WLM Member Monday – Jo-Anne Himmelman

We Love Memoirs

May 19, 2014

Alan Parks: Good Morning, welcome to Member Monday! In the hot seat today is Jo-Anne Himmelman. Jo-Anne is in Nova Scotia so I am sure will be along a little later today. Grab a coffee and some toast, and think of some questions! Have a lovely day Jo-Anne.

Fran Macilvey: Hello, Jo-Anne Himmelman, nice to read about you. Can you say a little more about your role as a consultant to Nova Scotia’s First Nations? That sounds very interesting!

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Hi Jo-Anne Himmelman I hope you enjoy your day as much as I enjoyed mine last week. I w’sill be popping in and out today as I have some things to do. But, will certainly follow and join in the conversations. Also I would like to know a little more along the lines of Fran Macilvey’s question.

Julie Haigh: Hi Jo-Anne Himmelman , hope you enjoy your Monday member spot. I would like to know about your chronic anxiety disorder. Is it things like checking the door is locked a few times before you go out/oven is off etc (like I do) or are you really very frightened of some of these things? Relax and enjoy today though!

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Hi Jo-Anne Himmelman I would like to know more about your passion on women’s rights and education. Adult Education is my passion and was my work in Australia. So I am also passionate about women and education. Especially the recognition of prior learning for women who have been in the workforce for a number of years but have no qualification but a lot of work and life experience.

Victoria Twead: Hi Jo-Anne Himmelman, thanks for being our Monday Member! I know you’ve just come back from a trip to Morocco, so do tell us about that when you catch your breath. Was it a holiday?

Victoria Connelly: Hello Jo-Anne – I’m a Springer spaniel fan too and have a lovely old girl of 13. I’m sorry to hear you suffer from anxiety disorder. How does that affect your life? Does it impact on your love of travel?

Janet Hughes: Moroccan Coffee anyone?

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Looks good I won’t say no

Janet Hughes: and a spot of breakfast

Janet Hughes: and who could resist mint tea..

Janet Hughes: So how do you customize your elastomers, I use them to stop the rain coming in through the sun roof

Alison Teeshirts: morning! i know not an iota about Nova Scotia [or elastothingywotsits!] whats it like there and what is special about the place?

Becky Corwin-Adams: Good morning, Jo-Anne. How many English Springers do you have and what are their names?

Shirley Ledlie: Morning Jo-Anne, I am sure you will enjoy your day in the spot light! I was going to ask you about your anxiety disorder but see Julie has also asked you Then I read that Victoria said you have just come back from Morocco! Where abouts did you go? We have been to Agadir a few times BUT our daughter is getting married there in Sept so that will be an experience! I would love to hear about your trip.

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: I would also like to hear about yours after it happens Shirley Ledlie

Nancy Gould Gomoll: Good morning Jo-Anne. I have heard that Nova Scotia is beautiful. Do you live inland or on the coast? I do hope you wake up this morning before we all dig into the lovely spread of food that Janet Hughes has so graciously laid out!!

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Good morning everyone, still suffering from jet lag but I decided to get up early to get on line for Member Monday. I haven’t missed my Moroccan breakfast yet thanks to Janet Hughes: Breakfast was my favorite meal!

Nancy McBride: Good Morning! Just getting up in East Coast, USA! I’ve spent two lovely vacations on NS! Lovely. I am not familiar with elastomers. Help me out, here!

Frankie Knight: Morning Jo-Ann! I can only pop in and out again today due to visitors but will join in when I can…. I am also interested in the Women’s Rights issues. Here in Spain, many of the older women, and some men, cannot read and write and recently classes have been introduced to help them with this issue.

