As I sit at my desk in my new office off the living room, I can see through the large picture window how the first snow covers everything like a pretty white blanket. We (people, in general) whine a lot about the weather, but the glass can also be seen has half full. The snow is actually very beautiful and, here in Edmonton at least, everything gets a clean, white coating when it comes. Unlike back east, where the more moderate temperatures and the “war on winter” mentality ensures that within hours the roads are salted and bare of snow. I’ve always loved the look of snow-covered streets. Be careful what you wish for…

This fall has brought some changes to our life in Edmonton: a new nanny. Up to now, I have played the role of “manny” with varying degrees of success, depending who you ask. I mean, it’s a lot of work taking care of a house and family and anyone who does it really well is to be, well, revered. I can do it all – cooking and cleaning, childcare and extra-curricular – but it gets hard day-in day-out. And a bit boring. So, as my non-domestic workload increased over the past year, I maintained the childcare and extra-curricular ferrying about and cut back on the cleaning. And no one’s truly happy when the house is a mess.

Over the years, we’ve been blessed with amazing nannies that have enriched our lives and lives of our children. In my kids’ minds, they think a “normal” family includes two active parents, plus a nanny. If you find the right nanny, the whole can truly be greater than the sum of the parts for your family. I cross my fingers because I think we may have found another special one.

The twins are growing so fast these days. Just a couple of years ago they were entering 1st grade as semi-literate 6 year olds. Today, they are 8 and reading books and online games, searching YouTube, and texting with their parents and grandparents (using their parents’ smart phones, of course, because 8 is way too young for their own). There is something about their literacy that amazes me – and it’s partly just a fascination I have with literacy itself. To watch your child – anyone’s child, for that matter – acquire the skills of a language and learn to speak and read and write is nothing short of miraculous.

And it’s not just language that they are learning. They are in their “sponge” phase, absorbing everything around them: knowledge and skills, tastes in food and music, bad habits and good ones. Ella loves watching cooking shows on TV and then wants to cook herself. She made the cheese omelettes we ate for breakfast today with only a tiny bit of guidance. By 10, she’ll be cooking full meals. Ben immerses himself in YouTube videos about Bey Blades, Pokemon and Lego Star Wars and comes away with detailed knowledge about these things and enhanced vocabulary and verbal skills. For the twin who started talking a bit late, he’s remarkably tuned in to language.

This is also a time when not so good habits form too. Attitude and talking back habits develop which is surely normal, yet potentially a bigger problem if left unchecked. We’ve stopped watching TV or internet video in our house on school nights. Between piano practicing, Kung Fu, dance and art classes, and homework, this leaves precious little time for video gaming (which can now fill up the weekends). And it creates space for quiet reading time.

I would be remiss not to mention the coming relocation to Winnipeg of our first Edmonton friends, Seth and Joan. Though it seems like a lifetime, it was only two and a half years ago that I called Seth from Toronto inquiring about the possibility of moving to Edmonton. When we came for a tour of the Talmud Torah school, Seth showed up to greet us. And when we arrived at our new home, Seth and Joan met us at the local park for an afternoon play date with the kids. Since reaching out so warmly and welcoming us to our new city, we have become close with Seth and Joan and are very sad to see them leave. Having been in their shoes before, we understand the mixed feelings surrounding such a move: the excitement about the opportunities that lie ahead and the bittersweet feelings of leaving a place – and all the people – that you’ve thought of as home for so long.

Once settled in the school, I discovered that it was no ordinary Jewish day school. Talmud Torah Edmonton was about to turn 100 years old. We had just left a wonderful congregation in Toronto that had marked it’s 50th anniversary and I had gotten quite involved in the celebrations. I’m a big fan of collective memory and milestone anniversaries are a great opportunity to stop and reflect on how we got here and all the memories that were created along the way. I haven’t always been so nostalgic, but I think my mother’s long struggle with dementia made me realize the importance of memory – and using it while you have it.

So, here we were in a 100 year old Jewish school and I’m right into it – up to my elbows.

