May 27 2022 - Variations on the Theme of Me

 

Did you ever have relatives say that you looked like an aunt or uncle, or that you have a mole or birth mark the same as your grandmother or grandfather?  That's what I mean by the "Theme of Me".  Every once in a while, the internet has an article where someone has gathered these kinds of interesting stories together in pictures.   This is the one I found HERE.  There are lots of variations on the theme of me in this article, along with unusual genetic conditions we might not have heard about.    Here's the mother and daughter hair similarity.  I seem to remember that the bride of Frankenstein was portrayed with this characteristic - a white patch of hair at the temple - the streak is called a Mallen Streak and the condition is Poliosis.   This is the ultimate theme of me. Here's a photoshop variation where the similarity of grandmother and granddaughter is made very real by merging them in a side-by-side photoshopped image. Another side-by-side amalgamation to demonstrate how similar two brothers look.  What about unrelated look-alike?  Have you been mistaken for someone else?  I don't know where this pair was found, but the article says they are unrelated and are strangers.  And this unrelated stranger picture?  I wanted to find out how this came about and discovered a bored panda.com article on 50 complete strangers who met their doppelgängers.   Other variations on the theme of me are pictures of parent and child who look like sisters or brothers. There is a picture of grandmother at 5 or so and granddaughter at 5 or so that look exactly alike in features and pose.   Where do they find these people?  How to they find them.  It turns out that Canadian-based photographer and graphic designer Ulric Collette has pursued the side-by-side family portrait.  The first one he did was of himself and his son.  He calls these "Genetic Portraits".   That article was published starting 10 years ago and shows up on many places - Bored Panda HERE and on Huffpost.com HERE.  That Mallen streak - that white streak in the little baby's hair - the article HEREfirst appeared in 2016.  There are lots of pictures of a baby boy with a mallen streak with the headline of more than 40 in his family...I wonder what they look like now.     On the greenhouse subject, I wondered how old the Horbach's greenhouse sign was.  Could it be as old as I am?  A wonderful greenhouse one Concession 2 in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is very close to Brock's monument.  Concession 2 is one road away from the Niagara Parkway, that well-known scenic Niagara River drive.   I stopped in at Ravine Vineyard - it is on York Road, just around the corner.  It turns out that only the restaurant and tasting room were open.  That lovely food shop  was closed only for one day - to get ready for summer, and would be open again today.  Now that's bad timing.  It was great to visit it - there is a new event centre and the restaurant is vastly expanded to be outdoors under a covered roof.  Niagara has discovered outdoor living to deal with the pandemic.     Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Apr 15 2022 - Lucky to be Blessed or Blessed to Lucky

 

It is Easter weekend, and soft pink clouds are floating in pale blue skies.  That's a Niagara Easter weekend.  It seems perfect for the colours that we associated with Easter - the pale pinks, yellows, greens and blues.   Our "luckiest person in the world" yesterday - he was visited by unusual events that happened by chance.  We know he was lucky/unlucky.  But many times we see blessings quotes that seem to be about luck or good fortune.  What is the difference - could I replace blessed with lucky? “Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” – Camille Pissarro “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens We see "blessings" quotes all the time.  They are in the range of "count your blessings" and they seem to point to happy and fortunate, and then sometimes even to spiritual prosperity.  But mostly they are gushy and sentimental.   So what is at the root of "blessings"?  What came to mind for me is the Beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-12.  When I was young, I recited Matthew 5:3-12 in a public speaking contest.  I won the contest and then used the winnings for piano lessons, a bit ironic.  The beauty of the poetry stayed with me. Matthew 5:3-12 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn,     for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek,     for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,     for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful,     for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart,     for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers,     for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. It seems I picked the right Bibical text. As I look at the Wikipedia analysis entry for the Beatitudes, I find it fascinating.  I had no idea of its significance in the New Testament Christian faith - presenting  "a new set of ideals that focus on love and humility rather than force and extraction. "  On spirituality and compassion. So there's my version of a Good Friday sermon.  More of a reflection.   And my lesson? Leave blessed to the realm of spirituality and faith however it has evolved to current day usage.  And take luck where you get it - particularly in the realm of mathematics.

