Sun's Up

Sun is up, day is on
Look for me, I'll be gone      
          - Buffy Sainte-Marie, He's an Indian Cowboy in the Rodeo (1972)

I've never been a morning person.  Not even a smiling rodeo cowboy could get me jumping out of bed before sunrise.  It's too bad, because the morning sun is beautiful.  The light fills a room with a sense of joy, and anticipation of a great day.  There's a vibrancy, even in the quiet stillness of the morning.

Years ago, I was on board an early morning sailing of a Gulf Island ferry, on British Columbia's Salish Sea.  It was one of those spectacular Westcoast mornings on the water - seagulls soaring into the clear, blue skies, then swooping alongside the ferry.  From the galley kitchen, the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, and sizzling, crisp bacon was carried on the salt air.  The warm July sun streamed into the ferry windows, and all was right with the world.

It's ironic, that little old night owl me, has had the time of her life, being an Airbnb host for the past four years...as in bed and BREAKFAST!!!  I love getting up for my guests!  Actually, I love my guests, the getting up part, not so much.  Whether they stay for only a few days, or a whole year, it's over breakfast, that we learn about our lives, our travels and adventures all over the world.  

My guests have big adventures:  one crossed the Gobi Desert, another climbed Kilimanjaro.   Two sisters hiked and skied in the Swiss Alps, and had never seen skyscrapers before.  Toronto's CN Tower was awesome for them!

My guests have come from all over the world:  England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Kosovo, Russia, China, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Mexico, the USA, and across Canada.  Having breakfast with neurologists, cardiologists, physiotherapists, an anthropologist, PhD students, university professors, marketing directors of international corporations, a computer coder, a distillery owner, a club owner, a retired naval officer, an actor, a baker, artists, writers, dancers, and more than one with an MBA in project management - I learn something new every day.    

You'll love this story...A newlywed couple who had been frequent Airbnb guests until they bought a condo in Toronto, were celebrating their first anniversary.  A friend of theirs, who had stayed with me when they got married, was in town, and we all got together for lunch at my home.  My current guest, who had been out, had picked up food, and wanted to put it in the fridge before she and her husband headed downtown to meet friends.  She walked into the living room, and froze, wondering if she had entered the wrong apartment.  Then, she pointed at my friend and said, "I know you!"  He had never seen her before.  She knew who he was.  She was best friends and a co-worker with my friend's husband's cousin, and had seen the wedding and anniversary pictures the night before on Facebook.  What were the chances of their paths crossing in my Toronto livingroom?   

My guests arrive as strangers, and leave as friends.  We keep in touch on Facebook, meet for lunch, have dinners together, and celebrate special holidays.  Two of my guests visited me in hospital last year.  This past Summer, I was the guest of a Victoria, BC couple who had stayed with me (they were awesome hosts).  My life is greatly enriched by my friendships.

I truly believe that every day is a blessing.  Every day of life is a gift.  Wishing you a wonderful day, and may the sun shine upon you!

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

Mardi Gras: Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Laissez les bon temps rouler!  That's French for let the good times roll...it's Mardi Gras!  Which is French for Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.  Which is the beginning of the forty days and forty nights of Lent.  Which is a time of penance, self denial, self discipline and repentance in the days leading up to Easter.  If you were going to give up chocolate, wine and even sex from now until Easter, wouldn't you have a big all-day-all-night party the day before?

Mardi Gras is celebrated in Catholic communities all over the world, yet, only two cities are synonymous with the festival: New Orleans in the USA, and Brazil's Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.  I can hear my Italian friends saying, "what about Venice, Italy?  It's been celebrating Mardi Gras off and on since 1162, when Venetians gathered in victory dances against the Patriarch of Venice!"  Venice is famous for it's spooky, elaborate masks...but it doesn't have the passion and rhythm of the two New World cities.  Vivaldi is lovely for a wedding, not the bachelor party!

From the pancakes and beignets Tuesday morning, 'til the last drop of bourbon and champagne early the next morning, the people of New Orleans eat, drink, and make merry in the streets of their city.  The food and music have a French and Creole influence, heard in the Cajun fiddles, Zydeco accordions, and the horns and drums of brass bands.

