Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont

Last evening I watched Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, a great show that brought back memories of my youth.Joan Plowright, who portraits the wonderful Mrs. Palfrey, is an elegant grandmother in this consummate role of a widow retiring to the Hotel Claremont.

Not wanting to be a burden on her family, she displays independence at the same time longs for a relationship with her grandson. This grandmotherly role retrieves many memories from my youth as I had many Mrs Palfrey’s in my young life. However, this is not the first time Plowright has sparked my emotions, her 1993 role as the kind benevolent neighbour Mrs. Wilson, in Dennis the Menace I became aware of this talented women.

Plowrights stately character in Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, reminded me of an old friend I had as a young boy.

My friend Tabby was that kind old grandmother type who knew how to keep a child busy and out of trouble. I spent much time visiting her doing odd jobs for her, then after the work was completed, being invited for tea and cookies or perhaps a coffee cake. The table set in a fashion for high tea was inviting. I would sit contently and listen to the tales of the past, challenging lives, stories of lives lived, war years and personal experiences. An informal history class, real stories. In an interesting light, Plowrights latest quest is “Brontë”, her Character name, “ Tabby”. I wonder...might here character by like my Tabby, time will tell... looking forward to her work.

I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.

Words are left to interpretation until you get into the giddy-up mode, rolling up your sleeves and digging in.

For years I have been talking about experiential learning and the notion that you can’t master something until you “just do it”, just a Nike did it when the giant multi national organization coined the phrase with this famous motto and branding. In fact, there are many levels of learning that individuals needs to work through until they arrive at the “Just do it” point.

I digress, my last post which talked about the Carmanah Valley and the gentle giants that live within it, was not the main focus of my issue… dealing with rain water in my basement was. At some point, I learned about the environment that I reside in and how to master my journey through the trials of mother natures skillfully played out game. Yes, I have lots of hands on learning experiences, mainly home repairs and maintenance and mostly in the dead of winter when nature’s wrath is blowing cool winter air around my chilled body as I work outside in the elements. I did learn when I was younger that working outside in winter was not something that I resonated toward, outdoors, the summer was great unless of course…Mother Nature decided to sprinkle the arid ground to support it with enough love (precipitation, aka rain) to dampen the day…after all that is her job.

The point of this is that we can talk all we want, we will forget…we can see with our eyes, storing visuals in our brain for future recall, although visual memories fade into the night like a weaken candle as it exhaust it’s fuel. Finally, I do, a point of physical engagement that provides the brain with endorphins, that engagement of receptors in the brain that tells us what the experience is all about and making that decision whether we like it or not…

I am certain that many have had similar experiences as we travel through new Pathway of learning, that never ending journey.

By doing, we remember… hands on experiential learning provide endorphins a time to play, while the brain creates new highways to store that new experience… While we may not be a young as we use to be, the art of learning continues…

Some solutions for a leaking basement

While I have talked about the wonders of fall equinox and the fall harvest, I failed to remember the fall rains that bolster the reputation of the west coast rain forest I live in. When people talk of rain forest I tend to think about the Carmanah Valley on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, not the city in which I live... that would be New Westminster. Yes, years ago this area was known for it’s gentler giants, the Douglas Firs and majestic Cedar’s, Hemlock too, tall enough to touch the stars, big enough to build a house, trees that mustered a size that secured a strong foot in the soils of New Westminster, now to be seen in at least one area of British Columbia, The Carmanah Valley on Vancouver Island. These giants are all but a memory in New Westminster, however what remained of the rain forest was, “The Rain”...stalwart, Mother Nature’s own, remains and for more than a century, continues its regular visit.

Today, I am looking for solutions, not to remove natures own from the fair city in which I live, however, to find a product that will help to defend my fragile wood framed house that the god’s want so badly to water to make it grow… what the god’s don’t know is that this house lives on a cement foundation and try as they might, it will not grow.

