I'll have to remember this when I forget something....

From: https://katiecouric.com/culture/why-we-forget-science-study-memory-loss/ "Forgetfulness may not be the sign you think it is… If you’ve ever arrived home after a long day only to realize you have no clue where your house keys are, good news is on the horizon: A new study suggests that forgetting random memories isn’t necessarily a sign that your brain is atrophying, or that you have a medical problem. In fact, it just might mean that your brain is currently in fighting shape. The study, conducted at the University of Southern California by a team of researchers, suggests that the act of forgetting isn’t a sign of your brain failing you, but rather the exact opposite: that your brain is working effectively on your behalf. Oliver Hardt, an assistant professor of psychology at McGill University, explained to Time that “[forgetting] is one of the most fundamental aspects of a memory system. Without forgetting, nothing would work.” This might seem counterintuitive. After all, our memories are of the highest sentimental and logistical importance. Your life could quickly fall apart if you forgot your social security number, or how to speak your native language. Similarly, your life might lose all inherent meaning if you forgot crucial emotionally driven memories, like the birth of your child, or the last time you spoke with a loved one before they passed away. Memories are what allow us to function, at a basic and spiritual level. But you’re only able to sort through those memories efficiently as long as your brain continues to do the important work of sifting through your memories and dumping the ones that are no longer “important.” Consider what might happen if you didn’t forget many of your memories. “You would have an endless amount of useless stuff accumulating there constantly,” Hardt told Time. “And each time you want to think about something [important], all these memories would pop up that are completely meaningless and that make it hard for you to actually do the job of predicting what is next.” Scientists are still doing research to understand all the ways our body might benefit from this memory-culling biological tool. In the meantime, you can check out which meals will help boost your brain health to keep it in tip-top shape."

List of 70 books by Commonwealth authors

Lots of great ideas to mark the 70 years of Queen Elizabeth on the throne. I loved this one and glad to see so many authors I know and appreciate. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/jk-rowling-commonwealth-arts-jrr-tolkien-arundhati-roy-b994809.html

And more happy news!

Linda and Cec are back cruising. They love this so much and the last few years have been really tough on them. So glad for them and hope to see lots of posts. Have a great trip, Guys!

Art, wonderful art

Susan K. reminded me I hadn't posted to my blog for a while. I guess I'm trying to avoid all the negative things going on in the world these days and then I happened on this.

I've always been attracted to abstract, non-realistic art. And in these times I think it says it all in a way. You can just find joy and beauty and don't have to think about issues. Well, there are probably always issues but at the moment I am just enjoying the art.

From the blog of Seth Godin....Generation C"

Sounds pretty good to me. "We’ve been naming generations for a long time. Demographers use it to begin a conversation about the changes around us. While a birth range doesn’t guarantee an outlook, the demographics and cultural shifts that a group shares tell us a lot about how they might see the world. And the name is a shortcut to remind us that not everyone sees the world the way we do. Baby boomers Gen X Gen Y Gen Z Millenials The last four are pretty unimaginative if you ask me, but I also know that a baby boomer is probably thinking of the world differently than a millennial is right now. These are inexact labels, but helpful nonetheless. So what to call the next generation? My co-authors Bruce Clark and Paige NeJame have coined the term “Generation C.” It’s so well-suited, I believe it’s going to stick. C is for Covid, C is for Carbon, C is for Climate. The combination of years of school spent at home, in a mask, combined with the significant revolution (economic, political and social) that our industrialism has led us to means that this generation will be different than the ones before. Every decision and investment and interaction is going to be filtered through the lens of carbon and remediation and resilience. And yet, if we combine this with the c of connection, of a cohort of people who are finding solace and possibility in community, there’s a chance for all of us. Generation C didn’t ask for any of this, but I’m hopeful that they’re up for leading the change."

Rock Garden

Just loved this photo by John Denniston. I guess it's the simplicity.