A lot happens in 100 years. Two world wars and great economic upheavals are the back drop to an evolving and growing community. It’s no small miracle to be celebrating a 100 years of a Jewish school anywhere, but here in Edmonton it feels even more extraordinary. Don’t get me wrong, Edmonton has some great people and institutions in the Jewish community, but it’s a small Jewish population relative to, say, Toronto or Montreal. Like, 50 times smaller. It’s just a bit surprising and rather remarkable that this community of 5,000 Jews is home to one of the oldest Jewish schools in Canada, the oldest Jewish day school in Canada, and the first Canadian principal of a Jewish day school in Canada.

As we gear up for the gala festivities surrounding the 100th year of Talmud Torah School, I am volunteering on the organizing committee and providing support for a few web sites (see tt100.ca and 100years.talmudtorahsociety.com) and lots more. I’m trying to understand why these events are so important for me to get involved in. True, my kids are students at the school – but it’s more than that.

I’m involved in TT100 because I think I owe something to the many people who came before us and paved the way to a 100 year Jewish history in Edmonton. And the best way for me to pay that debt is to get involved and pay it forward – toward the next 100 years.

The high holy days are now over. I greeted their passing last evening with the same relief I feel when I walk out of the dentist’s office with another 6 month reprieve. Thank God, or whoever makes these so-called holidays, that I don’t have to do this again for another year.

With this new Jewish year come many changes in our lives. The biggest change for me involves my transition back into working life. Not that I haven’t been working from my home office on a variety of projects, while managing the day-to-day needs of my family. And loving it. But I’ve found something else I love to do too – and I need to do it.

So, we’ve hired a new caregiver who will live with us. This changes everything. Many of those things that need to get done to support a family can now get done without my direct involvement – cooking, cleaning, caring for kids, sick days, etc. This frees me up to work, travel…and chauffeur. Our caregiver doesn’t drive. I’m sure it will feel good to be needed.

The twins have entered grade 3 and begun the transition to tween-agers. Every day beings new growth and a step in the direction of independence. It’s exhilarating to watch and also terrifying. I fear both for them and for myself, getting older and less relevant with each passing day. Perhaps I overstate it a bit, but our kids become a daily reminder of our passing youth, don’t they? I watch as they grow up and change into more mature little people and I can’t help but see them as a mirror on my own aging. Yikes. Let’s change the subject…

Maddy is evolving into a lovely young woman – as if there was ever any doubt. I’m constantly asked how she’s enjoying university to which I offer my stock reply: she’d be nuts not to love it. Newfound independence, coupled with an abundance of social opportunities and intellectual freedom – what could be better? I remember my university days fondly and, while my situation was a bit different, the underlying truth holds: university is a supreme privilege and should be characterized by the pursuit of pure learning and knowledge. Learning comes in many forms and much of it occurs outside the classroom. Maddy is doing fine and if she’s like the rest of us she won’t realize how good she has it until it’s gone.

This very same weekend on which Jews seek to atone for our sins, we also give thanks secularly for our great blessings.

I believe this deeply, but perhaps it’s easier to do so when I have the best of a lot of things. I have my health – and my hair. I have a loving family to care for – and who care for me. I have a wife and partner who works hard and enables me to be who I am.

So, as we transition into the next phase of our lives and the season ahead, I try to remember to be thankful for what I’ve got.

In most (if not all) other provinces where gambling is legal in Canada, a portion of the proceeds are pooled and doled out to non-profits via traditional funding proposals. These funds are just another charitable foundation pot of money that professional fundraisers can access.

But in Alberta, it’s way different. Non-profit groups register for and volunteer at the casinos throughout the year, usually on a 1-2 year rotation because there are so many groups wishing to be involved. Proceeds are calculated quarterly and each volunteer non-profit group receives it’s payout. Payouts are equally divided among all groups during that quarter.

Now, these payouts are substantial. I am a member of a non-profit board and know that in the past we have received between $70,000 and $80,000 for our organization volunteering at a casino. That’s for 32 volunteers working 8 hour shifts over 2 days.  Do the math – it’s over $300 per volunteer hour!

