Apr 13 2024 - We are Complainers

 

Canadians are among the world's worst complainers about inferior customer service.  That was in 2009.  Brazil really scored on top with 65% of respondents to the survey having lodged a consumer complaint in the last year.  We're at 44% - the same as the U.S. I can understand why no one would complain in Russia - it is only 18%.  However, the bottom country turns out to be Japan at 17%.  I can only assume they get fantastic service or a self-suppressed. That's the mild area of human complaints.  What about areas with real impact - human rights, for example. There are all kinds of areas - health, privacy, police, all sorts of things.  The Government of Canada has written The Complaint Roadmap.  It is HERE.  So I guess consumer complaints are lesser in magnitude, but likely greater in number given how many products we consume. Here's a consumer complaint joke: A new business was opening and one of the owner's friends wanted to send flowers for the occasion. They arrived at the new business site and the owner read the card, which said: "Rest in Peace." The owner was angry and called the florist to complain. After being told by the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was, the florist replied: "I'm really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry, you should imagine this - somewhere, there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying: “Congratulations on your new location!”   The Himalayan Poppy

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Apr 11 2024 - Who is my Mother's Husband

 

Who is my mother's husband?  I saw that question.  The answer given:  your father.  But that's not necessarily so, is it? "My mother's husband:  factors associated with how adolescents label their stepfathers.   That research project looked at two labels - stepfather or mother's husband.  They wanted to know if the labels reflected closeness with the mother or stepfather.  I guess getting to a statistical outcome clears up messy things.   At the other extreme is Quora - it lives in the practical personal world.  The question asked there:  Is it okay for me to call him "my mother's husband rather than my stepfather?"  Quora writers give a lot of "depends" answers based on personal experience. Lots of advice comes forward on Quora.  Well, that is what Quora is about.  This is a messy area, and the internet is filled with gossipy stories and opinion headlines. Those in the online world love messy things.  So time to move on from such a curious expression that probably has become more common in the last 40 years.   This is a watercolour interpretation of one of my favourite flowers - the  Himalayan Poppy.  All that white space  seems to make it more elusive.  Very much like the poppy is for us - it needs moist, cool summers so doesn't do well in our gardens.

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

May 14 2023 - Mothering vs Nurturing

 

Here we are at Mother's Day. Who knows where Mother's Day will end up.  There was contention this year over the "Mother" part.  What about gay fathers raising children? What about transgender men who have given birth?     Services Australia, which runs Medicare, has previously provided data showing 22 transgender men gave birth in 2018-19. This made them among the 228 who had been pregnant during that decade.   Can you imagine 100 years ago - there would be no consideration to collect the gender of the person giving birth. This discussion was in the Daily Mail article:  "Last month Brendan Murphy, the secretary of the federal Department of Health, was unable to answer a question from Liberal senator Alex Antic about the definition of a woman. 'No, well there a variety – it's a very, it's a very … it's a very contested space at the moment, Senator,' Dr Murphy said. 'I mean there are obviously biological definitions but there are definitions in terms of how people identify themselves, so we're happy to provide our working definition on notice.'" Wikipedia has lots of information about transgender pregnancy. I can't imagine how complicated this will make the anti-abortionists in the US who are using Mother's Day as an opportunity to have protests.  And the alternative name that's been proposed?  "Nurturing Day" or "Nurturer's Day". A Mother's Day wish today.  Enjoy the special day. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

April 10 2022 - Over the Falls

 

History for me:  the 104 year old scow lodged on the rocks over Niagara Falls, has broken apart. It will be gone soon.  It celebrated its 100th anniversary lodged in the raging river on August 6, 2018.   This was an amazing site for us children.  It was very close to the Niagara Falls Showcase Greenhouse, so we always went to look at it.  People had all kinds of stories to describe the accident and the impact on the two men stranded on the scow and rescued the next day.  You can imagine the rescue in 1918 - it involved ropes not helicopters. So lots of drama.   You can see it here on the Niagara Parks site.  And our flower today is the Himalayan Poppy in Longwood Gardens conservatory quite a few years ago.  I like the harsh light on the flowers - it makes the colours and textures of the graceful petals so vibrant.

