Today Emile and I were walking around the sea wall in Stanley Park and we came across this:
It seemed a strange place for paparazzi to be gathering despite the Royal Baby not being born yet at that poibt, so we directed our attention to what was causing the fervour: a full moon right at the horizon:
July 21st, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: One of the very rare times that I wish I had a real camera and not just a cell phone.
I have never really been a plant lover. Plants are mysterious, dirty and annoying to me. Don’t get me wrong, I get sucked in grocery store forced blooms as much as the next person. And I will buy. And proceed to either smother with love or neglect to death. My mother-in-law used to bring me plants all the time. She figured out – or I guess will know for sure now – that I kill plants. I used to try to replace the plant that I killed before she came to visit, but then she – being a plant person – seemed to recognize that this was a new version. I guess they aren’t all the same.
I tend to get gifts of food from her now.
For Easter, she sent us an Easter lily, of whose care was firmly within Emile’s hands. I just looked at it – from afar mind – and enjoyed, but all care was in his hands. Near the end of its life, Emile put it outside on our balcony to get it some fresh air and sunlight. It was promptly eaten by a pigeon.
Now that is not something you see every day. Then Emile “taught it a lesson” with a squirt bottle again.
Anyways, I also don’t like plants because they get dusty, leave water/dirt marks and I don’t have the patience for cleaning up. I especially hate fake plants and flowers because as much as they don’t require care – that is exactly the problem. They are left to get dusty and dirty and to fade in the sun while nobody pays any attention. And they don’t even provide oxygen for us non-plants. Horrible.
Now that I am comfortable at work – yet can still claim that I am “new” kinda, I just do things. Like take the credenza out of the boardroom so you can actually get around the conference table, or throw things out that we don’t need. And recently I decided the faded, dusty and spider infested fake plants (I’m sure) in our lobby needed to mysteriously disappear. And they did.
Late one night they vanished into a holding area to see if anyone needed them. Ahem. Nobody needed them, but people have strange attachments to strange things.
A couple of days passed and otherwise than some comments of “Hey, it’s brighter in here” nobody really noticed. So, into the dumpster they went.
Until the large team meeting when the president recognized the missing “plants” and said he’d solved the mystery of where they had disappeared to. And then he turned to blame my boss.
What did I do? Step up and say “I cannot tell a lie. It was me.”? Well, no. I made no eye contact, I just looked surprised, turned my head towards the missing plant section like everyone else and blended into the crowd. “That’s so weird. I wonder what happened to them?!?”
May 13, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: The president and team clapped about the missing plants. Phew. . .could have been a career limiting move there. . . where is my integrity?
Plastic Plant free. . . and we all feel better.
It’s been a whirlwind year for us and I get asked often if I am enjoying Vancouver and we are. But it is a different as you can get. I miss the snugged in feeling you get on a cold winter’s night and the need to suck up as much summer as possible in July and August lest you miss it. I love the ability to go out and rarely worry about road conditions and feel the sun on your face frequently.
This April:
Last April:
April 3rd, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: I’ve had the best of both worlds.
We sat and ate French Toast and sausages with my grandpa at his retirement residence. The room was filled with nice touches like Happy Easter place mats, tulips, and decorative little chicks (not chicks, but baby chickens). During dessert, the staff started to gather up the daffodils from the tables. We thought this was strange because there was still a second seating at 1 pm. When we asked, the woman told me that there was complaints that they were too big. Imagine! Complaining about Daffodils in the Spring! A little crotchety in the place today.
Then it was off to grandma’s house who was feeling a crotchety herself. Her knees were aching and she – well, frankly was feeling sorry for herself. I guess I would too if the signals that I sent from my brain to my legs were ignored. Fortunately, a walk on the boardroom cheered her up – and there was no complaining about daffodils.
Emile disappeared to play with depth of field and perfect lighting.
March 31st, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Flowers make us all feel something!
The fog comes on
little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbour and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
-Carl Sandburg
January 15, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:
The sun shone brightly and for those uninitiated, you would be led to believe that the day was warm and fair. It was not, but it was a beautiful day. And we live 3.5 kms from Stanley Park – Vancouver’s glorious 1000 acre park almost in the heart of the city.
I arose at 7:30, changed into weather thoughtful exercise clothes and waited impatiently for Emile to drag himself out of bed. At 10, I announced with a flourish it was time to go – outside and the sunshine awaited us. He too wore his warm clothes and we set-out. We stuck to the North sides of the street that seemed to have a little more sun and kept our pace quick and brisk.
I was excited to visit the park, though I haven’t been there in probably 20 years. But vague memories crept upon me as I viewed familiar landscapes and the totem poles. We walked quickly, and then as we got to the seawall in Stanley Park, we ran. And we talked and we ran some more. We caught about Emile’s work, and my worries about my department at work, and Christmas and our plans for December and our upcoming vacation.
It was only by noon that I told Emile I was at the hungry stage and moving towards starving that we decided to make our way home. Emile knows that this is where the danger zone begins.
Breakfast was at “The Chef and the Baker” just around the corner from our place – casual enough to accept unshowered people in workout gear, but also nice enough to serve loose chai tea.
Aaaah.
November 25th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: A visit to Lord Stanley’s Park and a feeling of contentment and well being.
I stopped by to visit my grandpa spontaneously today. He had just returned from a walk and was sitting on the bench in the sun outside. We exchanged small talk, but mostly just sat in the sun. Finally, he decides its time to go in.
His residence has a large number of well maintained gardens in walled off areas featuring bushes, trees, shrubs and flowers. I noticed as he went to move his walker along the sidewalk to get back in, there was a bit of plant debris gathered there. I worried about him tripping, and was about to move it when my grandpa reached up and snapped off a small branch of a low hanging branch.
I as stood there gaping at him, Grandpa threw is to the ground and said “I’m helping them trim this tree back. ”
September 24th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: Grandpa doesn’t like the tree there, so he is slowly taking care of it.
Mostly pictures today because my words will not convey the whole story. There is always a sense of community when these things happen and soon after the storm during our drive around town, neighbours with chain saws were helping each other out. Trees blocking roads were quickly dispatched by citizens. There is still a lot of clean up to do, and many places do not have power yet, but the town is returning to normal.
July 20th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: Massive Wind Storm Blew through Cranbrook (and much of the interior of British Columbia) taking our multiple trees and leaving 1000s without power. No injuries in Cranbrook, one death in the province.
PS – a 100′ 75 year old grand old pine was removed from our yard about 3 months ago. It is likely it would have toppled if it were still standing doing much damage to either our home or our neighbours:
If you need the will to run (or to keep running), try running in May in Muskoka 8:30 pm at night on a rural road.
May 27th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: Running the furthest and fastest I’ve ever done to save my blood for me instead of the blood suckers who live in the forest awaiting sundown.
Maintenance May Day 27:
Signed up for a CSA share even though I have no idea what or where will be happening this summer.
It was a dark and stormy night. The rain poured down, the winds buffeted the trees. And what does that mean in Northern Ontario? A power failure. The lights flickered for most of the evening before giving up for good about 9:00 pm. It was just me and the cat here – Emile was playing poker with the boys – so I sat quietly in the dark for a minute, trying to think of something to do. I could go to bed, but a little early really. I could . um . . make some tea. No, Susan think about this. There is NO Power. Um . . .I could read a book. No, candle light is not enough light and I don’t want to read via flashlight. I could make something to eat. No, I can’t open the fridge or use an appliance to make food because the Power is Out. Susan, pull your head together. I could use the comp. . . No. I could play games on my cell phone. Yes, I could do that! Okay, that lasted a minute.
So, in the car I got and headed to a friend’s house. She was watching American Idol. So I watched American Idol. I remember why I don’t watch the show any more. Children prancing around in too short skirts, judge’s inane comments (“You’re the best singer I’ve seen in 50 years”) and ridiculous Ford music videos. But there was power and company.
May 3rd, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: The moment in the yard before getting into the car. So dark, so still, so quiet.
Maintenance May Day 3:
Pre-paid at Well Fed Deli for my friend the owner to treat someone’s lunch on May 4th. (Soul)
Drove to Newmarket for a job interview. (Career)
The Daily EO 