A well-lit festival

This past weekend, we paid a visit to the Flying Canoe Volant Festival in Mill Creek Ravine. If you've never been, it's a wonderful celebration of things Francophone -- folk dancing, storytelling, Métis fiddling troups, Indigenous drummers, art installations, gangs of les loups garoux, le tire à sucre, bannock, and chocolat chaud.

But my very favourite thing is walking snowy paths under beautiful lights with my friends...

Two friendly faces in the Flying Canoe Volant "logo"...

Teepees and tents in the trees...

Magical paths... like walking in a kaleidoscope!

A snowshoe lamp...

There were at least three of these batik-like lights...

and more plywood cut outs than I could count...

And coffee cans...

This tree of life turned all colours of the rainbow...

If you've never seen a Flying Canoe Volant, there are races down the local tobogganing hill, not to mention axe-throwing and woodcutting competitions for the coureurs de bois among us.

All of this is to commemorate the theme... a story about some voyageurs/lumberjacks who wanted to visit their sweethearts many miles away. They made a deal with the Devil not to blaspheme or touch a church steeple, and be back by morning, so he put them in a canoe that flew them to their loved ones. Of course, things didn't quite go according to plan on their grand adventure, but I don't think they lost their souls in the bargain so all's well that ends well. As it was here in Edmonton for the weekend festival!

Come and join us!!

Here's a very quick moodling... to invite all my readers in the Edmonton area to join me in a whole lot of fun at the L'Arche Backyard Party. Hanging out with L'Arche is a guaranteed good time, and this year, a wonderful way to mark Summer Solstice. Details below. Hope to see you there!

Scott Cook

Last week, I had the good fortune to attend a Scott Cook concert in my neighbourhood. Scott is a sweet guy, a talented singer-songwriter artist/writer/photographer/comedian with a deep philosopher's soul (his most recent CD has a gorgeous 136 page booklet attached, featuring his many talents). The thought-provoking song below especially struck me -- his message really resonates every time I hear it.

If you get a chance to hear Scott Cook sometime, take advantage of it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R0W_QbGHr8

"I think I've changed my mind!"

My life with the L'Arche Community is shifting. Instead of spending most of my time on administrative tasks, I'm working with the core members more, much to my delight. They always make me smile.

Yesterday afternoon was no exception. It was cookie time. The gang and I made 'Oatmeal Cookies with a Purpose' from my old copy of the Mennonite More with Less cookbook. It's a recipe for a soft, easy to work with cookie dough that my Day Program friends with and without disabilities could easily shape as they pleased and decorate. Most opted to press m&ms into their cookies before baking, but a few cookies were baked un-decorated, so we iced them and put on sprinkles, as you can see in the picture.

The best moment of the afternoon was when when everyone, core members and staff alike, were joking around and happily nibbling warm fresh cookies. But my favourite anecdote occurred earlier, as I was helping to put aprons on each core member, asking if they were willing to help shape the cookies. Some I didn't even have to ask -- they were "all in" from the moment I started putting ingredients into the mixing bowl. But Lark* and Mariette* said no. They're older ladies and they usually prefer to sit and watch everyone else do things.

Not wanting to leave them out, I turned to Lark and said, "Are you sure you don't want to make cookies? If you don't make some, what will you do when the rest of us are enjoying our treats?"

An assistant piped up, "If you don't make cookies, you don't eat cookies."

I could tell that the wheels were turning as I watched Lark's expression change with the idea of no cookies. "No one else is going to make them for you," I said.

Lark paused a moment, then grinned and announced in her high, reedy voice, "I think I've changed my mind!" Mariette begrudgingly agreed with Lark, and as soon as I gave them their cookie dough, they both got right into it!

Everyone enjoyed their cookies when they were ready, and Mariette even hung in with me until the last cookie was iced and sprinkled, insisting that I deliver the pink-sugared one to her favourite staff member friend, who works in an office down the hall. Vinh, don't forget to thank her!

It was a delightful afternoon, and it was fun to see everyone in a happy mood, enjoying their cookies together. I much prefer baking with Day Program to working at a computer!

* I use pseudonyms for my L'Arche friends.

Simple Suggestion #265... Sing with a friend

I think it began on my 17th birthday. My best friend, Cathy, happened to be in town, and we went for a long walk together. And somewhere on that walk, she taught me to sing "When I first came to this land." I still remember all of the words, I think. I probably taught her a song, too. So there we were, two seventeen-year-olds, walking along the North Saskatchewan River, singing two part harmony.