Today's image comes from the Niagara Falls Greenhouse  - ten years ago.  I went to the greenhouse last week and it was closed, so can't tell you if there is a beautiful Easter display.  Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Nov 3 2021 - Choosing Cute vs Adorable

 

Is adorable and cute the same thing?  We know the cutest things: Kittens, puppies and baby penguins.  Really most baby animals are the cutest things. Are human babies next or is it stuffed animals?   Then there's adorable things - these seem to be inanimate and are things that can fulfill the  Christmas list, so how about this selection covered by Buzzfeed HERE.  A desktop wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tubeman— you can learn some great moves from this guy!   Sweet striped socks ensuring you'll always have lil' friends peaking over your shoes.   Lil' sprout bookmarks to help with your growing reading list.   A pack of squishy friends you can squeeze the living daylights out of whenever you're stressed. So, always? A matching keychain and necklace so you and your dog can show off your amazing friendship.   These are fun items - I notice that everything is from Amazon - I didn't know BuzzFeed was 'in the pocket'.  Once I look I find that they have a lot of references to Amazon - Check out some of our favorite cheap things to buy on Amazon, some of the weirdest things on Amazon you might actually want, etc. So in the end what do we think of cute vs adorable:  "cute is possessing physical features, behaviors, personality traits or other properties that are mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals; fair, dainty, round, and soft physical features, disproportionately large eyes and head, playfulness, fragility, helplessness, curiosity or shyness, innocence, affectionate behavior while adorable is befitting of being adored; cute or loveable." Our pictures of Niagara Falls Floral Showcase Greenhouse and garden - just a month ago.  What a difference compared to today.  And consider today compared to the beginning of December.

Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

May 21 2021 - Gerberas all around

 

I drove to various garden centres and wholesalers yesterday picking up the last of the donations to the Grimsby Garden Club Plant Sale which is today and Saturday.   At almost every wholesaler that I've picked up material at,  I've gone in the wrong entrance or location.  So many places named Westland, and so many Bayview locations and who knows where shipping and receiving is without any signs.  The main offices and shipping and receiving areas are consistently an experience from the late 1960s into the early 1970s in office style, paint colours, furniture and so on.  What a reminder of how far offices have come.   My experience yesterday reminded me of this.  I went to the Bayview location on Jordan Road which I remember from the 1970s.  Brian knew the original greenhouse owner.  I walked in the front door and found it was a house whose little rooms were each converted into offices.  There was an open door in the back, and it led to a large area that was the packaging warehouse.  There was tremendous activity with a dozen people putting cut Gerberas into plastic wrap, into bundles, into buckets onto carts that taken away.  Lots of noise from the equipment. Everyone ignored me walking in. This is typical - perhaps it has to due with COVID.  But I generally think this is due to these being closed environments without visitors.  Everyone has their own job.   I stood and waited for a short time to find out if someone in charge would come over.  I looked in at what reminded me of a 1960s factory that I worked in.  Mostly women and immigrants on the lines doing repetitive tasks - lots of machinery around making noise. I did connect with what appeared to be the managers - who explained that I should go to the other location -  the  big grey new building at Jordan Road and Fourth Avenue.   That had an office environment that was new and shiny.  What a long way the greenhouse business has come in Niagara.  From those little greenhouses at Bayview to the massive acres of glass.   Gerberas came to the floral trade in the 1980s.  I remember buying my first one in the Eaton's floral shop and being entranced.  Little could I guess that they would be everywhere with us - the cheerful daisy is the fifth most cut flower in the world.

Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

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Dec 27 2020 - Betwixt Brexit

 

It is just a few days from now,  Britain on its own. Boris Johnson's remarks got my attention!  “All that’s really saying is the UK won’t immediately send children up chimneys or pour raw sewage all over its beaches,” he said. “We’re not going to regress, and you’d expect that.” What is he referring to? "This practice of sending small boys up and down chimneys in order to ensure that they were free of harmful creosote deposits was the norm in England for approximately 200 years. The use of child chimney sweeps became widespread after the Great Fire of London, which occurred in September of 1666." I am not going to detail it at Christmas - it was considered  a terrible chapter of child slavery with certain death by middle-age.   And sewage on the beaches?  This is less clear - there are articles about raw sewage on the beaches last year.  It may be that he is referring to maintaining environmental standards.   These are strange references, aren't they?  Is this a remarkable statement on his part?  No - not at all.  Here's a marie claire.co.uk article HERE  - he is famous for saying dreadful, racist, sexist things.  This is the summary of his best/worst: "'But did you know that Bo-Jo also once said Hilary Clinton was ‘like a sadistic nurse in a mental hopsital’? Or that he claimed he was more likely to be ‘reincarnated as an olive’ than become the PM? Or that he said women went to university because they ‘have got to find men to marry’?" And here is his prediction for 2020:  "This is going to be a fantastic year for Britain." We are very pleased to come to the close of 2020, and hoping that some of our politicians will fade into the rear view mirror, along with this difficult year.   We do get snowy Christmases - the first picture is 2018 and the second is 2020 -  you can see our greenhouse is again its traditional white trim, and a streaking puppy is now on the scene. Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Oct 17 2020 - That Crazy Uncle

