It is officially summertime. The kids are home from school and vacations are under way. There have been trips to trailers undertaken, near and far, playdates attended, with many more planned and an imminent trip getting sorted out as we speak. All of that, plus I have been trying to fit in a few hours to work as well. No easy task, but it needs to be done. Bills don't pay themselves, right? Plus, those trips need to be funded somehow.
What does this all mean, but a lapse in my own personal writing. A sad state of affairs in my books, but there are only so many hours in a day. Sometimes you just have to go out and live them, while the living is ripe. So I apologize, but you might not see me around these parts in the next little while. A cottage is beckoning from South of the border and the summer sun demands as many swimming breaks as I can fit in. I love you. I miss you and I will be back, but the summer vibe has struck...
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
A Feast For the Soul
The sun shone brightly, beckoning us to step out of doors. Scorchingly hot weather had subsided, taking the humidity with it, but not the pleasant reminder of summer. It was a perfect day to attend a festival and I was not one to pass the opportunity up. So, off to the International Food Festival we went.
Now we have been to the Food Fest before. We have attended pretty much all the major festivals that stop in London over the summer. Some are better than others, but the Food Fest has rides. That makes it a favourite with the girls. Plus, they have barker-style games that are oh so tempting. Who can beat a midway? For my girls, not much.
As for me, I love the fact that we can all order food from around the world and eat it while watching belly dancing. At least that was our entertainment today. It is a beautiful art form, and the girls were enchanted. Not quite enough to get them up to shake their hips with the ladies on stage, but still enough to draw their attention with the colourful costumes and tinkling coins around their waists. And it went well with tacos el pastor, quesadilla, a spring roll, chicken balls with chow mein, pineapple on a stick and juice boxes. Yum.
I have to say though, that this year I was a little disappointed. Every year there is a wide plethora of food to choose from. We can order Thai, Korean, Jamaican, Greek, Ethiopian, Canadian (pizza anyone?) and so much more. But the other part of the festival is the vendors and this year they were sorely lacking. Normally Victoria Park is fairly bursting at the seams with vendors hawking jewellery, t-shirts, dresses, belts, knick-knacks and more. There was that, but at a fraction of the amount that is usually there. Or maybe I just forgot and am thinking that all the festivals were packed with quaint vendors selling instruments, internationally carved wooden statues, sarongs and other chachkies, when really that is more akin to Sunfest? Now that is a festival not to be missed, but sadly this year I shall. Bah!
As we wandered from the food booths, a tinkling sound drew my ear though. I looked around to see what was creating the musical interlude and spied this delightful machine!
What was it, I wondered, as I watched toddlers rocking back and forth on chubby ankles along with the music. Well, I don't believe I have ever seen one before today, but this incredible instrument is a dutch street organ, owned and operated by Henk and Irene Noordermeer. I dare say, I shall never see one again either, but this fantastic machine is located just up the road in Mount Brydges. Way cool!
As I stood listening to the tunes tinkling, I couldn't resist drawing closer to get a better look at it. The fair maiden in the middle waved her baton to the music and the two damsels at her sides chimed their bells in quite a pretty fashion. Its a shame that I cannot reconstruct the music for you, but let me just say that there were smiles on everyone's faces that walked by.
The closest I can get to reconstructing the music, is to tell you what instruments belted out the merry tunes. This scroll helped me to identify some of the instruments, namely snare drum, cello, violin, trumpet, wood block.
In fact, peering around the side, I discovered the percussion section thumping out tunes. No little men in this wagon (a laptop programmed the tunes)!
As I stood gazing at this fabulous instrument, none other then Irene approached me with a smile on her face. I believe she was loving all the attention that her unique street organ was garnering. She freely told me about the construction of it (it was made in Holland and took two years to complete) and how they toured around to local venues to show it off. Watching parents point and smile and children clap with glee was pretty good payment, as far as I could tell.
Before we shuffled off to find some cotton candy, my youngest tugged at me to get my attention. Look at her shoes! Across the crowd, I could see that Henk had an orange pair on himself. Authentic through and through.
Doesn't that beat all! Thanks for making my day Irene!
Now we have been to the Food Fest before. We have attended pretty much all the major festivals that stop in London over the summer. Some are better than others, but the Food Fest has rides. That makes it a favourite with the girls. Plus, they have barker-style games that are oh so tempting. Who can beat a midway? For my girls, not much.
As for me, I love the fact that we can all order food from around the world and eat it while watching belly dancing. At least that was our entertainment today. It is a beautiful art form, and the girls were enchanted. Not quite enough to get them up to shake their hips with the ladies on stage, but still enough to draw their attention with the colourful costumes and tinkling coins around their waists. And it went well with tacos el pastor, quesadilla, a spring roll, chicken balls with chow mein, pineapple on a stick and juice boxes. Yum.
