Arthur is the cat in this apartment who loves to play. He will play a form of soccer with his plastic Bizzy Ball, he'll hide his various mice, and he likes to play with the sunbeams that reflect on the wall.
My dear Herbert seems to be more soulful, somehow. He is quiet, and he welcomes all newcomers to his home, as he's done twice both for our dog, Sam, and for Arthur when he joined us.
I caught him listening to music again, this time a Youtube video of Paul McCartney being awarded the Gershwin Prize for Life time Achievement in Music, in 2010, at the WhiteHouse. Herbert appears to like all kinds of music, from Matt Dusk, to classical. to Paul McCartney, as well as Elton John.
Here's the Youtube video of Sir Paul, at the WhiteHouse. It IS extremely long, but you might just want to download it yourself to enjoy. (I'm thinking possibly of Geraldine, as I know you admire his music very much. :) )
I like Paul's music so much as well, and I just want to add an additional video of one of his prettiest songs, performed by, Herbie Hancock, and Corinne Bailey Rae, from the awards performances. I think this was an absolutely breathtaking version.
It's been a perfect autumn weekend here, and we have been fortunate to have such warm temperatures combined with sunny skies, and colourful leaves to create a dazzling sight. I enjoyed the views from my windows as well. I like the way the fall leaves brighten everything up.
One morning this week, I woke to find a tree in my neighbour's backyard had turned colour overnight. It looked wonderful!
I read on the CBC website, that our summer weather conditions have resulted in an unusually colourful fall this year. I'm not clear what was so different, but I have noticed the colours seem more bright.
We had a full moon a couple of days ago, and I caught this while waiting for the bus, one evening.
Well, really that's all for now. Just a little bit about our beautiful autumn weather, and wishing everyone a good October.
The first day of fall is now past, and the weather here is definitely fall like. I enjoy the cooler days, and the colours of autumn, as well as the sounds of the geese as they fly overhead. I live near to a bird marshland right within our city, and I think as well, part of the migration pathway for Canada Geese, as every spring and fall, one can hear hundreds of geese late at night in their flight.We also have local geese who winter over, and so I can always hear geese from where I live.
This year I'm feeling the season is abit elegaic - I'm missing people from my past, and present. My son, Paul is working as a high school science teacher, in Calgary. He went to work as a substitute, but was invited to two interviews by high school principals, and was hired by one of them.I'm incredibly happy for him, but miss him.
I'm missing cousins who I rarely see, and my grandparents, aunts, and Mom. I recall one fall when I took a photo of my closest cousin, holding her baby son, and her husband (they are no longer together), who had come over to visit, and behind them the sun was setting - and I felt my heart pull, and I felt how much I cared about these people - along with my aunt and Mom. The song by Elton John, "Your Song" came to me then, and I felt that if I could someday I might write about these people, and our times.( early 70's)
I think I might just get around to this yet, as a way of filling the emptiness of the loss of these people. Here's the song, as sung by Elton. I like this version on Youtube, he looks young and sweet.
So, just something small to share here. Hugs to my blogging friends!
I recently enjoyed the following video on the CBC website. This short Youtube video won an award for best video of it's kind, and Henri has become an internet star. He seems a little depressed, and could maybe benefit from some nice catnip, I think. What do you think? :) Yet he has a certain charm as well...
B is letting us edit here to let you know that we have a new blog called "herbandartmuse". We chose Wordpress as our new blog home, and we are having difficulties understanding some of the ins and outs, but at least we CAN publish posts. We can't yet understand how to make the blog available to those who use Blogger, so if you would like to visit "herbandartmuse", you could scroll down B's bloglist here, and click on "herbandartmuse". Miaooow for now!! ... er we mean Ciaooow for now!! Herb and Art :)
I am remembering the late 1960's, and me as an awkward 13 year old. Our family had moved into a lovely new home, and my youngest uncle, Uncle Brian, came to visit for Christmas. I remember feeling shy around this uncle, who'd divorced my beautiful aunt, and was now living in Toronto. This was my favourite uncle, but he didn't know it. I'd grown up, having him and Grandma, living in the basement suite of our small home, but now everything had changed.
