Now I Am An Old Purple Woman

Many people are familiar with the poem, "Warning" by Jenny Joseph which begins, "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple."  Essentially, she suggests that when people are older, they don't care as much about what others think of them. They have the freedom to do as they please, without feeling the need to impress others. I believe this to be true. She also suggests that some people should be a bit quirky before they become old, so that nobody will think them odd later in life. It doesn't work. People still think I'm odd, but alas, I don't care that much about what they think. So clearly, Joseph has a point. 

This week, I was busy. We had an old brown bookcase in the garage. Why does most furniture have to be brown anyhow? During one of my energetic moments, I decided to paint it, so that it could be placed the bedroom. I wanted my impossible pile of books to be organized enough that they could be shelved, and hopefully read. I knew I wouldn't offend anyone who has issues with the painting of wood, since this shelf was made of ***chipboard photo-paper. After a trip to Home Depot, I learned that I needed to use primer, then cover with two paint coats. What colour was I going to pick? 

After careful consideration, I decided to paint my bookcase purple to add some life to the room. Back in 9/23/11 "Missing Blogs...Updated Digs" I redid the bedroom in shades of green and aubergine, and although some changes have taken place since then, the basic colours have remained the same. I like them.

The whole time I was using the purple paint, I was reminded of the children's story, "Harold and the Purple Crayon". I wondered how it would look if I sketched and painted Harold on the side of my shelf. At no point did I care what people might think about this odd childlike shelf showing up in a bedroom. On the other hand, not many would see it and it would probably bring me joy.

Although I had some issues with the paint adhering without lifting off the photo paper (not sure if the primer preparation was correct), I eventually succeeded in completing the additions to my satisfaction. I protected it with varathane, and it was done...night time appropriate with moon and stars.

My books are now stacked and the room makes me happy. The colour  breaks up the boredom of the rest of the brown furnishings.

Earlier on, when I was doing the priming, I decided to also coat a rocking chair which I had retrieved from a neighbour's trash. There wasn't much wrong with it except that a dog had chewed part of the seat at the back. Wood purists of the world might take issue with me. When I turned the rocker over, I was surprised to make some discoveries. Still, it will become my next art project.

Although I'm not yet certain how I will complete the chair, I do know one thing for sure. It will not be purple.

 ***Chipboard photo-paper shelf - No real wood was harmed in the painting of this bookcase.

All That Canada Needs, Now !

I love this country as much as the next person. After all, what's not to love? We have freedom, we have opportunity, we have multiculturalism, we have health care, we have gorgeous and diverse scenery, we have hockey, we have the C.B.C., we have a warship, we have a Queen who provides us with endless entertainment and fashion tips and as if that isn't enough, we have the option of visiting Cuba and smoking their cigars should we wish to do so.

We also have seasons. The spring with its blooms and buds stirs in us the excitement of the coming season of heat and road repairs. Then comes summer, sometimes short and often so brutally hot and humid that it makes Arizona look like a desirable place to cool off. Hard to believe that we need air conditioned homes, cars, offices, stores and malls. Fall is nice if you like cold rain, raking leaves and the anticipation of the next season. Oh yes, then there's the winter.

It's the winter which makes it not only expensive to live in Canada, but causes many of us to be less healthy than we could be. We need winter tires, ice scrapers and snow brushes, extra heat and hydro, snow removal machines or at least a shovel, ice melter, plows, sand and salt, heavy clothing including at least one each of coats, hats, mitts, boots, scarves, snowpants, not to mention all the winter sports equipment, clothing and padding. Is it any wonder the ski-doo, the snowblower and hibernation were all invented by Canadians?

So, in the midst of all this, why has it been impossible for the government to see the need for a tropical island? For all the tourist dollars that go south every year, we could probably sustain such a place quite easily. Just think of the revenue, if we make certain that it has a theme park, a golf course and docking facilities. Families could go there instead of heading to Disney. Snowbirds could spend their months in Canada's own warm paradise instead of heading for Florida. Golfers could go there instead of to Myrtle Beach and finally, cruise ships could dock and help provide tourist dollars. Besides that, no high priced passports would be required by citizens.

At one time, there was talk of making the Turks and Caicos, with its temperature range of a low of 21C and a seasonal high of 29C, a part of Canada. After all, it's a British territory and many Canadians already vacation there. First mention of annexation was way back in 1917. The idea resurfaced in the 1980's, then again in the 90's when there was 90% public approval for the idea. So what happened? There were some constitutional issues, which led Nova Scotia to offer to take on Turks and Caicos as a part of their province. Once again, the idea was shelved and the popularity of a move in this direction declined during the most recent decade. All hope has not been lost, however. Rumour has it that in this year, 2011, the positions of Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police will be held by Canadians. This suggests that a good cleanup is needed before we might consider Turks and Caicos as an acceptable addition to Canada. Perhaps then?

Now, here's my best argument for acquiring these islands. The Queen is quite elderly now. From personal experience I have come to realize that the older we get, the more sensitive we are to a cold climate. When she tours her colonies, I'm pretty certain the Queen would be more affable to the idea of visiting a part of Canada if it were located in the Caribbean. I know I would.

Greetings Subjects. It is truly an honour to be in Canada's newest, warmest and southernmost province...Turks and Caicos.