And it grew from there. In October, the day our trains got all messed up, we unexpectedly found ourselves at a train station in rural France... learning another song in two parts. We've got several duets that we like to sing together, and one evening not so long ago when I was really missing her (she lives 1284 km away), I called her up. When she said "Hello?" I launched into this song, and of course she joined right in:

I have been fortunate to have sung with many friends through the years. I'm particularly pleased to have reconnected with a fellow I used to sing with in a youth group as a teenager. We're both three decades older now, but somehow our voices still fit together like lego blocks. It gives me so much joy to sing harmony with him at church once a month because somehow I can just feel in my bones when he'll begin and what my next note should be, thanks mostly to our early years of collaboration, I think. And there are other friends whose voices are imprinted in my soul from other times, people  with whom I'd like to think I could pick up a tune at the drop of a hat.

Then there are my sisters. We sang together in the car on long trips when we were little... and learned a few melodies in three part harmony in our teens. I loved singing with them, but our regular monthly gig at church ended about ten years ago and has never been replaced by anything else. Sisters, if you ever want to sing non-church music together, just the three of us, I'm game! A capella if you want!

Today's simple suggestion to sing with a friend doesn't mean the music needs to be high quality or aired in public. Even if you don't consider yourself to be a musical person, it can be fun to find a friend and sing along to the radio or attend an in-home karaoke night. All that's needed for guaranteed mood improvment is a friend, a fun little ditty, and a willingness to sing your hearts out. Singing along with Sharon, Lois and Bram or Charlotte Diamond with our kids when they were small made a lot of car trips a lot more pleasant!

Sing with a friend, just for the health of it. And if you have a favourite song that you like to sing with a favourite someone, I'd love to hear about it!

Happy Holi!

A couple of years ago, my friend from work shared a gorgeous Bollywood movie with me, and I'll admit that I was completely absorbed by what turned out to be a lovely romantic comedy with subtitles. It was just good clean fun, with some pretty amazing dancing, and the wonderful Holi scene in the video below. I love how different cultures celebrate Spring!

Today is Holi -- a festival that "signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of Spring, end of winter, and for many a day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships" (Wikipedia). Because of the Indian diaspora all over the globe, Holi is celebrated in many countries... and I remember seeing a picture of my niece covered in colours from a celebration here in Edmonton (though I think it was celebrated in the summer, not on a -13 C day like we're having now).

It's supposed to warm up, and Spring can't be that far off. In the meantime, here's a little colourful spring fun to tide us over until it actually arrives. To all friends from India, Happy Holi!

You're invited to Heritage Day

L'Arche is a worldwide community for people with and without disabilities, and every year at this time, our Edmonton community holds a fundraiser for L'Arche communities in South America and the Caribbean. Homes there are not supported with government funds and have a more difficult time making ends meet, so we have solidarity events, including a Bowl-a-thon that I've written about before, and Heritage Day, a fun evening in which we celebrate the cultural diversity of our community with food, music, skits, and a lot of laughter and fun.

The food is provided by our core members and assistants, who prepare individual servings of international dishes -- delicious little samplers of foods from the different countries of people in our community. People are also invited to dress in clothing from their countries of origin. Last year I walked into Heritage Day looking rather ordinary, lamenting that I was just a Canadian without any Russian-German gear from my ethnic background. My African sister, Alice, overheard me and hustled me out to her car, where she had several gorgeous outfits from which to choose! Alice and I are the same size, right down to our shoes, so I wore a beautifully embroidered dress and felt like the belle of the ball. Alice has since given me my very own African dress that I will be sure to wear this year.

The food and the clothing are amazing, and so is the entertainment. We always begin with a Solidarity Slide Show, giving us an idea of the lives of those in our L'Arche sister communities in South America and the Caribbean. Then the community is called upon to offer songs, skits or guessing games. Last year, some of our Korean assistants and some core members presented Gangnam Style, doing an amazing job of getting Psy's moves down, to the absolute delight of the audience. Believe it or not, the RCMP musical ride also made an appearance, and we were treated to a Ukrainian Wedding Dance. What I really love about Heritage Day (well, any L'Arche gathering, really) is having the opportunity to see almost everyone in the community all at once, and meeting their friends and family who join in the fun.

