Welcome! This week, a little photo-essay of the things that keep us smiling and keep us busy as we transition into summer holidays, plus a few quotes from articles from around the web.
Winnipeg has been getting a lot of rain. The skies above it are often filled with painting-worthy clouds and dramatic light. On the way to the pool one evening, I just managed to catch a tiny rainbow.
My mother-in-law moved from a main-floor room with a basement window to a second-floor room with a regular window. I can now wave to her from the parking lot! At the MCC Thrift Store on Chalmers the other week, we found a comptometer like the one she used when she worked at Eaton’s in the 50’s. (Previous mention in 2023.)
The peonies are blooming and I couldn’t resist taking a picture of a home-made bouquet of them on a desk at Artists Emporium.
Long daylight hours mean that Christian and I can go on exploratory bike rides in the evening, getting a feel for neighbourhoods that is different from taking a car. When we last explored Warde Avenue’s funny breaks and continuation, the Bonavista neighbourhood was still being built. The difference in atmosphere from our comparatively middle-age neighbourhood is perhaps in part because Bonavista is a master-planned community. (And it feels similar to ones visited in Airdrie, AB!)
Here I present my second sourdough ever… It was better than the first and the family has been spoiling me with encouragement. Keeping natural leaven alive produces discard and I’m now on the third batch of Discard Crackers. Turmeric and black pepper happens to be a very healthy combo and a fairly addictive snack.
For our daughter’s birthday we went to Blufish downtown, where the soy sauce was served in such cute ceramic vases, we mistook the presentation for missing a flower rather than hiding a condiment.
My Mom sent us a packet of Magic Fire and we experienced our first backyard campfire with colourful flames. One packet lasts a surprisingly long time.
Quotes
On the subject of beauty: In a Youtube video about typography and book design, designer Klaus Krogh says: “I think beauty and faith is interlocked. The beauty of the language for prayers, the beauty within, we’re trying to make it show on the outside, and that’s our deepest inspiration.” (Around the 5 minute mark.)
On the subject of courage: “Courage is an ancient predisposition that has played a protective role on the stress.” Hearing about “the courage response” to stress on a podcast, I was immediately intrigued, and found a scientific paper on the subject. Incidentally, it is common in French to wish a person “bon courage”, whereas in English, we commonly wish people “good luck”. What’s nice about the French expression is that you are recognizing a behavioural approach that implies agency.
On the subject of negativity: A study linked and excerpted on Marginal Revolution shows how negativity gradually increases over time because negative responses stand out, more than positive responses. “[…] analyses suggest that negativity rises over time because social media users seek to make unique comments on the same topic, and it is easier to differentiate oneself through negative comments than through positive comments. As threads and communities evolve, and it becomes more difficult to make unique observations, users turn to negativity.” This feels true in real life, where the greater effort must be devoted to focusing on what is constructively positive rather than destructively negative.
On the pitfalls of rationalization: In an article titled “You don’t have to swallow frogs” Andrea Pitzer writes, “But the truth for nearly everyone is simpler. You don’t have to turn your back on the big issues, but you also don’t have to import the entire national crisis into your personal one. You just have to think for yourself. Know what tradition you’re aligned with, whether it’s a philosophical one, a religious one, or one that rises out of a particular past oppression—or all of the above. There might even be a group or a school of thought you’re reacting against. If you haven’t thought about these things before, read less daily news and try to find an approach that reflects what matters to you. Having answers to that will do a lot to give you direction.”
On the subject of human dignity in design: I really liked this article by Sara Hendren titled “Pattern Recognition”. She discusses dignity in relation to design (and includes this definition of what dignity is by Helmut Thielicke: “Dignity is not a possession to be more fairly meted out but a universally contingent relational force […]”) and includes examples of design that incorporates human dignity, from babies to the elderly. Sequestered dementia patients are a fact of the society I live in, but reading about places where that isn’t the case is heartening.
Eating
My friend invited me for an al-fresco lunch in her backyard and made the Jennifer Aniston Salad. It was delicious!
For a snack table in our garage for our daughter’s outdoor birthday party, I had fun cutting “handles” for the watermelon, an idea I saw here!
Walking the dog
Here’s a picture to bookend the spring season of walking the dog, now that summer holidays have begun and Christian has taken over the doggy duties!
Happy Sunday!