Bits and Pieces

Bits and Pieces

Life consists in this

That two solitudes

protect and touch

 and greet each other

For many years this quotation from Rainer Maria Rilke stood framed, above our bed.

When we moved the frame got broken, and so now

the quotation

lives on the front of the fridge, with various pictures of dear ones

and beloved poetry, an ever loving reminder of 'LOVE'

and the complexity between simplicity and richness.

I am not sure what brought this to mind, except that I was adding to the grocery list on the fridge

and it caught my eye, my heart and my imagination

and I realized how very true this observation is as age creeps up on us.

Today is Similkameen Sizzle Day!!!!

the 11th anniversary of this unique festival during which

the Similkameen Valley praises the pepper, either hot or cold,

but preferably hot!!!

There is a contest to see which foolhardy person is able most effectively to

burn his throat and esophagus (I think only men are required to prove their bravery

in the face of hot jalapenos)!!!

When the Royal Purple Ladies quit 'manning' the

Quesadilla table a few years ago I stopped braving the crowds,

but the hot Mexican and Spanish music reaching us from the park

where the Festival was being held was enough to set the toes a-tapping, or the hips a-twirling, 

whichever were most nimble!!!

We had a really nice visit this afternoon.

Shaun, the son of English parents, was brought up on a ranch

in the Similkameen, joined the army and then served as Sergeant-at-Arms

in the local Legion before he moved to the Fraser Valley.

He has been a friend who has the utmost respect for Veterans and it

is always a pleasure when he comes to see us.

I was particularly pleased when he said he had found us in our town house by recognizing

the flagpole at the gate - the one which I had written about on my Blog,

and which he had READ about.  Gosh!  

Is this what fame is all about!!!!!

To put the icing on the cake our son arrived even before I expected him

after a long trip from the Cariboo with his cat, Big Paws (BP).

Lovely to give him big hugs......

And those are all the bits and pieces that made up the day. except for the neighbour's

 elegant yard sale where nothing was junk and everything

was clean and polished and laid out on lace tablecloths.

I wish I had a picture to show you.

I bought a nice cheese cutting board with a handy ceramic

drawer in which to keep cheese knives and pickle forks.

Do I need this?

Not really, but I thought it was pretty.