The National Post has an interesting on-going series in which it invites guests to publish a daily diary for a week. I appreciated this one for obvious reasons:

 

===================================================================

 

This week’s diarist is Canadian designer John Fluevog, who has been providing "Unique Soles for Unique Souls" for over 37 years.

– – –

This coffee is killer; it’s not bitter and contains more antioxidants. It’s fair-trade and comes as green beans for you to roast yourself (merchantsofgreencoffee.com). It’s a neat idea — I think I’ll try doing that in the future. The trick is to use half as much when you make a pot.

I put on Oscar Peterson’s Hymn to Freedom this morning and jotted down anything that came to me. I’ve been doing that for three days now. I may gather up all my scraps of paper and do a little ditty to it.

Hopped on my bike at noon and rode around Stanley Park. It’s emotional, to say the least. After that storm, it’s like a clear-cut. It’s just not the same park I have known all my life.

I spend the afternoon getting the patterns done for my new signature shoe–delivery is set for June/July. You’d think after doing this forever it would be a breeze, but sometimes, I gotta tell ya, it’s hard work. I have the heel and the platform down, but I need an upper pattern. I see it in red with a huge bow, but we’ll see what my dreams come up with. If anyone has any ideas, by all means upload them to the Fluevog Open Source Footwear Program (fluevog.com/files_2/os-1.html).

I got a call from my 23-year-old daughter who wants to volunteer in Africa with an agency called Visionledd. As it happens, Ruth and I had dinner last night with Jim and Kathy Cantelon, who started the charity. Jim thinks he can single-handedly stop the spread of AIDS in Africa — and help the orphans and widows!

After talking to him, I start to think maybe he can. He is mobilizing the churches that have so far been in denial. The churches could have the largest political influence in Africa — more than the UN or any government body. Plus, it’s all volunteer, which means small cash for big bang. I started to read his book When God Stood Up … scary.

Check out Cantelon’s website at – http://www.visionledd.com/