July 2025

I’ve been in Canada since 1976...

Every year
At this time
I like to add my voice
To the sentiments
Of admiration
And appreciation that
Today’s celebrations
Imbue and
Saturate into everything
That I have come
To love about
Being here.
Thank you, Canada.
And thank you, Don Watt,
Flagman extraordinaire.  

Lucas is celebrating
In Portugal
Where he visited this beach
Last Friday.
It’s near Lisbon
And overlooks
The Atlantic.

I invite Lucas
AND ALL OF YOU
To add your voices
In whatever language
Singing… singing…
And feeling…
O Canada!
...

Enjoy this 
Celebratory calendar today,
Then move on to
This beach-only version
Sans flag. 

Both are in the
Drop Box link.
Have a great July.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

July 24

 

My Canada Day Habit...

According to my files
I’ve been sending you
Canada Day wishes
For almost a quarter century.
Of course a major part
Of my habit
Is remembering Don Watt.
And my personal memories
Of both the man and his work…
Every, every year.

Kate’s in the habit
Of running at least a mile
Every day.
She admits
She might walk
If she has some health prob...
But she still does
Every, every day.

And on those forays
Both near her home
And further afield,
She is prone to
Taking pix.
She found
These hydrangeas
Close to home
Just a few days ago.
Looky how they love
Don’s flag.
...
In the link
At the top of the right column
I’ve included a higher res version
Of this Canada Day calendar
For your desktop today…
Along with another version
Sans flag
For the rest of the month,
Should you prefer.
...
Happy Canada Day!
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

july 2023

 

Crookneck Squash Grows in Texas...

I’ve been in Toronto
Since 1976
And I no longer
Live without tacos
Or okra.
For about 10 years
I could even get
Gebhardt’s Chili Quik
At Kensington Market…
But since that ended
The internet provided me
With a recipe I can make
For myself.
I even have places to get
Mexican chorizo
And real corn tortillas…
Even masa harina
Should I want to make my own
Using my cute red tortilla press.
And I can even get Texas-style BBQ
Delivered to my door!

But one of the things I
Continue to miss is
Yellow crookneck squash.
Like these that Phoebe’s sister Sally
Still grows at her
East Texas home.
These blossoms will very soon
Erupt into buttery yellow goodness
Like this

 

My mum used to slice them
And steam them
And serve them with a bit
Of freshly squeezed lime juice.



One day in 1962
I played with my food…
Sketching what became
This cast sterling silver pendant.



Oh, Toronto…
Please tell me where I can get
Me some yellow crookneck squash.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

July 2022

 

A Dappled Canada Day for You...

This Canada Day
I’m indeed showing you a maple tree…
But this Southern Red Maple tree
Lives in East Texas…
Proving that peace and love
Have no boundaries.

Remember Phoebe,
My university bestie?
Well a few years ago
She and I went to our 50th reunion
In San Antonio, Texas.
While there I got to meet
Phoebe’s sibs for the first time:
Allen, Sally, and Lolly.
Of course they are joys to know…
After all they spring
From the same parents
From whom Peter’s dad and I
Bought a 1956 Chrysler
With air conditioning, power windows,
And a semi-hemi V8 engine.
But that’s another story.

Today I want to talk
To you about Sally
And about this dappled light
That she sent me.
I’ve always been drawn
To the insistent summer
Expressions of dapple.
I even wrote an early poem
That features some dappling.
In the summertime we can rejoice
In the longer days
Even when we swelter.
Winter dappling is
Also another story.

Summertime heat
Pulls us to shaded respite…
And if we’re lucky enough
To have a shaded path
We can even wander and
Wonder at the delights of light…
How it plays and moves
With the breezes.
Light wafts, too,
Don’t you know.

Such a path leads Sally
To her mailbox each day.
About 5 years ago
Sally began posting images
To remind herself…
And, by extension, the rest of us…
Just how fortunate we are
To have so many examples
Of cheerful good things
That can lighten our hearts
And bring us peace and calm…
If we’re only willing to look.
And Sally looks each and every day.
These Maple leaves mark
Sally’s Peace Day 1750.
Sally also makes peace cranes…
A habit since 1989.
I am the lucky recipient
Of a set of these
Origami offerings for hope.
They hang in front of a mirror
That rejoices in multiplying
Their colourful intent
As my daily reminder
For my own peace
And calm
And love.
...
Here's a Canada Day version, just fo fun—with fond memories of Don Watt:

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

July 2021

 

As above, so below...

In Toronto,
We often just
Finesse Spring altogether
And jump directly
From icy winters
To sweltering summers.
Of course, we have
Smatterings of April showers
And May flowers
And even bright green
June sprouts...
But we can't count on
Anything but
Hope does
Spring eternal.
July, then, brings us
Full-on heat waves
With high temps
And even higher humidity surges.
...
In the Yukon, though,
The seasons seem to look
More like actual
Seasons.
Seasons of our dreams?
...
This month's calendar image
Is courtesy of
My grandson Lucas
Who's spending this summer
In and around Whitehorse.
He's showing us
Seasonal transitioning
Near Carcross...
Originally known as Caribou Crossing.
Ice is melting in waters
That echo clarity of skies
All with back-pinning
Of majestic snow-dipped mountains.
No-o-o-o sweltering!
...
Just visually poetic reminder
Of ancient texts
That teach
Infinite connection
Between heavens
And Earth, herself...
Between aspiration
And mundane...
Between gods
And men.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

July 2020

Thinking today of Don Watt and the scope of just one visual message...

As most of you know, I was fortunate enough to work for Don Watt for several years at his Bayview studio here in Toronto. He was the unattributed designer of the Canadian flag. It's a symbol now recognized instantly everywhere and brings particular pride and unity to the people in this beautiful country. Don left us in 2009 and I'm still saddened, in particular at this time of year.

One summer while I was working for Don, he invited all of us and our families to his King City farm for a big afternoon of hanging in the sun, swimming in the pool, and eating juicy barbecue. I took my two grandsons, Lucas (then 4) and Jackson (then 6). Lucas was even wearing a shirt with a Canadian Flag on it.

I had borrowed Peter's car for the drive and on the way there I told the boys about how Don had designed that flag. Each time we saw a flag as we drove (and there were many), I pointed it out to them, saying, "There's another one of Don's flags. Look how one great symbol can make so many people proud."

Finally, Lucas said,"He must get very tired painting all those flags!"
...
"Yes, I did," said Don when I told him as part of introductions, "but every one was fun because I love seeing people enjoy my work."
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course 

July 2019

Vibrant summer colours are here at last...

Teresa, my friend since the last century, has finally settled in Toronto again after many years roaming and working with UNICEF communities helping to uphold children's rights to happiness and education. My joy at her return is underscored by her moving to a place near my own home base, so we are able to hang out frequently... often indulging in nearby Mexican-style food. That's an essential for both of us; she is originally for Mexico City and I am from San Antonio, Texas.

This month's calendar is one of Teresita's paintings.Teresa had decided to pick up her interest in art by taking some lessons. And lo! She found a wonderful artist/teacher right in her own building: Nina Keogh.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

July 2018

Beyond the Boardwalk...

Only Mother Nature has a clue about what's going on under our Toronto Beaches boardwalk. It's all very low-rise here. We can still sing our memories on this Canada Day as we stroll in a welcome breeze. School's finally out in Canada, so the beach will be filled with people everywhere. Not in this pic, of course. There's evidence here of playful children on the beach and a distant rock-standing couple surveys a sail on the even more distant horizon. I know that couple. I walked to my bench-side bench with them. You can't see me, but I was resting and humming the Drifters' well-known song.

I was also wondering about this particular boardwalk... and through the magic of my trusty iPhone and expanded data plan I found this article in a past issue of Metro News.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

Happy Canada 150 +

Not Toronto... not even Canada...
but a wishful O Canada!

Our Toronto weather has been anything but celebratory. Cold and wet. Fortunately David (of Kate & David) recently posted this perfect day at New Jersey's Wildwood Crest beach. We're celebrating Canada's 150th birthday today and I'm hoping this image will find a way to attract some Summer and some sun, at least in our hearts. After all, we're ready to get warm so we can start complaining about the heat!

The Barenaked Ladies are performing at Nathan Phillips Square (in front of Toronto's City Hall). Buffy St.Marie, too. There'll be others of course. In fact the whole weekend is to be filled with events marking Canadian Confederation and flying the glorious Canadian flag created by that iconic designer I used to work for, Don Watt.

How can you not want this one for your desktop all month long??? Grab a higher resolution version from the link to the right.

Happy Canada 150 +
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

July 2016

Blueberries now and remembered...

Soon after arriving in Canada, we lived in a hidden part of North Vancouver, BC, called Deep Cove. Our backyard there was a mass of brambles and vines. Indeed our yard was a tangle of blueberries and salmonberries with a few raspberries dotted here and there. We spent our first spring clearing paths so we could gather our bounty... and the rest of our time there trying to maintain those paths against nature's rampant power.

