Homeless in Vancouver, Early Dementia, Learning to Read

Here it is November 21 and we are still not in our studio. Sapphire Jewellery Studios are homeless and wandering the streets...well, not really, but we are homeless. The city inspector, the realtor and the architect are still duking it out amongst themselves about whether the work done for us needs to have a city permit and needs to be inspected. A plague on both your houses. Just do what needs to be done and get on with it! I want my occupancy permit and my business licence!

We are frustrated at not being able to get into our space. We have bought a computer and some office furniture. The retailers are keeping it for us until we can get it into the office. I am champing at the bit to get going. But the wheels of bureaucracy turn ever so slowly.

It's so hard to be patient. I'm consolling myself by making more PMC jewellery. It does keep me busy. I got a new tumbler to make the pieces really shine. Next I'm going to try embedding some bone china in a piece of clay before firing it. I love learning and trying new things.

And today I wrote my Christmas cards. That was a good job done. But the down side is: I forgot all about my dental appointment today. I wrote it on my calendar. I thought that was a pretty good strategy for a memory that isn't what it used to be. And then, I forgot to check what appointments I had today!! I just waltzed out the door and hopped on a bus for downtown. And didn't even think about the dentist until about an hour and a half after the appointment was scheduled. What's up with that!!?? Folks I'm here to tell you this aging thing ain't fun. I have some advice for all the youngsters out there. Don't get old...it sucks!!!!!

Now I shall have to get down on my knees and beg my dentist to reschedule. I hope they don't charge me for a missed appointment. I shall have to plead old age or early dementia or something.

My granddaughter continues to amaze and delight. She misses Mommy when Mommy leaves her with Granny. It will take some time for her to develop ease and comfort when Mommy is gone. But I do love spending time with her. She loves the sing-song games like Patty-cake and This Little Piggy. I know she doesn't really understand yet, but I read books to her. She does look at the colourful pictures on the pages. The experts say it's a good idea to start reading books even before they develop language.

May you all experience the joy of a grandchild if you haven't already.

Patience: A minor form of despair disguised as a virtue. ~Ambrose Bierce

Remembrance Day November 11 2008

Here is a reprint from one of the old Prairie Dog's posts:

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now

We lie in Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

I received a very good article from niece L. about Canada's global role as a peacekeeper. It's worth reading.

Salute To a Brave and Modest Nation - Kevin Myers

Until the deaths of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan , probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops are deployed in the region. And as always, Canada will bury its dead, just as the rest of the world, as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does. It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored.

Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped Glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again.

That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States, and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts. For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved. Yet its purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada 's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle. Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, its unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular memory as somehow or other the work of the 'British'.

The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone. Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and the fourth largest air force in the world. The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time. Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness which, of course, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a separate Canadian identity.

So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they are Canadian. Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Alex Trebek, Art Linkletter and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British. It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite unable to find any takers.

Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves - and are unheard by anyone else - that 1% of the world's population has provided 10% of the world's peacekeeping forces.

Canadian soldiers in the past half century have been the greatest peacekeepers on Earth - in 39 missions on UN mandates, and six on non-UN peacekeeping duties, from Vietnam to East Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia.

Yet the only foreign engagement that has entered the popular non-Canadian imagination was the sorry affair in Somalia, in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two Somali infiltrators. Their regiment was then disbanded in disgrace - a uniquely Canadian act of self- abasement for which, naturally, the Canadians received no international credit.

So who today in the United States knows about the stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has given it in Afghanistan. Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun. It is the Canadian way, for which Canadians should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost. This past year more grieving Canadian families knew that cost all too tragically well.
Lest we forget.

The old Prairie Dog was researching the role of his two grandfathers in WWI. Here is an excerpt from his July 2005 blog post.

"I am now back at home doing some research on the net about Grandfather Percival Ousey and Grandfather Joseph Hogue. I found that they both served in the 16th Battalion during WWI. Percival was shot in the arm and the leg and captured by the Germans on Oct. 8th, 1916 at the battle of the Somme (the first battle where tanks were used).

