The Great Outdoors

Until I was 10 years old my family vacation involved a yellow box on top of a yellow station wagon, four kids in the back seat and two weeks at a campsite. I can't imagine how my mother did it but the memory of her boiling water over a campfire to wash yet another pile of dishes has stayed with me. I have never had any desire to camp since. There is something ridiculous about leaving the comforts that thousands of years of evolution have delivered to use an outhouse, wait an hour for a cup of tea, and sleep in a nylon tent on the ground. All the campers out there would say 'I just don't get it'- they are correct.

Family life requires many sacrifices and the one I made most recently was to embark on a family camping vacation. O.k. it was car camping, and yes we had air mattresses, and the provincial park had of all things, flush toilets. But it was still camping.

There are some things I like about camping: The accoutrements, for example, appeal to me. (Particularly the stainless tumbler for the g&t.) The muskiness of campfire smoke and, of course, the toast. Campfire toast is second to none. I relished in the time to read and try my hand at watercolours. But the rest, come on.

Then there's Jill Frayne (I think daughter of June Callwood) who had her mid-life crisis in a tent in northern B.C. and wrote about it in , 'Starting Out in the Afternoon, a mid-life journey into wild land'. She left behind a teenage daughter and long-time partner to canoe through the backwoods with a guide and live for three weeks without so much as toilet paper. She continued on her one, sunburnt and lonely at times, shacking up with a younger man who had seen better days just to break the monotony, and learned to love the ritual of setting up a meager camp and hunkering down beside a small fire in the middle of nowhere. Nice to read - non-inspirational.

Although many things change in l'age, I remain a city girl.

A coat and handbag

Until one has comfortably accepted one's place in age moyen there is a tendency in our youth obsessed culture to dress young. Here in the great white north that generally entails some sort of jacket and for women a shoulder bag, knapsack or some other flung-over-the-shoulder stuff holder. That works for a long time and is extremely functional when you're herding around small children. But when that phase ends it is time to dress in l'age. While it is important to dress for your 'age' it is critical not to look like you just came out of Talbots. Talbots is fine for the aging boomers but not for the middle-aged Joneses. (More on that demographic in a separate post.)

For me dressing in l'age began with a handbag. I dropped the shoulder bag in favour of a well-constructed, somewhat boxy, beige leather Tod's bag which I scored at Value Village for $6.99. It is a beautifully made bag with the right length of handle that prevents it from swinging around when I walk, it hangs neatly in the crook of my arm and, in a pinch, can slip over my shoulder when only two hands will do. It has the right number of pockets for small items and the main pouch is big enough for wallet, reading glasses, sun glasses and a paperback or collapsible umbrella. The sides are somewhat rigid so it never collapses when placed resolutely on a store counter or restaurant table. In short, it holds its own.

In addition to switching to the handbag I nixed the jacket for a coat. A jacket says I'm on the run, a coat says I'm making careful decisions and won't be rushed.

And that's it. You can make other changes but it's not necessary (although good shoes or boots help the cause). The coat and handbag represent experience, practicality plus style and, as my dear friend at Mid-Read observed, you are welcomed into most environments with a degree of gravitas, warmth and respect.

We often forget how those in l'age jeune are frequently treated with disrespect and poor service. Recently on a lunch hour excursion to the AGO my dear friend Mid-Read witnessed the less than hospitable treatment on the part of the security/front door staff towards some college students who found themselves in the door on a school trip stood up by their teacher who held the admission tickets. The students did not receive the same greeting as did those in other age brackets. In fact, the differences were notable and so insulting that my dear friend gallantly stepped in a bold effort to sweep them in under her membership umbrella. Even with our combined memberships we couldn't get them in (and such a missed opportunity for the AGO who would not budge to let these students and potential life-long members in for free) and they made do with strolling through the public spaces and being ignored.

Would the coat/handbag strategy have worked for these 19 year olds. I think not. They are the symbols of l'age and require years of effort to be able to brandish about. It is important to note that there are advantages to l'age and it is equally important to enjoy them responsibly.

There's something about a recession

Recessions are great excuses for bad behaviour. As I've already admitted, this is my fourth recession god help me, and it's always fascinating to watch asthe bull's underbelly is revealed. A couple of things that strike me: It's a great time to discard staff who are controversial, challenging or act as the scapegoat for management failures. Of course this doesn't apply to the folks in the manufacturing or construction sectors who are naturally hit by retractions in spending, this is more to do with organizations who use the recession as an opportunity to rid themselves of great chunks of staff under the guise of cutbacks.

The other thing a recession reveals is the status quo. In this recession it's the 'shocking' study reported today in The Guardian (guardian.co.uk) that shows women in the U.K.'s financial sector make on average 55% less then their male counterparts. Yes, 55%! Can you believe it? Isn't the 'acceptable' standard 79%? And this in one of the wealthiest sectors. It is outrageous that pay discrimination continues in any form (it's also outrageous that these folks make so much money with so little oversight but that's another post) but this stat is worthy of Gloria Steinhem, whom most of us in l'age moyen might remember. (Still love the pantsuits and square glasses, but that's another post.)