Janet Hughes: Lunch anyone? Street food is my favourite. Tuck in

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Fran Macilvey, Sharon Carter Figueiredo, I love my role as a consultant to the Nova Scotia First Nations. The First Nations (FN) in Nova Scotia are the Mi’kmaq – they are in fact the only FN in the Province – some Provinces have double digit numbers. That makes it easier for anyone working with the Mi’kmaq as you only have one nation’s issues to resolve. The Mi’kmaq are not aggressive preferring to negotiate. In my past career, I was a public lands administrator with law firms and the government. That experience both with land and government bureaucracy made a very easy transition for me when I was asked by the Mi’kmaq to help them with their land negotiations. The Mi’kmaq claim all land in Nova Scotia stating that they never gave up their rights to the land by treaty or any other document. This might sound scary but as I said this Nation is very agreeable to negotiation and are not interested in impacting private land owners rights. Their desire is to negotiate with the government on public lands . In that regard, I assist in the purchase of private lands for the Nation, resolve land issues and mentor lands staff. I find this the most rewarding part of my career – it has opened my eyes to Mi’kmaq history, culture and the many wrongs of the past. I only work 1-2 days a week in my home so it fits well in my retirement years.

Nancy Gould Gomoll: Very interesting work and I am sure it is also very fascinating to learn more about the Mi’kmaq history.

Fran Macilvey: That’s very interesting, Jo-Anne Himmelman, thanks for explaining. It is wonderful when we can make a difference, isn’t it?

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Jo-Anne Himmelman it sounds similar to issues with the Aboriginal People in Australia but negotiations are difficult and fraught with the fear factor from many people. In saying that many groups have been successful in gaining their traditional land rights. Sounds very interesting, I must read up more on the Mi’kmaq are there any specific websites that give good information?

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Shirley Ledlie and Julie Haigh, I was only recently diagnosed as having something called Dysthymia – basically a chronic anxiety and depression disorder. They just really put a name to it as I have had it most of my life. Yes, Julie it does make me check everything twice – that’s why it takes me so long to get out the door in the morning ( ha). I was diagnosed when the meds I was on for anxiety became ineffective and they conducted a meds assessment to control the anxiety. It affects my sleep since my mind is very active all the time. I also become overwhelmed very easily which causes me to retreat to a quite place whenever things become “too much”. You can imagine what it was like travelling to Morocco for the first time. Luckily I was with a group so it made it easier to me to take a back seat whenever I felt the need for a quiet spot. Unfortunately my days of travelling on my own or with large groups will be reduced but being the determined person I am, I will still travel discover the cultures and issues of other countries.

–Taking a break for a bit to have my real breakfast.

Susan Joyce: Good morning Jo-Anne Himmelman! Welcome to Member Monday! Lovely to see you in the tell-all seat. I’ll finish reading the Fred and get back to you with a question. Enjoy your breakfast!

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Janet Hughes and Jo-Anne Himmelman I will bite, what are elastomers

— It’s ok Janet Hughes and Jo-Anne Himmelman I looked it up on the internet

Crystal Owonubi: To see that you are very outspoken about women’s rights to an education touches my soul when I think of those little girls in Chibok, Nigeria who were kidnapped by Boko Haram which means “Western Education is a Sin” and I am sure that it disturbs you! It touches my soul because my children went to school in Nigeria for several years. So, in what ways are you outspoken about education for women?? Thanks Jo-Anne Himmelman!

Janet Hughes: Sharon Carter Figueiredo, I posted a picture of them

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Yes I saw it thanks Janet Hughes that also helped.

Susan Joyce: Jo-Anne, wow! You’re a powerhouse. Definitely making a difference in the lives of others. I’d like to know more about the burning of hunting and fishing camps on Provincial land.

Valerie Robson: Yes what are they? Look like extruded rubber shapes for things like frig door seals? xxx

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Yes I agree with Susan Joyce I would also like to know more about this. Why would they be burned down?

–Thats what I thought Valerie Robson

Susan Joyce: Jo-Anne, I’m curious to know if you still enjoy canoeing? Almost drowning would definitely put me off it.

