REDONDOWRITER'S SACRED ORDINARY

At Summer's End I Recall a Deer in Snow, My Grandsons, Gardens, Animals

Today is the last day of August, and the final day of official "summer" for me personally. I returned to my three-day-a-week job today, and my routine will soon fall into place. I function best in routine, I'll admit, but I love summers and daylight savings. It's getting dark earlier and earlier and tonight I had to wear a jacket to walk Mollie. 

Tonight I'm burning some DVDs of my recent trip to Washington and Canada which brings back a ton of memories. When you travel like we did, where we tried to fit as much as we possibly could in each day, it's later, looking at the photos, and the journals, that memories come pouring back. 

This photo was taken at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park in Washington a few weeks ago. My daughter-in-law, my two grandsons, Mary Lou and I went there together and up there there was still snow. The deers at Hurricane Ridge are so accustomed to people that they don't spook easily. 

Zachary, five, who is on the left, started kindergarten in Port Angeles yesterday and I am anxiously awaiting word and a photo of what that was like.  

This sunflower, complete with bee, was taken in the St. Anne's School gardens in Victoria. We saw so many spectacular gardens on this trip and back home my gardenias and one rose bush are in a second bloom. When things are yukky this winter, I'll look at my few hundred garden photos over and over again.

And this is sweet Preggers, Laura and Joe's kitty cat, who I probably saw for the last time. She has kidney failure, but is still eating some and loves her bed on top of the dryer. She has had a marvelous life at Lake Dawn as an outdoor cat. Preggers, you sure captured my heart over the years. 

But, we hopefully have several years left to enjoy dear Elowa, Laura and Joe's dog--a magnificent animal who tolerates little boys from infancy, toddlerhood, and school years better than any dog I've ever known.

 

 

SoulCollage® Card: Canada's Emily Carr

Long time no write at Sacred Ordinary. Vacations these days tend to wipe me out and this time, because I had to put the house back together after interior painting in my absence, it has taken longer than usual to get back to the computer. 

While Mary Lou and I were in Victoria, we were introduced to one of Canada's national treasures, writer/artist Emily Carr. Having never heard of her, we were totally enchanted with her story and with her work. 

When our regular SoulCollage® group gathered this past Monday, I made this Emily Carr card to add to my Community suit. I simply call it Emily Carr. Though we we toured the house Emily was born in, saw her work and a special collection honoring her at the Royal British Columbia Museum called "The Other Emily," we actually know little about her. Because I am a perpetual student in life, I get so exited when someone new comes along that piques my interest to research and learn and Emily Carr's story did that for me. 

So, I am the one who, 65 years after my death, seems to continue to inspire others and I hope Fran continues to be one of those people. The youngest in a large family, I was born, raised and died in Victoria, BC, and I always marched to a different drummer. All my life I was drawn to writing and painting and I was privileged to often paint the totems and art of the First Nations people. This was surprising because I am a woman and in those times the First Nation peoples were not something most people were interested in. Also unusual, my father made it possible for me to study art at a time when women did not do that. I am the one who wrote several autobiographical books, but Fran has decided the first book she will read about me will be Susan Vreeland's "The Forest Lover." I will reveal myself to Fran slowly. 

As for me, I so look forward to getting to know Emily Carr better. Lack of goals in older years has been something I miss and now I have a goal of finding out who Emily Carr was and what she has to tell me about living my own life more richly. 

A Little of This and That

Got in late Monday evening from Washington and went to a school meeting at 8 a.m. But, I don't have to return until Tuesday when the new school year begins. Here is a little news from sunny Southern California.

