…why would I resolve to change anything?
(Images are property of me, me, me, for once!)
As the alcohol sets in and the year ends, I thought I’d take a moment to consider the 2013 Randys, the seminal moments and/or people of the past year.
Every year is special but this was truly a year for the books (or Kindles/Kobos if you’re one of those people).
Most engaging conversation: Weekly meetings with friend, Agah Bahari
Silliest playtime: Conversations with Kevin Scott, Marsha Mason, Nic Lemon
Most raucous laughter: Monthly bonfires organized by Janine Short
Most head-spinning period: Austin Film Festival, both the sessions and attendees
Oddest friendship (tie): Virtual connection to blogger Ned Hickson; Duke #75, mascot of the Toronto Marlies
Most humbing moment: Little Joe’s Heart campaign and response
Friend of the year (tie): Leela Holliman, Nic Lemon, Marsha Mason
Dream come true: Travelling Costa Rica (bonus: with my brother, Shawn “Chongo” Solnik)
Greatest moment of the year: Photo with cast of PuppetUp!
And now for some downtown Toronto shots from my walkabout before Christmas dinner.
As I headed off for my Christmas feast in downtown Toronto, I took a bit of time to photograph some of the natural and urban wonders of my city.
Attached, are some of the natural attractions as Toronto chips its way out of the latest ice storm.
As much as it pains many people I know, for the last four years, I have spent my Christmas dinner at a local hotel, The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. The splendid buffet is held in the hotel’s Imperial Room, a small hall that once hosted musical legends (back in the day when you dressed up to go to a show).
For the first two years, I went with my wife Leela, whereas more recently, I have been sitting on my own (interestingly at the same table). That being said, when you’re surrounded by dozens of families, a troupe of carolers, a balloon artist and Santa Claus, are you truly alone?
The lesson I learned this year: Don’t watch people (adults as well as kids) use the chocolate fountain…you’re better off not knowing.
A beautiful story from an amazing blogosphere mate! Happy holidays all.
A blogger friend named Randall recently posted a beautiful poem about taking time to recognize the magic in our lives. In his poem, he used snow as an analogy for the magic that is constantly swirling around us — and how, like snow, it can quickly melt away and go unnoticed unless we make an effort to see it. What follows is a Christmas tale based on a true-life experience. It’s a mixture of fact, whimsy, hope and my belief that a heartfelt wish is the cornerstone of life’s most important magical moments. That said, my thanks to all of you for sharing the magic every day…
He looked very out of place sitting alone in the flight terminal, his arms folded over a Superman backpack, and large brown eyes peering out from beneath his baseball cap. A few seats away, a keyboard recital was being performed by a businessman…
View original post 1,063 more words
A flake of snow falls from the sky,
A crystal of water from heaven’s gate,
And the angelic white contrasts sharply
With the black of leather
As the flake lands upon my glove.
The simple elegance of lines and angles,
Vertices and sides, stand out in my mind
As a moment of magic.
But, by its very nature
A moment is only transitory.
Soon, the star of ice
That I hold in my glove,
Succumbs to the heat of me,
Escaping slowly through leather.
Slowly at first, but quickening every second,
The incubus begins to transform.
Tendrils are lost and tiny arms
Begin to puddle on my glove
Until all is lost, a spot of water.
As quickly as it arrived,
The magic is lost;
A moment never to return.
Within seconds though,
Another flake arrives
And the cycle begins anew.
This is the very nature of magic.
Transitory but unlimited
And the moments of mystery
Are guided by ourselves.
Their duration a test of our desire
As we get older, our worlds more severe,
It gets harder to find
The magic in our lives,
But it is not because
Magic does not exist.
It surrounds us at every turn,
Simply awaiting our attention.
Call it God, faith, life or dreams,
Magic exists but for the seeing.
Sometimes you just have to use
The eyes of the soul and spirit
Or a friend to point the way.
(Image is property of owner and is used here without permission but a little magic.)
Leaving the house to go to work,
I open my door to find
My world transformed.
Branches of the trees
Hang a little lower
In the cold morning air,
Suffering the burden
Of a coat transparent.
The rains of late evening
Have been transformed
As o’ernight mercury fell,
And the harsh rough bark
Gained a smooth icy coat,
Glimmers in the early light of day.
Droplets that formed
On branch tips and boughs
Are caught in tableaux,
Diamonds reaching out
To cut glace.
In the modest light of morn,
An explosion of stars
As branches dance
On the breeze,
And the horizon is littered
With silvers and golds
Of ice and leaves yet true.
An image in transition.
The day is a busy one.
As the run rises higher
And the ebon bark
Absorbs Helios’ glow,
The ice will melt;
Diamonds lost forever,
Stars fallen to earth.
And we’ll await
Another day,
Other magical illusions.
(Written 17 years ago, this seems appropriate today.)
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Mother, Nehiyaw, Metis, & Itisahwâkan - career communicator. This is my collection of opinions, stories, and the occasional rise to, or fall from, challenge. In other words, it's my party, I can fun if I want to. Artwork by aaronpaquette.net
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