Yet, despite this math, there are always stories about how hard it is for some organizations to get volunteers. And I can’t figure this out. Each volunteer who works a casino shift brings their charity organization well over $2,000 in funds. Short of writing a cheque for that amount, there’s few if any other fundraising efforts with such amazing returns. Not bingos. Not charity auctions. Not coupon book fundraising. Not benefit concerts. Nothing.

And working a casino is kinda fun. You get to deal with large sums of money – my float last weekend was over $500,000 in cash and chips – and you always meet someone new from the organization you are supporting. Plus, the people watching at a casino is second to none – if you’re into that kind of thing.

Now, I know there is a complex and thorny moral question that is worth considering. I know that gambling has its victims and impacts the social fabric of our society in ways that can be devastating. I’m not debating or defending it here – I’m simply pointing out the pragmatism of how it’s organized in Alberta.

So, here’s my pitch. If you are a beneficiary of any non-profit organizations (schools, charities, foundations) or if you have a special place in your heart for a cause, contact the organization and offer to volunteer for their casino.

It’s the best 8 hours of volunteer time you’ll ever give – and a real advantage of being in Alberta.

I’ve eaten at some fine restaurants and I know what I like. But this week, I was blown away by my dining experiences at Old Vines Restaurant at the Quail’s Gate winery near Kelowna, BC.

I don’t want to say anything bad about the other restaurants and dining establishments in this areas, but without a doubt this one is one of, if not THE, best! Here’s why:

1. The building is beautiful. Warm wood beam construction and open air views of the vineyard, lake and mountains make this a special summer spot. But I can imagine it feeling warm and cozy in the winter as well.

2. The patio is divine. On a warm August afternoon or evening (we experienced both), the comfortable chairs and large tables make for the best kind of food and wine experience: outdoors.

3. The food is so good, it’s hard to describe. I found the food fresh and flavourful, yet not overly rich. Some restaurants substitute rich, strong tasting ingredients in place of skillful flavour-making in the kitchen. I often return from dinners at these other restaurants feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Not here. Old Vines uses old-fashioned culinary skill to create excellent tasting food without side effects. There was almost a kind of incredible lightness to everything I ate.

4. The wine is top-notch. Known for their Pinot Noir among other Quail’s Gate products, Old Vines serves a variety of other local Okanagan winery products. Our favourite was the Blue Mountain Sparkling Brut - a fresh and crisp bubbly that goes well with everything.

5. The service is superior. The serving staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the food and the wine. But it’s the little things that make such a huge difference. We dined as a party of four and a party of six and each time our plates arrived and were served simultaneously – by two servers for four of us and by three servers for six of us. How many times have I eaten at a pretentious downtown restaurant and received nothing approaching this kind of service? If you lament the disappearance of quality culinary service – not formal stuffiness – this is your place.

6. The kids menu is simple and fairly priced. My smaller kids both had pasta and even they remarked how good it was. Their bowls were all but licked clean.

7. The pricing is very reasonable – for the quality and service and setting and the whole package. You can pay the same – and more these days – and come up so far short compared to Old Vines. I’m a value person – which means I want to get good value for what I pay. It bugs me to no end when I’m asked to pay the same amount and I get so much less.

8. The setting is spectacular. The verdant green of  the vines sloping down to the lake and mountains opens your senses and puts you in the mood for an extraordinary dining experience.

9. Casual is cool. Don’t get me wrong, I like to get dressed up. But vineyard dining is decidedly casual, especially on the west coast. And I like the combination of great service, yet done in a casual and relaxed setting. The other dining establishments where you get good service tend to be more formal – which I find less enjoyable.

All in all, Old Vines is the premiere dining establishment in the Okanagan region. There’s no reason to not LOVE it.

I learn something new about this city every time I go to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. What an absolutely amazing weekend it was this year!

