“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” –Confucius.
Still on my way to Abbotsford, 180,053 steps to get there. I have 109,262 leaving me with 70,791 steps. The saying by Confucius came at a good time. I will not stop.
Oct. 24 – Nov. 21 there will be an exhibition at the Art Gallery by Dwight Magee with his show the Passionate Ink and James Van der Meulen with Freehand Oddities.
Nov. 5, 7 p.m. at the Old Church, come and hear some perspective approaches on what responsible mining is and could be in the region. An opportunity to share your own thoughts and experiences. Mining has the potential to bring economic benefits but can also pose serious risks to our water, salmon and communities.
The Government of Canada has launched a new $20 million fund for women entrepreneurs. The Women Entrepreneurship Fund could provide up to $100,000 to women-owned businesses in non-repayable contributor funding for a 12-month project. There are free resources to support your application as well. Application deadline is Nov. 15, 2018. More information: www.ic.gc.ca.
Nov. 11 is fast approaching, a day to honour the fallen and celebrate peace. The First World War between 1914 and 1918 was supposed to end all wars. There were close to 10 million dead on the battlefields in Europe with many additional civilians dying from starvation or direct attack, plus millions of returning soldiers who succumbed to their wounds in the years to follow. That war forged the spirit of Canada as a young nation. Every year it is important to take a moment to consider the sacrifices of past generations. The poppy we wear symbolizes the loss of life, further noted in John McCrae’s 1915 poem In Flanders Fields. We really NEED to remember, we do not need another war — wear that poppy in remembrance!
Halloween is upon us. Some customs that surround this holiday: owls were thought to be witches and to hear an owl’s call meant someone was about to die. Oct. 31 is the last day of the Celtic calendar and was actually a pagan holiday honouring the dead. Originally you had to dance for your treat. Jack-O-Lanterns were once made out of turnips, beets and potatoes. Halloween was also a great day to find your soulmate. In Ireland people celebrated Halloween by playing romantic fortune-telling games. Bobbing for apples tried to predict future romances. Once referred to as Cabbage Night, girls used cabbage stumps to predict information about their future husbands. Not sure how that was done.
Various animal shelters will not allow adoption of black cats in October due to the superstition and concern that the wrong people who may harm them might adopt them.
Closing with: Emblazon – to inscribe or adorn with or as if with heraldic bearings or devices. To inscribe (something such as heraldic bearings) on a surface. Celebrate, extol.