Poetry Thursday

image by Liam Quin

A Book

There is no frigate like a book

To take us lands away,

Nor any coursers like a page

Of prancing poetry.

This traverse may the poorest take

Without oppress of toll;

How frugal is the chariot

That bears a human soul!
-Emily Dickinson-

This poem sums up my recent excitement with all the books I've been finding lately. Emily Dickinson is a wonderful poet in her own right, so check out more of her brilliant words. I've already mentioned loving "Julie/Julia" by Julie Powell and just don't want it to end! To think one woman came up with a project that revolved around food (one of my favorite things!) and blogged her way into the life of a published author, amazes me. It's so inspiring and helping me get through my monotonous days at work.

I also had two books come in on hold at the library for me yesterday- both made me do a little happy dance when I saw what they were! I love Frances Mayes and her books about Tuscany, so was ecstatic to find out she had a new one out, "A Year in the World". As you can probably guess, travel books are always on the top of my lists of what to read next- I can't wait to start it! The other book waiting for me was a cookbook I had heard about through the British Amazon, one of the most used as a wedding gift- "Silver Spoon". It turned out to be a huge bible-like tome full of Italian food- everything you could ever imagine is in there. I can't conceive someone actually making all of those recipes, but I am well up for reading them! Another one of my favorite things are cookbooks. Anyone else find themselves drooling over the pictures and visualizing the recipes gracing your table with friends?!!
Cookbooks and travel stories- what a treat!! What books get you excited!!?

Some of my other all time favorite reads are:

anything by Isabella Dusi (about her new life in Italy)

anything by Bill Bryson (always sure to induce laughter out loud!)

"Poisonwood Bible" and "Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver

"The God of Small Things", by Arundhati Roy

anything by Joanne Harris (so delicious!)

"Life of Pi", by Yann Martel

anything by Dorothy Dunnet or Diana Gabaldon or Phillipa Gregory(for history buffs)

all of Jamie Oliver's cookbooks

"Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides

"My sister's keeper", by Jodi Picoult

I could go on and on and on and on....so I'll stop now. Emily Dickinson was so right- books are incredible.

Some fun stuff!

Me and the sheep in NZ

I love making lists, so here's some of the things I'm loving this week:

- the idea of pre-fabricated, good for the earth houses on this site

- this great writing site from the Motherland

- these two great sites from my favorite chef, Jamie Oliver

- spending way too much of my time at work browsing the Kraft food site (did I say how much I love food and cooking?)

- this fabulous paper store at Granville Island

- and this other fabulous paper place (online or near you maybe?)

- and this place that I finally got to go to last weekend! (great tshirts and letter sets!)

- a great cause I would like to find a way to get more involved in

- looking forward to this and this here over the summer

- my love of Shakespeare and hoping to get here one day soon!

- missing this tv show, wishing it was over here somewhere!

- the summer competitive tennis season kicking off

- learning a bit more about my own country for a change

I know, I know- I have way too much time on my hands, but 8 hours a day at work needs to be filled somehow!

Went to my first bridal event last night- quite surreal really. I was with four other women getting married in the next year- our goal was more the free stuff over wedding ideas. Unfortunately, we came out with little of either. It only re-enforced for me (once again) that a traditional wedding is not the way I want to go, nor does R. We're thinking a vineyard or a beach, just the two of us, and a two big parties afterwards with our families- one here and one in England. It won't be till next year at the earliest anyways. No rush, we're quite content just as we are- we already feel married anyways!

I came home to find him doing dishes and two bunches of flowers for me on the table -what a sweetie! We cuddled up on the couch, watched the end of Forrest Gump and the amazing sunset coming through our windows, while eating fresh strawberries and grapes, and my day just slipped away. Bliss is the word that comes to mind. Sigh...just what I needed as per usual.

Sunday Scribblings - First Love

I have many loves (writing, reading, chocolate, my family, food in general, getting mail, etc etc), but when I read the post, this was what came to mind.

I was 18 and thought I was in Love. He was 17, we had a summer fling that felt dramatic and alive and real- like what I thought Love was supposed to be. He knew exactly what to say to make me feel adored and special, beautiful. (The fact that he's in politics now just goes to show how good he was at convincing me!) I left in September for university, my first year. He stayed at home to finish highschool- because of this part of me stayed behind, too. He was the first boy to give me the butterflies in the stomach, to make me wonder if love really felt this good, the ache of missing someone, the excitement of a phone call, a letter. He was also the first boy to show me what betrayal, doubt, and a broken heart felt like. I fell for his words, for his apparent awe of who I was, of his attention to my family and friends, and I kept forgiving him- even when my friends were adamant that he had been with someone else and that I was too good for him. I didn't want to be alone- Love to me felt like fear, doubt, sacrifice, and shame...little did I know then that wasn't my first Love.

