Hugh In Saskatoon

Hugh has been in Saskatoon the past 3 days.  He's only the second friend to come and visit me since my move here; Sanjit was the first one.  Of course, my bro and his family were here last year, and my parents have come too...

On Tuesday night we went for Indian dinner buffet at Swadesh on 22nd Street.

On Wednesday we went to Capanna Pizzeria.  Here, a waitress blew us away with her friendly and talkative character.

And today we got up early in the morning and drove to Moose Jaw.  I had to do a pre-op there for my cheek surgery early next week, and after that we met up with John and Lamont for lunch at Bobby's.  The original plan was to head to Regina after lunch, but we enjoyed such a good converstaion around the table that we ended up staying in the Jaw until well after 4.  Before heading back home we went to Crescent Park and breathed in some fresh air.  Hugh read a book on the bench, and I took a much-needed nap on the lawn.

Tomorrow Hugh gets on a bus, off to Bruno for a spiritual retreat, and I head the opposite direction, west, to Cypress Hills on a camping trip with Eric.

Backyard

One of the reasons I wanted to buy a house was so that I could enjoy my own backyard, while smoking a cigarette and enjoying a beer.  It takes some work to make the back yard nice, but as the pictures below indicate, if done right, the result can be a really nice and peaceful place to relax and enjoy serenity.

The past few days I've been staining my deck.  The first picture below shows nicely the"before and after" effect of a good stain job.  I'm pretty happy with the job I did.

Next summer I want to tackle the fence: it'll be stained the same "Muskoka Cottage" brown as the deck.

Prairie Cathedrals

So a few days ago after finishing up at the monastery I crossed the highway to take a look at the cathedral that Muenster is known for.

The drive up to the church gave me a "church in the country feel" - dusty dirt road lined by trees on either side - and the cathedral itself was nice enough from the outside with a basic design (sadly, some of the siding was vinyl), but what really impressed me was the interior.

 

It wasn't as impressive as the cathedral in Gravelbourg (below), but still, it blew me away: a massive structure, "in the middle of nowhere" (the church in Gravelbourg seats 1000 and Gravelbourg itself only has about 1000 inhabitants; the church in Muenster is smaller, as is the town itself), with so much love, care, and effort invested in it.

I know very little about either of these towns or their spiritual histories, but I can't help but think that there must have been a thriving faith community present once.  The frescoes in particular point towards hours and hours of love labour.

And we, subsequent generations, have been left a lasting legacy by those who came before us.

The question that comes to mind is: What kind of a legacy are we leaving behind?

Becoming A Benedictine Oblate

A few years ago, while still living in BC, I was thinking about becoming a Benedictine oblate.  I felt that it was important to adopt for myself a Rule of Life - guidelines, principles to which I adhere in all decisions of life - and be attached to a community of people who support and encourage each other in bringing that rule to life.

Then I got busy: I got a new job, moved to the prairies, bought a car and a house, and so on and so forth.  And of course, my relationship with Michelle earlier this year also kept me busy.

But after breaking up with Michelle, 2 things happened: I had a lot more time on my hands, and I didn't know how to fill that time.  This second point became more acute and stressful when I began feeling tremendous feelings of loneliness and discontent.

Fortunately, around the end of March I ventured out on a day trip to a monastery in Muenster, to participate in Oblate Day there.  My experience was quite positive, attending Mass, lunch, and a lecture afterwards.  I also talked to Fr. Paul, in charge of hospitality and oblates at the monastery, and got a really good feeling about re-engaging in the whole conversation regarding becoming an oblate.

That was March; fast forward to today.  I went to Oblate Day again (there are 4 such days per year), and went through the same routine as last time, attending Mass, lunch, lecture, and a short meeting with Fr. Paul.  We both concluded that since I'm quite familiar with the Benedictine tradition already, I am ready to take the next step: make my novitiate vows.

These vows will take place at the next meeting, on October 24th.  In the meantime, I have "homework", 3 readings: 1- the Rule of St. Benedict; 2- A Mystical Portrait of Jesus (Demetrius Dumm), and 3- Poustinia (Catherine Doherty).

This year is turning out to be a momentous year.  First, joining the Roman Catholic Church in April, and now taking my novitiate vows to join the Benedictines.  I will be a Novice for one year before making full vows.

Here, in short are my vows (BCMSS):

1- Balance

2- Change (Continuous Conversion)

3- Moderation

4- Simplicity

5- Stability (Commitment)

By God's grace, these vows will keep in check my thirst for (GPPSW):

1- Glory / Fame

2- Pleasure

3- Power

4- Security

5- Wealth

Jazz Festival

The jazz festival has been on all this week and I finally went to see a show at the Free Stage (19th and Broadway) this evening with Eric.  I'm not a huge jazz fan, but Ikebe Shakedown did just that: they shook down the place, and thoroughly pleased my musical senses.

