TABLE OF CONTENTS MAY 2023

Publisher’s Note

Welcome to our Arts & Culture Edition

Page 6

Cover Story

Featuring Carolyn Graziani

Page 8

Mind Over Motor

Beasts of the Southern Wild Page 10

Tractor Talk

Ride Into the Sunset Page 12

Family Matters

DIY Legal?

Page 14

Flesherton Calling

Featuring Delia Eastwood

Page 15

Mental Health & Wellness

How To Intentionally Direct Your Thoughts www.fiatluxmedia.com

Words By: Roger Tumminieri

I’ve always had an affinity for Toronto neighbourhoods. Growing up in the city (Agincourt, to be exact), I developed a passion for the uniqueness and diversity of every distinct pocket of Toronto - which is effectively a city of neighbourhoods.

I’ve been ‘Supporting Local’ with my work since 2015 when I started the Etobicoke Lakeshore Press (even before that, if I take into account the first magazine I published back in 2006 for West Queen West) and have carried that passion with me ever since.

After moving from Long Branch in South Etobicoke to the village of Flesherton in Grey Highlands, I began to view our new country communities through that same lens - seeking the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between places like Meaford and Thornbury, Southampton and Duntroon, and even Markdale and Collingwood.

How happy was I when I stumbled upon Carolyn Graziani’s social media accounts: Instagram: @totesplustoronto Facebook: @totes+toronto

Her illustrations of Toronto neighbourhoods and locales across Grey-Bruce-Simcoe struck a chord with me. So much so, I was inspired to profile a collection of her work as the feature story in this month’s Arts & Culture edition.

If you’re a fan of locally-inspired art, consider ordering a print featuring your own town or neighbourhood.

All work credited to Artist: Carolyn Graziani www.LocalesDesign.com

Arjan is a graphic designer with over 25 years of experience working in the Toronto advertising world. Originally raised in Owen Sound, Arjan and his family left the Big Smoke in 2020 and built a home in Priceville. With a passion for conversation, Arjan loves connecting with local businesses to capture the heart and purpose behind each brand. Need some help getting clear on your logo and branding? Arjan’s your guy! He can create postcards, stationary, flyers for mail-outs, tradeshow banners, vehicle design wraps, real estate/ construction site signs, as well as online assets for social media, magazine ads, and websites. Arjan loves working with people to see their vision come to life! In his free time, you’ll find Arjan cycling the stunning landscape of Grey County and tending to his homestead with his wife, Allison, and their two daughters. They host guests at their air bnb “Kinfolk Cabin” and love introducing folks to the many incredible businesses in the area!

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS

Habits, along with many other experts believe that it all comes down to one thing: our habits.

Our brains are wired for us to do what feels good; to be rewarded, even if it doesn’t serve our best interests (i.e., binge eating processed foods). Because these habits lead to a positive stimulus or outcome, they keep us stuck in a state that isn’t aligned with what our body truly needs to thrive.

Habit Change for Health

By: Kira Bauer

When it comes to feeling well, there are three main areas of focus that many of us require: eating nourishing foods, exercise, and getting adequate sleep. These pillars, when functioning optimally, are the foundations of vibrant health. And yet we have never been more sick, sedentary, sleep deprived, and dis-eased as we are today. So where do we start?

James Clear, respected author of Atomic

A valuable evidence-based tool that you can implement today for your health is called ‘habit stacking’. First, identify a current habit you already do each day, and then stack your new behaviour on top. For example: after you brush your teeth, go for a 10 minute walk.

And remember... small changes make for big rewards!

Looking for support in sustaining these changes? Let’s get in touch: kbauercoaching@gmail.com

Beasts of the Southern Wild A First Hand Account of Automotive Culture Down South This Winter

By: Robert Iantorno

Vehicles project the paradigm of their owners -thus, car culture varies widely from place to place, and changes based on the people who inhabit the area and animate the machines. This past winter Down South was a fascinating exploration of this phenomenon.

St. Augustine Beach is a pleasant, surfy seaside strip on the North East side of Florida. It was home to the Timicua, and was then conquested by the Spanish in search of The Fountain of Youth. The long, slim strip of land is now home to a cohort of retirees from the Northeast US, mostly in search of the same. Sunsets are beautiful, people are friendly, and you can ride bicycles on the Sandy beach. Here, I saw plenty of old vans covered with kooky stickers, curtains on the windows and surfboards lashed to the roofs. All the vans were poorly maintained with squeaky brakes and dried out gaskets, but they just weren’t about that, man.

On a brief sojourn to New Orleans (I tried a Sazerac, ate beignets at Café du Monde, and found the city to be filthy and delightful), I spotted this buttercup yellow Thunderbird -ratty and fun; itself a filthy delight.

In rural Western Florida, the “No Trespassing” signs read, “POSTED”. The insinua- tion is, “This here sign is POSTED. I have POSTED it and letting you know so that I can legally shoot you on my property.” People down in this part of the world are forthcoming and unapologetic about their politics and religion, and the machines are the same.

This nasty yellow Frankenstein of a Studebaker spotted in the parking lot at Coney Island Hotdogs in Webster. This, kids, is what we call a “Deathtrap” -a tube framed, fibreglass bodied dragster on slick tires. The big, jovial owner tells me that it’s been totalled twice, sawn apart and welded together repeatedly, and that it’s currently powered by stroked 390 Chevy engine making I-don’t-know-how-many horsepower (it doesn’t matter -it’s a lot). It’ll do 0-60 in 2.1 seconds, and it sounds and smells like it wants to hurt you. The owner has grease under his fingernails, wears suspenders and has a huge smile across his face as we talk about carburetors and zoomie headers. We each said, “you got that right, Brother” more than once, then slapped high five. Then I proceeded to smash 2 foot long hot dogs and a Texas Chili burger. Things down here are straight forward.

The many RV Resorts in Florida host “Snowbirds”, a term broadly applied to transient or seasonal peoples who live in wheeled domciles. This way of life has a far reaching comaraderie and a culture of lending a hand and exchanging stories. At one of our RV resorts, I had the pleasure of attending Cars and Coffee each Wednesday with some gentlemen Snowbird gearheads, where we would sit for hours and geek out about our love of valve actuation, body lines and fuel delivery systems. My new buddy, Jim is originally from Illinois, and is a retired Master GM Mechanic with a profound connection to machines. Jim and his wife are “Full Timers”, meaning that they embrace RVing as a way of life. Doing so in this case required the humility to leave behind the physical manifestations of a love of vehicles, and instead opting to carry only the beautiful memories. Above is a spread of Jim’s personal vehicles, includ- ing Jim astride his 1987 GSXR-1100 (this is significant, as I once owned a blue ‘86), complete with matching Dainese leathers and Shoei helmet -even a period-correct moustache.

I wrote this account while pulled over in our Vixen21TD (pictured bottom left), somewhere in North Carolina. Birds are singing, there’s a light rain, and we have begun the long trek back home having added thousands of miles and memories to the odometer. So what does this peculiar 1987 fibreglass RV project about us? I guess it’s that we don’t give up, that normalcy doesn’t cut it, and that we can’t help but ramble on down the road.