PHOTO JOURNALING

 In reverse order.... oldest to newest.

So I've been having a messy day at work, so I'm going to bang out a post.  At work there has been unkindness and that's kind of the thing that I can't stand the most.  I can be treated poorly, but I can't stand seeing someone be mean to another.  So I post.

A few photos of me and the girls going to the downtown library.  Taking the c-train to get there.  A fun trip.

One of many 'before school' photos.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

A few photos of Michael Alice Miranda and I going to the university to see a cultural presentation.  Betty was in the highland dancing part.  There was sikh parts, russian parts, Hawaiian parts.  It was fun.  The part that I remember the most though, was thawt they had some excellent ushers telling people to stop taking photos and stop taking video.  It was like a game of whack a mole.  A large auditorium full of many different cultures and many of those cultures took the 'phones off' requirement with varying levels of respect.  It was fun.  I participated.

A photo of my little team after provincials.  We had a ton of fun and I love those little kids now.  I love them.  It's funny that I got so attached to so many of them.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Volleyball 'beach day' for the last day of indoor volleyball.  like a little mini tournament of these kids who do not play beach that much.

Zoo day with Alice and Betty and I.

Before School.

Before School.

Coming home from the BMO stampede grounds.  Alice had just done a girl guides event at the BMO all day.  Betty and I took the ctrain down to grab alice from the designated location.  This is on the way back.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Butterflies doing their next part of their life transition.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

Before School.

A welcome message left by Alice or Betty as Naomi arrived for a quick sleep over.

The End.

Happy Birthday Arta

Dear Mom, 

May 8 is still marked in my daytimer as your Birthday (with a reminder to email you).   This will be the second time I have had to celebrate your birthday without you here to enjoy it (damn you, cancer!). I am just getting used to doing it this new way (marking your birthday in your absense), but am determined to continue the tradition.  I still love thinking about you and the birthday rituals you put in place for us, including your practice of writing emails or making a post to the blog to tell people things that you loved about them on their birthdays.  

And that is what I feel like doing (even if it is only going out to the others who love you, and keep stories of your awesomeness in circulation!).  So here it goes!   I found a photo that captures some of those things I was thinking about.  It is is just an ordinary summer photo, but here it is.

There are so many things I love and that make me smile about this photo.  I love how blingy you are!  There you are, gorgeous hair pulled up and clipped in place.  And the jacket?!  Seriously?!  It reminds me that you could never pass by on a jean dress or jean jacket (but the shoulder cut outs on this one are just hilarious). You know how to really dress up that red "Canada" t-shirt!  And it makes me happy to see you wearing my pottery necklace, silver rings, multiple bracelets on each wrist (and your fitbit) and a pair of long dangly bear claw earrings picked up at one of the Secwepemc gatherings!  :-)  I love your thirst for knowledge, and for living, and the ways you pulled all of us along with you in all your explorations of the world.  I also love the ways you spend time really engaging with young people, treating them and their ideas and emotions with the deepest of respect, and including the basket of dolls right there on the table (I love watching you chop the waffle pieces up into tiny squares that could be loaded up with whipped cream and be picked up by little hands...and i know you will be telling stories, or teaching new words or songs at the same time).  I love that you always model for us that work and play and the building of relationships are always happening in the same spaces)

On your birthday, i am grateful for all the lessons (and as the Gitxsan say, all the spitting you did in our ears).  I love you..  Happy Birthday!

Solidarity Forever

It is day two of the strike by members of the PSAC union -- federal public servants across the country are striking.  I am not a member of this union, but many of my colleagues are.  And I am fully cognizant that the important work they are doing, that will hopefully result in a new collective agreement, will serve as a foundation for new collective agreement provisions for all the other unions that represent different federal public servants.

Today I am working in the office instead of remotely from home. I wondered if I would have to cross a picket line and how I would handle that.  Many options were swirling through my mind.  I did not have to cross one, but I did pass by workers on strike picketing at another building. They were marching with PSAC flags and signs, one person was singing "solidary forever" through a megaphone... and suddenly there were tears in my eyes as I heard Arta's voice from the past singing that same song.  

Arta has been on my mind a lot the last week as I read the coverage about the impending strike action.  Thinking about her dedication and work in her own union, despite the challenges and toxicity that she encountered within the union, she was committed to the work they do to ensure good working conditions and benefits for their members.

I almost went rogue and joined the picket line in solidarity -- but my union is not in a legal strike position right now.  I was imagining marching with Arta, shouting and making noise. What are some things I could do to support my fellow workers?  I thought about getting up at 2am to bake 20 loaves of fresh bread and bring it down to the line with 5 jars of homemade jam (I don't actually have any...).  I thought about joining them during my lunch break.  I thought about writing this post. 

P.S. I haven't attached a visual or photo to the this post.  In the past I would have written all this in an e-mail to Arta and she would have said, "just put that up on the blog, I'll add a photo for you later."  Anyone who reads this post... feel free to add your own visual. 

---------Rebecca addendum----------------

Mary.... you make my eyes sweaty!   Yes, let's raise a glass to Arta and the politics of bread.  I found two photos:  One of Arta giving lessons to a group of lovely young law students who were taking the Summer Intensive in Indigenous Law Research Method and Practice (Arta was also auditing the class... note her "Idle No More" TShirt! :-)) [each of them has a batch of dough rising under plastic wrap].  And then, a finished loaf!  

