Pre-solstice date w/ my husband

Image description: xmas tree with pink ballerina pig and nutcracker ornament.

One of the lovely aspects of Charles having been laid off is that we get to spend more time together. We worried, about many things when he was first laid off, including whether or not we would be able to spend so much time together. We were used to his leaving the house every weekday for over twenty years, at around 7am and returning around 5pm. How would we get along? How would I get work done?

All of that was uncertain, but it turns out, we get along wonderfully and it’s a joy and a luxury to have this unexpected time together. In both our minds is the fact that either one of us could die at any moment, especially since my near-death health crisis in 2009 made that a an almost certain likelihood that I narrowly escaped. We are grateful for every moment we have together and don’t want to waste time on fretting or not celebrating this time.

In 2024, we’ve spent enriching and joyous time together, both at home and out and about. We’ve explored new bridges, attended grocery store and cafe openings, chatted for eons in cafes, made meal plans, gone to small independent grocery stores in our neighbourhood to discover good and affordable foods, many of which we’d never tried before, cooked nutritious and delicious meals together. We’ve gone to the Museum of Nature to enjoy the amazing Rewilding Exhibition. And we’ve also had an opportunity to go to the National Gallery of Canada together several times this year.

Every outing feels both companionable as a long-term couple companionable and exciting as if we are newly dating. It’s joyous and passionate and a hell of a lot of fun. And we’re not spending a lot of money doing all of these things. We can also work side by side in our office and get a bunch of stuff done. We can help each other and rely on each other’s strengths to work together. We’re an excellent team in life and whatever work we take on.

On a cold Friday in December, just before solstice, we bundled up for a long walk that would culminate in going to the National Gallery. Charles has figured out that one of the main reasons why I get blue in the winter is the lack of light, so whenever there’s sunshine, we put everything else on hold, get bundled up and go outside for what I am terming “sun bathing.” I actually love getting all bundled up and going outside on a sunny, ice free day.

Since Charles used to be a bike courier when he first arrived in Ottawa in the 80s, he knows all the short cuts and indoor routes. On these cold walks, we warm up by nipping in to various places, including the Chateau Laurier. We were surprised and delighted to see a lot of beautifully decorated Christmas trees in the lobby and elsewhere in the hotel. This is the Annual Trees of Hope celebration in support of CHEO Foundation. The trees are on display until January 6, 2025. I encourage you to take a wander though these delights.

We have an annual membership to the NGC. We had planned not to renew it, but they gave us a deep discount and we couldn’t resist. We are being very careful with money these days, but going to the Gallery is something we both love. The novelty of being able to go out to places that Charles couldn’t go to during weekdays in the daytime due to his job is still fresh.

My dear friend, Emily Falvey, former curator of the Ottawa Art Gallery, who is currently curator of the Owens Art Gallery in Sackville, New Brunswick once told me she spends no more than an hour in a gallery. I was *so* relieved! I always felt so guilty if I didn’t spend a long time in a gallery. Emily’s admission took away my guilt. Since I first had a membership at the NGC, I’ve been popping in just to visit a favourite piece, such as Mark Rothko’s No. 16 in the abstract art section, or the amazing Capsule by Rashid Johnson that was on display at the entrance from 2021 to 2023 or the Tangled Garden by J.E.H. MacDonald.

This year we saw General Idea, the 2023 Sobey Art Award Exhibition, Shelley Niro: 500 Year Itch, and Radical Stitch, the latter being a perfect lead in to Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction Exhibition.

Image description: six photos of art from the Woven Histories exhibition with the numbers 1 to 6 on the photos. Further description is in the text below.

Woven Histories is a magnificent and large exhibition that moves from focusing on the grid to feminist resistance through clothing to Indigenous basket weaving from all over the world. I highly recommend you go, if you have the chance. The show is on until March 2, 2025.

The temptation is to touch all these great textures: raffia, wool, silk, etc, but don’t! Instead you can touch samples on little cards throughout the exhibition.

Here are a few of the artworks that really resonated for me:

1. Annie Albers, Studies for Six Prayers II (1965-1966)

   mixed fibres, metallic thread and cotton thread
   "In 1965, The Jewish Museum approached Anni Albers with a commission to memorialize the victims of the Holocaust. An artist, designer, writer, and teacher, Albers elevated textiles from utilitarian product to a medium of powerful aesthetic statement.” The Jewish Museum, Collection: Six Prayers, Berger, Maurice et al. MASTERWORKS OF THE JEWISH MUSEUM. New York: The Jewish Museum, 2004, pp. 64-65.

   Ever since I worked on Judith: Women Making Visual Poetry, particularly the interview with women working with craft, I have been fascinated by the work of Annie Albers. It was a wonderful surprise to see her work in this exhibition.

2. Annie Albers, Studies for Six Prayers II

3. Ruth Asawa

   Untitled, S. 080 (Hanging Five-Lobed Continuous Form Within a Form), ca. 1950

   Hanging sculpture—iron wire

   Another artist I learned about whilst working on Judith.

4. Liz Collins, Walking Wounded

   2011 digitally printed silk with knit cotton and rayon

5. Liz Collins, Gary Graham

   Pride Dress from the Seven Deadly Sins series, 2003

   cotton, synthetic fibre, wool; plain weave; machine-knit grafted

   “I wanted people to think about the American flag and to see it defaced on the ground, walked on, as a way to express my pain surrounding the contemporaneous war in Iraq and to consider the ramifications and meaning of patriotism gone awry.” Liz Collins, RISD Museum

6. Another view of #5.

Image description: gingerbread star cookie with icing and an Americano as viewed from above.

Our pre-solstice date ended with splitting a gingerbread cookie and the delicious Americanos at Planet Coffee in the Byward Market.