Then and Now

Rachel & Our Wisteria
May 28th 2009 & 2017
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My wisteria took eight years from initial planting to first blooms ... Another eight years later, the fragrant cascading wisteria flowers are blooming more beautifully than ever. 

In those same eight years, my granddaughter Rachel has been blossoming, into a wonderful young woman. 

Photographed together, then and now, the wisteria and Rachel continue to be a visions of loveliness! 

True Selflessness

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White oval ... the white van

Black oval w/white insert ... the police car

Red oval ... my car

Dashed line ... wheelchair route

Today, I was traveling south on John Street North when a red light forced me to stop third in line behind a white service van with ladders on it's roof, and a police car.

The driver of the white van suddenly exited his vehicle and crossed in front of it to the sidewalk. I was unsure of what was happening and briefly lost sight of the man; however, within seconds the van driver reappeared in the middle of the busy intersection, pushing another man in a wheelchair.

I realized then that the wheelchair user had been struggling to legally cross the road, and was in danger from green-lighted traffic heading west. In Good Samaritan style, the van driver not only gave an assist to the Gore Park median; he ensured a successful crossing all the way to the sidewalk on the far south side of King Street East.

By this time, the light had changed again and the van was now blocking quite a few motorists from moving through the intersection. I wondered if the police officer would get involved at this point, but the appropriate answer is, no. The driver of the white van unceremoniously made his way back to his vehicle, hopped in and took off, straight ahead through the green light: The police car turned right at the corner.

The events described here all happened within just one full cycle of the traffic light. Miraculously, no one was hurt, inconvenienced drivers resisted the urge to engage in impatient aggression and horn honking, and I must admit that I was heartened by the positivity of the moment.

The man driving the white service van has my sincere admiration for what can only be described as true selflessness. I’m not sure that I’d have had the where-with-all to do what he did, given the same circumstances. Thankfully, for the sake of the imperiled
wheelchair user, it was the gentleman in the white van's day to shine.

Princess Margriet

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands

flashing a smile as her car drives away

photo - nhg

Today, I had the amazing opportunity to be in the presence of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands during her local visit for a tree planting in Burlington's Apeldoorn Park. She has long been my favourite Royal, perhaps because we share a common place and circumstance of birth: We were both born in Ottawa Ontario Canada while our families were living away from home.

Princess Margriet was born to Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard while the Dutch Royal family were living in Canada during the WWII Nazi Germany occupation of The Netherlands. The government of Canada temporarily granted international territory status to the maternity ward of Ottawa's Civic Hospital, so that the newborn member of the Royal family would descend solely from and with the citizenship of her Dutch mother.

I was born in the Grace Salvation Army Hospital, many years later, while my parents were living in Ottawa due to my father’s work. They had previously been stationed in North Bay, Haileybury, Cobalt and New Liskeard; drawing the line at a transfer to Kapuskasing, which my mother believed to be too far north to allow for occasional visits home.

Just as Princess Margriet journeyed with her parents to their home in The Netherlands after the war, I travelled with my parents back to their Hamilton home and family. I suspect that Princess Margriet remembers little of life as a very young child in Canada’s capital city: I remember none. That said, our roots run deep, and their growth begins in Ottawa.

The hundreds of thousands of tulips in Ottawa are an ongoing gift from the Dutch royal family and the Dutch Bulb Growers Association, in recognition of the care and consideration given to Princess Margriet and her family during their stay in Canada and the role Canadians played in the liberation of The Netherlands. Seeing Princess Margriet today, surrounded by Apeldoorn tulips and so close to my home, was a chance to come full circle with a piece of history that has always intrigued me.

Princess Margriet, dressed in a bright red suit and wearing a white floral fascinator was lovely and stylish, gracious and humble, and in possession of one of the most engaging smiles I’ve ever seen. I hope she’ll continue to return to Canada for many more years to come.

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, 
surrounded by Apeldoorn Tulips,
clearly enjoying her 2017-05-16 visit
to Burlington's Apeldoorn Park

photo - nhg

Do You Like Butter?

My grand-daughter checking

to see if her mother, "likes butter"

When I was young, I remember adults used to love to place a dandelion flower under my chin and ask me, "Do you like butter?" And, low and behold, the dandelion would reflect a yellow glow on my chin which supposedly indicated that I liked butter.

The scientific reasoning behind why dandelion’s glow yellow under a person’s chin is complicated; though, I’m told it may be related to pollination or plant reproduction. Whatever the rationale, the brilliant yellow dandelion has been entertaining children and adults, alike, for generations.

I remember loving the magic of the dandelion flower as a child, and I recently had a chance to pass on the dandelion’s enchanted properties to my 5-yr-old grand-daughter. Her delighted first reaction to seeing the yellow glow of the dandelion under her mother’s chin, and then under mine, took me back to years gone by.

Butter, over the decades has acquired a bad reputation, medically, just as dandelions have been the recipient of unfortunate condemnation as weed. More recently, though, butter’s alleged harm is being debunked and the dandelion is aptly heralded for it’s important role in providing pollinator sustenance.

Taraxacum – the dandelion’s scientific name – has been one of my favourite spring-time flowers, since long before I learned about it’s beneficial environmental properties. How lovely that the sunny yellow dandelion still has the ability to entertain children of all ages, and to provide the answer to the age-old question, “Do you like butter?”

My Assistant

FYI - This photo was taken

while the car was safely parked

I've been working a part time job for the better part of a year now, a simple obligation that gets me out of the house for several hours each week and brings in a little extra money.

Familiarity with my route, including safe stopping locations, allows me to perform my duties legally and efficiently; and, I quite enjoy getting out alone in my car, where I can play tunes and sing to my heart's content.

While solitude is one of the perks of this independent contractor position, another benefit is the opportunity to occasionally engage an assistant - specifically, my grand-daughter Rachel.

This young lady has willingly agreed on several occasions to spend time in a car with me; and, is becoming quite adept at record keeping and phone reporting, although the latter must come naturally to a pre-teen with nimble thumbs and available cell service.

The job takes less time when Rachel helps me, as I don't have to stop to record and relay the information I've gathered. Furthermore, my young assistant is learning about working, commitment and accuracy while she shares undivided bonding time.

I thoroughly enjoy this occasional pseudo work relationship. I find my grand-daughter to be an excellent conversationalist who already has a strong and sensible perspective on people and life in general. She also has a quick and witty sense of humour that keeps me in stitches, especially when I’m willing to go with the flow.

I hope we’ll always be able to find time to simply hang out, catch up and tactfully explore each others thoughts and feelings. I think it will enrich both of our lives in immeasurable ways. For now, I’ll take what time I can get, in the car or out, making sure my grand-daughter knows that I’m always available, whenever she needs or wants me.

I'm genuinely encouraged to think that if Rachel continues as she’s started, she’ll grow into an amazingly happy, flexible, mature and confident young woman who will enjoy and enhance life on her own terms.