Another Leaf ~ PROGRESS 2 ~ Theme for June 2024

Purpose is only to…..

Reason seldom has…..

Outlandish ideas…..

Grace, quiet and…..

Resilience comes…..

Experience changes…..

Standing as tall as……

Sheltered ……

“Progress is not accomplished in one stage.”

~ Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Putting on a Show

Clouds dark and threatening

delicious clean smell of rain

mere sprinkles dotted the sidewalk, wind had no idea which way to go!

then it was quiet………..

but not for long!

inside, I could see the trees 

waving like limp rags

rain spattered onto the balcony

thunder grumbled unconvincingly

sheet lightning concurred.

Is the show closing?

“.…what thunder there was, now grumbled over more distant hills,

like a man saying ‘And another thing’...twenty minutes 

after admitting he’s lost the argument.”

~ Douglas Adams

On an Afternoon Walk ~ Luck

Too far from home to dash in and get an umbrella, I watched the storm clouds gather. I knew the forecast was for rain for the afternoon when I would be out and about. Did I pay attention? Would it have done any good? The wind was one of those umbrella destroying ones. But I did manage to avoid getting soaked. Luck, definitely not good sense. I got my errands done and after I had stopped for coffee and a read, the sun was out and the sky seemed to be clearing. The real rain, complete with thunder, lightning and hail, didn’t start until I was safely home and dry. As I said, it was luck, definitely not good sense.

“However small the chance might be of 

striking lucky, the chance was there.”

~ Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Unfocussed but Alive

 

The tiny blue space waves to me

but sitting in the shadows, 

the breeze caresses my skin, 

filtered sun is warm through caragana branches.

A slide into the waters of life tempts me ~ to float and to swim 

but fear of drowning

in that beautiful spot of blue

holds me fast and keeps me safe

surrounded by beautiful distractions.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

On an Afternoon Walk - Through the Park

Buttercups scattered daintily at waters edge, lilacs bursting with elegance along the path, cyclists and walkers, some with their dogs big or small, while sun warmed benches welcome a casual sit down to watch 

   ducks in flight

      pelicans landing gracefully

Through the park, a light breeze dances and cools the air just enough.

 

“At some point in life, 

the world’s beauty becomes enough.”

~ Toni Morrison

On an Afternoon Walk ~ Bright Blooms

Bright blooms ~ decoration

for a sombre setting,

brought a smile to my face.

“The nature of a Flower is to bloom.”

~ Alice Walker

Movie Review: Fable Deaf ~ Written and produced by Deaf Crows Collective

I was invited to attend the showing of the short film, Fable Deaf, on May 21, 2024. It was held in a banquet room at the Crave Restaurant on Victoria Avenue. The room was crowded with a mix of deaf and hearing Regina residents. The film was silent, with subtitles and full of action and energy. It was a juxtaposition of past knowledge and present trials. An old library of built only of windows and loose boards was cared for by elderly Hugo (Allard Thomas) who would have been content to read his history books and have a cup of tea. Devi (Fatima Nafisa), a young and happy girl, was trying in vain to repair the window frames of the old library that really was falling apart. To Do Lists were posted everywhere, none of the items checked off. Jaul (Mustafa Alabssi), a curious and then angry young man tried to make Hugo understand his concerns but they fought. In a beautiful bout of magical realism, their anger erupted in a violent storm that almost swept them all away and destroyed the library. Jasper (Oscar Grodeki), a child, was seen at the beginning and throughout the film - a young boy alone and seemingly forgotten. In the end, the generations came together and agreed to work together.

This entire evening was in ASL (American Sign Language) with an expert interpreter for those of us who did not understand or communicate in ASL. Following the film and a brief Q & A, we were treated to an explanation of how the film was made as well as a synopsis of its meaning. The ‘library’ was built at Thom Collegiate. The storm scene was shot in a local back yard in a swimming pool! 

It was an excellent production. If you would like to contact the Deaf Crows to see a trailer of this film, or just to ask questions their website is deafcrowscollective.ca

“I am fourth-generation deaf, which means everyone 

in my immediate family is deaf. So I grew up always having

 100 percent accessibility to language and communication, 

which was wonderful and something so many deaf people don’t have.”

~ Shoshannah Stern, actress

Written and produced by Deaf Crows Collective

Directed by Chrystene Ells

Starring

Mustafa Alabssi as Jaul

Oscar Grodecki as Jasper

Fatima Nafisa as Devi

Allard Thomas as Hugo

Shot on location the John Hopkins Regina Stage, Regina, Sk