Forbidden City Blues: Tuesday, December 9th!

Who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe. -John Milton, poet (1608-1674) 

 

Hi Patrick,  Thanks for looking for the bracelet. I'm usually so careful with putting it away, but hopefully it'll turn up somewhere. Despite the delay getting home, Rick and I managed to accomplish our tasks inside and outside and now it looks like Christmas has arrived at our house. It was a beautiful day for all of us and now we are in the midst of a torrential downfall so we feel thankful
for the weekend we had with all of you.  Your pictures sum it up nicely. Ruth

Hi Little White Christmas! Great that you managed to decorate before the rains set in! Pouring down here as well. Will need our umbrellas downtown as we are ff to the VAG shortly, with Clara and Dusty, to take in The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China's Emperors. Quite looking forward to it. Chat soon. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pic: Perhaps this chap can find your bracelet! Do you have any on your piano? 

Hi Anne and Kurt! Loved your Snowman! Trust you are well! Fondestos from The Terribly Exacting Xmas Decorator to you both!. Clara and Dusty asked to be remembered to you, Anne. Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year to you and Kurt. Cheers from an Older but not necessarily Wiser Patrizzio, Yule Log Hewer and Mulled Wine Expert!!

Chloe Alexis Dunn shared Vancouver Is Awesome's photo. Well I need to stop by and grab a tag, who's with me??

The Tree of Giving in Kingsgate Mall is a tree you take a tag off of, buy a gift for the needy child described on it, then return your unwrapped gift to the tree where their elves will make sure it gets to the recipient, making their Christmas a little happier.

It won the MOST AWESOME THING A MALL DID award in our Most Awesome Awards presented by TELUS!

• 

  Patrick James Dunn Stop at Heartwood for a java and then at Urban Thrift for your gift!

Hi Patrick, I love the photos you sent!  Lots of activity with the trees and Chole's tree is beautiful.  Wish I was able to sample that dessert from your bridge party too!

Art: Leah Palmer Preiss

The boys have their Christmas concert tomorrow and thankfully it is in the afternoon.  It will be a rush for me as I will have to leave work, watch for a short time and then blast off to work again once they have finished singing. Last year it was an evening concert.  That was nice but it was a long day and the children had to wait in their classrooms until parents picked them up.  I didn't realize we could sneak out and get them home right after they sang, so we stayed for the concert and ours were the last children to be picked up in the kindergarten room.

It was about 10 degrees here today.  The snow has been melting like crazy over the weekend and it really disappeared today.  Supposed to be another warm one tomorrow.  Unfortunately, that means the ski hill will be suffering.  Not much of a base and anything at the bottom will be soft and disappearing.  I am sure it will cool down again by the time we are organized to head up on the 20th.

Have a great week and enjoy the festivities of the Christmas season😉. Hi to Corinne ���� Take Care, Ariane ��

Hi Ariane! You sound as busy as ever with work and Christmas concert! Know what it must feel like, to a certain extent. This Sunday we are going to Jill Barber’s Sing-Along: Music is for Everyone, downtown at VPL: "One of Canada’s favourite jazz singers, East Van-based Jill Barber, takes kids (and adults, too) on a tour of musical instruments and styles, including hip hop, jazz, classical, reggae and folk, as she reads from her first children’s book, the rhyming fun Music is for Everyone."  Event is from 2-3:30 pm and then by 4:00 pm we have to race to Dunbar to attend another singalong of traditional carols at St. Phillip's Anglican Church. Afterwards friends who will join us will come back to our place for dinner.

This evening we are off to the first Christmas party, at least for us, of the season, for the Board of Friends of VPL. Will be back in our former neighbourhood in Kits as dinner will be at a home but a few blocks from Hotel Kits, as we called it. Really enjoyed The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China's Emperors yesterday at VAG: "For five centuries Chinese emperors called the Forbidden City (1416–1911), located in the heart of Beijing, their home. With only the emperor, his household and special visitors allowed inside its walls, this immense palace captured the world's attention for its power, wealth and mystery. Selected from the vast collections of Beijing's Palace Museum, the exhibition showcases nearly 200 precious works from the Forbidden City that have rarely been seen outside of China. These exquisite examples from Chinese cultural history date from as early as 500 CE to the early-twentieth century and include such treasures as paintings, ceramics, gold and silver wares, jade, cloisonné, bronzes and textiles."

So many of the exhibits simply took one's breath away so stunning was the workmanship, whether royal garb or ceramics or weaponry or furniture. A very helpful timeline juxtposed Western political developments with the reigns of the successive emperors. Exhibit itself was "manageable" inasmuch as one could spend a couple of hours to take in and begin to understand and appreciate the fabulous cultural richness without becoming completely "overloaded". 

Hope to return to see Unscrolled: Reframing Tradition in Chinese Contemporary Art, a parallel exhibition which "presents a diverse selection of Chinese contemporary artists whose practices are informed by their cultural heritage." Clara and Dusty were very pleased to have seen former but that was enough for one outing as far as they were concerend. Since we are members we can pop down anytime our otherwise seeming busy schedules allow!
 

Thanks for the Christmas wishes. Trust your concert and its attendant logistics go well! Cora Lee says hello as well. Cheers, Patrizzio!

sounds like a very pleasant week ahead.off to buy a bike today,similar to my previous one.meeting a friend for lunch who i last met 20 years ago.next time [weather permitting]i would like to join you to iona island.we are off to lender this w/e provided it has not been washed away.thank you for introducing me to the jacquie lawson has been great regarding xmas cards to overseas.please say hi to george.clara ,dusty and corrine.praying for no rain on dec.18 th.take care matt

Hi Glasgow! Very thoughtful of you to pop by yesterday with the birthday gifts. Thanks so much! How did your lunch go? Forgot to ask about that. Trust all went well with your bike purchase. Glad you have been able to make us of Jacquie Lawson cards. We really like them as well. Only problem I can foresee is that once more people we know sign up we are in danger of sending each other the same card! Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Here's an xmas song for you. If you haven't heard Pentatonix, you're really missing something! L        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFjdfjrtf1Q

Hi Laury! Thanks for link to Pentatonix. Enjoyed the terrific piece very much. Didn't know the group so appreciate being made aware of them. Put us in the right mood for start of season's music. Cora Lee says hello and sends her best wishes to you both and all your family. Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year, Cheers, Patrizzio!  

Pentatonix (often abbreviated as PTX) is an American a cappella group of five vocalists originating from Arlington, Texas. Their work, mostly in, but not limited to, the pop music style, consists of covers of pre-existing songs and some original material, sometimes in the form of medleys. Their music is defined by their own arrangement style, a strong presence of low bass vocals, and a diverse range of vocal percussion.