I’m just going to chat at you this morning, and hope that you won’t mind a bit of rambling. We had a busy weekend with Italian class and visiting friends; Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia was, literally, spectacular (c’est un spectacle!); and I was reminded of just how much energy it takes for an introvert to be social.
And then yesterday’s federal elections here in Canada. . . and the relief of last night’s results. I knew I’d been anxious about the possibility of what I see as some big steps backward. I scarcely ever mention politics on this blog (although mine can probably be intuited by the astute reader), nor do I intend to take it up, but you will probably know that our PM has made some serious gaffes, has disappointed, even betrayed. The party on the right, however. . . .
Nope. Not going to go there. I started to, but it’s all been deleted. As I said, though, I knew I’d been anxious going into the election; I don’t think I’d realized quite how anxious until I savoured the relief last night. We’re moving forward, and I’m breathing with more hope than despair this morning. I’ve been awake since 5, up since 5:15. Sipped my hot lemon-honey water, scrolled through my Instagram feed, wrote for an hour, and then sat here on the couch with a cup of tea and watched the sky. Heavy, dark, and grey, it was, with just a narrow band of brightness at the horizon. Then the wind. Leaves sprinting across our terrace at my eye level, the blades of the Japanese Blood Grass churning in their container on the small front balcony, water being flung ferociously from the fountain (oooh, alliteration!). . . And the clouds being shifted in the heavens. Not so solid anymore, and they’ve pulled further from the earth, making room for a deeper expanse of blue sky. It’s looking like a good day for a walk. . .
Last night, as the election results were being telegraphed across the country, rain was pelting down. The roof below me, across the alley, features a large puddle soon after any precipitation, and the streetlight shines on the drops hurtling down, the ones bouncing back out. Heavily, last night. . . a 30-40 millimetres-of-rain day, apparently. More, it was dark and windy, and it struck me as the first dark and stormy night of the fall rainy season. . . .And with that recognition, I was transported momentarilyto the island, to the years and years of such stormy nights . . Teaching an evening class through the fall or winter semester regularly meant a boat ride through rough waters followed by cycling the dark and muddy road, my back spattered with dirt flung up from the puddles I didn’t see until too late, my vision obscured as raindrops rolled down the lenses of my glasses, hair quickly soaked. books and bags wrapped tightly in their paniers.
Even when I was grumbling heartily, I loved the adventure, the drama, of life on the island, and there’s no question that the adventure heightened the comfort of being indoors by the woodstove. But last night I was content to be here, just here, in the relatively anodyne ease of my urban condo, recollecting, reminiscing. . . . And I thought I’d share that contentment with you, in this ramble of a post.
Now for some visual entertainment, courtesy of my urban life, where there are delights and surprises whether you are looking up . . . .
I took these photos of a nearby mural back at the beginning of September and keep forgetting to post them. I’m so pleased that newer buildings are willing to host mural art on their walls alongside their older neighbours. . . . And impressed by the logistics involved.
Anaerial view on the Australian artist Fintan Magee’s Instagram gives a much better image of the entire painting.
Looking down also has its rewards in the city. . . . my visiting friend and I were out for a walk in the neighbourhood in Friday afternoon’s light drizzle, and in front of an older three-storey apartment building was a surprising array of Amanita muscari (Fly Agaric) mushrooms. The classic “toadstool” of fairy/folk tale illustrations, these were gorgeously hued, seductively textured, and given their toxic (and hallucinogenic) properties, alarmingly appealing.
A resident who saw us marvelling at the fungi stopped to chat — he’d been impressed as well, having never seen them before in over 25 years living in the building.
I remember a few such beauties near my Teaching Assistant office at University of British Columbia campus back in the mid ’90s, but certainly not in such abundance, and I haven’t seen any in the flesh since, until these. . . .
This one (above) was as large as a bread plate. . . .
I’ll have to stroll over there today and see what remains. . . .
And with that, I think it’s time to push away from the keyboard and get outside. If you’re interested, I posted yesterday on my book blog, where I’m still back in August’s reading, but catching up. . .
I have something new for you next post, if all works out. An idea for us to learn a bit more about each other, for you readers to get better acquainted. . . Be sure to stop by. . .
Meanwhile, though, I welcome your responses to any of my musings today. . . .and if you only have time to wave hello, I welcome that greeting as well.
xo,
f
Funny, as I read your post (while seated in my home office with a cup of tea), 2,949 miles and a 44 hour drive from your place according to google maps, it was as if I was on the sofa with you listening to you share your musings. Probably helped by the tea and the fact it was also just coming to daybreak here so easy to imagine the scene. Nodding my head in agreement with your politics and with the observation about the toll of socializing when one is an introvert.
Well, that was a pleasant interlude. Hope you get your morning walk in. Must head to the grocery store…not my favorite place, but needs must. Ta-ta.
I was relieved as well by the election results. Our riding had the lowest turnout in the province but we persisted. I'm in Week 6 of working full-time and I've 2 more to go. No Writers' Festival for me this week. As a person who requires a lot of alone time, this life is tricky but I'm going to the semi-silent retreat again this week-end. After so much rain, yesterday was a glorious day.
I felt the same relief as you, Frances. Not sure how things went so spectacularly off the rails in the last few months, silly choices long ago, inexperience, too little leadership ability… who knows? But when we finally arrived at the Ottawa airport at nearly midnight, after three delays in Toronto, and our very patient friend was waiting in his car, that's the first thing I asked. I just wanted the upshot, the short version, then we sighed and settled in to discus our trip.