Portuguese-speaking Rio dances to a different beat: the Samba.  Samba's roots are found in West Africa's Angloa and Congo regions.  All year long, Rio's dozen samba schools create, choreograph, compose and rehearse for the big Carnival samba competition - called the "biggest attraction on Earth".  Once a theme is announced, musicians, dancers, costume designers, float designers work together to create the best dance parade.  The floats are three storeys high.  Nearly nude dancers are adorned in vibrantly coloured feathers, sequins, feathers, silk, feathers, satin...and feathers.

New Orleans is more of a free for all, with jubilant neighbourhood parades, including the "Indian Nation" gangs dancing through the streets of the city, the Chiefs wearing enormous feathered headdresses.  A popular '50s song, Jock-A-Mo by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford, tells of the tribes running into each other at intersections.  They'd call out, "Jock-a-mo fee na na", and "Iko, Iko".  The Dixie Cups' cover is Iko, Iko.

The Blacks in New Orleans formed the Indian Nation gangs about 120 years ago, as a tribute to the Indigenous people of the region who gave pre-Civil War runaway slaves safe refuge.  They also parade on St. Patrick's Day.

Louisiana was refuge to white runaways too.  In 1755, the English expelled the Acadians from what is now Nova Scotia, Canada...burning down their homes to drive them from their land.  The Acadians had come to Canada, from France, and in 1605, established the first permanent European settlement in the New World.  They were French, and would not swear an oath of allegiance to the King of England.  So, the great exodus began. 

The Acadians, mispronounced as Cajuns, fled to Louisiana.  The Cajuns brought their fiddle music with them, and for the next 150 years, shared music with African American freed slaves, and Creole Haitians who had fled Haiti.  The Cajun Creole sound was born.  They used whatever instruments would create a beat, including washboards and spoons.  Around the late 1800s, the accordion was brought in, almost drowning out the fiddle.  Listening to Cajun music, I hear the sounds of Quebec kitchen parties in my Grandparents' home...Metis friends will hear the same sounds. 

In recent times, Creoles dropped the fiddle, and left it with the Cajuns.  The accordion became the dominant instrument.  Clifton Chenier coined the word Zydeco, to describe the accordion "swamp blues" cajun music he made famous in the late '50s.  Chenier, known as the King of Zydeco, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

Today, Cajun is a little more Country, and Zydeco is a little more Rock 'n' Roll.  Those sounds, along with Jazz, and Blues are heard spilling out of bars, onto the street corners where brass bands are playing. It's the rich fusion of all these sounds that makes New Orleans music great.

Don't make this just another day at the office...Here's a playlist of music that will get you in the Mardi Gras spirit, and let the good times roll:

Mardi Gras in New Orleans - Olympia Brass Band
Big Chief - Professor Longhair

I'm Comin' Home - Clifton Chenier

You Used to Call Me - Clifton Chenier
Beast of Burden - Buckwheat Zydeco
Let the Good Times Roll - Buckwheat Zydeco
Josephine Par Se Ma Femme - Clifton Chenier
Mardi Gras Blues - Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers

La Vielle Chanson de Mardi Gras - Cedric Watson
Jock-A-Mo - James "Sugar Boy" Crawford

Iko, Iko - The Dixie Cups
Ballin' on Zydeco - Lil Nathan

Blue Moon Special - Lost Bayou Ramblers
Twistin' the Night Away - Marc Broussard

The Girl From Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Mas Que Nada - Sergio Mendes

A Batucada dos Nossos Tantas - Fundo de Quintal

Aquarela do Brasil - Gal Costa
A Voz do Morro - Ze Keti
Alma Boemia - Toninho Geraes
Samba Pa Ti - Carlos Santana

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

March 4th

March 4th is the only day of the year, that when spoken aloud in English, is a declaration of intention to go forward.  March forth!  How cool is that?  Ever since I was a little girl in Grade One, and heard my teacher say the date out loud, it has been my personal New Year's Day (I'm a little slow to get rolling on the year).