So, on less than an optimal night’s sleep, here is what I learned this year:

1. The folk fest is a celebration of everything good about Edmonton in the summer: being outdoors for extended periods, drinking beer, eating good food, and listening to well-crafted music. I actually learned that last year, but came to appreciate its truth even more this year.
2. Dave Cournoyer is virtually unrecognizable to me when he doesn’t wear a cowboy hat.
3. Gord sits in the same spot every year – and it’s a good spot, just left of the sound booth right off the cross path.
4. Susan, Dave, Debbie and Mark are some of the nicest people to hang with at folk fest. Thanks for sharing your tarps and general folk fest wisdom with me.
5. At times, the 300-400 people lined up to get into the beer garden (i.e., Thursday night) suggested they might need more than a 2,000 person capacity – an opinion not shared by all festival goers.
6. Overheard in the beer garden: “They should build a zip line from downtown to here.” Seemed like a good idea at the time.
7. Despite the planning, there’s always people you miss: Scenic Route to Alaska, The Once, and Stephen Fearing are on my list of those I regret missing.
8. There’s always a side stage event that attracts a bunch of people y0u know without any coordination. For me, was the Stage 5 Heroes programme late Saturday afternoon featuring Tom Wilson, Del Barber, KT Tunstall, and Jeremy Fisher. Tom told some funny stories, Del did a killer cover of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon and one of his own tunes and Jeremy Fisher sang beautifully.
9. KT Tunstall needs a new publicist or manager. I was excited to hear her as I am a big fan, but she needs to do her homework and read her memos. First of all, she didn’t realize the theme “heroes” implied she was to bring songs about or by her heroes, so she played one of her own songs called Madame Trudeau. Problem is, her lyrics refer to Ms. Trudeau as a “President’s wife”. I guess songwriters don’t employ fact-checkers. Then, in round two, she realized people were doing covers and she paid lip service to Joni Mitchell whose playing inspired her, but whose songs she was unable to play. What a missed opportunity that was to endear the Canadian audience to her. Alternatively, I would have loved to hear her do the Stevie Wonder cover I love so much – I Want You Back. Too bad.
10. Edmonton folk fest goers are a hearty bunch. At the first sign of dropping temperatures and ominous dark clouds moving in on Saturday evening, we headed for home. Mind you, we had the excuses to leave kids with us. But not the rest of you. Just pull on the rain gear and hunker down.
11. Folk fest food is tasty, but almost everything is slightly over-priced – just a dollar or two too much on each item.
12. Beer is well priced. Very fair. Good policy – don’t change it.
13. Is the free admission for seniors policy going to be sustainable as the Boomer bulge moves into retirement? Or will I, a very late Boomer/early Gen Xer have to pay by the time my turn comes around?
14. The tarp run/corral system needs a serious rethink. You can’t just rely on the folky fairness ethic among all the people at the festival – mostly because half the attendees aren’t even folkies. Come on, people. Reusable plates and recycling beer cups is cool, but we need some clear rules and enforcement when it comes to the tarp run.
15. The folk fest needs a killer mobile app – with a scheduling function so you can plan your days, real-time updating for schedule changes, bear garden line-up cam, etc.
16. For too many people, the folk fest is not about the music. This can lead to too much talking and partying on the tarps – to the point of distracting the other festival goers. We need to do more to promote respect for others in this context.
17. Going solo is the best way to take in some time at folk fest. Not that I don’t love experiencing these things with my wife and kids and friends, but in a group there are always competing needs. And if you’re a music-head like me, you want to wander around, following your ears and your music sense. If you like something you hear, you stay. If not, you leave and find something else. Going with the flow is a complete joy at folk fest.

So, I had a great folk fest this year and have quickly come to appreciate it for what it is: one of the best folk music festivals in Canada and, without a doubt, the pinnacle event of summers in Edmonton.

“The regular,” I said. (I love being a regular and having a regular order and walking in and saying “the regular”.)

I grabbed a Diet Coke from the cooler and sat down with my MacBook and connected to the free wifi. (Here’s why free wifi is very important to small businesses.) A few minutes later a member of Fadi’s always smiling and friendly staff delivered my falafel with hot sauce. I devoured it in minutes. Man, was it good.

Dahlia’s Bistro is a great little spot. The food is fresh and tasty – and well-priced. The atmosphere is convivial and the attitudes of Fadi and all his people are exceptionally friendly. It’s a perfect example of a business that attracts it’s customers by being really good at what they do.

