AUGUST MEMORIES

MAKING AN IMPRESSION

Country Summers

During our August session, the members were encouraged to remember their childhood outdoor summers.   We visited our community garden to look at the plants flowers and vegetables and came back armed with foliage for further investigation.  This added to the foliage Christine and Maureen had already collected and brought with them.  We tasted and identified herbs, even remembering how they could be used in cooking. 

Christine read us Mr Fox, a story, from Living Voices resource.  A round robin tale of cooperation and cause and effect, it caused quite a philosophical response!  

Christine sang us Fordal Ball by Jim Dunn.  Sung to the familiar tune, Kelvin Grove, it made it ideal for the group to join in. 

Francis, Ian and Evan all read a piece of "Sweet Forget-me-not", a popular poem from Vancouver.  

The Sweet Forget-Me-Not

Fancy brings a thought to mind

Of a flower that's bright and fair

Its grace and beauty both combine

A brighter jewel more rare

Just like a maiden that I know

Who shared my happy lot

She whispered when we parted last

  "Oh, you'll forget me not"

    She's graceful and she's charming, Like the lily in the pond

    Time is flying swiftly by, Of her I am so fond

    The roses and the daisies, Are blooming 'round the spot

    Where we parted, when she whispered, "You'll forget me not"

We met, I really don't know where

  But still it's just the same

For love grows in the city streets

  As well as in the lane

I gently clasped her tiny hand

  One glance at me she shot

She dropped her flower, I picked it up

  'Twas the sweet forget-me-not

And then there came a happy time

  When something that I said

Caused her lips to murmur "Yes"

  And shortly we were wed

There is a cott' down in the land

  And a tiny plot

Where grows a flower, I know it well

  It's the sweet forget-me-not

The Members reminisced about the summer, we spoke about how the time was spent, climbing trees,  making dens.  Francis and Geordie have photographs of themselves during a summer there families spent living near each other up the glen!  Ian remembers summers when he was busy "doing nothing".  Ginny's memories of childhood were coloured by her love of Enid Blyton stories.

As a nod to famous Scottish West Coast holiday activities, Christine told the members a visual story, involving folding and ripping paper, about "Sam's Day Oot, Doon the Watter"
A moral tale about the perils of sailing, the members were reminded of some parental warnings they followed during the summer months.
"Bide awa frae the watter!"

Christine sang a traditional song, to the tune Johnny Cope about cutting the fields by hand.  Evan talked about heuks, sickles and scythes, demonstrating scything across the room!

The Band o' Shearers

Oh summer days and heather bells
   Come blooming owre yon high hill,
There's yellow corn in a' the fields,
   And autumn brings the shearin'.

Bonnie lassie will ye gang

   And shear wi' me the hale day lang?

And love will cheer us as we gang

   Tae join yon band o' shearers.

Oh, if the weather be owre hot

   I'll cast my cravat and my coat

And shear wi' ye amang the lot,

   When we join yon band o' shearers.

And if the thistle is owre strang,

   And pierce your lily milk-white hand,

It's wi' my hook I'll cut them down,

   When we gang tae the shearin'.

And if the weather be owre dry,

   They'll say there's love twixt you and I

But we will proudly pass them by,

   When we join the band o' Shearers.

And when the shearin' it is done

   And slowly sets the evening sun,

We'll have some rantin' roarin' fun,

   And gang nae mair tae the shearin'.

So bonnie lassie bricht and fair

   Will ye be mine for evermair?

If ye'll be mine, then I'll be thine,

   And we gang nae mair tae the shearin'.

We had a trip to the garden to gather more foliage for our afternoon visual art activity.

 

Maureen introduced the group to clay.  An unfamiliar medium to most, but using familiar techniques to roll and press using rolling pins.  The members selected plants and cuttings to press into the wet clay to create designs and record the textures and shapes of the foliage. 

When the clay dried, the panels were sprayed black and then had a gold paint burnished over them.

At the end of this ORLANG session we put together an exhibition in a local gallery to display all the visual art work that the members had worked on over the year so far.  Family and friends were invited too.  It was a great success, the members received some really positive responses and Kirrie Connections was able to promote the meeting centre and all the amazing work they do.