This is the time of year when my creative energy wakes up.  Whether it is the longer daylight hours, or the little signs of Spring all around, my creativity comes out to play!  There's a wild unruliness that takes over every one of my creative projects.  There's always a moment when I say, "what have I done?!!"  It's important to keep going...keep going forward...

Beware comparing yourself to others.  We all progress at our own pace, in our own way.  My friends are amazing photographers, and they inspire me to do better.

Unlike painting a carpet on the livingroom floor, digital photography is far less messy, and mistakes can be deleted.  It's fun to play with colour and light on the computer.  I have painted all the walls in my home, so changing backgrounds is as simple as carrying a vase from the dining room, to the living room or bedroom...or, changing the colour on the computer (if only painting walls and ceilings were that easy!)   

 

The reflected light from fresh fallen snow on the balcony is another great background!  Can't do this in July!      

Happy March 4th...Onward and upward!

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

That Time of Winter

 

It's that time of Winter, when windows are flung open for hours at a time, and fresh air fills every room.  It's that time of Winter, when daylight lasts just a little bit longer, and the sun sets just a little bit later.  It's that time of Winter, when Spring flowers burst from florist tubs on city sidewalks.  It's that time of Winter, when droplets of thawing icicles sparkle in the sunlight.

It's that time of Winter, when the morning sun disappears behind a grey curtain, and only reappears for a final bow at the end of the day.  It's that time of Winter, when the iphone weather app shows two sun icons in a week of clouds and snowflakes - and everyone rejoices in anticipation of those two days of sunshine! 

  

It's that time of Winter, when Spring is so near, yet so far.  It's that time of Winter, when we can almost reach out and touch the new season...almost!

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

We Don't Take Light Lightly!

Yesterday's blue skies, sunshine and fresh snow, made for a perfect Winter day in Toronto.  The clarity of light, and purity of the cold air were refreshing and restorative, giving us an energy boost to take into today's dull, grey and snowy day.  We briefly made peace with Winter...and Winter made a promise.  It won't be here much longer!  

Spring has already made an early appearance on Vancouver Island, where daffodils are blooming in sunny gardens!  I've seen the amazing photographic evidence!  

Here, in snow-covered Toronto, florists import Spring flowers to fill our homes and workspaces with colour.  Vibrant, sunny yellow forsythia, yellow-tipped coral parrot tulips, orange tulips with stripes of green, and fluffy pussywillows liven up a room, and brighten our spirits.  A happy bouquet of Spring flowers on your desk is welcomed by co-workers and clients!

Light and colour help us survive the dull, grey days and long, dark nights of Winter.  Seriously.  Survival is not an exaggeration.  Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a recognized mental health disorder, related to depression.  We don't take light lightly!  

Sunlight and darkness trigger the release of hormones.  Sunlight passes through the retinas of our eyes, sending a cue to the brain, to release serotonin.  Serotonin is a hormone which lifts our mood, and helps us stay calm and focused.  Melatonin is a hormone which makes us sleepy.  At night, when it gets dark, serotonin is converted to melatonin.  It gets dark early in Winter.  Not enough sunshine, and too much darkness can bring on moodiness, irritation, and fatigue.

Phototherapy, or light box therapy each morning, has proven to help alleviate the symptoms of SAD.  Sitting near a special light box in the morning, sends a signal to the brain to stop producing melatonin, and increase the body's serotonin levels.   

It is important to protect our eyes from harsh sunlight bouncing off snow, however, removing sunglasses for just ten to fifteen minutes, will give the retinas enough time to send a signal to the brain to release serotonin.  Let the light in!

No animals were harmed in the making of this blogpost, however, the forsythia is a goner!  It did not survive the freezing temperatures, and its delicate yellow petals did not appreciate posing against the snow.  The more resilient tulips and pussywillows are now enjoying a little apres ski relaxation. 

  

Hello Spring!

It's the first day of Spring.  The Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere started at 6:28:40am. The exact moment many around the world ushered in Nowruz, the Persian New Year.  This is a time for rejuvenation and fresh starts. Wishing everyone a glorious season, and an extraordinary year! 

