Sep 2012

Is Summer here to stay?

Labour Day seems to mark the end of summer... at least it's the end of white shoes, if you're my age. The heat and humidity continue here, though, and make it difficult to imagine anything except sweat and patios.

This weekend I was in Stratford watching my grandsons play some heroic baseball. Stratford, a picturesque small town west of Toronto, is the home of the famous Stratford Shakespeare Festival (http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/).

Driving about after the game, I espied this evidence that change could indeed be on the way... as the bard, himself, asked:

O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out
Against the wreckful siege of battering days...

Aug 2012

These days it’s all about bringing home the gold.

I think we all get excited watching Olympic athletes. All these talented and committed people who make a habit of doing impossible things everyday. I smile with pride at sharing humanity with them.

My own two kids have also made it their habits to do many impossible things. Witness last month’s San Francisco Marathon. Peter came from his home in Barbados to visit Kate in Berkeley. They had agreed to run: he, the full marathon, and Kate, the half marathon.

The first part of the amazing route includes crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, then turning about and recrossing it going the other way. Kate reported on her facebook page: “the best part of the run was spotting my brother and giving him a high five as we passed each other on the bridge.”

Peter finished in 4:23:52. Kate finished in 2:21:23. I’ve put their medals below over the pic I took of the bridge when I visited there a few years ago. Again, I get to share in the impossible. I’m smiling.

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.

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.

May 2012

Another look at April showers and May flowers...
wih the lotus it all happens at once

Roots entwine
in mud
rich from life
now long past

Blooms unfold
radiant faces
reflect sun
glorify today

Seeds offer
new life
and hope
for future

Simultaneous
cause
and effect

Lotus.

_____
Thanks to Edward Rajewski for this glorious image from his recent trip to Thailand. Look at those big heavy seed pods among all the blooms, somehow all balancing on long stems and floating leaves.

Apr 2012

Foolishness...

Well Google seems to have won the day announcing new Morse code tapping for mobile gmail... Google Maps announced a retro graphics option... and the landing page of Chinese Google offered an interactive seascape with swimming fish and falling coins and treasure chests. Seems some cultures refer to the day as April Fish Day.

My own offering is more of a test of perception than of foolery. Is it a moonscape? a map of the stars? Is the circle an innie or an outie? a pool or a lump?

Well, I'm not trying to fool you, but to show you a detail of one of my fave Noguchi basalt sculptures. I love these carvings for their shapes and even more for their surface textures. 

Hope you enjoy pondering this month.
Also remember to pack your bumbershoot for all those April showers.

Mar 2012

Sending my kids out to play...

From the time they were little
I loved meeting Peter's and Kate's playmates.
They each proved through those early and subsequent friendships
That they know how to value and enjoy
And share their lives with
Some of the nicest and most talented people
On the planet.
They both play well with others.

This painting is another of my kids.
I painted it here in Toronto
As memory of one of my favourite places
In San Antonio, Texas: the Spanish Governor's Palace.
It now lives with Peter in Barbados
And has been making friends of its own, too.
Look! Peter says this little green lizard
Hangs out around my painting. Seems they're buds.
My colourful painting also plays well with a colourful other.

If you want to see the whole thing,
I used it for my Sept 2004 calendar.
You'll find it in these calendar archives

Feb 2012

Red Letter Day...

for two bees,
or not two bees.
that might be the question.
whether tis nobler
in the mind,
or in the mouth,
to savour the bittersweet
alone or to find another
who can share
such outrageous fortune.

Chinese New Year 2012

Chinese New Year happens the second new moon after the winter solstice. It's that new moon time again: the year of the Black Water Dragon (that's a water dragon that's black, instead of a dragon that lives in black water). I thank Veer for this illustration. Go here to see Neil Gaiman's rendition.

All new moons give us the opportunity to renew our commitments to ourselves. Certainly this inventive Aquarius new moon bodes well for exciting new beginnings and enlivening breakthroughs. Surprising events await us and unexpected epiphanies that will come to us as a result of keeping our eyes wide open. Make this a month—and a year—to remember!

Jan 2012

Season's Greetings!
This instead
Of  recently-made-old
Merry Christmas
    and
Happy Hanukkah
    and maybe even
Happy Kwanzaa.

But,
Tis the Season,
Eh?

We're ready to celebrate,
and to invite
Our friends to celebrate…
and we include
Their own celebrations
In our well-wishing.
Inclusive is us.