Turns out we had some serious competition for our berries. As the last house on a street at the foot of Mt. Seymour, we were a part of The Wild. Visitors included countless raccoons of course, but the most dramatic visitors were bears. We could always tell when they were around because the neighbours' dogs went wild. Guess bears are really smelly. Like our neighbours, we kept our garbage secure in our basement, but those berries! Bears loved our berries... and they loved our easy-access pathways. They came in the night. We never saw them in person, but those barking dogs warned us to stay indoors. We always saw evidence the next day... and those bushes kept creating more berries for all of us.

Many years later, driving on Salt Spring Island, we stopped and picked berries on the sides of the roads. I wondered then, if bears shared those bushes, too.

Now, I get my berries from the grocery store... and when I'm lucky, local markets.

I always think about the bears... and how generations of both our species keep sharing our treasures.
...
Thank you to David's sister Annie, for this perfect pic of your yummy Portland picks.
...
This month, I invite you to let all your berry feasts
remind you of the bears—and Kurt Vonnegut's urging:
      . . .  please notice when you are happy,
       And exclaim or murmur or think at some point,
      If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.

July 2015

Batman & Petunia:
a tale of 2 cats & 1 pizza box

Kate and David met in California over 3 years ago now.
When they moved to Brooklyn together their respective cats
came with them. Batman & Petunia have been mostly
less enthusiastic than their people about sharing their spaces.
They have found common ground in watching out the window
for squirrels on the fire escape. They sit at full attention,
side-by-side perhaps even forgetting about each other!
Their latest dispute, however, is over this pizza box.
Could it be that each recognizes how perfectly the box graphics
echo the arch of furry sleeping back? After all,
they are cats and vain.

Thank you to Kate for the on-going updates!

July 2014

Canada Day 2014

Knowing plants do not generally thrive in my care, when Peter gave me this orchid he said (as he has said before), "Enjoy this while it's alive."

Hey guys! That was over a year ago. Named Harvey, he's made it through my move and our cold dark winter hiding behind thermal curtains that helped to keep the freezing winds out. Then, ta-dah!!! New blooms! Way to go Harvey!

Canada's 147th birthday is today. Just check out Facebook. It's all there. Tonight I will watch fireworks from my balcony. In the meantime, I put a little red maple leaf on my Canada Day postmark here, in honour of Don Watt, the man who designed the Canadian flag and whom I called boss... and friend.

July 2013

MORE BEES

Since I have this beedance fixation, when I first wanted to learn about eBay I decided to experiment with items about bees. I discovered little bee-jewelled bee brooches and bee pendants and bee earrings... and children's books about bees... and even a famous early 1900s bee-keeping volume by one John Lovell, whose last name is the same as that of my great-great-grandmother... and my own middle name. I also found this little hand-hooked bee rug from the newly-dubbed BeeBay. These little bees seem to be showing me their beedance directions to places only they can imagine. Or perhaps you know????

This past Monday we celebrated Canada Day... you'll notice the stamp here, proving Don Watt's flag still stands on guard for me. We're now hoping for some actual summer weather. Hope your summer is full of fireworks and bees dancing, pointing your way to refreshing victuals and nectars and more.

July 2012

Am I addicted to pink flowers?

Well they're not namby-pamby pink, are they? 

They're each radiantly brave in their own way.

The lotus must sink its roots into messy mud at the bottom of its pond. From that base it draws its strength and creates glorious blooms AND at the same time produces seeds that guarantees its future. 

Orchids thrive with their roots hanging out in the air, attached to trees or rocks or fences. Their whole being is involved in each breeze.. in each ray of sunshine and in each drop of rain and dew. They suck it all up and make exotic blooms in clumps. Sort of like rock bands, each individual enhances the others.

See? The lotus and the orchid show me 2 ways to be in the world: examples of ways to become the best I can be. Guess addiction to this pink power is okay with me.

Jul 2011

Happy Canada Day!

April showers did bring May flowers. In Toronto we also had May showers and June showers. This Canada Day introduces us back to sunshine and all the flowers and swimming pools and barbecues and baseball (Jackson) and tennis (Lucas)... and fireworks tonight to emphasize the announcement of it all.

Starting today, I invite you to kick off your shoes and remember the school's-out-barefoot-days of your summers past. I started by remembering my own tender-foot determination of those first summer days. You????

I'm celebrating by adding a little maple leaf from the flag in honour of Don Watt.

Jul 10

Time to focus on summer now.

Canada Day was July 1st and US Independence Day was July 4th. Here in Toronto we've had the heads of 20 countries meeting behind walls and tall fences to talk about Important Things. Their meetings were marked by demonstrations and some violence and many, many arrests. Then the Queen came for a social visit. I wonder what she in her perfect hat thinks about it all?

I'm ready chill in our so, so hot summer sun now and try to put it all into some sort of perspective. We gotta make some hay while that sun's a-shining: nature's therapy. Let's all get out there and enjoy, eh?