It was good to get out and about.  I spend a lot of time at home, so it was refreshing for the soul to be out and listening to some good music.

Prairie Sky

Today I went hiking at Beaver Creek, and was greeted by an amazing cloud formation on the sky.

Two months ago I took the exact same route.  Here are a few pics I took then.  Two short months, and such an amazing transformation of creation...

Nasser

I have a new housemate.

This past winter I realized that owning a house is expensive.  Because of the cold prairie winters, I was paying upwards of $400 on utilities some months.

The right way to deal with this unexpected expense is obvious: 1- finish the basement of my new house, or 2- get a housemate.

I opted for #2.  I put in an ad in kijiji 2 months ago and didn't get many bites, but late last week I did get one.  We met last week, he looked at the house, I asked him some probing questions, and here he is, now he's my housemate.  I pray that this was a good decision.

Spain Beckons

 What struck me about yesterday's performance was that it included student performers, young and old.  Watching kids - especially this one little boy - doing the moves, snapping their fingers, tapping their fee, was just amazing.  They had us roaring in approval...

Of course it wasn't just students, but some professionals too.  Here's the only picture I took of the evening:

At the end of the performance they had a Q&A session, and one of the questions asked by a crowd member was whether or not the guitarist offered lessons.  He smiled and nodded in approval...."Yes.  Give us a call", he said.  My heart lept.  I wonder whether I should...

All this talk about flamenco and music - Jesse Cook, Gipsy Kings, etc... - is convincing me more and more that I need to return to Spain. Places like Malaga and Sevilla are beckoning.  That's where greats like Carlos Montoya, Camaron, and Paco de Lucia hail from.  Now, more than ever, I want to go there and immerse myself in flamenco culture...

I also want to walk the Camino again.  Maybe take a different route...like the Portugués; or if I have less time, maybe the Inglés; or maybe I need to re-interpret my last walk - so many things have changed - and re-do the Original.

Potatoes Are Up!

Here's proof!

Other veggies are up too: onions, zucchini, and green beans.

One of the most interesting things I've learned about myself since moving to the prairies is how much I enjoy gardening.

Jesse Cook x 2

What a treat.  I saw Jesse Cook twice this week: Thursday night here in Saskatoon, and last night in Regina.  That's worth celebrating...

He released his latest album, One World.  Musically, he tries to combine music from a number of cultures, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and then adds some modern elements and sounds.  I like the result much more than his last album, but I much prefer his stuff from 10+ years ago, like Nomad or Frontiers; even The Rumba Foundation has more appeal to me than his new stuff, but still, Jesse is Jesse, and whatever he tinkers with in the studio usually comes out sounding like genius.  And he's such an amazing musician and performer.

He played the same set on both nights, and it was something along the following lines:

Cafe Mocha

Gravity

Taxi Brazil

Once

Bogota by Bus

Incantation

Gaita

Havana

Baghdad

Intermission

Shake

Bombai Diner (or was it Bombay Slam?)

Azul

Luna Llena

A lengthy medley (Mario Takes a Walk, Closer to Madness, Air, Jumpstart, Matisse the Cat, Gipsy, and I think there were at least 3 or 4 other mixed in there)

Fall at your Feet

Cecilia

Saskatoon pictures:

Regina picturres:

I am thankful that I got to see this wonderful performer not only once but twice in the past few days.  I find that his music inspires and calms me in a way that little other music does.

Here is the ending of one of his best songs, in Regina: Fall at Your Feet.  This was the second to last song they played, and they came out into the middle of the crowd to sing it.  Wonderful.

A Warm Day in Saskatoon

Finally...my seeds are sprouting!  Ten days after short cold spell, my plants are on their way up and out of the ground.

Corn's up.

Patatoes are up.

Beans and zucchini too.

No carrots yet, though.  And tomatoes are struggling...I planted them too early.

Today I did some weeding and watering, and it was nice not having to leave home to do it.

I'm really enjoying my front porch and back deck.  Friday night after the memorial service at work I had some coworkers over for some drinks on the deck.  This morning I sat out in my front porch and did some reading before the sun got too hot.  And once it got too hot I just switched to the back and continued there.  Now, as I'm writing this, it's too hot in the back so I've switched back to the front.  Later on I plan to bbq some beef kabobs and grill some veggies.  

Someone once told me that I'm a home body (it was a compliment), and at the time I wasn't sure she was right, but I think she was.  I love being at home. Of course sometimes it'd be nice to have more company but overall, I'm content at home.

