Janly's Canadian Retreat

  It's a long time since i have been in a place where Easter bears significance on the calendar and in the lives of many . Lauren and Kate tell me that have not seen hot cross bun in a long time; this cinnamon flavoured ,a glazed currant filled and yeasted bun with a pastry (not icing sugar) cross on the top. I think there may be some to find in Virginia. Here in BC Canada, there is a reduced bus service, some shops are closed and churches have Good Friday services. I was hoping to walk to the local bakery and get a hot cross bun but they are closed. That is to say, this is a recognized national holiday. This quiet reflection on life as part of my retreat on this day has taken me to Greek Easter 1972. I  had recently arrived with a massive dose of culture shock , in my new Job as a  live-in English teacher for 2 young boys in Xania, Crete. Many of my stories  relate to this experience at age 22 but finding that Greek Easter is the most important  festival o...

 C atching up with news is essential when there is so much to share . The spring weather here brings bright sunshine but still a cold wind that is deceiving even if  the light is so uplifting . The native wild flowers are just fabulous , providing carpets of blooms that really do justify that grass mowing should be postponed until after the performance . A favourite for me that is new to my collection of floral spectaculars  is the giant fawn lily that stands up to 8 inches or so, sometimes with a double head.. They  are be to found on every place that plants grow, from garden grass to rocky cliffs side.  I went to USA for a few hours last week. This adventure entailed a ferry boat ride from Victoria to Seattle which takes about 2.5 hours of plain sailing on the calm waters of Strait Juan du Fuca . I had chosen a Thursday to travel as my last chance to renew travel insurance but it was a free day with late evening hours at the Seattle Art Museum. This  was ...

  Well it's been a busy few days, even though i have little to show for it . I have been drawing and done a little painting but nothing worth sharing.  But here follows a bit of Jaggard family history. that connects  "cousin" Ardith to the Jaggard family and has a detailed history.  In simple terms, my father at the age of approximately 20"ish" took himself on a 3 week voyage across the Atlantic to Quebec and then a long train journey to the prairies of Manitoba and Winnipeg . He went in response to a newspaper ad, hiring men to harvest the massive amounts of grain now being grown there. Somehow or other , perhaps in a working mens  social club he met Frederick Jaggard who hailed from Suffolk, England . Frederick was the father of Edith and throughout my entire childhood in Suffolk England , a Christmas card and letter would arrive at our door. Every year I asked my parents who is Edith, and where is Canada and why does she send us a card and letter.? That was f...