Art is everywhere

Yesterday morning my friends and I went to Tonala and took a tour that let us meet artisans at work -- at a papier mache factory, in a glass-blowing foundry, and in the one-man studio of a very special potter, Salvador Vazquez. He carries on a technique developed over several generations of his family.

Today, we strolled around the square in 'our' little town. People from the village ran a little arts fair. There was a range of crafts (embroidery, pottery and jewellery) as well as samples of food and drink and glass beads and baskets. One of the gringas offered an interesting item that worked like an optical illusion. A spiralled piece of metal with a large marble skewered onto it. She called it a 'contemplato' -- maybe that's not the real name for it, but considering its slightly hypnotic aspect, it made sense.

Galleries seem to be everywhere. It's as if art is in the air.

A day for amazement

My friends and I have been wandering through markets and galleries and hearing music and generally being bombarded by culture.


But most amazing of all was the gallery we visited this afternoon, filled with the works of Sergio Bustamante.

It was as if a wind blew into my brain and rearranged the apparatus that shows me how to see the world. Definitely memorable.

International Females, Celebrate!

Where yesterday was International Women's Day, it seems a bit bizarre for today to celebrate the birthday of Barbie. Yes, that Barbie. The doll.

She's turning 50, but gosh, those tits of hers look perky as ever.

And here I thought this was supposed to be the age of reality. Or is it really just the age of the reality show?

C'mon, Mattel. I saw that picture you posted of Barbie sporting that head of shiny white hair. But hey, now that she's turning 50, how's about lowering the bar (or is it just the bra?) on that chest of hers? I understand she's getting tattooed soon to prove just how cool she still is. I wonder, will Ken's name be among the artwork she gets?

BTW, this link to International Women's Day may appear to be a bit unfriendly, but really there's a whole lot of great information. And despite appearances to the contrary, sign-in does not seem to be required. Worth a look.

And yes, I acknowledge the importance of today's birthday girl. Just think of how many girls first 'tried out sex' by smooshing their Barbie and Ken dolls up against each other.

Anyway, cheers to you, Barbie. You're holding up well, though I'll still never understand how you can bear to keep standing on those itty-bitty tippy-toes all these many years. Ouch, but happy birthday to you. And many more.

Punktuation Rules!

Okay, so I'm kind of a nerd. But was yesterday ever fun - I was in a whole roomful of like-minded nerds.

The occasion was a seminar sponsored by our local branch of the Editors' Association of Canada. Led by Frances Peck, we spent the day considering (and arguing about) punctuation and mechanics. If I've already lost you, you're probably not an editor. But if you are still with me, consider some of the wonderful things Frances said.

She reminded us that punctuation marks help us navigate our way through sentences, indicating pauses and also helping us make connections. She used phrases like "maintaining syntactical interest" and employed beautiful words like "idiosyncratic" - and best of all, she offered the important-to-any-editor caution that hyphens might drive us mad, describing those small black marks as "the mosquitoes of punctuation."

Goofy-sounding to a non-editor? Probably. But did I learn a lot? You bet!

Black and whites on display

Last night saw an opening at the local Community Arts Council Gallery. They change the art displays every month and this month there's work by Tatiana Saydak and Chris Mackenzie. The show for March is an array of small sculptures in company of a room full of black and white photographs.
That's Chris Mackenzie, in front of some of his work. His photos, all taken with film - no digital work here - included images shot with infrared film.

Because I'm always uncomfortable taking photos of somebody else's photographs, I can only say I was impressed enough by his work to buy a piece. If you want to see his work, you should go to the gallery - or failing that, visit his website. Ones he's featured as 'peeks' for this show are some interesting results from long exposures at night time. Definitely worth a look.

Perception Shift

I have a thing about numbers. I like certain ones more than others. Sometimes this is based on associations with birthdays or other events. Sometimes my reasons are more superficial – when I fix on a number for the way it looks.

Thinking about numbers displayed on the clock, I’ve always loved the tidy lines of 11:11. And next best has always been its shorter cousin, 1:11.

But today, with three more Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, and the number of deaths there now jumping to 111, I’m pretty sure I’ll be thinking differently when 1:11 shows up on the face of the clock.

Instead of admiring the shape of the number, I'll be viewing it as three red soldiers standing tall. And I’ll be thinking of three men – Warrant Officer Dennis Raymond Brown, Cpl. Dany Olivier Fortin and Cpl. Kenneth Chad O’Quinn.

Writers who don't retreat

These are some of the writers who took part in a writers' retreat at Matsqui this past weekend. Only, I always have to question why these sessions go by that name. I haven't noticed these people retreating from much.

Most of the other participants aren't in the picture because they couldn't come out to the parking lot to stand beside that lovely wall. And no, that isn't because it was raining and they were afraid of getting wet. They didn't come outside because they aren't allowed. You see, Matsqui is a federal penitentiary.

So, who are these writers? They're poets and playwrights and novelists and short story writers. And why do they do this? Well, why does anyone volunteer for a cause they feel passionate about?

Freedom to Read

Most of us probably take such a notion for granted. It's a given, like the freedom to watch whatever tv show you might click to with the remote. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case.

I was part of an event that's become an annual tradition in Mission, B.C. -- a presentation of readings from books that have been 'challenged' (my, aren't we polite?).

Included on this year's roster was everything from a picture book called The Waiting Dog and Beatrix Potter's Tale of Peter Rabbit to the poetry of Joseph Brodsky and the prose of Mark Twain (Huck Finn).

This year's event featured a number of junior readers. The photo is of Allie, who's participated in this reading for three years now. Ever the professional, here she is doing one last mental read-through before she performs.

Long live the book, says I, and the freedom to read what we choose.

No more bullying

Today is Pink Shirt Day -- a day to boldly wear pink and stand up to bullying. I'm so tickled pink about this, I'm even wearing pink socks! Look at those feet, such exemplary friends. Even when moving backwards, they're always co-operative, never bullying.

The week's biggest news

I can't help but think this might have been a week for believing in astrology. It sure felt as though there were planets (or some other controlling force) at odds with each other.

Many would contend the biggest story here in Canada was the visit from Barack Obama. Yes, that was big, but it also served as a what I call a 'smokescreen story' for another, bigger story -- a story that isn't finished and that won't be going away.

The same day President Obama visited Ottawa, the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) finally came out with a report they seem to have been stalling about -- that security for the 2010 games is going to cost $900 million dollars. Hmm, where the number is that high, why don't they just round it off and call it a billion? Here in the West, the story made the front page. I'm not sure that was the case anyplace else. Considering that all Canadians will in some way or other be paying these costs, it seems sneaky for this story to have come out on a day when hoopla stole all the headlines.

In sharp contrast to the news from Vancouver, Tuesday's news saw a report from Sochi in Russia that their Winter Olympics in 2014 will come in at 15% lower than they'd predicted. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Another story connected to this week is one that happened 50 years ago, the cancellation of the Avro Arrow, a move that left thousands of workers without jobs and questions that still remain today. I wonder whether Obama even knows about that one. In fact, I wonder whether Steve Himself does.

But on we go, interesting times... indeed.

Dreaming of Queensland

Well, it looks as though I've taken another step towards my dreams of Queensland. My application for the Best Job in the World has been accepted.

From here on in, people have to go the site and cast their vote by 'rating' the video on the five-star bar. It looks as though you can only vote once, so I hope you'll make that first attempt count. They'll announce the top ten plus a 'wild card' on March 2nd.

I'm not holding my breath on this, especially because I've seen a lot of the other applications. Nearly everyone has used editing and special effects galore. My all-in-one-minute take was based on the thought: what would I be able to do at Hamilton Island in an ongoing blog? I knew I wouldn't be able to pull off a lot of fancy stuff, so figured go for the plain-and-simple and play on my strengths (writing and blogging).

Okay, if you want to see it (and hopefully, cast a vote for me) here's the link that should take you directly to my little vid.

And hey, if you feel like sharing this with others, I'd appreciate all the help I can get!

A photo I forgot to take

So instead, you'll have to imagine it.

Five middle-aged people, a mix of men and women, gathered at a table in a coffee shop. Two of them are seated, the other three huddle around. All of them focus on an assortment of prescription-medicine containers containing pills. By turns, unprescribed, each of them takes a bottle, opens it, holds the container near their nose and inhales deeply, sniffing it.

