Saturday, August 23, 2008
Tie him down
I'm going to have to tie Denny down this week while he recovers from his troubles. He's improving noticeably every hour. He's wanting to chase the cat and he's eating (and peeing) like a horse. The first time he ran out of his kennel wagging his tail I thought I'd cry I was so happy. Yeah!!
Friday, August 22, 2008
It looks like it will be a happy ending
Denny has made it through another night and it looks like he is going to be okay. On Wednesday he was enthusiastically greeting someone at the door and he got stepped on. I rushed him to the vet and they pumped him full of steroids and lasix and kept him on oxygen. He made it through that night - I only realized from their comments yesterday that they hadn't expected he would. He came home with me yesterday at dinner and while he's still really weak and fragile he has eaten a little and peed and pooped. His lungs are big bruises apparently and it is important to keep him really quiet to let him heal. It isn't hard right now - all he wants to do is sleep.
I'm a basket case. I'm buying bubble wrap today. But I am also so grateful for the friends who came and sat vigil with me and who prayed for him and who have helped me feed and care for him. I am also more grateful than I can express to my vets. Northside Veterinary Clinic is amazing. They were so good to him and kind to me. And they went in three times in the night to check on him. They have been the most incredible vets through all of Robbie's troubles and now little Denny's misadventure. I am so very grateful.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today is the anniversary of my confirmation, many, many years ago. It is also the Feast of the Falling Asleep of Mary in the old Anglican prayer book, the Feast of the Assumption in the Roman Catholic church (where I was confirmed) or simply the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It was a beautiful day the day I was confirmed. Blue clear sky, no wind, hot. A typical Winnipeg summer day. The confirmation took place at the regular 11:00 AM Mass if I remember correctly and afterwards there was a little party in the garden between the church and the rectory. My most vivid memory of the day is the smell of the chrism, light, sweet, fragrant, on my forehead.
As I said the office this morning I remembered the sweetness of that day and gave thanks....
It was a beautiful day the day I was confirmed. Blue clear sky, no wind, hot. A typical Winnipeg summer day. The confirmation took place at the regular 11:00 AM Mass if I remember correctly and afterwards there was a little party in the garden between the church and the rectory. My most vivid memory of the day is the smell of the chrism, light, sweet, fragrant, on my forehead.
As I said the office this morning I remembered the sweetness of that day and gave thanks....
O God, you have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Monday, August 11, 2008
Bonhoeffer on Grief
This was included in one of the sympathy cards my Mom received:
Nothing can make up for the absence of someone we love and it would be wrong to try to find a a substitute. We must simply hold out and see it through. That sounds very hard at first but at the same time it is a great consolation for the gap, as long as it remains unfilled, preserves the bond between us. It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap. God does not fill it but on the contrary keeps it empty and so helps us to keep alive our former communion with each other even at the cost of pain.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Nothing can make up for the absence of someone we love and it would be wrong to try to find a a substitute. We must simply hold out and see it through. That sounds very hard at first but at the same time it is a great consolation for the gap, as long as it remains unfilled, preserves the bond between us. It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap. God does not fill it but on the contrary keeps it empty and so helps us to keep alive our former communion with each other even at the cost of pain.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Barb Angel's Eulogy for Dad
Paul's Eulogy
I am here today, on behalf of myself and my family, to share with you what it was like to have Paul for a close friend. We met Paul and Donna and their daughters Erin and Nicki, completely by accident (blind luck or fate?). In the spring of 1970, after travelling and working overseas for four years, our family moved into our first house in Winnipeg. We thought we were settling down to a comfortable bourgeois existence in a respectable neighbourhood. Much to our surprise, when we looked out into the neighbouring backyard, we saw the 26 foot hull of a wooden sailboat -- under construction. We soon learned that this was a little project that Paul, then a young economics professor at U. of M., had brought from Vancouver, just in case there were decent sailing waters about! Over the next few years, our family got quite involved in helping prepare the "Nis'ku" for her launch – Jeannette remembers following Paul around like a little puppy dog, picking up nails and fetching tools. Mike joined Paul and another friend on Nis'ku's maiden voyage down the Red River and into the waters of Lake Winnipeg. In subsequent years, all of us, including Eric and Colin, enjoyed many adventures sailing with Paul.