Curious about this course

I wonder if they teach a "British accent". I'm reminded of some friends of Monique who were visiting from France and who were quite fluent in English and spoke with a British accent. Richard was just a few months old and they asked us if we were going to teach him to speak English with a British accent. Katey and David were often asked why their kids spoke with a British accent while they spoke with a Canadian accent. Well, the kids grew up in Britain so obviously spoke like their peers. "Online Courses Language Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam logo English Pronunciation in a Global World 4.8 (376 reviews) In this course, you will improve your English pronunciation skills and learn about speaking English in today's globalised world. Join course 99,816 enrolled on this course"

A lovely dinner with Donna and Earl

We met at the University Golf Club for dinner last night. It was so nice to see them both again and to feel comfortable getting out after a long Covid winter. Saw some wonderful displays of tulips on our short drive there. It does feel like Spring and new beginnings. An excellent day all round. Elena Rossi called from Victoria and we had a lovely chat catching up. The Blue Jays lost but it was an exciting game and fun to watch.

Great photo from John with two of my very favourite things

Libraries and newspapers...love them!

-Photo by John Denniston

Fish and chips in the sunshine yesterday

I'm having trouble editing this post so will just leave it as is. We enjoyed our lunch and it was amazingly warm.

Tomatoes wonderful tomatoes....

Posted on FB by Ra Vee with the heading: "Just some of the over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes in the world" I love tomatoes and so many yummy dishes include tomatoes but right off the vine will always be my favourite way to eat them.

Jane Austen and Ukraine

It's great to see support from so many groups large and small and such a variety. The people of Ukraine must feel very loved and cared for. https://austenvariations.com/jaff-loves-ukraine-update/

Blimps

I've always been rather fascinated by blimps. If I remember correctly we did see the Goodyear Blimp when we were in Palm Springs...perhaps part of the Cochela Music Festival? From "Interesting Facts" "In terms of speed and safety, airplanes have largely outpaced airships, but there is one metric where airships still reign — efficiency. Scientists have dreamed up many ways to slowly wean ourselves off fossil fuels (think solar panels, wind turbines, and electric cars), but airplanes remain a conundrum. Some estimates project that by 2050, 27% of the world’s carbon budget (under targets developed to keep the global temperature rise below a 1.5 degree Celsius increase from pre-industrial levels) could come from aviation. That’s why some researchers have begun reexamining the airship. Because of its buoyancy and ability to ride the global jetstreams, airships use significantly less fuel. One ambitious airship company says its dirigibles could run at only 8% of the fuel cost of a typical jet airliner. Because of safety issues and long travel times, airships would only be practical for short-distance commercial flights or for hauling cargo, but they could still have a significant place in a greener future."

A lovely Easter dinner with Grace and Richard

Well, as usual, no photos. That means we were too busy talking and laughing. They brought over some Easter eggs from Purdy's....yum! I served Cornish Game hens and we all enjoyed them. Grace hadn't ever had one before. No dealing with turkey leftovers...good and bad aspects of that:)

Hand painted Ukrainian Easter Eggs

This seemed like an appropiate post...hope it works.

Happy Easter everyone!

Lego

I thought this was a great story and so glad to see this kid got lots of lego! Richard loved his lego.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60994304

Kestrals

Somehow this bird doesn't look like it could capture a small mammal. "This striking high-key photo of a kestrel on a blossom branch has taken top honors in the GST Nature Photographer of the Year competition."

The name kestrel (from French: crécerelle, derivative from crécelle, i.e. ratchet) is given to several members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around 10–20 metres (35–65 ft) over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects. Other falcons are more adapted to active hunting in flight. Kestrels are notable for usually having mostly brown in their plumage.

