sewn back together again, that’s for certain.
 

 
So, now, back to our travels! Our second full day on the cruise, Tuesday, was spent in Middleburg and nearby Veere. Rob managed to get a few shots of both towns. I’m sorry I stayed back in the cabin to rest up and missed the more bucolic and tranquil cycling sights…
 

 
…and the stop at a dairy farm where Rob enjoyed a taste of buttermilk. He said it’s the first time in his life he’s enjoyed that beverage – probably because it was raspberry-flavoured and tasted like yogurt. And it was undoubtedly fresh!
 

 
Plenty of historic sights greeted cyclists, too, including a church that Napoleon had converted into three floors of barracks (as well as stables below – which made for a fragrant cot above, I’m sure). The building is currently being restored and turned into an events venue.
 

 
More hospitable is the Roosevelt Hotel (the oldest hotel in the Netherlands) which used to be – you guessed it – a fort.
 

 
Of course, if the edifice didn’t give you a good enough hint as to the building’s origins, perhaps this might have.
 

 
Middelburg and Veere were very peaceful and much less busy than Hoorn had been the day before. What a lovely area!
 

 
That night’s exquisite private dinner was held for half of our group of fifty (hosted by Mike and me) at the chef’s table, a quiet remote dining room, with a menu made up of specially-chosen tasting selections. We enjoyed wine pairings, desserts, unique flavours and presentations and lots and lots of laughter!
 

 
More of those dinner shots tomorrow here.
 
Every time we took the microphone or were addressing our guests, I kept wanting to call these men and women “winners” and some – including Sandra Rye, Mary and Ralph Larin and Andrea and Bill Bates – did win a trip with CHFI (to Ocho Rios) with Mike and me. It just felt like a “winners’ trip.” All of the couples (and a handful of single women) were genuinely glad to be travelling with us, just as we were with them – even though, this time, everyone had paid!
 
This group shared a real camaraderie right from the start. Some folks who hadn’t booked with us (mostly from the US) joined in the fun, too, especially the night we took over the lounge and played Coop’s Classics and had a not-so-Oldies Dance. Funnily enough, some of those non-Toronto folks said when they filled out the survey at the end of the cruise that the dance was their favourite part! (Maybe we’d have to have two of them if we took the ship over entirely.…)
 
Of course, in addition to having a great week, visiting new places and, for some, river cruising for the first time in their lives, people truly wanted to make sure that their Mike – our Mike – was going to be okay. (There were a few single ladies on the trip who wanted to ensure the same thing…!)
 
I am pretty confident that, after this past week, we can all know that he will be. It won’t be tomorrow or the next day, but I think if we DO go ahead and do this in fall 2020 (maybe an entire ship of us on the Rhine in Germany?) we’ll see even more signs of that heart gently mending. (Email Gerry Koolhof to find out more. We truly want to take over the boat!)
 
Mike and I are so grateful. More amazing pics and adventures and stories tomorrow.
 
Hugs,