And no, they're not crazy. They're trying to learn what vitamins their bodies might be lacking.

If that sounds like a strange way to find out what vitamins they need, well, if you'd asked me yesterday, I might have agreed. Only now that I've heard a presentation (and done the smell test myself), I can't really dispute it.

The presentation, by poet Diane Dawber, was part of a reading she did for our local Arts Council's literary series. She also read poems from her first book, Cankerville (Borealis) and from the forthcoming Driving, Braking and Getting Out to Walk: Landscape as the Poet's Future (Hidden Brook Press, 2009).

It's hard to believe that this vibrantly energetic woman was pretty well bedridden for close to a decade. But that vibrancy also makes it very hard not to carefully consider some of the methods she's used to recover -- not only from FM, but from a number of food allergies and chemical sensitivities. Anyway, I hope you 'got the picture'. Next time, I'll try to do better about not missing such a great shot.

Here's a snap of Diane, who's a bit of a blur. It's difficult to catch her still long enough to get a flashless pic. She's just starting her reading at the always-welcoming Pelican Rouge Coffee House.

Oops!

I missed my blogiversary! Out on the big limb first came to life on February 16, 2006 with a funny little post called Tomorrow is finally here. There've been quite a few entries since then, and I send big thanks to all of my followers (even those who aren't signed on as such) and especially to those who leave comments. Here's hoping that the 'big limb' remains strong enough to hold me and my sometimes-crazy opinions.

And one more valentine

Tonight was my community pool's annual water-running marathon. If you've never done water-running, you can click here for a set of simple instructions. Those directions specify that you need a flotation device. I guess I'm weird, because I never wear one, even though the water-running I do is in water that's 12 feet deep. I'm naturally buoyant, so a belt just feels like an encumbrance.
Anyway, we did a two-hour run tonight, with three staff from the pool (Theo, Alexandra and Auriel) taking turns in leading us onward.I'll admit that halfway through, I jumped out for the teensiest minute -- just so I could take a picture of a few of the people who participated in this fundraising event for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
I'm happy to say that I raised $495. Of course, I couldn't have done that without support from the many people who sponsored me with pledges. Big 'heartfelt' thanks to Rosemary, George, Lisa, Janny, Ruth, Barbara, Jeremy, Brenna, Gord, Lew, and Mary!

A Valentine's Day Treat

When I went to the library this afternoon, I wandered into the kids' section. Lucky thing, as hidden over on that side of the room was a display cabinet full of the most perfect bits of needlework.
Looking more closely, I saw that these were all done by a woman I used to work with. What a treat, Hiltrud, to run into these beautiful examples of your art. Even though it wasn't intentional, these felt like a very special Valentine's gift. And way less fattening than chocolate. Thank you!

Typo?

This just in from The Vancouver Sun:

WHISTLER - If every Olympic torch is supposed to say something about the country in which its Games are being held, then the torch for the Vancouver 2010
Games says cold, bright, expansive and snowy.

Shouldn't that third-last word be 'expensive'?

Letter from my mother

Well, not exactly. It's more like a fragment of something written by my mother, Carole -- a page I found after her death, when we were sorting things in boxes. Her words gave me a concrete tag to write a eulogy around. This is what she wrote:

“Today is February 8th and still another new snow has fallen – barely covering the icy packed-down dirty snows of several weeks. And this new snow, however thin, has worked its usual little miracle and sort of covered things over, wiping the slate clean – giving us once more a new beginning, a new day, still another new chance to make it all a little better. So that’s the kind of day it is today and I am hopeful. Not with that wild impossible kind of hope I used to have, but hopeful all the same. My mind goes back to a day in late March in 1933.”

It's too bad that the page ended there -- and that there wasn't another one to follow it. I wonder what that March day in 1933 might have been like. The Depression would have been in full swing, and my mother would have been six. For a day to lodge so long in her mind, it must have been a pretty special memory.

Especially when one considers what her life must have been like back then. It was a time of economic hardships most of us have probably only learned about from textbooks. But Carole and her brother and sisters lived those hardships day by day.