 It's safe to say that spring's here to stay (or give way to summer) now.  Today's high is around 26, yesterday was 25.

Spring And Fall

Here are my two latest paintings, about half/three-quarters done.  I should be able to finish them up in 3 weeks' time.

I almost bought a painting to put up on one of the many still-empty walls in my house, but I just couldn't do it.  It was $900, and that with a 35% discount.  I can swallow $500, but that's about it.

Hiking Saskatchewan Landing

One of the biggest adjustments for me over the past 2 years has been the lack of hiking in Saksatchewan.  Because of the flat terrain, extreme weather, and sparsely populated areas there's just not much of a hiking culture here.  And compared to BC, there just aren't many established hikes around.

On the other hand, there are some interesting factors that make one think hiking would be more  popular here.  People don't freak out over the extreme weather - extreme is normal - so weather's not really an excuse.  People love driving - cars are a huge part of the culture: people have no qualms about driving long distances by car to go camping or "to the lake" - and so going on a day or weekend hiking trip by car shouldn't really be a deterrent.

Anyways, whatever the case may be for the lack of hiking culure here, today was Victoria Dy and the weather's warm and sunny (albeit a bit windy), so Eric and I got into my Jetta in the morning and drove south today, towards Swift Current.  We wanted to go explore this beautiful province on foot.  About 35 minutes north of Swift Current we stopped at Saskatchewan Landing for some great hiking.  We stopped at the local information centre but they were closed (another sign of being in Saskatchewan - why on earth were they closed on basically the first hot weekend of the summer!).

It was a rather short hike, only around 6kms, but still, we enjoyed the surrounding scenery, had a good chance to catch up, and the hiking was good.  Below are a few pictures.  I like the contrast: dry hilltops, lush valleys, blue water in the distance, and of course, the main character of any prairie setting, the sky.

When we first began hiking, after 11am, there was still a cold breeze around us, so we wore long sleeves.  But by 1pm it was hot.  It was a clear day, not a cloud in sight.

We finished our hike around 3pm, and afterwards we stopped in at a golf clubhouse nearby for dinner.  The food was decent and with a variety of choices - sandwiches, wraps, tacos, and burgers - but unfortunately they all fit the "fast food" category.  How I'd have loved to have a nice pasta dish with a glass of wine....

What salvaged the clubhouse experience though was our waitress - a girl in her late twenties - friendly, talkative, a great sense of humour, and very easy on the eyes.  She'd just moved here from Vancouver, full of life, enthusiasm, and optimism.  Eric and I didn't want to burst her naive, innocent bubble, but we did feel it our duty to gently inform her that moving to a new place is exciting, until the novelty wears out and you have a few experiences that bring you back to the real world.  Still, her enthusiasm was contagious and admirable.  I left the clubhouse with a smile on my face.

We arrived back in Saskatoon around 7pm, tired, but energized by a good day trip, solid hiking, and some thought-provoking conversation.

Tomorrow it's back to work.  The next 3 weeks are quite busy, highlighted by a tour to the cathedral with our residents and an anniversary party for the Monsignor in early June, and a memorial service this Friday.

Gardening Day

Yesterday I planted my garden.  I got outside around 10:30am, after sitting on my front porch and reading Pope Francis' The Church of Mercy for a while.  It was enjoyable reading, sipping my coffee, soaking and in the warm rays of the sun.

It took me awhile to work out the garden layout.  I wanted to make it a beautiful space, not just a functional place.  To accomplish this I planted some pampa grass, sunflowers, lavender, and an Asian lily in the corners.

I also incorporated some walking space, so that I have a place to stand on when tilling and weeding the ground.

Below's the layout.

The weather's still rather chilly, particularly at night.  I trust that in the coming days it'll warm up.

After finishing the garden I mowed both my front and back lawn.

Then, Amanda - my newly found neighbour-friend - and her friend Dan dropped by for a bbq.  I cooked up some burgers and put some veggies on the grill too.  Amanda brought a salad, and together we had a nice evening meal and conversation.

Thank you Lord for the simple pleasures of life.  I pray for a grateful heart to recognize more of these moments.  Amen.

Forest Scenes

I went for some more painting classes in Moose Jaw yesterday.  I find I'm getting faster, more comfortable "in my skin" when holding a paint brush.

I'm working on 2 paintings at the same time, both of a forested scene; one is set in the spring, the other in the fall.  I'll go back in 3 weeks' time to continue working on them.

Late Snowfall...Again

Yesterday it snowed 30cms.  

The past 5 weeks have been surprisingly warm, and I thought maybe that's it, no more snow for this winter.  I got my garden box built, hauled in nutrient-rich topsoil, bought seeds and even planted some of them indoors, in preparation for growing season.  Then the cold weather returned...

