SNAP THAT: Monet to Matisse

Thursday, April 11, 2019

A Bit of This & That: Books, People, Paintings, Sky

I started the week tired so have been taking a bit of a break from heavy duty
house 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.