Vancouver Veritas

In the Garden

2010-01-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

Local writer Kathie Wallace submits this interview to Village Vancouver with Olga Ruskin at the Pearson Center:

In the Garden

This year Jen Rashleigh created a series of table top wheelchair accessible gardens at the Pearson Centre so the residents there could enjoy growing their own food. One of these resident gardeners is Olga Ruskin and this is her story of why she loves gardening:

I garden because I enjoy being outside and seeing things grow because it’s life. It exposes you to the world of living plants and makes you realize there’s more than you on this planet. It fills me with joy to have something growing from nothing and flourishing. I feel more alive when I can smell and feel the plants and the earth. We’ve lost touch with Mother Earth when we are actually part of her. The air around a garden is brighter, it smells so much nicer, and the colours are uplifting. There is such a sense of peace working around flowers. They don’t talk to us but they do indicate whether they are happy or not in their own language. It’s an interesting experience to talk in another language: the language of plants.

This garden has changed my days. When I feel low, I can come out and look at the flowers and I feel happy because they are so pretty and colourful. They literally uplift me if I have a bad day. I can’t do much because my hands are stiffened with arthritis but I can go into the garden and get engrossed in the plants and I forget my cares.

A feeling of fellowship has grown among us as gardeners. It promotes friendship because our common interest in gardening bonds us together.

The world of plants is a different world that lifts us up out of our problems. They give me peace and calm that I don’t feel in the busy world out there where everyone is rushing around. Plants don’t rush. They sit there happily being themselves. When we feel that from them, we are more satisfied with our lives.

I’m not a great gardener you know but I love gardens and get joy just looking, smelling, and touching the plants. I hope what I’ve said inspires others to get involved in gardening.

Olga passed away on January 19, 2010.

Holiday Wrap

2009-12-12T15:31:00.000-08:00

Drum Lessons: Behind the Scenes !

2009-11-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

Peter Lawford ! Alan Ladd ! Vertity's Memories.

2009-10-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

October Drums !

2009-10-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

Kenny Reardon ! Verity's Hockey Memories .

2009-10-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

Kenny Reardon's Career Stats here !

Nickbe Tour !

2009-10-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

Bye Bye Summer !

2009-10-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

Back to Drum School !

2009-09-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

A Labored Garden

2009-09-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

Summer Jams !

2009-08-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

A Garden Party !

2009-08-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Another Garden Update !

2009-08-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

Bowen Island Trip !

2009-07-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Garden Update !

2009-07-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Green Thumbs Up !

2009-07-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Garden Tour !

2009-07-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

A Special Guest !

2009-07-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

A guitar !

2009-07-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

A morality story

2009-06-09T09:10:00.001-07:00

The story of the golden apple and the teacher

....Once upon a time there was a lovely old apple tree with green apples swaying in the gentle wind. In the middle of the orchard Tom would see the apples every day on his way to school and wished he could take an apple to give to his teacher, Mrs Brown.
But the problem was it meant he would have to steal and that he did not want to do. So he decided to ask Mrs Brown what he should do. He told her about his problem, saying he wanted to give her an apple but didn’t have the money to buy one at Mann’s Fresh Fruits and Groceries.
‘’ But there are other ways to get what you want without resorting to stealing. “
“ What ways are there?” Tom asked .

The following day Tom opened the gate to the farm house in front of which the orchard was located. Tom went up to one of the apple trees and carefully looked at the apples hanging from the branches. He wondered which one he should pick for his teacher and then finally decided upon a beautiful green apple, delicious looking in appearance. Standing on his tip toes he carefully picked the apple from the branch and holding it in his hand, he made his way to the farm house door. After he knocked several times on the door, Mrs Smith opened the door. She was about the same age as his mother and was similarly dressed, that is in a dress and apron. Tom could smell something delicious baking in the oven. The woman asked him:

“What can I do for you, young man?”

Tom replied, holding out his hand with the apple in it: “I wanted to ask you if I could take this green apple and give it to my lovely teacher?”

The woman smiled and said to him “You are a very polite, honest young man to ask me for the apple instead of just taking it from the tree and running away with it as many of your friends do. Yes, of course, you can have the apple” replied the woman.

Tom smiled with joy and then answered “But I would like to pick a bushel of apples for you in return, to say thank you.”