Well, we thought living next to a shipyard was a pretty unique experience, but the surprises didn't end there – there were no fences between our yards and since our back porches were about ten feet apart, we began to have many opportunities to get to know this exceptional family better. We discovered that Paul had many other interests and passions, including brewing his own beer, which he was eager to introduce to Mike, and that he was a handyman extraordinaire, who despite having a lifelong black cloud over his head regarding plumbing emergencies, could pretty well fix anything. Paul exuded enthusiasm and confidence, and even more importantly, made other people feel like they could develop some practical skills too! This had a profound influence on our children, who remember him as someone who didn't just talk about the things he would like to do, but just went ahead and did them!
Over the course of that first summer we shared many meals, friends and parties, always filled with music. Their household was a magnet for people who loved folk music, and shared a passion for political discussion. Paul played several instruments, but my most vivid memory is of his breakneck banjo introduction to Darlin' Corey, an Appalachian song about a backwoods moonshine maker! It just made you want to get up and dance, or start the revolution – do something radical, anyhow!
Paul's interest in folk music drew us into a circle of people who founded the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and later the West End Cultural Centre. He was a dedicated volunteer and board member of both those organizations. Later, when I was teaching Canadian history, he used to come and sing folksongs for my classes to illustrate some of the key events and issues in Canadian labour history. When the Manitoba Opera Association called for volunteers to form the chorus, Paul got involved in what became a lifelong passion – opera. He loved singing, and was passionate about his likes and dislikes – we used to have marvellous set-tos about the relative merits of English vs Welsh choral music, which Puccini opera was his greatest work, who was the greatest tenor, etc.
What really baffled us was how Paul managed to combine so many interests along with a full-time teaching and research career. Perhaps the answer lies in this little anecdote that Mike remembers from the early seventies. We occasionally used to go next door to watch episodes of the "Onedin Line," a wonderful British television series about a west country sea captain who founded a shipping line early in the 19th century. During commercials Paul used to jot down notes for a textbook on Canadian economics he was writing for his classes. He never wasted any time, and when he turned his attention to a task, his concentration was phenomenal. This ability to put his heart and soul into everything he undertook was inspiring. You have only to look at the garden and landscaping, including the fencing and the patio, that Paul and Donna designed and built for their house in Vernon, to appreciate his energy and creative abilities, which did not lessen in retirement.
You can imagine our joy when we found out that Paul and Donna had decided to retire to Vernon. Over the last five years, we've shared many meals, a lot of cross-country skiing, golfing, and sailing, and much music together. And always wonderful conversation – animated discussions about social justice, religion, politics, and the common good. When you were talking with Paul, it was never a polite, superficial exchange – inevitably, you found yourself embroiled in a vigorous, hard-hitting, and passionate debate. As a mutual friend put it, Paul defied stereotypes – a university professor who was not elitist, but a down to earth practical man; a folk musician who loved opera and singing in choirs. He was full of inconsistencies which were delightful and maddening. He didn't hide behind the trappings or conventions of whatever role he took on. He was unpretentious, unassuming, approachable, engaged and present. But what we remember above all is his great capacity for friendship – through Paul we experienced a vision of how life could be lived fully and with commitment; not at the expense of others, but in the hope of making a better world here and now, in this place, and with a deep conviction that everyone could and should take part in this great project.
I am here today, on behalf of myself and my family, to share with you what it was like to have Paul for a close friend. We met Paul and Donna and their daughters Erin and Nicki, completely by accident (blind luck or fate?). In the spring of 1970, after travelling and working overseas for four years, our family moved into our first house in Winnipeg. We thought we were settling down to a comfortable bourgeois existence in a respectable neighbourhood. Much to our surprise, when we looked out into the neighbouring backyard, we saw the 26 foot hull of a wooden sailboat -- under construction. We soon learned that this was a little project that Paul, then a young economics professor at U. of M., had brought from Vancouver, just in case there were decent sailing waters about! Over the next few years, our family got quite involved in helping prepare the "Nis'ku" for her launch – Jeannette remembers following Paul around like a little puppy dog, picking up nails and fetching tools. Mike joined Paul and another friend on Nis'ku's maiden voyage down the Red River and into the waters of Lake Winnipeg. In subsequent years, all of us, including Eric and Colin, enjoyed many adventures sailing with Paul.
