A Bucket Full Of Laughter For Us All In 2014!

A HILARIOUS new twist on the old Rumplestiltskin tale by the Brothers Grimm had me laughing in my seat this weekend.

The Pantomime was at the White Rock Players’ Club over the Christmas season. It was a nice way to finish off 2013 and made me realize that I want to laugh more in the New Year.

Humorist Mark Twain once said, "Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand." To me his words resonate like a battle cry over real and imagined foes.

When I was little I feared a boogie man under my bed. My mother would assure me there was no such thing. She looked under the bed with me and in the closet to make sure the room was free of monsters so I could sleep peacefully. As I grew away from her protective care and assurances I came to realize life was far scarier than I imagined as a child. People die (my mother included) suddenly before their time and many suffer due to illnesses, wars and natural disasters. There is violence towards non-human life as well. Mankind orbits the galaxy with the beasts and a blanked out map. In search of meaning, incomplete and competing conclusions are met with discontent.

So when does the laughter jump in you ask? Fret as I might I have never found that worrying about anything has improved a single situation. Complex realms of unsolved mysteries are, indeed, fascinating places for the mind to wander. But sometimes letting go of the nightly news to revel in a hardy laugh is what the doctor ordered. I am not talking about a tepid little titter. I want to roll over with glee. I want my sides to ache. I want to venture into the silliest corners of existence and give the frown a tug upside down. The joke is on me if I do not take advantage of the ironic, surprising and comedic moments.

Satirist Will Durst had the inside scoop when he said, "Comedy is defiance. It’s a snort of contempt in the face of fear and anxiety. And it’s the laughter that allows hope to creep in on the inhale.”

So happy 2014 to all! I did not take many pictures during the play so hope the stand-in smiley pail I found in my garage amuses you and that the tears you shed in the coming year will be from laughing uproariously.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Gathering August Clouds

THESE GHOSTLY CLOUDS followed us down the road as we sped home after seeing the Rise of the Planet of the Apes movie when it opened in Langley, BC, earlier this month. Big and billowing, the floating army chased us all the way into Surrey without seeming to change its shape.

I recognized similar "snout" formations on the conjoined clouds over Jericho Beach in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver when I visited there this month.

These clouds in Sechelt, BC, were harmless but their funnel shapes reminded me of the dark and dangerous tornadoes some eastern parts of North America recently experienced.

Their numbers seemed to multiply in the bright blue summer sky.

From another direction, Sechelt clouds swirled into circles that reminded me a little of the milky way.

These clouds were framed by the Granville Street Bridge that hovers over Granville Island in Vancouver. I took the photograph earlier this week when I met blogger Stephanie who was visiting from Comox, BC. I will write about our meeting at a later date.

Also framed by the same bridge at Granville Island, this cloud picture was taken at the start of August during my meeting with talented and prolific Vancouver photographer and writer, Carol, from bikesbirdsnbeasts.

Clouds filled the skies throughout the month. They gave the horizon delightful moods, painting the sky with picturesque and sometimes "scary" textures.

You can see more skies from around the globe at Skywatch Friday.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Frosty & Fiery In Fort Langley

FORT LANGLEY IS a small picturesque community in British Columbia along the southwest portion of the Fraser River that was once a hubbub of activity. Over centuries it has transformed into a quiet village with quaint shops and a museum at its heart where tourists gather. Although I see it differently now, the town seemed unexciting when I lived there for awhile as a young girl.

We traveled to Fort Langley and its historic cemetery a few days ago to pay respect to deceased family members. My mother died from a sudden heart attack decades ago and was laid to rest at the foot of a dogwood tree. My family was allowed to transplant the young tree from my mother's backyard in Langley to the site. Two of my sisters were also buried there more recently. I brought some holly sprigs for each and placed them on the frozen ground.

Even with bare branches, the grown dogwood tree gives hope. It is mossy covered but alive. Its seasonal changes year after year provide a mystifying glimpse into the cycle of life and renewal.

We did not go into the museum located a few blocks away. But we found an interesting scene depicting pioneer life on the outer wall of an entrance to the old fort buildings.

There was part of a steamship on the grounds nearby. Before there were BC Ferries there was a paddle boat called the Beaver that sailed from Vancouver Island to the mainland.

A plaque beyond the icy rope explained that the historic vessel performed several important tasks in the mid 1800s when the Hudson Bay Company traded in the area and when BC was a British Colony.

Thoughts of the past merged with the present. On our way home frosty wires sagged from pole to pole glistening wintry white. They reminded me of summer spider webs dangling in the sunlight.

POSTSCRIPT, Jan. 5: I was shocked to learn last night that while I was preparing this post yesterday morning, a fire in Fort Langley was raging. It completely destroyed one of the town’s “newer” landmarks, a 70-year old grocery store that became part of the IGA store chain. This is where I once shopped for groceries and in later years bought flowers for the gravesite where my mom is buried. It’s as if I was meant to see the building one last time ... just two days before it was gone forever.

Lenore: Through The Eyes of An Artist

WE OFTEN OVERLOOK what is not easily seen. Things discarded and the life above or below us can escape our attention and awe. I remember a trip on a dull rainy day to Fort Langley along the Fraser River with my artist friend, Lenore, who since passed away. As we both gazed into the murky brown water, she suggested I look deep into the initial lack of colour. As I stared intently into the river, reflections and subtle patterns began to immerge. Light danced in the shadows and colours radiated in misty hues. Eventually, my focus was so intent that it seemed the entire universe resided in the tiny speck of my gaze. I treasure those moments with Lenore when I looked through the eyes of an artist and we shared a mystical view. I exhibit her painting here called Early Morning that I am now fortunate to have in my care.