Monday, February 27, 2012

When I Am Queen... by Barbara (Ruth)



When I was little, as with all small children, I used to have my fair share of moments when things did not go my way. Often, my Mum's response was something like, "wait until you're the Queen". Sadly, I am still waiting, and on my walk today I noticed all the Christmas decorations that were still up (it's +12C today, so weather isn't even an excuse!), and I started thinking of things that will be different when that day comes.

Note that this list is not exhaustive, nor is it designed to solve the world's financial, political, and socio-economic problems. No, it's just designed to address those pet peeves of mine which, if they were fixed, I'm quite sure would make the world just a little bit better.

  1. It will be illegal to have external Christmas decorations up past January 15th. Fines will escalate each week, culminating in jail time by Valentine's Day.
  2. Women's sizes will be aligned - a 10 will be a 10 no matter the designer. And, there will be no size zero (which by definition implies a woman has no size! It's ludicrous!)
  3. People will be able to perform citizen's arrests for certain public offenses, including:
    • spitting
    • shouting on the cell phone (it's not a tin can, people)
    • letting doors slam in someone's face
    • failing to scoop your dog's poop
  4. Likewise, positive reinforcement will be encouraged. People will be able to reward perfect strangers for good behaviour, including:
    • holding the door for people
    • being polite and/or pleasant to strangers
    • handing you the correct change when you're fumbling in your wallet at the cashier because you're 6 cents short
    • Correcting grammatically incorrect signage ("A dozen rose's for sale". Good grief.)
  5. Spandex will be outlawed outside the gym.
  6. Patchouli will be outlawed inside the gym, particularly in a yoga studio.
  7. Power naps will be reintroduced at the workplace. (This is very important and will lead to a kindler, gentler society.)
  8. The network of bicycle lanes will be expanded, as will the laws governing bicycle use within city limits. 
  9. There will be no reward for showing up at work "like a trooper" when you're sick. In fact, it will be illegal to do so.
  10. Milk delivery in those fantastic (and recyclable) glass bottles will make a comeback.
  11. The ubiquitous (GW) plastic water bottle will be outlawed. (Especially Dasani, which I'm pretty sure isn't even water.)
  12. A person won't be able to be famous for being famous. (i.e. there will be no Kardashian or Paris Hilton or Tori Spelling reality shows).
  13. Hollywood won't be allowed to remake movies that were done perfectly well the first time.
  14. Lights in change rooms will be replaced to maximize a flattering effect on the buyer.
  15. And there will be world peace.


Thursday, February 16, 2012

Photography Assignment #6-Window Light...by (Angela) Jean

This week in photography class we attempted to replicate "window light" in the studio.

We had 3 different set ups, each with it's own way of softening or diffusing the light.

Bounced Window Light
Set up #1 used 'bounced' light. The lights were pointed away from the subject and bounced off of the wall. A white reflector was positioned on the shadowed side of the subject to reflect some light back on the subject and soften the shadows a bit.
This is what it felt like to sit in the hot seat.
This was the shot I chose to submit for 'bounced light'.
Diffused Window Light
Set up #2 was 'diffused' light. The lights were directed through a translucent screen, and again, a reflector was placed on the shadowed side to reflect some light back on to the dark side of the face.
My best 'diffused light' shot
Glamour Umbrella Light
Set up #3 reflected the light up against an umbrella. The result was a flood of light coming down on the subject and enhancing the hair and skin. A reflector was positioned under the subject's face to soften shadows under the eyes and nose.
My best Glamour Umbrella shot.
Throughout the week I've been making a point to practice window light shots. I don't have any fancy reflectors or filters (I do have some plans to make my own...stay tuned), but it's been pretty grey and cloudy so the light has been lovely on it's own.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dad Remembers, Part 2... by Barbara (Ruth)