Marc Chagall’s “The Ukrainian Family” was painted during WWII. It could have been painted today. 🇺🇦

Tulip Ukraine

What a wonderful idea and I'm sure there will be lots of plantings. Dutch developed a new tulip named in honor of Ukraine and featuring the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag. Named the “Tulip Ukraine” (Tulipa Ukraine”). These are gorgeous and need to be planted everywhere possible💙💛 📷: Hoven & de Mooij bv

Fun Facts about ET

I managed to bring this up finally...I think. "On March 4,Director Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming masterpiece, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, will close out the 12th Annual Festival of the Arts BOCA. Experience all the mystery and fun of this film with John Williams’ Academy Award-winning score performed live by a full symphony orchestra. It's going to be a magical night but before we get there, learn some interesting facts about E.T. Steven Spielberg shot most of the film from the eye-level of a child to further connect with Elliot and E.T. With the exception of Elliot's mom, no adults' faces are shown until the last half of the film. E.T.'s face was modeled after poet Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and a pug dog. According to the film's novelization, E.T. is over ten million years old. Steven Spielberg also stated in an interview that E.T. was a plant-like creature, and neither male or female. Steven Spielberg worked simultaneously on both this film and Poltergeist (1982) in 1982 (which was directed by Tobe Hooper but produced by Spielberg), and both were made to complement each other. "E.T." represented suburban dreams, and "Poltergeist" represented suburban nightmares. At the auditions, Henry Thomas thought about the day his dog died to express sadness. Director Steven Spielberg cried, and hired him on the spot. Don't miss out on a very special evening with E.T. and The Symphonia, Boca Raton & Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor. Reserve your seats to experience watching a film with live orchestra. Sunday, March 4 at 6:00pm, Mizner Park Amphitheater "

Strange things with blogger these days

I can't seem to get the link working to the "Interesting Facts" and can't seem to edit the post.

Interesting Facts about E.T.

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Official languages

From "Interesting Facts" "Most countries have an official language by law, but not the U.S. While 90% of Americans speak English, an estimated 350 languages are spoken within U.S. borders. There have been federal attempts to make English official, but none of them have stuck." This surprised me and also that there are 350 languages spoken in the US. Then I went to Wiki which was pretty interesting. I thought the illustration did an excellent job of getting this information across. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States

I was hoping to get a similar chart for Canada but there wasn't one; however, there was a really great article worth looking at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Canada

Ah...my wonderful otters once again

Sea otters have the thickest fur of any mammal. A sea otter’s fur is an evolutionary marvel. Within just one square inch, otter fur contains 850,000 to 1 million hairs, making it denser than any other mammal on land or in the sea. The aptly-named fur seal comes in a distant second, with only about 300,000 hairs per square inch. Humans, meanwhile, only have about 80,000 to 120,000 hairs on our heads (if we’re lucky).

Maybe we'll get to a game this season

I think it would be fun to go but still a little worried about being in big crowds. Since we love baseball so much I feel a bit guilty not supporting our local team. It was a very exciting home opener for the Blue Jays yesterday. Wow, they were down 7-0 and came back to win. Way to go Blue Jays! "The Vancouver Canadians have started getting ready for this upcoming season. Players warmed up on April 5 in the beautiful sunshine and warm weather while others had interviews and took official headshots. That means that Nat Bailey stadium must be in tip-top shape to host its guests. This will be the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that the Canadians will be back playing at home. The last games to be played at Nat Bailey Stadium were in 2019, and Vancouver baseball fans have had no events or opportunities to share the communal love for baseball until the Canadians come back. Crews cleaned the stands and bleachers to prepare for attendees while the field was prepared for the player's practice. Nat Bailey Stadium is coming back to life again and will soon be bustling with excitement, cheers, and shouts from fans. The High-A Minor League baseball team sports a fresh new roster of 29, only six have only appeared in Nat Bailey Stadium before. New head coach Brent Lavallee and his staff look forward to the start of the season on April 8 in Spokane, Washington and then they make their way back to Vancouver for the Canadians' home opener against the Eugene Emeralds on Tuesday, April 19."

