Texture Tuesday

A People Challenge

textured twice with Kim's Yesteryear and once with Lifesgood

A dear friend of mine who will soon be 96

Click to enlarge and see better her wonderful spirit

Out in the garden the jungle is coming alive with gorgeous blooms.

Using Kim's LovesGood and Luminosity

For more fabulous textured pictures click here

and enjoy Kim Klassen's great Texture Tuesday Party.

A little garden tucked away with all one's heart dreams of.

  Roses, lilies, lilacs and orange blossom.

Peonies and lovely blue delphinium.

A yellow iris

The fiery Blaze that has grown in all the gardens we've loved and tended

Life is good!  Even enchanting.....

More about this garden in our future.

Texture Tuesday

Using Kim Klassen's Just Cause

Marvelous Textured Photos here at Texture Tuesday.

ABC Wednesday

The VIP letter this week is the Venerable V


So many V's come flooding into my mind - she had a vacation to go and see the vixen and when she had verified its value she retired to the veranda to have a little fruit of the vine...etc.

But then I thought of all the Vera's I have known, (or known of)  and in particular Vera Lynne, close to the hearts of World War 2 Veterans and their sweethearts, and so I found this endearing video to send your way, - full of nostalgic memories, sighs, and the odd tear or two for those of us of that Vintage.



More Veritable V's here, at Mrs. Nesbitt's Venue.

A faint but very beautiful late evening rainbow last night.  I handed the camera to the expert and original owner, our son David, - come to visit.

During the night there was a heavy rain, but by six o'clock the garden was fresh and fragrant, full of pretty shadows and small drops of the night shower.  I went out to pick flowers for the Pentecost altar, and gathered some newly bloomed peonies and gorgeous iris.

Well, nobody else was up and the coffee had not quite finished perking

so I stayed out to take some pictures.

This afternoon, after a wee nap, I succumbed

to temptation and  all the lovely textures that have

come my way of late, mostly thanks to Kim Klassen who

taught me all I know!!!!

Nola

When I first met Charles he had, among other appealing attributes, a nice repertoire of old time jazzy, ragtime piano music.  Alexander's Ragtime Band, The Dark Town Strutter's Ball, You Made me Love You, Five foot two - and he played Nola, with great dexterity and liveliness.  Probably it sounded like this video, as he learned many of the pieces he played from his cousin's  Player Piano.

We learned  to play a few duets and entertained the children with them, - mostly Sousa Marches.  Charles was into marches, having played the tuba in the school band, and then in the Penticton City Band after we were married.

After a while, when he was leading a very busy life, and his fingers lost some of their dexterity, he drifted away from the piano, and it is difficult to coax him to sit and let his fingers remember the tunes we once so enjoyed listening to.

Just lately I came across the sheet music for 'Nola' which  Felix Arndt composed for his wife in 1915.

 In the early years, when we both played, I had tinkled out the tune, but never really learned it properly so that my fingers respond to the melody, and this morning as I stumbled through it I caught him as he passed the piano and asked for a demonstration, but he was off to do important things, and so I sighed and swung into the Peacherine Rag.

But one of these days.....

Our oldest son has inherited his father's strong, rhythmic left hand and I do admire it in both of them.

Felix Arndt's lyrics to Nola

I realize within your eyes for me there lies a paradise
What other bliss is like a kiss from pretty lips I idolize\You are so sweet and you are so neat
A girl like you I'd never meet
Just to behold you is a treat that's hard to beat.

Nothing I do can show how true I am to you, my only one
Cuddle up near and let me hear a word to cheer your lonely one
Your winning style my heart beguiles
For one sweet smile I'd walk a mile
Let me enfold you in my arms awhile.

When You're near the birds sing in the trees pretty harmonies
All the world is humming a melody
When away from you I may be straying
Then my heart keeps saying
You're the heart of me, part of me, all of me
Nola, heed and listen while I plead, you're the one I need
Life for me is nothing but  misery
Nola, Nola, hear your lonesome lovesick sweetheart calling Nola

Texture Tuesday

Pierrot and Columbine
using Kim Klassen's Serendipity

The first peony in the garden and an excerpt from Mary Oliver's touching poem "Peonies"

The link to Texture Tuesday on my sidebar will take you to many beautiful textured photos.

ABC Wednesday

The letter this week is U - more Unavailable than Ubiquitous

Nevertheless, U stands for UNDER THE SEA





Enjoy - and for more interesting U's swim along over to ABC Wednesday and investigate all sorts of interesting interpretations of the letter U.  With thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt and her Upstanding assistants.

Three straight days of brilliant sunshine, blue skies, light breezes and the garden is out there rejoicing.  I hear the gladsome cries as I step out on to the deck, and it takes but the least little push for me to give up whatever I was planning to do and go and join the celebration.

I have been spending a lot of time in this electric, but strangely peaceful garden.

