Everything under the sun

June 4/11

After everything left me so down yesterday, it was great to feel the flip side of the coin today. We were invited to attend the Bat Mitzvah for Breanne, (daughter of Sam's first cousin, Sheldon and his wife, Marla). The sadness of the funeral on Friday had me looking forward to today, to bear witness to new beginnings for a lovely young woman just bubbling over with promise.

Mazel tov beautiful Breanne!
Breanne just turned 13. She's loving, bright, enthusiastic and very energetic. After chanting her parsha from the Torah, she had everyone in the synagogue laughing when she fairly danced and bounced off the bimah, thrilled to have completed the much-anticipated reading. Her parents looked so proud. In a short speech to the guests at a reception afterwards, Marla spoke to us about "Bree-bree", who studies gymnastics and dance, telling her daughter how happy she is to, "see her going foward in life. - It is YOURS for the taking!"

The invitation we received said in raised letters, "Memories are created by sharing special moments with loving family and friends." So true. No one there will forget the sight of Breanne racing from table to table, hugging all her friends and relatives, delighting in sharing "her day" with one and all.

Not long ago, Breanne's nine-year-old brother, Randy, spent a few weeks at Sick Kids Hospital. Today, he is well, and played the role of emcee at the reception. As a thank you to the hospital, Marla and Sheldon made up giant gift baskets of toys and stuffed animals, - one as a centrepiece on every reception table. At the end of the event, each basket, brimming with carefully selected items, will be delivered to the Hospital for Sick Children. The family wants to give back to kids in need of having their spirits uplifted.

Here's a look at the "unusual" dress I told you about the other day. The one I chose at Winners for the Bat Mitzvah. I was looking for VIBRANT, to suit my mood.

No shortage of colour here!
Thank you, Marla, Sheldon, Breanne and Randy for allowing us to share in your happiness today! For me, it was heartwarming and uplifting - and I needed that!

Presiding over the service at Beth David B'nai Israel Beth Am Synagogue was Rabbi Philip S. Scheim. I've encountered many a Rabbi since joining the Bornstein family 28 years ago, but never enjoyed listening to one as much as I did him! He speaks quickly, with great intelligence and doesn't use notes. I insisted on meeting him afterwards, telling him I wish I could have a copy of what he said about learning. He answered, "And I wish I could GIVE you one, but it's all up here, in my head."

I did scribble down a few lines that helped me in my current state. He told us, "There are moments in our life we cannot understand. They befuddle us. That's just the way it is sometimes." I was actually glad to know that such a learned man could admit something like that, and it made me feel I'm not alone in struggling to work through confusion in my own life.

Which brings me to my NEXT subject. Figuring out what's going on! Sometimes it seems to me, those who read these entries may think they're a bit too personal. But this is called a "personal experience blog!" My original goal was to "tell it like it is, with no candy coating", so how can I do anything else but put it out there, the way it really feels?

As a teenager, my favourite columnist was Paul Rimstead of The Toronto Sun. I bought the paper every day, just to read him on page 5 and see what crazy antics he was up to. The way he wrote just sucked you in and I always ended up in hysterical laughter over his wild and wacky world. In a way, he was a pioneer blogger, telling readers intensely personal stories about everything going on in his convoluted day-to-day life.

Rimstead!
My best friend, Franelle and I once invited "Rimmer" and his pal, (the infamous McNamara) to dinner at our apartment. They agreed to join us. We served tacos and the hottest hot sauce, (since Rimstead had recently returned from living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico). We had a riot conversing with these two and then drove down to The Saphire Tavern on Richmond Street to watch Rimstead play drums with the Jim Galloway band.

After that, Rimstead wrote a couple of columns about his new friends, Franelle and Elaine. We couldn't believe it! Later, Rimmer bought a house across the street from my Mum's place on Moore Avenue. We visited often and remained friends until his death in 1987. I still try to "channel" him a bit, when I write this blog.

It's tough to describe this intense burst of energy I've been living with the past few months since the diagnosis. It's as if some entity (I don't know what), lies within and is coursing through my body. The entity craves intensity in many forms. Sometimes, it craves high volume sound! In the past, while out driving, I usually have the radio dial set to NewsTalk 1010, but today, on the way to the Bat Mitzvah, it HAD to be The Quest by Bryn Christopher. (I've been obsessed with that song since it was used on my all-time favourite episode of Grey's Anatomy). Can't seem to get enough of Bryn's powerful voice, especially the "scream" near the end. My favourite lines are:
What I'm gonna LIVE for,
What I'm gonna DIE for,
Who ya gonna FIGHT for? I can't answer that!!
(This is the version mixed with footage from "Grey's"). The song gives me chills!





And also, - Michael Bolton! - (but only one song). Don't ask me why, but I can't stop listening to How Am I Supposed to Live Without You? Had it blasting after Bryn.



When I worked at Global TV, Michael was coming into the station to do an interview with me one day. I was prepping the footage in the news library, watching his video. Suddenly, someone walked up behind me and whispered in my ear, "I hate that guy." I spun around to see it was Michael Bolton! I couldn't stop laughing. Such a playful sense of humour. I've never forgotten that! (he made me blush) And what a gift he has. What must it be like to be able to sing with a voice like that? The range, the tone, the power, - and yep, you got it, - intensity! That's what my "entity" craves. Can't fight it! Can only submit.