Winter has always been a celebrated season in my family. We Hendersons are fond of shovelling and carving perfectly smooth snowbanks, making forts, skating, skiing, and hiking. We get this from a long line of hardy Scotch, Irish, and English descendants, used to cold winters and "making the best of it". My Mum and Dad grew up in Ottawa and Moncton, respectively, and both of those cities are known for fantastic snow and serious winters.
Me, outside our home in Hawkesbury, ON. c1967
Grampy (Dad's Dad) with my three sisters, most likely in Hawkesbury, ON. c 1960
Elizabeth, skier extraordinaire. c 1967
My sisters and I skate on the pond in Monroe, NY. Check out my ankles - to this day I can't skate!
Oh, and Janet is the one posing. c. 1972
My sisters making a fort in Monroe, NY. c 1970
Elizabeth looking wintry cute in Hawkesbury, ON. c. 1960

A few months ago I posted (here) a story my Dad wrote about Remembrance Day. Today I'd like to share with you his recollection of the joy of the first snowfall when he was a boy.  From this recollection, you'll understand the love of winter that my sisters and I inherited.

Written in 1994, this story takes place when Dad was 8 or 10 years old (1936 or 1938). Before the ravages of dementia robbed my Dad of his skills with the spoken and written word, I think he was almost poetic in his style. If you've ever read (or better yet, heard) Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales", you'll see similarities in descriptive style. (Thomas' famous short story is one of my Dad's and my favourites - you'll find it here.)

I hope you enjoy this memory on this wintry February day.

In Toronto, or perhaps more accurately here in Mississauga, winter usually comes shyly, advancing and retreating, and when it does come, the snow raises havoc and tempers. It is not often a respectable snow that swirls at your feet, that can be shaken off your coat or stamped off your boots and shaken out of your hair. Rather, it lies heavy and sodden on the road and sidewalks, often quickly becoming either a sloppy sodden mess accumulating in the gutters, or at the corners of the street where passing cars can be sure to splash it up and drench the people waiting to cross the street or board a bus.


By contrast, I remember in November or December, how winter always seemed to come when I was a boy in New Brunswick. There was nothing timid about THAT snow - no sir! Sometimes it came in great storms, blanketing the frozen ground with heaps and mounds of beautiful shapes that kids could explore and create all kinds of possible structures - forts, and caves and slides, or traps carefully constructed to capture your dog.


Chum, my dog, was always there watching you and he always seemed to be able to avoid, or if he didn't, to unpack the carefully packed dungeon as he tumbled down the slide and then ran over and licked your face, often so hard I generally fell over and ruined the whole affair.


We never did catch the truant officer.


My friend Art and I never found out why the truant officer - a big tall, thin, severe looking gentleman - always on the lookout for misbehaving school boys - was never seen walking out in the field where the snow was deep, and where our trap lay, and never seemed to be after us anyway. Well, we were ready for him.


The first snow was more apt to be less boisterous, but not timid. I remember clearly my first recollection of winter coming. It was on a dark gray afternoon. It must have been cold, but I was not. I had gone on an errand down to our corner grocery store for Aunt Jean who lived in the flat upstairs in our house. I walked home across St. George street, up through the girls' playground of the King George School. The snow began. It was getting dark, and the single light bulb, with its flat green reflector over the door of the school, cast a light which seemed to make the tiny flakes into swirling sparks, silently and swiftly covering the sidewalk and me. 


It seemed that in only a few seconds, the bare, drab street was covered with sparkling white, and my footprints were the first! I passed the school through the lane-way behind Mr. Leblanc's shed, and emerged into the boys' playground. It was smaller than the girls'. I could look up and see my cousin Muriel getting supper in their kitchen, then on to Mountain Road, around the corner a couple of hundred feet, and I was home. 


"Mother, it's snowing fast and soon we won't be able to see the sidewalk." I don't remember what she said. Parents weren't generally excited by snow, as I remember. Anyway, Dad wasn't home just yet, so the supper wouldn't be ready until later. I delivered the parcel of groceries to Aunt Jean and hurried downstairs into the snow.


