tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43250916008780625392012-03-14T16:20:32.431-04:00For curlers everywhere, at every level.Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.comBlogger511100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-45996554781328653182012-03-14T16:13:00.000-04:002012-03-14T16:13:50.730-04:00

The view from Section A, Row 12, Seat 7 I've just come home from Saskatoon, where I spent the weekend enjoying the big party that is The Brier. And what a party - not just in the Patch, but in the hotel, at the rink, and around town as well. Saskatoon put on an amazing show. Some thoughts: 1. Volunteers make the world go round. That is never more true than at an event like this. Those bright

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-3667185568205481102012-02-26T16:31:00.000-05:002012-02-26T16:31:09.664-05:00

Dear Marie-France, You don't know me, but I feel as if I know you. I'm one of those curling fans who has watched you at the Scotties all these years, you and your variety of teams out of Quebec. I've cheered for you as you chipped away at the top teams in the country, so often in the running for the title, even if you didn't always make it to the final. Okay, you didn't make it to the final

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-15931197171332702622011-12-30T10:40:00.022-05:002011-12-30T10:55:40.576-05:00

New Year's is the time to look ahead, so here goes with a few resolutions and predictions for the new year. 1. Prediction: Curling will grow at the grassroots level. Yes, the 2010 Olympics had a great influence on the sport, and Learn-to-Curl sessions all over North America went crazy after viewers had a chance to see the madness that was Olympic curling (thank you, fans!). But the appeal of

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-17736985546783016682011-10-29T16:36:00.000-04:002011-10-29T16:36:33.764-04:00

The 2011-2012 curling season is going to the busiest one ever - for me, anyway. Am I a competitive curler with my sights set on zones and regionals? Am I signed up for multi-leagues, major leagues, three or more nights a week of rec curling at the local club? Nope. But here's what I am doing: 1. Writing I'm writing about curling. Writing a lot. Last year it was The Curling News; this year,

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-55053889943969148532011-03-30T11:48:00.004-04:002011-04-01T09:35:51.916-04:00

Action at the Fergus Curling Club (Photo Jean Mills) I'm a curler, yes, but I'm also a writer, and writing about something you love has got to be the best way to spend your time. (Getting paid for it is nice, too, which happens sometimes...) One story I really want to write about is curling families - you know, all those grassroots and elite curlers who are out there on the ice with various

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-63005775217142928492011-03-06T13:27:00.000-05:002011-03-06T13:27:52.462-05:00

As a curling writer, I'm fascinated by the language of the game. Friends of mine told me that when they tried to watch the Olympic curling event, they were in stitches over the indecipherable language - "code" they called it - used by the announcers. Try it: turn your curling antenna off and just listen to the lingo used to describe our game. It's pretty darn strange. But there's always room for

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-91815889016420989282011-02-23T23:01:00.000-05:002011-02-23T23:01:50.929-05:00

Okay, it's done.  Thank goodness. Cathy Overton-Clapham and her Team Manitoba won the big grudge match against her former team, led by skip Jennifer Jones. Now, let me translate that statement into the unspoken language of the media feeding frenzy that surrounded this game: Poor Cathy Overton-Clapham and her second-choice Team Manitoba kicked butt in the big grudge match against her mean

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-73933324642364500362011-02-22T10:49:00.000-05:002011-02-22T10:49:00.209-05:00

Some action on Twitter suggests that people are not happy with Jennifer Jones for bailing on her last shot in Monday night's game against PEI. She should have thrown it, tried the triple, made a go of it (think some people).  Why would she just give up? Don't the paying customers deserve to see her at least try? All good points. But the way I see it: She analyzed the situation - and we all

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-35098601243760469132011-02-07T10:35:00.000-05:002011-02-07T10:35:22.244-05:00

I'm feeling pretty cranky this morning. This weekend saw two fantastically exciting games in the M&M Canadian Junior Curling Championships. Team Saskatchewan (skip Trish Paulsen, third Kari Kennedy, second Kari Paulsen and lead Natalie Yanko) won the Junior Ladies' title on a steal when Alberta's Nadine Chyz's last shot rolled out. Team Saskatchewan (skip Braeden Moskowy, third Kirk Muyres,

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-54958071952221430692011-02-04T11:28:00.000-05:002011-02-04T11:28:16.247-05:00

Okay, I know many curling fans are wondering what's going to happen when Team Canada meets Team Manitoba on February 23 in the evening draw at the Scotties.  We all know the story - which I blogged about, here, and which curling writers, including The Globe's Bob Weeks, have covered with enthusiasm. After all, it's fun to watch real-life drama unfold before your eyes, isn't it? But I think it's