Well, we thought living next to a shipyard was a pretty unique experience, but the surprises didn't end there – there were no fences between our yards and since our back porches were about ten feet apart, we began to have many opportunities to get to know this exceptional family better. We discovered that Paul had many other interests and passions, including brewing his own beer, which he was eager to introduce to Mike, and that he was a handyman extraordinaire, who despite having a lifelong black cloud over his head regarding plumbing emergencies, could pretty well fix anything. Paul exuded enthusiasm and confidence, and even more importantly, made other people feel like they could develop some practical skills too! This had a profound influence on our children, who remember him as someone who didn't just talk about the things he would like to do, but just went ahead and did them!
Over the course of that first summer we shared many meals, friends and parties, always filled with music. Their household was a magnet for people who loved folk music, and shared a passion for political discussion. Paul played several instruments, but my most vivid memory is of his breakneck banjo introduction to Darlin' Corey, an Appalachian song about a backwoods moonshine maker! It just made you want to get up and dance, or start the revolution – do something radical, anyhow!
Paul's interest in folk music drew us into a circle of people who founded the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and later the West End Cultural Centre. He was a dedicated volunteer and board member of both those organizations. Later, when I was teaching Canadian history, he used to come and sing folksongs for my classes to illustrate some of the key events and issues in Canadian labour history. When the Manitoba Opera Association called for volunteers to form the chorus, Paul got involved in what became a lifelong passion – opera. He loved singing, and was passionate about his likes and dislikes – we used to have marvellous set-tos about the relative merits of English vs Welsh choral music, which Puccini opera was his greatest work, who was the greatest tenor, etc.
What really baffled us was how Paul managed to combine so many interests along with a full-time teaching and research career. Perhaps the answer lies in this little anecdote that Mike remembers from the early seventies. We occasionally used to go next door to watch episodes of the "Onedin Line," a wonderful British television series about a west country sea captain who founded a shipping line early in the 19th century. During commercials Paul used to jot down notes for a textbook on Canadian economics he was writing for his classes. He never wasted any time, and when he turned his attention to a task, his concentration was phenomenal. This ability to put his heart and soul into everything he undertook was inspiring. You have only to look at the garden and landscaping, including the fencing and the patio, that Paul and Donna designed and built for their house in Vernon, to appreciate his energy and creative abilities, which did not lessen in retirement.
You can imagine our joy when we found out that Paul and Donna had decided to retire to Vernon. Over the last five years, we've shared many meals, a lot of cross-country skiing, golfing, and sailing, and much music together. And always wonderful conversation – animated discussions about social justice, religion, politics, and the common good. When you were talking with Paul, it was never a polite, superficial exchange – inevitably, you found yourself embroiled in a vigorous, hard-hitting, and passionate debate. As a mutual friend put it, Paul defied stereotypes – a university professor who was not elitist, but a down to earth practical man; a folk musician who loved opera and singing in choirs. He was full of inconsistencies which were delightful and maddening. He didn't hide behind the trappings or conventions of whatever role he took on. He was unpretentious, unassuming, approachable, engaged and present. But what we remember above all is his great capacity for friendship – through Paul we experienced a vision of how life could be lived fully and with commitment; not at the expense of others, but in the hope of making a better world here and now, in this place, and with a deep conviction that everyone could and should take part in this great project.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Words about Dad by John Loxley
Professor Paul Phillips died on July 16, 2008, in Vernon B. C.
Paul graduated from the London School of Economics in 1967 with a PhD in Labour Economics and Industrial Relations. He joined the Department of Economics, University of Manitoba, on July 1, 1969 having spent two years as the Research Director, BC Federation of Labour. He retired from the Department on January 1, 2004 and was appointed Professor Emeritus in 2005.
Paul was a prolific writer with a publications record extending over thirty years. His interests were broad, spanning labour economics, regional economics, political economy, Canadian economic history and worker self-management, a rare intellectual feat but one that he managed with ease.
