Sometimes we make things too hard…okay, most of the time we do this, or at least I do! Journals may be intimidating for many, simply because of the fears of correct grammar or spelling. Journal entries often look something like:
“Sept 18, 2015-Today I went to Niagara Falls, Ontario. It is a beautiful place.”
Yawn! This would hardly inspire me to open the journal again in one year, let alone 5, 10 or 50 years from now. The only helpful bit of information that you might glean from this entry is the date that you were in a particular place. Think of all the information that is missing here. We spoke in yesterdays exercise, about engaging all of the senses. Today, I want to speak about getting down the details.
Sometimes it just isn’t appropriate to whip out the journal and make an entry, like when I was being deluged while sailing under the falls! While on vacation, my mind is always thinking about what I want to say about the place. If I work towards learning 10 things about each place I visit, I usually have a pretty good list of places to begin. So the minute that we dragged our water laden butts off of the boat, we sat down for an ice cream. This was the perfect time to make a list of 10 things I wanted to remember about this special place. Here they are in no particular order:
1. The unusual heat of a Sept day
2. Getting drenched by taking a boat under the falls
3. The spectacular waterfalls
4. Crowds of people and numerous cultures
5. Casino, hotels and tourist traps
6. My camera lens fogging up with the spray from the falls
7. Getting up to see the sunrise over the falls
8. Amazing gardens, landscaping
9. Color everywhere
10. Crazy cost of everything
I have nearly 75 photos from our day long trip to this area. There are many approaches I could make to my entry. I could probably find an image, to correspond to each of the 10 items above. I could single out each of the above topics and write on them individually, or I could summarize our day and add one or two pictures and some memorabilia. By creating this list of 10, my writing is non-restrictive. It doesn’t require me to make any decisions at the time, it is just 10 things I want to remember about this place. In fact, if I chose to stop here, I could actually enter just these 10 items under a date and heading and call it good. There would still be more information available in these 10 items than in the original post example which I had listed.
In the end, this is how the entry for this photo looked:
We began our day at 6:30 am, when we woke specifically to witness the sunrise over the waterfall. We were able to stay in our hotel room to do this.
After an extremely overpriced breakfast at IHop, the cost of which was 50 U.S. dollars for pancakes and coffee, we walked for miles in the unusually hot, September sun. Some things never change in this beautiful place. Most notably, we have always remembered the gardens. Thankfully, they remain everywhere on the Canadian side of the waterfalls. They are meticulously planted and maintained, unspoiled and unchanged since our last visit, nearly 20 years ago.
Casinos and hotels have sprung up since we were last here, one skyscraper, trying to outdo the other by going higher and higher, trying to achieve the best view of the falls. In fact, all that seems to have happened is the creation of numerous visual obstacles. I am sure they are beneficial to accommodate the over 22 million visitors that journey here each year, but they take something away from the natural beauty of this area. Last night when we walked down to view the falls in the dark, we passed numerous bars with outside entertainment. The air was electric with music. I remember the first time we saw these falls at night. Our son’s were little. They were awestruck by the variety of colors being painted across the thundering spray. There was no competition for their attention.
Now, as I stroll along the walkway bordering the falls, I turn my back to these distractions. The only obstacles preventing the thousands of daily visitors, from tumbling over the edge are a fence and low wall. In this regard, not much has changed. Just like the 150,000 gallons of water, which spill over the cliff every second, the faces lining up along the fence, shift constantly. Technology has changed the way we view the falls. People no longer observe them in quiet serenity. Instead Ipads are waved in the air trying to capture the beauty and power of the falls as they tumble hundreds of feet below. Selfie sticks poke in an out of images, as people utilize their cell phones, to document their lives. I have come equipped with my camera. The spray from the falls requires me to continuously wipe the lens, to maintain a clear view. Maybe it is not so different from my observations of the day.
I am intrigued at the eclectic mix of cultures. I am fading quickly in this heat. Within minutes of beginning our walk, we are already seeking a shady refuge. I wonder what it must be like under the black burqas of the Muslim women. Many of the Asian women seem to have anticipated the warm sun, as they stroll through the crowds with their umbrellas. Dressed in beautifully adorned Saris, there is a riot of color as a group of Indian women walk past us. I realize we are but one couple, in a vast mixture of people enjoying this great space. As Alan and I take our place along the fence, ready to capture our own memories, we are reminded once again of how very small we are in this great world of ours.
As a new wife, I had toiled the entire day to make a lemon meringue pie for my husband, Alan. I knew it was his favorite and I couldn’t wait for him to return form work to try it. I had made the crust by hand, whipped the eggs into frothy peaks and even grated the lemon rind, to add a bit of decoration. It had taken the better part of a day to make, so when Alan bit into the pie and expressed that he preferred his mother’s recipe, I was initially disappointed. However, we had promised honesty in our relationship, so I set out to make sure I added this recipe to my growing collection. I knew that all 4 of Josie’s children loved her lemon meringue, it must be very special. I anticipated a long discussion about the unique ingredients it would take to perfect this treat, on my second attempt. We laughed together when she revealed that the coveted favorite, had come from a package! For the past 32 years, this has remained a humorous story for our family, retold every time the dessert is served. Needless to say, my husband has never again had the benefit of a lemon meringue pie made from scratch. This sweet treat is now mostly enjoyed, when we get together with my mother-in-law, it is her specialty. Upon arrival at her home, my husband stealthily searches the kitchen, looking for the pie. He tries very hard not to be too obvious about his anticipation. No matter how early our arrival, he is never disappointed, to find the pie already baked and steadfastly waiting in the aging aluminum pan, on her counter. During the years that she would travel to our home, Josie would always carry a box or two in her suitcase, ready to make the treat, once she arrived. As a mother of three son’s myself, I understand when Alan is served a bigger piece, or at times maybe even a second helping, without requesting it. This man is blessed by two women who love him deeply. Knowing this time and these memories are precious, I am happy to stand aside and let this Mama spoil her son during our visits. When the time comes to hand down the recipe, this time, I’ll know right where to find it and I’ll be sure to teach my future daughter-in-laws the magic ingredients to add!
