MOVIE REVIEW: YESTERDAY

I watched a movie in the theater this summer and it turned out to be a really fun romcom. It was the premise that drew me. A struggling songwriter musician has a bike accident, and finds that the word has forgotten that the Beatles every existed. So he recreates as many songs as he can, and becomes a big star. It's a Danny Boyle film, which helped get me out to an actual theatre, even when no one could join me on a cheap Tuesday. I have not watched all his work, and I suspect I wouldn't like Trainspotting and several others, but I adored Slumdog Millionaire, another rare theater outing, and found true stories 127 hours and Battle of the Sexes to be well done.

I would recommend this film for a general audience. It was really a sweet, well thought out film.

HAPPINESS IS A SUMMER POOL

Princess Pirate had a long summer vacation. Her last exam was June 10th, and for the first time since she began school in Quebec, she is returning after the Labour Day weekend. The one constant, that was almost the same luxurious length of her break, was the open season of the neighbourhood outdoor pool.

For many years she took lessons. Last year was the first time she didn't take any at all. This year, I gave her the choice between lessons and swim team, because she doesn't do any other sport. She took Silver, which I didn't find valuable because it includes the butterfly arms, but it got her in the pool swimming half an hour, four times a week, and I think she finds her animal spirit in the stroke! Her lessons were at 8, and she didn't like to be late. She got herself there on her own pretty early on, and went without complaint.

It was a hot summer, and the pool was definitely heated for parts, so the water was warmer than I ever remember. This last week, however, have had cool nights, some rain, and no extrinsic heating to speak of, so the pool water has been cool. That being said, my warm blooded kid loves it as much as anything. I have to will myself to jump in, as though it was a polar swim, steeling myself for the cold. I do a couple laps to warm up, and sometimes have to interrupt a game to warm myself up again. But PP never notices. She wants to go everyday. So we go often, and have made up a word that describes my inertia most days: swangry. Hungry and angry is known as hangry. Swangry describes me at the idea of going to the pool again. Swimming and angry. However, there has never been a swim that I left unhappy about. Sure, my hair is dry and frizzy, and my skin faintly gives off a chlorine smell, but there is something joyous about floating in water in the the last days of summer with your kid that makes it an amazing day.

I don't know if I swim any better this year than I did last year, but my capacity to float gets better every year, and I had a blast swimming with my beluga daughter every time.

I had hoped that she would find playmates her age that would be her companions, especially as the pool water cools, but I have seen her try, and some kids are such snobs, even at 12 and 13. So I am grateful for another year that I can be her companion, blocking shots from a rubber ball, chasing each other under water, and swimming like only mermaids and belugas can!

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS MUSE ON ART

Apollo sighed. "You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explair his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear through the search."

From The Titan's Curse (Book 3)

PITA

I found myself one night this week making curry, and the rice container was empty! Curried lentils alone are not quite right, so I added a generous amount of frozen corn the first night, with good effect. The next night, I still didn't think to buy rice on the way home, so I was looking for a naan recipe and found this pita recipe instead, from Australian Women's Weekly Middle Eastern Easy Style Cookery p 78. It didn't end up with the pocket, like pita is meant to have, so Paul Hollywood would classify it as flatbread. I think the electric skillet wasn't hot enough for that purpose.

It took a while to make, with two breaks to let the dough rise, but it turned out to be perfect for curry and a picnic with chickpea salad and tzaziki yesterday too.

I made 16 instead of 12 because it was easier to divide, but I should have left more space for them to rise the second time, because I ended up having to separate some of them twice. The size was perfect; smaller than the Suraj commercial brand we buy of naan. There was little difference, although they weren't as greasy or caloric since I fried them in an electric griddle with just a little oil. Highest heat, and covering them while they cooked, was essential.

Pita recipe

1 T yeast

1 T honey (sugar was fine)

1/2 cup warm water (body temp)

Combine and cover in warm place for 10 minutes, until frothy. Discard if not frothy and use new dried yeast.

Sift 3 cups white flour and 1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour with 2 tsp salt, or 4 1/2 cups plus enough flour necessary to form a soft dough. Need for 10 minutes. Rest in oiled glass container with cover until doubles, about an hour. 

