PROGRESS -- on the day of the solar eclipse

Today we are experiencing the solar eclipse and here are a few progress images of the house in transition.  Happy solar eclipse...

ART -- or part of the story in the art of living...

Aging in place is the goal here and has been covered in the blog before as has the impetus and focus of this project -- my Mom, aka "Mama Mia", "Strigica", "G-cat", the list of her nicknames goes on.   This woman is a living work of art and that's the truth.   It's a comedy show that might well be called My Extraordinary Adventures with Dinka. 

Anyone who is a child of immigrants will pretty much get it right off the bat.  Others who will understand are those who are open minded to the escapades of diversity and otherness.  I have often said, "we all come from a village somewhere, it's just a matter of how connected we still are to that place."  

That connection is what makes us compassionate and grounded in what is real.  Speaking of real, I hope you've heard the story of Searching for Sugarman.  Recently, I had the good fortune to go to a concert by Sixto Rodriguez who hit the nail on the head when it comes to life.  This is the man who says he's not a legend but rather an ordinary legend...coming from an honest place or life and still being able to tell it like it is.

G-cat, short for Gramma cat, has that uncanny ability to tell it like it is as well and her direct approach to life always puts a smile on my face.  In fact,  if I had a nickle for everytime she said "I'm finished" this project would be paid for 3 times over.  It's her way of coping with aging and it always makes for a chuckle and a response of something like "oh ya, really well where you going?"  or "oh no you don't we have a lot of things to do".  The art of my Mom is endless.

There are plenty of stories about the wacky adventures she takes me on, most of them completely unintentional.  Most recently, I went to her place with the intention of dropping off some figs.  She LOVES figs, in fact when we travel to the old country she can't walk past a fig tree without stopping to explore if any are ripe enough for her to snatch and savour.  Like a Magpie she can't help herself and there never seems to be an end to how many times this pattern can repeat itself or how many figs can be consumed.  So I'm thinking, ok drop off figs, say "HI", quick check in the office and I'm outta there 10- 15 min. max.  

Hahahahaha and I'm still laughin' -- like what, whhhhhhaaat could you possibly have been thinking Willis?  Four hours later, scratching my head, I've put away the figs, taken out the recycling twice, completed a garbage run, co-piloted 3 telephone conversations she's been on, stick handled her set up for having friends over for "coffee" (which is never coffee but a mini-meal), run to the store for one thing (which is never one thing), strategized around a mini-meltdown in the office,  done a stint as stylist for the evening outfit, purged unnecessary items in the immediate area, had a financial planning session and re-built her car.  Okay, I exaggerated on the car part.  

All this happened while the G-cat smiled, like a cheshire cat, graciously accepting the figs I brought stating "oh, if you get moore don't forget to breeng them two mi".  

As I drive home realizing two things for myself: 1) I forgot to eat a fig  and 2) I forgot to have kids.  Hmmmm, best I make sure I have somewhere to live where I can age in place.

PEOPLE, PLACES THINGS...the King of Strathcona (oh ya)

Who has lived on Union St in Strathcona?  Well KD Lang has spent sometime here and so has Ken Lum.  We also know Nick Milkovich grew up on the 700 blk .  Oh and what about Stan Douglas?  ... and what do they all have in common?  I'd bet dollars to donuts everyone of them has stepped into the store at 598 Union St.

Here's a household name for anyone who's lived in Strathcona and it's Benny.  

John Mackie writes a great article on Benny that nails it.  Take a few minutes and enjoy the read and spread the love by sharing.

The story. (hit the link or go to http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/the-king-of-strathcona-ramon-benny-benedetti-retires-from-store-but-not-storytelling)

COMMUNITY -- What are the chances?

Last weeks post on the progress of the the Big House settling down on it's foundation also had a great celebration of community.

City workers were chopping up the road and putting the water pipe in, along side were the contractor's workers and Zebiak lowering the house and all the while drain tile  stones were being filled in to the appropriate trenches.  The 3 women present were the MUSE for all that took place when the neighbour a few doors away came out rolling his cart of libations for everyone -- these were leftovers from his wife's baby shower on the weekend.  How wonderful was this?  A spontaneous celebration of things happening.

One would think that was pretty special right?  Well it gets better.  Who expects a city worker to double as a Rabbi?  Ya well we found one.  As luck would have it we were chatting with Rabbi city worker as he was curious about the project.   We explained the aging in place concept and how my Mom was the imputes for buying the house in the first place and also some stories about the history of the families that passed through.  Well Rabbi city worker was so joyous and happy to hear it all that he offered to give the project a blessing.  Hence,  the property and project were  blessed!  

What are the chances, ehe?  It was just over a year ago a post under the BIG HOUSE referred to the Izen family who lived in the house many years ago and the day the house came down we are fortunate to have Rabbi city man blessed the project!

Life is magic... and so was the day the house was lowered!  

It all came together with Wolfie the neighbourhood cat watching and dust settling on parked cars.  The neighbours were amazing even though their street was closed and sidewalks blocked.  I was reminded of an art installation I had put together a few years ago.  Sometimes things come full circle in a same same but different way.

 This is a video (time lapse) from the Eastside Culture Crawl -- Ballroom 584 was inspired by a sustainable building adventure in Jamaica of which  I had participated.  Building and sustainable living was a curiosity to me and through exploring that curiosity an art installation evolved.  The video takes these concepts to another level with this art installation and invites community involvement.