“I’ll see you in September, when summer is gone …” So goes the first two lines of a song written by Sonny Curtis and made popular in the mid-60s by Gary Lewis and The Playboys.
“See you in September. See you when the summer’s through …” Thus opens a similar set of words in a song written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards, first waxed by The Tempos in 1959, and which hit the charts in 1966 off a version of The Happenings.
Both lyrics were inspired by romantic goodbyes and reinvigorated hellos between two young lovers.
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Many teachers, however, would likely say the lines and mean other but better things, as they look forward to being in full and pro-active classrooms at the start of another academic year — after the Labour Day long weekend.
Yes, children and folks! Reality is setting in; so better get ready. It’s back to school on September 5. The nine-week break is nearing its end; and so is summer.
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Like it or not, the time of King Sun is almost over. While it is so, let us be grateful to the golden sphere for giving us a great shine and tan and treating us to a dazzling and spectacular total eclipse on August 21.
BTW, participating in the International Observe the Moon Night on October 28 will not make anyone crazy.
Aside from the heat and the light, also almost done is the fun and frolicking at the great outdoors.
Never be disappointed. Indoor togetherness in the next six months or so may prove even more exhilarating and satisfying for family and friends.
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Have you noticed the plunging mercury and the shorter daylight hours lately? That is just what it is — the normal seasonal transition in the True North.
Rest assured, it has very little to do with the much-debated climate change; and has absolutely nothing to do with the hype of Floyd’s win over Conor on August 26, the August 17 terror attack in Spain, the disdainful exchange of political and economic barbs and threats that have been sending chills and fears worldwide, the social media mess over extra-judicial killings in the Philippines, wars – civil or fought with allies — in many places, and the lash of disasters and tragedies – the latest of which is the hurricane-induced floods in Texas, the USA and the ongoing wildfires in British Columbia in Canada.
Oft-quoted in the Game of Thrones is the line “Winter is coming.” Is it really getting colder and darker?
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Whatever, there are three more weeks in September to enjoy “summer” before autumn officially takes over on September 22.
There still is a lot of time to marvel at the attractions of Mother Nature, before the colours of summer’s gardens long to return to earth’s shade.
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“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.”
This is the first stanza of the poem Endymion, written by romantic poet John Keats in 1818. The poem is as ageless as its message, which continues to ease tired minds and comfort restless souls to this day.
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Speaking of a thing of beauty, what easily comes to mind is the image of a flower — any flower, for that matter — that proudly shows off its radiant hue and picturesque shape.
In a well-groomed bed or standing alone at the side of a dirt road, a flower is an eye-catcher to behold. Smelling one with a heavenly scent is worth the extra long inhale.
A flower inspires symbolisms about anything and everything humanity holds dear, most of which focus on love, beauty, innocence, consolation and, above all, nature and life.
Famous Chinese leader Mao Zedong was right when he quipped: “Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend.”
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Blooms have also been the source of names for the fairer sex, a popular trend since the late 19th century.
Filipinos have called their little princesses Sampaguita, Ilang-Ilang, and Rosal.
People have given their girls flower-inspired names like Dahlia, Daisy, Flor, Hazel, Heather, Holly, Iris, Ivy, Jasmine, Lilac, Lily, Marigold, Olive, Petunia, Rose, Rosemary, Violet, Zinnia, and a host of others.
Some names of boys were also flower-inspired. The list includes Antonio, Basil, Jarred, Kunal, Narcissus, Ren and William. (From disneybaby.com)
Kabayan, how about naming your poging anak, Kampupot? Google search it; you just might entertain a second thought.
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How I wish I could aptly describe how my spirit reveled in admiration when I laid eyes on an oval patch of bright red blooms defended by a line of white stones at the front lawn of the home of Larry and Josie Manaois.
Amid a blanket of trimmed lush green grass, a white-striped black bucket lazily reclines on its side. From all angles, the bucket appears to have spilled soil and a thick cluster of small healthy red flowers, spreading and sprawling scarlet into the bed.
The sight basked alone in that front lawn, but it greeted friends, visitors and passers-by with a simple but powerful allure. It was aesthetics at its best!
Larry confided that it was solely Josie’s idea. She has the simple imagination that she can translate to creative art. Above all, she has the green thumb and the passion for things of beauty.
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It is nothing to brag about, but the only coloured thumb I had was a purple thumb.
I hit it with a wayward hammer; and it was really ugly.
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Never have I set foot near or at the home of visual artist Mogi Mogado and his better half Marlene, a Catholic School Trustee in Markham, Ontario; but I have seen lots of images of its front yard, and how Mogi mixed nature and human feeling to transform the place into a zone of beauty every summer.
Thus was my joy when his paradise was nominated for selection as one of Markham’s 150 iconic gardens in celebration of Canada150.
The nomination came as a surprise. Mogi, in a Facebook post, narrates: “Coming home from church yesterday, there was this guy parked in front (of our home) taking pictures of our front yard. ‘I am nominating your house for the MARKHAMGardens150,’ he said. He thinks we should be in it, (and the) judging (will be) by September. He liked what he saw: ‘the unusually attractive curb appeal, the flower plant groupings, the big majestic lily blooms, the bonsai evergreens, the garage door mural, totem poles and well-trimmed lawns, not your usual commercially-tended front yard … very artistically put together.’”
Mogi added: “We are used to compliments, but this will be the icing if we win a piece of the cake!”
Let us wish Mogi all the best. How about an advanced congratulatory note?
It might not be the Garden of Eden, but for Mogi and Marlene, their artistically-crafted front yard will always be the summer haven of “the birds and the bees … and the thing called love.”
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Summer may soon be gone; but always keep at heart that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever.” #####