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-33497083312978559712011-01-26T11:30:00.000-05:002011-01-26T11:30:43.686-05:00

I remember when I was really little, my mom would head out to her Ladies' bonspiels and come home with a prize (usually) and a cool name tag.  No sticky pre-fabs proclaiming "Hello, My Name Is..."  No, the bonspiels she went to were organized by old-school traditionalists who knew how to do it right. Name tags in the shape of Scottish tams, or flowers, or curling stones, or brooms. All hand-made

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-57452958553883214592010-12-23T18:54:00.001-05:002010-12-23T18:54:20.614-05:00

‘Tis the season for Christmas lists, and here’s one that caught my attention. My friend and editor at The Curling News, George Karrys, has written a night-before-Christmas wish list that hits the button. Here’s the link to his Curling Guru column in the Toronto Sun. George knows what he’s talking about – and he’s not afraid to take some heat either. I can see competitive women curlers getting

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-33812466597890196712010-11-28T12:53:00.001-05:002010-11-28T12:53:02.283-05:00

Tis the season of book reviews. Newspapers and magazines and even those specially printed advertorial mags in Chapters are pushing books you can pick up as gifts for Christmas.  I had some fun reviewing four hockey books for my local newspaper and scored copies of Don Cherry’s latest, Al Strachan’s tell-all, and a couple of argument-inducing “best goals ever” collections. Hockey gets all the

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-65952670039019864462010-11-25T10:10:00.001-05:002010-11-25T10:10:31.474-05:00

While doing some research for the blog I write for the Canadian Curling Association (Around the House), I came across this hilarious feature from the CBC Video Archives featuring the 1983 MCA Bonspiel.  Oh. My. God. Okay, it’s not quite as archaic as the photo (left) of some big winners at the Fergus Curling Club in days of yore.  But it has its moments. The clothes! The deliveries! The

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-88522433953681579712010-11-05T17:22:00.001-04:002010-11-05T17:22:34.906-04:00

Okay, it’s early November, and I’m not getting it, yet.  Men with Brooms, I mean. The actors: I like. Mostly.  I especially like Brendan Gall, our hero (although it took me a couple of weeks to remember that his character’s name is Gary, and that can’t be a good sign). He gets down to throw, resembling a praying mantis – or a giraffe, I’m not sure yet – and actually looks not too bad. A typical

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-12899746860007038732010-10-24T15:35:00.001-04:002010-10-24T15:35:21.189-04:00

I had the most astonishing conversation with a fellow curler at my club after our Wednesday night game last week. “What’s that?” she asked when I waxed enthusiastic about the team who would be representing our club (Guelph Curling Club) at the regional playdowns of the Dominion Curling Club Championship this weekend. “What’s the Dominion Curling Club Championship?” she asked when I mentioned

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-55491139993685621742010-10-17T20:10:00.001-04:002010-10-17T20:10:45.069-04:00

Ok, so they’re not really important questions. But all the same, I’m just wondering… 1. Why is there no curling coverage in the fancy new Globe and Mail?  The cash spiels have started from coast to coast. Results and stories are showing up on the internet and Twitter, including reports of the big teams launching themselves into the new season – Kevin Martin, Jennifer Jones, Jeff Stoughton,

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-83691944921863612792010-10-05T19:35:00.001-04:002010-10-05T19:35:11.886-04:00

You curl. I curl. Lots of people we know curl. Are you funny?  Am I? (No, actually, I’m not.  In fact, I’m a terrible joke teller and often need punch lines explained to me.) The point is, “curling is funny” leaves me shaking my head. Football is funny (tight pants, crazy moves).  Soccer can be pretty darn funny with all that dramatic embellishment going on. Surely it’s all in the eye of the

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-62353617554624709092010-09-18T12:01:00.000-04:002010-09-18T12:01:59.718-04:00

Good question! Here is the answer to this six-degrees-of-separation question: A writing colleague of mine was visiting Ralph Bunche school in the Compton Unified School District of Los Angeles, and there she found a woefully underfunded and underequipped school library.  Helaine Becker is not one to walk away from a challenge.  She rallied her Canadian colleagues (including moi) to send in copies

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-40801168627129394352010-08-18T09:37:00.001-04:002010-08-18T09:37:45.294-04:00

Two weeks at the cottage in Nova Scotia means soaking in hours of beach time, reading lightweight books, exploring the shore, dodging squirts from those elusive razor clams, setting mousetraps in the cottage – and, occasionally, venturing forth into the countryside to see the sights. The sights, for me, always include a search for the local curling club.  If you read my previous blog, you’ll

