the book of stuart

many moons ago whilst at the cottage on a sunday afternoon, i was introduced by my dad and stepmum christine to the delights of stuart mclean. just the name conjures all sorts of nostalgia in my voice now that my sundays no longer really have that special something...its just been missing since i moved to the uk.

but from that one sunday stuart brought me and so many people together. i went to my first stuart show with elaine a few years ago at christmas. there are some moments that bond people together for life and the end of that show was one of them. if i hadn't gone to that show, i probably wouldn't have met erik, tim or michelle. i'd been riding the bus with erik (and tim!) for months, but it took sitting next to them in the *front row* of a stuart mclean christmas show to get us talking. i'll know that family forever too.

there's just something about stuart...

so a few months ago when i found out stuart was to embark on a uk tour, i became quite determined to see him (and i will next week in london!) but also encouraged my friends down in cov to go see him at the warwick arts centre. dipak, abby, ruby, dan and peter (the housemates aka the canley crew) went to see him read up close and personal last night.

when i got the report las night - i couldn't wait to hear what they thought - they all were a bit apprehensive at first because they didn't know what to expect, but apparently it was the raccoon story that swayed them. then dipak told me that he spoke to stuart afterwards about all the canadianna headed our way this week with martha wainwright, hawksley workman, and my own stuart reading in london. you'd think i was trying to brainwash people.

there's a signed copy of the vinyl cafe unplugged waiting for me when i arrive in cov on friday evening and i couldn't ask for a better birthday present. it will kind of be like holding all that i love about home and canada in my hands.