A beautiful little mid-day hike at Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area nicely preceded yet another afternoon rainstorm. Thank you, Val, Oliver and Cathy. It was a beautiful exploration of fescue, aspens, wild flowers, powerful skies, butterflies and conversation.
We started off with a little visit inside of the tipi.
Photo Credit: Kath and Oliver taken by Val Vine
Off to the open spaces…heading for Mountain views through the natural grasses. The wild Lupines were electric blue.
Photo Credit: Close Ups of Lupines by Cathy Szata
Then through the Aspen Grove we went. Butterflies and more wild flowers and Oliver hiding in the tall grass.
Photo Credit for the next three images: Cathy Szata I really do appreciate getting into the photographs somehow, Cath. Thank you.
A blessing that has come to me during these strange times is a weekly check-in with my siblings and Dad on Sunday, after I attend my ‘virtual’ Mass with Bishop McGratton. 10:00 am Comox Time, 11:00 Calgary Time, 1:00 Ottawa Time. These conversations are always so pleasant and I feel so grateful. While these are not ‘real time’ connections, they are more than we’ve chosen to do over the past many years, through our years of separation from one another.
I love my family. I miss them terribly. But, we are making the best of things. I hope that my readers will make sure to connect with family as much as is possible through these strange times. Happy Sunday!
My 65th birthday began as most days do, with time well-spent at the edge of the Bow River. The vast numbers of Midges at the river meant that Swallows were feeding in droves of thousands, skimming the water over and over again. The Bald Eagle adults were feeding new youngsters on the nest and this always creates lots of magic at the river. While the day was turning out to be grey and a little chilly, I still felt that I was able to breath, relax and do a little reflecting about what my life is all about, what I value and what is important to me.
In the afternoon, on the advice of my middle daughter, I watched a couple of episodes of the The Great Canadian Baking Show. I laugh as I think about this because the last thing I am is a baker. It was relaxing and mindless television and that was okay.
Colourful gifts were appearing on my dining table. Thank you, Kathy and Val!
I walked Max…
I captured a quick photograph of our new vent resident…
…before heading over to my daughter’s for a Dragon Pearl take out dinner. The Dragon Pearl brings up so many memories for our family. It’s been our favourite family restaurant since the children were in high chairs. I miss and love all of the people who cook and serve at this beautiful little spot in Inglewood.
While any food in a take-out situation doesn’t taste exactly the same as if you are eating it in the restaurant, it was a generous and loving thing to sit down with one of three children and to eat such delicious food. After all, my grandson was sitting at the end of the table, entertaining me with his enthusiasm about the cupcakes that were hiding over in the red pan. I opened his card and he vibrated with excitement and loving smiles.
A little over halfway through the meal, he started pointing and saying, “Auntie Cayley” over and over again. My son-in-law’s eyes started shifting side to side. He was just acting weird. So, finally, I looked over my shoulder to the front yard and saw Pigeon on the yard, pressing mounted balloons into the gardens. I saw her partner, Shawn, waving and signalling. I went to the door and was excited enough about the balloons and the company when all of a sudden cars began to file past, covered in hand made banners and decorations. The participants bonked their horns enthusiastically!
Oh my gosh! It was a stream of my friends in cars! Let me tell my readers something.
On the television feel-good news stories and on social media, we’ve all seen friends and families and teachers creating parades for friends, family members and students. It looks like a lot of fun. It also warms your heart when you see it. But, to have it happen in your own life is beyond exciting. I broke out into an immediate ugly cry, sobbing uncontrollably. I felt such overwhelming love pour into my life. It would have been perfect had my son been able to be there to enjoy it, but truthfully, it was an experience I will never forget!
We celebrated with yummy cupcakes, a sip of wine, lawn chairs and more birthday greetings, reminiscing and physical distance. I loved this experience…a combined effort of love and celebration. Thank you, friends and dear family! If you wish to really make someone’s heart swell and to fill them with an affirmation of love, try throwing them a parade. These are pandemic times, so throw pandemic parades!
Another way to communicate with your loved ones through these crazy times is through Messenger. I used to call this Face Time, but then what do I know? To enjoy a messenger visit, I have to log on to Facebook.
Go to the messages icon at the top.
In the top white band, you will see the New Group option. Click on that.
You will see a list of friends and to the right of each of their names, a circle. Click on the name of each person you want to join a particular chat.
Click the word, Create, that appears in the bottom right. You have formed your group.
When you wish to chat and see this group, instead of clicking on the telephone icon on the top right, click on the wee movie projector. A large screen will pop up and people will join as they answer their calls.
