PUMPKIN PATCH

This week, ABC Wednesday is brought to you by the letter P, as in pumpkin patch.  We spent the afternoon at Country Farms Pumpkin Patch yesterday, and the kids had a blast going out into the fields to pick their pumpkins.  It was very expensive to go into that particular area where you could have a hay ride, a mini train ride, get an apple and other treats and view the displays.  So I opted to be photographer and caught them as they went by on the hay ride and then went and shot just about everything I saw - from roosters, bunnies, goats, and piles of fresh vegies in the market area.  When we got home, my daughter and son-in-law helped the kids design and carve their pumpkins.  They were leaving last night on a vacation/business trip, so wanted to share the experience with the kids before they left.  So we now have 5 pumpkins decorating my front porch and the kids just need to put candles inside for Halloween night.  Here are some photos of our great day at the pumpkin patch.

With plenty of thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt, our perennial leader/creator, and to the popular Roger, our personable administrator.  Also, plenty more thanks to the phenomenal team who pop by to give each contributor praiseworthy points of view.  See you all next week for the letter Q.

O is for OTTAWA

Ottawa - Canada's capital city has erupted in joy!  The "reds" (Liberals) ousted the long-standing Conservative government after almost 10 years in power.  It was an extremely exciting night on October 19, 2015, as we watched the results come in.  Apparently, in the last election, only about 44% of Canadians voted but this time, over 68% voted, which was the biggest turnout since 1993 (17 million people voted)!  It was a phenomenal turnout and people were even voting at the early voting stations the week before. 

Our new Prime Minister is Justin Trudeau, son of one of our most famous previous Prime Ministers, Pierre Eliot Trudeau, who always wore a red rose in his lapel.  Young Mr. Trudeau campaigned hard on his platform of "real change" for all Canadians.  It remains to be seen exactly what he has in mind, although he has said that he will use deficits to stimulate the economy. 

Justin Trudeau has lots of supporters, although some feel he is not ready to be Prime Minister.  A good friend of mine posted these comments on Facebook:

"This is the day when the great country of Canada elects a high school drama teacher (and snow board instructor) who has no proven leadership abilities, has a spotty academic record, and has an even spottier attendance record as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons. However, his last name is Trudeau, and he has great hair. There has never been anyone more unqualified to be the Prime Minister of our country. Who are the puppet masters pulling the strings? That's who Canadians are really voting for. People are voting against our current Prime Minister. When you vote against someone, you get who you vote for. It's truly frightening."

and this:

“ 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' ~~ George Santayana

I have very mixed feelings about last night's Canadian election. There is no question that Canada needed a change. But did we really get it? No, we didn't. Once again we have the ghost of Pierre Elliott Trudeau hanging over our country. I think dynastic politics should not be allowed. In Canada, we now have the Trudeaus, and there will probably at some time be a third. In the US, a country of some 335 million people, they're stuck with either the Clintons or the Bushes. Is that really change?

Is a 43-year-old man with very little political experience and no proven leadership abilities really qualified to be Prime Minister of a country like Canada, simply because he shares the same DNA as a previous Prime Minister? Isn't this how royalty started? I have always said that if monarchies did not exist, we would invent them."

 Now, I don't necessarily agree with all my friend has written, but it is true that Canada needed some sort of change.  I admit that I always thought that our previous (Conservative) Prime Minister Stephen Harper did an excellent job keeping our country economically sound even in the midst of the American recession. 

Notice the areas where the Liberals swept the country.  ALL of Atlantic Canada went red; all of the northwest territories went red; a small portion of Quebec (as usual) went Bloc Quebecois; most of the prairie provinces were conservative (blue); and the rest (orange) went to the New Democratic Party.  It might appear that there is more orange, but one needs to know that the population in these areas is very sparse. 

Canada has spoken loud and clear.  We have made our bed.  Now we lie in it ... and we wait. 



N is for NOISE

Welcome to N week here at ABC Wednesday.  I thought I'd write about noise this week because I have been hearing a lot of it since last Friday.  Why last Friday, you ask?  Well, my daughter and her husband along with two kids ages 11 and 7 moved in with me.  This is a temporary measure as they sold their house and we are looking to buy another one together.  We are all getting along nicely, but it is a huge learning curve for all concerned. 

I have been used to my own routine with a minimum of noise around me.  My constant companion is Tegan and she is used to my routine, too.  So both of us have been displaced.  Don't get me wrong - we all talked at length about this and totally agree on all changes made.  But poor Tegan doesn't understand and was actually sick today on my newly cleaned carpet!  Poor baby!  And she also has to get used to their little dog, Lucy (half Shitzu-half Havanese). 

 

I have given my daughter and son-in-law the master bedroom and I have taken over the guest room, while the children are sharing my office.  I moved my desk out and they moved a double bed in along with the X-Box.  The kids and I share a bathroom, too. 

 

So with this past weekend being our Thanksgiving, it's a long weekend in which we all are working out the details and snags.  The kids were so excited to be moving in with Gramma and starting a new school on Wednesday, so the noise level has been pretty high.  They had to try out the X-Box by playing "Call of Duty" and have been either at war with each other or laughing and giggling to the max!  *Sigh*

 

But I love them to death and wouldn't want it any other way right now.