My first Love was/is R, the man I'm going to marry next year. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true. I'm a romantic and couldn't imagine giving my heart up too easily to anyone- until I met him. He intrigued me from first glance. I love him more everyday and am in awe of what Love really feels like. No fear, no doubt what so ever- just pure bliss, authenticity, honesty, passion, acceptance, and so much laughter! He's my partner in crime, in life. This is a post I wrote about him last month- it sums up everything I could say about my first (and only) Love.

On a another note, saw "Family Stone" and "DaVinci Code" over the weekend- would highly recommend both. "Family Stone" made me cry when I least expected it, and had my laughing hysterically as well- so worth seeing. A great take on families and acceptance and all that. And the "DaVinci Code" wasn't as bad as I had heard, thankfully. I'd been really looking forward to this, and it was a good watch. I can see the problems the critics had, but I still enjoyed it. Go see it!

Grateful Friday!

Monkey Crossing (from Kuala Lumpur)

Felt like putting some whimsy up here, need it today. Having one of my "wishing I was somewhere else other than this office" days, so glad it's friday already. Getting out of here and into a job I enjoy is up to me and today, that feels like the worst and hardest part.

This week, I am grateful for:

• having a couple good hours at work this week
• playing tennis with R- love that game! (Love the man even more!)
• finding some Lemon Myrtle tea
• sorting out R's tools, he will get them next week finally! (long convoluted story I won't bore you with, but he's been waiting for almost two months, as they sat at the airport!!!)
• making cards to send to friends all over the world
• my big brother's birthday is this weekend and I got his present in the mail on time! (I hope!) Happy Birthday, J!
• peaches showing up at the market
• getting to go to the movies this weekend- hoping to see DaVinci Code- and dinner out after
• no more dramatic season finales, too much for my emotions (although I will miss some of my shows over the summer)
• reading through the seasons of "Mad About You" online and remembering how much I loved that show! (anyone else remember it?)
• Eat Vancouver being on this weekend- might make it there too!
• my first Cupcake (going to get them to make our wedding cake when we need one!)
• walking to work every morning again this week, even though it was supposed to be too wet
• Taylor winning American Idol! Soul Patrol!
• my new favorite song - here's a clip
• only two weeks till the World Cup starts!! so excited!
• going to the library today
• only two more hours till I'm off for the weekend!!!

Sigh...I feel better already. My life is so much more than a job that makes me unhappy, I'm going to remember that!

Poetry Thursday

The Bridge

This bridge will only take you halfway there

To those mysterious lands you long to see

Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fairs

And moonlit woods where unicorns run free.

So come and walk awhile with me and share

the twisting trails and wondrous worlds I've known.

But this bridge will only take you halfway there -

The last few steps you'll have to take alone.

-Shel Silverstein-

I'm not sure, once again, if someone has posted this one already, but I love his work and this poem resonates with my life and my travels so strongly- I had to share it! I miss the imagination I had as a kid- without any boundaries or critics in my head telling me I'm being silly or unrealistic. Time to re-connect with that child within again.

Just a few thoughts(venting) about the big American Idol finale this week (not intending to offend anyone!!):

- I'm really glad Taylor won, he was my favorite from the beginning! I can't wait to see what sort of music they put on his first album! I did like Kat too, she was my second choice!

- I've never watched a whole season before, but was totally disappointed by the finale, with singing the same songs and knowing pretty much who was going to win, it felt like a let down; does this happen every season?

- what's with all the old artists coming on stage, shamelessly going for publicity to kick start their own most recent come backs?

- it felt a bit like a circus last night, with the cheesy awards and all the random songs and various pairings...anyone else? Could they not just have a half hour show announcing the winner?