So now I am attempting to turn off any and all political discussion on both sides of the border while Stu is ramping up, having missed his daily dose of political wrangling for the past month.
Settling in at home can be sooo wonderful after a long trip. After the initial fatigue, and the slight post-trip anti-climax (it's over?) have both abated. And getting back to our routine, seeing friends, eating properly, blogging… you know, the usual.
By the way I love that red mushroom. I've seen red ones before in Algonquin Park when we've been canoeing.. but nothing that fairy-tale-ish!
Also, like you, woke up, fearing the worst, as we are a few thousand miles from home. We are so relived. And that’s all I’m going to say about politics….
Ali
I'm so happy for you and so relieved that election results somewhere important went well,finally!
Cirque du Solei,wow!
Dottoressa
I love the image of you riding home in the rain. An adventure.
Thank goodness the election however proceeded sanely.
I had been wondering before whether you were going to mention the elections in one of your posts. I realise that you keep politics out of your blog most of the time, and I understand your motives for doing so. But on the other hand, when I am interested in somebody, I want to know what he or she thinks about all sorts of things, including politics. Seen from here, Canada eappears like an island of sanity, openmindedness and progress in a world of chaos, but I am sure things are much more complicated when you get closer. In any case, congratulations on the election results.
Now I'm off to your reading blog.
Hi! I’m new here. I have just recently discovered your blog and as an also 60 (ahem…plus) woman I appreciate all of your tales and adventures. I am fairly new to knitting, I love to spend time with my grandson and I enjoy travel quite a bit. I have enjoyed visiting Vancouver in the past. As an American let me just offer my hearty CONGRATULATIONS on 🇨🇦 election. I breathed a sigh of relief for all of you as well, We are just a mess down here and I am hoping our next election will also bring some much needed relief. I really can’t afford to lose much more sleep over all of our craziness – sneesh.
Thanks for sharing your island commute in the rain – with your wonderful description I easily imagine it. That rain the other day was really too much, I was glad I took advantage of advance polling. I’m also relieved about the election, and hope they can work together for the next sessions.
I am going to the VAG members opening tomorrow night so I will keep an eye for you. I believe you are about 5’7” and I think I would recognize your face, so hope it’s okay if I get my confidence up to say hi. No worries, there will be no stalking 🙂 And also perfectly fine if you prefer I don’t approach.
Thanks for posting
Suz from Vancouver
Mary: I'm very pleased to share that morning interlude with you. . . Hope the rest of your day went well.
Mme: Again this year, I won't be at the Writers' Festival — there's just too much going on in the fall! Next year? I hope. To work full-time for those eight weeks, you'll have had to push aside other interests (but will have the funds to enjoy more of them later! 😉 A semi-silent retreat sounds very welcome.
Sue B: I like to follow enough to vote wisely and be a reasonably informed and responsible citizen, but the speculating and weighing of others' opinions becomes overwhelming, often demoralizing. I'm relieved with this result although some worrying trends are more apparent than ever. But yes, now it's time to recharge, get some perspective — and, for you, to do some nesting now you're home again.
Ali: So good, right?
Dottoressa: Thanks for saying we're "somewhere important" 😉 We like to think so. Yes, Cirque is a definite Wow!
Lisa: Yes, thank goodness. Hoping we can hold on to the sanity. Minority governments can be a beacon of hope and goodwill. But not often 😉
Eleonore: I agree that a person's politics are an important extension or manifestation of her identity, and if we are in a relationship with someone, even a digitally moderated one, we are at the very least curious about them. . . I also think of my country as stable, relatively calm, open, tolerant. But it's a huge geography, hardly monolithic, and we're seeing significant entrenchment of some significant divisions. So this election's results were a relief and thank you for the congratulatory comment.
Posemn: Welcome! And thank you! Yes, every time that I note an election–anywhere, really–that offers hope these days, I celebrate. . .
I hope your big election next year might bring us all huge relief and happiness. . .
Suz: I just RSVP's to that event, based on the possibility I might know somewhere there — you! — So definitely, if you spot my curls (about four inches closer to the ground than you'd guessed — I'm about 5'3), do say hello. You'll have the advantage, knowing what I look like, so we won't meet unless you let go of any shyness. 😉
As usual, I loved your post and, like Lisa, loved the image of your adventure riding your bike through the mud after a storm-tossed ferry ride. I've been reading your blog for a long time and I am well aware of how difficult life was on the island, and how beautiful and magical. Your comments about being an introvert resonated. I am about to turn 70 and I am still working full-time (several 12-hour days last week). I have a fantastic academic job (a hard science) and I don't have anything more interesting to do. I am quite worried about retirement, as I do not do well on days off – depression often creeps in. I would have a very hard time with a job that required a lot of social interaction.
Those mushrooms were quite a sight!
Oh, and congratulations on the reassuring election results. I am a political junkie and I spend about 20 hours/week following the (US) candidates, reading policies, parsing every utterance. So I have very strong ideas about our next election and support one candidate with monthly donations. I wish I could volunteer as well but the idea of calling strangers or knocking on doors horrifies me.
Marie: Thanks for the comments. Sorry I didn't see them earlier. I think you'll do well when you do retire, just because you sound self-reflexive enough to know and find what you need. I think it's tough for those of us who are social introverts. We like/need the socializing, but it takes so much emotional energy. . . .And thanks re our election results. I do hope there's enough will to keep this minority government working. . .