Season's Greetings.
Whatever.

What ever
Are we all celebrating?
Eight days of candles? 
    Light of liberation and dedication.
Birth of a saviour?
    Light of redemption and hope.
African roots, fruits, harvest?
    Light of identity and past-into-present..

Tis the Season
Of renewal of All Light.
Tis the Season
Of relinquishing Darkness
To lengthening Days...
Of the return of Light
Bit by bit.
The return of Light.
Light of renewal.

Ah!!!
Season's Greetings
    and
Happy New Light.

Have a shiny & sparkling year.
Renew yourself
    and
Your library books.

Bette Forester
Toronto
31 Dec 2011

Thank you Phoebe for this rainy Portland 5th Day of Christmas image...

and thank you Neil Gaiman for this benediction for a new year:

Dec 2011

Remembering Christmas in Ajijic...

Our first snow of the season came last evening. It was skimpy and wet. It hardly seems like the season it's trying to represent. Food banks and toy drives report donations are down and blame the weather. Apparently we simply don't think Christmas is coming yet if there's no snow.

I offer memory of the 2006 season in Mexico. If we can build a longing for southern suns, then it must be time for Christmas... and all the appropriate donations.

Nov 2011

The season for farmers markets...

Farmers are busy these days, harvesting before the ground is covered in snow. Of course they may have missed the boat in New York where they've already got a white cover. Time for us all to grab some roots and start simmering our fave warming soups.

As usual in November, I invite you to remember Kurt Vonnegut on his November 11th birthday. He would have welcomed some beets in 1945 when he was a prisoner in Dresden during the devastating fire-bombing. Let's all curl up with one of his books and slurp some beet soup.

Send me your fave beets recipe, whether soup or something else. Here's one I like that adds some other roots...onions, garlic & ginger: Beet & Ginger Soup Recipe

Oct 2011

Holding on to some last vestiges of summer...

When I lived in Texas (and later when I lived in Australia) I didn't spend much time watching the seasons. I did notice the sage in bloom before a rain (that's Texas) and the weed that I indulged because it was the only green in my Sydney back yard. That weed repaid me by producing tomatoes. From that you might infer I don't garden. You would be correct.

In Canada, however, I find myself trying to stretch the summer, or at least my conscious awareness of it. I do this by paying close attention to colours.

Every morning as I ride the subway over the Don River I carefully grab a seat facing west. This gives me a great view of the sun striking the west bank of the river and all the trees upon it. I noted the first instance of yellow leaves a good 4 weeks ago. Every day there have been more and many are starting to morph into orange. They're still mostly green, but the move is on. True oranges and browns will surround us soon.

And at my house, I wake up every morning and look out this window where I'm still finding this glorious evidence that it's not over til it's over.

Sep 2011

A Labour Day reminder...

Since the 1880s Canadians have celebrated the contributions of labour and specifically the development of the 8-hour day. The concept involved the recognition that workers should be able to work only 1/3 of each day. This was designed to leave 1/3 for sleep and 1/3 for recreation.

Funny how commuting, grocery shopping, housecleaning, cooking, laundry and activities of that ilk all seem to count as "recreation."

I implore you, this labour day, take the hint from this little street's sign near my office. Stay away from work AND all that boring recreation. Just relax and have fun.

Oh, and put away those white shoes.

Aug 2011

Sun! Sun! Sun!

At last we have a summer to brag about: my excuse for a tardy calendar.

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.

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.

4 May 2011

Happy Luke Skywalker's Day!
Remember to charge your light sabre and chill your cerveza.

May 2011

Philosophy for All of Life in One Taxi Ride
For real. Toronto last Friday. Nuf said.

Apr 2011

You probably remember Dr. Kate from my August post...
Well, after finishing that Ph.D. last August, she moved to Berkeley where she's happily doing post-doc math things. This month I'm introducing you to her cat, Batman. Here, Batman's exploring Kate's new rug. It's called Little Field of Flowers and it's designed by Tord Boontje and made from wool felt by Nani Marquina. Batman and the Field live with Kate in her perfect Berkeley apartment behind the garden I showed you last November. As usual Kate's introducing me to lots of new things: the Field re-defines my concept of "rug." I do have a better basis for understanding this than I do string theory... and I hope you will join Batman and me to expand your rug-universe, too.