Seasonal Haiku
Morning light. Breathe in,
breathe out, a new day opens.
Snow falls – one bird calls.
Ellen S. Jaffe
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
THANH CAMPBELL
Last night was the grand gala put on by Thanh Campbell on the 21st floor of the tower in Jackson Square.
What an amazing space that is. The view would have been spectacular except for the falling and whirling of the snow. It was like a sheet of snow, obscuring our view. One must have a card key to get to that floor so my escort and I were met downstairs near the security desk and sent up to the 21st floor. Thanh had arranged that our mutual friend Michael would walk with me due to the storm.We all live in the same building and not too far from Jackson Square. I found that very thoughtful of both Thanh and Michael. Not too often that a lady of my advanced years gets escorted to a gala event!
The snow had been falling non-stop from Friday night and as you can imagine, even with the snow ploughs out, it still was very slippery and the snow quite deep and difficult to walk through. Mike held my arm on one side and I used my cane and together we made it!
I cannot speak highly enough of Mike as he made two separate trips just to get me there and back as he had another party to go to, before he could come to Thanh's book launch.
Thanh's event was very well organized and he has written a very interesting book. The musicians were also very good and all were a little different in their approach to music.
Part of the planned events for this gala, was to bring an unwrapped gift for children at the MacMaster Hospital and another part was to raise funds for City Kidz.
It started at 7 p.m. and ended at 12 midnight.
Mike walked me over for 7 p.m. and I stayed till 10 p.m.
This event was sponsored in part, by Judy Marsales. I regret to say that I did not catch the names of the musicians. They were all good, and I especially liked the young fellow who wrote a song about his grandparent.
As it was formal wear, I saw that several of the ladies had on long gowns and I myself wore formal clothing. The men wore suits. A very nice affair and I was glad to have been invited.
In order to purchase Thanh's new book, here are the particulars:
Telephone: 1-289-925-2169 for enquiries or thanhjames32@gmail.com for enquiries via email.
Thanks for dropping by. Congratulations to Thanh Campbell for organizing such a nice event to launch his book and to help others. Sixty people were in attendance, which is amazing considering the weather outside.
What an amazing space that is. The view would have been spectacular except for the falling and whirling of the snow. It was like a sheet of snow, obscuring our view. One must have a card key to get to that floor so my escort and I were met downstairs near the security desk and sent up to the 21st floor. Thanh had arranged that our mutual friend Michael would walk with me due to the storm.We all live in the same building and not too far from Jackson Square. I found that very thoughtful of both Thanh and Michael. Not too often that a lady of my advanced years gets escorted to a gala event!
The snow had been falling non-stop from Friday night and as you can imagine, even with the snow ploughs out, it still was very slippery and the snow quite deep and difficult to walk through. Mike held my arm on one side and I used my cane and together we made it!
I cannot speak highly enough of Mike as he made two separate trips just to get me there and back as he had another party to go to, before he could come to Thanh's book launch.
Thanh's event was very well organized and he has written a very interesting book. The musicians were also very good and all were a little different in their approach to music.
 |
| Thanh Campbell - newly published author |
 |
| Thanh Campbell |
Part of the planned events for this gala, was to bring an unwrapped gift for children at the MacMaster Hospital and another part was to raise funds for City Kidz.
It started at 7 p.m. and ended at 12 midnight.
Mike walked me over for 7 p.m. and I stayed till 10 p.m.
 |
| Judy Marsales |
This event was sponsored in part, by Judy Marsales. I regret to say that I did not catch the names of the musicians. They were all good, and I especially liked the young fellow who wrote a song about his grandparent.
As it was formal wear, I saw that several of the ladies had on long gowns and I myself wore formal clothing. The men wore suits. A very nice affair and I was glad to have been invited.
In order to purchase Thanh's new book, here are the particulars:
Telephone: 1-289-925-2169 for enquiries or thanhjames32@gmail.com for enquiries via email.
Thanks for dropping by. Congratulations to Thanh Campbell for organizing such a nice event to launch his book and to help others. Sixty people were in attendance, which is amazing considering the weather outside.
Friday, December 13, 2013
DAVID HASKINS
My good friend David Haskins has had his marvellous book published. Please take a moment and read the little blurb below and consider purchasing this for your own pleasure or to give as a gift.
This House is Condemned is equal parts elegy, portraiture and exploration of a live lived at the edge of Lake Ontario. In prose both hard-hitting and heart-felt, David Haskins writes essays of immigrating to Canada and building his life as a teacher and writer. Currents of poetry run through the book, which is as touched with humour as it is with sadness. He writes of indestructible garden forks, rafts that bear him away unexpectedly and of the loves that ebb and flow throughout a life. This House is Condemned is a powerful collection that picks the reader up and places them beside the author, walking along the shores of the lake.
The book is available for $17. from Wolsak & Wynn, 280 James Street North, Hamilton; your local independent bookstore; at Chapters/Indigo and Amazon.ca; or plus shipping and HST on order from www.wolsakandwynn.ca via the shopping cart; or email the author at dchaskins@yahoo.com if Hamilton area.
http://wolsakandwynn.ca/books/
Thursday, December 12, 2013
WILMA SEVILLE
Since the Christmas season is fast approaching, I thought this might be appropriate for the time frame we are in. Hope you enjoy it. Gore Park is a downtown Hamilton park.
Christmas at Gore
Park
Twinkling lights
on Gore Park trees
little children
shout with glee
riding in
miniature red train
I see them through
my window pane.
Parents,
grandparents, older siblings
shuffle feet to
keep cold from nibbling
as the snow starts
to whirl around
the little red
train does its round
Faces all aglow
from the cold
little
children a sight to behold
scarves wrapped
around red faces
snowsuits and
boots with laces
Fingers tingle
in red mittens
hands and feet
feel frost-bitten
Santa’s elves
in North Pole
two are here
playing their role
Christmas
lights, falling snow
Happy faces, a
bewitching hour.
Copyright©WilmaSeville2011
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
DONNA DESMARTEAUX-GIRARD
Shaken, Not Stirred
My bones need to rattle
a test of their ageing strength,
the bits that chip off
no longer a part of who I am.
They scatter around my feet
like pure tiny crystals,
absorbed into the firm ground
to disappear forever.
DONNA DESMARTEAUX-GIRARD
I ache with questions
to which the answers don’t
really matter,
when knowing won’t change
what is.
Memories are just softly polished
versions of truth,
to be tucked away once
sharp edges are smoothed
to one’s perception of what was.
If I was turned inside out,
tender innards brutally exposed,
they would tumble out in the
shape of bones
with bits of cartilage thinly attached
to my former self.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
ED WOODS
Pride
my heart beats proudly
alone on this ridge horizon
blue skies suspending clouds
across my heritage
our failing chief
praised higher spirits
for accepting his choice
I become tribal leader
invaders never conquered our beliefs
or this place of natural life
night howls of a solitary wolf
ice sheets reflecting stars
roaming dusty herds
bears in plentiful rapids
teaching their young
springtime fishing rights
I recall life and times of when
this land was full of movement
until the roaming sole predator
of man and bears
seeking riches and trophies
from the buffalo hunt
arrived on iron rails
holding a long rifle of change
powerful is my pride
welcoming new challenges
respectful in decisions
fearless and brave
our people trust
future plans
in time great spirits
will accept my soul
from a fiery tribute
into the night sky
as the next proud chief
will stand on this sacred land
to lead our people in honour
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