Incidentally, this is the 3rd winter in a row where we've had snowfall in the last week of April.  Big snowfall; like one last horray.  I guess it's true: spring doesn't arrive here until May.

By mid-next week temperatures are supposed to hit 21C.

Below is my 2nd-favourite cafe in the city.  My favourite place - Little Bird - is closed today.  Maybe because of the a power outage last night...

Repainting Furniture

I've never been much of a do-it-yourselfer.  If my car is broke I take it to a mechanic.  If my fridge door squeaks I get the fridge guy to fix it. If the doorbell doesn't work I get a new one.

I'm not mechanically inclined, for one thing, and so I never really considered "fixing things" as a skill to foster.  This is opposite my dad, actually, who plays with his computer for hours before seeking help, and tinkers with other stuff - especially electronics - for days, trying to figure out how they work and how to fix them if broken.  Case in point, he converted a gas vehicle to an electric vehicle about 8 or so years ago.

But the one area I feel relatively comfortable with around the house, is paint.  After all, I painted for an entire summer while in university.

So a few days ago I took on the challenge of repainting old furniture, rather than selling it online and then buying new furniture.  Owning a house is proving to be more expensive than I thought...

Here are a few pictures of my dining chairs and table that I'm hoping will fit in with the rest of my living room interior once this project is finished.

Signs Of Life

I hiked Beaver Creek yesterday.  Signs of life are appearing, after a long cold winter...

It's been almost a year since I moved to Saskatoon.  I'm very grateful.

Ode To Flamenco

Last night was one of those evenings that I will not soon forget.  I went to a flamenco act and left completely blown away.  Dance.  Song.  Art.  Story.  The performers - Miguel Infante, Celedonio Garrido, and Ricardo Diaz - are from Spain, and together with local performers they put on a show that stole my heart.

Flamenco captivates my soul like few other things.  Canto (singing), toque (guitar playing), baile (dance), jaleo (vocalizations and rhythmic sounds), palmas (clapping), and pitos (finger snapping) are all part of the flamenco experience.  Add to this the elements of traditional dress and musical instruments, and the experience becomes intensely physical.

Something from the spiritual realm draws me into the experience, I'm sure.  Maybe it's the human story that's told in this beautiful art form.  Stories of delight and ecstasy, and stories of loss and despair; stories of connection and stories of loneliness; stories of triumph and stories of defeat; stories of thriving and stories of suffering.  

Come to think of it, it's the stories of heart wrenching hardship that resonate deeply within me.  Mysteries.  The unresolved and unresolvable.  The broken.  The stuff of this world.  These are realities I'm well familiar with not only in my life but also in what I see all around me.  Longing - for connection with the world around me, with my fellow neighbour, and with God.  Longing for the next world.  Heaven.  These are good desires that I yearn to have fulfilled.  And yet, they are not...yet.

I haven't read or studied much about the origins of flamenco but I''ve heard there are Indian, Arabic, and Spanish links.  The wailing sounds of jaleo, for example, are present in all 3 cultures.  This is, in my mind, a great example of the fluidity in space and time of ideas and ways of living.

Equally intriguing is the gipsy connection.  The Roma or gitanos are nomadic, always on the run, never settling, never finding a place to call home.  This makes for an easy connection with people of faith.  We too are nomads, pilgrims, on the run.  On our way somewhere else. One could also state it positively: pilgrims are at home everywhere.  They are resilient, able to deal with whatever comes their way.  The world is their home.  Whatever the case may be, pilgrims are on the go.

Flamenco is a celebration of life.  The colours of the dresses, the powerful guitar riffs, the intense clapping, finger snapping and foot tapping, the trance-inducing rhythms, the stories shared, the elegance and dignity in dance movements, the "oles" and smiles of approval by and between both, performers and audience, these are all attributes that in a simple yet profound way encapsulate the human experience: in good times and in bad, we're all in this together, let's make the best of it...

And to that I would add the exhortation: ...pursuing all that is good, true, and beautiful.

Gardening...Almost Ready

This past week I've been shoveling topsoil into my new garden box virtually every evening after work: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and yesterday afternoon.  In total, I shoveled 297 buckets of 15 litres each (4 yards) into the box.

Here's what I plan to plant this time around:

* corn
* zucchini
* potatoes
* tomatoes
* red peppers
* garlic
* carrots

I'm also considering:
* beans
* peas
* pumpkins


To give the garden some colour I'm adding:
* lavender and pampa grass, both perennials
* sunflower

The weather's still a bit too cold at night so it's not quite planting season yet, but based on the warm temperatures lately I might be ready to go in two weeks' time.