His first book, No Power Greater: A Century of Labour in British Columbia, combined economic history with labour economics and remains the authoritative work in the field. This was followed by his Regional Disparities. His Women and Work(with daughter Erin Phillips) is required reading for anyone interested in the gender dimensions of the Canadian labour market and is now in its third edition. In addition, he published three other books and numerous articles in the area of both theory and policy of collective bargaining and industrial relations.
Paul was responsible for editing and publishing the seminal work of H.C. Pentland, Labour and Capital in Canada: 1640-1860. Once regarded as the most heavily cited, unpublished PhD thesis in Canada, this work has long occupied a central place in Canadian economic and labour history. Paul Phillips made it readily available for all and, in the process, contributed his own important analysis of Pentland's work. He played a similar role in rescuing, highlighting and critiquing the contribution of Vernon Fowke on the national policy and Canadian agricultural and regional policy.
Many of Paul’s publications have an economic history focus. He wrote on mining in BC, agricultural development in the prairies, prairie urbanization, the National Policy and the evolution of Canada away from a staple driven economy. Much of this work addressed important theoretical issues within an historical context. Political economy theories of development and underdevelopment, from hinterland/metropolis views to unequal exchange and the Staple Theory, from Innis to Marx, from Emmanuel to Frank, inform his writings but are dealt with critically and creatively. Theory has a strong presence in his work and his publications reveal a familiarity with a remarkably broad array of theories. He co-authored two texts on orthodox economic theory, with Jim Seldon, while publishing almost all his other works from what can be best described as a 'political economy' perspective.
More recently, Paul developed an interest in transitional economies and, encouraged by his friend and collaborator, Bogmil Ferfila of theUniversity of Ljubljana, he became a recognized expert on the economy of Slovenia.
Professor Phillips was a popular teacher who set high academic standards. He attracted students by his commitment to them and by his passion for his field. He wrote several books specifically to meet the needs of his students and was regarded by students and colleagues alike as a serious, demanding and devoted teacher. He played an important role in developing the Labour Studies Program and was a key teacher in that program. He was also very active in the formation of the Global Political Economy program. For many years he was the main advocate for and teacher of Canadian Economic History in our department. He was held in very high regard by students and colleagues alike and could always be relied on to teach whatever the department required and to do so effectively, to the satisfaction of his students. He supervised several graduate student theses, most recently in the areas of women and the unemployment insurance system, a history of First Nations' economic development in Manitoba and fair trade.
Professor Phillips also had an outstanding service record. Within the university, he was an active member of UMFA and served as Chief Bargainer during very difficult negotiations in the 1995 strike. Paul belonged to the group of left-academics who, in 1978, brought the Society for Socialist Studies National Office to the University of Manitoba, where it was given accommodation at University College. As Treasury and, later, Member at Large, of the National Executive, he served the cause of progressive research and teaching. With Cy Gonick, Paul organized the 1994 conference, on ‘The Rise and Demise of An Industrial Relations System: 50 Years of PC1003’, from which came a signed collection of co-edited papers published by the Society. Outside the university, his service to the community was remarkable. He was Chairman of the Milk Prices Review Commission and the Fluid Milk Commission, Chairman of the Milk Control Board and member of the Dairy Board. He chaired several Industrial Adjustment Committees, served as a member of the board of the Community Unemployed Help Centre and of the Manitoba Economic Development Advisory Board. He was active on the board of the Manitoba Opera Association and sang in the opera for many years. He was also a board member of the Winnipeg Folk Festival and an avid and accomplished musician. Paul also sailed and played polo. After ‘retirement’ to Vernon BC, he not only remained extremely active academically, but also sang in two choirs and became involved in theatre.
As his family stressed in their remembrance of him, ‘much of his academic work and community life was motivated by a deep and passionate commitment to social justice and a profound commitment to speaking for those who are left out of the economic, political and social conversation.’
Paul leaves to mourn him his wife Donna, daughters, Erin and Nicole, brothers David and Rhys, their families and many close friends.
John taught with Dad for many years and was a very close friend and colleague.
Paul graduated from the London School of Economics in 1967 with a PhD in Labour Economics and Industrial Relations. He joined the Department of Economics, University of Manitoba, on July 1, 1969 having spent two years as the Research Director, BC Federation of Labour. He retired from the Department on January 1, 2004 and was appointed Professor Emeritus in 2005.