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

Thank You Fifteen Thousand Times!

WE did it!  Widow's Endorphins just reached 15-thousand views!  Thank you, dear blog readers for your support these past two years.  Looking forward to photographing more of the flowers which bring me such joy!

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

Ruffled Feathers: Year of the Rooster

The crowing rooster announces the dawn of a new day.  The year is 4714, on the Chinese calendar. The year of the Red Fire Rooster.  There will be strutting, ruffled feathers and cock fights on this animal farm we call planet Earth.

Imagine a barnyard rooster, strutting proudly past his hens, his brilliant coloured feathers gleaming in the sunlight, crowing to all, that he is the greatest rooster - 2017 is his year!  In Chinese astrology, those born under the sign of the Rooster are people of action.  They're hard working, industrious, take initiative, are honest, loyal, sociable, and take great care of their appearance.  Rooster people are also known for bravery, and being terrific social organizers.  

They can also be pompous, egocentric braggarts, who love being the centre of attention. They can ruffle feathers by being hurtfully blunt.  They are also prone to acting on impulse, without thinking. When things go wrong, Rooster people are most likely to finger point, fault find and condemn.

The Red Fire Rooster has two elements:  Yin fire sitting on top of metal.  This is a combination that Chinese astrologers say will create tensions, explosions, and wars.  Unlike the Yang fire energy, Yin fire energy is unstable, and flickering.  A spark can start a major fire.  Astrologers point to the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima, on a Yin Fire day of a Rooster year, and, to the tragedy of 911, on a Yin Fire day and Yin Fire Rooster month.

Just a note here:  the Chinese government is cracking down on fireworks this New Year, officially saying that it is because of severe air pollution, and the smoke from firecrackers and other fireworks adds to the pollution.  In past years, the fireworks have set off fires.

There is some good news for the Fire Rooster year:  it's a predicted to be a great year for restaurants, and anyone involved in cooking! So get out that family hot sauce recipe, and launch your business! Expect technological advancements this year.  It is also a great year for those in the beauty and fashion industry - the Rooster Year is all about preening, and looking good!

This is a year when the chickens come home to roost, a time when everyone gets what they deserve. Success will be the result of previous years' hard work and patience, not luck. 

While this is not a new era, it is a time when new ideas are coming into being.  The word, "computer" first appeared in 1897, which was a Red Fire Rooster year.  

While there may be a lot of doom and gloom in this year's predictions, don't be such a chicken!  This is your rooster wake up call!  Be confident (like the Rooster), motivated (like the Rooster), brave (like the Rooster), honest (like the Rooster), trustworthy and loyal (like the Rooster), and sociable (like the Rooster).  Work hard and be patient, and success will come your way. 

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

That's an old (though not yet vintage) wooden rooster posing with a bouquet of flaming orange-red parrot tulips and yellow spider chrysanthemums. 

The Romance and Mystery of Old Postcards

Once upon a time, long before email and texting, people wrote letters by hand.  The twitter version of that, was the postcard, with just enough space on a small card to write a brief message, and a forwarding address.  It was customary when travelling, to send postcards to friends and family back home, to share with them the scenery and culture of faraway lands.  "Having a wonderful time, wish you were here", likely originated with the postcard.  

When I was a teenager, my Grandmother gave me a small box of old postcards, most of which she had been given by an even older neighbour.  Many of the cards pre-date World War I, making them more than one hundred years old.  Is it still gossip after a century has passed?

A postcard dated January 2, 1914 and stamped the next day, is addressed to a Miss Sadie R. Starrett in Providence, Rhode Island, USA.  The writer, Ralph Scott must have been chaperoned because his passionate postcard starts, "Dear Friend..."  The real message is the illustration on the front of the card:  a little cowboy with a lasso circling the words, "When you've got a good thing, cinch it".

Then there's an urgent sounding message from someone named Sarah, to Mr. E.A. Bayford, of Central Park New Westminster, BC, Canada.  Sarah's sepia toned postcard photograph of Bushmills Road, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, with it's horse drawn cart travelling down the road, was printed in 1902. The only date on the card is July 23rd, and she writes from Kirkistown, Ireland.

