Eleanor Collins Gets Stamp Of Approval & Future Unknowns

I was thrilled to learn jazz singer Eleanor Collins whom I interviewed for two articles in the late eighties is depicted on a stamp. At the time of our interview she was nearly 70-years-old but looked two decades younger. Today she is 102 and looks and sounds half her age. What a marvel and what good advice she has for all who struggle. You can check out the articles from my archives, watch a CBC interview from two years ago, and hear her sing in 2015 (at bottom).  

 

Little did we know during our meeting that Eleanor would one day be honoured in this way. Life paths are not necessarily sealed and we see how unpredictable life can be. My camera is a murky crystal ball but as I peer through its lens it seems clear to me that today's visual perceptions seep deep into tomorrow's brew. “The present moment is the substance with which the future is made. Therefore, the best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment. What else can you do?” — Nhat Hanh

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Still the kid I used to be

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Starry-Eyed Down Memory Lane

It seems like yesterday, yet an eternity ago, when I swooned over the Beatles. I didn't see them in person in 1964 when they were at the Empire Stadium in Vancouver but I did get a copy of their promotional photo sent to the Vancouver Sun and given to me by a friend who worked at the newspaper. George was my favorite. We all know what happened to him and the other Beatles but I am curious about the girls fiddling with the hair of the famous four. This was a highlight day for them but as life moved on each woman would have had a personal tale to tell of future hardships and glory.   

My eldest sister, who long since passed away, collected photos of famous faces she admired. This included such talents as Luciano Pavarotti and Frank Sinatra. Her own beautiful face gained some fame. As an aspiring model and actress in her youth, she was Ellie May in a stage production of Tobacco Road and Juliet in Shakespeare's play. While not a huge star in the firmament, her spark persevered a largely difficult and dramatic life. A passionate composer of poetry, she contemplatively wrote: "Look at the moon when the night talks. Many people are colossal for being small." 

I was small amid tall trees after stepping away from old scrapbooks to explore a local forest. My mood was starry-eyed but now at the grandeur of the moment. The snow had melted but the stairs were slippery. Few people were out. Almost alone in the well the woods, I felt part of a larger mysterious scheme. "We are all a thread in the talent tapestry,” author Michele Jennae wrote, “A snapshot in the cosmic, collective collage.”

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Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C. to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

Strength In Numbers For The Year 2 0 2 2

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Buddha

Does a new year and number signify change or continuation of the same? I hope for the former but suspect the latter, especially after seeing Don't Look Up on Netflix. Critics say the movie missed the mark on satire but to me the passive public's discombobulating reaction to a massive comet hurtling to Earth hit too close to home. I once thought a common enemy would pull the world together but the pandemic and climate crisis suggest otherwise. Humanity divides as readily as it unifies. The year 2022 has me grasping at straws and even stumbling upon an odd bit of comfort from numerologists who believe 2’s can inspire compromise between deeply opposing sides. Might triple 2's predict growing unity needed to increase chances of our survival? Each snowflake, breath and raindrop is a miracle hanging in the balance. My gratitude goes to those across the globe who do what's right in small or large doses to make us safer. 

Explore more at OUR WORLD and, if you've got a minute, watch the trailer.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C. to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.