Yet those childhood hardships shaped her, contributing to the person she became. And I believe they taught her to always appreciate whatever blessings happened her way. And to treasure whatever wonderful memorable events might occur, including whatever it was that was so special about that day in March of 1933.

At the end of the eulogy, I challenged those present to honour my mother's memory by heeding the words she'd written. I asked them to go out each day, seeking little miracles, making fresh starts, pursuing new chances -- and most of all by doing their best, as she wrote, to ‘make it all a little better.’ And that remains my challenge to anyone who might read this. Because that's the kind of day today is -- one where I too feel a sense of hope -- just the way my mother did on that other 8th of February when she jotted down her impressions of the day.



The photo, probably from around the time of that special day in March, is of my mother visiting her dad at the hospital where he was destined to spend a number of years.

Fun with poems

One of the highlights of my week was a workshop I presented to students in grades four and five. They were full of great questions and were more than willing to try the several odd assignments I gave them. Here's one student working on "I'm silly," a poem about the mood she was feeling,
I especially like her line, "Not like jumping on a chair with a whoopee cushion on it."
Whee! If only we could all be so free in expressing ourselves!

I reckon we've made it

When I drove past this field and saw the farmer out there on his tractor, turning over all that rich, black soil, I just knew it -- once again, we've made it through the winter. It's spring!

Superb Owl

Once again, today is the magical day that comes but once a year -- the day Superb Owl rises into the air, granting the wishes of boys and girls and women and men across the world. Sound familiar?

The wikipedia entry for The Great Pumpkin sees "...Linus's belief in the Great Pumpkin as symbolic of the struggles faced by anyone with beliefs or practices that are not shared by the majority." Since the keeper of this blog often falls into the same minority category as Linus, it seems appropriate for me to be a follower of Superb Owl.

But because I also truly love the music from the Charlie Brown series, I'm suggesting you click on this link to a video of Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin. If you're very good, and if you don't blink when you're at the 2:15 mark, you'll get a quick glimpse of Superb Owl, rising into the air, on his rounds to grant our wishes. Wish well!

A murder of crows?

I've always disliked that particular collective noun. But then, that might be because I like crows. For one thing, they're smart. For another, they're always so nice and shiny.

I've been trying to think of a better name for a group of them. When I see crows near a garbage bin, I think a plunder might suit them. But then, hearing a huge number of them, as in the video below (shades of The Birds), I consider the word cacophony. A cacophony of crows -- it even sounds cacophonous. But since crows aren't always loud, that might be nearly as unfair as murder. How about a riddle of crows?

I don't think they get it

And by 'it' I mean poverty or even living on the edge. By 'they' I mean Canada's Conservative Party.

I listened to Jim Flaherty's presentation of the budget. It covered a number of issues the Conservatives don't always seem to address -- employment insurance, social housing, and even plans for tax relief on home renovations. I also heard them talk about developing high-speed Internet access as an aspect of building infrastructure.

So what were some of their ideas that seemed like their heads were in the clouds?

I think they're naive in thinking that very many first-time home buyers will be helped by being allowed to withdraw $25,000 from their RRSP funds rather than the current $20,000 permitted. Heck, I'm a home-owner and I don't even have (nor never did have) as much as $20k in my RRSP. If you're poor (and I'm not any more), both of those numbers are an impossible amount.

When they talked about tax-relief on home renovations, they had to throw in the idea of building 'a deck' -- not quite the same thing as replacing a furnace that doesn't work any more. Or even better, renovating 'the cottage'. Nice, if you're one of those families who have a cottage. But I'd like to know just what percentage of Canadians that really means. I'm certainly not a part of that bunch -- and of all my many friends, I only know two who qualify.

But the thing I found most interesting was the changes on income tax for the lowest-paid earners. It sounds as if the base amounts will be raised and that basic exemptions will be increased. While I wholeheartedly support these actions, the ineffective part is the fact that these changes will go into effect retroactive only to January 1, 2009.

If they were serious about stimulating the economy now, when it really needs a push-start, they'd make these initiatives take effect January 1, 2008. This would put a bit of extra money in people's pockets almost immediately. To me at least, that's an idea that would make a lot of dollars and sense.