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Sharon Carter Figueiredo, Alison Teeshirts and Janet Hughes, I used elastomers because it sounds more interesting than “rubber” products. It is a scientific term for rubber. Our company actually has elastomers in its name! We order the raw rubber (which comes in long strips) and extrude custom products ( could be rubber boat bumpers, seals, molding rubber to metal). We also use a liquid rubber which can be poured in molds. The rubber comes in a variety of colours and the products are cured under pressure to form the solid product.

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Jo-Anne Himmelman sounds very interesting.

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Here you go Sharon Carter Figueiredo – links to some of the the Mi’kmaq websites http://mikmaqrights.com , http://novascotia.ca/abor/aboriginal-people/ , http://www.cmmns.com/Kekinamuek.php . http://novascotia.ca/…/Orientation-Guide-Atlantic-First…. There are many more links within those sites.

Nancy Gould Gomoll: I agree with Sharon Carter Figueiredo. Interesting work and used by all of us in some fashion! The rubber tubes are like ones i used at work for my patients, to build up the handles of eating and writing utensils and other objects to accommodate for weak grasp.

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Thank you Jo-Anne Himmelman I will now go have a look.

Dodie Shea: Good morning Joanne – Hope you had a wonderful time in Morocco. Nova Scotia is such a beautiful place to live! Do you live near the coast? I think one of my favorite places is the Cabot Trail.

Susan Joyce: Just checked the The Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative site. Nicely done. Were you involved with setting it up?

Julie Freed: Morning Jo-Anne Himmelman if you haven’t talked about women and education yet – an inquiring mind would love to know how you are pushing that agenda!

Janet Hughes: Hope you have a lovely afternoon Jo-Anne Himmelman. Here’s some nibbles to keep the marauding hoards at bay

Fran Macilvey: Janet, would you like to come over and do some catering hereabouts?

Julie Freed: Thanks Janet Hughes for the lovely treats!

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Wow you are keeping me busy – a good thing. Bad thing for you because I could talk about this stuff for hours. Re Women’s Rights period, I am probably the most vocal in any of my groups. The funny thing is that I don’t look or play the part of a strong feminist – I am usually seen as a quite thinking type until something strikes me as not quite right. First I believe in the rights of all people to an education. It is what will make this world a better place to live ( this is one of our companies sponsorship goals and I guess you know who is responsible for that part of our webpage). More importantly I am the most supportive of a young girls right to an education. There are too many impediments to providing young women that opportunity be it culture, politics, poverty, religion, militants etc. That is one of the reasons I travel to places like Africa, South America – to see what the actual conditions are. When I am there I find out how I can help. One of the young girls I sponsor in Kenya ( and met when I was there) wanted to be a nurse. She was going into Grade 8 and was raped on the way to school. She couldn’t return because her father felt it would be better for her to raise her child. Working with the development group she is now training to be a tailor – not quite her dream but it provides an alternative to staying in her tribal village with no way to better herself and support her family. Sharon Carter Figueiredo, Frankie Knight and Crystal Owonubi I also believe it is important to recognize the need for education of our middle age and elderly women. I work with Plan Canada, a non-profit agency to support education, business/coop opportunities for women so they can support their families and give themselves a feeling of empowerment. When I was in El Salvador, I was introduced to the elder education program. It was wonderful to see an elderly women being taught by a young girl in the schoolroom. Do you know that in Canada ( yes Canada and I am sure other powerhouse countries ) we lack in educational opportunities for Aboriginal ( First Nations) children and women. A very sorry state that we can actually look in our own back yard and see this happening! We need to fix that by pressuring our governments and people with the ability to invoke change.My heart just breaks for those young girls who have been kidnapped in countries around the world by militants who believe a women is property to be bought and sold. I could cry when I hear of such things happening. We can also support women’s education through support other than money. We just have to think outside the box. See told you I could talk for hours!

