feature | summer traditions

In the

Good Ole Summertime ...

W arm weather, beaches, barbeques, longer days, and vacation time - all return with the arrival of everyone's favourite season: Summer! CityWoman asked six London women what their favourite outdoor summer pastimes are and why. By Jessica Uniac MEgAn WALKER, Executive Director of London Abused Women's Centre: "There's nothing I enjoy more on a hot summer day than hanging out in the backyard with my husband, three daughters and friends. We're usually in and out of the pool, bopping to great tunes, and looking forward to a late afternoon happy hour with special beverages and yummy food. It's like a vacation retreat, and we only have to walk out the back door to get there! I can't imagine any other place I'd rather be or anything else I'd rather be doing." DEnISE PELLEy, Vocalist: "It's hard for me to answer that question without including music, and even though music is not a pastime, but part of my livelihood, I do love performing at summer outdoor music festivals. If I'm not performing, I enjoy taking in some great music. I recall a few years back attending an outdoor music festival in Bermuda. Seating was arranged theatre style facing the ocean, as the stage was erected in the water. I was sitting in the second row from the front, with the waves washing up on my feet, enjoying the music of Gladys Knight and India Arie. It was a glorious time!" COLLEEn M. HAnyCz, Principal of Brescia University College: "Trying to figure out the best part of the outdoors in summer is a 100-way tie! It's hard to beat a day with the kids in Grand Bend, throwing ourselves into the waves, and then strolling up the street, while sharing a box of fries or some rainbow sherbet. Ten minutes into the drive home, they are all asleep in the backseat, smelling slightly of lake water, sunburn and ice cream. Does life get better than that?" KAREn DAVIES, Director of Children's Hospital and Director of Perinatal Care/Gynecology at London Health Sciences Centre: "The summertime brings back a flood of fond childhood memories for me and is a throwback to a slower and quieter time in life, which I like. I tend to slow down in the summer and take time to enjoy nature, warmer weather and time with my family. We keep our summers full of experiences for all of us. It's a marvelous time for children, and to watch our son James enjoying his summers through nature, new discoveries, and wildlife is a gift. In the summer, we prefer to keep our travel within Ontario; my favorite summer vacations are our time at Killarney Mountain Lodge (minus the snakes!) with my parents, and another week at a cottage in August with the entire family." RuTH TISDALE, Trustee for the Thames Valley District School Board: "My favourite outdoor summer pastime is to go backwoods camping with my family. There is nothing better than spending a week in the middle of nowhere, with no access to telephones, email, or television. The uninterrupted time together is priceless. Over the years we have learned how to do without, how to survive bad weather, the value of bug jackets, and most importantly, the importance of working together as a family. These trips have provided us with many fond and fun memories, and I can't wait to create more!" JAnICE zOLF, Entertainment Editor at London's A News: "I am one with my bike in the summertime. The minute the leaves come out and the puddles dry up on the bike paths, I jump on my bike and head downtown and then west. I usually pick up the path at Gibbons Park, and ride along the river to Byron and back, never getting tired of the great view. On weekends I enjoy

Connected!