Some time earlier, Dad had made me a snowplow. It was a marvellous affair - two pieces of rough-sawn board, nailed together in a V with a cross brace on the top and a stout cord nailed on so you could plow the deepest snow. I took it off the veranda, put it on the walk, and began to clear the sidewalk of snow, now over 1/2 inch deep. I traveled back with the plow almost to Robichaud's Grocery, clearing a nice path as I went. 


On my way back, I found the sidewalk totally covered again with the new snow coming down faster than ever. It was illuminated by the streetlights making cones of yellow light agains the black sky. The plow worked well - but I could see that it couldn't make much of a difference in this snow. When I got home I left the plow on the our narrow completely snow-covered lawn, and went inside. I guess we may have had nearly a foot of snow by morning, and we cleaned the walk with shovels the rest of the winter. 


I never did find my plow again until spring.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Crayon Cups....by (Angela) Jean

We are on a bit of a crayon-melting streak around here.

I've been storing all our broken crayons in a jar in my craft cupboard for a while now, and since we ended up with an abbreviated Field Trip Friday, we had some time on our hands on Friday afternoon. Time to get melty!

We peeled off all the labels and sorted them all by colour. (The colour sorting is purely optional, of course)
We filled our silcone baking cups.


I put them in the oven for 15 minutes at 225 degrees F.
We let them cool for a few minutes, and then popped them out.
The original plan was to use them for colouring, but so far, they have mostly been used for making towers, playing 'pretend cupcake shop', and picnic food for the stuffies.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Field Trip Friday-Episode #6-ad hoc...by (Angela) Jean

Sometimes you have to improvise.

I was very excited for this week's FTF. We were meeting our friends at the Art Gallery of Ontario and had planned to spend the day with them there. It was going to be Mimi and Otie's first trip to the AGO and I couldn't wait....I really couldn't wait, because by the time we arrived at the Spadina exit of the Gardiner Expressway, it dawned on me that we had planned this trip for next Friday.

Well, we were already in the city and I had enough snacks packed to last us all day, so I decided to give my kids a guided tour of our old neighbourhood. (It's funny because Mimi likes to brag to her brother about how she used to live in Toronto-she was 7 months old when we moved-but he never did.)

We drove all the way up Spadina and I told Mimi I had a surprise for her....we drove around a bend, and up a hill and guess what? A REAL Castle.
She was amazed.
We'll come back another day and tour the inside, but for today a walk around the outside was fun enough.
We jumped back in the car and headed back up Bathurst Street to Vaughan Road. We passed Dutch Dreams, the crazy ice cream place Shawn and I frequented regularly (especially that scorching summer I was pregnant with Mimi).
We continued up Vaughan, and then headed to our old street to see our old apartment.
I lived in that top floor apartment for 11 years. Still looks exactly the same. Good to know some things don't change.
At this point, Mimi took charge of the agenda (quel surprise) and said she wanted to go to High Park.
Last year on Friday mornings her Dad took her to Dalcroze class at a music school on Roncesvalles. Each week before class they would stop to play at the park. She misses that a lot.
I don't blame her, it's an amazing playground.
It was a very chilly day, and I was not really prepared for outdoor play...we didn't even have mitts or proper footwear, but we went with the flow and had a great morning anyway.

At least I brought snacks....lots of snacks.
If there's one thing I've learned about parenting so far, it's that most situations can be improved with either a snack or a nap. After running around the playground for an hour, the kids had both, in the car, on the way home.
Today may not have been what I was expecting, but we made some memories, so I'm happy.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Manic Monday Melts.....by (Angela Jean)

Not everyone looks forward to Mondays, but we sure do.