- my biggest worry is that more people are voting for the winner of a singing/popularity contest than for their President, a person who has an influence on what's happening throughout the entire globe...is anyone else concerned? maybe they should have some sort of President-idol next time, find a new way to encourage voters to come out and have their say

Moments from my long weekend

Deep Cove seen from Belcarra Park

Friday night we went out for dinner at Poncho's, an "authentic" Mexican restaurant in our neighbourhood. The food wasn't bad, but the best part was the couple who ran the place. She was singing on her guitar by the time our mains came, and had everyone singing and playing tambourines and shakers by the time we were done! It was such a great surprise and too much fun!!
Saturday we spent some time on Main Street, a place full of antique shops and retro used clothing stores. Saw some fabulous stuff, but realized I'm not quite funky enough for some of those retro fashions! We also bought tennis rackets and had a game that night- I'd forgotten how much I love playing this sport!! It does require more effort than I remember from my days as a teenager going to lessons in the summer...sigh. But it was still brilliant and a great laugh- we're definitely going to be playing a lot more! Hopefully we'll meet some other couples to play with as well.

Belcarra Park

Sunset beach near our flat

Sunday we went to Belcarra Park for a hike. After a relatively long yet easy journey on public transport (still amazed at how far you can get and with our monthly passes as well!), we arrived in a beautiful spot. It was over run with families having big picnics and children running around in the grass and on the beach, but we escaped up the trails into the hills. I love being amongst nature, where it's so quiet and alive. It was just what I needed- a re-connection.

Monday we went over to the Emily Carr Institute on Granville Island to see their graduates art exhibit- it was fantastic! Such diversity and creative originality, I was in awe. My favorite part was the animation exhibits- their work was incredible. It also looked like it a would be a great place to work...might have to look into that. Maybe even take a summer course...hmmm.

I love long weekends, such a treat. It's too bad we can't have shorter work weeks, but still get paid the same! Ah, to dream.

Sunday Scribblings...on Tuesday?!

Whoa, feels like I've been gone for ages and its only been three days. So many posts to catch up on, it's great- makes my morning at work go so quickly! Going to do my Sunday Scribblings now and then do a post about my weekend later- hope that's not an overload for anyone!!

Three Wishes:

Wishes have always perplexed me- do you be terribly specific so as to leave little room for error, or do you make bold wishes like world peace and see what happens? I'd probably have two or three wish lists- one for myself (selfish wants) and one for the world and my friends and family, just to spread the luck and magic around. I can't help but think of the wishes I've had come true in my life- traveling the world, expanding my own comfort zone, seeing the world through new eyes; creating a life on my own in a foreign country, being strong and making my dreams come true; falling in love with a man who wants to see the world with me and loves me completely without condition, just as I am; finding a place we both love and want to settle down in...so many more wonderful things! Wishes to me now are more about clarifying what I truly want in my life and putting it out there- no great expectations that some other force will fix it all for me, but that I am also involved with making them come true.

Here are my three wishes for today:

I wish to let go, accept what I cannot control and trust that I can/will handle whatever happens in my life. To love myself unconditionally and completely.

I wish for a job that fulfills me, creatively and emotionally. A chance to do some good and help others discover their own potential. A job where I get to have fun as well!

I wish for more opportunities to see all of my family (all over Canada and USA and England) and friends more often. And for them to all be happy and healthy and living the lives they dream of. (just like Megg says in her wish list)

I've loved reading all the other wish lists! What a great prompt! And I think their suggestion to make a totally selfish list is a great idea as well- going to do that one in my journal.

For more Sunday Scribblings, go here. Give it a go yourself!

Grateful Friday!

The grand essentials of happiness are:

something to do, something to love,

and something to hope for.

- Allan K. Chalmers -

I'm so happy it's friday and it's a long weekend!! So need some quality time in my bed. My R has been working very long days and overtime, so hopefully we can relax and enjoy the time off together. Hoping to go hiking, but we'll have to wait and see what Mother Nature brings us- why is it that we can have weeks of lovely summer sunny weather, but as soon as it's a long weekend and we have time to enjoy it, the clouds roll in?!