Salt Therapy is the first of its kind in Canada and is here in London at 585 Oxford St. at Adelaide. From over a 300-metre-deep salt cave in the Ukraine. Salt Therapy has mined solid bricks of salt to build two salt rooms which are used as a natural treatment for respiratory conditions. Visit the website at www.salttherapy.ca or call 519-433-5500. Batty's Bath is a small online company specializing in soap and bath products. All products are cruelty-free, and none have ever been tested on animals. Batty's Bath holds very high ethical standards when it comes to quality, the environment, and social impact. Local London residents get the added bonus of having their orders delivered to their door for free! Visit Batty's Bath online at www.battysbath.com. Home Instead Senior Care, the world's leading home-care service for seniors, has opened in London at 954 Oxford St. East, and is run by James and Victoria Chalmers. Home Instead Senior Care services include companionship, meal preparation, Alzheimer's care, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and incidental transportation for appointments and errands. They can be reached at 519-913-1662 and online at www.homeinstead.com/london-on. Polished Image, an image, etiquette and communications consulting firm, has launched a new online personal style solutions product called "Your Personal Style Solutions." This comprehensive, easy to use, cost-effective style solution program identifies what women should wear based on their unique physical shape. For more information visit www.polishedimage.ca, email amyelizabethcasson@polishedimage.ca, or call 519-872-8249. Save this date: Thursday, September 23 for the 2nd annual Power of The Purse Event, a one-day women's conference at the London Convention Centre. They have secured dynamic keynote speakers, with more to follow in the next few weeks. Advanced tickets NOW on sale, with an early bird draw. It will be another full day of inspiration, information, and motivation! Check out the website for more details: www.powerofthepurse.ca Fanshawe Pioneer Village: Victorian Teddy Bear Picnic, Sunday, July 11. All the bears are gathering for a Victorian Teddy Bear Picnic. Bring out your favourite stuffed friend for an afternoon of games, storytelling, a parade, and afternoon tea. biking in The Pinery, or if I feel ambitious, biking from Grand Bend to Bayfield. It is by far my favourite summer passion. I have so many kilometres on my trusty bike that it's time to invest in a new one; I figure for what I will save on gas, it's worth the expense! I have decided to adopt the European attitude and put paniers on my bike; it allows me to stop at the market on the way home and load up on groceries. I'm a committed multitasker, so a workout and a stress buster, while also getting my grocery shopping done, is my favourite summer activity." JESSICA unIAC is a recent graduate of the Media, Information and Technoculture Program at UWO. Congratulations to Alison Buchanan! Alison submitted the chosen entry for the name of our new events column: CityWoman Connected! Alison has won a gift certificate to Abruzzi, a gourmet Italian restaurant featuring traditional regional Italian specialties, on King Street in downtown London. This event is presented in partnership with Build a Bear and is sponsored by Once Upon a Teacup and Chapters. Lantern Light Mystery Tours presents GOOD CITIZENS BEWARE! - a play by Jason Rip. Six fiendish criminals from London's past converge on Fanshawe Pioneer Village to tell their tales of infamy and then ... they escape! You become part of a sheriff's posse who are willing to take the law into their own hands in the thrilling participatory theatre experience. Performances Wednesday to Friday, July 7, 8, 9 and 14, 15, 16, at 7:00 and 8:30 pm. Tickets: $15.00 each. Advance booking required. This event has been sponsored by the London Heritage Council. Jaydancin has recently opened a second location, 2454 Main Street in Lambeth. Jaydancin has created a line of organic makeup and skin care products created from the heart and human spirit, inspired by people who have skin irritations and sensitivities, and for people who simply want pure, clean products without chemicals. Visit the website at www.jaydancin. com, or call 519-203-1333 for more information. Escape the busy city life at The Yew Tree spa boutique: a space of regeneration, renewal and transformation. Located just west of Wellington at 242 Dundas, their goal is to maintain the quality of your body's largest organ, your skin. Pick a treatment of choice, then indulge in ilike skin care and Jane Iredale mineral make-up, both eco-certified organic. For more information, go to www.theyewtree.ca, or call 519-850-8733. The Decorating Resource Studio offers products and finishes not readily available in London - no need to drive long distances. Find Designer Fabrics, drapery, lighting, wall coverings, custom furniture (made in Canada), custom cabinetry, bedding, stone mosaic tiles, area rugs , shutters, and much more. The products you see in popular design magazines, you can find here. Go to www.decoratingresourcestudio.com, or call 519-434-1900. Have an event or news that London women should know about? Send information to mnorth@ citywoman.ca with CityWoman Connected! in the subject line, and we'll do our best to post it, free of charge. The deadline for the September/October issue is August 10. 18 | CITYWOMAN ISSUE ELEVEN: JULY/AUGUST 2010 www.citywoman.ca

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