"I rec'd your letter this morning", she writes.  "Mary is leaving for Glasgow.  I have to wait until Aug So hope you have arranged to meet me at New York.  Never mind the (rails?).  You will enjoy the trip if you make up your mind.  Don't (and the word is underlined) bring (I can't read the word - it appears to be a K, then an ary or any).  Just slip away.  See you at Times Square Hotel.  don't fail (once again, don't is underlined, although not capitalized).  Love from Sarah".  He's doomed!

There's a beautifully illustrated postcard of towering palm trees lining Palm Avenue, in the Royal Botanical Gardens of Calcutta, India.  There's no stamp, or postmark.  It is a postcard note, sent to Sarah.  Is she the same Sarah who urged E.A. Bayford to just slip away to the Times Square Hotel?

The postcard note reads:  "Many thanks for P.C. (the abbreviation for postcard) which reminded me of very pleasant times which I had in your company.  What do you think of this, nothing like it in B. Park.  Some lovely walks in these gardens, but not very pleasing when only yourself for company. Hope you are keeping well, as it leaves me in the best of health.  With fondest love, Yours JR".

My favourite of all the postcard messages is addressed to Miss Lizzie Galencia of Massachusetts, USA, and post marked from Bridgetown, Nova Scotia, Canada on July 31, 1907.  A cartoon of an Irish couple disembarking from a ship, their faces reddened perhaps to indicate that they've had a few, is captioned, "Just arrived".  Next to which, the mysterious postcard sender has written in pencil, "two hours late".  

They go on to say, "Had a fine trip although there was a very thick fog most of the way.  Reminds me of last Thursday night, except that no one has fainted.  Excuse the writing as the motion of the boat has evil effects on my pencil."  You can't get all that in a tweet!

The lovely pink Parrot Tulips and Ranunculus are from Florigens Design of Toronto.

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

Modern Ireland

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  All around the world, we celebrate the Patron Saint of Ireland, who died March 17th, in the year 461.  It was St. Patrick who created the Celtic cross, by adding the Irish sun symbol encircling the cross.  Legend has it, that St. Patrick taught the Irish about the Holy Trinity, using the Shamrock - a three leaf clover - to demonstrate the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  North American celebrations are more likely to include someone dressed as a Leprechaun, downing a pint of Guinness, while attempting a River Dance high step.

With all of the ancient symbology, and modern day iconic images, it is not surprising that we still think of Ireland as a rural land, of sod cutters and milk maids.  The Emerald Isle is also the land of Waterford Crystal, and headquarters for all of the major high tech companies.    

   

Modern day Ireland is sophisticated, entrepreneurial and young!  The country has the highest proportion of people under the age of 25, of any country in the European Union.  They are connected, too.  Internet access is available in more than 88% of homes in Dublin, and 82% in rural parts of the country.

Ireland is the world's largest exporter of software, since it is the point of export to all of Europe and the Middle East.  Dublin is the European headquarters for Google, Facebook, Paypal, Microsoft, eBay, LinkedIn and Airbnb.  Apple is headquartered in Cork, and Intel's offices are in Kildare.

Government statistics for Irish enterprises show that nearly two-thirds are using social media. Statistics for 2014, show 62% of Irish enterprises use social media in business, compared with 36% of businesses in the 28 member European Union.

Last year saw an almost 30% increase in the number of cars being licensed.  More than 92-thousand new private car licenses were issued.  Retail sales also rose, though by only 6.4%. Surprisingly, even with all of this spending going on in Ireland, credit card debt went down by 8.3% in 2015.

These feathery Parrot Tulips and beautiful, rose-like Ranunculus create a sophisticated, and modern St. Patrick's Day bouquet.  I bought these at Florigens Design, one of my favourite Toronto floral and urban botanical design shops.  The milk maid postcard is from my own collection of antique postcards, and the dark green cloth on the floor, is my favourite old cardigan sweater (in another life, it was Sir Walter Raleigh's cape).

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