14:29 - 06/01/2011
Jinx
It was a funny thing. I hadn't intended to watch the wedding of Will and Kate played out live. Middle of the night and all that. I had daytime work commitments - a grant proposal - to do after all. However, another part of the mind obviously had other plans. Wide awake around 4 in the am I finally turned on the televison thinking I mught just as well finish one of the on-line bits of work I needed to do, while monitoring the celebrations in Britain. I tuned in just as Kate was arriving at Westminster. Beautiful dress, not unlike the one my Mom wore when she and my Dad were married - at least in the cut of the bodice and the sleeves of the dress. As I watched the vows, there was suddenly a sense like that last click in the tumblers of a lock when it finally opens. It was as though something had been set right somehow and now the past would not be a barrier to the future. Hard to know what that means exactly. It came totally out of the blue, given that I was focussed on a report about some fund-raising I had done at that point in the action. Despite that there was a profound sense of peace and blessings that I decided to just savour for what it was. Gifts of the spirit come from strange places at times.
It was announced a couple of days ago that the Prince and Princess - the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, (ooh the Arthurian connection, but I don't think Tintagel is fit for habitation any more despite it's beauty,) sorry I digress - will be stopping here in Calgary on their visit to Canada during our Stampede celebrations in July just after Canada Day. I hope they enjoy the show. Apparently Kate's grandfather was stationed in this city as a flight instructor during WWII. I wonder if he was one of my uncle's tutors. My Dad's older brother had joined the RAF after getting out of school, but didn't finish his training until the end of that particular war. My Dad said that my uncle and his family had to move to our east coast for some of the training - or maybe that was after he left the service. You see part of the benefits of being an air force pilot at that time was that his education was paid for. He wanted to be a gemologist. Apparently the only gemology school at the time was located somewhere in or near the Atlantic provinces. Hmmm. When Will's grandmother and grandfather - Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - visited Canada in the late 50's they travelled by train, I think, so that they could see and be seen by more Canadians. At least that's what I recall my grandmother saying as she showed me her commemorative books and collectibles. I don't know where those books are now, but maybe my Dad knows. Guess I should ask.
When my Dad and I were discussing the current visit, I joked that maybe we should ask the couple to stay on and maybe take over governance of our province or our country as a practice exercise since, in my opinion, they couldn't do worse, and might actually do much better, than our current crop of politicians. My Dad wasn't so amused, being rather fond of the democratic process, but lately I've seen very little of that in reality even though the trappings are nicely gilded and trotted out during elections. Our democratic institutions are crafted directly from the British Parliamentarian system, after all and are equally as antique and unresponsive to modern conditions as the monarchy even maybe moreso. At least with the British Royal family there are truly thoughtful and socially/environmentally aware members actually trying to make a difference. In contrast, there is our current federal government that blithely wanders about spending billions of tax-payer dollars on war jets that don't even come with engines in them, while gutting social programs like health, wellness, and education to pay for that single boondoggle. Add in denying there is any such thing as global pollution and climate damage occurring, despite the readily measurable evidence that our own northern coasts are melting away at an alarming pace. Oops end of blowing off my own steam - for now.
As you may have noticed, I haven't posted for a while. That fear of not keeping the new assignment I got a big part of the reason since it seems each time I post about work issues the assignments end. This last job started at the end of April. Applications for grants and fund-raising duties for a womens' recovery residence/shelter. My first event was three days after I was asked to help with the charity. A silent auction at an upscale wine shop. When I asked what I was supposed to do to help, the response was "Drink wine and network". Hmm I don't drink much in the way of alcohol, but I did take photos until the battery died on the camera. Edited them and sent them off to the sponsors of the event for use on their own website since they were donating part of the proceeds of the event to my charity's efforts. I learned that networking was quite easy at such an event since so many people enjoy having their pictures taken. I hate having mine done, so I was quite surprised to learn that.
