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Saturday, November 19, 2022

A Day Off

Everyone needs a day off from time to time. From retirement, from only adult conversation, from household chores, laundry and grocery lists. And it doesn’t have to be planned! Better that it’s spontaneous, out of the blue, and full of fun. Today was such a day and I am glad of it. On this quick change list: painting, drawing, exercises, painting, mixing up bread dough, lunch, more painting, ABCD puzzles, drawing on each other’s arms and playing dress-up. All in all it was a whole lot more fun than my planned household chores, laundry and grocery shopping. 


“A child can always teach an adult three things: 

to be happy for no reason, 

to always be busy with something, and 

to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.”

~ Paulo Coelho

Friday, November 18, 2022

Snow Dust

Sparkle and crunch ~

scrape and fling

snow dust dances 

on the night air


Sparkle and crunch ~

scrape and fling

snow dust settles

into winter-bare trees


Sparkle and crunch ~

scrape and fling

snow dust cleared ~

’til the next fall of snow



“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be 

an unnecessary freezing of water.”

~ Carl Reiner

Thursday, November 17, 2022

There are Mornings




There are mornings

when the glow of happiness 

seems dimmed


Like bright sunlight 

shaded by thin cloud

but still burning


As the sun rises

gratitude opens the sky

to freshen the day.




“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we 

cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.”

~ Douglas Wood

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Chapter Two, Episode 110 - Just Being - Situationally Theirs

Just Being


They had had a long day. With only one day in Vancouver, the Crawfords had taken advantage of as much as possible. Skiing would be refreshing after pounding the pavement all day. But lest you think they didn’t have a wonderful day, let me update you on all their stops. After a leisurely coffee and croissants in the restaurant dining room, they ventured out into Vancouver. “So, my darling wife. Where should we go?” Jeremy, tall and handsome, looked more relaxed than Emelina had seen him in a long time. Despite the Vancouver chill of threatened rain or snow, he was ready for a long stroll. “Why Jeremy, I thought you had this all planned! This surprise winter holiday. But if you’re stuck for ideas……” Emelina teased and hesitated, but she had pored over the Vancouver Information pamphlets in their room the night before. Jeremy just hugged her and smiled back at her teasing. “I saw you looking over the pamphlets last night. Your face gave you away every time you saw something interesting. So what’s it to be? Anything you want we’ll do.”


“I don’t know if we can do it in just one day. First I want to go to every art gallery in the city…..” When she saw the twitch in Jeremy’s jaw……. “but I know that’s impossible so I just picked one..the Vancouver Art Gallery. One of their exhibits is Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment. Then, and I really don’t know which one should be first, to Granville Island ~ there are smaller art galleries there. Maybe we could do that one at lunch time - they have wonderful food there. Lots of small artisan shops to look through as well. Then just a nice restaurant for supper. So not that much.” Jeremy’s slow smile broadened as he saw his wife’s excitement. “I guess we’ll sleep well tonight, Em. We’d best get going. What time does the museum open?” So long away at work all the time he seldom had opportunity to give her what he had wanted. 


“Hmm”. Emelina referred to the notes she had taken the night before. “10am.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s 9:30 now, by the time we get there - I think it’s about six blocks from here.” Often troubled by how much time they spent apart because of his odd hours at the hospital, she knew how much this trip meant for both of them. She really did get quite lonely sometimes. 


~~~~~


For the next eight hours, they lost themselves in the artworks at the Gallery and then through all the shops, workshops, and restaurants at Granville Island. They both wandered the gallery with great interest. Then, they left their adult selves behind and dove into just being together. A workshop where brooms were hand made, another where leather clothing was made, pottery, art galleries and food……..oh the food. They wanted to sample everything but also wanted to sit down and eat lunch. Emelina did talk Jeremy into getting a cotton candy to share. A slushy rain/snow had begun while they were inside at the big food market. Eating some of it inside, Emelina held the cotton candy while he held their umbrella as they walked to the next artisan’s shop. Both  had sore feet and were ready to get back to their hotel, but bravely kept on til they had seen every bit of Granville Island. 


They had laughed and been curious, been in awe of the creativity of so many others, been amazed at the deliciousness of the foods they had eaten, and been warmed by being together. Anything else was in their other world that seemed to have been a yesterday far away. But in the moment, the beauty of it all had been tempered when Emelina said “I just have to sit down, Jeremy. I’m exhausted!” Emelina’s sore feet had finally bested her. “Is it time to get back to the hotel? It’s only 5, Em. Are you sure?” Hesitating for only a second, he joined with her. “I think I agree with you. If we’ve missed anything, it will have to stay missed. I’m done.”  The thought of walking all the way back to the hotel was too much for either of them so a taxi was summoned. All either of them could think of was staying warm and cosy in their bed, a down filled duvet and soft pillows making everything all right. The perfect ending to a perfect day. 


“The day you stop racing is the day you win the race.”

~ Bob Marley


Authors note:

Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment

June 11, 2022 to January 8, 2023

Vancouver Art Gallery

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Silent Frost

Comfort in the silence of frost 

until my cheeks burned 

with winter’s cold


Memories of a day 

when my skin burned 

with summer’s heat


Silent frost will sparkle and dance

melting with warming sun to 

disappearing wherever it lands


Memories sparkle and dance

melting with the warmth of time

disappearing into the frost of age


Comfort in the silence of frost 

where smiles and sorrows blend 

with winter’s wisdom.


“Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.”

~ Plutarch

Monday, November 14, 2022

Blur

 








Too many words

  wrap wisdom

in a blur of noise





“Words are like eyeglasses they blur 

everything that they do not make clear.”

~ Joseph Joubert

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Movie Review: Ticket to Paradise directed by Ol Parker

Ticket to Paradise, a romantic comedy, was just plain fun! George Clooney (David Cotton) and Julia Roberts (Georgia), a long divorced couple and parents of Lily Cotton were forced into an untenable situation. Untenable because they did not like each other. Two childish adults, they constantly sniped at each other. Together they had to behave themselves at their daughter’s graduation from law school. Their daughter Lily (played by Kaitlyn Dever) was prepared for them to destroy her special day, but seated them together anyway in the auditorium. She was backed up by Wren (played by Billie Lourd) who really was just glad to be finished with law school so she could have some fun. 


But that wasn’t all. Lily and Wren were off to Bali for a well deserved vacation. Her parents thought they were done with each other and went back to their busy business lives. At last!!!


Then the email came. Lily had fallen in love with a handsome and charming islander (Gede played by Lucas Bravo), he with her and everyone’s life changed. Marriage!! Clooney and Roberts were thrown together again. On the airplane to Bali and again at the upcoming nuptials. Did I mention Gede had a very large family on this idyllic island? His father, a seaweed farmer, was from generations of seaweed farmers. 


A traditional Bali wedding, ‘lost' wedding rings, language barriers, Georgia’s handsome airline pilot boyfriend (many years younger than her), a snake bite on a cursed island and swimming with dolphins….. Everyone did live happily ever after but not until all that and more was sorted out. 


“It turns out, a parent will do everything for their kid 

except let them be exactly who they are,”

~ Georgia (Julia Roberts),  Ticket to Paradise


Directed by: Ol Parker


Writing Credits: Ol Parker (written by) & 

                           Daniel Pipski (written by


Partial Cast:

George Clooney - David Cotton

Julia Roberts - Georgia Cotton

Lucas Bravo - Paul

Kaitlyn Dever - Lily Cotton

Billie Lourd - Wren Butler

Maxime Bouttier - Gede