Some of the stuff sorted through before embarking on the great train journey across Canada included a timber gram from the Sattchi Gallery in London. Coco Channel apparently said: You Live But Once; You Might As Well Be Amusing. It is one of my mantras.
Cousin Gail assures me that I am becoming increasingly calm and notes a change in me, particularly since my return from California. I do feel almost like a different person from the woman that returned from London on March 15, 2017, But I have developed a strange streak. I think of a song, become obsessed by it – YouTube it to death. Last night there were two: When A Man Loves A Woman. This is very strange behavior on my part because I am not into music, particularly that kind of music and I have never YouTubed music at all. The other song that obsessed me was You Made Me Love You, my favorite artistic rendition was the one rendered Nat King Cole. All of this sentimentality is not coming out of thin air, perhaps cyberspace but not thin air. But I am otherwise grounded in reality and getting on with my life. I guess it is a harmless diversion.
It has been a gloriously productive morning already. An email from friend Hannah who I’ve not heard from in a while. She, an incredibly talented photographer, took a glorious picture of me at the British Museum – on my birthday. I am planning to have it grace the blog, for change of pace. Then there were emails exchanged back and forth with my exceptionally efficient tax person and then with a retired reporter who slaved at the Regina Leader-Post. He has proven so helpful in my quest to learn more about Dave Dryburgh. He has been indispensable and continues to be.
The clock is ticking until that moment when Via Rail pulls out of the station and chugs eastward. Moments matter these days so I have taken to list making with the happy chore of crossing out the accomplished tasks. So far, three or four jobs have bit the dust. More to come and go. Then it is packing and wardrobe sorting. I have never been a man (although I have had a few) so I have no idea of how they view the clothes they place upon their body to hide their nudity. I, being a woman, confess that at times it can become an all consuming preoccupation. Today is one of those days. In the end I usually reach success. Two comments made by two men of polar opposites follow. “You are always the best dressed person here. You are a flyster!” and a slightly more refined: “Alexis, you have such a sense of style” But like everything in life, it takes work. So onward and upward to figure out what will accompany me across Canada. Afterwards another wonderful day with plans to lunch with cousin Carol-Ann and Aunt Mary. Lucky, lucky me.
But a further conversation with Cousin Gail reveals that our dance card is getting crowded. A trip to the seamstress with my new black pants is in order and perhaps a visit to Cousin Gary before seeing Cousin Carol-Ann and Aunt Mary. It is no wonder I am a different person than that London Alexis. But in a good way.
A Mantra; Sorting; A New Calm Interspersed with Music; Good News from Emails and Reflections on Clothing Selections
