A Bit of This and That

Maybe this blog post should be called "of shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings"! It will be a bit of this and a bit of that as my mother used to say about dinner.

We have had a great break from the routine with company here for the past few days - former colleagues and friends from out west visiting the east coast for the first time. The weekend weather was cloudy with some heavy showers but warm and not at all unpleasant. Yesterday dawned with a fabulous sunny breezy day with low humidity - a perfect day we all agreed. We accompanied them in to Halifax where they will spend the next few days "seeing the sights" before moving on to other parts of Atlantic Canada to explore.

I've finished Barbara Kingsolver's book of essays Small Wonder" and I will be continuing to watch for new work from this thoughtful author. Kingsolver refers to Wendell Berry as that "great prophet of our age" and although I have never read him I did a little research and discovered a whole group of writers who are very concerned about environmental issues. Many of their articles can be found in Orion magazine and can be found online. Orion - including these writers and others - is concerned with how we might live "justly, wisely and artfully on Earth." I would say that Kingsolver, as a biologist, would first of all want us to realize that we are not above the animals but part of the animals! She says "our religious and cultural history is to deny, for all we're worth that we're in any way connected with the rest of life on earth." Reminds me of Ishmael by Daniel Quinn in which the gorilla teaches that "man" must assume his/her role as great leader/teacher from within the animal kingdom.

Now, what about blogging as dangerous to your health/ livelihood??? I've been reading about the blogger who was fired after writing about her workplace - anonymously - on her blog. Apparently, she is now suing her employer. Frankly, I can't get too enthusiastic about her case. I'm not quite sure how anyone thinks they can "let it all hang out" - however anonymously - on the 'net without taking some responsibility for what they report, pictures they post, and opinions they give! Are there not limits to personal freedom? What do you think Canary? Mulberry?

A Lively Scene

I spent Sunday afternoon in downtown Halifax along with a few hundred other locals and tourists. I started my afternoon off at the casino with my husband, then met my nephew for a walk and a look at the lively scene. The downtown area was filled with people enjoying the sunny afternoon - strolling the waterfront boardwalk, lazing the time away at the open area patios, or for the more adventuresome going out on one of the many harbour cruises available. I missed seeing the osprey diving for a fish but it looked quite impressive as it perched on a high pole overlooking the water. We strolled up to Spring Garden Road and caught a bit of the free Sunday afternoon concert, a part of the Atlantic Jazz Festival on all this week. A Gospel group were entertaining at the Festival Tent and although we didn't catch their whole session they seemed to have quite an appreciative audience! Wandering on up the street we went in a small cafe and picked up some wraps and took them over to a bench in the Public Gardens where we enjoyed our tasty lunch and sat and watched the ducks on the pond and marvelled that the Gardens had recovered so well from the devastation of Hurricane Juan just three years ago. We continued our walk, agreeing that downtown Halifax is a most interesting spot for a walk on a lovely summer day. And I got to know my nephew just a little bit better as our conversation meandered on through a variety of topics!

Who Knew???

When I started keeping a blog, I had no idea I was going to be using "a revolutionary communications tool" and joining about 20 million people worldwide who blog!! The other day in the Business section of my local paper The Chronicle Herald there was a review of a recent book by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel, Naked Conversations. Apparently blogging is the most effective means of marketing ever and many companies are using blogs as a way of communicating with their clients directly. The interactive nature of blogs means that they can get feedback quickly. Blogs have the potential to be the "most powerful word of mouth delivery mechanism to date." Wow!! Who knew?? Maybe I can use my blog to sell my paintings??? Well, first I have to get a digital camera and get some pics on here and then I'd have to get more visitors and then.......... Oh, yes, dream on, Mamie!!!

Some Beach, Some Where

Summer time and the livin' is easy. Not! There are lawns to cut, weeds to pull, gardens to water, bugs to combat. Reminds me of a "Betty" cartoon where Betty comes in all in a frazzle about her day out in the garden and says "it's a war out there and I think the bugs are winning." Ah, yes, summer: not enough rain, lawns and gardens need constant watering; too much rain , outdoor activities are ruined. Then there's the heat! Well, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" has to be the most accurate description of what's wrong with summer! Uh, oh, did I just say something was actually wrong with summer? Did I actually have the nerve to suggest there might be nicer times of the year? Horrors, that's anathema, hang her high!! You can't ever complain about summer. You'll just get someone saying "enjoy it; before long it will be cold again." What does the song say? "Some beach. Some where."

Enjoying Painting

Lately I've been enjoying painting with acrylics and I feel like I'm on a bit of a creative binge, having completed several paintings in the past few weeks! I thought it might be interesting to read some articles on "creativity" and in browsing around I came across this quote from Paul McCartney about painting on a creativity website: "Painting is a magical process that I like where you conjure something out of nothing....you can go into a trance while you're doing it, so it's a nice contrast to real life." Interesting comment. But I think I understand what he is getting at. Absorption in the task of painting or drawing is a very "right-brained" activity, one where you simply lose yourself. Betty Edwards wrote a book on drawing that has become somewhat of a classic in which she explored what it is to draw on the right side of the brain and the act is somewhat "trance-like." But I think McCartney is mistaken when he says "it's a nice contrast to real life." Maybe this is the real life!!!!

Happy Birthday Canada!

Can't let the day go by without a blog comment on Canada Day. Don't you think it's great that there are a lot more overt signs of patriotism in Canada today than in the past? I love the kind of quiet pride people are showing in our country now. It goes deeper than the joining in the singing of "Oh Canada" and waving and wearing the maple leaf; it has more to do with gratitude for our wonderful country, pride in our institutions, values and freedoms - a collective sense of identity and wanting to celebrate that.
Happy 139th Birthday, Canada!!!