New beginnings

Today feels like a day of new beginnings. It's the first day of the Lunar New Year. This, the Year of the Ox carries the promise of living up to the famous Chinese curse: May you live in interesting times. Interesting too is the fact that Barack Obama's sign on the Chinese zodiac is Ox. Feels auspicious!

It's also the day our Canadian government gets back down to business, after the too-long hiatus brought about by the proroguing of Parliament.

And on the other side of the world, it's Australia Day That day not only marks the country's birthday, it's the traditional end of summmer. Once the fireworks are over and the pavlovas are eaten, it will be the start of the school year.

Prose Poem Workshop

To some, the idea of a 'prose poem' might sound oxymoronic. To those of us who attended Jen Currin's workshop today, we're feeling a lot more convinced of the genre's legitimacy.

Currin led us through a condensed history of the form and offered many fine examples of a range of these works. She also gave several excellent exercises, all of which reinforced concepts she'd helped us discuss.

Participants praised Currin's presentation, with comments on how informative the session with remarks such as 'Awesome!' -- and the one I thought summed up the day the best, 'Much learning happened here.'

As you can see from the photo, besides learning a lot, we had a great time.

Jen Currin reads in WR

Vancouver poet Jen Currin was the Community Arts Council's first reader for its 2009 series of literary readings.

Besides reading from her two books, The Sleep of Four Cities (Anvil Press) and Hagiography (Coach House), she read a number of works in progress. These pieces, called 'Chronicles' really engaged her listeners.

Currin was gracious enough to answer all the questions posed by the audience and signed many autographs, leaving this Friday night crowd very satisfied.

Saved by Obama

At the beginning of his term, Barack Obama has announced that the dreaded prison at Guantanamo will shut down. One of the ramifications of this announcement is that the military tribunal for Omar Khadr will be suspended.

A few things to consider: How many years has Omar Khadr been kept in Guantanamo? He's 22 now, and he's been there since he was 15. He remains the only citizen of a Western country still there. Australia and the U.K. got their nationals out years ago. But not not our Steve Harper.

That landscape we usually see from our beach is Washington state. Often, the fact that border's so close makes me nervous. Today, shrouded in fog, it looks much too far away.

Yet another irony

This is supposed to be the day when Hope takes over after too many years of letting ourselves be ruled by Fear. Even this rock down on the beach looks to be in agreement.

Yet today, when so many people are celebrating the cause of freedom and new beginnings, our Canadian government plans to start deporting a number of American soldiers who sought refuge in our midst. These are people who stood up for their principles, who didn't want to do battle in a war they couldn't believe in. Only this Canada of 2009 is sending them back to the U.S.

This despite the fact that Parliament dealt with a motion last June (yes, more than half a year ago) that would allow objectors and resisters to stay here.

Anyone on Facebook might be interested in seeking out the group called 'War Resister Action: Let Them Stay Week'. They've outlined a number of measures we can participate in to show our distaste for this current stance. Truly, I am embarrassed over this lapse in understanding who we are and what Canada has always stood for -- right back to the days of the Underground Railway.

A book for Obama

Today I received a notice listing Barack Obama's favourite books. It was quite a mix, and included a John Steinbeck I'd never even heard of, In Dubious Battle. Also mentioned was the poetry of Derek Walcott, but happiest of all, I think, is the fact that he's read all seven Harry Potter books.

I've got a book I think he would like. It's called 47 and it's all about the meaning of freedom. It's a first-person account of being a slave, but it moves well beyond historical fiction.

That's even the age Obama is, 47.

What were they thinking?

Yesterday’s Vancouver Sun contained a tiny report from the U.K.

“Three retired military officials” were discussing the use of nuclear weapons and, in particular, Britain’s Trident defence system. According to the report, they called the system “… ‘completely useless’ against modern threats.” They were quoted as going on to say that “…it was ‘unthinkable’ that Britain would launch nuclear weapons…” And to that, I thought, ‘Hurrah!’

Unfortunately, their statement didn’t end after the word weapons. It went on to include the rider “…without the support of the U.S.”

Really, how is it that anyone is still even considering the use of nuclear weapons – under any circumstances?

Doubt

The film, that is. Although yes, there's much that could be said about the concept of doubt itself: the ultimate underminer of self.