Divide into same size quantities. 2 by 2 by 2 makes 16. Leave to rise another 30 minutes to double. 

Preheat griddle at top temperature. Roll out into rounds, and fry in  pan brushed with oil. Cover and leave for 2 minutes each side. They should puff up and brown. 

Delicious while warm. Trying them frozen. Good for dipping for a couple days, but dry alone.

SUMMER VACATION : DESTINATION REGINA

When people asked me where I am going for summer vacation, and I answer Regina, there are generally no follow up questions. For me, though, Saskatchewan has become my favourite vacation destination, and I love every minute of it.

We arrived early afternoon , and our plane was a little late. My parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew were waiting for us, and when they paid the parking, it was only $2 and $4 dollars !

We went to DQ and had novel treats: an orange flavoured Dreamsicle and Reese’s blizzard. We sat outside in these round picnic tables made of cement and stone, that remind me of my youth, and are repeated in the garbage cans and drive ways. In the posted history of the business my new favourite adjective was listed to describe the Peanut Buster Parfait, Scrumpdillyiscious!

Wascana park is in full bloom and there are Canada Geese and enormous pelicans and even cormorants catching fish in the lake. You have to watch where you step, but it becomes second nature very quickly.

The Victoria Street Bridge is the longest bridge over the shortest body of water.

The garden bordering the lake is at the foot of the legislature building. It is a tribute to QEII. Her favourite horse was a Burmese mare,  trained at Fort Walsh in Saskatchewan, and given to her. I think she once credited her safety to it, when, because of its training, it did not rear up when she was shot at. You can read the story here.

These pebble studded garbage cans have been there as long as I can remember. The same surface can be found at the A and W patio table and surrounding benches.

Each visit to her namesake Regina was documented along the garden, 6 in all. The benches and Legislative building are built from familiar Tyndall limestone, full of cephalopods and sunflower coral. My mom recalled seeing Queen Elizabeth in a car turning from Victoria to College with her crown on while celebrating my parents 20th anniversary in 1987. My sister-in-law remembered her waving from a parade in Brandon.

I thought I would just use the bathroom at the Legislative Building, but we were invited in for a tour. It was the first time I remember making it past the rotunda, and I enjoyed it completely. There are many types of marble in the grand space that sits under the dome, lit not by sunlight but electricity. The stairs are Quebec marble, the balustrade around the rotunda Swedish. The floor in two tones is from Vermont, the bases of the pillars Irish, and the most stunning was a truly marbled green type from Cyprus that made up all the pillars.

We were treated to several galleries, with premiers painted by the artist of their choosing. Lorne Calvert was done by a hyperrealist. Allan Blakeney by an impressionist, well posed. Some were less well done or poorly posed.

The Qu’appele Gallery had the lieutenant governors, and included a portrait of Tommy Douglas by Lilas Torrence Newton of Beaver Hall fame, and Sylvia Fedorak, who taught my mom physics in her radiology technician school.

The court chamber was designed full of symbolism. The room had curves in the corners to replicate the shape of the queen’s crown, and the ceiling was decorated with as many rosettes as there were jewels in the crown. The detailed woodwork was done by a 17 year old master woodworker!

Even the red carpet leading up to the rotunda, when changed, as upgraded for a green colour to represent the prairies. The pillars were labelled with Roman numerals from 1910, when Georgeos Rex died and Edward Rex began his reign.

Walter Scott, the first premier, had a vision, and it was that vision that had the building erected, at a significant cost of 1.8 million dollars!

In a speech at the laying of the cornerstone of the Legislative Building on October 4, 1909:
"I may say with pardonable pride that examination of the plans and design shows that, while it will be by no means huge or extravagant, it will be in appearance, stability and durability, such a building as any person may be willing without any hesitation to have his name associated with and inscribed upon - such a building as will appropriately represent the character and ambitions of the people of the province."
Walter Scott

Tommy Douglas was honoured with his actual glasses dipped in bronze and added to his bust, as was Diefenbaker, the only PM to reside in Saskatchewan, and bearer of good luck if you rub his nose, as remembered to be shiny bronze by my mom, but very much patinated now.

There was even the table from the Quebec summit that was recalled in the painting of the Fathers of Confederation. The library contained the local papers of all the small communities that have a printing press, and serves as a reference library even today.

On the home front, we watched lightening storm before the rain, and played a rousing game of Pandemic where we worked together to save the world, were instructed on the LEGO game my niece was inventing, ate tacos, trampolined,  read Wings of Fire, "played" with Josie,  ate oerogies, curry,  relaxed in playhouses, drank tea with the ever plentiful Tollhouse cookies, and laughed a lot.

Humor of the day: from Jeff Gaffigan, "To call it diarrhea would be an insult to the word."

My new favorite mantra: My goal is that my next failure isn’t as bad as the last.

Science Centre, Frisbee (Disc) Golf, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Lucy, Santorini, Milky Way, Bats, S'mores and a Fire, Kayak and Canoe, Pelicans and Cormorants, BBQ, Rhubarb Crisp, Crafting, Climbing, Reading Certificates, Titles from Childhood.

Bro crashed into the trees facetiming with oblivious mom on the shore. Lucy bit the branches and wouldn't let go. Cormarants wobbled in the trees with their ill-suited webbed feet in the wind. It took a while for PP to cede the steering to the back of the boat, but we found our rhythm!

The New York Natural History Museum has nothing on the Royal Saskatchewan Museum!

These are the scenes I always think of. Fantastic paintings with taxodermy wildlife.

Even after fire damage, they remain as I remembered.

December 2, 1751 14:30
An early winter allied Cree and Assiniboin camp in the Assiniboine River Valley. Three families  have been here for a couple of weeks. A fourth family arrives. Mother and sister put up the tipis. Daughter is in search of wood. Father and brother-in-laws arrive with freshly killed elf. Grandfather tells stories to his grandsons that are only told in winter.
European trade had been happening for almost a century. Horses were starting to be obtained by the Assiniboin from the North Dakota Mandan people. The Cree from the North were moving South and had guns. The allied Assiniboin and Cree were the dominant force on the Saskatchewan plains for the next century.

A trickster called Wi-se-ke-cahk caused a great flood, and there were three animals left with him after: a beaver, an otter and a muskrat. The muskrat retrieved a piece of earth under the waters, and the land was restored at the cost of his life.
Others tell a tale of a wolf and a raven. The raven flies to the four corners of the world, but fails to locate land. The worlf succeeds. On the southern plains, the swan, goose and loon help. Grandmother turtle also helps form the earth.

"This is the world's only known coprolite from a Tyrannosaurus rex."

This is a generous scoop of homemade rhubarb crisp.

This a perfect piece of pie.

I am not sure if I should be proud or disturbed that I read 347 books that year!

My favourite book in Grade 3.

I remember this series, at Regent Park Library. 

Saskatoon, Hawks, Prairies, Vallies, Waffles and Saskatoons, Forestry Farm, Calico Critters, Friends.

Qu'appelle Valley at Chamberlain on the Louis Riel Trail (ie Highway 11)

Black tailed Prairie Dogs in captivity. In the wild, they only survive in Grasslands Provincial Park.

The Lumsden Hill and its magical Valley.

47.5

Your favourite virtue: AUTHENTICITY
Your favourite qualities in a man: THOUGHTFULNESS
Your favourite qualities in a woman: WISDOM
Your chief characteristic: HONESTY
What you appreciate the most in your friends: GRACE
Your main fault: JUDGEMENT
Your occupation: URGENTOLOGUE
Your idea of happiness: DOING THINGS AT MY OWN PACE
Your idea of misery: RUNNING OUT OF TIME
If not yourself, who would you be? RESOURCE LIBRARIAN, GURU
Where would you like to live: ON MORE LAND
Your favourite colour: PEACOCK BLUE
Your favourite flower: ANYTHING GROWING IN MY GARDEN, ESPECIALLY SURPRISES IN MY LAWN
Your favourite bird: CARDINAL
Your favourite prose authors: ELIZABETH GILBERT, ANDREW SEAN GREER
Your favourite poets:VERLAINE
Your favourite heros in fiction: TELEMACHUS
Your favourite heroines in fiction: LIZBETH SALANDER
Your favourite painters: KLIMT, MODIGLIANI, SUSANNE STRATER, CAROLINE OSTIGUY
Your favourite composers: MOZART, TCHAIKOVSKY

Other interesting questions:
Your favourite occupation (e.g. horseback riding): BLOGGING
Your favourite heroes in real life: ATUL GAWANDE
Your favourite heroines in real life: RBG
Your favourite food: LENTIL CURRY
Your favourite drink: CAPPUCCINO, APEROL SPRITZ, Cabernet Sauvignon
Your pet aversion: NARCISSISM, INSINCERITY
Your favourite names: AMALIA, ETHAN
What characters in history do you most dislike? HITLER, NAPOLEON, TRUMP
What is your present state of mind? CONTENT
For what fault have you the most tolerance? WEAKNESS
Your favourite motto: BEAUTY IS NOT OPTIONAL, YOU NEVER KNOW

PROUST'S QUESTIONNAIRE

Your favourite virtue:
Your favourite qualities in a man:
Your favourite qualities in a woman:
Your chief characteristic:
What you appreciate the most in your friends:
Your main fault:
Your occupation:
Your idea of happiness:
Your idea of misery:
If not yourself, who would you be?
Where would you like to live:
Your favourite colour:
Your favourite flower:
Your favourite bird:
Your favourite prose authors:
Your favourite poets:
Your favourite heros in fiction:
Your favourite heroines in fiction:
Your favourite painters:
Your favourite composers:

Other interesting questions:
Your favourite occupation (e.g. horseback riding):
Your favourite heroes in real life:
Your favourite heroines in real life:
Your favourite food:
Your favourite drink:
Your pet aversion:
Your favourite names:
What characters in history do you most dislike?
What is your present state of mind?
For what fault have you the most tolerance?
Your favourite motto:


This is a regular feature in The Next Chapter, a CBC radio show with Shelagh Rogers interviewing authors.

It was a questionaire filled out by Marcel Proust in 1890, in the form of a "confession album" that were more common at that time, and in his case, in English.

It is meant to be filled out on different occasions, given a sense of who you are at a certain point in time, and over time.

BOOK REPORT: LESS

Less is an exquisite read. It is meta, talking about an impossible novel with an unsympathetic protagonist while you are actively reading it. Less is a poignant story of middle age. Less is a marvel of writing wit. Less is Eat Pray Love as a gay man travelling around the world in seven stops (Mexico, Italy Germany, France, Morocco, India, Japan) instead of three (Italy, India, Bali). Less is Arthur's last name.

JULIETTE ET CHOCOLAT, VERSION ESTIVALE

Although everything here is tempting, the poster with kitchy names including POP (Aretha POPlin, ElPOP John, Ella POPgerald, Michael JacksPOP, POP Dilan, and POP McCartney)
brought us in off the street to get a decadent ice cream bar treat. Nutella ice cream and salty caramel dip for us both. It was wonderful, and with the paper plates under, no part of the pop was lost!

Nos Pops Stars

SASKATOONS

Saskatoons are my favorite berry, but I have only ever eaten them when I return to Saskatchewan. So it was amazing  that two years ago, my city was giving away bushes for free on earth day. Amelanchier alnifolia. My own Saskatoonberry bush. I have rarely met people outside of Saskatchewan that recognize the berry. I figured out, on the label of a jam jar, that the french version word is l'amélanche, but still I met no one who knew the berry. 

I sent my friend who grew up in Saskatchewan also a picture of the daily handful, and he found me a nearby possibility and a new name: Juneberry.  Juneberry Farm is on my list of things to do. Until then, every berry from my backyard is precious!

ANCIENT ARROGANT

Next time someone uses a phrase when it is intended to make you feel dumb, it might be from ancient arrogant! Sounds better than it reads. For example, tabula rasa may be from ancient Latin or it may be from ancient Arrogant!

