Kindred Spirits

I recently was the guest speaker at the Kindred Spirits Quilt Guild in Charlottetown.  I talked about my process in making Pangur Ban, the Cat, my newest art quilt.  I bought my sketchbook, and the head, hands and feet I sculpted from polymer clay.  I also brought my needle-felted white cat, which I will add to the piece as Pangur Ban.  Most everyone liked my work.  Of course, there is always the traditional quilter, perfectionist who points out what she would have done "the right way."  Undaunted, I will keep working on my art, just as the monk and his kitty Pangur Ban worked on theirs, turning darkness into light.

Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day, a very solemn holiday in Canada.  This is the day that Canadians remember their war dead, especially from World War I, but also World War II and Korea.  The culture around Remembrance Day is somewhat different than our Veterans' Day.  For Americans, Veterans' Day remembers the sacrifices of all veterans, living and dead.  We mark the day with parades, flags and patriotism.  The Canadians, on the other hand, have quiet ceremonies at cenotaphs where they lay wreaths.  A cenotaph is a war memorial. It is usually a statute or a small monument dedicated to the war dead.  I had never heard this word before I moved here. At Remembrance Day ceremonies, people leave the poppies they had been wearing all week at the cenotaph following the ceremony.

November Already!

It is the first week in November, and it has snowed already.  Winter starts early and lasts a long time.  Even so, this is still the most beautiful place on Earth.  Halloween passed with no trick or treaters.  I never realized that I would miss Halloween so much.  I always enjoyed seeing the kids dressed up in their costumes and giving out candy, so next year I may have to visit a friend in the city to get my Halloween happiness.  Abby has been spending a lot of time with her new little horse. He is a very cute little foal, all black with white socks on his rear legs.
 
American Thanksgiving is coming up soon, and I am determined to have the feast here, though I can't do it on Thanksgiving because it is just another work day.  And so, I will have to move dinner to Saturday or Sunday.  Not quite the same, but pretty close.  A week later, Kathryn will be coming home.  I guess we won't get to see Aaron until Christmas.