Kerilie McDowall Broadcasting, Writing & Music Service

06/13/2026

I am sad to report that local CHLY 101.7 FM local radio celebrity 𝗧𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟮, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟭 𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗛𝗟𝗬 𝟭𝟬𝟭.𝟳 𝗙𝗠 from his long-time radio program of 17 years, What's Next, the week following his 95th birthday. Tom will be celebrating his second last CHLY radio show with his 95th birthday show this Monday June 15, 2026. The show will be hosted by CHLY's Arbie Fru.

To make his last radio program special on the 22nd, Tom Roden has invited another local celebrity to join him on the final show on June 22nd.

Quadwrangle Music's Producer 𝗟𝘂𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮, 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱, will join Tom for a LIVE interview with a surprise multi-award-winning guest! Luigi - also known as Luis Porretta, is celebrated locally in for his jazz production work, kindness and support towards local, national, and international musicians, and for his popular music concerts he produces at venues such as Simonholt Restaurant. He is also an exceptional antiques, restoration, and appraisals expert. You can listen to the interview show featuring Porretta here at chly (dot) ca/ listen or on your radio dial at 101.7 FM in Nanaimo on June 22 at 11 am.

There is a special story behind the stats of his last CHLY 101.7 FM What's Next radio program. On further exploration of the numerics behind his last show, Tom informed me his last show is his 𝟴𝟴𝟴th show. I looked up the number's meaning and then informed Tom it was a very special number. Tom had chosen intuitively a very special number. Read on to learn more.

It turns out in Chinese numerology, the number 8 means a new beginning, and is also a very, very lucky number with much positive energy. The number 8 is associated with wealth, prosperity, success and status. Here is the Google AI overview,

"The number 8 is considered the absolute luckiest number in Chinese culture because its pronunciation, "ba," sounds similar to "fa" (发), which means to prosper, flourish, or generate wealth.

The profound significance of the number 8 influences many aspects of daily life, business, and tradition in China.

Financial & Business Success: Because it represents prosperity, individuals and corporations are willing to pay massive premiums for addresses, license plates, bank accounts, and phone numbers containing the digit 8.

Major Events: The cultural obsession with the number is so deep that the Chinese government scheduled the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games to begin exactly at 8:08 PM on the 8th of August (8/8/08) to harness its positive energy."

Due to the eight trigrams and their relation to the very basic foundation of life, eight is considered to be the foundation of everything.

"Tom said when told about the significance of the number 888 and his retirement date said, "It was just the luck of the Irish." :)

https://www.italki.com/en/article/1fYiw9puS9ynvuSiMOCrng/why-is-8-lucky-in-chinese-8-in-chinese-character

05/27/2026

I was just interviewed by ROAR's Kimberly Stevens who l just adored! She has become such a favourite and she is absolutely wonderful! I broke down and talked about what's real to me at the end of the interview. By the way my short mini-documentary jazz film is called In the Zone: Rick Kilburn, with all the questions and chat, l had actually forgotten to mention the title! Some fabulous people mentioned here, too, including two incredible past mentors: Kathleen Darby and Todd Jones! https://youtu.be/JX3ZJ8rrs-g?si=X3rFrHZMGLTvgAW8

05/09/2026

The In the Zen newsletter is now on Substack!

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My first Substack article explains how to write for documentary film and the how-to for overcoming occasional writer's block! It was originally a 2021 article that I have just revised.

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Warmest,

Kerilie McDowall

Writer's Rescue

02/08/2026

A gift for you! Grandma Taylor's chicken soup, a family recipe for you to keep you cozy!

Here it is for a 16 litre pot:

1 whole organic chicken or halal to be safe

about 12 normal size organic carrots - grated or chopped small

2-3 large farm fresh parsnips - grated or chopped small

1 very large organic onion maybe add another 1/2 if you like onion, all chopped small

1/4 -1/2 cup chopped fine organic parsley

6-9 stocks of organic celery, chopped small

3-4 organic green onions to add as garnish with chopped parsley (fresh) to the soup later.

Cook boil and simmer chicken only in the pot full of water, for 5 to 6 hours for flavour, it's ok to add some salt and pepper.

Leave space in pot to add the veggies later with, fill water to about 3-4 inches of water from the top of the pot.

If you like chicken a lot, add 2 to 3 more boneless chicken breasts chopped up. Or add it whole and chop later.

After 5-6 hours, take chicken and all bones out with a spoon strainer.

Remove the chicken from the bones and chop it a little, chop the chicken breasts.

Put all of the chicken pieces back into the broth in the pot and throw the bones into compost.

Add all the chopped veggies to the pot with the parsley.

Add a bag of (organic if possible) pearl barley to the soup if you like barley to cook with the veggies, OR like my grandma did, boil up 1.5 cups of dry egg noodles in salt and water with a little oil to add to the soup once it is ready. (Strain noodles once ready.)

Cook the veggies with the broth for at least an hour and if barley is in there, test and taste to make sure it is ready, cook longer if needed. Spoon the soup into a bowl, add fresh chopped green onion, and parsley. Add the noodles if using them instead of barley. Place leftovers into shallow containers to cool for storage in the fridge and freezer. You will be all stocked up!

01/16/2026

Here is the Canadian Jazz top 40, with my picks for 2025. With thanks to All About Jazz!

Super Nova In The Great White North: Explosive Jazz 2025 article by Kerilie McDowall, published on January 14, 2026 at All About Jazz. Find more Year in Review articles

12/18/2025

Xmas deals up to 40% off.

08/15/2025

As the world struggles with the growing challenge of wildfires, the summer season has become synonymous with heightened fire risks. These events not only pose a direct threat to human lives, wildlife, and our homes but also have far-reaching consequences for air quality and respiratory health.

08/15/2025

flow 5 Ways to Detoxify After Wildfire Smoke Inhalation Jan. 16, 2025Wellness, Infrared, Technologies By: Sajel Mistry Image credit: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times Wildfires have become an increasingly common occurrence, impacting not just our environment but also our health. Wildfire smoke inhal...

08/15/2025

We look at a time-honoured herb that can help to soothe airways and offer healing effects to respiratory tissue – mullein! Made in Canada.