Dinner Plates at Rideau Hall

When Barack Obama visited the nation's capital, he enjoyed his meal on plates made by potter Bill Reddick. Former Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson commissioned Reddick to make a 45-piece dinner set for Rideau Hall. For Obama's visit, this set was sent to the Senate Speaker's Suite for the occasion.

Reddick admitted thinking "Wouldn't it be amazing if Obama ate off my plate?" before he saw a photo of this actually happening.

The plates feature a green rim and a number of maple leafs surrounding a ruby red centre.

What a wonderful feeling for Reddick!

Homebuyers and Gardeners

Apparently,falling home prices and mortgage rates are encouraging 2/3 of Canadians to say that it is a buyer's market right now. It is probably true but I would think that people need to be very careful and watch their own position in the job market. This is going to be a difficult economy over the next few years.
According to the 16th Annual RBC Homeownership Survey, 27% of respondents said they intended to buy a home within the next two years. This is up from 23% last year. This is the biggest rise the survey has recorded since 2001. 48% of the 2,000 respondents to the survey said that they thought it made more sense to buy a home now rather than wait until next year. What do they know?
Younger survey respondents were even keener to buy. The survey reported that among the 35s, 48% planned to buy- a very significant rise on the 36% in 2008.
"The current economic environment does not appear to have dampened Canadian's overall confidence in the housing market," said Karen Leggett, head of home equity financing at RBC Royal Bank.
"In years gone by, typically, first-time buyers were a family. An interesting twist in the nature of the first-time buyer profile is that that person is increasing single, And they're typically female. Almost double the number of single women buy homes versus single men, and they buy them at a younger age."
After financial considerations, 35% of survey respondents said the best aspect of home ownership is having a backyard or garden-however almost half of the respondents do not want to do the actually digging and gardening! Interesting fact to know.

Barack Obama and Grey Hair

Apparently Barack Obama's hair is a sign that he is working hard and under a great deal of stress. This is so important that it has been posted in about 80 articles.
(First suggestion: change the election process. What other country has a process that takes over a year? The election process alone is gruelling.)
What does that say about the rest of us whose hair turns grey and yes you guessed my hair is grey, in fact it started turning grey early. People suggested that it was genetic. My mother had grey hair but how grey? I will never know. She decided to dye her hair as soon as those grey hairs first appeared. I am bad, I have enough trouble getting to the hair dresser for a hair cut. Getting my hair dyed, not going to happen.
Do people look at me and think that I am a person who has many responsibilities or just old? I did not notice my hair getting lighter. Does Barack? I think that we can all assume that being president of the United States is very stressful and that the next 4 or maybe 8 years will take a toll but is it possible that any thing that Barack decided to do would be stressful since he is an ambitious man who wants to create change which is very admirable.
Now, let us worry about things besides his hair and hope that he is able to turn things around.

East Side Players

I love live theatre. In fact, I prefer live theatre to movies which usually cost millions to make and whose stars are paid unbelievable salaries to act in the films. The characters have many chances to get the scene right. In live theatre, there is one chance and each performance is a challenge.
Last weekend, I went with friends to see the latest production by the East Side Players. (Mike was not feeling well. Hopefully, he is better.) We have lost count of how many years we have attended the plays.
The latest play Proof is definitely worth a go see. Your last chance is this weekend. Unlike, movies which move to other theatres and then end up on video, this is it and then the next production starts.
One of the people who I play tennis with will be performing in the last production of the season, Waiting in the Wings by Noel Coward. Should be fun attending a performance with someone you know on stage. I have attended concerts with friends performing but I think that this will be the first play with adults. I have produced some plays while teaching and attended productions with my students performing.
Will let you know how it goes. I am sure that it will be wonderful.

Horn Day

Last Friday evening, I had the pleasure of assisting at the International Horn Day Concert which is growing in number of participants and audience each year. The organizers Gloria Ratcliffe and Joan Watson should be proud of what they have accomplished.
The evening was cold outside but inside members of the horn section of the Toronto Symphony, Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet, and Orchestra London as well as many others from the horn community from young players to players who are still enjoying the experience of playing and have managed to put in a few years since school put on a wonderful show. What a wonderful variety of music. Selections that ranged from Gonna Fly Now, Baby its cold outside to St Hubert's Mass Fanfare.
I can hardly wait until next February. What a wonderful site: over a 100 horn players performing at once in a magnificent church like St. Paul's.

We are what we read!

Not only do we love to eat but we love to read about it! Most of us have cookbooks even if we don't manage to cook many of the recipes and some of us have even read M. F. K Fisher (yes, I actually did read one of her books and enjoyed it). There is a new genre joining the collection: the book about food- it focuses on food as a serious subject. I book presentations for a number of organizations and have booked Elizabeth Abbot, author of Sugar which discusses the history of sugar. There are other titles which invite investigation: The Hamburger which offers a cultural history of the subject from its earliest origins to its position as a fast food staple.
This fall, Andrew Smith's book Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine. It was first published in 1994 but is expecting a more receptive audience this time.
I find some of these books interesting but must admit I still prefer cookbooks even if sometimes find it difficult to find the time to try new recipes.

Watercolour Class

Wish there was time to get out the camera and take a picture of my art but not now- sorry!
This afternoon, after a good game of tennis, I went to the library where I attended a free art class-watercolour which seems to be my favourite. Can not imagine where the money is coming from but the two hour class was free and all supplies included. I managed to paint what appears to a very modern, almost abstract painting. It was fun and I must admit that for two hours, I did not think about any of my responsibilities. Now, that was a bargain. Think that I will get on the phone after this and arrange to participate in the acrylic class in a couple weeks. Nothing to lose when the class is free. Was very interesting to see what people came up with.
My job is to send information to two of the participants about water colour classes that I have participated in. I have attended two classes at Artist in the Garden, classes in a garden studio in the summer as the title suggests and there has only been one other person in the class- what a delight.
My comment to other people in the class was "hope that you are enjoying yourself and do not expect to become an artist in two hours".
What fun!