 

Could  crazy uncle become our generation's emperor with no clothes?   I didn't really know much about crazy uncles.  I bet there will be a wikipedia entry in no time - other than the one on Phil Leonetti - Crazy Phil, the mobster.   Here are my selections on crazy uncles: Crazyuncle.ca that makes hard soda: "A crazy uncle is exciting, quirky, and bold. In short, he’s the life of the party—someone who isn’t afraid to live in the moment and enjoy it to the fullest. Created by 361 Degrees, Crazy Uncle is inspired by your favourite relative. With rich flavours and smooth textures, it brings childlike fun to grown-up life.  Imagine taking your favourite childhood soda, like root beer, cream soda, or ginger ale, and adding a grown-up kick. That’s the magic of our hard craft sodas for grown-ups. Smooth and creamy, they’re packed with rich and refreshing flavours from natural ingredients (because who likes fake fun?)." There are crazy uncle movies - it is a genre.  Uncle Buck stands out as the first in line with John Candy.  What about the "Crazy Uncle Everyone Warned About Family T Shirt" - this is on Amazon. Jeff Bezos might send it to him.   The final word on the actual event came from the person who has Donald Trump as an uncle. Mary Trump is a psychologist, responded with a one-word tweet: "Actually . . ." I am hoping the Crazy Uncle theme/meme will continue so we can enjoy some fine satire. The beautiful entryway white marble fountain at Niagara Falls is the subject of our image of the day.

Read past POTDs at my Blog: https://marilyncornwell.blogspot.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Oct 13 2020 - Pottermore

 

How did I miss the word Pottermore?  Isn't it perfect?  "Pottermore Ltd. is the digital publishing, e-commerce, entertainment, and news company from J. K. Rowling and is a global digital publisher of Harry Potter and the Wizarding World. It offers news, features, and articles as well as new and previously unreleased writing by J. K. Rowling." It is now wizardingworld.com and it announced that on September 28th a bronze statue depicting Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter was placed outside  at London's Leicester Square.  Is that a better possibility of current statues on display are about?   At wizardingworld, there are all kinds of activities to engage in - voting for your favourite fan-created costume design, the Romance Festival TLSQ - TLSQ stands for time-limited side quest.  It is open to year 6 players.  All kinds of things I haven't attended to for the many years Harry Potter has been about - I think it is 20 years next year. On the other hand, I am familiar with the Niagara Falls Showcase greenhouse display each season. This is the summer scene at the Niagara Falls Showcase greenhouse last week - it was wonderful this year.  The attendance was down about 90% according to one of the maintenance workers.  The working greenhouses are full of Chrysthemums, trained in various ways for the display to come.  No flowers were out yet, so I expect the display to be at the end of October into November.

Read past POTDs at my Blog: https://marilyncornwell.blogspot.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Mar 13 2020 - Waves Coming

What are the tallest waves that lighthouses experience?  We saw a documentary on lighthouses of New York State along Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.  All the footage was shot in sunlight.  Everything looked so quaint, especially the lighthouse homes that are now private residences. Following that I saw a picture of Roker Pier Sunderland in the North Sea and the wave was so large and wide that only the top of the lighthouse showed.  One can go see pictures of waves crashing onto people HERE.  The first picture shows two men at a lighthouse about to be hit by a 30 foot wall of water.  It says they were rescued. Maybe these pictures are so compelling because they remind me of the massive impact of COVID-19 - it is like these pictures and is just about to happen. The news today says Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for the virus.  The Prime Minister is working from home for 14 days.  Ontario's public schools will be closed from March 14 through April 5. We usually go see the Home Show and Canada Blooms next week - it too is suspended.  The list of suspended and cancelled events is getting long. I received an email with forwarded advice from Stanford - this has been checked, and Stanford says it does not come from them and is not good advice.  Here's the link.  This is at theverge.com. They say that one should go to WHO's website for information. The myth busters are HERE.  I guess there are all kinds of things floating on social media by now. I remember writing an article for the Garden Tripod on conservatories and found a folder on my computer full of working greenhouse pictures amongst the Photo of the Day files.  Here are Niagara Falls, Langdon Hall and Sonnenberg Gardens working greenhouses.

Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://www.blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca