Monday Music Appreciation #35: Mandolins!

One of my kids picked up a mandolin at a neighbour's garage sale years ago, and I always thought it would be fun to learn to play it -- but I soon discovered that my fingers weren't nearly nimble enough on its narrow neck (there's a reason I play a 12-string guitar)! 

I'm always amazed by performances like this one. Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Mandolins (RV 352) is a delight to hear, and the work of Sebastiaan de Grebber and Ferdinand Binnendijk of the Dutch Mandolin Chamber Orchestra Het CONSORT is incredible -- their timing is bang on. See if you don't agree.

Sunday Reflection: Five loaves to twelve baskets

Today's reflection is brought to you by

Saskatoon berry-picking moon,
according to Indigenous (Blackfoot) wisdom
and there was an abundance this year!

John 6:13.

The disciples

(most of them)

are incredulous.

Feed all these people

with 5 loaves and 2 fish?

Are we really any different, 

though we know how the story ends?

We behave as if our Creator

has been stingy with creation.

We squirrel things away

for ourselves,

forgetting that none of it

really belongs to us.

But what if we all sat down 

and shared what you've given us

equitably?

It might be hard to imagine, 

but imagine we must.

Bless us,

O Lord,

for these your gifts

which we have received

through your bounty

have been hoarded

even though

Christ

was trying to teach us

to let all your goodness

flow through our hands

so that no one is in need.

Bless us

with open eyes, 

hands,

and hearts,

that we may share

your good creation

as you intended us to.

Once we adopt your sense of abundance,

we'll have many more

than twelve baskets of left overs!

Help us to live out, 

put out and act from

a deeper belief

in your abundance for all.

+Amen

Monday Music Appreciation #34: Jeremy Dutcher

Because I took June off from moodlings, I missed moodling about two very important things in June -- Indigenous Peoples' month, and Pride month for our 2SLGBTQ+ family members.

So here's a music video that combines both celebrations -- Jeremy Dutcher is a two-spirit Indigenous musician and tenor/composer with an amazing voice, who is using his talents to keep his mother tongue of Maliseet-Passamaquoddy alive through his music. He spent many hours listening to wax-cylinder recordings of Wolastoqiyik elders from his community in order to learn their music, and won both Polaris and Juno (Indigenous and Canadian music) awards for his first album.

Jeremy performed at the Winspear this past season, but unfortunately, I missed him. A friend said it was an excellent show, and watching YouTube videos, I can see why. I love this one, Pomawsuwinuwok Wonakiyawolotuwok, much of it filmed at a pow wow. Enjoy!

Sunday Reflection: Calling on the Shepherd

Today's reflection is brought to you by

Mark 6:34.

When you stepped off the boat

and saw the great crowd,

you did not judge them.

You simply 

had compassion for them

because they were like sheep

without a shepherd...

Shepherd Christ,

you clearly understood

that we all have our moments

of feeling completely lost.

Shepherd Christ,

you were with us this morning

as we saved the life

of one who almost lost it

because of addiction.

Shepherd Christ,

we need your help and compassion

to infect all those 

who judge people with addictions,

who believe safe consumption sites are "drug dens,"

and who threaten to close them all.

Shepherd Christ,

we need our leaders 

to put their ideologies aside,

to visit and learn about safe consumption sites,

and to understand

that often the first step

toward safety and good health

comes through compassionate health workers

who offer drugs that decrease dependencies 

via safe consumption.

Shepherd Christ,

be with all first responders 

and street outreach professionals,

and give them the resources they need

to help those with addictions

find healing and hope.

Shepherd Christ,

make us like you --

compassionate 

toward all those who are

like sheep without a shepherd.

We are all lost

until you find us.

Help us

to let go of our assumptions

about what is best for others

and to meet all your people,

lost and found,

as your beloved children.

We call on your help, 

Shepherd Christ.

+Amen

*** Naloxone kits are available FREE at Canadian drug stores/pharmacies. Anyone can save a life.

Sharing GOOD work

Throughout my education, I was always told how important it was to use descriptive words. Things couldn't just be good. They had to be superlatively so -- excellent, exceptional, favourable, great, marvelous, respectable, wonderful, etc., or I was falling down on the job as a writer. There are a couple hundred entries in the thesaurus that are better than good, I was told, and English teachers in particular sent me to Roget's often. 

Over the last while, however, I have come to a deep appreciation of the word good thanks to my Indigenous friends. They use the word good with deep respect -- walking the good road, appreciating good medicine, being a good person, sharing good things, offering good help. Good isn't just good for them, it is superlative in its own right, and why shouldn't it be? Is fantastic any better? Or just a fancier word for what's already good? My Indigenous friends have me thinking a lot about simplicity of speech and the simple goodness of good. 

My son-in-law, Landon, is a good person who does good work. He/they is a local social worker, smarter than I'll ever be, and uber-talented to boot (there I go with the superlatives again! But I'll stick with the masculine singular pronouns from here on). 

Recently, Landon completed his U of A Master's Thesis, which is titled "Who Cares About Us?": Insights and implications from survivors who reported hate crimes and incidents to organizations in Edmonton. It's good work that carries sixteen recommendations for organizations, three recommendations for police services, and seven recommendations for local, provincial and federal governments on how to help survivors when they report hate crimes and incidents. I'll use the word important for all those recommendations, which should be implemented everywhere. 

If a document of that size is a bit overwhelming, you can check out the executive summary and recommendations on pages 5-9 of the linked report. You can also click here to complete a short, free online training on the topic that Landon helped put together. 

After Landon defended the thesis successfully, another organization asked if he'd consider making his work into a documentary, which he did, simply because he wants to make the world a better place for everyone (and not everyone can wade through a thesis). Not only did he do all the documentary's filming and interviewing, but he spent many hours editing and writing music for it. 

Recently, To Be Heard was shown in a local movie theatre with two other documentaries, followed by a panel discussion around hate reduction in general. The event raised over $1000 to support the important work of StopHateAB. It was a very good evening, and we were glad we attended. 

Landon is a very thoughtful, articulate, and solidly good human being. You'll see him in the 20-minute documentary below, which is in the public domain on YouTube for everyone to learn from and share. Landon is the kind of guy who makes me want to use superlatives, but bottom line is, he's GOOD.

Our chilliest vacation yet

I'm still catching up from my June moodling break... in these beautiful summer days, it's challenging to spend time at the computer. So I'll keep this vacation summary short on words and a bit longer on pictures.

We drove to Southern Alberta on the last day of May,

and after a brief visit with my father-in-law in Lethbridge,

set up camp in Waterton Lakes National Park on June 2nd.

It was so windy, Lee had to drive the car in front of our tent

to protect it from 80 kmph winds. Windy and noisy! 

It wasn't easy to sleep, hearing the wind roar up the lake like a jet plane!

I wore my long underwear for all but the last day 

of our Southern Alberta vacation. Glad I did, too

-- it was cold at Cameron Lake, but we had a good hour's hike

along its edge. We were almost the only ones there.

Waterton Lake remained rainy and windy except for the day we left!

The Blakiston Creek hike was an easy, lovely walk 

and didn't disappoint, though, like much of Waterton Park

after the 2017 wildfires, the forests were gone.

When we got back from our walk, the view from

the Prince of Wales Hotel was promising... 

but windy and cold. I guess that's why Waterton

is more popular in July and August!

We moved on to camp at a warmer spot at Beauvais Lake

and had a beautiful climb up Baldy Mountain

-- there were bear warnings for the other two popular vistas, 

so we satisfied ourselves with this view.

Near Beauvais Lake we found the carefully preserved gravesite of

kind and good Metis settler John Whitford

and a pair of Trumpeter Swans! Beautiful birds!

(I wish I had a better camera...)

We spent some time driving through Castle Provincial Park

(recently protected from destructive recreational vehicles)

and I soaked my feet at Castle falls, 

which was running too cold and fast to be a good

swimming hole at the time!

We enjoyed watching wildlife from respectful distances,

and I took lots of wildflower pictures.

On our way back for another visit with Lee's dad , we stopped at

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)

and took our time in the visitor's centre. 

The cliffs above were hidden to the buffalo...

until it was too late, and down they plunged,

a feast for indigenous communities 

who carefully herded the buffalo to this place.

After a brief return home, we drove to see a few uncles and aunties 

in rural Saskatchewan before driving on to Saskatoon

to visit my godmother and my second-favourite river city.

I especially enjoyed watching an Oilers' playoff game with Auntie Jo!

Saskatoon's Bessborough hotel, a landmark from my youth.

Though those early weeks of June were the chilliest vacation Lee and I have ever taken overall, we made many good memories, and I managed to read a few good books while sitting in our car in the  worst of the lashing rain and wind. 

It was great to get away and see old and new places, but the best part was seeing the faces of Saskatchewan relatives. And, of course, enjoying the beauties of Creator's nature, human and otherwise. I think, though, that we'll pick a warmer time for our next trip to Waterton!

Sunday Reflection: Absolute trust

Today's reflection is brought to you by

Mark 6:8-9.

You told your followers

to take nothing for the journey.

A walking stick, 

a tunic,

a pair of sandals.

To trust that everything else

would be provided.

And here I am, 

my life encumbered

by so many things

I'd like to shed.

The simplicity

you taught

is in trusting

that there is always

enough.

But, 

magpie that I am,

I've collected more

emotionally,

materially,

and even spiritually

(baggage)

and it all 

weighs me down.

It sits in my mind

as distractions

to keep me from 

you.

How wise you are,

Teacher,

to insist upon absolute trust

in the way things flow

through Creator's hands 

to those who need them.

Maybe it's time to pray

a daring prayer:

teach me that kind of trust.

Help me to let go

and to rest 

in your love

alone.

+Amen.

Sidewalk stories year 2

The chalk box is under our community bench again this year,
 and I've been enjoying the art that people have left on our sidewalk. 
Here's some of my own:

Chalk artist Julianne has stopped by a few times too.

This version flummoxed a young reader...

So I translated.

Maybe I should offer 

a sidewalk chalk cursive writing course

this summer?

I'm hoping for more sidewalk art 

once this heat wave abates.

Stay tuned for more neighbourhood

sidewalk stories.

And if you want to see last year's,

click here.

Don't you just love summer?

Monday Music Appreciation #33: You are my sunshine by Ray Charles and Margie Hendrix

A few weeks ago, this song was on the playlist for my zoom dancing group (if you want to join us on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 8:30 MST, let me know), and did I dance? Like crazy! It's not your traditional folksy version of You Are My Sunshine, but there's something so... groovy about it that when I hear it, I can't keep still. Ray Charles is the man, but Margie Hendrix owns this song. See/hear for yourself, and enjoy!

Sunday reflection: Thorns

Today's reflection is brought to you by 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

Creator of all things,

don't you think thorns a terrible mistake?

After all, 

they can't enhance the beauty of roses

in any meaningful way.

Holes in my flesh aren't helpful

when I'm presenting beauty to people I love.

And thorns in my life, 

like Paul writes about to the Corinthians?

I could definitely do without them.

Or could I?

My struggles,

faults, 

foibles, 

and failings

sometimes keep me awake at night,

and often make me feel foolish

and less than worthy

of your love.

But I guess that's the point (ha)

of those thorns.

Even if there were no thorns,

you find ways

to remind humanity

over and over

that you love us --

by the vast and beautiful world

you have given to us,

the true and good people

in our lives,

and the love 

with which you surround us.

Nothing I do

(or consistently fail to do, 

or mess up, 

or catastrophize)

can keep you from loving me.

My thorns are part of the package

that you have created.

And just like you gave roses thorns

not to beautify them further,

but to protect them 

from hungry mouths that would devour them,

you give me my thorns --

those things

that I fail to do, 

or consistently mess up, 

or catastrophize --

so that my ego doesn't devour me.

As much as my thorns,

weaknesses, 

insults, 

hardships, 

persecutions

and calamities

are a pain in the

wherever,

I often

learn from them

and learn to rely on you

because of them.

Keep me open to learning

even when 

those thorns are particularly

sharp.

Only you are the strength

in my weakness.

+Amen

The return of the gardener/moodler

Hello, friends,

My summer break from Simple Moodlings is over, and I'm back again with a little garden video. I post these as much for myself as for you because I like to look back sometimes at previous years' garden reports, to remember how I've done things in the past, or what worked and what didn't. 

Cornelia Scarecrow is definitely working already this garden season, with a half dozen juvenile magpies and several baby crows around, waiting for her to look the other way (she doesn't). After I made this video, I realized that she needed a slight repair after standing out in the rain on Tuesday night, so she's in fine shape once again. It's just that the young magpies don't seem to be afraid of anything, even when I come after them for snapping the tops off my snow pea plants. You should see what they do to my pansies! I've tried to explain to them that bugs and worms are a much better diet for them, but they just laugh at me, HAA, HAA.

A simple reminder for my readers -- if you want a friendly email whenever I moodle about something, it really is easy peasy -- just put your email into the subscribe box on the right, and you'll get an email from Mail Chimp asking you to click if you agree to receive Simple Moodlings. You can easily unsubscribe at the bottom of those emails, too. I have a few regular readers, mostly family and friends, and I appreciate being able to share with you all.

I'll post highlights from this year's June vacation and other odds and ends soon, I promise. In the meantime, here's what my garden looks like on July 5, 2024. 

Happy Summer!