Salesforce lands on world's most ethical company list for the 13th time

As a mom it's great to know my son is working for an ethical company. Good on Salesforce!

https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/salesforce-lands-on-worlds-most-ethical-list-for-13th-time/?utm_source=single-newsletter&utm_campaign=FY23Q1

Colossal Cacti Sculptures

"The sculptures by Andrew Kovacs were at one time part of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The "Colossal Cacti" sculptures are installed in a grassy area on Smurr St. in downtown Indio, January 10, 2022. The sculptures by Andrew Kovacs were at one time part of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.Jan 10, 2022" I just love these and think they are so much fun.

National Library Week

Expect lots of posts on libraries this week. They are amazing institutions and this one is certainly one of my favourites in the world.

"The Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory is always striving to improve our services and offer more to the community. As many libraries have begun to do across the country, we evaluated our policies on fines – and what they do to our patrons. Fines are supposed to encourage the timely return of materials, but they have not had that effect. Instead, fines have created a barrier that stops people from being able to use our resources. In many cases, these are the people who need our resources the most. The City of Rancho Mirage created this facility and has continued to encourage its growth to help others pursue lifelong learning. In following that directive, the Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory will be eliminating fines. This does not mean that patrons can simply check out materials and never bring them back. It means that an item that is a day or two late is not a big deal. Because an item that is a day or two late is not a big deal." And they have fun activities for kids with free materials to make things. This is an example for on an Easter theme. Event Details Starting April 4, stop by the Library and pick up your Springtime is in the Air Family Night Kit! Create some pretty tulips all in a row! Decorate a flower pot and plant sunflower seeds. Design colorful spring eggs with a doily. Finish your springtime scene with a paper roll bunny!

Pepino's with Richard and Grace for Sunday dinner

This is the old Nick's on Commercial Drive.It was a favourite haunt of ours when we were students at UBC and managed to get there quite often when visiting Vancouver when we lived in Victoria. It seems to keep the same old very special atmosphere. Some things don't change...well, except the prices. It used to be a very cheap place to go.

It was great to see them very busy.I think they are such an institution that they probably haven't been hurt as much by the pandemic as many businesses.

Westjet ad for a trip to Paris

"Welcome to the City of Lights, and the City of Love. Welcome to Paris, where you’ll fall head over heels for mouthwatering pastries, stunning European architecture and, of course, that dazzling Parisian charm. This year, enjoy non-stop service from Calgary on the Dreamliner or from Halifax on the 737 with convenient connections from across our network to get you from hello to bonjour in no time." I guess they photoshopped all the people out:)

I was curious about the Covid situation and brought this up: What's the Covid situation? France has been one of the hardest hit countries in Europe, with over 25.4 million cases and more than 143,000 deaths as of March 30. The emergence of the Omicron variant towards the end of 2021 brought about yet another rise in infections, with over 2,5 million infections recorded in one week towards the end of January 2022. While numbers began to decline once again in the following weeks, they are currently on the rise again. There were 935,432 cases in the week leading up to March 30. Over 154 million vaccination doses have been administered in the country as of March 30.

Love White Spot's new "Barge Pak"

Linda alerted me to this...love it!

The barge....

We drove by the barge the other day on the way to The Sylvia for lunch. I'm of two minds about it. I am rather fascinated by all the proposals and think it could be rather neat to keep it around. I like this proposal. But, getting rid of it is fine by me too and perhaps the best option.

