On the Chalkboard June 17, 2008

Everyone you meet comes with a story… You might never know when you walk into a room whether someone has had an invasive procedure, bad news or good news. You must just arrive open–to the situation and the individual before you. That is presence. That stance allows [a person] to be heard.

–Suzanne Darley

from: The Expressive Art Activity Book: A Resource for Professionals, p. 44, by S. Darley and W. Heath, (c) 2008.

A Mini Holiday

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending time in a toy store. I was on a mission to find an adult-sized hula hoop and had been told this was the place to go. Mission accomplished. I was also looking to find a badminton racquet or two and birdies to supplement my collection. This took me wandering throughout the store. I loved the outdoor games and toys section. This made me miss working at an outdoor centre and camps. There are so many fun things to do outside and toys to play with! I love to play–for me the simple things are just fine. Playing catch in any number of ways, tossing a flying disc around, badminton without a net, horseshoes… Last night, friends were over for a potluck. Sitting in the backyard over good food and conversation, playing catch, badminton (with some raquets that ended up not working too well) was wonderful. The trip to the toy store and subsequent play felt like a mini-vacation–something I haven’t had enough of for quite some time and also crave. On the topic of nourishment and sustenance, it seems to me we need this so much. I look forward to the next gathering for outdoor visiting and play. For those of you in Kingston wanting to practice your hula hooping finesse or play catch with one of those velcro mitts, stop by or drop me a line!

Olive Oil, Fizzy Pop

While purchasing groceries yesterday, there was an older gentleman standing in line behind me. He had grey hair, a grey moustache that curved up at the ends and a combination of grocery cart items that intrigued me. His purchase consisted of approximately half a dozen 2 litre bottles of pop (something like sprite with lemon flavour) and approximately half a dozen 750 mL to 1 L bottles of extra-virgin olive oil. Nothing more, nothing less. I couldn’t help but wonder: what was the story that went along with that? Your thoughts?

Welcome June!

Today is the first day of June. We are now well into spring and will arrive in summer before the month is through. I have found myself drawn outside repeatedly over the past month, wanting to be outside sitting sipping tea in the sun, eating meals outside, playing, hanging out laundry, or working in the garden. Some days have been so beautiful, they have felt intoxicating–in the delightful, non-alcoholic sense of the word. I enjoy and love aspects of all the seasons: fall, winter, spring, summer; and I am currently really enjoying spring: the resurgence of colour into the visual landscape, the wonderful sights and smells of plants, bicycling again, and wearing skirts (at least, on occasion, … we’ve still had a lot of chilly days). When I look at the current state of my garden or the state it was in two weeks ago, with the tulips in full bloom, the forget-me-nots’ dazzling iridescence, I have reminded myself to enjoy it exactly as it is right now and to try to settle into that, instead of residing more in the realm of anticipation of the next interesting thing to come. There is nothing wrong with the latter, that excited and interested antcipation; however, I am also acutely aware that the garden season can feel very short, that before I know it, I’ll be observing the last blooms of the year, and eating local farmers’ fall harvests, so I would like to also make sure I that savour each morsel of the experience, and to aim to experience the full experience of the garden and the season as it is today, as it is in the moment I find myself in.