Although there were a few glitches (aren't there always) in this version, the portrayal of the nuns felt chillingly accurate. Just as Meryl Streep 's character (Sister Aloysius) does, too many nuns in my life seemed to do their best to make almost everything sinful, especially if it was easy or fun.

Really, they must have stayed up late, collectively working up new sins to dump on our heads, giving us more to lie awake and worry about going to hell over. I remember a few who would have loved Sister Aloysius's aversion to ballpoint pens. I'm sure they'd have backed her up by extolling the obscenity of their in-and-out action. See, they've still got me!

Hosers Down Under

Another trip to Australia keeps coming up as food for conversation. And now Tourism Queensland has created a job that sounds like exactly the way to go -- working as caretaker on Hamilton Island on the Barrier Reef. Already, there are thousands of applicants, but that won't stop us from dreaming -- or applying.

Wow, I can see it now...

Hungry for spring

It's been bugging me since the new year began -- I'm ready for spring. I can't remember ever being quite so antsy for it. Maybe it's just all that snow we had.

It probably didn't help looking through old photos from Hornby after Billy Little died. Some of them were of springtime there -- buds bursting open on trees, the ground practically tearing itself apart with all the shoots coming up.

So what have I done, but bought myself a few little $1.99 bits of wonder: a hyacinth (with triple blossom no less!), a primula in cheeriest pink, and some magical mini-irises. A little bit of spring in the house on a day that's really still winter.

Jian Jun An

Thursday evening was the Community Arts Council Gallery's opening for January's featured artist, Jian Jun An. That's him below, standing in front of his painting.

Because both of these images depict birds, you might think his paintings are all focused on nature. But in fact, the work is quite diverse in both subject and style; these just happened to be two of my favourites.

Even though there aren't any people in the painting, the piece above makes me think of Andrew Wyeth. Something about the same rolling line of the fields...

Orthodox Christmas

Today is the day when part of the world celebrates Christmas. If you read the article embedded in 'Christmas' you'll see that the Orthodox calendar has other interesting elements to it.

I like their belief that the new year begins on the first of September. That date always feels like a new start somehow. And wouldn't New Year's Eve be much more fun on the warm and still-light evening of August 31st?

So, how will I observe this second chance at Christmas? Probably by taking down the last of the decorations and putting them away for another year, even the little angel who looks as though she's being blinded by the sun.

Thankfully, the snow is finally melting, but here's a link to a poem called 'Snow' -- a cooperative effort, based on contributions from many poets (including me), compiled by Ursula Vaire and the women who run Leaf Press.

Billy Little, 1943-2009

If I'd been able to be on Hornby Island today, I would have been attending a memorial for Billy Little, a one-of-a-kind poet.

No one can deny it -- he lived an eccentric life, one guided by the Muse. He was opposed to war and other military actions and spoke against them with great conviction.

Although he published numerous chapbooks, the only book I know he left us is St. Ink: Selected Poems, published by Capilano University Editions.

Whenever I was on Hornby, I'd run into Billy somewhere -- sometimes at the bookstore, often at the recycling depot, but most usually in amongst folks gathered at the outdoor market. Sadly, like Billy, the market no longer exists, though this photo of it does.


As my friend Lesley reminded me, Billy wore wonderful hats. One of her favourites was a hat that looked like a toucan. Who else but Billy could get away with such gear!

He lived as a poet, down to the final crossed T. And I can only say good on him for outlasting all the medical system's predictions and making it to 2009.

49 Songs for Obama

Monday the CBC is starting an all-Canadian music search. They're looking for 49 songs representing those of us who live north of the 49th Parallel. The 'winners' will go into a playlist for Obama that will supposedly be presented to him on January 20th, the day he's inaugurated as President of the U.S.

I've got a few ideas for songs I think he'd like, or maybe just ones he should listen to. Some are likely obvious, others maybe not so much.

Neil Young 's "Rockin' in the Free World".

Almost anybody's version of Leonard Cohen's beautiful anthem, "Hallelujah", but preferably Lenny's own or k.d. lang's.

And you couldn't skip the Tragically Hip. Lots of candidates for songs here, but I have to nominate my fave, "Ahead by a Century".