If you're able, please join us at Heritage Day. It will be held this Friday, November 1st at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (8410 89 Street) at 7 p.m, and I have it on good authority that Bollywood may make for some fun this year. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for children under ten, with those under 5 free, and any extra donations to our Solidarity communities gratefully received at the door. We hope you can join us!

* * * * * * *

On another note, Happy All Hallow's Eve! 

Last night, some special guests joined us in carving the seven pumpkins
Suzanna grew this summer. Appearing clockwise from the top right are
Bat Signal by Suzanna, Spooky Tree and Evil Eye by Julia,
Polka Dots (I'm still scraping bits of drilled pumpkin
off my back step, thank you my sisters!), 

Chicken Little by Jamie,
Jimmy Gourd the Veggie Tales Star by Christina, and Winky.

Simple Christmas idea #27 -- Play a simple game

Have fun with charades or SPOONS...

Or any other game that gets people moving, laughing, and being silly. Twenty Questions, Blind Man's Bluff or other old fashioned parlour games that get people together and having fun are a great idea for these long wintry evenings. I won't get into the rules of charades (the silent acting out of a word or phrase in competition between two teams) because everyone has their own way of playing.

We had an interesting game of "Mafia" after Christmas dinner, but it's too convoluted to explain here. I can, however, tell you about SPOONS. I think I'll have to talk my family into cutting their fingernails so we can have a crazy game or two. The basic idea is this: take a deck of cards, and pick out as many sets of four as there are people playing. Put as many sturdy spoons as there are players MINUS ONE into the middle of the table or circle (we've played it on the rug in the past). Deal all the cards. On the count of three, every player passes one card to the left, until someone gets four of a kind and grabs a spoon. The person who doesn't get a spoon is "out" -- but can remain in the circle because dealers have been known to accidentally deal in people who were previously out. Remove a spoon each time a person is "out" -- when only two players are left, the first one to get the spoon is the winner!

If you're looking for a good list of Victorian parlour games, click here, and have fun!

A Family Day that lasts for weeks

My inbox at work lately has been inundated with greetings from L'Arche communities around the world: Belgium, Cleveland OH, Brazil, Saint John NB and Wolfville NS, New Zealand, Tacoma WA, France, and the Philippines (who sent us the adjacent Ark picture). The reason? October 1st each year, L'Arche communities celebrate Family Day. And by the fact that emails are still arriving, our Family Day lasts more than 24 hours. In fact, we're actually celebrating this week.

L'Arche (French for "The Ark) was founded in 1964 in Trosly-Breuil, France, so that people with disabilities could live in a family setting rather than institutions. It didn't take long for his ideas to spread, and within two years, similar homes began in India, England and Canada, homes where it is understood that people who are often rejected and despised by the world have much to teach us about life and love.

Today, there are 137 L'Arche communities all over the globe, and we celebrate Family Day each October because, as our Charter says,

Home life is at the heart of a L'Arche Community. The different members of a community are called to be one body. They live, work, pray and celebrate together, sharing their joys and their suffering and forgiving each other, as in a family. They have a simple life-style, which gives priority to relationships. 

The same sense of communion unites the various communities throughout the world. Bound together by solidarity and mutual commitment, they form a world-wide family.

On Friday evening, our L'Arche family in Edmonton is gathering to celebrate our world-wide family by holding a Solidarity Fundraiser for our sister communities in Central and South America. The evening features a cornucopia of international dishes prepared by our assistants, who come from all over. There will be entertainment (I'm hearing rumours of a Psy ("dress classy, dance cheesy") performance from our Koreans, which will undoubtedly be a big hit as our community loves to dance!) and the food can't be beat. So if you would like to meet our L'Arche family, join us at St. Thomas D'Aquin Church (8410 89 St) at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 19th. Tickets are $10, with all proceeds going to L'Arche in Central and South America.

Please join us if you're in the neighbourhood!

The river down our street

So it's not the best Spring Break ever for riding our bikes, but I haven't seen a better one for floating our boats!

My girls and I went out this gorgeous sunny afternoon (8 degrees, so a sweater was enough for a change!) and dug a river through the snow on the edge of our street.

By the time we were finished, we had a steady flow from our house (furthest on the right) all the way around the corner to the next avenue (past about nine homes).

We were having a great time, until the girls discovered that their boats seemed to float faster without their sails... but without sails, they disappeared under the edge of the ice and that was that. Oh well, we had a good hour of fun in the sun, and developed an appreciation for river engineering. Trying to build rapids that don't sink your boat is a challenge!