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.