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-78776944366392282172010-07-16T15:49:00.001-04:002010-07-16T15:49:20.099-04:00

My dad used to say that if he found himself suddenly plunked down in any small Ontario town, he’d be able to find his way to the beer store.  There’s just something predictable about the placement of that all-important supplier of refreshment.  It’s like knowing (nowadays) where the Tim Hortons is (on the strip coming into or out of town, near the gas stations and the Wendy’s/Harvey’s/McDonald’s

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-51742473688033916872010-06-17T10:40:00.001-04:002010-06-17T10:44:47.354-04:00

Like most curling fans, I browse the internet regularly for out-of-the-way stories about the sport’s people and events.  (Of course, Google Alerts can’t distinguish between curling as in sport and curling as in using a hot iron stick to beautify your hair, but whatever…) Sometimes a gem will pop up, like this recent article from The Southern Reporter in Selkirk about the changing of the guard

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-32919931979438913232010-06-01T09:03:00.001-04:002010-06-01T09:03:01.036-04:00

John Doyle, the TV columnist for The Globe and Mail is one of my favourite newspaper writers. He can be quirky (writing about his wild brother and the lads, or his adventures in the “TV racket”) and very, very funny (see same), but he can also be direct and analytical. He knows a lot about sports, too, and he also covers World Cup soccer. He was the columnist who drew a country’s eyes towards the

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-20278832375119602582010-05-28T20:46:00.001-04:002010-05-29T22:35:24.068-04:00

Okay, I confess that I have a thing for Paul Gross.  Due South was brilliant – great idea, great writing, subtle shifts between drama and comedy (see the episode “A Hawk and a Handsaw”) and wonderful performances from some of Canada’s best – Callum Keith Rennie, Gordon Pinsent, Wendy Crewson, Brent Carver, Colm Feore come to mind.  And how about Getting Married in Buffalo Jump and Slings and

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-74080482291653744872010-05-11T08:18:00.001-04:002010-05-11T08:20:40.526-04:00

It was snowing here in Southern Ontario a few days ago, an unusual weather report for mid-May. And although the leaves are almost all out and the tulips are done – which means Spring has sprung and moved on – I couldn’t help thinking of curling.  So to say a final farewell to the winter, I revisited some mail I received from Jason Hall of the Kalamazoo Curling Club.  This past February, Jason

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-16624745389045483062010-04-23T12:30:00.001-04:002010-04-24T16:44:31.198-04:00

Jennifer Jones had a so-so season.  Sure, she won the Scotties, but she and her team just didn’t get it done at the World Championships. Winning that bronze medal took a lot of guts, but that was never the ultimate goal.  And let’s not even talk about the Olympic Trials, which were a (pick one or all): 1. disaster 2. disappointment 3. unfortunate example of a team not getting its act together

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-57549801853967843162010-04-20T07:14:00.001-04:002010-05-29T22:42:47.747-04:00

  Kevin Martin has walked off into the sunset, somewhat bent over under the weight of all that loot, and you’re looking around with a lost expression on your face wondering how the heck you’re going to get through the next few months without watching any curling on TV, or reading it in the Sports pages, or (unless you live in a town with a summer league) finding some on-ice action at the local

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-21777668203441447582010-04-16T15:40:00.001-04:002010-04-17T11:23:43.749-04:00

1. How to lose with grace When Cheryl Bernard’s last shot ended the Gold-medal Olympic curling final – ended it badly for her – did Cheryl cry? Did she stomp? Collapse? Blame someone?  No. After gracious handshakes, she turned to her team and they closed ranks, supportive, calm, and in control of what must have been overwhelming disappointment.  This is how to lose, people.   AND she won a

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-12296112496140953042010-03-22T16:14:00.001-04:002010-03-22T16:14:54.340-04:00

Curling is so cool right now.  Of course you and I knew that already, but apparently the World needed some prodding.  And oh, did the Vancouver Olympics ever deliver! Word from curling clubs around Canada and the U.S. is that interest is on the rise.  Watch for an article in the April issue of The Curling News for more, but here are some early indications that curling is more than alive and

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-65052703914582217542010-03-15T08:50:00.001-04:002010-03-15T08:50:57.378-04:00

A team from the Guelph Country Club is off to St. John, New Brunswick, for the Canadian Masters (age 60+) Curling Championships, and they have yet to lose a game in bonspiel or competition play: that means 18 straight wins this season. Skip Mike Dorey, third (“mate” in Saint John) Brian Henderson, second Gary Houghton and lead Paul Knight knew they had something good when they got together