Nothing quite like good fish and chips

Good on Glasgow and Scotland! We were told that the "North" has the best fish and chips in the UK and it certainly was our experience "A Glasgow -based chippie has just been named the best in Scotland and among the top 10 in the UK. Catch, on Gibson Street, in the city's west end has been named among the UK's best fish and chip restaurants in top industry experts Fry Magazine's annual awards. The news comes as no less than nine Scottish takeaways were also named among the top 50 in the UK as part of the awards. Mystery judges visited each establishment unannounced to sample the food and assess key aspects of the business from the cleanliness of the premises to staff knowledge and professionalism, as well as their social media presence. A Glasgow -based chippie has just been named the best in Scotland and among the top 10 in the UK. Catch, on Gibson Street, in the city's west end has been named among the UK's best fish and chip restaurants in top industry experts Fry Magazine's annual awards. The news comes as no less than nine Scottish takeaways were also named among the top 50 in the UK as part of the awards. Mystery judges visited each establishment unannounced to sample the food and assess key aspects of the business from the cleanliness of the premises to staff knowledge and professionalism, as well as their social media presence."

Alexander Calder....again

I just love his stuff.

Many Orbs in Space 1974 29 1/2 x 43 1/4 in. (74.93 x 109.86 cm) gouache and ink on paper Provenance Perls Galleries, New York Private Collection, Florida, 1974 215,000

Bob Dylan's art

I think it's pretty cool...good on him. This is the only one that I managed to upload. Google if you want to see more.

I just love the "Little Library" concept

From Linda's blog....

T"his rebate is going to help a lot of people in this province,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “This is another opportunity to put money back in the pockets of the hardworking people who make this province a great place to live.” The announcement today from our beloved Premier is an insult to everyone who drives in British Columbia. He announced every driver will get a one time rebate of $110.00 to compensate for the high price of gasoline. We pay the highest gas prices in North America. $0.73 cents of each litre of gas is tax and our government is increasing the gas tax on April 1st. So they figure if they give us each $110 that will help. To make it even more absurd, people with electric cars get this big $110 rebate! I have never paid more than $100 for gas because I never let my car go below half a tank. I'm sure it would be $200 for a fill! I drive an SUV gas guzzler and I can afford gas. What about the working people who drive to work every day? This said it will help them put money back in their pockets? WHAT!!!! I doubt $110 would fill a compact car. Why don't they reduce the gas tax so the people with a long commute would benefit most? Who was genius thought this rebate would help offset our huge gas prices and make us forget we are getting yet another tax increase in a week? RIDICULOUS"

Ridiculous for sure!

The rebate will probably pay our gas for two months and we can afford to pay for gas. Give the money to the people who need it. From Linda's blog: “This rebate is going to help a lot of people in this province,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “This is another opportunity to put money back in the pockets of the hardworking people who make this province a great place to live.” The announcement today from our beloved Premier is an insult to everyone who drives in British Columbia. He announced every driver will get a one time rebate of $110.00 to compensate for the high price of gasoline. We pay the highest gas prices in North America. $0.73 cents of each litre of gas is tax and our government is increasing the gas tax on April 1st. So they figure if they give us each $110 that will help. To make it even more absurd, people with electric cars get this big $110 rebate! I have never paid more than $100 for gas because I never let my car go below half a tank. I'm sure it would be $200 for a fill! I drive an SUV gas guzzler and I can afford gas. What about the working people who drive to work every day? This said it will help them put money back in their pockets? WHAT!!!! I doubt $110 would fill a compact car. Why don't they reduce the gas tax so the people with a long commute would benefit most? Who was genius thought this rebate would help offset our huge gas prices and make us forget we are getting yet another tax increase in a week? RIDICULOUS

Libraries

Post from the British Book Club:

I love everything Granville Island

From Mark Art Prosser Happy Monday. New Art! 'Granville Island Public Market' Under the south end of the Granville Street Bridge this peninsula that used to be an industrial manufacturing area is so unique. I love seeing old posts about how it used to look like and hows it been transformed into what it is today while keeping so much of its original form. False Creek in the late 19th century was twice today's size, and its tidal flats included a permanent sandbar over which spanned the original, rickety, wooden Granville Street bridge. This sandbar is what would eventually become Granville Island. When i first moved to Van and things were tough it was a new oasis unlike anything i ever saw. I bought my art supplies at Opus and would walk past Emily car dreaming my dream then off to the public market to treat myself to fresh seafood once a month. It has alot of special meaning as it was my sanctuary. Acrylic and Fluorescents, on canvas. Prints on my site prosserart.com Hope u like enjoy the feeling of this one as its a big part of my heart, could be my new favorite. Cheers.