This week I'm grateful for:

• the beautiful weather we've been having
• bbq on the beach again!
• a late birthday present in the mail yesterday
• fresh banana blueberry muffins
• my first attempt at prawns with pasta turning out well!
• talking to Kathleen a lot online this week
• season finales on tv
• finding this great sight- I'm addicted to quotes!
• reading another great book- to think she started it as a blog, wow!
• getting some time this weekend to talk on the phone to people far away
• The DaVinci Code coming out, despite the mixed reviews
• how sweet R has been even though he's been working so hard
• walking to work four times this week
• the park near work where we go for lunch
• our busy social agenda last weekend
• some time on my own tomorrow morning while R is at work
• being able to sign up for a yoga class in June!
• going shopping for fun summer clothes this weekend!
• how much daylight we get (5:30am till after 9pm!)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Poetry Thursday

I have chosen a poem by Roald Dahl this week- he is one of my favorite children's writers and I wanted to put something playful into the Poetry Thursday mix this week!! I didn't get a chance to go on a field trip yet, but hoping to get a chance over the long weekend we have coming up. I love getting lost in the bookstore, but I've never spent any time in the poetry section before- could be very interesting!

Find my poem of the week, by Roald Dahl, here. (This site is a great source for poetry and lyrics as well)
Find more poems and inspirations here.

No Destination

Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to

be alive and express what we really are.

- Don Miguel Ruiz-

I think it has finally dawned on me, on both R and I, that this is our new life- one of being settled, of only two weeks holiday a year, of bills and rent and 8 hours of work a day (9 for him). No more big escapes to plan or upcoming adventures to focus on or backpacks to fill, guidebooks to buy, responsibility to avoid. I'm very glad we are slowing down, but have found that I've got no destination now. I'm a bit lost. I'm someone who needs goals to focus on, to keep myself motivated and inspired. I've had traveling to look forward to ever since I graduated university, so I could avoid deciding on a career track, being responsible for my finances beyond surviving, and avoid paying attention to myself and anything more than my immediate needs. It kept things quite simple, really. Now, since we've actually been at one address for 8 months (the longest I've been in any one place in 8 years!), I feel bombarded by self-doubt about my lack of direction and uncertainty about what life is all about. What is life all about? That question has been in my head a lot lately. My life now is full of routine- going to work, watching our tv shows every week, meeting friends, going for a walk in the morning, trying to decide what to eat and what to do on the weekends. It's also full of love and laughter and plans for the future and a home of our own and waking up together every morning- all of which I am extremely grateful for and so happy to have. We have plans to have children, to become home owners, to do more traveling, to see our families, to get married, to get fit, to give back, to learn new things and be active. But it all feels far away, intangible, unreal. What do I want to feel real right now? What do I need?

I know I'm going to be moving into a new job in the not too distant future- I've reached the end of my rope where I am, so have set a goal to be ready to go elsewhere as soon as R gets his health plan at work in September and I'm covered. But focusing on that scares me- I loath looking for work, mostly because it requires putting myself out there and making decisions about what I want. Why is this the hardest thing for me to do? I fear ending up in another job I don't enjoy, being bored still. There's probably a reason why I keep ending up in this position, something I'm meant to be learning. Damn life lessons! What do I want?? Does anyone else have a hard time answering that question? What is holding you back?

Sunday Scribblings

This week's prompt is "the books I would write..."

This is a great idea, a wonderful brainstorming exercise for all of us who enjoy words. I never have a problem with coming up with ideas, my issue is actually with moving past the idea and putting words to it. I would write a book for children, one where they learn about the world and other cultures, without feeling like they were reading a textbook- giving them a chance to be more open minded and understanding of our differences and similarities. A chance to see what its like being a kid in another country. I would love to write a book like Nick Bantock, full of letters they could pull out and hold, postcards and journal entries- the child could then feel part of the adventure.
I would write a book encouraging others to travel the world, to see who they are on grander scale, what they can handle and accomplish outside of their comfort zone. I would write about how you can go from being a homebody who gets homesick sleeping over at her neighbour's house to traveling the entire globe. I would write a book from the perspective of an inanimate object making its way around the world (ie.backpack, journal, boots, etc), see it from a new perspective. I'd love to write a book about traveling and food, two of my favorite things. Or a book about surviving the reverse culture shock of coming home after being away for awhile in another part of the world- it's the one thing they forget to tell you about! (All this traveling must be good material for something!)
I would write a historical novel, so I could spend hours researching about a world I never lived in, making it my own despite the distance of centuries. A story of a woman surviving in a world where she isn't seen as a real person. Or a family trying to endure the hardships of living in a place like London, with little money or hope of a better life. Or a book about some of my favorite historical figures, all meeting for lunch and having a chat about life in their times, their perceptions, what is similar and different and why they think it may be. Step outside reality a bit.
I would write a book like Joanne Harris, or Audrey Niffenegger, or Barbara Kingsolver, or Michael Ondaatje, or Dorothy Dunnet, or Bill Bryson or Jodi Picoult, or Jeffrey Eugenides...I could go on and on!! They are the best escape into another world, from your own world. Books have played such a big role in my life, I could only dream of having that sort of effect on someone else through my own writing. I've already written a story for my nephew and nieces, about a farm near my parents' place where we all spent the summer together, so hopefully I can at least keep that audience happy!!
For more scribblings on book ideas, head over here!!