Then, Fadi walked over and showed me his new point-of-sale (POS) system – a sleek iPad2-based system sold by a Toronto company called TouchBistro. Using his personal iPad, he can take orders and print receipts wirelessly, control inventory, and track staffing. He can even watch order processing remotely via his iPhone in real time and get his reports emailed to him nightly.

Best part is the cost: Well under $1,000 for the software app and all the required hardware (printer, cash drawer, iPad stand). This is compared to $6,000-$10,000 for a traditional POS system. Huge savings for any small business person. Very bad news for the traditional POS vendors.

If you’re a small business owner in Edmonton, I highly recommend you drop into Dahlia’s Bistro and see the new POS in action. While you’re here, you have to try the falafel. There’s lots of other great sandwiches and dishes too.

But trust me on the falafel.

I am seriously jacked.

The Edmonton Folk Music Festival starts this weekend and I’m in the mood for lots of sunshine, great music and meeting new friends. Seems to me that with all the rain we’ve had, we’re due for a few straight days of warmth and sunshine. I’m crossing my fingers.

Being relatively newish here in Edmonton, I learned a lot about the folk festival last year. This year, the biggest questions I had about the EFMF was the elaborate protocol around early entry and reserving your spot on the hill – however, most of these questions are answered in the website FAQ.

Problem is, I don’t want to get up at 6:00 am on Saturday and Sunday morning to be at the festival gates at 7:00 to participate in a lottery to place my tarp on the hill.

So, I’m appealing to the community of folk. Does anyone want to share their tarp with me? And my wife? And our twin 8 year olds?

I know, sounds really appealing, but hear me out:

1. We’re friendly, passionate about music and enjoy connecting with new people of similar bent.

2. The kids are very sweet and well-behaved. We’re not big fans of whiners.

3. I develop social media strategies for professionals, executives and small to medium-sized business owners. If you are anyone of those – or know someone who is – I’d be happy to offer some free services in consideration for your tarp sharing. For instance, I could help set up your social media profiles, register a personal domain name (yourname.ca), or configure and customize a Wordpress blog site.

If you’re interested in connecting, the best way to find me is probably on Twitter – http://twitter.com/#!/jaypalter on with the #efmf hashtag. Or you can email me (palterjay@gmail.com) or text me (416-868-8433). This way we can connect throughout the festival – as long as my iPhone battery hold up.

Looking forward to seeing you on the hill.

It doesn’t arrive until well into July and once it’s here, you’re trying to squeeze every last ounce out of it.

Summer, in Edmonton, is like a marathon – a huge distance to cover in a short time frame. All the living that in other more generous climates might be fit into the months of April through October must be fit into June, July and August in Edmonton. And June and August can be sketchy. Come to think of it, so can July – but that’s another post.

I’m writing this post after a long day at the Heritage Festival in Hawrelak Park with another long day ahead of me tomorrow. I’m in a bit of a daze.

With my attendance at the Heritage Fest today, I’ve scratched another item off my Edmonton summer bucket list. Did I love it? Well, let’s say this about Heritage Fest at Hawrelak Park – it was impressively huge and well-organized. The weather cooperated nicely and the food I tasted was pretty good, all things considered. I enjoyed the way the nationalities showed their pride by sharing their culture. I spent most of my time at the Israel tent and stage because my kids were dancing all day and I marvelled at the diversity of folks who came to watch and listen and eat.

There are a few things though that bug me about these multi-cultural festivals. One is the way they align cultural and national identity. Here we all are living in Canada, yet our multi-cultural festival has us organized by nation states. I watched a group of Jews of diverse backgrounds doing Israeli inspired dances all day, yet aren’t these dances only this: Israeli-inspired. Aren’t they really dances created by Jews living in Canada with some heritage and some aspiration to be middle eastern? My point is: these cultural expressions are precisely hybrids of these many factors.

All of us are coming out to show off our cultural pride to the community at large. And yet we are often relying on cultural stereotypes to do so. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a festival that focused on breaking cultural stereotypes and discovering new aspects of other cultures?