From here on the West Coast, I nominate Wyckham Porteous for "Deep into the Water" -- a place that Obama's certainly stepping.

For fun, the compilation should include Leslie Feist singing "1234".

Think the new Mr. Prez could use a shot of humility? He could try the Barenaked Ladies' "Celebrity". Or for that matter, if he wants to offer a recipe for the economy, how about their "Shopping" song? Or even better, "If I had a million dollars".

If you want to know more -- or better yet, you want to get a vote in, here's a link to the CBC's 49 Songs site.

And if Barack is going to understand Canada better, which songs do you suggest for him?

Polar Bears in White Rock

Yesterday we strolled down the beach to watch the noonday Polar Bear Swim, an annual New Year's Day tradition. Crazy as ever, they made quite a splash!

Welcome to the MMIX, aka twenty-oh-nine

Here we've arrived at the last of the single digit add-ons to the twenty-first century and we still don't seem sure what we're calling this decade.

The 'two-oughts' seems awkward. Nobody says 'ought' anymore. The 'two-ohs' doesn't do it either -- sounds more like something from Roman times. More like CCIX than MMIX.

My vote's for calling this decade the twenty-ohs. And it won't be long (365 days) until we begin the twenty-tens.

But until it's time for wishing a happy new decade, I'll stick with plain old Happy New Year.

Word of the Year for 2008

I've been reading bits from here and there about what the Word of the Year might be.

Of those I've read about, I like staycation (a vacation that doesn't involve travel) and monumentous -- a great hybrid if ever there was one.

But my candidate -- at least for its arrival as a completely new word (I bet I'm not alone in this admission) is what happened to our Parliament: prorogue.


I'm also partial to the new significance that tossing one's shoes has taken on -- not just what you do when you walk in the door.

Happy Last Day of 2008.

Two more soldiers

...Roberge and Kruse. More names to be added to the list of Canadians killed while on duty in Afghanistan. There's a horrible double or maybe even triple irony in their deaths.

They'd noticed what appeared to be a device and called for help, so by rights, shouldn't have been killed by one.

Their deaths occurred while their comrade's body was being flown home to Canada. His corpse was on the same plane as Minister of Defence, Peter MacKay. During that long flight home, did MacKay have second thoughts about our role in Afghanistan?

And that soldier, riding in his flag-draped coffin, had one of the saddest names a fallen soldier could have, Freeman.

Happy Merry

Snowman day!

Gettin' there

Heaps still to do, but heaps gettin' done.

Good wishes to all!

What next!

Last week, it was the mega-bailout for the American-based auto industry, today it's the appointment of 18 new senators. And all of this while Parliament is in suspended animation, a bunch of pyrogies waiting to be served.

What's Steve going to do next? Invade Pakistan?

Winter Solstice

It's official. Winter began at 4:04 a.m. PST.

Looking outside, there's more than enough confirmation. And the weatherman says there's more on the way.

Please, I'm convinced already. Really.

The Little Match Girl, 21st century version

Last night a homeless woman died on the streets of Vancouver. It sounds as though she died in the shopping cart where she kept her worldly goods. The city's shelters don't accept shopping carts -- at least they don't yet. A new shelter with new rules is supposed to be opening any day. Whoever she was (and I'm sure there'll be much more on this story), she won't be around to benefit from it.

Oh, and The Little Match Girl connection? Apparently, one of the last people to see her alive was a police officer. She asked the officer for a light for her candle -- the one she was using to keep warm.

Winter on the coast

First it's a normal December day...

and then it's not.

Yep, this is how winter arrives on the West Coast.

Where's Australia?

Now that I've had a chance to look through the Golden Globe nominees, I have to say I'm disappointed.

I can't help but think some of this has to do with the way the film appears to have been marketed -- as a romance, full stop.

But hey, Australia is a whole lot more than that. It's history and scenery and excitement and tension -- ingredients we don't usually get in a single film anymore. Its thematic fabric is even richer. Racial discrimination, overcoming enormous odds, respect for cultural traditions, the importance of following moral principle -- oh yes, the power of love is in there too, but it's certainly not the only element.

