Hello Extended Family,
It has been a while since I have written on this blog. I am going to start a new topic on this blog and would like others to join me. It is going to parallel the posts Arta completed last year as part of her 80th birthday, and will focus on 80 events, experiences, and qualities we love about Arta Johnson. As one of the matriarchs of the Pilling family, it is time to share our love with her.
I am going to begin with the first 5 of 80, and feel free to add your connections with Arta counting up from there.
1. New Recipes
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| Caprese salad with a new flare |
Arta has taught me to try new recipes. From the Indian food nights at her house in the early 2000's, to large Thanksgiving feasts, to stories of her making bread for her family for years. Arta has taught me to try new food with wild abandon....well maybe not all the abandon.
My New Year's goal this year is to make a new international recipe every month. Here are the two I have created so far this year.
Shakshuka, a Middle Eastern and North African vegetarian recipe that I will be making again:
https://downshiftology.com/recipes/shakshuka/
Salatet Malfouf, a Lebanese white cabbage salad with a new spice for me, za' atar:
https://theeleganteconomist.com/2019/08/20/salatet-malfouf-lebanese-white-cabbage-salad/
2. CRIAW-ICREF Conference and Feminism
Long before people began talking about being feminists in public spaces such as the news, online, and in conversation, being a feminist was not as revered. I was during this time in 1991 that I was attending University of Alberta, Arta said she had registered me, Marcia, Mary and her for a feminist conference in Edmonton.
It was amazing! Women of all sorts sharing research, I learned about NGO's (non-government organizations), and she told us to go and see the presentations by the lesbians. I remember her telling us not to be afraid of the lesbians. Sound advice since I came out as gay many years later.
It was my feminist awakening and the organization continues to do it's great work today:
https://www.criaw-icref.ca/en/
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| Delicious rainbow treat I made for Calgary Pride in 2019. |
3. Shuswap Lake
In the early 2000's, the Pilling family began to be more active in taking care of our inheritance, our slice of Annis Bay along Shuswap Lake. Arta told me she had been taking care of the business side of the property by herself for 20 years. Her father, Doral Pilling, had groomed her to become the matriarch of the property and she had stepped into the role. She took business classes, kept detailed records, and repeatedly asked other relatives to take a role in the organization. Along with several siblings and family members, she has preserved and cared for our inheritance for several decades. It is one of my favourite places on earth and I love her for caring for the land in a good way.
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| Arta, Wyona and Greg returning from a boat ride. |
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| Shady Beach celebration of 2019. |
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| So many mouths to feed! |
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| The fourth generation to enjoy this land. |
4. Enjoy the Finer Things in Life
While in London in 2009 Arta and I walked the streets and she taught me to go into all the spaces, museums, buildings, retail shops and purchase things in my head that I could not afford in real life. She grabbed my hand at one point and dragged me into Liberty's, saying at the end that she had spent $15,000 in her mind but all her money was still in her bank account, the best way to shop.
Along with my parents, Arta has taught me to enjoy the SAIT buffet as one of those finer things in life. Here we are around the most delicious food in 2018 enjoying each other's company:
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| Tonia and Arta |
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| Wyona and Greg |
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| Arta, Tonia and Lurene |
5. Be Confident in Your Skills
Always try new things, identify what you are good at and infuse these things into your life. It began with a question from Arta. 'what would you need in your life to make it a happy one?' The only part of the answer I remember is to include ceramics. Through this brief exchange, Arta has taught me to include what I love to do in my life, as part of my life, in order to create a happy life. I ceramic on!
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| Black and White agateware bowl. |
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| This larger bowl took me 3 hours to glaze. |
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| My new ceramic planters for succulants. |
Tonia, I just read your post to Arta.... she was not awake for all of it, but loved what she heard. She said to tell you that there could be no better gift from you than this. She loves blogs, and is so happy that she can go back and read and study the pictures when she is on the awake side of the opiates! xoxox r (the recipe links look great!)
ReplyDelete💜
ReplyDeleteAnyone is welcome to add the things they love about Arta too! I am working on my next list in my head already. Love you both!
ReplyDeleteNot sure how to add to the list but I sure appreciate Aunt Arta’s way with words.
DeleteI remember vividly reading a blog post about 20 years ago when Arta was working at the UofC. Arta was casually talking about walk she took where she described a “copse” of trees. I had never heard of that word before and it sent me on my own journey. I was also fascinated by the way she could take an everyday experience and illuminate it in such a way that it became so memorable.
Brendan, I usually think about copses of trees when I am travelling that first 50 miles between Calgary and Banff, all the way up through the foothills, looking to the left and right of me, looking at that big fault line that goes through that area. It might even be called the Richardson's fault, i can't remember exactly. There are other lovely copses of trees in the forest. I first learned the word when i heard someone in my writers group use it, maybe about 30 years ago. I didn't know there was a name for 'a little clump of trees', besides the words a-little-clump-of-trees. I love seeing pictures of you and your twins and other children. Not everyone is so lucky to have twins (or is that a copse of children, because it is more than one?). I have a long and well loved memory of you sitting at my kitchen table along with Desiree and Miranda and Richard, studying engineering. Memories are delicious pearls that we hold in our mind, aren't they? xox, Arta
DeleteI tried to reply yesterday, but your post kept making me cry. Darn grief. Your post is so beautiful. It really captures Arta, an amazing person.
ReplyDelete1. About new recipes
ReplyDeleteOh Tonia, what an amazing gift to people who will eat with you. I love the spice za'atar. I love the Iranians who have taught me to use it. Super delicious.
2. About Feminism
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten about his conference until I was going through my bookshelf and weeding out some of the books there. I find when I weed out books I end up adding books instead of taking them away. I just can't hep myself. I don't like someone going in and weeding out my bookshelf because I know exactly where things are and why. I can usually find out where a quotation is I am looking for without much trouble. Isn't the human mind a marvelous thing to be able to do that. Such a miracle.
3. About Shuswap Lake
ReplyDeleteI think Tonia, you might give me a more prominent place than I deserve. But it is true that I have loved the Shuswap as Doral did. Just seeing the frankfurters roasting on an open fire made my mouth water.
4. About enjoying life
ReplyDeleteYou made me laugh Tonia. Yes, when there is a store that is too expensive for me I make sure to pick one thing out that I would buy if I had more money just so can get practice with spending when I can. I do like going into a store and pretending to buy something, anything that I'd like in that store. I feel somewhat exposed on that one Arta (typed while laughing).
I should have known I got this game from you. I do it with friends. I do it at museums. It helps me look for closely. Sometimes I have purchased something in my mind enough times that I no longer need to buy it. In a sense, I have already owned and lived it and am ready to enjoy something new.
Delete5. On pottery and being confident
ReplyDeleteYour pottery is exquisite Tonia. Just breath-taking. It's too bad that the business side of being in ceramics isn't one in which one can readily see a profession. You can really sit down and throw those pots.