Sometimes it’s nice to establish, as much as you can, a time that works for all when using any of these methods. As well as time and day, some within your circle may have to use these technologies throughout their work week, from home, and it may be too much to expect them to use the same technologies in their down time. Be very amiable to some people opting out when you make the invitation. It can be really exhausting to always be connecting through technology. We yearn for real connection, but sometimes we just do the best we can.
I use Messenger as a way of connecting with my siblings and my father on Sunday afternoons. It has become a short, sweet gathering that I truly enjoy. We haven’t been the greatest as staying in touch with one another over the years, so this is something very new and I really really love it. Here are a couple of screen shots from messenger gatherings. We live in Comox, Calgary and Ottawa.
I’ve also used this method for one-on-one chats with my high school friend, Ramona, who lives in Michigan. With her, I can talk about worries, fears, good books and landscapes…we shared a few sunrises since beginning this connection.
My cousin Margy can always make me laugh. She can update me about family in southern Alberta. We can truly relax with one another.
I spend a lot of time alone these days…by making these connections on various systems, I am able to remain close, while far away. I love you all!
A friend shared a thought last week about writing down some of the events and experiences of living through these times, in the case that her grand children ever wonder about the historical realities of living through a pandemic. Clearly, it was my experience to suspend writing because I felt some sort of oppressive push against everything that is ‘normal’ or natural in my life and so my writing ground to a halt. Well, this morning, I am inspired by Mary to archive some of the ways we are remaining connected through this event.
Each one of us is experiencing a birthday or other important anniversary through this pandemic. For some of us, that means a Zoom meet up…here is one, held for my friend Bee, just last week. Each of us brought a candle and we sang happy birthday together and as his daughter Christina led us through questions, we shared memories of Bill.
Zoom has provided for some wonderful fun through these strange events. For those of us privileged enough to have a phone or a desktop computer or a laptop, this experience has helped us to sustain connections. I add this caveat because I didn’t always have the means to own a VCR or a microwave and I’m pretty sure it took me a long time after it was the norm, to purchase my first desktop computer. It is important through a pandemic to realize that our neighbours are not all able to access the same resources. This is one of the struggles during an epidemic.
Easter Dinner was actually my very first Zoom experience. Grateful to my daughter for always taking the initiative to get us doing something different. She made the invite.
Another family gathering happened. Those who could, showed up and I loved every minute. And yes, even pets show up now and again. Hi, Nellie!
On the anniversary of my brother’s passing, family members from across the country, connected so that we could feel closer. It was a difficult time. To this point, I have not ever initiated a Zoom conference, but I’ve been blessed to be invited to these events.
We raised our glasses!
My father is living in a senior’s community and his social director organized for a trivia contest where Zoom family members would appear on large screen in their gathering area. It was a funny hat event and so my siblings and I showed up for that, of course! Given that Dad’s population is under restrictions, it is a blessing that Stirling Park has kept a social program going, alive and well. I believe that we all need connection at this time. The next few posts will also be about different ways that you might connect with people you love.
If I was to archive each and every day, down to bare bones, I would get absolutely nothing done and would not fully live that day. The day would become full of the archiving and the magic would be missed. I’ve had several full days since living and breathing two Fridays past, but I haven’t forgotten its beauty. I began with a poem because poetry whittles a full written expression to its essence. The words capture the magic of the day.
It all began as most days do, at the edge of the Bow River. It seemed that I would be encountering strong females and it so happened that the Bald Eagles were sitting together. The female is on the left. She’s so incredibly beautiful.
The female coyote has raised two stunningly handsome youngsters, now one year old. It’s been a wonderful year of viewing their forays.
Then it was off, for my very first time, to Bell’s in Marda Loop.
What I didn’t capture in photographs is the lovely person who shared the table with me. Thank you, Teresa, for the latte and the delicious slice of home made banana bread.
Teresa Posyniak has a life-giving spirit and is a strong woman who lifts up other women through her genuine interest in them. Her art oozes with copious texture and is both strong and fragile. I will treasure our rich conversation and hope to follow, more closely, her exploration of topics such as resiliance. Teresa’s is an artistic voice to listen to and I encourage my readers to connect with her work through the links I’m providing here.
I was whizzing off to Joan’s next, but not before a quick stop at cSpace.
Cassie Suche’s Sway series was refreshing, tucked away at one end of the second floor. Very organic and slightly humourous at the same time, I really enjoyed the work created on her one-month residency.
