The wet snow is falling and accumulating fast on the ground.  Max is curled at the front door on his Bambi blanket, wasted after a good workout.  I stomped and he shook as we stepped inside our warm home; a day of rest and nesting awaiting!  One or two birds eat at the feeder.  The porridge, sprinkled with raisins, is cooking on the stove top.  And I am filled with a giddy recollection of last evening, spent with two good friends.

We met at the Hyatt, where I finally heard jazz musician,  Simon Fisk and keyboardist, Sheldon Zandboer.  What an opportunity.

Over a glass of wine, Wendy, Lauraine and I enjoyed lively conversation and then headed out to view the MOCA  Día de los Muertos altars.  It just happened to be that my artist-friend, Katherine Lakeman, had built an altar to the memory of her father, a military man who had passed away 17 years ago.  It was so good to talk to Katherine as we hadn’t seen one another in years.  Artist and writer, John Clinock, of Vancouver, does an exceptional job of covering some of the tradition of these festivities and the visual art on his current blog post here.

Papier mache sponsored by….

Kath snuggles up with the big guy.

Wendy and Kath share some laughs.

Kat Lakeman and Angel

Angel gave us the back story and tradition of Latino communities regarding these altars to honour the dead over All Saints and All Souls days.

Wendy gets close up with Evan Penny’s Janet.

From MOCA, we walked down to the Art Gallery of Calgary for Canada’s Portrait Competition, a perusal of the artRISE contributions by local artists and an entertaining visit with several people I hadn’t seen in a very long time.  It was particularly great to visit with Steve Gin, Billy McCarroll who will be enjoying an opening at Jarvis Hall Fine Art Gallery today, along with his friend, Ed Edwards.  It was a full evening and I have to say that the treasure in it all was spending time with good friends…lots of laughter.