Grateful Friday!

Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver

I love doing Grateful fridays! I find myself thinking all week about what I can put on my list. And I'm happy so many other bloggers are joining in.

Today I'm grateful for:

• the beautiful sunshine and predicted good weather for the next week! could even get up to 28 degrees (celsius that is, for all you Americans!)
• getting caught in a freak downpour yesterday and feeling like a little kid again, running through puddles, getting soaked
• my wonderful R and how hard he works at his job, how cute he is when he's tired
• hopefully going to hit some golf balls tomorrow
• getting up early every morning this week and going for a lovely long walk
• being awake before the buzz of the city kicks in
• having some great nights' sleep
• my little sis getting home and back safely from her graduation
• my parents getting to spend time with her
• my niece being healthy, after an abnormal blood test scared all of us
• my capri pants making an appearance again!
• our first bbq on the beach on our own little portable bbq; can we say addicted??
• having stuff to do at work this morning- first time this month!
• apples and peanut butter- yes, together
• Kathleen being done school for the summer and blogging more (check her blog out!)
• all the little lists I've made of books I want to read- so so many!
• a busy social weekend coming up
• getting to see my friend Ben from Australia, who I met when we were both living in England 6 years ago! (wow, where does the time go!!?)
• getting some colour on my face again- love a tan!
• pink painted toe nails
• getting to have lunch with my friend Shannon, a picnic in the park
• it being friday!! already?

I don't know if you've noticed, but I am so a sunshine, summer weather kind of girl. My ideal life would be living in the northern hemisphere for our summer and then going to the southern for theirs, every year- no winter! I've done it a couple times now and it was heaven! Oh well, I can dream right?!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Poetry Thursday

Central Reservation

lyrics by Beth Orton

Running down to a central reservation

In last night's red dress

And I can still smell you on my fingers

And taste you on my breath

Stepping through brilliant shades

Of the color you bring

But this time, this time, this time

Is whatever I want it to mean

If this is where memories are made

I'm gonna like what I see

And everything I ever took for granted

I'm gonna let it be

I step through every shade

Of the color you bring

But this time, this time, this time

Is whatever I want it to mean

And everything and nothing is

As sacred as we want it to be

When it's real

Make it real

Compared to what?

It's like living in the middle of the ocean

With no future, no past

And everything that's good about now

Might just glide right past

I'm stepping through brilliant shades

Of the color you bring

But this time, this time, this time

Is fine just as it is

And everything is sacred here,

And nothing is as sacred as I want it to be

When it's real

Compared to what?

Today I'm submitting the lyrics to one of my favorite songs. Music is my favorite form of poetry- I love when a song reaches out and grabs my attention with lines like in this one :And I can still smell you on my fingers and taste you on my breath. This particular song holds meaning as I discovered it and its artist while living in the UK the first time- a time when I was also discovering the world and myself, who I was and wanted to be. I absorbed the line "this time is whatever I want it to be" and still hold it dear to my life, to my path. It's up to me to create a life I'm happy with, feel fulfilled by, get excited about- not someone else. Too often, I wait for it to fall into my lap, the "Solution", but I'm tired of waiting- it's time to get up and do something. I always say life has a way of working out for me, but what I forget is that I often am open to the possibilities, and ready for them- even if I don't know what they are before hand...does that make sense??

For other poetic inspirations, head to Poetry Thursday.

ps- have another blog format question/query: why can't I get the spaces between paragraphs (or sections of a poem) to stay in the final draft? any ideas??

thought for today...

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest

fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves,

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small

doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking

so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other

people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

our presence automatically liberates others.

-Marianne Williamson-

Just something to think about today- a quote I had when I was in highschool and have rediscovered on someone's blog (I can't remember which one!). It is so simple yet so brilliant. I'm not very religious, but I think her words hit the mark big time. I have often played myself small to be safe, to not rock the boat, to keep a boyfriend or friend happy- but I have chosen to no more. It's time to shine.

side note- I wanted to thank Jennifer for helping me figure out how to do blog buttons! Thank you!!

