Widow's Endorphins: March Forth

Widow's Endorphins: March Forth: March 4th! One of my favourite days of the year! It's a declaration! March 4th is the only day of the year, which when said aloud, i...

March Forth

March 4th! One of my favourite days of the year! It's a declaration! March 4th is the only day of the year, which when said aloud, in English, is a call to move forward - to get the job done!

Yes, in two months time, we'll all be channeling our inner Yoda's, and wishing one another well, saying, "May the fourth be with you." Some, will reply, "...and with you, as well." Today, however, is a complete statement in and of itself. March forth. Go forward. Take action.

For those of us who march to the beat of a different guitar (you can drum on a guitar), it's a day for boldness. Step into those Flamenco heels. toss your head back, and go for it.

Every risk I have ever taken, has been worth it. March 4th was the beginning of many of them. Transformation and transition are not always smooth. Sometimes, you have to stomp your heels, and clap your hands.     

Flamenco originated in Southern Spain's Andalusian region. Moors, from North Africa ruled the area from the 8th to 15th Centuries, bringing Arab Muslim culture, art and music to Spain. At first, Flamenco was simply voice, and the rhythmic clapping of hands. Dancing, and later - much later - guitars were added.  It wasn't until the late 1800's that the word Flamenco was used to describe the passionate music and dance.

     

These Oriental Lilies have filled home with their spicy fragrance for nearly two weeks! Of all the cut flowers, they are wildly sophisticated, and economical, too! Their scent fills a large room, yet, it's natural, and not as cloying as a chemical room fragrance.

They're wonderful to photograph! They're floral dancers, with so much movement in every curve of a petal, in every undulation of a leaf. I love their freckled faces!

Happy March 4th! Snap your fingers, and click your heels!

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.

Widow's Endorphins: Mardi Gras Lilies

Widow's Endorphins: Mardi Gras Lilies: C'est Mardi Gras ce soir ! Can't you hear the sounds of New Orleans Jazz, Blues, Soul, and Zydeco spilling out of bars and ca...

Mardi Gras Lilies

C'est Mardi Gras ce soir! Can't you hear the sounds of New Orleans Jazz, Blues, Soul, and Zydeco spilling out of bars and cafes? Music transports me. Tonight, I'm there! I've got Dr. John's, Such a Night, turned up. Dr. John, who died last year, was known as the Piano Soul of New Orleans. Listening to Creole Moon, and Right Place, Wrong Time, I've got to agree.  

Pianist, Jelly Roll Morton went further, proclaiming himself the inventor of Jazz. Born in the New Orleans of 1890, Morton played piano in brothels. His ragtime music is known around the world. Give Steamboat Stomp, or Shreveport Stomp a listen.

New Orleans men have a bravado about them. Professor Longhair, is called the Piano God of New Orleans. His, is a unique sound. New Orleans pianists are as varied as Elis Marsalis, and Harry Connick Jr. Each one is the heart and soul of New Orleans!

  

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Devout Catholics observe lent with sacrifice and penance, in the days leading up to Easter Sunday. Some give up chocolates, some give up alcohol, and some abstain from sex. The night before all that fasting, and sacrifice, is one of total excess! Eat, drink, and be merry!

I am not intoxicated, however, the intoxicating fragrance of lilies fills the home. I love the spicy scent of Oriental lilies. They're exotic and theatrical - perfect flowers for Mardi Gras!

As they say down South, laissez les bon temps rouler!  Let the good times roll!

Widow's Endorphins: Rhododendrons and Ramblings

Widow's Endorphins: Rhododendrons and Ramblings: Rhododendrons blooming in February! That's uber early, even for Vancouver's climate. There they are, in all their pink glory, fl...

Rhododendrons and Ramblings

Rhododendrons blooming in February! That's uber early, even for Vancouver's climate. There they are, in all their pink glory, flowering in gardens along False Creek's seawall walk. Rhododendrons, or Rhodos as they are often referred to, by people whose fingers get sore trying to type out the whole name, and whose tongues get twisted trying to pronounce it, usually bloom in May on the Westcoast. Some early varieties flower in March. February is worthy of a news conference!

January's record rainfall made the news. The city, which is known for rain, broke a fifty year record for the number of consecutive days of rain. All was forgotten, when the sun broke through clouds this morning. What a glorious day for a seawall walk to Granville Island Public Market.

 

I wasn't alone on the promenade. The sun brings everyone out. As I walked, I caught fleeting bits of conversation, and turned it into a game of poetry in motion.

Two older women in brightly coloured coats, nodded in agreement as one said to the other, "Don't go on a Friday, though!" I would like to have known where that was. Right behind them, a woman with a soft Scottish accent invited her companion to, "Get together." A tall jogger rapidly inhaled and exhaled. An older couple laughed, as the wife said, "I'll getcha." 

I caught the word, "Party" as a couple pushing a baby stroller were discussing the fact that, "There were an awful lot of people we didn't recognize!" Maybe they were at the same Friday night event! A man in a puffy vest explained to an elegantly dressed, bearded man, who was puffing on a European cigarette, "It took me a long time to like it. I didn't used to." What was he talking about? Gitanes, gin, or ginger? Then, there was the young woman in a cream coloured yoga outfit, and matching cellphone, who marched along, angrily barking into the phone, "So, I asked him, 'Are we going to go out, or not?'" My guess is the answer was not.  

 Photographs Copyright of: Ruth Adams. Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.

Widow's Endorphins: 02022020, You're Number One!

Widow's Endorphins: 02022020, You're Number One!: February 2nd, 2020: 02022020. Today's date is a palindrome. It reads the same backwards and forwards. Much like an old married cou...