Marty Kaufman’s blown glass…Eroded Forms drew me in. Such milky forms. I absolutely love them.
Of course, I don’t think I’ve ever gone into the cSpace without looking at the stairwell murals done by Daniel J. Kirk and Katie Green. They are lovely and different times of day evoke a mysterious sense of light and so therefore, a different experience, each time a person makes their way up and down the various floors.
A new experience for me was to hit upon the Blackboard Gallery. I went with the intention of seeing these works, the urban landscapes done by Melanie Figueroa. She is someone I follow on Instagram, but I had never seen her work in the flesh. This gallery is a sweet little space. I ended up totally wrapped up in a conversation about jewelry with Melanie Archer. I’ll be back.
By this time, I needed to set out for the lodge. Joan and I spent a generous hour pouring over her sketchbooks, nicely organized by Sandy. We dug in deep, sharing about light and dark, texture, pattern and the act of creating. It’s not everyone who can enjoy a conversation like that so much, but the two of us certainly did. Sheila arrived and we shared yet another wonderful conversation.
So, it turns out, this was the landscape of my day two Fridays past. I think of the women in my life as being remarkable in so many ways. I am blessed by their goodness and their strength. I am grateful.
The snow has been coming down steadily since last evening and this morning there was a thick blanket. It’s beautiful, but it is also a bit overwhelming as one anticipates the many months of darkness and cold.
The weekend, however, held many blessings. I spent the past months contacting people, media and organizations about the importance of recognizing that on September 28th each year, we are to remember and recognize over 100,000 children who were brought to Canada to serve as indentured servants across the nation. My great grandfather was one. This year marks 150 years since the arrival of the first of these children.
I really enjoy my friendships in this group, including Bruce, Hazel, Connie, Donna and Anna and really appreciate all of their hard work and their dedication. I am also grateful to my daughter, Erin, who attended but who also dragged chairs around, assisting where she could and Kelly, Hazel’s daughter, for her wonderful support in loading, displaying and just generally being helpful and included.
Five descendants shared their family narrative with the large group of people who came out on a dreary bad-weather day. Every generation was represented and questions were thoughtful and engaged the panel. There was lots of time for socializing and connecting with one another. A very special artifact for the group in Western Canada, of course, is the Memory Quilt that was lovingly constructed by Hazel.
As I drove home late in the afternoon, I felt grateful for the presentations and grateful for the people I worked with.
In the evening, I turned on my porch light, but unlike other nights, I took a moment to pause and think about the injustice that was perpetrated on so many innocents. I hope to, over time, help in educating the public about this part of Canada’s history.
The Beacons of Light, in recognition of 150 years included the lighting of the Calgary Tower and last night’s lighting of Reconciliation Bridge. Thanks to Bruce Skilling for his photograph of the bridge.
Photo Credit: Bruce Skilling
Photo Credit: Anna Webber
Photo Credit: Kathleen Moors
Photo Credit: Kathleen Moors
Photo Credit: Kathleen Moors
Photo Credit: Connie Falk
Photo Credit: Kathleen Moors
Photo Credit: Kathleen Moors
Photo Credit: Kathleen Moors
Photo Credit: Kathleen Moors
Photo Credit: Session Attendee
Photo Credit: Session Attendee
Photo Credit: Bruce Skilling
Photo Credit: Bruce Skilling
If you would like to be included in our contacts, have any questions at all or would like to suggest venues and activities, we’d love to hear from you. You may contact me through this blog or through the e mail connected to this blog. We also invite you to peruse our Facebook page, although our group is primarily made up of descendants living in the west. We are most agreeable to helping you with your research questions.
Finally, I will try to post Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s remarks.
Have you ever been put in a situation…or put yourself in a situation…where you lose control, completely. You find yourself cornered/humiliated/vulnerable/speechless? You lose your voice? Loud voices are coming at you. You see mouths moving and eyes wide open. But, you really don’t hear a word that the voices are projecting. You want to catch up on the conversation and what is happening, but you are so shocked that you’re NOT SAFE, that you are deemed useless, defenseless and feel only things in your body? Oh. I’m sweating. Oh, my heart is pounding. Oh. Am I going to throw up? Am I going to cry?
I’ve been thinking a lot about what is going on in a world where this is allowed to happen. We become enraged when we remember these collective experiences happening historically, in the unbelievable and horrific impacts of colonization and slavery, of racist and immoral conduct in war. (Presently watching the Netflix series on Vietnam, with my son. Watch the entire series, beginning with French colonization…see what atrocities happened there.) We are shocked and freaked out when it happens on the world stage in the forum of politics, religion and foreign policy. (I can’t even name all such horrors.)
