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Spring has at last arrived! This morning dawned sunny and mild, that is, the temperature was 4 degrees Celsius. Early morning found me sitting on the front porch in my parka, enjoying the sun while I sipped my morning coffee. Yesterday afternoon the temperature reached 16 degrees Celsius. I made myself a nice cup of tea and moved a chair onto the front porch, where I sat myself down to listen to the birds sing and watch the leaves bud. Not long after I sat down, our neighbour Magarac emerged from his garage with a bucket and hose, intending to wash his car. He saw me; we waved, he thought about it, then put down his gear, and motioned to me with his arms. It was clear he felt that I should get-up-and-get-working around our well-tended yard. I grinned and shrugged. His exaggerated motion of dismissal/mock-disgust made it clear that he was giving up on such hopeless lack of industry. There was a distinct edge to our friendly exchange. Magarac continued to wash his car, which is always very clean, and I continued to enjoy my cup of tea, which has always been my habit. To each their own. In contrast, another neighbour Dolittle arrived home while I was enjoying that very same tea break. He saw me, laughed, and called, “I see you are out with your tea, a sure sign of spring!” We chatted a bit, and then he headed indoors. Like Dolittle, most of the people living in our neighbourhood are tolerant and pleasant. In this city, there is always someone seeking to tell you the error of your ways, in their not so humble opinion. A friend of mine, who grew up here, has dubbed people suffering from this sort of social disorder as “neighbourhood nazis”. Although these people exist in most places on the planet, in this city they seem particularly inspired to expression by a certain sense of social righteousness. It appears almost a public duty to “shout the odds” at those who seem even remotely individualistic; and sadly, this extends even to those who enjoy a hot cup of tea on a sunny afternoon. Perhaps the person who created the concept of the Borg for Star Trek was inspired by this beautiful city. The pressure to conform in "The City", though not fearsome by any means, is certainly unrelenting. To our discomfort, we have not been assimilated. Attila and I continue to explore climes that are more tolerant.
The kitchen has been humming with activity. Bread is baked daily and every other day some sort of sweet loaf is in the oven, today it will be banana walnut loaf. Attila is working all hours again. Our conversations are brief, and conducted in those few hours he is home before wearily falling into bed for his well earned rest. However, Attila was home for one day on the Easter weekend. So as not to miss such an opportunity, we prepared a turkey dinner. It was a quiet, happy day spent cooking, chatting and eating. Luna and Terra were busy elsewhere, but we did talk over the telephone. My time has been pleasantly filled learning CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), so as to eventually redesign the site. In addition, the CDs from the Family History Library in Utah have all arrived. Already I have found the christening records of two previously unknown GGG Uncles. It would be quite interesting to find and contact their descendants, who could be anywhere in the world. So many possibilities, so little time! |
RECIPES :: Cast Worldly Distractions  Tea Time View By the Easy Chair Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide by Eric A. Meyer Quote Getting the Message Across "I don't know who this group [WHO] is. I've never heard of them before. I had never seen them before." Mel Lastman, Mayor of Toronto, during interview with CNN, concerning the WHO Travel Advisory about Toronto [April 25, 2003].(Is it any wonder Canadians are cynical about politicians?) On the Screen Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (What fun! The fascinating, self-abusing character Dobie would meet with city-wide approval here!) Weather 9:57 EDT Temp: 8`C Humidity: 53% Wind: N 15 km/h Barometric: 101.0 kPa Sunrise 6:25 AM EDT Sunset 8:19 PM EDT |
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