Yes, it's a romance, but then so was African Queen, only I don't think that film was pigeon-holed like this one is. Thankfully too, Australia doesn't go over the top with ridiculous sex scenes (the way that other film with Nicole Kidman, Cold Mountain, did).

My vote says there ought to at least be recognition for David Wenham's supporting role as Neil Fletcher. And I wouldn't mind something for Brandon Walters (Nullah) either.

An easy border crossing

For once. And am I ever grateful, as the only purpose of my trip was sending off my mother's Christmas cards.

Only a few cars lined up on either side. Heaps of construction mess though. I'm just not sure whether the fuss relates to Vancouver's Olympics in 2010 or if it's more about homeland security issues.

Whatever, I made it through easily. Exhale.

PS Don't you ever wonder about that 'common mother' bit? Just how common was she?

"Imagine..."

If John Lennon had lived longer, do you suppose more of the words of his song would have come true?

No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

The world could sure use him -- and more dreamers of his ilk. And now that I think of it, that December 8th in 1980 was a Monday night too.

December 7 also has some history

And not just as the anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor.

Today is the day my dad was born. If he were still alive, he'd be turning 90.
 
In this photo, he is probably in his mid-20s.

We're having a nice dinner party for him anyway. Too bad he won't be able to join us.

Although who knows, maybe he will.

December 6 in history

This morning's Globe and Mail contained this tidbit in its capsule report of news from 25 years ago today. It reported that the Ontario government had taken "...what Labour Minister Russell Ramsay called a step toward equality for working women." The piece went on to cite the fact that at that time, women "...made 63 per cent of what men make" and that the plan would examine whether "...women were being paid equally for doing similar jobs to men."

Not so long ago -- just last month in fact -- Steve Harper hinted that it might be time to re-examine the issue of pay equity for women. This was part of the package which threatened government workers' right to strike and which helped lead to the proposed coalition rescue.

Where this is also the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, the day we honour the victims murdered in the massacre at L'Ecole Polytechnique, it all seems to make the day's significance resonate way too much.

An even sadder milestone

Today marks the day the 100th Canadian soldier has died in Afghanistan. If you're able to read the linked article, take a careful look at the grim statistics.

Of 2500 soldiers currently there, this toll of 100 represents one in 25 soldiers assigned there. Although we've sent more than 2500 in total over the past years, the number still strikes a chill. Only the Netherlands and Denmark show comparable numbers.

The painting I've posted bears no identification, but maybe that's appropriate -- as a kind of unknown soldier's portrayal of the tragedy that is war.

Saved from the worst day ever

At least this morning's news made it feel like the worst day -- when Governor General Michaelle Jean apparently caved in to Steve Harper and put a pause on the actions of Parliament.

I'll admit to admiring the technical term for it, prorogue, as it does seem to describe exactly what Ms. Jean did -- acted on behalf of the biggest rogue in town, Steve.

Stephen Hume's column in this morning's Vancouver Sun was all about leadership. He cited a Welsh proverb. "He who would lead, let him be a bridge." Too bad Steve doesn't seem to believe in bridges.

But I was saved from wallowing in sadness, as George asked me to join him for a walk-along on the golf course. Always a great way to kick off the cobwebs, spot some bridges, and breathe!

Russ Hiebert -- could he be Canada's Worst MP?

Yesterday, I was one of many who signed the petition in support of the proposed coalition government to replace the now-all-too-apparent agenda of Canada's Conservative Party.

The website suggested phoning the office of my local MP and letting him know my views.

When I called Russ Hiebert's office, I was greeted with a message informing me that office staff were on another call, and would I please leave a message.

Without mentioning the purpose of my call, I left my name and number, mentioned when I expected to be in -- and for good measure, left my number and name again.

No one from Hiebert's office has yet found the time to return my phone call -- and what is this now, 36 hours later?

Asleep at the switch? Or is he just too busy mustering more blasts against the left, the Quebecois and pretty well anyone who isn't in Harper's right-wing camp, wanting to trim back rights to gender equality and more?

Time for making cards

What a productive weekend! Brenna and I got a great start on our annual ritual -- the making of the Christmas cards. This all started a few years ago when Brenna heard about a stamping class at a local crafts shop. Little did we know what fun that workshop would lead to!