A fluffy baked potato, smothered in butter, sour cream, chili, baked beans, vegan chili, shredded cheese and green onion. A perfect luncheon for a beautiful fall day. Great company, great food (all foods were donated), all for a great cause.

Sistema was founded way back in 1939, by a man named Jose Antonio Abreu. His vision “music has to be recognized as an agent of social development in the highest sense because it transmits the highest values – solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion – with the ability to unite an entire community and express sublime feelings.”

Sistema Huronia began in 2013. It’s vision; to instill a strong sense of community, self-respect, and mutual support in our children through the pursuit of musical excellence in order to prepare them for a better tomorrow.

On a more personal note, this day provided a first for me. Donating a crock pot of baked beans provided me with the opportunity to discover how to make baked beans from scratch. My husband didn’t say that they were as good as the baked beans his dad made, but he didn’t say they weren’t either. So I’m counting it at a win-win all around. and I was also provided with an idea for next years Halloween costume!

It’s been a couple of decades since the waters of Georgian Bay have submerged the shores of Wasaga and other area beaches. This summer the waters have been high and today the road is the beach.

I remember, years ago, dancing on the sandy floors of the Dardanella and the infamous Windjammer, to the tunes of Ram and the Mighty Pope, with my two cousins. The three of us walking in with identical ID. The waters were high and the sand was everywhere.

Since then the beaches have cycled through the highs and lows of the Bay several times, bringing pleasure or panic depending on your want.

When we were children we would run through the strawberry field, to the large sand dune carved into the side of a small hill. We would spend hours summer tobogganing, building tunnels and enjoying the sun.

Years later, my husband would bring a couple truck loads of this sand to our home, building a large sand dune for our children. They had made it clear that they would prefer a sand dune over a traditional sand box. The sand dune also served as a cushion should anyone fall from the tree house built in the tree shading the play area.

The kids have grown up, first the tree house fell down and then the tree itself succumbed to old age. The sand remains and has become a feature in my shade garden turned sunny spot. Still my favourite spot. The sand brings back so many happy memories.