I watched some of the other dancers – the Chinese dancers, the Romanian dancers, the Greek dancers – all dressed in beautiful, traditional garb. And I tried to imagine how these dancers would look on Tuesday – dressed as regular, non-culturally stereotyped people going about their daily lives in this city. I could only assume that these Chinese, Romanian and Greek people were just like I know the Israeli-Jewish dancers to be: people of diverse and often mixed cultural backgrounds who choose folk dancing as a cultural expression for a wide range of interesting reasons.

In the end, I didn’t get to understand any more about these people or what makes them tick. If anything, my fear is that I left with a more stereotypical view than when I arrived.

Did I love Heritage Days? I have to confess – I didn’t love it. Maybe 20 years ago I would have enjoyed it more, but in my middle age the crowds, the masses of humanity, are just less appealing than they once were. But that’s not a negative commentary on the event – it’s more an admission of my own personal preferences.

As a signature Edmonton event, the Heritage Festival shows this city to be a rich multi-cultural mosaic. And that I like. Not to mention the smiles on my kids’ faces.

Postscript

So, I’m not taking back any of the points I wrote yesterday (above) about multi-cultural festivals and stereotypes, but I think my opinion about this weekend’s Heritage Festival is better now than it was yesterday.

It’s not something I can easily put my finger on. Maybe it was the great weather Sunday and today. Maybe it was the fact that I rode my bike to and from the festival today while my lovely wife took primary parenting duties. Maybe it’s because I caught some of the first nations dancing on my way home. Maybe it was just seeing the teeming masses outside, enjoying food and culture in a wonderful park setting.

Or maybe it was seeing all the diverse faces standing around the stage in front of the Israel pavilion watching an amazing group of dancers – including my children – perform 10 times in two days. Maybe it was running into people in our community that we hadn’t seen in a while.

Actually, I think this is it. This is why the Heritage Festival was so great: the feeling of warmth and familiarity and strength that comes from communities come together to celebrate, well, communities.

It seems so long ago now. My mother was suffering with dementia for much of the decade before we moved out west in August ‘09, yet her passing coincided with the week of our move – literally days before we were set to fly. So much has happened since then – we’ve settled into Edmonton, made lots of new friends, our kids have grown and matured. It seems like a lifetime ago.

We  are planning to be out of town on the Yahrzeit date and it got me to thinking about how I wanted to memorialize my mother. I was putting the the card back in the envelop when I noticed the stamps on the envelop. I recognized them, but they were not from this time.

I felt like I had seen these stamps before – and I had. I used to collect them as a kid. It was a hobby my dad introduced me to as a young boy because he and his dad had loved stamp collecting. I also enjoyed it for a number of years and collected all kinds of stamps. These stamps that appeared on the letter I received this week came from that era of stamp collecting in my life. That was exactly where I’d seen them.

So I did some research and found the following:

Year of issue: 1966	Year of issue: 1976	Year of issue: 1983

So now, my curiosity is piqued. Why is someone sending me a letter in 2011 using stamps issued in 1966, 1976 and 1983? That, by itself, is unusual – not to mention the fact that the sender chose to use a “praying hands” Christmas stamp to communicate with me about a Jewish memorial custom.

Then I get to thinking: is this a message of some kind? Is someone trying to speak to me, send me a message from the past?

There is some symbolism in the stamps: my mom converted to Judaism before she married my dad, yet Christmas family time was still a big part of our lives growing up.

Maybe there’s something about the stamps’ years of issue that I am supposed to be mindful of at this time?

The years are certainly full of milestones. In 1966, my grandfather Frank Palter (z”l) died. I was only two years old, so I never really got to know him. In 1976, I was 12 years old and when I remember back on my youth, it is this year and those surrounding it where my most vivid memories reside. My mother was a vibrant, engaging personality – in many ways in her prime. In many ways, that’s how I’ll always remember her. And in 1983, I graduated high school and set off across the ocean for a year abroad in Israel. It was the beginning of the rest of my life – a highly influential experience.

But it still doesn’t totally add up – and maybe it shouldn’t. But I can’t help but wonder what it means.

I’ll be thinking about this for a while yet. I’ll let you know if I come up with anything.