Yes,  Arta would be taking bread to the picket line.

Hot out of the oven, Arta's recipe...

Red currents, gooseberries and a plum tree

My neighbour is selling her house.  She doesn't know where she will land permanently and so I have offered up my yard as a spot to move all her beloved plants in the interim.

Last summer we lost our massive box elder (manitoba maple) that has provided our entire backyard with a beautiful shade canopy for 20 years. I have done much greiving over losing that tree.  On the other side of the coin, I now have a backyard with full sun... and I am looking forward to seeing it transformed over the coming years into a garden full of plants that you can use for dying textiles and a pollinator's refuge. I never turn down a plant that will give me a chance to harvest some food too.

So here is Nadie and her friend Rene who offered to help move the bushes/trees.  I wished I could join them for the activities, but alas, I had to my "office work" so could only observe from my window.

Hopefully the bushes have been moved early enough in the season that they will still want to fruit this year.  

On Watercolour and Duncan's Birthday

And today, Duncan turned 22!  Hebe made sure the Jarvii called to sing him a raucous version of Happy Birthday!  His choice for the day was to spend part of the time working on Warhammer figurines (thus he and I were set up at the kitchen table for the better part of the day).   Steve delivered and installed a new suspension seat for his e-bike (there is nothing better than a happy butt!).  And then, Duncan wanted us to have a family festivus of ordering out Indian food, complete with a DQ icecream cake, and then a family viewing of episode 1 of Season 3 of the Mandalorian.   All in all, a perfect birthday.   Here is my report on the 'artwork' part of the day!   https://carter-johnson2.blogspot.com/2023/03/watercolour-lessons-on-duncans-22nd.html

Branton Jr. High - Open House

 Feb 2, 2023.

SPB and Branton both had open houses on the thursday night before a PD day.  Same night, same time, so there was going to be no opportunity to check out both Jr. High Schools that Michael could go into.

I left work and got home in time to 'walk' to school.  I wanted to normalize walking to Branton because that's going to be the normal for Michael.  We walked straight east, around the Sherwoods house, and across that intersection.  That intersection has an excellent pedestrian light.  One of those pedestrian lights that almost cause seizures.  So I'm confident that it'll be the safest route across 24th Ave.  It's become quite a mess in regards to traffic.

We got there about ten minutes before the presentation began.  It was hard not to think about all of the changes that I wasn't expecting.  I missed the volleyball posters on the walls and I was very distracted by the 'white and green'.  Branton is no longer pee yellow and booger green.  It's now a forest green and white.  TheBranton Tiger is now a snow tiger.

The presentation began, and we learned that there is a Dungeons and Dragons club.  Also of note was a cookie making class and that the sports team is quite good.  I can't remember which years the trips happen, but there is a long quebec trip, $2800 one year.  There is the 'west coast sailing' trip one year, $2800, and there is an exchange with families in belgium or... somewhere in france.

At the beginning of the presentation we were serenaded by the grade 7 band class.  It is amazing how confident kids in grade 7 who have only been playing an instrument for 4 months can be.  Also very encouraging to know and remember that we can all start somewhere.

After the presentation, we toured the school.  We went clockwise starting in the construction and wood working class room.  I remember there being a dark room, but I dont suppose it was still a dark room.  The projects seem to be centered around strongest/tallest tower made of sticks.  But I did see one project that was familiar.  Mine was a pig though, and not a fish.

After the construction room into the home ec room.  Everything has different names through.  It wasn't cooking & baking like I remember.  They had tables and tables of cookies going.  Michael was very interested in this class.

Here's a photo of down the hallway.  I'm sure that we all remember the look of these hallways.

We also stopped in the 'fashion and design' class.  I'm sure that Miranda would be jealous of two dozen sowing machines and walls covered in knitting and crocheting.

Michael kept asking for the library, and we finally got to the back of the loop where the library is.  Everything is slightly different but also very the same.

Then into the science room.  Enjoy the disected from on the shelf.  Delicious.

There were three kids doing 3d Printing in the hallways just past the library.  Michael was very interested in that aspect of jr high as well.

Finally, by the principals office they had a bake sale going to raise money for the quiebec trip, or another of the school events.

Lastly a nice photo of the doors to the gymnasium.

1994-1995.  A good year for graduating.  Unfortunately they chose to put 1994-1995 graduates above the boys washroom... smelly.

We just barely had time to run downstairs.  It's still open.  I asked the assistant principal and he said 'yes, they still do lunch down here, but no served lunch... only tables for bag lunches'.

Of course, we all know about the worm, but it's not open.  Closed to everyone.  Michaels eyes say it all.

Trells graduating year.  1979.  No photos of anyone on the walls except for me.  Sad.

1982, Dorals graduating year.

1985, Kevin Johnson.  Did they mean Kelvin?

We left without me getting a chance to really look for everyones name.  But the photos on the wall stop 5 years before my graduating year.  So I think Mary's year is the first one that is no longer on the walls.  

Thats it!

Michaels Report.
-I liked the bake sale and the free cookies.

-The graphics design was neat.

-I thought the break out room was funny. a room to go if you're sad or worried or want to talk or need a quiet place to work.

-I liked the library.  it wasn't way bigger than our capital hill elementary library though... sadly.

-