I have to say though, that this year I was a little disappointed. Every year there is a wide plethora of food to choose from. We can order Thai, Korean, Jamaican, Greek, Ethiopian, Canadian (pizza anyone?) and so much more. But the other part of the festival is the vendors and this year they were sorely lacking. Normally Victoria Park is fairly bursting at the seams with vendors hawking jewellery, t-shirts, dresses, belts, knick-knacks and more. There was that, but at a fraction of the amount that is usually there. Or maybe I just forgot and am thinking that all the festivals were packed with quaint vendors selling instruments, internationally carved wooden statues, sarongs and other chachkies, when really that is more akin to Sunfest? Now that is a festival not to be missed, but sadly this year I shall. Bah!
As we wandered from the food booths, a tinkling sound drew my ear though. I looked around to see what was creating the musical interlude and spied this delightful machine!
Dutch Street Organ |
What was it, I wondered, as I watched toddlers rocking back and forth on chubby ankles along with the music. Well, I don't believe I have ever seen one before today, but this incredible instrument is a dutch street organ, owned and operated by Henk and Irene Noordermeer. I dare say, I shall never see one again either, but this fantastic machine is located just up the road in Mount Brydges. Way cool!
Scroll on right-hand side |
The closest I can get to reconstructing the music, is to tell you what instruments belted out the merry tunes. This scroll helped me to identify some of the instruments, namely snare drum, cello, violin, trumpet, wood block.
View of Percussion from side of trailer |
As I stood gazing at this fabulous instrument, none other then Irene approached me with a smile on her face. I believe she was loving all the attention that her unique street organ was garnering. She freely told me about the construction of it (it was made in Holland and took two years to complete) and how they toured around to local venues to show it off. Watching parents point and smile and children clap with glee was pretty good payment, as far as I could tell.
Before we shuffled off to find some cotton candy, my youngest tugged at me to get my attention. Look at her shoes! Across the crowd, I could see that Henk had an orange pair on himself. Authentic through and through.
Irene's Dutch Clogs |
Doesn't that beat all! Thanks for making my day Irene!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Delphinium Dreams
Summer Blossoms straight
reaching for clear azure sky
delphinium dreams
~
If only they were mine
for all time
*
If only they were mine
for all time
*
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
A Summer Night
The dark surrounds me. A gentle hum from the air conditioner precludes a cricket's chirp tonight. The heat is enough for me to believe that it's summer, but nocturnal noises don't hold many natural vibes tonight.
The dog's bark only suggests a tussle with his increasing shadows in yonder yard. I ignore the cat's meowl to join me for a nightcap.
A hint of a breeze stirs the wind chime overhead and I lift my gaze to the sky. A new moon won't hide the stars, as they slowly peek out from behind the sun's skirt. It has left me for the day. The sun that is. Now my moments are filled with a calm that only the night provides. No running is necessary anymore.
The faint indigo is almost gone from the western edge of the world and I am quiet with my thoughts once more.
This moment of quiet, this moment of me, is a gift that I recognize today. Only a few years past, I would have rued these empty hours, afraid of the thoughts they would have spawned. Those thoughts have made me who I am though. What I am is still evolving and changing, but there is a quiet strength there that allows me to believe in me and the powers that be. Faith brought me tomorrow, when I couldn't fathom how to spell the word. Perseverance pushed me to see the next sunrise. Optimism reminded me that I would see a rainbow once again.
And so it has.
Tonight, I sit in idle reverie awaiting my night-time prince on horse of thunder (the new beau rides a motorcycle my dears). Irritatingly small wisps of bugs fly up my nose, into my hair and nibble at my ankles, but I refuse to give up the warm air of the first night of summer. Just a touch more breeze and all my worries will be blown away!
And so it is...
Brilliant.
The dog's bark only suggests a tussle with his increasing shadows in yonder yard. I ignore the cat's meowl to join me for a nightcap.
A hint of a breeze stirs the wind chime overhead and I lift my gaze to the sky. A new moon won't hide the stars, as they slowly peek out from behind the sun's skirt. It has left me for the day. The sun that is. Now my moments are filled with a calm that only the night provides. No running is necessary anymore.
The faint indigo is almost gone from the western edge of the world and I am quiet with my thoughts once more.
This moment of quiet, this moment of me, is a gift that I recognize today. Only a few years past, I would have rued these empty hours, afraid of the thoughts they would have spawned. Those thoughts have made me who I am though. What I am is still evolving and changing, but there is a quiet strength there that allows me to believe in me and the powers that be. Faith brought me tomorrow, when I couldn't fathom how to spell the word. Perseverance pushed me to see the next sunrise. Optimism reminded me that I would see a rainbow once again.
And so it has.
Tonight, I sit in idle reverie awaiting my night-time prince on horse of thunder (the new beau rides a motorcycle my dears). Irritatingly small wisps of bugs fly up my nose, into my hair and nibble at my ankles, but I refuse to give up the warm air of the first night of summer. Just a touch more breeze and all my worries will be blown away!
And so it is...
Brilliant.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Friends of Mr Toad
Yellow finch, swallow and robin too,
all friends of Mr Toad.
You can find them all
in garden glen
basking just up the road
~
Hmm, so maybe that's a frog in the picture, but I do have a few resident toads in my yard, plus a few more at the Community Garden plot that inspired this short poem.
Who's going to be picky, when a photo is worth a thousand words?
Hope you have a friend or two
just up the road as well!
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