Joseph Hogue left for Europe a little after Percival and he fought on the front lines in France and Belgium from March 5, 1917 to around April 27, 1918. He was then discharged for an "impaired function of the heartcaused by over exertion and strain of duty" while fighting at Vimy Ridge on or about April 30th, 1917. He probably wenton to fight in Passchendale. The cause of his heart trouble could have been caused by a gas such as phosgene, which was commonly used bythe Germans at Vimy Ridge at that time.

It could not have affected him later in life becasue I always remember him as a big , strong man and besides he lived to be 93! Anyways, imagine that BOTH Grampas from Winnipeg serving in the same battalion in the same war. It was kind of sad about Percival because he was only shipped to the front lines a few days before he was shot and captured and then spent the next two years in a POW camp in Germany.

I guess that there were many just like him because the glorious Brit commanders blamed, what seemed to them to be a runaway victory, the loss partly on the 'untrained troops being sent straight to the front!'......dozy buggers! And you know, neither one of them got any medals....but at least they did not die. More later, PEACE.

I could not have said it any better than the three writers I quoted. On Tuesday, remember those who lost loved ones.

Hallowe'en and Other Adventures

Hope you all had a happy Hallowe'en. Here is my granddaughter in her costume. She is a chili pepper. I found the costume at a Target store in the US and thought it was too cute to pass up.

She is a continuous joy. She smiles and vocalizes a lot now - she is so social. And she can grasp things with both hands. At eleven weeks! Such an advanced child. I concede that I might be a tad biased.

My business partner and I are getting into our studio this Wednesday. Yahoo! All the arrangements are keeping us busy. From getting a tax accountant and insurance to finding furniture. We bought our computer last week and it will be my job to keep the books. I hope I am up to it. My sister is going to give me lessons in using the Quickbook program.

My partner is designing our logo and creating our business cards. We have to get a business account at the bank, buy a phone and make arrangements for a business licence and get a GST number. It seems a bit overwhelming. But very exciting.

On to new adventures!!!!

Backward, turn backward,O Time, in your flight

Make me a child again, just for to-night!~Elizabeth Akers Allen

Working With Precious Metal Clay

I just got back from four days in Lacey, Washington. Here is a picture of my instructor for Precious Metal Clay, Ruth. She was a great teacher and really knows her stuff. And here I am, hard at work, creating mini-masterpieces. Ha! I wish.

It was an intensive four days and I loved it. Precious Metal Clay is great stuff. You can mold it, roll it, cut it and make three dimensional objects out of it. It can be worked like clay. It also comes in paste (slip), syringe (for extrusion) and sheets. After it is fired it becomes 99.9% pure silver.

I learned how to set stones into an already fired piece with bezel wire, how to create many different types of bails (the piece of a pendant through which a chain is attached), enamelling, how to use the kiln, how to create different textures and how to polish a finished piece. We made pendants, earrings, rings, and clasps. I also learned how to "paint" an organic object, such as a leaf and how to add 22K gold to a piece.

I learned how to look carefully at a piece before going on to the next step. I'm glad I took my magnifying visor with me.

I also learned a lesson that I didn't think I needed to learn. Don't touch pieces fresh out of the kiln! Yes, I slightly burned the index finger and thumb on my left hand. Well, who knew that silver heated to about 1450 degrees could still be hot a few minutes later! Safety, safety, safety. I can't say it or think it too much.

I am excited to try a few new techniques such as adding some PMC to Jack's ceramic pendants. I can also use pieces of broken porcelain or other ceramics with the silver to create mixed media pieces.

I took some pictures of some of the pieces I made, but even with the flash turned off, I got such a bright spot on most of them that they were no good. The one picture that was not too bad is at the top of the posting. It's not a great picture, but, at least you can see some things.