CANADIAN CENTRE FOR ARCHITECTURE

I have driven by the CCA for the last 15 years on my way to work. The Guy exit off of the 20 passes by a sculpture garden that is associated with it, and the building from Rene Levesque is the Shaunessy House, a  National Historic Site of Canada. The architecture part of the museum was surprisingly subtle. I couldn't even find out basic information about the buildings style. This was explained by one the founder, Phyllis Lambert (daughter of Samuel Bronfman and founder of Heritage Montreal), on the museum's website, "We're not a museum that puts things out and says, 'This is architecture.' We try to make people think."

I have to be honest: I was a little disappointed not to have a little architecture, at least of the building I was in. Coming in on Baile Street where the entrance is, however, the grounds and addition from 1989 to the original Shaunessy House (built in 1874) was quite impressive.

The architecture is described in the style of the Second Empire (think Napoleon) and Montreal Greystone (I thought that was a New York term!).  The symmetrical house was formed when two semi-detached house merged into one. The East House was owned by William Van Horne, and later, owner T.G. Shaughnessy, were associated with the Canadian Pacific Railway. The west house was the guest house of Lord Strathcona (Donald Smith), who added the features I loved the most: a semi-circular conservatory and mahogany-panelled library, in 1890.  Most notably, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future King George V and Queen Mary) were guests of the Stathconas in 1901. The houses were connected by a corridor by that time. 

The roof is mansard (named after a French Baroque architect of that name) with "iron cresting pierced with tripartite dormer windows." The mansard roof slopes on all four sides of the house; a hipped gambrel roof. The conservatory is to the west, and for me was the jewel of the whole place. Although all the rooms were decorated with detail, the functional rudimentary tables where we were allowed to picnic did not give a very good impression. The conservatory, and the room adjoining were detailed, floor to ceiling, and despite the ugly modern furniture, could be. nothing short of charming. The interior is all the original decoration and finishes, and a few of those exquisite details are shown below. 

Facing "Dorchester"Street, in the cementwork of the conservatory

Iron work drainage for the thriving plants (tropical hibiscus)

Grates along the floor of the conservatory

A little sun magic

Lion motif

Is this tiger wood?

The roof looks 2D but in real life it is 3D.

The floor, in its extraordinary finery.

MCTAVISH LIBRARY ART GALLERY

Every since I got this lead from Heather Dubreuil, I have walked up the floor flights of stairs many times, only to find myself staring through the window. Finally, I arrived at a time when it was open, and here are a few pieces that spoke to me:

"Snow Fight", etching, Moe Reinblatt (1917-1979)

I love how the positive space is like a deep snowbank!

"Crow Series", mixed media, Mary Martha Guy (1936-)

It's an odd juxtaposition of emotions, with seemingly irrelevant crows.

"Restaurant Interior", Harry Mayerovitch, oil on canvas, (1910-2004)

The first time I walked by, I didn't like this. The second time I anchored on the turquoise near the centre of the painting, and then the oranges and yellows made sense, and I fell in love.

"Portrait of a Woman", oil on canvas, Herman Heimlich (1904-1986)

On so many levels, this painting is remarkable. I loved it immediately, and wished I could have painted it!

"Woman Before a Window", oil on canvas, Edwin Holgate (1892-1977)

It's always thrilling to see a work from the Group of Seven!

"Untitled", acrylic on canvas, Kevin Pee-ace (Cree and Saulteaux)

This one was chosen by Princess Pirate, who obliged me my detour from the Redpath museum, that turned out to be closed anyways. It feels like the first star of the sunset, although I am not sure if the child is placing it, or capturing it.

"Shaman Surrounded by Ancestral Spirit Totem", Norval Morrisseau (Anishinaabe 1931-2007)

A truly great artist, with an unmistakable style. Some artists I know by their body of work. Morriseau I know by his style. There is no one like him.

Map of the Night Sky - Southern Hemisphere?

This was on the floor at the entrance to the gallery, but it drew my attention for its artistic merit. With all things being Greek, we recognized a few characters, but I never could find the North Star of the Ursae Major and Minor.