Mostly bent over, but when I do straighten up, one hand on a

potentially aching back, there is always a smile on my face.

What beauty natures creates as she goes about this pregnant job

of sustaining the species!

The first roses on the pink climber have opened

on the tips of the wandering branches.

and the clematis  are leaping up the trellis

two days ago there were no iris in bloom

and suddenly they are all vying for their place in the sun

the evening sun finds its way through the trees

and illuminates the last of the allium

and the blossoms on the tree peony

I sigh with pleasure and go in to scrub my hands that mark me for what I am -

a happy gardener!

June 5th, 2011

It is Ashley's birthday today (second to youngest granddaughter).

She is now twenty-two and a few days ago we received a most wonderful and welcome invitation to a wedding celebration, when she and Chris will be married in the fall.   It is to be a Scottish wedding!

Last October our own Katie and Will were married at the Grist Mill, with piper and kilts and tartan and heather. Beautiful wedding, and these two lovely Scottish celebrations remind me of my sister's wedding day, sixty years ago.

I have written about this wedding before in my recollection blog, but I have a number of reasons for wanting to re-post.  Mainly because it is such a pleasure to remember that particular day, and also because for medical reasons I am trying to keep life flowing along simply and my stress levels low. And  because I want it to be part of Daybyday so that when Blog2Print and I make a deal it will be included in the book that results.

So please bear with me if you think vaguely that you might have seen it before.


A Romantic Wedding

The date and the gladioli blooming in the garden, brought to mind my sister's wedding in August, 1951, - a fond recollection and a reminder of what weddings were in that time and space.

The invitation arrived and plans were made to travel.  A neighbour drove us to Vancouver, - me and three small children. One a crawler and the other two to be part of the wedding party.  We board the train and started our journey in a spacious compartment.  (Fares were not then what they are now!!!)  An exciting trip for the children, and somewhat exciting for me, too....

We arrived!

The Wedding Day arrived!

The tartan ribbon and the heather from Scotland that marked the guest pews arrived!

On the day of the wedding, courtesy of a kind postman who made a special delivery when they missed the regular post.  The bride tucked a bit of heather into her bouquet, and the groom into his cap.

The apartment is electric with last minute excitement and preparations.  My sister seems calm on the outside, but on the way to the wedding she sings in the car  "And the horse told me" from the Bing Crosby film, Riding High.

The owner told Clarence the clocker
The Clocker told jockey McGee
The jockey,of course
Passed it on to the horse
And the horse told me.

Did the Groom observe tradition and not see the bride on their wedding day before she came up the aisle?  I can't remember...  The Groom is a Piper, and he heads the young Pipe Band, all of whom will be in attendance at this romantic Scottish wedding.  He rustles up a small kilt for my son (5) to wear as he bears the ring!



The Bride, with her gorgeous bouquet of Gladioli.

We all set off for the church, except for the dear little 'crawler' who slept peacefully through all the festivities at home with a sitter, dreaming the dreams of the innocent.

Our father is at the Lynch Gate to escort the Bride into the church.




The other bridesmaids were good sports about helping with the smaller members of the wedding party and somehow we all got up the aisle, although the flower girl (2 1/4) abandoned her place at the steps to the altar to go and sit on Grandma's knee!

The Rector, the Rev. Nainby, officiated.  The organist played beautifully.

It came time to sign the register



And then the grand Recessional, and the Bride and Groom left the church under a pathway of crossed Pipes, and to the lilt of a Scottish wedding tune in their honour.



A lovely reception, - pictures of the wedding party and the parents, who probably sighed in relief that all had gone well and that our parents in particular would soon have peace and quiet!  Our mother was operating from a wheel chair, and she did it with grace and her usual serene fortitude.





And the beautiful Bride and the handsome Groom



The years go by.  Times change.  But the memory of a lovely traditional wedding stays with you always.  All the excitement, all the love - it lives forever.

As I hope it will for these two beloved granddaughters.

Sidewalk Photographs

I am sorting through some old pictures when I come across a sidewalk photo, taken in Edmonton ca 1944.  Then another, and another, until I have half a dozen.  I am looking for a remembrance picture to add to my Recollections, and the memories roused by these photos call out to be recorded.

I wonder about the practice of sidewalk photography, - is it still a viable business for anyone looking to augment their income during these difficult economic times?

Oh, surely not, I think - times have changed since these pictures were taken and the Rights of people are so easily offended now!!!

But in those more innocent and sensible days the sidewalk photographer was easily accepted, - even welcomed.  When the camera snapped and the lens captured your image as you walked down the street there was a little excitement and a pleasant feeling of anticipation as the photographer handed you the chit to retrieve the picture - for a small sum.

Here are some of the photos taken with friends and colleagues as we window shopped during our noon hour, dreaming over things for our hope chests, spending precious moments looking for just the right greeting card, and occasionally on payday buying some article of clothing that had caught our eye.  Paydays at that time were a pittance compared to today's generous wages.  I made little more in a month than what is now paid for a day's wages, but prices were equally as small so it all evened out.







