Lots of laughs
Blog May 30, 2025
The cool spring continues. Not complaining, as the heat will slam in soon enough, and Canadians in the west are being evacuated already due to forest fires. So rain and cool temperatures are welcome.
I was on my way early Wednesday morning to a rally organized by Charlie Angus’s mother — we see where he gets his idealistic political smarts from, what a fine man he is. His mother was launching Grandmothers Against Genocide, to stand at the corner of Bloor and Yonge at 8 a.m. So I set off on my bike at 7.50, but most of the way up Sackville Street, which is uphill, I changed gears and my back wheel froze. The bike would not move. Tried to fix it, could not, decided to lock it up and go anyway, but then a man came up offering to help. And as he tinkered, a truck passing by stopped to greet him and then parked, so there were three men gathered around my bike, upside down on the sidewalk.
Finally they gave up but offered to drive it home for me, as it was hard to move. So kind! The best of men. I took it to Cycle Solutions later and after $200 for a new derailleur and chain, home we came. Thanks to my gallant helpers. I’ll try to join the grandmothers next week.
John Sinclair is another gallant helper, a kind friend and smart finance guy whom I met at the Y and who has done my income taxes ever since, and Sam’s too. You may recall, I wrote here about being invited to his apartment with fellow Y stalwarts Carole and James for what we thought was a party. It turned out to be John’s wedding to Vanessa, right there in his living room, so happy for him. There were lots of laughs. This week at class he said, I have something for you. I thought something to do with my taxes. It turned out to be this photograph, that he says is his and Vanessa’s favourite from their wedding. Whenever I’m down, I’ll just look at this.
There’s so very much to be down about. But people are rallying, protests are ongoing; the courts are working overtime in the States. The situation in Gaza is beyond grotesque and appalling. Heartsick.
But I confess, because shallow, I liked watching King Charles’s visit to Canada. I know, it’s absurd, a king and queen in 2025. But it was a good speech watched by many Canadian notables, including Trudeau in his famous I’m-free-now green shoes and the vile, frozen-faced, helmet-headed S. Harper. I liked especially knowing Pierre P. was not allowed into the chamber. It was a glorious day in Ottawa; Carney and Charles and their wives spent lots of time greeting and chatting with well-wishers on the street. The bugler played a mournful Taps before the wreath laying that reminded us all of the young men who died for democracy. Nothing wrong with a bit of pomp and ceremony. I’m glad they came.
Had a note from a writer I met in San Miguel, who loved Midlife Solo and found many points of similarity between our lives – another kindred spirit. Summer plans are afoot, Anna and the boys to Nova Scotia and I dreaming of a trip to Newfoundland to celebrate my 75th, why not? Well, a few reasons, but we’ll see. Watched Field of Dreams again on TCM, marvelling once more that so many films are about connecting, somehow, to distant fathers. In this one, the joy of old-fashioned baseball is the theme, Kevin Costner is good-looking, and James Earl Jones has the voice of god. I’ve spent ages rewriting an essay that I’ve just sent to my friend Isabel Huggan for critiquing. It’s — surprise! — about my father.
Another film I’ll see again just opened: Jane Austen Wrecked my Life, that I saw at TIFF last year as the guest of my friend Liz Crowther, who’s in it. It’s utterly delightful and is now in Canada. Hope you get to enjoy it too.
I was tempted to cut down the giant willow in my garden; although beloved of the birds, there are lots of other trees for them, and this one blocks so much sun and its dropped bits of branch make a huge mess. But it turns out I cannot; it’s protected by the city. I’ll just have to keep paying to have some branches removed to try to allow a bit of sun on my veg patch. The $75 tomato, indeed.
Life in the big city.
The post Lots of laughs appeared first on Beth Kaplan.