• My granddaughter Whitney, age 24, is officially an RN now. She graduated in May, took her state exam last week, and she passed. Now she can officially begin job hunting. Unlike some states, California's new nurses are entering a very tough job market. But, she worked so hard, and she is such a sweetheart with people, I know she will make a lot of difference to a lot of people in her lifetime. My friend Linda McWhorter, now a minister, sent this message to Whitney via Facebook: "May our gracious God bless your hands and heart as you work with people who are sick and dying!"
• What a great two weeks Mary Lou and I had in Washington and Canada these past two weeks, but it's always good to be home. I specially appreciate Mollie dog, my own bed and my familiar shower. 
• Physically the trip was a tough one for me. My chronic cough flared up and my legs, especially the right, really plagued me. When I was younger I used to whine about health problems. I've become pretty stoic in later years. I've been avoiding doctors but saw the nurse practitioner today and I'm back on GERD meds, allergy meds, and darned if she didn't diagnose sciatica. This explains so much. She's recommended core exercise routine and I'll return to the gym. 
• Right before I left on vacation I noticed a significant leak in a hall closet. As I found out when I got back home, my neighbor Nancy's pipes had been leaking and one burst while both of us were gone. We are in townhomes and her wall adjoins mine. Her bottom floor is literally ruined. As for me, I'm fortunate. Her insurance is paying for my restoration and mold abatement. 
• Had interior painting done while I was gone so the last few days of summer will be spent putting the house back in order.

I've returned home, as I often do from vacation, with a shifted perspective of the world and my place in it. Such a vast place, so many people in so many different kinds of living situations, and I feel more interconnected because of the travel. 

Mary Lou leaves again next week to visit her ailing 96-year-old mother-in-law in Florida, and I will say that I don't think I could bear getting on an airplane again that soon. I've been blessed to have been in Israel, Hawaii, Washington state, and Canada over the past seven months, but no more trips planned for now. I am just so grateful to live so comfortably in a place that I love so much--Redondo Beach, CA. 

Delayed Flight in Seattle

We have had a near perfect trip to the Pacific Northwest the past few weeks, but our Jet Blue flight back to L.A. is delayed two hours so far. Won't get to Long Beach before 10 p.m.  Argh! But, apparently there was a mechanical problem with our plane so they are having to bring one in from Sacramento. Better safe than sorry. And, no rain the whole time we've been here. But, guess what? It has been raining all afternoon.

We saw "The Help" this morning and we loved it. Can't recommend it enough. 

Yesterday we spent the day at the Seattle Art Museum, which I also can't begin to recommend enough. Here's a sculpture that deeply moved me:

The description said this:

Geronimo Goyathay, 2006

Archival cardboard, carpenters glue, drywall screws

Scott Fife

Seattle Public Utilities 1% for Art

 

 

 

 

 

Sleepless With Occasional Dozes in Seattle

We arrived yesterday afternoon via ferry from Victoria to Seattle and the final three days of Mary Lou and Fran's Big Pacific Northwest adventure continued. We are staying on the 34th floor of the downtown Sheraton and the weather is spectacular.

Yesterday a long-time Internet friend, Ardi, drove from Maple Valley and picked us up at our hotel for dinner and a tour that only a native born and bred Seattle person could offer. I met her through Roz's Autumn Cottage blog many years and this is the second time I've gotten to spend time with her. Here we are in front of the Lockspot Cafe in Ballard, one of Ardi and her husband Phil's favorite places by the Hiram Chittendam Locks. 

Afterwards we watched several boats come in and out of the locks which we would have missed if it hadn't been for Ardi. I recommend the locks to anyone visiting Seattle; it's not as touristy as downtown. Seeing the salmon jumping at sunset was magical. We also drove through Capital Hill, the Fremont District (which I hope to return to and spend time some day), Wallingford, and saw Lake Union, crossed two bridges, and Mary Lou, Ardi and I chatted non-stop. Ardi, you are the best!

I'm sure you can guess that this is one of the happy employees at the Pike Place Fish Market. We had so much fun watching the action and then wandering all the surrounding blocks. There were lots of buskers on the streets, a bicycle hockey game, and the city is filled with many very "hip" looking folks as the 20th Annual Hemp Festival is underway. We saw many of the hemp kids at the ferry docks when we came in yesterday. These three guys from Texas horsing around at the locks are possible hemp festival goers. 

Ardi took us to see the Fremont Troll sculpture under the Aurora Bridge at night so couldn't get a good photo, but check this out from Google images. It's a massive concrete troll with a hubcap for an eye and he's holding a Volkswagen.  

And lucky us; we got to spend an hour in the Central Seattle Public Library today, a 10 story amazing place. 

I can't believe it's almost time to come home and back to work but how grateful I am that we have had such a wonderful time.

