June 2026

Memories of India…

Not mine. Kate’s.
Mathematicians get to have so much fun.
OK, they have to do very, very hard mathy stuff..
Some of which can help develop string theory…
Or even not-string theory.
Yes, apparently that’s a thing, too.

The math conference was in Bengaluru
And one day the group visited some nearby sights.
Kate had this Mysore masala dosa…
In actual Mysore!
She said she loved it.
The traffic, tho, overwhelmed her.
And cows were everywhere, everywhere…
Like Chicken Man of yore.
She was perfectly whelmed
By street cows.

 

Me, too, even at this distance.

So I just had to make a cow-alternative calendar.

...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course 

June 2025

Remembering My Date with David...

About ten years ago
I told you about
Kate’s kidnapping me
And whisking me off
To Florence
And fulfilling my
Lifelong wish
To meet
Michelangelo’s David.

Kate was abetted
By her David
Along with Peter and Lisl…
Who all joined
In that glorious day.

I remember the surprise.
I remember what we ate.
I remember the cobblestones.
I remember the immersion
Of awe.
I even remember
What I wore.
...
Last month Peter and Lisl
Returned to Florence
With several of their
Friends from Barbados.
They basked in the glory
And meandered further
Around Tuscany
Where they found more awe
In the countryside and its
Traditional offerings
Of food and wine.

Their pictures evoke
Timeless traditions…
Centuries of humans
Who have
Lived here.
Toiled here.
Flourished here.
I can see how
People here
Become
Part of the land.

...

Here’s another June calendar
Because I simply
Couldn’t decide.
I call this one
     Becoming Wine…
     It’s a cycle thing.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

June 2024

Irises... not Isises... or Ibises... either sacred or profane... 

I recently learned
I’m called a streaming
Churner.
This means
I subscribe to a service
For a month or so
To watch new shows
I’ve read about
And new seasons
Of old shows
That I’m already addicted to.
Like Doctor Who.
I think Nchuti Gatwa
Has the best smile
In any universe.
He’s def my new fave
Doctor.

Of course with
Only one episode unfolding
Each week, I’ve got
More time to explore
And it seems I like
Shows about Egyptian
Archeology
Both past and present.
Yes, I saw the Tut exhibit
At the ROM in 1979…
But I didn’t know
I could get hooked
Til now...
As I watch…
Agog at the tenacity
Of those committed
To literally unearthing
History from the land
Of the pharaohs.

Peter gifted me these
Mini irises for Mum’s Day
And they exploded
Into these wondrous blooms
All at once.
Then
My newfound
Interest in the digs
Brings with it some
Ancient I-words
That keep cropping up
In my ever-present
Crossword puzzles.
And
My mind wanders…
I do this little digging
Of my own...
For you:
     Iris, a flower
     Isis, a goddess
     Ibisis, a sacred bird

Underscoring,
Like Dirk Gently,
The fundamental
Interconnected of
All phenomena
In the universe,
Eh?
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

June 2023

 

Lush paradises invite... lure...

To celebrate a major milestone
Peter and Lisl journeyed first
To Windsor to attend,
Not a coronation, but a wedding...
And thence onward
To a fortnight in Mallorca...
For promised languishing
In a lush paradise.
Of course their home in Barbados
Is its own brand of lush paradise.
This pic shows us new definitions
Of lush and paradise...
It’s all lush… and all paradise…
Just with its own delights
And history spread out
For fresh discoveries
Each day.

I challenged OpenAI
To write me something
About this courtyard
In Peter’s and Lisl’s
Air-BnB home in Sóller
Where they sipped morning coffees
Near their own pool.
Lush paradise, indeed.

OpenAI spewed out reams
But I’m particularly
Entranced with these lines:

     In Mallorca's sun-kissed embrace,
     Lies a realm of beauty and grace,
     Where courtyards bloom in vibrant hues,
     Amidst lemon trees and terra cotta views.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

June 2022

 

First one in a looooong time!

Peter brought me these flowers for Easter...
And I took this pic when they were just starting to bloom.
Yes, this is the first Bette-taken pic
You've seen for absolute yonks, my friends.
It's decently steady and focussed and the colours
Are vibrant with almost no retouching.
That's all because my new (cataract-free) eyes
Just plain work better.

I love how these freshly opened flowers
Grab the light and filter it through their eager petals...
While the patient buds gather their power
With a resolve to out-dazzle their forerunners
And join in the glory that is Spring.

Seems the worlds of Light and Colour
Are mine again.
I'll endeavour to show you more
As Summer unfolds.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

June 2021

 

Hey! June! Over here...
     on the sunny side of the street!