And then the same study by The U.K.'s Equality and Human Rights Commission reveals that women hold only 11% of senior management positions, a fraction of the already paltry 29% held be women across all sectors. (Note to Gloria, put the marriage on hold and get back to work honey).

All that grim news said, women are faring this recession far better than men. With manufacturing and construction jobs eroding the loss of these well-paying, blue collar jobs are disproportionately affecting men. Women on the other hand are heavily weighted in health and education and those sectors remain stable even in a recession. However, given that women continue to be paid less than men and are also more likely to hold pink collar (sounds as repressive as it is) service sector jobs (which pay less than construction or manufacturing, have lousy benefits etc.) is it that we're just cheaper? At last, a force that actually reverses gender discrimination - cheapness.

How will this wrong ever be made right? How many women do you know have quit their corporate jobs to work as consultants,start a small business, or move to the public sector because they can no longer jump through the hoops? What about those women in the U.K. who chose not to blow the whistle during the good times - still afraid they could lose the gains they've gotten even if still a fraction of what the men earn? Still so little to go around that the ones who land the brass ring are loathe to share?

I hate to be bleak in bleak times but it is hard to see how this is going to change this time around.

Art as Winter Therapy

Looking lovely in grey.

We went to the AGO on a freezing February Friday to enjoy the splendor of Frank Gehry's renovation. More than a renovation it is a renaissance for the building, the area and especially for the art. Finally, there is lots of art on display and worth investigating over the course of what we hope will be many sojourns.

Mid-winter Mid-age blahs

Sick of winter. Want, I say, YEARN for spring.

Two new sites to recommend: One about food and links to food blogs like you wouldn't believe. Fabulous food blog, Orangette. I'll make three new salads, 1. chickpea, 2. lentil, and 3. carrot.

The 2nd is linked to Orangette and provides some small, tidy moments of visual splendor, smosch.com.

Currently contemplating Easter dinner for 30. I don't want turkey or pork. What I really want is all end-of-winter things like when the larder is empty and all that's left are beans and lentils, cabbage and potatoes. It would be nice to have tender spring things but spring in the north doesn't arrive until the end of May. It could be raining, hailing or snowing. Or the sun could come out and we might sit outside to eat our salad plate - with homemade bread. Do you think I could get away with it?

Traditions are nice but get in the way of pleasure, relaxation and renewal. In l'age moyen we want to get rid of some of the old things that no longer fit, furniture, pictures, nik-naks, spouses, houses, and turkey dinners.

Recycling and Happiness

These envelopes hold the holiday thank you notes and were created by an inventive young artist. Reusing the paper liquor store bags, she craftily constructed each envelope to accommodate the odd-sized thank you notes, and played the patterned side against the plain one.

The paper bags are made of the sturdiest paper imaginable. I happen to have quite a few. The inspiration for this recycling project came from a certain Uncle Vance (not mine but someone else's) who regularly collages birthday and holiday greetings using the bags as a base. He reuses the cards sent to him and, with a little cutting and pasting, creates an entirely unique card. Think of the cards you receive and how few really resonate - Uncle Vance's are always remarkable.

My own dear mother shares the same general 'age' as Uncle Vance and she has been known to clip the image from Christmas cards and reuse them as gift cards. Brilliant and thrifty.

Those of us in l'age moyen might consider this quirky and creative, they simply think of it as thrifty. Any excuse will do. For me, I have another reason to drink wine in 2009.

A Grand Passion

I begin the year (a little late, granted) as I ended the last in hot pursuit of my beloved cornflower blue Corning Ware. The range of coffee and tea pots above have been collected over the last few years mostly from Value Village. I use all of them, well, I have yet to use the percolator - that pleasure is to come.

In addition to this series, I have casseroles and some very sweet stove top pans. I even have a pie plate with the cornflower smack dab in the middle of the plate. A nice surprise when I slice the pie.

Apart from the pleasure of finding each piece and tracking the slight design changes to the cornflower that accommodate their many different surfaces, I use them all for cooking and keeping food in the fridge. I can't even consider Le Creuset because I suspect the cornflowers would detect my disloyalty and wilt.

When did this grand passion start? When I was just a lass (that would be the '60s)I had an entire dish set of cornflower Corning Ware dishes, pots, pans, coffee pots, tea pots. So here in l'age moyen, I have reignited my passion but this time with the real thing.

As I recall the singular difference from the real thing were the black pan handles that clipped on and off. I played and played with this set and vividly recall the movers carefully wrapping each plate (tin) in packing paper before placing it in a box.

During a recent move I decided to let the movers pack the fragile kitchen stuff, including my Corning Ware. The mover scoffed at this. "I've seen that stuff drop down stairs without breaking". He missed the point. I couldn't risk a singled scratch on even one surface.

I welcome all pieces so please take pity on me and my passion and send them forth - to me!