Mary Soderstrom's Blog, page 101

A Milestone Passed for 2012

Snow flakes this morning!  Reprieve from the worst?

My birthday is Nov. 8, and ever since we've been in Montreal, the first snow flakes have fallen before then.  Lee was sure that we wouldn't get any this year--not with temperatures in the 20s last week as warm air was sucked north by Sandy. 

But this morning, as we were preparing to go for a walk with Jeanne, it flurried for about 10 minutes.  Nothing on the ground, but still....


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Saturday Photo: Leaves Almost All Gone...

Frost forecast for tomorrow.  The season is finally changing...

Come Talk about Richler's Best--Barney's Version--in French and English

I'm nearly to the end of Barney's Version , Mordecai Richler's last novel.  It's not the first time I've read it, but next Tuesday I'll be leading a causerie littéraire at the Bibliothèque Robert-Bourassa in Outremont on the book.

It was suggested by one of the core members, and since the group is mostly Francophone, I imagine that the French translation, Le monde de Barney,   will be in front of participants Tuesday. 

In a way that's too bad, because the translation doesn't do Richler's work justice.  I switched over the English original after about 100 pages in frustration.  But the work is very interesting, the best thing Richler did after Duddy Kravitz , who BTW makes a cameo appearance in the book. 

So I'd like to extend an invitation to everyone who hates or loves Richler to come discuss this funny, provoking book at 7:30 pm. Tuesday, November 6 in the Salle Joseph-Beaubien of the Bibliothèque Robert-Bourassa (and wouldn't Richler love that irony), 41, St. Just, Outremont.  [image error]

Go Figure Department: Gas Shortages in New York/New Jersey But Rises Low in Montreal

If you ever wondered why or how gasoline prices are determined, your questions should get deeper this week.  We've been told that spikes in prices comes from shortages:  shutting down production at various drilling operatons because of hurricans has been given in the past as a reason for summertime increases.

Over the last couple of weeks prices in Montreal have been as high as $1.43 a litre--not as high in the summer of 2008, but almost.  Then came Sandy, and you'd think the price would continue to rise.  Certainly The New York Times notes this morning that a scarcity of gasoline in the greater New York agglomeration is making life more difficult for people trying to cope with Sandy's aftermath.

But, hey, last night the price here was around $1.26  a litre!  Makes no sense at all, even if you take into considertion  the fact that Montreal and New York aren't the same market. 

And last week I bought gas at $1.36 a litre, thinking I was doing well.  We haven't driven much since then, so there was no point in trying to fill up yesterday, one of the ironies of not driving much being that sometimes you can't take advantage of a bargain.[image error]

Pumpkin Pie Coming Up, One of These Days

No, I haven't made the pie yet.  The pumpkin with the face that Jeanne and I carved last weekend is still on the front porch.

But never fear, it will be used to make pumpkin pie whenever I get a few minutes.

Waste not, want not: I was appalled at how many pumpkins were sitting out to be collected by the trash man today.  In busy, two career families, I can see how making pies can disappear in the cracks of daily living, but it still makes me sad to see the waste.  [image error]

Halloween 2012: Pretty Scary Time

The photo shows the kind of low level Halloween decorations I like.  Seems that the holiday has overtaken Christmas when it comes to expenses for store bought goodies.  That's a frightening thought, but not as frightening as what is going on around us.

Three examples:

1.  An American election campaign where nobody talks about climate change until New York city takes it in the teeth from a very strange storm that might be a harbinger of the new world order. 

2. The Conservatives in Canada are falling all over themselves, trying to imitate the US Right Wing.  Latest example: it looks like they want to privatize the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation.

3.  The Republican candidate for the US Presidency still says that the federal government should a limited role in dealing with disaster.

4. Those weather satellites which at least warned folks what was coming are old and need replacing, but Congress has dragged itself feet at doing so.  

I could go on, because it's too depressing,  Better to think about the cute little beaver costume Jeanne is wearing....

BTW,  here's a link to some ideas for decorating, in case you still feel in a party mood.[image error]

La Folia--Great New Music Coming Your Way from Elin, Cléo and Tawnie

Attention all of you in Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria and Gabriola Island: you have a crazy treat in store! New music for flute, hyper-flute, viola da gamba and harpsichord is coming your way. Fiolûtrôniq--that is Elin Soderstrom, Cléo Quentin-Palacio and Tawnie Olson--will be performing new works on the theme, La Folia, over the next two weeks in a hall near you.

 

Here are the details

Les Folles Alliées – On tour !
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EDMONTON
Folles alliées – Concert
Friday, November 2 @ 8 pm
Muttart Hall, Alberta College
10050 Macdonald Drive, Edmonton, AB
http://newmusicedmonton.ca/
Masterclass at University of Alberta
Saturday, November 3 (exact time and room t.b.c.)
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VANCOUVER
Events @ Western Front
303 East 8th Ave., Vancouver, BC
New Orchestra Workshop Improvisation Series
Workshop given by Cléo Palacio-Quintin
Monday, November 5 @ from 4 – 6pm and 7:30 – 9:30pm
http://www.noworchestra.com/workshops
Composers Workshop with Fiolûtröniq and Katelyn Clark
In collaboration with CMC and LCC
November 7 @ 7 pm (Free)
Folles alliées – Concert
Thursday, November 8 @ 8 pm
Western Front, Vancouver (co-presented by Music on Main)
Advance Tickets: $12 General / $10 Students & WF Members (Processing fees apply)
Door Tickets: $15 General / $12 Students & WF Members
http://front.bc.ca/events/folles-alliees-fiolutroniq/
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GABRIOLA ISLAND
Folles alliées – Acoustic Concert
Friday, November 9 @ 5:30 pm
The Net Loft
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VICTORIA
Folles alliées – Concert
Thursday, November 15 @ 8 pm
Open Space
510 Fort Street, 2nd floor, Victoria,

Romney on Diaster Relief: Preferably Privatize It

I didn't think this was for real when I first saw reference to it, but here's the clip. According to the Huffington Post, his staff today, as Sandy raged, reaffirmed this position.

 "Absolutely," Romney said in this primary debate. "Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that's the right direction. And if you can go even further, and send it back to the private sector, that's even better. Instead of thinking, in the federal budget, what we should cut, we should ask the opposite question, what should we keep?"
 

Waiting for Sandy: Storm Surf

Well, actually it's not supposed to be so bad here. But I couldn't resist. [image error]

Saturday Photo: Woodside Cottage on a Busy Street

I must have walked by this house on  Chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine thousands of times, literally, but always on the other side of the street.  This week I took a closer look though, and discovered that the house is 135 years old.

There's a plaque in front, saying that it was built in 1867-68 by a pioneer in the neighborhood   David Edward who was the first mayor of Outremont after it was incorporated in 1875.  The house now sit on a busy thoroughfare, which still follows a curving track made by    Native Canadians  who took it around Mount Royal.

This time of year the trees surrounding the house are turning colour, and the flower beds are full of autumnal asters.  But it hasn't turn so cold that the fountain has been turned off, so the splash of water competes with the traffic noises. [image error]