Paul was a prolific writer with a publications record extending over thirty years. His interests were broad, spanning labour economics, regional economics, political economy, Canadian economic history and worker self-management, a rare intellectual feat but one that he managed with ease.
His first book, No Power Greater: A Century of Labour in British Columbia, combined economic history with labour economics and remains the authoritative work in the field. This was followed by his Regional Disparities. His Women and Work(with daughter Erin Phillips) is required reading for anyone interested in the gender dimensions of the Canadian labour market and is now in its third edition. In addition, he published three other books and numerous articles in the area of both theory and policy of collective bargaining and industrial relations.
Paul was responsible for editing and publishing the seminal work of H.C. Pentland, Labour and Capital in Canada: 1640-1860. Once regarded as the most heavily cited, unpublished PhD thesis in Canada, this work has long occupied a central place in Canadian economic and labour history. Paul Phillips made it readily available for all and, in the process, contributed his own important analysis of Pentland's work. He played a similar role in rescuing, highlighting and critiquing the contribution of Vernon Fowke on the national policy and Canadian agricultural and regional policy.
Many of Paul’s publications have an economic history focus. He wrote on mining in BC, agricultural development in the prairies, prairie urbanization, the National Policy and the evolution of Canada away from a staple driven economy. Much of this work addressed important theoretical issues within an historical context. Political economy theories of development and underdevelopment, from hinterland/metropolis views to unequal exchange and the Staple Theory, from Innis to Marx, from Emmanuel to Frank, inform his writings but are dealt with critically and creatively. Theory has a strong presence in his work and his publications reveal a familiarity with a remarkably broad array of theories. He co-authored two texts on orthodox economic theory, with Jim Seldon, while publishing almost all his other works from what can be best described as a 'political economy' perspective.
More recently, Paul developed an interest in transitional economies and, encouraged by his friend and collaborator, Bogmil Ferfila of theUniversity of Ljubljana, he became a recognized expert on the economy of Slovenia.
Professor Phillips was a popular teacher who set high academic standards. He attracted students by his commitment to them and by his passion for his field. He wrote several books specifically to meet the needs of his students and was regarded by students and colleagues alike as a serious, demanding and devoted teacher. He played an important role in developing the Labour Studies Program and was a key teacher in that program. He was also very active in the formation of the Global Political Economy program. For many years he was the main advocate for and teacher of Canadian Economic History in our department. He was held in very high regard by students and colleagues alike and could always be relied on to teach whatever the department required and to do so effectively, to the satisfaction of his students. He supervised several graduate student theses, most recently in the areas of women and the unemployment insurance system, a history of First Nations' economic development in Manitoba and fair trade.
Professor Phillips also had an outstanding service record. Within the university, he was an active member of UMFA and served as Chief Bargainer during very difficult negotiations in the 1995 strike. Paul belonged to the group of left-academics who, in 1978, brought the Society for Socialist Studies National Office to the University of Manitoba, where it was given accommodation at University College. As Treasury and, later, Member at Large, of the National Executive, he served the cause of progressive research and teaching. With Cy Gonick, Paul organized the 1994 conference, on ‘The Rise and Demise of An Industrial Relations System: 50 Years of PC1003’, from which came a signed collection of co-edited papers published by the Society. Outside the university, his service to the community was remarkable. He was Chairman of the Milk Prices Review Commission and the Fluid Milk Commission, Chairman of the Milk Control Board and member of the Dairy Board. He chaired several Industrial Adjustment Committees, served as a member of the board of the Community Unemployed Help Centre and of the Manitoba Economic Development Advisory Board. He was active on the board of the Manitoba Opera Association and sang in the opera for many years. He was also a board member of the Winnipeg Folk Festival and an avid and accomplished musician. Paul also sailed and played polo. After ‘retirement’ to Vernon BC, he not only remained extremely active academically, but also sang in two choirs and became involved in theatre.
As his family stressed in their remembrance of him, ‘much of his academic work and community life was motivated by a deep and passionate commitment to social justice and a profound commitment to speaking for those who are left out of the economic, political and social conversation.’
Paul leaves to mourn him his wife Donna, daughters, Erin and Nicole, brothers David and Rhys, their families and many close friends.
John taught with Dad for many years and was a very close friend and colleague.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
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