Sunday, August 26, 2012

ROBBLOG #441

Here we are sitting on the cusp of September.
How did that happen?
 
I swear last week it was the middle of June.
 
Oh well.
As they say- Time marches on and waits for no man.
 
We have had a busy week.
Relatives have been visiting from far off places.
Germany to be exact.
Tom’s brother- whom he hasn’t laid eyes on in 20 some years, Danny and his wife Angelika. We toured them around for the better part of a week.
We saw Barry Manilow in concert.
Celebrated a birthday.
Laughed and talked and walked and shopped.
It was fun but good gosh it’s tiring.
 
Tom and I took in our first Pow Wow at Rama First Nations.
It was amazing.
The Grand Entry was so emotional. Tears streamed down my cheeks.
I dunno why…
Perhaps the “Great Spirit” touched me gently on the shoulder.
Maybe seeing our first, original Canadians in their native regalia and knowing of their mistreatment for decades and decades got to me.
It truly was a sight not to be missed and if you have never been make sure you mark your calendar for late August 2013.
 
I would like to thank Sherry Lawson for encouraging Tom and I to attend.
We had plans to go to the CNE.
When we met Sherry a few days before Pow Wow, she told us-
“There’s still time for the Ex. You have until the end of the month!”
We had been enjoying ice cream with Tom’s brother and wife when Sherry- “a real Indian” pulled into the lot too. Cheery as usual, we laughed and Sherry had her picture taken with Danny and Angelika.
She asked me if they were Pow Wow tourists.
It’s a story in her book.
 
We met another First Nations friend prior to the Pow Wow- Chief Sharon Stinson-Henry.
Sharon was at the Barry Manilow concert at Casino Rama. She’s a lovely lady and was accompanied by her Olympic Medal-winning husband Walter Henry. It was another opportunity to introduce Danny and Angelica to important local folks. At the opening ceremonies for the Pow Wow Chief Stinson-Henry looked rather splendid in cream-coloured leather and matching headdress. We didn’t speak with her there. She was very busy talking with people and having her picture taken by many.
 
Byron Stiles who has been on Rama Band Council for four terms was at Pow Wow too. I stopped him as he passed by our vantage point. Always affable, I have known Byron since I was just a youngster in public school. We were in the same grade. Byron used to come to the “Teen Dances” at Southward Hall in the early 60’s.
We had great fun.
A few years back he and I were both on the committee to organize a reunion of those “kids” who faithfully attended South Ward dances on occasional Fridays and every Saturday.
 
So, the week has been busy.
The weather was superb, however.
Now, the end of summer is just around the next corner and I am already thinking about all those maple leaves that will start to turn glorious reds and yellows next month and eventually clutter our lawn.
 
More work.
Time marches on and leaves fall down.
It’s an endless cycle.