Let’s say it’s a beautiful sunny day.
You’re walking along the sidewalk
On the shady side of the Danforth.
You walk and you glance
To the other side of the street… where
You see me.
Quelle surprise!
Bette’s tap dancing
On the sunny side of the street!
You shout, “Hey! Bette!”

And in that instant
You call forth all that you know
About me.
You give focus to all that
I know about me…
And to all that we know
About me together!
The word, “Hey!” gets
My attention
And all that I know about
Being Bette
Now focuses on you.
It’s like a reflection
Of my being onto yours.

That’s nice, of course,
Because we’re friends
And when I see your
Smiling face I’m reminded
Of all I know about you.
In that instant, then,
The complete you and
The complete me
Are in absolute harmony.

You decide to come over
To the sunny side
And we hang out with
A nice cup of coffee
At a sidewalk cafe.
Our nice chat
Is underscored by
That same total harmony
That we can see in each other’s eyes…
That we can feel in each other’s hearts…
That we can hear in each other’s souls.

It’s not intense.
It’s like the sun playing
With the clouds...
But always there.
Firm and resolute.

We know this kind of friendship.
We affirm ourselves with these
Interchanges… these exchanges…
These soul gatherings.
...
But what if there were a way
To call out our own
Highest potential for each day?
For each moment?
For each breath?
With the same intensity...
With the same force.

The historical Buddha,
Shakyamuni aka Siddartha,
Almost three thousand years ago,
Taught that those moments
Of compassion and happiness
Live always within every cell
Of every person’s life force.
Yes.
Everybody’s got their own Buddha nature.
He taught about it in his final teaching
Known as the Lotus Sutra.
Everybody’s got a Buddha nature.
It is essential and unequivocal
Compassion and happiness.
Yes.
Everybody’s got IT.

But it wasn’t until 13th Century Japan
That a monk named Nichiren taught
Us how to tap into IT whenever we want.
Nichiren taught us to say, “Hey! Buddha nature!”
Just by saying the name of the Lotus Sutra…
We call forth all that is contained within it
And all the intentions infused within it
So long ago.
And we call it into our lives
Here and now.

In Nichiren’s Japanese,
That name is Myoho Renge Kyo
Then,
Instead of “Hey!”
We announce our vow of intention…
“Namu”
But shortened to “Nam” because
That’s something they do in Japan sometimes.
So, this:
Nam myoho renge kyo.

We chant this daily morning and evening
To polish our own Buddha nature
Like a mirror to reflect
Our best potential self into
Our daily lives
While we’re busy
Living our daily lives.
And reflecting onto the world
Around us.
We change...
So changes the world.

Nichiren also taught us
To recite a small portion
Of the Lotus Sutra each
Morning and evening
To underscore our awareness
And our resolve.
So we chant
Nam myoho renge kyo
And we recite
A little of the Lotus Sutra
Twice each day
In a language we don’t understand
But with an intention we do understand:
To call out...
To activate…
To live
Our highest potential…
Our Buddha nature
In compassion and happiness.
...
I want to thank the Beaches District
Women's Group
Of Soka Gakkai Canada,
For sharing their heartfelt experiences
With practicing Nichiren's Buddhism
At Sunday's gathering.
We don't call IT a belief...
Although, we do learn to believe
And trust.
It's something we do.
We call it a practice.
And we do it twice a day.
Here's what chanting
Sounds like.
If you want to learn more
About SGI, you can start here.
Download the PDFs on that page.
I actually designed the booklet called
Buddhism: A Philosophy for Living
Or
You can always ask me.
I've been changing for over 37 years
And I'm not out of breath yet.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

June 2020

June is quietly considering busting out... maybe just a little...

.... or maybe June's just going to melt us all away. The air hangs thick and pungent. I visit the world from my 18th-floor eyrie and watch outside people (and their doggies) coming and going and distancing socially. I think that must be easy since there are not very many of them. I mostly can't tell from up here if the humans are wearing masks, but in my heart I believe they are. I haven't ventured out for more than 11 weeks now, but I have a couple of cloth masks ready for the "right time"... and supplies to make some more, should the mood (and momentum) discover me. Urgency is not a part of my equation.

But wishful dreaming is. I have a list of things to do once I'm liberated. I know that'll be in stages, but my list is for wishing, not planning... yet.

In the meantime, my balcony Buddha supervises my outdoor barre (aka balcony railing) exercises and my indoor tai chi and even some seated tap dancing—especially with Bojangles' birthday just past.

...and that reminds me...Summer...
San Antonio, Texas.
Over a half-century ago.
Listen... that's me practising
My tap dancing.
The music's Sweet Georgia Brown,
Sometimes in Dixieland
But most often a simple piano solo.
I can't remember who played.
But I do remember
The steps...
And I do remember
The smells.