These were all dear friends.  I am nostalgic and smiling at the memories the pictures bring to mind.  And I say Up, up with Street Photographers, and mourn their passing.

They were special.   'They had almost no time to make a decision and they had to be prepared to snap the picture as soon as the subject came into focus and the brain signaled "NOW". A fine instinct for the perfect moment was never enough. The eye and the hand and the brain had to coordinate perfectly and without hesitation'.

Skilled street photographers developed the ability to compose and frame the image in their mind’s eye before they even raised the camera.

When we were on our honeymoon Charles and I were snapped on the street, coming from our hotel.     I see I have a letter in my hand to mail, - probably to my mother.  We had had so little time together, and were so very new with each other, -  and they were such entrancing days.



As sometimes days are now, sixty-six years later.....

Texture Tuesday

Using Kim's Stained Linen on the creamy hawthorn at the edge of the garden.

Love Textures?  Visit here at Texture Tuesday for more treats.

ABC Wednesday

The letter this week is the noble T


T is for Toadstools

Here is a Toad, sitting on a Toadstool

The Toadstool is an amanita muscaria variety

This is the type of Toadstool the Brownies used to dance around, and the one

chosen by many human Brownie Packs as an emblem

and a seat for the Brown Owl

I don't remember the Toadstool in my Brownie Pack being polka dotted, - I'm sure

it was of the plain brown variety, but that was long ago, and some of my memories

may be a little vague.

A long, long time ago in the far distant past, when I was too young to join Brownies I was allowed to go as an Elf and sit under the Toadstool and feel tremendously important to be there with the BIG kids.

After I got old enough to graduate from being a Toadstool sitter I got to be a full fledged Brownie.

Brownies was a serious organization, - it involved getting badges and learning to tie knots.

I don't think Brownies learn those things any more, but they do learn to be good citizens, and luckily for them they wear some pretty nice casual clothes, that gives them the distinction of being a Brownie but not the itchiness of those long stockings!

Here I am, with them bunched around my knees, circa 1933......

That's me on the right!!

For more great interpretations of the letter T skip on over to ABC Wednesday, here, with many thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt and her kind helpers.

Wisteria

Lovely name for such a delicate flower

I have been having fun with Photoshop, but here is the original

It is very beautiful trailing over the arbour at the house at the bottom of the hill

ABC Wednesday

The Letter this week is the Slinky S

S is for Simplicity.  

Life has been something of a Kaleidescope of family, farming, weaving, gardening, music, books, organizations and commitments, and as we age the idea of SIMPLICITY is very appealing

We strive towards a simple life, but a lively curiosity and a lusty ego

make living by Occam's Razor somewhat of a problem.

Even when you do reach the point of Simplicity, having renounced all

commitments and reduced oneself to one fork, one spoon, a knife, one plate,

one book, one favourite piece of music a single pot of flowers,

the choice looms...

the beauty, purity and clarity - the elegance of Simplicity

or

out and out parsimony

Well, the question remains

but I do know that Simplicity, well Suited to one's way of life, reduces Stress!

A little philosophy here.

Korafotomorgano

For more interpretations of the letter S

click here to go to ABC Wednesday, kindly hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt

and all her Sweet helpers.

A little self-examination here....

I was not kind about the contents that were sent to me by a lay preacher to prepare into a Bulletin for today's church service.

I, who have been so long an Anglican, was derisive of the pedestrian 'cross-talk' between leader and congregation, - the lack of meaningful prayers and the beauty of the words found in the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.

I, who am smug about the prayers and phrases that are a part of my inner being

 as I indulge in meditative prayer.

I, who am unaccepting of this new Emerging Church which attempts to 'redefine itself through an intense engagement with the surrounding secular world', blurring the boundary between religion and the broader society by entertaining the question of the very existence of God and the divinity of Christ, and becoming yet another social activist secular group.

I, who feel impatience with the secular world who deride the 'old' churches and
fail to see the love and charity that has always been at their centre, the core of Christ's gospel of love made manifest and honoured in the community and the world, despite the human failings within.

I listened as this Scottish lay preacher told of always riding in the front seat of a two decker red Glasgow bus when he was a child , and of the words on a bilboard sign that was at the edge of the road the bus traveled.

IF YOU WERE TO BE ARRESTED TODAY FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN, WOULD THERE BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT YOU????

I sat at the organ and asked myself this question.

The answer was humbling, and opened my mind to many thoughts for me to ponder.

In light of the recent Rapture rapture, I figure I might not be one of those transported!!!!!

And speaking of the Rapture, I read today in an eMo from Barbara Crafton

a reminder of the heart break and  devastation felt by those who truly believed in 

the expected Rapture and staked their lives and futures on it,  and I was moved to compassion.