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-43143639549805433532010-03-08T14:46:00.003-05:002010-03-08T14:49:25.973-05:00

All the attention that women’s curling garnered at the Olympics lit a flame (ha ha) under me to get working on some projects that have been lying around untended for a while.A number of years ago I published a novel for teens called Abby and the Curling Chicks, a story aimed at a group of curling girls in a small town in Ontario. Using my experiences running a junior program at the Vankleek Hill

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-43768402963638133542010-02-21T22:20:00.001-05:002010-02-21T22:20:36.462-05:00

  Photo by Anil Mungal, The Curling News. Technorati Tags: curling,Vancouver,Olympics,The Curling News,hockey

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-83213628644048688232010-02-21T15:06:00.001-05:002010-02-21T15:09:15.219-05:00

Some of the competitors at the Olympic curling games have been complaining about the noise fans are making before, during and after key shots.  Funny thing, the Canadian curlers love it!  And why not?  The noise demonstrates that the fans are really into the game, excited and engaged and, most importantly, following the action.  What’s to complain about? Well, apparently there’s lots to

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-51024958455169705162010-02-18T10:23:00.003-05:002010-02-18T10:25:00.548-05:00

Curling takes a lot of abuse. Boring, watching paint dry/grass grow, not an Olympic sport – these are some of the comments thrown our way by the uninitiated. But Globe and Mail TV columnist John Doyle has an open mind. Readers know that soccer is his game, but he’s not above giving a few plugs for curling. Now, John is approaching the game as a TV critic, remember, so his take on curling has

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-65585947869407413522010-02-12T08:28:00.009-05:002010-02-12T09:19:45.487-05:00

We Canadians all hope the final game in the Olympic Curling competition comes down to Kevin Martin's last rock (against Great Britain's David Murdoch probably). And (of course) we all hope that the rock doesn't slide a couple of inches deep, as it did the last time Kevin had a shot at the gold medal.(On that occasion, our entire Monday Night Curling League at the Guelph Country Club dropped our

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-10961905405460462642010-01-23T22:48:00.001-05:002010-01-23T22:48:39.047-05:00

A few weeks ago, my curling buddy Alma Laidlaw came closest to the pin at The Swiss Chalet National Grand Slam event at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph.  There, during the fourth-end break, she out-drew five other contestants and won a trip to Winnipeg for the big, really big, chance to draw the button for $1 million in the Capital One Million Dollar Button contest. “So what’s your strategy?” I

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-40762820399945143482010-01-09T10:48:00.003-05:002010-01-09T10:53:11.008-05:00

There are those – the Uninitiated – who say that watching curling is like watching paint dry. Of course, curlers know how true that isn’t. The game has its own rhythm and flow depending on the strategy, the conditions of the ice and the players themselves. Watching the first eight (unbroadcasted) draws at The Swiss Chalet National Grand Slam event in Guelph was an exercise in constant motion,

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-77012266070415138592010-01-05T20:13:00.004-05:002010-01-05T20:29:06.965-05:00

With the National coming to Guelph this week, my friends at The Curling News asked for a quick preview of how the Guelph Curling Club (members of which make up the local organizing commitee) is getting ready. No sweat. After my regular Monday night game, I talked to a few of the more involved members of the club and heard about the fantastic response from volunteers, right from Day One.But the

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-47580976982907494022009-11-29T20:56:00.001-05:002009-11-29T20:56:44.390-05:00

A few years ago, my essay about curling etiquette was published in The Globe and Mail.  Since then, I’ve noticed it posted on the Internet periodically (without my permission, but that’s ok).  People sometimes ask for permission to use it at their club, in a program for a bonspiel or for their club championships. So I figured, why not? Here it is again.  Curling has changed a bit since this

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-84008981494451481482009-11-20T11:53:00.001-05:002009-11-20T11:53:25.909-05:00

The front page and sports section of today’s Globe and Mail report on French soccer star’s Thierry Henry’s controversial handball (touching the ball – strictly against the rules) that led to France’s winning goal in their victory over Ireland in a World Cup qualifying match. Controversial doesn’t even begin to describe it.  Players saw the infraction.  Henry himself admits to the infraction,

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-16439910181757795682009-11-03T20:27:00.001-05:002009-11-03T20:27:25.038-05:00

  Check out this article from an online Raleigh newspaper (The News & Observer) about how “cool'” curling is.  The author was apparently too nervous to step out onto the ice herself (she was training for a marathon and had been warned about the dangers of slipping), but she gives an entertaining account of watching the brave souls who did take the plunge, so to speak.  My favourite part: when