This afternoon, while snooping around my cold room, I spied a small but curious stream of water resting in a small but annoying puddle at the base of my foot. With a grimace only a Muppet would understand, I removed all the boxes in my way to get a better look at this indoor anomaly. Well, Mother Nature found a way into warm her cool stream of water… I have looked at the new pathway of learning and realized that this journey would start outside, tomorrow, with hydraulic cement, something that Mother Nature didn’t know about… by tomorrow evening all will be fine…the sweet warm pool of mother natures own will be dried like a minnow in the hot day sun, and for me… it’s just another learning curve… I found the pathway around this one!

It is Corn or Korn... Fall Harvest vs Music Madness

Fall harvest brings the flavour of sweet yellow and white kernels of peaches and cream corn on the cob to our kitchen tables. Needless to say, this is not one of my favorite foods. In general, corn only get’s past my lips when lots of melted butter is applied to the cob, creating flowing rivers of a euphoric substance which makes any healthy artery cringe. Once in a while, I enjoy picking the kernels off the cob, one by one, like entering digits on a keyboard. In general it’s not my food of choice.

There is another Corn out their, perhaps an imposter to this fall vegetable. This Korn, is a group of rockers, music makers (if one can call it that) they travel from city to city attracting a following who would rather listen to this "music" than a good symphony.

The definition of their music is definitely not in my dictionary, no thanks, not even one little “key note” of their “noise” would move me off my couch. Is this evolution or devolution of society? I’ll take fresh Corn any day over Korn!

The Smashing Pumpkins and Korn… what can I say about Fall Harvest! I will take fresh vegetables any day. I mean the ones you can eat!

Smashing Pumpkins

With fall equinox behind us, it’s time to start harvesting some of those pumpkins…Within the next few weeks we will see thousands of these gourd’s in stores across north America. On the morning of November 01, we will also see many smashed pumpkins along roadsides as young people exert their personal version of what to do after small children have completed their night of trick or treating. Well, today my experience will lead me The Smashing Pumpkins… a North American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago in 1988. Who knew that a gourd could turn into something that could potentially change the face of pumpkins forever… wish me luck…Smashing Pumpkins here I come.

Fall Equinox

It's happening again, where did summer go... cooler nights prevail as we move into Fall Equinox that quietly crept through time last evening. The garden is starting its journey into its quiet winter sleep. We have a few weeks to go before many of the plants will stop flowering as the days will become colder and the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving southward...never mind, it will come again in the spring to warm the feet of the perennials inviting them to burst a presentation of flowers for another season gardening.

Please Don't Eat The Daisies

This picture of my garden was taken on July 31, 2007. This beautiful picture of lilies and daisies emulates the epitome of a gardeners delight. The picturesque life force and fragrance perfect the ultimate pathways to learning journey from here to eternity if you are able to take the time to close your eyes to let your mind wander and of course, if you have the opportunity to do so.
We all know first thing in the morning gardeners put on a fresh pot of coffee or tea then amble through their garden to see what presents Mother Nature will present us with that day.
But, in a far away city across the other side of the country there is another story…
Let’s just say, my gardener friend this year has had different experience…
Their lilies were progressing nicely and each morning my friend would examine the plump buds of these lilies that were mustering their energy gaining strength to bloom on that perfect day… however, one night, terror struck… some rascal bandits, (the local garden variety I’m told), made off with the plump buds of this vary same lily plant leaving only presents of chewed up buds on the picnic table. What kind soles the bandits were to leave little presents behind…




On the west coast I have a tried and true plan for my little bandit friends…at least it works here. You see, I have a pond in my front yard that I stock with feeder fish each spring. Yup, you guessed it, we feed the darn bandits with our fish in the pond…Yes… I actually stock my pond to feed these little fellers, after all, its cheap insurance and keep the bandits from eating my plants…This year we have four babies as well as both the parents we have to contend with.
I guess at the end of the day the trade of is…
I have my lilies, they have their fish…
Another journey well spent learning…
One request only…
Please don’t eat the daisies…