Now that I am back in Vancouver I will be very busy setting up our studio and trying to do some more work (make some more jewellery). And, of course, I'll be spending time with my daughter and granddaughter.

Good-bye all. Keep well.

Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life. ~Henry L. Doherty

Happy 90th Birthday

I just got back from a one-day trip to Victoria to celebrate Mother-in-law's birthday. She is 90 in another month but we celebrated today because this is the week her youngest son could be here.

It was great to see everyone at the party. Many people travelled from the US and Canada to attend the celebration. Mother's nieces and nephew from Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver were there. Most of the grandchildren and quite a few great-grandchildren. G and C hosted the party and it was a wonderful success. Mother was so happy to see everyone. She opened gifts and cards, drank punch and ate birthday cake.

But I do think that my granddaughter was the belle of the ball. She held court in a pink jumper with green trim and pink tights. Her outfit was completed by some hand-knitted booties in pale green and a sweater to match. Everyone commented on how well-behaved she was and how advanced. Well, they are right of course, but I might be just a wee bit biased.

Unfortunately I didn't take my camera. I can't believe I left it at home. So many had cameras there, that I'm sure I will see many pictures.

A special kiss and hug for cousin M who expressed the belief that Dennis would have been proud to see his granddaughter. He would indeed have loved to have been there. Thank you, dear, for remembering him.

Mother now has 10 great grandchildren. Cheers and Happy Birthday. May I live so long!

I don't know how you feel about old age... but in my case I didn't even see it coming. It hit me from the rear. ~Phyllis Diller

The Peg and Back Again

Hello all. I'm back from Winnipeg and none the worse for it. I missed the Big Sky. Everywhere I looked, there was a different cloud bank and different colours. Some other differences I noticed in The Peg. I smelled the burning of the stubble in the farms around the city and the meat packing plant. It was different from the smell of the seaweed and salt air on the seawall. But, unbelieveably, I found it more humid there than here, in wet city.

Here is a picture of me with my former pet, Suzie. She was so happy to see me and the feeling was mutual. She is being well cared for by her new family.

I spent many happy hours with friends I have missed. Thanks to everyone for the great company especially to A and J and W for putting me up. Ate lots of food, drank a few bottles of wine and managed to consume four lobsters at Lobsterfest. I had a great time.

It's good to be back home....I never said that about Vancouver before. It really is my home now. In the taxi on the way home from the airport I opened the window and took in great gulps of Vancouver air.

I am happy to be back to making jewellery, looking for studio space and playing with my granddaughter. She is the jewel of my life...beautiful Remy. She is smiling up a storm now. She knows what smile are for- she's initiating smiles to get smiles back from others. Darling daughter and wonderful son-in-law are doing a great job with her.

Upcoming highlights: Mother's 90th birthday celebration, a four-day session in Lacey, Washington, to become certified to teach Precious Metal Clay making.

May you all be as happy as I am.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. ~Garrison Keillor

Greataunt, Greatgrandmother, Great Trip coming

Here are two pictures of Remy with greataunt Carolyn and greatgrandmother Vivian. They came for a visit on Tuesday and we enjoyed seeing them. It was especially great to see Greatgrandmother with her. Remy is Vivian's tenth greatgrandchild. Isn't that great? May I live so long.

In the jewellery department, I received some new ceramic pendants from brother-in-law J. and am excited to get started on some new pieces. I applied to get a table at the Portobello West craft market, but no answer to that yet. There aren't any places available until next March, but we will see.

My friend and mentor, A. and I are going to create a studio together and rent out space and equipment. We will be working on this as soon as I get back from Winnipeg.

I am excited to be going to Winnipeg to see all my friends. My appointment book is filling up fast for lunches, coffees, and dinners. I am so happy to be leaving next Tuesday. I don't plan to blog while I am gone, so don't expect anything. And, who knows, maybe I will even find a couple of new places to sell my jewellery.

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money. ~Susan Heller