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Nov 11 2021 - Poppy Project

 

Wake Up on the Bright Side  The Poppy Project has come to the Niagara peninsula for the second year.  Last year Niagara Falls had over 11,000 stitched  poppies on nets over the exterior and in the interior of the Museum. This year, Niagara-on-the-Lake will celebrate Remembrance Day with the display at their Museum.  It concludes November 12th.  Here's the youtube link to the coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vdLfYWe01k   Cambridge Ontario has over 33,000 knit and crocheted poppies on display this year.  You might remember the English projects in 2014 at the Tower of London, which marked the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.  The massive installation of ceramic poppies was named: Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red.  In 2018, the Tower marked 100 years since the end of WWI with another installation.  That one was an evening illumination.  Here are pictures in this article HERE: A garden portrayal of strength amongst poppies.

Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com

Dec 13 2020 - Weird Christmas Gifts

 

What would be worth giving at Christmas this year to shake things up? Here are this year's ads on Google.  Redbubble prints on socks, so my brother got socks last year printed with his lily hybrid Showtime.  I wouldn't consider them very wearable, though. This year, the optical illusion shirt shows up all the time in ads.  The optical allusion shirt is amazing - here's the link to see the video HERE.   This would work for a Zoom Christmas. I suggest that it be a long-sleeved shirt so that the muscled arms can be included.  There are lots of choices - maybe this will become the 2020 shirt of the year.  Something to represent the crazy year. This is the sky for a normal snow day.  If the sun comes out the wind comes up and the snow flies off the vines.

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

Jan 6 2020 - Next Holiday Countdown

No wonder there's depression after Christmas with January and February being the least favourite months of the year.  The next holiday is Family Day/Valentine's Day.  It doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of traditions. While chocolate is an excellent main theme, it hasn't been able to create secular activities that rally our social life and communities.   Other countries have something to look forward to.  In China, we'd be gearing up for the Chinese New Year - Saturday, January 25th. January 1st as New Year's Day was officially recognized in China in 1912.  The Gregorian calendar came with Jesuit missionaries in 1582.  With Communism, there was a lapse of celebrations. In 1996, China instituted a week-long vacation called Spring Festival so that people could travel home to celebrate the new year. And then there is the big ice festival that is about to get underway -  the Harbin Ice Festival with displays of traditional ice-lantern exhibits, alpine skiing events, and enormous ice sculptures.   "More than 100 activities and events will be held in Harbin city for celebrating the 36th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in 2020. The activities and events for ice and snow culture including Beidahuang Ice and Snow Culture Festival, ice and snow tourism photographic match, art exhibition about ice and snow spirit, poetry party (the theme of the party is "the rhyme of winter"), ice and snow photography, original poetry, international ice sculpture competition, transnational ice sculpture competition, international snow sculpture competition, match among the masters of international snow sculptors, family ice and snow sculpture competition (only for Harbin city resident), and some other more than 10 activities and events."  Niagara's Ice Wine Festival starts this weekend.  It is our best bet for continuing the celebration of the new year and a motivation for heading into pretty Niagara-on-the-Lake or seeing Niagara Falls.  Today our plants celebrate the East - the first is Jade Vine - found at Longwood Gardens.  The second is another picture of a Himalayan Poppy.

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

When the Sun Flows In

Hi everyone,

This is the Meconopsis poppy.  It was named for its poppy-like appearance - mekon - poppy, and opsis - alike.  What an interesting history it has in terms of discovery - this from Wikipedia:

Meconopsis grandis, known as the blue poppy, is the national flower of Bhutan. In the late spring of 1922, a British Himalayan expedition, led by legendary mountaineer George Leigh Mallory, discovered the plant on their failed attempt to reach the summit of the then-unconquered Mount Everest. The flowers were introduced to much excitement at the Royal Horticultural Society's spring show of 1926. However, since they are difficult to grow, the species has become fabled over the decades. 

This reputation remains today.  This is a plant that needs cool and moist summers, so the Jardin de Metis (Redford Gardens) in Quebec has a well-renowned planting.  Here's a link to the site:

http://www.refordgardens.com/english/gardens/gardens-blue-poppy-glade.php

These pot-plants at Longwood were much admired last year.