–Victoria Connelly and Becky Corwin-Adams, I love Springers. Over the last 35 years we have had four – two females and two males. Their names were Tasha, Dusty, Micky we still have Mocha. Micky is the dog I am holding on my lap in the photo and Mocha is in the photo below. I love them all. Mocha is 13 years also and I know one of these days I will be without her. All of my dogs became a part of me and each time they go they take a piece of my heart. I know I talked about my anxiety disorder and one of the things we discovered is that my dogs are my therapy. The doctors have suggested that I always have a dog by my side – that suits me!

–Jo-Anne Himmelman’s photo.

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Susan Joyce, haven’t been in a canoe since. Don’t even go in speed boats. The very thought of something that big over my head in the water scares the living daylights out of me. Not scared of the water – still swim.

Nancy Gould Gomoll: I was thrown out of a raft on a class 5 rapids on Virginia and came very close to drowning. The rafting guides didn’t think they could save me as the water kept pulling me under and the other rafts were being brought downstream. My daughter who was with me was horrified watching this. Somehow I made it, but will NEVER go white water rafting again!

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Ha, burning hunting and fishing camps! I worked for the Nova Scotia Provincial government and administered all the Crown land in the Province ( not by myself, I had 40 people working with me). I believe at the time it was 2.4 million acres ( we are a small province). Because the lands are public lands many people believed they could do whatever they pleased, including building these types of camps without permission or payment (some were significant). The general public complained as these structures were affecting their ability to use public lands and they per government policy paid for those opportunities. Anyway the short story is that it was my job to notify people that if they didn’t remove the illegal structures, they would be removed by whatever means I thought appropriate. A lot of people ignored the warnings and left them up. I started at one end of the Province and provided notice to our local staff to remove the belongings inside, pile them on site and remove the structure by burning. It was not a pretty scene but it worked. These days people think twice before they do this and there are very few illegal structures on public lands. PS we worked within the Environmental regulations.

— Out for another break. Will talk about Nova Scotia when I return.

Nancy Gould Gomoll: Wow! That was a gutsy but necessary move to remove peoples structures from public land!

Charlotte Smith: Hi Jo-Anne. I totally agree that pets are great for anxiety Do you find you worry more at night? I find that problems seem like mountains in the wee small hours but are much easier to manage during the day.

Susan Joyce: Interesting about removing structures that are built without permission. Uruguay’s coastline is public. No one can build on the beach without permission from the government. The law has been in effect for years, but the government never acted on it until the taxpayers started complaining … and then they started tearing down and removing all illegal dwellings. It caused quite a stir.

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Hi Jo-Anne Himmelman we still have similar problems in Australia, especially in relation to education for our Indigenous population. It is very difficult for them to make their way in the world, there is still a lot of prejudice.

Susan Joyce: Charlotte, my adorable Oscar cat is the reason I awake at 4:00 AM. He wants out to roam I stay awake wondering about all sorts of things. When he’s sleeping next to me, it’s very therapeutic.

Charlotte Smith: Nothing like a bed full of warm fur Susan

Susan Joyce: Jo-Anne, you mention South America in your travels to help women help themselves. Do you do studies on the best and worst conditions in countries? Do you publish these studies?

Susan Joyce: What a handsome people the Mi’kmaqes (sp?) are.

Linda Kovic-Skow: Wow! What a great thread. Jo-Anne Himmelman You certainly touched on one of my hot spots concerning education for women. It’s so impressive that you actually traveled to different places to see conditions for yourself. I’d love to do more some day. On a lighter note, can you tell us a bit about your family? Did you grow up in Nova Scotia?

Frankie Knight: Just peeked in again and read up to date! Really interesting… Will catch up again when we get back from the restaurante…..

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Yes I agree with Linda Kovic-Skow and others I also would like to know more about your family and Nova Scotia, if you did not grow up there Jo-Anne Himmelman what made you move there, I am sure it is interesting and you have a diverse range of work and interests.

Fran Macilvey: Very interesting thread, which reminds me to count my blessings.

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Nancy Gould Gomoll, I felt trapped. It was my first time in a canoe and I was with the instructor. She forgot I was a novice and asked me to lean over to catch a runaway canoe. Mine tipped over and I was trapped under two canoes lodged next to a wharf. No air pockets. Never ever again!

Nancy McBride: Yikes! When I bought my first kayak, I told the shopkeeper that I needed one I could get my big bum in and out of, myself, and one that would NEVER tip over! Been kayaking for 9 years, now…

Susan Joyce: Scary stuff Jo-Anne. After my Indian Ocean crossing and almost dying daily, it took me years to get on a boat again.

Nancy Gould Gomoll: That trapped feeling under water is horrible, Jo-Anne. I kept getting sucked under and swirled around and couldn’t get my breath. Nor did I have the strength to swim out of it. I thought for sure I would die! I have done a lot of kayaking since, but not with rapids or strong currents!

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Hey Susan Joyce sound like an interesting story

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Nancy Gould Gomoll I did not realise you could get a kayak that would never tip over?

Nancy Gould Gomoll: Oh, Sharon Carter Figueiredo, that is Nancy McBride who has such a kayak! I did learn wet exits from a kayak (for when you are tiped) and thankfully have never had to use that! I have done sea kayaking and those are longer and more stable!

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Oops sorry I clicked on the wrong Nancy, I meant Nancy McBride wow Nancy Gould Gomoll sea kayaking sounds interesting.

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Am back. Was chased in the house, while gardening, by blackflies! Now about Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is and will always be my home so I am a little biased. It is a place having a calmness about it, a place where you can have a great chat with a stranger in a grocery line-up and no one things it strange. It is full of lovely beaches, parks and wilderness areas although the water in the Atlantic Ocean will turn you blue in 10 minutes (that’s the Atlantic and nothing you can do about it). We have the lovely island of Cape Breton which is joined by a causeway to the mainland. A trip around the Cabot Trail will certainly make you want to stay. Nova Scotia is almost completely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. We are joined with New Brunswick by a narrow strip of land. From a historical context, NS was settled in 1759 by British and French immigrants. We have quite a Scottish flavour in Cape Breton , including speaking Gaelic ( we even have a Gaelic college). There was quite a battle over land ownership between the British and the First Nations. The French and First Nations basically joined forces but the French (Acadians) were forced out only to immigrate to southern US ( New Orleans for sure). Nova Scotia is the second smallest province in Canada. It includes Cape Breton, Eastern Shore, Halifax – Dartmouth area, South Shore, French shore, the Annapolis Valley, the Bay of Fundy shore and the Cumberland strait areas. NS even has a tie with the Black Loyalists who immigrated through the Northern US. We are historically tied to the fishing and forestry industry but like other countries both fishing and forestry has declined. We are inventive though and have diversified, one of our biggest economic drivers in now tourism. I could go on but needless to say it is beautiful and you will never find a friendlier place with absolutely the best food. I think if you look for the biggest issue it would be the condition of our roads for those trekkers who travel by car. We even complain! I moved to NS in 1967. I was born in the Province but my father was in the Canadian Armed Forces so we moved a lot. When he retired we moved back to Nova Scotia ( 1967). My family being the nomad type never stayed but I remained behind, met my husband and married in 1970. I have been here ever since. I have a son who is now 38 and he is also in NS. Children being the way they are he would love to move to the big cities like Montreal, Quebec. I have no doubt if he did that he would come back. We always do!

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: What an interesting and nice place it sounds. Especially the speaking of Gaelic.

Susan Joyce: Jo-Anne, is the photo on your FB page of flowers in your area?

Nancy Gould Gomoll: It sounds beautiful there, Jo-Anne. As a teenager my parents and i drove through central and western Canada when we drove from Michigan to Alaska and back. I have never been to eastern Canada though. I would like to get up to Nova Scotia some day.

Jo-Anne Himmelman: A little chat about my vacation to Morocco. I belong to a Women’s Travel Group which allows me to feel safe travelling to places my husband has no interest in – that is mostly the adventure tours or tours to developing countries. I just returned home yesterday and can say Morocco is a very beautiful country. It has a stark beauty which I have never experienced anywhere else. I also have to say I experienced temperatures reaching 45 degrees C which I wasn’t too keen on. As in other developing countries you couldn’t drink the water and survived on warm bottled water. The mint tea was awesome but a little sweet – I asked for less sugar when I ordered it. I loved the food especially the tangines. While away I traveled with the group to Casablanca, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Erg Cheggaga, Zagora, Taroudant, Tafraoute and Essaouira. We visited the Medinas, the souks, spice markets and the Djemaa el Fna Square. We viewed the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Atlas Montains called Ait Ban Haddou, the oasis of the Draa Valley, the Library of ancient Islamic texts, carpet makers, saffron cooperatives,leather tanneries , explored the Ait Mansour Gorge and visited a local women’s cooperative where handicrafts were created and argan oil produced. We visited the resort town of Agadir. It would be lovely for a wedding. The highlight of the trip was a camping overnight in the Sahara desert and travel by camel for a certain part of the journey. While travelling into the Sahara our tour guide took us in by 4 wheel drive. During the drive we were stopped by 3 sandstorms ( one the worst in 12 years) and it rained! After that adventure we visited a Berber family and ate dinner with them. You know when you travel you always want to see the inside of a house. Well I did! Needless to say I would need more elevated furniture as theirs is close to the floor. As I indicated when I go into these countries I always try to find out about the status of women’s issues. Our guide was especially helpful in this respect. He indicated that King Mohamed VI has passed laws allowing the women to divorce, be educated, make decisions as to dress ( ie whether to wear the hijab), Women can move about in the country on their own, have a say in the political process. I haven’t had time to confirm all this but will do so once the jet lag wears off and I have caught up on those things left for the last two weeks. Hopefully this will all be as passed on to me – it is nice to see change but I have difficulty recognizing that change even in small steps is good. This journey was done with my sister whom I have never traveled with – we just had a great time with many laughs,

Susan Joyce: I visited NS several years ago. Definitely charming! Roads? Do good roads exist anywhere anymore? We’ve experiences heavy rainfall in Uruguay and most roads (except for the main highways) are a mess.

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Susan, the flowers on the FB page are bougainvillea.

— Sorry Susan, I pushed the button before I was finished. I’m not sure which flowers you have noted – I am a flower person who takes pictures wherever I go. Can you tell me what colour the flowers were so I can make sure I give the right info.

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Jo-Anne Himmelman your trip to Morocco sounds great.

Susan Joyce: Jo-Anne, the purple field of flowers on your FB page.

–Jo-Anne, your trip sounds fabulous. You certainly took in a lot in two weeks. Nice you could travel with your sister.

Jo-Anne Himmelman: The purple flowers are lavender Susan Joyce, I pulled that photo from a website. I wish my lavender looked so healthy.

–Charlotte Smith, I am a worrywart all the time and yes the issues get a whole lot worse at night.One of these days maybe I will conquer this. If I have my lovely fur pals with me, I am more content at night.

— Time to break again. Supper to prepare – hopefully BBQ so flies will stay away. Later.

Charlotte Smith: From one worrywart to another just keep hugging those pets!

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: I am opting out for the night folks, had a heavy weekend and need to wind down. Have a great evening, I will look at the posts tomorrow morning. Thank you Jo-Anne Himmelman for an interesting thread.

Jo-Anne Himmelman: You are very welcome Sharon Carter Figueiredo. Have a good evening.

Janet Hughes: Good night Jo-Anne Himmelman, I’m going to hit the sack.

[Insert Photo#1-HotChocolate]

Nancy Gould Gomoll: Your trip to Morocco does sound wonderful. I also enjoy travel like that and have gone to underdeveloped countries with an organization called Overseas Adventure Travel out of Boston, Mass. I would really be interested in learning more about the Women’s Travel Group that you travel with. It sounds like that group offers the same sort of experiences that OAT does – learning about the culture, going into homes, more off-road experiences. Is the Women’s Travel Group something that anyone (female) can travel with? Do they offer multiple trips a year?

Jo-Anne Himmelman: The travel group is called Broad Escapes out of Toronto, Ontario. Actually we did have a nurse from New Jersey travelling with us. You would love this travel agency. Feel free to contact them

— Good night Janet Hughes. Have a good sleep.

— Am signing off also for today. Thank you all for having an interest in my trivia. What a great day but I am really, really tired and need to nod off. Talk tomorrow if anything outstanding. Thank you Victoria Twead for suggesting I take part in Members Day. Thank you Alan Parks, I did have a lovely day.

Susan Joyce: Jo-Anne Himmelman, thanks for a wonderful Member Monday! Great to get to know you better and know the way you are making a difference in our world.

May 19 at 6:48pm · Like · 3

Paula Hilston: Jo-Anne Himmelman….Nova Scotia is our usual summer holiday destination….not sure we will make it this year as I am leaving in a couple days to visit with my Mother in the UK……what part of the province do you call home

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Paula Hilston, we live just outside of Halifax- Dartmouth but have a cottage near Bridgewater in the South Shore.

Nancy Gould Gomoll: Thank you so much Jo-Anne for giving your day to us and sharing your life. You have accomplished some remarkable things in your life and I am sure you have positively affected many lives through your time and expertice. It was wonderful getting to know you better. Blessings to you…and enjoy a good rest after a long day!

Nancy McBride:  Ah, the good times on Bell Is., with a beau and his three kids and me and my two… three of the children got impaled by sea urchins, which I was surgically removing when a native told us all you had to do was pee on ’em; I was reading EVANGELINE out to whomever wanted to hear it, and someone cried like a baby at the end (turned out to be me!), and (not related) my beau stopped talking to his kids, my kids and me… yes, a highlight…

Susan Joyce: Nancy, what a fun story! I’m heading to bed soon. Thanks again Jo-Anne! It’s been a great Fred!

Terry Bryan: If y’all have not been to Nova Scotia, it really is beautiful. Don’t take the main highways unless you have to…get off the tourists route and really see the beauty. Jo-Anne does not exaggerate. Cape Brenton is terrific, but I do think Kejimkujik National Park is the most beautiful place on earth.

–Thank you for today. And by now, you should be warm again (black flies).

Victoria Twead: Jo-Anne Himmelman thank you so much for answering all our questions. Great Fred, as usual. It never ceases to amaze me what interesting members we have here in WLM. When you have a moment, please choose two winners.

Frankie Knight: I do wonder what I did before I became a member….

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: I agree with that one Frankie Knight

Dodie Shea: Jo-Anne Himmelman – You have been so interesting! You should write a book!

Jo-Anne Himmelman: Victoria Twead, my two winners are Sharon Carter Figueiredo and Paula Hilston although I would love to choose everyone. Thanks to you all for giving me such an exciting day!

Victoria Twead: Congratulations, both! Let me know which books you’d like.

Susan Joyce: Congratulations to Sharon Carter Figueiredo and Paula Hilston!

Nancy Gould Gomoll: Congrats Sharon Carter Figueiredo and Paula Hilston! Happy reading!!!

Sharon Carter Figueiredo: Thank you Jo-Anne Himmelman, Victoria Twead, Susan Joyce and WLM, it was a good day

Gramma Lupcho: Didn’t get to check in with you Monday, but I did look at your Morocco album, and it brought back memories when we toured in the late 80s. In spite of the heat and some discomforts, I loved it and would go back..