“You don’t have to do that” the woman replied. Tom however answered “I know that my teacher would really like me to do that.”

So that is how Mrs Brown, Tom’s teacher, found a golden apple on her desk the next day.

“Tom” she asked “is this from you?”

Tom blushed, “Yes Mrs Brown, it’s for you and I did what you said to do, I did some work in return and so this apple has appeared on your desk. It was a wonderful lesson Mrs Brown, in getting something you want but don’t have money for. I’m going to try it again.”

Today, as you walk by the apple tree, you can see that it has all been picked and of course you know who did it.

Why not try Tom’s method one day!

New Sounds !

2009-05-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

Green Thumb Continues !

2009-05-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

It had to be you !

2009-05-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

Let's jig !

2009-05-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

Green Thumb !

2009-04-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

Spring Fun !

2009-04-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

Drumming excerpts with Laura, Shawn and Verity!

2009-04-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

Something New !

2009-04-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Tweet !

2009-04-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Verity on Twitter !

How Tweet it is !

2009-04-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

White Xmas in March !

2009-03-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

Otis' Blues

2009-03-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

Drums , Piano and Smudge !

2009-03-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

Boy meets Girl !

2009-03-01T16:51:00.000-08:00

Drum Fun !

2009-02-24T13:38:00.000-08:00

Green !

2009-02-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

CNN didn't come through !

2009-02-20T21:16:00.000-08:00

A Valentine's Year !

2009-02-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

Verity Attacks the Drums Again !

2009-02-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

Beating the February Blues

2009-02-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Winds

2009-02-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Oh Canada !

2009-01-27T17:25:00.000-08:00

Audio Message from Verity: A Day To Remember ! (Click Here!)

2009-01-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Audio Message from Verity: White House Train! (Click Here!)

2009-01-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

Verity's Jam Session

2009-01-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

New Year's Resolution !

2009-01-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

Audio Message from Verity: Hockey Time in Canada ! (Click Here!)

2009-01-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

Flying Saucer ?

2009-01-01T21:48:00.000-08:00

Vancouver's Best !

2008-12-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

Audio Message from Verity: Try a New Taste ! (Click Here!)

2008-12-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

Audio Message from Verity: Snow Away ! (Click Here!)

2008-12-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

Audio Message from Verity: Your Wish Comes True! (Click Here !)

2008-12-25T14:02:00.000-08:00

Audio Message : Snowbound ! (Click here! )

2008-12-24T13:51:00.000-08:00

The Daze before Xmas ...

2008-12-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

Deck the Hall and Walls !

2008-11-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

X-Mess ?

2008-11-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

Grey Cup Mardi Gras

2008-11-22T19:35:00.000-08:00

Don't be a couch potato !

2008-11-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

Sleepless in Vancouver

2008-11-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

90 years of War ?

2008-11-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

What now Obama ?

2008-11-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

What a night !

2008-11-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

What a day !

2008-11-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

Children of a Common Mother : Canada - USA

2008-11-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

To be or not to be a tree

2008-10-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

When Men Were Men

2008-10-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Free for the taking

2008-10-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

Brother can you spare a dime ?

2008-10-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

A Ghost Story For Hallowe'en

2008-10-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Autumn Potpourri

2008-10-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

Hidden and Green Vancouver

2008-10-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

What will be the new sushi ?

2008-10-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Hear Ye, Hear Ye ... Vote !

2008-10-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Federal Election Folly

2008-10-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hallowe'en Daze !

2008-10-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Verity's Thanksgiving Message

2008-10-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

How blah can you get ?

2008-10-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

How to be a Millionaire ?

2008-10-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

It's so easy to become a Vancouver Millionaire, get a shirt and see for yourself!

He Shoots, He Shoots ...

2008-10-11T15:56:00.000-07:00

Verity screams in horror ! What was going to happen ? Verity saw in front of her a scenario she was frightened of. This was like a murder mystery. Who was going to score ? She looked at the ice and then screamed in delight. He shoots, he shoots , he scores. The Vancouver Canucks were on their way to a brand new season. Six nothing was nothing to sneeze at. "Stanley Cup here we come," yelled Verity.

Welcome

2008-09-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is the first vancouver veritas posting.