Haiku My Heart: Wild Apples Ripening

No matter where we are in the world, it's Rebecca's Haiku My Heart Friday. I'm waiting for the ferry to take us from Victoria BC to Seattle so finally have a little time to "play" on the computer. It has been a very busy and very exciting two weeks. 

 

Slowly ripening

Apples cluster in order 

Pinking perfectly.

I took this photo at the Victoria artist/writer Emily Carr's family home and later visited a special exhibit at the Royal British Columbia Museum. I had never heard of her before, and now I am excited to research and read more when I get home. I guess all BCers know Emily Carr well and I'm delighted to discover her late in my life. 

 

Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC: An Amazing Place

Today was our Road Scholar trip to the world renown Butchart Gardens in British Columbia, a place that I personally believe is in my personal top 10 things I've seen in my lifetime. It's my second visit. If you haven't visited here yet, click the link above as there are some excellent slide shows there. Created by a woman named Jenny Butchart in the early 1900s from the remains of her husband's rock quarry, it features several levels of plants and types of garden styles. Below are just a few of my favorite photos I took today:

This is a view of the sunken garden.

They don't grow like this at home.

A cove near the Japanese garden.

Breathtaking.

See the happy little bees?

A scene in the Italian garden.

More sunken garden.

We also went to the Royal BC Museum this afternoon where I was enchanted by the First Nations permanent exhibit and the special artist/writer Emily Carr special gallery. She was someone I had not known about before this visit and I'll be doing some research and reading some books to find out more.

The children's biodiversity interactive gallery was also amazing.

WE ARE TIRED! We make the crossing on the Victoria Clipper tomorrow to Seattle where we will stay the weekend to see sites but definitely not at the pace we've had the past five days. Tomorrow night we are having dinner with my cyber friend Ardi who some of you know from this blog. We've met before but six more years have passed. Will we recognize each other?

 

 

No Words Can Really Describe This Ancent Tree

This breathtaking tree is in the gardens of Hatley Castle and Royal Roads College, a spectacularly special place to visit. We also went to Ft. Rodd Hill and the Fisgard Lighthouse on the Juan de Fuca Straits. Then tonight we attended a chaming musical presentation at the BC Museum called Good Timber: Songs and Stories of the Western Logger. We loved it!

Here I am at the top of the Fisgard Lighthouse. We are very fortunate (knock on wood) to have spectacular weather, mostly 70s in the day.

 

Now Immersed in Victoria, British Columbia

Yesterday we ferried across the ocean from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, British Columbia. This is my second Road Scholar program here, but this trip we are seeing several things we didn't see before. Our hotel is the Queen Victoria in the Inner Harbour which I highly recommend. The last trip we stayed in the Gorge area and this hotel is better located for tourists.

I've been to High Tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel before, but for some reason, I enjoyed it a lot more today. 

We had two wonderful lectures this morning on Victoria and British Columbia followed by an introduction to the Butchart Gardens which we'll tour on Thursday. We used the auditorium at St. Anne's with a tour of their gardens and chapel afterwards. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Butchart Gardens again which is scheduled for Thursday. If that isn't on your bucket list, I highly recommend it. Later this afternoon a professor, the same one that gave the intro this morning, took us for a tour of Victoria's China Town, which was fascinating. Then we ate at Don Mee's, apparently a favorite of locals. It was very good.

This is backside of the Empress Hotel we an see from our hotel deck. Lorna and Gina, what a wonderful country you live in. 

Saturday Moments in Port Angeles

Today we went to the Port Angeles Farmers Market at the harbor and then to the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center. They have an incredible outdoor path through Websters Woods featuring sculpture and installations. It is so funky and fun. I take this mini-hike every time I visit here. This is Mary Lou, Zach and me in front of what I called the Gumbies. 

This is my son and daughter-in-law inside a house made out of plastic bottles. 

Here are Zach, Arlo and Chloe. Chloe's dad was my son's friend in Berkeley 19 years ago and they are visiting here the last few days. Wade and his wife and family are living in Vietnam.  It has been fun being with them. We have heard so many wonderful stories. 

A maze of numbers and letters.

How many times do you see a row of shirt sculptures in the forest?

Well, tomorrow we are off to Victoria BC Road Scholar for a week. I'm having such fun on this trip.