I started the week tired so have been taking a bit of a break from heavy dutyhouse cleaning while still trying to make a bit of progress.
I was very happy that I was able to recycle (by giving away) several household items (tablecloth, oven mitts, scatter rug, dish rack and drying mats). It takes a lot of work to make sure items are clean, photograph them, post them on line and then respond to inquiries as well as arrange pick up times but it is so much better than throwing away items which are still in good enough condition to be used by someone else.
I also cleaned the cabinet under the Master Bathroom sink and installed a shelving unit. It makes a big difference and now I can have things nicely stored away.
I finished reading two books and am working on the 3rd one picked up recently at the local library. There is already a waiting list for the two books in the few days since I borrowed them. Whenever I see a waiting list for a book I try to hurry up and read it because I cannot renew a book for which there is a wait list. If I finish a book quickly I also like to return them to the library quickly so that others may enjoy them. Of course while at the library I picked up 3 more books (2 books with tips for household cleaning and/or frugality and one novel).It's been raining a lot here and I haven't managed to get to the planting of my gardens. However I can see the perennials coming up in my patio garden with all the rain we've been having. I still have to plant the bare spots and I'm hoping for better weather soon though Tuesday was a spectacular day.
On that day, or rather, that evening, a friend and I went to see the exhibition from French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850 - 1959. While in the line up to get into the museum I started chatting with the woman ahead of us. Instead of being a local resident, she was a visitor from Mexico City who was in Vancouver for a conference. She was squeezing in some sightseeing whereever she could and it was her last night in the city. I helped her out with some of her questions and then I invited her for coffee afterward which she readily accepted. It was nice to sit and chat and be hospitable to a stranger. Hopefully she will have a nice thought about Canada or Vancouver in years to come. This verse of scripture always comes to mind when I chat with a stranger
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
It isn't the reason I entertain strangers however. I just enjoy meeting people and showing them kindness or helpfulness. I think most people, including me, enjoy being on the receiving end of this kind of hospitality.
Now here are a few paintings (and one sculpture) that caught my eye at the exhibition. I did ask first if it was okay to take photos and the answer was 'yes' but no flash photography.
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| Carpet Merchant of Cairo, c. 1869 Artist Jean-Léon Gérôme |
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| Madame Boursier and Her Daughter c.1873 Artist Berthe Morisot |
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| Young Women of Sparta, 1868-70 Artist Jean-Baptist-Camille Corot |
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| Woman of African Descent, 1868, Artist Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux |
I end this post with a photo of the night sky on my walk to the bus station after coffee.
To cap the night I grabbed a quick bite to eat and stopped at the dollar store to see if I could find a small item I need.
I didn't find what I was looking for but I was satisfied with my day.
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Joining with
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30 comments:
kind and hospitable to strangers, I like that :-). this museum/gallery building architecture looks very similar to a museum building (Art and History) in Brussels.
Wonderful photos and post especially the museum. Thank you for sharing.
I like chatting up strangers too. Love the photos of the city.
It is always interesting to chat with strangers, especially if from another part of the world and you can help with questions. Love the photos of the city and I would loved to have walked around the exhibition with you. I find most art galleries here are always so full of tourists that you cannot see paintings easily and it is not easy to just walk around and enjoy!! Hope you have a good weekend, take care Diane
Hi Diane, it was my first time to the gallery in the evening (they only open on Tuesday evenings, otherwise closed at 5 p.m). The line up to get in was short but when we left the gallery the line up was super long extending through the lobby, out the door and around the block. Even so, I think most of our galleries and tourist places are far less crowded than the big draws in Europe and USA.
Gorgeous captures all!
I wish I could read as much as you read.
❤️
I like the paintings.
Dearest Penny, it's so special to interact with strangers and you went one further and invited that lady for coffee, answering many of her questions. When I scrolled through the first picture, before I saw the caption, I thought this is in Africa! I would also have loved to stroll through that gallery with you and through the streets afterwards. You captured a beautiful night sky. Take care and have a wonderful weekend. Jo
A wonderful art exhibit, and I really like your shot of the night sky. Have an enjoyable weekend!
I like that you invited her for coffee with you and your friend. Happens to seldom nowadays, but you are a special person.
Lovely art. I would love to visit there sometime. :)
Wonderful post and that sky shoto of what looks like twilight time is just divine!
Happy Days to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Great images of the artwork and the city. Sounds like you had a lot of fun!
Oh my, such an interesting post! Love the things you are doing...cleaning, getting rid of things you don't need, reading new books from the library, and entertaining "angels unaware" (you never know!), along with viewing such beautiful artwork. Loved the paintings...thank you for sharing them with us. It looks like you live in a very interesting city, with many things to enjoy. Thank you helping us to have a closer look at your part of the world. I enjoyed this very much. Peace and blessings to you today.
I enjoy talking to strangers and getting to know them. Kindness is free and can make a big difference to a person.
I love the art! I always wonder why no flash photography. Do you know?
Hi Mari, I never asked why flash photography is not permitted but I assume it has to do with chemical reactions that might damage the paintings over time. In the important museums in Europe they don't allow any photography at all with or without flash. Here is an interesting article on banning photos in museums. The article also debunks the notion that flash photography damages paintings. http://theconversation.com/why-is-taking-photographs-banned-in-many-museums-and-historic-places-66356
I really like the last one. Nice colors and lights.
How special that you had that time of hospitality, and that she said yes!! I love that scripture too, and so great how you put it into action!! Its nice to see the photos of the paintings!! You took really beautiful pictures of them and of all the day!! Blessings!! Love!!
I think I might like the last foto the best of all. A beautiful reminder of a blessed day! 💜
The weather over here is too hot for serious gardening. Beautiful paintings at the exhibition.
Some lovely snaps, that painting of the carpet merchant is very detailed. It struck me as I was admiring your pics that the CBD of cities are all very similar, you could be anywhere in the world until you move out a bit and see the individual sites that mark the cities out from one another.
Diana
beautiful series of photos.....lovely paintings....
have a great weekend
I love the quote from Hebrews. Words to live by.
You've been incredibly busy! And productive. I would love to have seen that museum exhibit with you. It's really wonderful, the art you shared. Impressionists are my favorites so I'd feel right at home.
What a fabulous exhibit. I enjoy that time frame of artists very much. How wonderful for you to take the time to show a visitor some hospitality. The world could use a little more kindness like that! I hope your Easter week is a blessed one.
You are always so busy! I am rather on the lazy side. You should see what a mess my house is, but that's because we have too many things from travelling around when we were young and very little space to put them in. Beautiful pictures Joyful. Everytime I look at your posts I feel like I have travelled. I don't really like to travel anymore and I think it's because I travelled so much when I was young. I was only around 9 when we moved to America from Sicily. But at that time it was fun to travel, now when I watch TV and see all those poor travellers stranded in airports or train stations, I really don't want to go anywhere. I can't fly because I have fear of flying (a real one, not like some people say Oh, I am afraid to fly, but then they are always taking planes) and on top of that claustrophobia so I cannot take trains or out-of-town buses because nowadays you cannot open the windows.
I like to return my library books promptly too because I know what it's like to be waiting patiently for one.
"Carpet Merchant of Cairo, c. 1869 Artist Jean-Léon Gérôme" so impressive painting...
Have a wonderful day
Oh goodness me … you have shared some wonderful photographs here.
So lovely to see the paintings, I would love to see the exhibit in person.
All the best Jan
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