Monday is the day when the Rascals and I have a standing play & lunch date with my friend Sarah and her daughter Madeleine. Sarah and I have been friends since we met in Grade 5, back in our hometown. We even lived together for a few years when we first moved to Toronto. Sarah and I had a lot of fun in that apartment on Winnett. I clearly remember sitting across the kitchen table from her one day, venting my frustration about the crumby guys I had been dating. I told her that I was done with stupid boys. I believe my exact words were "Why can't there be more guys like Shawn? (my good friend at the time, who was dating someone else) My next boyfriend will be exactly like him. If I meet a guy and he is not as great as Shawn, I won't date him!" (And as you've probably figured out, Shawn and I have now been married for going on 10 years). Sarah was one of the readers at our wedding. I was a bridesmaid at hers. Now, years later, and with 5 children between us, we live just around the corner from each other. Serendipitously, we are both at home full-time now, and we get to spend time together, weekly. Sometimes I shake my head at how things work out....I am so lucky....

This week's play date was at Sarah's house, and she had a craft planned for us. Since it's so close, and Shawn takes our car to work, we walk. When we arrived, and I saw how pretty the craft area looked I borrowed Sarah's van and quickly drove to our house to get my camera.

Sarah had grated some crayons with a rasp, until they were in little piles of colourful goodness.
The kids each had a rectangle of waxed paper, and dropped bits of the colourful crayon-shavings onto them. They used their fingers to create their designs.


Another piece of waxed paper was placed over top, and then newspaper on top of that. Sarah ironed the stacks, one at a time, with a warm iron (not hot!).



The final results were beautiful, especially when hung on a window, so the light could shine through.


I had to include this one because of its alarming resemblance to the MRI image I once saw of my own uterus. Perhaps Amelia was drawing it from memory?

Friday, February 03, 2012

How Far Have YOU Been?... by Barbara (Ruth)

It's an interesting question, and reminds me of a question my Dad used to ask to see if I was paying attention: "Is it faster to New York or by bus?"

The question "how far have you been" of course lacks some relativity, for it all depends on where you started.

I love to pop this question out at dinner parties, usually with the variation "how far north, south, east, and west have you been?" I've been challenged just about every time with "what's your starting point?", and so I've now added "using zero degrees longitude and latitude as starting points". (I hang out with some very picky people.)

It's a pretty neat exercise, and may just help you decide where to go next. I've had the fortune to travel to many wonderful places, but I have never been south of the equator. I came pretty close when in Uganda, but still I was "north".

Go ahead and get out your atlas. Or, check out this site to type in a city and find out the latitude and longitudes. I'd love to hear "how far you've been". Here's my list:

North: Helsinki, Finland

60° 10' 32" N / 24° 56' 3" E


Me with my nieces Marjorie (L) and Jennifer, in front of Tuomiokirkko, the Lutheran cathedral. (2008)
The bustling, busy, and beautiful city centre.
The Sibelius monument (tribute to the composer of Finlandia), appears to resemble
organ pipes. It is said on a windy day it makes different sounds.


South (and East): Entebbe, Uganda

0° 3' 51" N / 32° 26' 48" E
Entebbe is the city in which the airport is located. My colleagues Russell, Cathie, Michael
and I stayed in Kampala, which is still at 0 degrees N, but 18 minutes vs. 3 in Entebbe.
SO close to being south of the equator. (2009)
With a local shop-girl in the Kampala market.
With my process improvement class.
With my colleagues Athar and Cathie, and the executives of the
Uganda Public Service.

East (2nd place): Kritsa, Crete

35° 10' 0" N / 25° 39' 0" E

I felt the need to include Kritsa, not only because Crete is one of my very favourite places I've visited (I posted about it here), but also because it seems unfair that Uganda claimed two titles: South AND East.


Kritsa's market.
The nearby town of Agios Nikolas. 
Every staircase and doorway was picture perfect.

West: Maui, Hawaii
0° 48' 0" N / 156° 20' 0" W


The sunsets of Maui beat out those of Santorini, IMHO.
Mele Kalikimaka! (Dec 2011)
The big waves at the north shore.