The Next Day

On the next leg of my little vacation, my sons drove me to Moose Jaw from Regina, Saskatchewan. Driving with my sons and grand dogs is always a treat. Driving the prairies only makes it more wonderful. They did me a great kindness!

I’ve heard many comments over the years about the prairies. Flat. Boring. You can see your dog running away for miles. And so many other comments. Yes there are places where the landscape is boring and uninteresting, but to me the sky is always grand. Farther down the highway, the landscape is ruffled by trees that surround distant farm yards. These short tree lines break the force of the steady winds and the unending flatness of the prairie. At this time of year, fields growing green, will ripen and turn to gold. Some fields are already ready for harvest. Along the highway, bright wildflowers challenge the vastness with their colours.

In Moose Jaw, I met with my sister, Kate. We went for lunch and a lovely browse through the Yvette Moore gallery. A spur of the moment mani-pedi occupied that next couple of hours. Relaxing with tea while being ministered to at Wrapture Spa and Gifts we came away with painted toenails and fingernails. After some quiet time in the afternoon, it was supper time and the beginnings of family time. Family members are slowly gathering at the Heritage Hotel for the wedding taking place tomorrow evening. Now the evening closes, as the prairie sky grows dark and the wispy clouds disappear into the night.

“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where

 we stand as in what direction we are moving.”

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Author's note: Minor editing February 11, 2024

Fairyland Vacation

This little house stands quietly in a fairyland of rocks and pebbles, tiny cottages and a little bridge. Only little people, and one determined squirrel traverse this little piece of land. Up farther, if you follow the vining leaves toward the little pansy up in the corner there is another land. In that land is a……

Oh, I might as well tell you. It’s not another land, but a deck with a hot tub. There are white filmy curtains, and a white pergola with lights that twinkle blue and red against the velvet black sky. The night air was barely cool and the hot tub was bubbly with warm, warm water. My long time friend and I settled into the foaming water with our drinks and chatted about nursing past, present and how we think it should be for the next hour and a half. Self care and friendship are definitely two bits of kindness that make life so bubbly and warm. 

However lovely the evening, my attempt at photographing this night scene failed miserably, the photos too grainy and dark to be used for tonight. The back yard is truly a fairy land with a gold fish pond on the other side of the small yard, plants and a rock garden to complete this tropical prairie corner.

“What paradise and vacation have in common is that you 

have to pay for both, and the coin is your previous life.”

~ Joseph Brodsky, essayist and poet

Seeding

Sensitivity like a sunlit breeze

warms a morning chill 

softens harsh truths

shines a light in the darkness

eases the sting of loneliness

offers kindness, gentleness and cheer where hope has lain fallow.

“A sensitive heart is a rich source of ideas.”

~ Nikolay Karamzin

Enhancement

Service - a word that sounds

like changing the oil on a car or tuning a piano,

cleaning a vacuum cleaner or having dinner served from the left

or something with an unpleasant sexual turn of phrase…..

Kindness enhances the work of serving ~

removing the chore, the angst and any disrespectful acts ~

Defining ‘Service’ with gratitude and respect

brings heart and soul to every task.

“The most worth-while thing is to try

 to put happiness into the lives of others.”

~  Robert Baden-Powell

Author's note: Edited February 11, 2024

Three Comedians

Ethically and morally, writing about something humble, philosophical and possibly esoteric was to be tonight's blog post for this month's theme of Kindness.

Kindness, in some very distorted manner, may have been involved, but of that I'm not certain. I really never know what will come up when I have a predetermined beginning to my blog post. Today, listening to George Carlin, Louis C.K. and Trevor Noah would seem to be a far cry from such an endeavour. Each one of them has their own brand of humour. Often much too vulgar for my daily fare, however on this journey from Vancouver to Regina I became a captive audience. Not forced, but I decided to listen to their presentations with openness within the confines of the van we are travelling in as I write. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about these three.  Many of us of my generation at least know of George Carlin who began with an extremely acerbic and vulgar presentation. Like many of us he has toned down his vocabulary while maintaining his comedic performances. Louis C.K. and Trevor Noah were both new to me. I’ve often found that many comedians or humorists seem to ridicule people, places or things. Trevor Noah, a quiet voiced man, while still humorous, was not as driven and energetic as George Carlin or Louis C.K. I especially enjoyed Louis C.K., the comedian with his extremely colourful language. If I had been at home alone I would have turned off the radio, ejected the CD and in general turned up my nose at his audacity. However, I listened to him tell the truth about parenting, about our many petty ‘First World problems’ and dating after age 40. An example? If we fight with our three year old, it is not the child’s fault but our fault. The three comedians, while verbally vulgar in varying degrees, took the human condition and turned it rapidly on its ear. They each made me laugh out loud. (I was embarrassed because of the vulgarity, but kept quiet about that) Are they unethical and immoral because of the charming turns of phrases that they each use? I’m certain some would say a resounding ‘Yes!’ Some would also suggest that the use of such brittle turns of phrase is the sign of a poor vocabulary. This jury is still out on the unethical, immoral question, however each had a remarkable vocabulary that included a lot of ‘swears’, while driving home their many ethical and moralistic arguments. Laughing out loud with my son and my grandson felt very good.

“Irony is just honesty with the volume cranked up.”

~ George Saunders

Navigation

Nobility survives in the face of bureaucracy and holidays!

Bureaucracy is structured and disjointed

with unseen corners and sudden directions, 

lofty plans and wordy guidelines, 

rigid rules and regulations. 

Navigating through these rocks, shoals and rapids 

requires patience, kindness and finesse.

The other is a laid back journey by bus

starting across water, 

weaving through misty darkening city streets

toward a small family kitchen gathering 

to loosely sketch plans for the next few days journey

across mountains down the foothills toward our destination

Navigating through this much softer terrain, 

a family of three along with two well loved dogs 

will also require patience, kindness and finesse

with lots of fun along the way - but no pressure.

“One finds nobility in the oddest places.”

~ Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince