Monday Meander - June 19, 2023

I'm meandering through the fields of family memories today, specifically memories of my grandfather. He was born in Lincoln, England on this day in 1885.

I adored him and now realize how so very privileged I was to have in my life until I was 29. So many memories of  Gramps have been flooding in today that writing this blogpost has taken hours to finish.  I  want to savour each rich moment. 

I stop to recall:

• the feel his hand holding mine as we sat in church Sunday by Sunday,
• the aroma of the House of Lords cigar he lit up after Sunday luncheon,
• watching that same cigar bobbing intriguingly between his lips and the growing length of ash,
• the metal lathe and steam engines he made with it,
• his voice telling the tales of his life as apprentice stationary engineer sailing the cargo vessels between Liverpool and Antwerp (his supervisor was a Mr. Kirkcaldy and he was a man to be feared!)

Training done, Gramps served as Engineer 4th class with the American Transport Line on passenger/cargo ships plying the Atlantic, London to NYC. He met Gram in New York, they married in 1911 and settled in Toronto where he became the chief engineer for the thriving city. He was 68 when I was born.

1961 - Gram and Gramps cheer on Dad and I poolside

1975 at my wedding

But my most treasured memory of Gramps dates to 1978. Norbert and I had bought land early in the year and having cleared the land, were building our house. Gramps wanted frequent updates on our progress and once the framing was up, he and my dad came up for an in-person inspection. We toured the foundations outside and inside, Gramps nodding and murmuring support. When we came the wooden extension ladder, the one with bits of black electrical tape mending a few of the rungs, we stopped to talk about what was happening above us. I figured the tour was over, I mean at 93 years, I wasn't expecting Gramps to climb that wooden ladder. 

To this day I can hear him say, 

"Well, are we just going to stand around here all day and gawk, or get up the ladder?"

This was one of the proudest moments of my life to stand alongside my beloved grandfather in my house, such as it was with plywood subfloor and 2 x 4 framing studs revealing roughed in plumbing and electrical at knee level. He inspected it all, approved of it all. I loved it all. 

Descending the ladder was more of a challenge than climbing it, but he did it. Still holding the ladder rails, but standing back on the cement foundation floor, Gramps looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes and said,

"Don't tell mother (meaning gram) about this!" 

And I never did. Thanks Gramps. Happy Birthday.

©2023 April Hoeller

Monday Meander - June 12, 2023

 RAIN!

It's been 23 days since the last significant rain in these parts. My fretting about fire danger, smokey air, and thirsty gardens washed away overnight by a glorious 50+mm (over 2 inches) of soothing showers descending from the sky. The garden rejoices with eye-popping colour dripping from every leaf and petal.

And yes, I was thrilled to get wet taking these photos this morning!

It's beautiful day in the neighbourhood. 

©2023 April Hoeller

Monday Meander - June 5, 2023

I'm struggling to find any enthusiasm for kicking off my wagon into the first full week of June. Such inertia is fueled in no small part by the pall of forest fire smoke hanging in the air these days, all coming from Quebec and northern Ontario. Last night I could actually smell it and the full strawberry moon glowed a Halloween orange in the night sky. 

This morning's forecasts are dominated by air quality statements with little chance of significant rain until perhaps the weekend.

https://instantweather.ca/2023/06/05/wZRS6S-special-air-quality-statement-issued/ 

And by tomorrow, the fire danger risk is forecast to reach "Extreme" for my part of the province (circled in yellow).

https://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/maps/fw?type=fdr&year=2023&month=06&day=06

Is this the future of summers? 

I toured my garden this morning with these gloomy thoughts playing in my head.
The iris seemed uninterested in my lament. 

The lupins just smiled and waved, 

And the pansies remained blissfully unaware. 

I'm sure I heard them giggling with yellow delight!

So the message from the garden would seem to be:

            And one more thing...

PLEASE

Be fire smart!

Be aware. Be vigilant.

©2023 April Hoeller

Monday Meander - May 22, 2023

It's a holiday Monday! 

Capping off a long weekend with sunshine. And not just any old long weekend but the summer kickoff weekend. I wrote in my Thursday, or Thereabouts post last week, that I was hoping that this great first long weekend of summer was much brighter and gentler than 2022's version and kicks off a season of  warm days and starry nights along with enough rain to keep it all beautiful. Well we got the much needed rain on Saturday, all 52mm (2.05 inches) and we got warm sun on Sunday and today. So we're off to a great start. 

It's been quiet here at the homestead. No family gatherings or other social events, which feels a bit odd, like there's something out of place. I'll try to fix that next year! Saturday's rain left me ample time to meander through photos of past Victoria Day weekends.  How and where have I let loose the bonds of winter on this revered weekend in the past?

A few times we were cruising.  

 Dover, England

Amsterdam

Venice

And guided by Schwartz, our intrepid we found places to raise a pint in every port!

But most often we are here at home where blossoms and blooms, firewood and feasts, with feathered and furry friends along with little ones decorate the days. 

Even this year, we made it fun in our own way. There was a trip into town - for more bits and bobs for the bathroom reno and new training shoes for me. What we came home with was a bag of elbows, hubs, and shut-offs, no shoes, and a new laptop computer! Turns out the computer store was beside the sports store. Who knew? And there was this sale... Need I say more? 

There was a bbq - burgers, local asparagus, and red wine, a sumptuous Baco Noir I'd been saving for just this time.

It's time to swing into summer. Let's do this!

  ©2023 April Hoeller

Monday Meander - May 15, 2023

My daughter 1991

How can it be the middle of May already? I mean, seriously how did that happen? What have I been doing? What have I accomplished? A glance at my calendar for past two weeks looked like a map of some remote landscape dotted with occasional settlements. Surely that can't be the whole picture! Picture? PICTURES!!  I've got pictures!

My photos told a different story. While I personally may not have accomplished much this May, that doesn't mean I have nothing to show. One of the many things that I learned during the pandemic is to try be aware of and celebrate the the ordinary, normal things that happen through the seasons. And that's what I see in my photos this month.

The unfurling of spring in the forest.

The addition of pots of colour to the garden.

The annual arrival of next winter's firewood.

Progress on a bathroom reno.

Finding great sticks.

Walks in the forest.

 

Have a wonderfully ordinary week!

©2023 April Hoeller

Monday Meander - May 8, 2023

 After a weekend full of pomp, pageantry, and tradition all on display in a coronation, a horserace, and a hockey game, I'm ready for some simple joys.

Here are mine from the last 48 hours:

An English crumpet (or two!) topped with butter and local honey along with a mug of Earl Grey tea. Perfect accompaniment to my early morning viewing of the coronation.

Later in the morning a survey of our garden revealed a bounty of simple joys all highlighted by so very welcome sunshine and warmth.

Sunday came with unwelcome rain. Can we not have more than one day of sunshine? Such grumbling evaporated to the tune of  "Rain, Rain go away. Come again another day" sung out with gusto by my little ones as they splashed in the puddles...

...and a box of sidewalk chalk just waiting for an artist's hand.

Wishing you simple joys this week. 

©2023 April Hoeller