The strong prey on others.
The privilege of power; whether that is white or big or strong or conservative or educated or rich…the privilege of power is a demon in the face of building relationship or building community or building trust.
The second clutch of sparrows was attacked on the hottest day of summer. It might have been a Magpie or a Crow. I wasn’t home to see the events. The Crow and the Magpie have youngsters to feed…their aggression is without thought for kindness, but for survival. That’s the difference between human beings and Crows. We can choose to communicate kindly, even in the face of conflict. It is our moral imperative to do so.
Mr. did not give up without a fight. How do I know this? Because his feathers show the scars of the attempt to protect his youngsters. Mr. and Mrs. have grieved at the empty vent these past two days.
I ask myself if I had stayed home from book club, would things have turned out differently. Maybe not.
This is a quick post. I read Michael Finkel’s book, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit in two evenings…it was more an experience, than anything. Written about Christopher Knight, a man who at the age of twenty slipped into a thick wood and didn’t have a conversation with another human being for thirty years, this book is an unusual narrative, with moments of real revelation. I was fascinated by the story and throughout, couldn’t really come to terms with a mixture of emotions…revulsion, sadness, envy or curiosity (of the ambulance-chaser sort).
Honestly, I think it is the most interesting thing that Christopher Knight and the family that knew him, opened up to Michael Finkel enough for him to collect the content for this writing. So, the process of research and respectful communication of this content was just as fascinating to me and generously included.
I had read, a long time ago, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. I suppose one could make comparisons between the two books. However, I think that Christopher Knight’s methodical approach to stealing food and supplies is what, ultimately, kept him alive over decades and in the end, led to his capture. Enduring isolation of the northern Alaskan wilderness, Christopher Johnson McCandless was in true ‘survival’ mode, leading to the eventual and mysterious loss of his life, probably four months after disappearing. It was obvious, in reading both, that there were motivations to disconnect from society, but both men did that in very different ways.
From Goodreads, I’ve lifted these words. I like that Michael Finkel responded to the reader…
Response from Michael Finkel: “Hello. I’m the journalist who wrote this book. Chris Knight — the hermit — is not portrayed, not for a page, as some sort of angelic hero in the book. Knight himself did not want to be portrayed that way. He confessed to 1,000 break-ins, one of the most extensive burglary cases in U.S. history. He tormented people. But — he also never physically harmed anyone, never carried a weapon, never stole anything of great monetary value, never shattered a window or kicked down a door. He had a wildly unusual idea for how to live, and he lived in a way radically different from any other human you will ever encounter, and he has an awesome and daunting brain — he is, I feel certain, a genius — and he has insights into modern society and solitude and the meaning of life that you will find nowhere else. “Take the good with the bad,” Knight told me, when speaking of how he should be portrayed in my book, and I did. I firmly believe that in the good are some incredible insights, and in the bad is a fascinating true-crime tale. And please note — Knight is receiving no money from this project. A summer camp for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities (The Pine Tree Camp), from which Knight frequently stole, will instead be receiving donations.”
Having read the book, I am glad to encounter this response, as it does represent the book very well. I felt, at times, compassion for Christopher Knight, wondering what feelings and experiences within him, motivated such a disappearance and disconnect from his life.
As Calgary suffers such a bitterly cold winter, I also truly engaged the stories of survival that involved planning and revising a nest/camp. The description of winter, alone, is enough to keep me from ever wondering about doing this same thing!
Christopher Knight told this story, as much as Michael Finkel did. If my readers enjoy adventure or are taken by very unusual characters, this is the book for you.
It was good to meet Michael Finkel and to have him expand upon the narratives that connected him to his character.
Wendy Lees is a vital leader in our visual arts community here in Calgary. She has spearheaded so many wonderful projects and visual arts tours, either through making, leading or inspiring. I’ve treasured her friendship for years now and I’m so grateful for our meeting. I was blessed, yesterday, to have the opportunity to learn the first basic baby steps to mosaic art, in the comfort and organized studio that is her own home. What a fun experience and what great people!
Wendy took on the magical practice of create! in the East Village some time ago…and through that program, I met some of the most authentic and beautiful people of a lifetime. Gladly, a few of them were able to attend the Mosaic 101 workshop, so renewing those relationships was an additional blessing!
If you have opportunity to participate in or attend any of the programs that Wendy advertises, DO! Such fun! It’s not just about techniques and skill development…it’s about community and connection!
Love the focus and concentration that surfaced during the program!