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-65761069402691532552009-10-16T18:55:00.004-04:002009-10-16T19:05:41.621-04:00

Check out Danny Lamoureux’s most recent Business of Curling blog at the Canadian Curling Association for an amazing article written by the University of Waterloo’s Heather Mair on the role of curling clubs in their communities. Most curlers know that the club is more than just a building with a few sheets of ice, a bar, a kitchen and a club room. It’s the place where wedding receptions and

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-3990228564962906912009-10-09T18:20:00.001-04:002009-10-09T18:20:56.134-04:00

Coming to St. George’s Golf and Country Club in west Toronto the first week of November, The Dominion is the first-ever national championship for club curlers – yes, regular league curlers, not the teams that make it through zones and regionals to the provincials and beyond.  Eligibility rules allow each team to include one player with recent national or Grand Slam experience, but the intent is

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-58573546740871789502009-10-01T08:33:00.006-04:002009-10-02T19:56:53.777-04:00

Today’s Globe and Mail reports that athletes at the Vancouver Olympic Games will be advised to avoid touching other athletes, especially shaking hands or giving high fives. The picture accompanying the article showed Shannon Kleibrink high-fiving one of her teammates, but even the recreational curlers (at left) know the drill.This non-contact initiative is an effort to combat the spread of flu.

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-89530331013914558852009-09-20T16:15:00.001-04:002009-09-20T16:15:07.309-04:00

The Fergus Curling Club kicks off its 175th Anniversary season on September 26 with a fun spiel at the club followed by a dinner at the Fergus Legion. Sixteen 3-person teams will be joined by an invited “rock star” – one of whom is Guy Hemmings, the club’s guest for the day and after-dinner speaker later that night. Among other initiatives the club has undertaken to celebrate this remarkable

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-23148805925258575652009-08-25T16:20:00.002-04:002009-08-25T16:23:50.114-04:00

Sometimes when I step on the ice, I feel as if I’m heaving a rock through the snow, just like the guys in this picture (taken around 1890 in Fergus, Ontario). Last season, our club team won less than half of its games. We struggled with our weight – on what is admittedly pretty inconsistent ice – our sweeping calls, even our strategy at times.  We were being beaten by teams that we should

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-6466933625097050962009-08-05T20:09:00.002-04:002009-08-13T18:57:01.423-04:00

…you’re on holiday at the cottage in Nova Scotia, visiting with your cousin next door. He’s a retired RCMP officer from Saskatchewan, and you’re catching up on local gossip and family news from the past year. Eventually, however, the conversation rolls around to – what else? – that eight-ender scored against him in a game thirty years ago.Real curlers talk curling – anywhere, anytime.

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-41506695276121785362009-07-16T09:46:00.005-04:002009-07-16T10:10:16.186-04:00

If the pilot of "Throwing Stones", broadcast last night on CBC, was supposed to reflect the experience of grassroots curlers, it hogged. Badly.First, it was silly. Enough said.Second, it's hard to believe that the supposed club champions could have such lousy deliveries and sweeping technique. (And I'm sure that hair brush burned the rock in one shot...)Third, a winning team that celebrates by

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-47643409152522591772009-07-14T15:32:00.011-04:002009-07-14T16:29:12.546-04:00

It's long overdue: a television show about people who curl. Not elite curlers, not famous curlers, not crazy male curlers (think Men With Brooms). With the huge numbers of Canadians who curl, watch curling, and attend curling events every year, it's amazing that it's taken this long.Unfortunately, the show was turned down by the CBC (send letters!) but at least curling fans get to see the pilot

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-90210435755384254482009-06-27T22:10:00.007-04:002009-06-27T22:37:20.066-04:00

The 2009-2010 curling season marks the 175th anniversary of the Fergus Curling Club - the longest continuously-operating club in Ontario.To mark the occasion, the club is producing a commemorative book that captures snapshots of its remarkable history. Including archival material, selections from club albums, newspaper clippings - some dating back to the 1800s - and photographs of more recent

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4325091600878062539.post-66717046390266012102009-06-25T11:03:00.000-04:002009-06-25T11:44:32.909-04:00

When were you introduced to curling?CFB Downsview, the sixties. Sitting, bored and cranky, behind the glass watching my parents indulge in the sport they were passionate about. Another weekend at the club, another waste of time. There was no junior curling at this club, so we kids basically babysat ourselves. We were curling orphans."I will never, ever play this stupid sport," I vowed, images of

Jean Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093633693766205852noreply@blogger.com1