With thanks to the naughty but nice Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator or ABCW, and to the noble Roger, our administrator.  Also, many thanks to the nutty group of bloggers who navigate over to all the contributors in order to narrate their observations of your nifty notions that have come out of your noggins.



M is for MISTY MORNINGS

Thought I'd share some of my photos that show the morning mist around my neighbourhood.  Hope you enjoy them. We'll start with a shot of Air Canada taking off from YVR.

 

Snow geese in November

Misty day at Terra Nova

Looking west towards the Gulf Islands



Looking north towards the mountains that are invisible.

Coast Guard Station in Richmond

With thanks to the marvelous Mrs. Nesbitt, creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the mighty Roger, our administrator.  Also, I would never forget to mention the magnanimous group of bloggers who go out of their way to leave magnificent praises to you all for your contributions.

L is for LOVELY

This week ABC Wednesday is brought to you by the Letter L - not only as for MOI (Leslie) but also for LOVELY as in the lovely weather we've had since the drought ended.  It had to be one of the worst summers I've spent here at home.  There was absolutely no respite, not even a drop of rain or drizzle and the heat was unbearable.  I don't know how people live in hot and humid climates! 

Anyway, I thought I'd bring you a few photos of my little corner of the world to show you how lovely it is right now.  My favourite place to be is near the water.

First up, here's a lovely little home-made sailboat that was docked at Wellington Point the other day.

And here's another little outboard motor boat that was hiding in the grasses and reeds down by Sharkey's Restaurant at their wharf.

Here's a shot of part of the river that runs through Ladner (OH! Another L word!)

Here is a shot across the water to the marina where lovely fishing boats are moored.

And finally, I just can't resist including a picture of my "granddog" Lucy and Tegan waiting patiently while I do my thing.

Thanks to the lovely Lady Nesbitt, the creator of ABCW, and to the likeable Lord Roger, our administrator.  Don't forget about the loyal team of ABCW'ers who leap from blog to blog to leave lovely comments for everyone.

K is for British slang words

 

No story, no moral, no point today except to bring you a few odd British words that we also use in Canada that begin with the letter K.  Just for fun.

 

KERFUFFLE (a big fuss)

 

 

KNACKERED  (tired, exhausted)

 

 

KNICKERS (underwear)

 

 

KNOCK UP  (wake up)

 

KNICK (to steal)

 KNEES UP (to party hardy)

 

So there you have it - some strange vocabulary for some but if anyone has any British heritage at all, I'm sure you've heard at least some of these.  Thanks to the adorably kitschy Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday and to our keen administrator Roger.  Also many thanks to each member of the team who leaves knockout comments so everyone feels welcome.

J is for JEALOUSY

With my mind turning towards my students as they return to school this month, I started thinking about some of my favourite Shakespearean plays that I will have to help them understand. 

Othello stands out as one of my favourites when Iago says to Othello, "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;  It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss  Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;  But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er  Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!"  What he's actually saying (in modern parlance) is "I hope you get jealous and kill your wife because that would fit in perfectly with my plans."  Iago is nasty, malicious and evil just for the pure fun of it! 

Jealousy can turn people into monsters just like Iago.  It can cause insane rage and play on one's selfishness and fears.  This is not going to be a missive on how to overcome it.  I thought I'd just share my thoughts on the emotion through a poem I wrote a few years ago when I was teaching my class about nouns that depicted emotions.

JEALOUSY

Jealousy is a green that’s hard to define.

It looks like terribly tangled vines.

It sounds like wallowing and whimpering whines.

It smells like a strange scent on his neckline.

It tastes like muddy paranoid pies.

It feels like razor blades when he tells his lies.

Jealousy is sin in others’ eyes.
 

However, jealousy can also be a positive emotion.  Really?  How could that possibly be true?  Well, it could be an indicator of where you want to be in your life.  It could cause some curiosity about how someone else attained their goal, which could be a precipitator to reaching your own goal.  Jealousy can also cause you to look inside yourself so you can see and become more grateful for what you have been able to do so far in your life.  This is the best quote I've seen recently on the topic of jealousy:

With thanks to the jolly Mrs. Nesbitt, creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the jovial Roger, our administrator.  Also, don't forget to throw out a big "Thanks" to the joyful team members who like to join in the fun by jumping over to many blogs to read your jottings or about your latest journey or your favourite jam or jelly recipe.  See y'all next week for the letter K.



I is for ICE

This is an updated version of I is for ICE that I posted in September, 2009.  Sometimes the creative juices fail, so in this case, I went back to reread some of my old posts and thought this would work.  Hope you enjoy it.

Living in Canada as I do, ice is an expected form of precipitation. However, in this little corner of the country, known locally as Lotusland, we don't get as much of it as in the rest of Canada. Here, one would usually find ice in a cold drink in the form of cubes in any season throughout the year.

