Novf 11 2022 - Remembrance

 

Remembrance Day is a sombre day.  For the Commonwealth member countries, it is a minute of unity experienced across the nations.  The symbolism of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is stark. I know that I am part of a particular social consciousness because I  wonder why countries do not commemorate Nov 11 at 11:00.  Russia, Israel, New Zealand,  Germany, South Africa and the Netherlands.  They have other days designated for Remembrance.   Some of the rationale seems to be a sorting between the First World War the Second World War.  And also remembering all civilians and soldiers who have died in conflicts.   Other nations have renamed it from Armistice/Remembrance.  However, it seems that Remembrance is the defining theme along with Lest We Forget. The particular date and time is symbolic.  The definition of the 11th hour: the latest possible time before it is too late.   "The phrase eleventh hour has a Biblical origin; it comes from a parable in Matthew in which a few last-minute workers, hired long after the others, are paid the same wage. Despite being brought on the job after eleven hours of hard vineyard work, they weren't too late. The meaning has shifted a bit over the years, but today doing something at the eleventh hour means you got in just under the wire." Here's our Remembrance Day wreath.  This is available for $50 with delivery in the Niagara area, in support of the Nelles Manor Museum.

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Sep 3 2021 - TIFF in Toronto Month

 

TIFF is back this year.  The headlines reveal the A-list stars who will be attending.  Here is TIFF's mission:  TIFF is a charitable cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world, through film.   I wonder how that matches with their list of the "biggest names" you can look out for on the streets of Toronto between September 9 and 18... More likely its purpose is to showcase the glamour of the "festival machine". That explains the hype about visiting Toronto during the beautiful September weather, with the accessible streets, lots of A-list celebrities and big crowds to appreciate them.   Which streets should I go to?  When should I go?  Do I take a chair and sit out and wait?  What do people do who are celebrity watchers and chasers?  I hadn't really thought about this before.   But don't worry, there are answers. One answer comes from One King West - the hotel/residence at King and Yonge.  This is from their website:  "Whether you spot the celebrities at TIFF by rubbing shoulders with them at a screening or are shouting their names along the red carpet, just catching a glimpse of Angelina Jolie, Benedict Cumberbatch, George Clooney or Brie Larson means you had a pretty successful TIFF experience.  In most cases, it’s a matter of being at the right place at the right time."  Their advice?  Attend a film premier, attend red carpet events, and go to the "shops" where the celebrities will shop.  Toronto.com has a comprehensive list of hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants that have had sitings in the past, along with an indication if they are open to the public.  A strategy is needed for lists this long.  And then I would have to become familiar with the celebrities to recognize them.  I am way too far behind for TIFF 2021. Anyway, what is the purpose of TIFF?  Star watching? The consumption of art? The celebration of film? Yes, all those things.  And then the stories of who one spotted - that would be the pinnacle of success. And our picture today is a Monarch wreath we made for the Fantasy of Trees coming in November to Grimsby.  Let's hope COVID has receded a bit more so that people are able to view the trees and wreaths in the Museum in a festival kind of atmosphere.  And the celebrity everyone hopes will come is Santa.

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Feb 28 2021 - Melting 'Koselig' Away

 

Aren't those Norwegians so positive.  Their word for the long, dark, isolating winter experience is 'koselig' - our equivalent of the word would be 'cozy'.   It is about being "content and creating a pleasant environment."  It is about intimacy and warmth. "You will feel koselig from anything that makes you feel happy and evokes that warm feeling inside you". There are other Norwegians who travel south to Spain or Italy for the really cold and really dark months.  Which months would those be if December already has only six hours of daylight? January is the coldest month.  But look at the difference in temperatures to here in Ontario:  Oslo's January high is -1.8C and low is -5.8C.  Toronto's is a high of -2.3 C and low of -7C. Tripsavvy says this:  Winter in Norway can be bitterly cold, even into April. Temperatures are regularly below freezing and many parts of the country are blanketed in snow. If you love snow activities and don't mind the cold temperatures, you'll find the most snow between December and April. January and February are dark and the coldest months, so if you're heading to one of the ski areas in Norway, pick March. Like Norway, February is the conclusion of our coldest weather month.   As we move into March, we can expect wide fluctuations and typically one or two big snow storms.  So there still will be an opportunity to experience that Norwegian 'koselig' feeling.  Making cozy and fun out of the deep freeze of winter.   Just in time for March - here's our calendar picture for the month - a Monarch Butterfly wreath to welcome you to Spring. Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

A Toilet Story of Note

I am not the only person to be fascinated by strange things rich people purchase.  Heather Bambrick on JAZZFM yesterday told us about a bullet-proof glass toilet that was encrusted with 40,000 diamonds. The Dailymail.com article's headline is: Feeling flush?  Gold toilet featuring a BULLET-PROOF seat studded with more than 40,000 diamonds goes on sale for £1 million in China The lavish gold-plated throne worth $1,288,677 (£999,497) has been spotted at a trade fair in Shanghai   40,815 diamonds weighing 334.68 carats in total have been embedded in the toilet's bullet-proof seat Its Hong Kong manufacturer is currently attempting a Guinness World Record for the posh loo  Just in case you think it is too ludicrous, here is the article with pictures HERE.  Heather's question was what made it important that it be bullet-proof. We set up and decorated the Christmas tree at the Grimsby Library yesterday.  This is for the Grimsby Fantasy of Trees display coming up November 22 - December 8.  The tree goes to Gillian's Place to give a family, and all the toys go to various Gillian's place families. A lady came by and said:  "Isn't this early to be putting up a tree?"  I responded:  The festival is in just a few weeks - November 22nd.  She had a panicked kind of look like she just woke up.

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