I tap and tap
Change combinations
Ad infinitum.
Childhood home
Comes equipped with
Screened back porch.
Perfect practice room
Away from reading
And television-watching parents.
Here I can crank up
That music and
Tap with all my might.

Oh, yes,
Smells.
I did mention Smells,
Didn't I?

Hot summer sun is filtred
Through live latticed walls of
Honeysuckle and Jasmine.
Vines are thick with tendrils
Intermingled with blossoms of
Unforgettable fragrances.

I tap and tap,
Wipe face
With towel that
Hangs 'round neck.
I gulp air filled
With sweetness
Stirred by breezes,
Where each gust mixes
Potion with
New variation on
Nectar's theme.

How can I describe
Smell?
Maybe you've known
Honeysuckle.
Maybe you've known
Jasmine.
Have you known them
Together?

They smell of
Sun and
Dancing dust motes.
They smell of
Joy and movement.
They smell of
Nature's hopes
And promises.
They smell of
Effort to be better:
Determination.
Quicker and slower.
Shuffles and flaps.
Turns and cramp-rolls and kicks.
Black tights.
Gold lamé Cuban heels.
Capezio taps.
They smell of
Sweaty terry cloth.
They smell of
Soft rustlings.
They smell of
Butterflies and
Hummingbirds.
Oh yes,
And bees.
Of course.
They smell of
Rhythms.
They smell of
Memories in my bones.

I'm showing you
Some of my memories here,
Evoked by smells past.
Just relax and drink them in.
This summer I invite you
To notice each day's smells...
To remember smells past
And
To find ways to enjoy...
And describe
Your smelliest summer ever.

Look!
The joy is still around us.

...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

June 2019

There's probably a good reason Mother's Day is in May... right?

It's about welcoming Spring, eh? Salads on the balcony... and iced tea... and maybe even lemonade. But this Mother's Day found almost no green in my valley. 

Then these tulips arrived! Their job: to remind me just how much I have relished both motherhood and grandmotherhood—plus how much I was ready to bask in Spring sunshine! I was soooooo tired of grey days enveloping my world into a never-ending cloud.

So... I added some sweet pickle relish to my tuna and mango salad and bided my time, enjoying my the salad with the delish Mexican crackers that also arrived for my day. Enjoying the freshening colours, I relished my sweet memories of lotsa mothering... two kids and two grandkids... plus memories of my own mum and the stories about my grandmums. 

Obviously these tulips did their job. Now there is valley green. Many days we even have glorious real-life sunshine, like the sunshine I added to this image—to welcome your June. Enjoy your version of Spring wherever you are.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

June 2018

June really is busting out all over...

You can see it in the trees

You can smell it in the breeze

I keep humming this song every day now. The park across the street is busier than ever with little kids in the new playground and big kids playing ball hockey now that the ice on the new rink has totally disappeared. Construction on Phase II at the private school has begun. And the front of my local Loblaws is festooned with hanging pots of flowers and herbs as well as lots of deep green leafy plants for porches, front and back.

Look around! Look around! Look around! 

Of course, I'm of an age to love musicals and to remember when the movie Carousel came out in 1956. And I relish re-watching Agnes DeMille's joyous and energetic choreography. Here, see for yourself!

See what I mean?

June, June, June

Just because it's June, June, June!
...
Thank you, Kelley, for this glorious image...
Just one of the many I linger over on your FB feed...
And maybe I'll paint one some day. 

...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

June 2017

The soul of humanity...

So much appears on Kickstarter that is creative and fun. The Anka Cooperative project creates beauty and community... plus self-sustaining lives for thousands of Syrian refugee women. I participated with only a small contribution and received this image of a glorious rug made by such women who live in refugee camps in Turkey.

Here's their website: Anka Cooperative
Here's a video.
 
Go explore and see what Hope can look like... and rejoice with me in this triumph of connection.
Their Kickstarter campaign is over, but there's still opportunity to help.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course:

June 2016

Exploring Esperanto ~ Finding Haiku...

Some link somewhere led me to find out just what Esperanto is. I'm enthralled... mostly because I'm grammar obsessive and this invented language from the late 19th century is constructed with gloriously simple and consistent grammar... and vocabulary... and pronunciation! I found a neat site to learn and explore, lernu!. What it lacks in graphics it makes up for in earnestness. There's even a Toronto bunch who meet and speak Esperanto not far from my home! I'm trying it all out at Duolingo and finding it fun and incredibly easy.

A friend at work is from France. He tells me there's even an Esperanto version of Tintin! This month's pic is the cover of a book of Esperanto haiku. It's called Senokulvitre (which means "without eyeglasses") and it's by Steven D. Brewer. He and his brother learned Esperanto when in school they still write and speak it. Seems people become devotees.

Here's a sample from his book. It's called hajik:

la mondo estas
     mola kaj bonveniga…
          senokulvitre
                     ~
          the world is
soft and inviting…
     without glasses

I'm inspired to try my own tranlation of my email sign-off:
Pri la abelo la floro ne sonĝas. Ĝi floras kaj la abelo venas.
~
The flower doesn't dream of the bee. It blooms and the bee comes.

June 2015

Discovering Ethopian delights...
warm friendship and a spice-laden adventure.
~to be continued.

Thank you to Nancy (Hoochie's mama) for introducing me
to more of what our city has to offer...
and welcome to Nancy's wife Katherine
who will be joining the Toronto adventure later this month.
June is indeed the month of brides!   

June 2014

Finally! Bring on Summer!

Susan, whom Kate calls her New York mum, just returned from a magical sojourn in Italy. Last month I challenged her to provide an image for this month's calendar. The result is this day on the Adriatic at Francavilla al Mare, just south of Pescara. It had been raining and the early afternoon when she arrived was just warm enough to head to the beach and hoop for about 1/2 hour.

That's Susan: always prepared to make the most of every moment. Obviously.

June 2013

If I ever made a quilt...

One would include all the bee designs I've played with over the years.
Another would be cats at windows watching the seasons.
I don't think I'm the quilting kind, tho, so Illustrator gives me the
opportunity to experiment sans thimble and avec loads of un-dos.

My quiltly interest has recently resurfaced through Arlene Sachitano's delightful cozy mysteries. They're centred around the Puget Sound area in Washington State where my parents lived when I was born. That means I lived there, too, of course, but all I know are their stories and scrapbook pix. Fortunately both are rich sources.

Arlene's books focus on quilts and the community of people who make
them. You can find them at Amazon. The books, not the quilts.
You're on your own for those.

Arlene (who quilts) and her family live in Portland, now home to
Phoebe (who weaves) and Richard (who keeps me posted
on all things internet)... Phoebe of my university days of lore
and whom Kate now calls "West Coast Mum."

Bonus: these peeps all now know each other. Arlene is mother
to David. You know, the one who has captured Kate's heart...
the one who visited here as my cherished Christmas surprise.

As Dirk Gently pointed out, it all serves to demonstrate the
fundamental interconnectedness of all phenomena in the universe.

Like quilts.

June 2012

See a theme developing here?

Last month's calendar inspired quite a number of delightful responses from you guys. This from Susan—whom Kate calls her New York mum—a memory of a trip to China. I'm lucky to know people who travel AND take great pix.

Looks like the lesson of growth and renewal has taken glorious root.

Jun 2011

Peek-a-Boo

Last week I was in NYC watching Dr. Kate don cap and gown and receive her PhD at Lincoln Center. I watched with my good friend Susan, aka Kate's New York mum. Kate and I walked on the High Line and of course we found time to eat some of her favourite foods: tacos, pizza, pseudo chicken nuggets, and sag paneer. After the ceremony we three girls trekked to Harlem for the best cheese enchiladas in the world. Then we visited the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and the sculpture-laden Bestiary garden next to it.

We stayed with Susan in Astoria/Queens/Long Island City... just a few blocks from the Noguchi Museum. Isamu Noguchi worked in metal, stone (see the calendar), and light. You've probably seen his Akari Japanese paper lamps, which he called light sculptures. This museum is one of my all-time faves. And the Socrates Sculpture Park is just across the street, overlooking the East River and Manhattan.

Yes, there was some shopping. Mostly this trip was for the Kate sighting and a delightful visit with Susan; she was the nurse who looked after me when I was giving birth to Kate. I've known Susan exactly one day longer than I've known Kate.

Jun 10

Hello Mary Lou!

When I was about five or six years old my favourite doll was named Mary Lou. She had real hair--long blond hair--with real barrettes. I loved dressing her up and combing her hair into different styles. That year for my birthday my mother made Mary Lou a complete wardrobe, along with her own closet from an oil-cloth-covered fruit crate and little coat hangers from bent wire. Mary Lou was probably a teenager, but this was long before Barbie and her sexy shape. Mary Lou was one of a kind.

I don't know when Mary Lou actually disappeared from my life. I got older and I guess we passed her and her extensive wardrobe to a younger girl.

But I do remember her so fondly. I see girls playing with Barbie and I think how my Mary Lou was so much better. After all she came with all my mother's focused attention and imbued love.

Waiting for my bus the other day I think I found Mary Lou again in this store window. Like me, she's thicker around the middle and her hair's shorter. But look at her smile. She's got a snazzy dress and fuzzy puppy slippers. Credence Clearwater said it: I knew Mary Lou, we'd never part, so hello Mary Lou. Goodbye heart.