Next assignment was to write a grant proposal - I had three days to do so because of the donor company's deadline. Did the best I could, but it wasn't approved for this round of grants. Maybe next time. Next assignment was to try and get 50 large items donated for another silent auction to be held during a golf tournament in June. I had forgotten how difficult this type of fund-raising was. When I was volunteering while I was an at-home Mom that was part of what I did. I recall putting in over 40 to 60 hours per week some years trying to raise funds for the major park our community had built as well as raising funds for books and computers for our schools - oh and the family support services that were offered and a number of other "capacity building" activities I was involved in. It wasn't called capacity building then. It was just volunteering/fund-raising. It wasn't such a compartmentalised activity then. At that time, I talked to and wrote anyone and everyone who might be able to assist our community and our committees regardless of political, cultural or/and any other self-imposed divisive titles people gave themselves or others. After all, we all experience the impact - good or bad - of what others do, so why not try to give it a push toward positive and inclusive actions/resources.
I sent out between 200 to 300 requests for donations over this past month for the charity, but only received about half of what the director of the charity wanted. Most of the "no" responses were because they said they hadn't been given enough notice. Most companies that do donate material goods want 6 to 8 weeks time to process requests. Many of them invited the charity to apply at a future date. Some of the companies also noted they had chosen specific charities to receive all their material donations, but offered other suggestions for ways that support could be found among the retail community. Sadly, the smaller business's responses often were that the recession had hurt them badly and they just couldn't afford to help at the moment. A lot of individuals I know saying the same thing for themselves personally. All feeling badly about being unable to help out this year. At least they care enough to respond. The contacts also gave me an excellent feel for what is going on in this city. It was always one of the things I loved most when I volunteered - knowing what was going on under the surface in our city - the things that politicians and mainstream media can't, don't, or won't tell you. It is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together with all the little bits of information gathered from each contact that sometimes provides a surprising composite picture not visible by any other means.
Fitting in between those assignments was the quality assurance work and a little bit of work for my Dad, who is still winding up bits of his business. Nearly fifty years of data to be coded and bundled so he can sell it to others moving forward in antiques and electronics both. Maybe helping him sell some of the antiques he has restored as a hobby, now that he has retired too - or maybe not, since he just does it for the love of his craft. Our family and his new partner's family gathered to pre-celebrate his 80th birthday with him and I think he is still in better shape than a lot of the family that are half his age. Wilier too. Spent a lot of time at that party chatting with the senior members of the family - collecting memories and more names for the on-line family tree. One cousin had just arrived from Down Under (New Zealand) while one - an ex-pilot - hopped a morning flight from Ontario just to be there. No opportunities wasted. My one Aunt is over 90. One of the first female alderpeople in her area of the province. She was saying that she wasn't going to give up her drivers licence until the end of the golf season. "There are priorities, you know!" Like my Dad, fitter and wilier than people a fraction of her age. It might be the Scandinavian side of the family genes coming into play, I suppose. Vikings all.
A+ and I still spend time together, although family and work issues have greatly reduced the time available for us to see each other in person. We did participate in a "Jane's Walk" in one of our oldest communities and that was very educational. Went to see the new "Pirates of the Caribbean" - in 2D. Both of us wear glasses and don't need the migraines that 3d seems to cause for us. Given that the theatre was full (there were 8 showings of the movie in that theatre in 3d as well that day), we can't be the only ones who have issues with the 3d technology. Meant that the beginning scenes looked quite artificial - sort of a '60's Disney animation quality, although that is still reasonably ok - but the rest of the show was quite entertaining. Foreshadowing of the next possible movie in the scene shown after the credits finished rolling. A+ and I also watched the movie "The Interpreter" one day. Probably the best movie I've seen in a long while and particulary appropriate given international events of late - the Arab Spring, the Indian subcontinent, Africa, China, the IMF and FIFA scandals and local homegrown malfeasances included. Having spent so many years volunteering with Amnesty International and also with the Red Cross survivors of torture program it was impressive to see a film that much more closely reflected what goes on behind the scenes in international and national intrigue. Psychological thriller I guess. Much more riveting than all the explosions and gun play that are the norm for that genre of movie, although there is enough of that in the film to satisfy viewers who don't feel it can be a spy movie without the fireworks.
Anyway back to fund-raising for me before the jinx sets in for this assignment too. If you know of ways to break that jinx dear diary please let me know. I really do miss talking with you. I have provided you with extra links offering great food for thought so that they can fill in the time for you until my next post. Hope the music links lift your spirits as much as it does mine. With love as always: Jeweltones
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