Oxford University

This came up on "Interesting Facts": Oxford University is older than the Inca empire. While you might associate the development of modern universities with intellectual movements like the Renaissance or the Enlightenment, the first universities predate those major periods in history — not by years but by centuries. One of the oldest universities in the world is Oxford University, where teaching began back in 1096. That’s much older than Harvard (established in 1636) or Yale (1701), and it’s even older than some well-known Indigenous civilizations in the Americas, including the Incas, who lived in the Andean region of South America from around the 13th century CE to the mid-16th century. (Other groups and empires have occupied the Andes since at least 10,000 BCE.) We loved Oxford.I got to see more of it as Jim was teaching an Advanced Placement course. Many wonderful memories of staying with David and Barbara.

Amazing...

I've always been quite fascinated by Andy Warhol...such an innovator in so many ways. The paintings of the Campbell's soup cans will always tickle my fancy.

"One of Andy Warhol's iconic Marilyn Monroe portraits could become the most expensive 20th-century artwork ever to go under the hammer, with auctioneer Christie's expecting bids "in the region of" $200 million. The 40-square-inch "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn," one of dozens of images the artist made of Monroe in the 1960s, will go on sale in New York this May, the auction house announced Monday. Warhol's colorful reproductions of the Hollywood star's portrait -- originally a publicity still from her 1953 movie "Niagara" -- are among his most recognizable works, alongside his signature paintings of Campbell's soup cans."

Raeside gets it right again

Adrian Raeside cartoon: Ukraine's call for more weapons Adrian Raeside Mar 17, 2022 1:01 AM Mar 17, 2022 3:22 AM

Past pleasures

I received this email yesterday: "Friday, April 22, 2022 Performance Works, Granville Island 8pm (VIP 7pm) - 11pm VIP Entry 7pm $155 + tax/fees Enjoy an extra hour of exclusive whiskies and intimate conversations with brand ambassadors from around the world. General Admission Entry 8pm $115 + tax/fees Enjoy whiskies from around the world and learn about this ancient spirit while browsing the silent auction and enjoying live music." There was a time when we were into single malt whiskey mainly because of friends and probably would have been attracted to this. Sadly, all those friends have died but we do toast them with a glass of wine (they liked wine too:) And it brings up all sorts of wonderful memories of our times in Scotland.

All relationships are possible for sure...

I'm not sure I would want to give a foot massage to a lion but...

This is not a hunting photo.....Briton Alex Larenty lives on a game reserve in South Africa and spends his days giving lions foot massages. One day, he discovered that every time a lion was applied a cream to cure an infection on its paws, the lion would slacken and appear to smile. Since then, he has massaged all the lions in the park on a daily basis. Thanks to the pampering, he created a bond such that just by seeing him arrive, the lions lie down, begin to stretch their legs and smile. With love and respect, all relationships are possible! ❤❤

Ah....oysters on the half-shell

They were probably one of my favourite foods especially in the south of France in a seaside restauarant on the Mediterranean. Then I got sick from eating them. It took me quite a while to eat one again but got over it. I think it was the south of France when I tried one again...the sunshine, rose wine, and sitting in a restaurant which officially qualified as "les pied dans l"eau" (feet in the water). "Seaside" could mean you were quite a long way from the "sea". They really do need to be opened at the table by a server and for me they are best without anything other than the nectar they come with naturally. Best without a squirt of lemon. Eating anything raw isn't recommended for folks my age so probably have had my last. And if I'm tempted I only have to bring up memories of getting so sick. But...never say never but will probably stick with fish and chips.