In the late 1960's my family moved, from our small bungalow on Mullin Avenue, to a larger house, in a new neighbourhood, with undeveloped lots, and spindly saplings for trees. I had watched Uncle Brian grow up from a 13 year old boy entering high school, get married, move to Calgary for university, become a young business man, settle down with his lovely, intelligent wife, and their fluffy Samoyed dog. And then, the news that he had divorced and moved to Toronto felt like something shameful, not to be discussed, and so I found myself awkward, and even abit afraid around him. I believe it had something to do with feeling sorry for him, and afraid to say the wrong thing.
As was my usual custom, as a child I eavesdropped when my parents had company. Generally, once my brothers and I had settled in upstairs for bed, I would soon sit at the top of the stairs, and just listen. I always was fascinated by what there was to learn about the world of adults, and most particularly the secret knowledge I might acquire about my parents and their siblings lives. I believe this may have been, because there were always undercurrents in our family, as there are in many families. Things that were not right - that were painful, disturbing, and sometimes even frightening. So, I would listen, store the information, and try to solve some of the mysteries of why things were unhappy in our home, perhaps with some thought of fixing them. I think this was the beginnings of my interest in psychology, and mysteries as well.:)
The Christmas, Uncle Brian came to visit, without his wife, and now newly living in Toronto, I naturally found myself sitting at the top of the stairs listening to the adults talk. Uncle Brian was talking about a street called "Yonge Street" and various small coffee shops where he went to listen to music, and mainly he talked about Gordon Lightfoot.
That Christmas, was for me a changing point, when I began to think more deeply about my family, and about the world, and why people would divorce, and what was happening out in the world. I felt quite alone at this time, not understanding that my family was not singular - that others were going through similar changes and upheavals. We were unique of course in many ways, as each family is, but as well we lived in a certain time, and were affected by it.
It didn't take long for me to find the music of Gordon Lightfoot, and become entranced by the beauty of his songs. Now, 44 years later, I'm listening to his music all over again, and rediscovering how fine his songs are. In some of Lightfoots' more recent performances, which I've watched through the magic of Youtube, he seems truly happy and lighthearted. His love for his music, and performing is very evident. I found the following interview on Youtube, and am sharing it here. If you enjoy his music, you may enjoy this interview as well. It's quite long, so I understand if you choose not to listen. :)
The song, Beautiful, by Gordon Lightfoot, seems appropriate for this lovely season, which is beginning in Saskatchewan.As I walked home from the bus stop, after work today, I noticed the lovely stillness in the air, and the settled feeling that I know many people do sense at autumn A beautiful season - for children a time of new beginnings as they begin school, or university. I am feeling grateful for my job at another new daycare center - filled with busy children, excited about the start of school.
I found that my most recent daycare job, of eight weeks duration, was a poor fit for me, both in terms of philosophy, and environment. So, just last week, I left to start at another center, and I am feeling much more comfortable, and excited by the possibilities for me to do the kind of child care that I find rewarding. This center is not fancy, but there is lots of space, all used well for the children, and oodles of good play materials, and craft supplies, and the center is following best practises, to the best of its abilities. It is teeming with kids, doing what kids do - laughing, playing, crying, up to high jinx, colouring, glueing, cutting with scissors, making puzzles, jumping, running (and then being asked to "walk" inside please), building blocks, playing with dressup clothes, sitting in circles to sing, hearing stories, napping, crying, being consoled, playing outside in the sand - a happy place.
A place, I feel happy to go to in the morning, and where I feel I'll be happy to stay.
Well, I wanted to write a post, just to as well update abit, as I haven't written for some time. I will not write much more now, although there's definitely things I'd love to write, but must get to bed for work tomorrow.
I've loved following along with several of my favourite blogs, this past month - one of my favourite times of day is visiting.
Herb and Artie, my two sweet feline companions have begun their own blog, and I haved promised to let them on the keyboard soon, to write a new post. They've been talking about a post on "talismans" - hmmm, and did have me take many photos for a tour of their favourite spots in the apartment, so probably this weekend they should get some keyboard time. :)
So, for now, just a hello, I'm still here. I hope you might enjoy this song. Lightfoot is still a wonderful performer. Perhaps more mellow, and more elegant now, I think.
