Rowan, Poppy and I got ourselves organized and out the door early enough to join some folks downtown for the Peace Walk for the Journey for Reconciliation. June 10th marks the anniversary of the first public apology made by our Prime Minister to the First Nations People of Canada for the horrors that occurred during the development and running of residential schools in this country. While the reason for the walk may seem too much of an adult idea to share with children, it is not in our home. If course my children do not know the graphic details of the abuse that took place but I have given them bits of information that I feel they can handle at their age. My Father's close friend of many years is from the Blood Reserve and was raised for some years in a residential school along with her siblings. My best friend and her husband are Metis. We have close connections to people we care deeply about who were affected by the residential school system. And above that, we were compassionate human beings who care about social consciousness and want to work toward a peaceful world in any way we can. And so we walked.
As we walked with people of all colours, many of them children, some of them in foster care, we heard the drums beating ahead of us. It was not a walk that was advertised but somehow the number of people who attended was much greater than the year before. I was quite proud to be employed by one of the supporting and organizing agencies as a foster parent and contract staff. We all stopped the walk at one point and later learned there was an eagle flying above us - a sign that we were doing the right thing.
The end point of the walk was at Fort Calgary. There were speeches and recognitions. Everyone was invited to paint a buffalo to be placed on a large table with many other buffalo. A local artist was attempting to create a piece that would display 4,000 buffalo to demonstrate what our plains looked like at any given time prior to European settlement when they were nearly killed to extinction.
Rowan and Poppy painted an extra buffalo to bring home for Daddy for Father's Day.
Rowan had a different experience with his music class than he has in the past. The expectations were much higher than in the lower grades. Rowan attended his music gala and played one piece with his class. In the photo below he is playing one of two songs on the teacher's piano in front of the class. All of Rowan's participation is truly voluntary in music. I have become more structured in practice at home but he knows he can refuse the public performances and final exam if he wishes. While he chose to take the exam and perform he was quite nervous about them all. He was very excited at the same time and I have to admit I was beaming the entire time he was performing.
The class prepared a special song just for the parents. When we got home Rowan wrote a short piece for Rand for Father's Day. It was so awesome!
I had to show you what Rowan and Poppy often look like first thing in the morning while they are getting TV time in. They cuddle in the morning all the time. I often wonder if this sibling bond they have will stand the test of time and be as strong or even stronger when they are adults.
For Summer Solstice, like last year, we released our Painted Lady butterflies (raised from wee larvae to brightly winged butterflies). This time we brought close friends to the park near our house.
Every year I kick myself that another year has gone by and we haven't planted trees. We have one sad evergreen that will be cut down this year for our Christmas tree due to the shape and location, and now we have a Honey crisp Apple tree and a Paper Birch tree! Poppy helped Rand plant them in her fancy shoes.
I also begged Rand to build me 3 raised garden beds and ordered some awesome compost and garden soil this year. You can see the very beginnings of radishes, potatoes, kale, lettuce, zucchini, pumpkin, beans, peas, and carrots. There is also dill, basil, mint, and cilantro. The bushy green stuff is my huge strawberry patch that has been going strong for 7 years or so and the chives have been there for about 5 years. Rand is not a gardening kind of guy - he truly considers yard work WORK.
We attended my lovely friend's Summer Solstice party this year at her farm and it was a glorious day. I was asked to do henna for anyone who was interested and quite a few people had it done on the porch overlooking gorgeous green fields.
Poppy and I in the little field of poppies. If you look back 2 years ago when we were at the Solstice Party of 2010 you can see Poppy and I in the same spot but she was much smaller!
And much to Rowan's dismay, soccer ended for the year at the end of June! He had lots of family come out to different games to cheer him on. Rowan wants to continue with soccer in some way or another as he really loved it. I need a break from the evening activities so I think we will wait until next year but it was sure worth the time and effort!
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