It does occasionally get cold enough for ice to form on top of the puddles in the fields. And when we were kids, there were ditches in front of the residential area where I grew up so we'd put on our ice skates and go bumping along, trying to avoid the overhanging bushes or tree branches that got in our way. Also, every Saturday afternoon we would get on the bus to travel into the city of Vancouver to go ice skating at Kerrisdale Arena. Until we got our very own figure skates for Christmas one year, we would rent dirty old ones at the rink. I remember one c-c-c-cold January weekend, we gathered up a bunch of friends and drove out to Fry's Corner (the "real" country) and skated and played a sort of hockey on the farmer's field. (That's me in the middle with my late husband on the right and his best friend on the left.)

Of course, ice hockey is almost our national sport! I say "almost" as it isn't officially our national sport because lacrosse takes that honour. But if you think of Canada, you'll usually think HOCKEY. (Did you happen to notice we all have hockey sticks in the photo above?) My Dad was a great hockey fan and every Saturday at 5:00 pm, we'd hear the familiar tune of "Hockey Night in Canada" playing just before the national anthem(s) were sung and the game began.

When my daughters were young, they were involved in figure skating with my older daughter competing at provincial and national levels for her age category. We have an entire photo album of her skating "career," starting with when she learned how to ice skate at the age of 3 and her Daddy would push her around the ice rink as she held onto a sliding frame. Then as she got older, we'd proudly watch her as she pirouetted, spun, and glided herself to many medals and cups.

My younger daughter was on a precision team both here in BC and when we lived temporarily in Ontario. Again, our hearts burst with pride as we watched her participate in many ice competitions. Her ice skating album is right beside her sister's. By the way, I actually made that red and grey polka-dot skating outfit for her when she was about 3 years old.

Did you hear that southern Alberta got snow already this month and the mountains at Whistler, BC, already have snow on their peaks?  Both these bits of news have never been heard of before! I don't mind the cold weather sometimes, but no one around here (except the skiers) like snow because it's so unusual that the city practically grinds to a halt.

So you see, ice is an important item in my world. When it's hot, we put ice in our drinks and if it's cold enough, some of us will venture out to ice skate or play ice hockey.

Thanks to the imaginative Denise Nesbitt who created ABC Wednesday ice ages ago and to the inimitable Roger, our illustrious administrator.

H is for HELL

One of my students had to read Dante's "Inferno" a couple of years ago, so I thought I should read it, too.  The old style is a bit difficult at first, but I had a copy that explained practically every line.  If you haven't had the pleasure, Dante Alighieri describes Hell as having nine circles (levels), each of which describes various types of sins.  As Dante sinks deeper into the circles of Hell, the descriptions of the circles' conditions become worse and worse.  The 9 circles of Hell represent the sins of (in order of level of evil) Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery.   I can't insert an image from the poem because all are just too gruesome, but this illustrates the inscription that Dante sees as he approaches the entrance to Hell.

From Wikipedia:  In the very centre of Hell, condemned for committing the ultimate sin (personal treachery against God), is Satan. Satan is described as a giant, terrifying beast with three faces, one red, one black, and one a pale yellow:

he had three faces: one in front bloodred;
and then another two that, just above
the midpoint of each shoulder, joined the first;
and at the crown, all three were reattached;
the right looked somewhat yellow, somewhat white;
the left in its appearance was like those
who come from where the Nile, descending, flows.^[61]

Satan is waist deep in ice, weeping tears from his six eyes, and beating his six wings as if trying to escape, although the icy wind that emanates only further ensures his imprisonment (as well as that of the others in the ring).  With Satan are Brutus and Cassius who assassinated Julius Caesar and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.

This poem is an allegory (writers use abstracts to represent meanings through actions, imagery, characters, events to create a moral, spiritual or political meaning) but when one reads Dante's "Inferno", one comes away with a sensation of horror to think that anyone could be plunged into a specific circle of Hell to an eternity of some sort of torture or brutality.  Do you believe in Hell?  Do you believe Hell is a possibility?  I was brought up with the belief in Heaven and Hell, but as an adult, I do wonder.

Which brings me to a very well-known phrase:  "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."  I have recently quoted this a couple of times when people have asked me how I am doing after the breakup of my marriage.  To be honest, I've had a hard time dealing with the anger towards my ex considering the lies, deceit, abuse and other things he threw at me.  According to the meaning behind the phrase, although Hell is considered to be the most horrid place to be in, it cannot compete with the terror of a woman when she is scorned, spurned, or shunned. 

Considering Dante's depiction of Hell, would I wish him any part of those nine circles? Absolutely not.  However, I do believe he will, in some way, pay for the Hell he created. 

In the meantime, I happen to be hobbling along much better these days.  The ankle is healed as well as it ever will be, my blood pressure is normal, and I'm harbouring a yen for school to start again.

Thanks to the most honourable Lady Denise Nesbitt (creator of ABC Wednesday) and to the most humble Sir Roger, our handsome administrator.  Don't forget to give silent thanks also to the harmonious and helpful group of bloggers who take the time to hop over to visit your contributions. Have a happy week, everyone!  This smiling face is what makes ME happy these days!