Sunday (on Monday) Scribblings

my little bare feet (size 6)

This week's prompt My Shoes and what a 10 minute free flow exercise inspired:

I love my feet- they are one of my favorite body parts. I love summer and being able to wear flip flops and sandals for months at a time. Shoes has always been a sticky point for me- I have small, narrow feet and finding shoes to fit properly and be comfortable in has been hard. I remember being little and my Nana guilting me into these ugly brown things because the shop man said they were right for my foot shape- I only wore them while she was visiting, I think!

The one thing I've learned over and over is how important comfortable shoes really are. Sure, I love to look as stylish as the next girl, but after numerous blisters and painful days walking miles in bad shoes, I know now that for me- comfort is queen. Getting lost in Rome and getting caught in new sandals that left scars. Hiking through the Tongariro in fairly new boots and paying for it in my toe for months afterwards. Luckily, styles have caught up with me for now and Mary Janes, or other flat rounded fun shoes, plus flip flops, and sneakers you can wear to the office are the in thing! I can't wear high heels because I have weak ankles from too many sports injuries and fear falling over. (Something I have actually done, even without high heels on!) I am going to be barefoot or in flip flops when I get married. I'd live in flip flops if I didn't think my feet might freeze off in the winter. Shoes for me are always an after-thought, I've never had many pairs in my closet (or backpack) at a time, but I still love to watch people's feet go by and see what they have on. I'm amazed at some of the things they stuff their feet into! It's a new kind of foot binding, but equally oppressive, or maybe not. I'm also in awe of how women can balance themselves in high heels- how do you learn how? I stick to the comfy and casual look, so I don't know how it feels to walk down the street in stilettos. Give me Birks anyday!

I love how the list of participants for Sunday Scribblings just keeps getting longer and longer every week. Go check it out!

Grateful Friday!

Can't believe it's friday again already, thank goodness!! Have had a beautiful week full of sun and nights on the beach after work, bbqs and friends and sunsets and forgetting our troubles. Brilliant! So what I needed.
Check out this site- he was on our national morning show, so had an overload of visitors! It's definitely worth a good giggle!

Today I am grateful for:

• the sunshine!
• that it's friday again!
• getting up early to go walking twice this week
• a surprise breakfast with R this morning, full of giggles and miming (don't ask! he's too funny!!)
• the warm temperatures and thoughts of summer
• my little sis getting home safe for her graduation from uni- where does the time go!?
• for this amazing book by Joanne Harris - read her if you haven't! I couldn't put it down!
• flip flops and capris
• good movies starting to come out again- I hope anyways
• for decaf soy lattes- a re-discovery
• my boss being in meetings all week
• the water delivery guys ending their strike and no more horrible tap water!(I know, I'm a wimp!)
• my mom getting over her flu
• new blogs I'm discovering!
• lunch in the park
• our first bbq on the beach this year! the first on many I'm sure.
• a couple good night's sleep in a row
• the beautiful month of May
• wonderful cold Corona with lime with the sun on my face
• my birthday flowers lasting a whole week and still looking amazing!
• my time before work this morning, sitting in a cafe writing in my journal- I needed that
• my life here, our life here
• a nice quiet weekend ahead - giving myself permission to be lazy!

Have a good one everyone!

Poetry Thursday

I chose this poem today because to me it epitomizes what poetry is about- painting a picture so vivid that you can almost hold it in your hands. I'm always amazed at how people do that with words. Check out the Sixteen Rivers Press, a shared-work, non-profit poetry collective in San Francisco, which my aunt is a founder and memebr of.

Poetry has always been a bit confusing to me, a bit "beyond" me- or so I thought- but Poetry Thursdays is helping me get past that and see it as the magic that it truly can be. Thanks Liz and Lynn! Check out their new Poetry Thursday Blog- its brilliant!

View from the Headland: Hare Creek Beach, Mendocino

By Lynn Lyman Trombetta

Except for the gulls, which lift

in languid curves from the sand

and swing back down,

they are the only ones on the beach,

this teenage couple

cutting their afternoon classes.

She is ten feet ahead of him, her shoes

already off, thrown down. Her long skirt

gathered up to her thighs as she enters the sea.

Enters it, as if it had called her,

her white legs flashing in the sun.

And he runs to catch up, puts his hands

on her shoulders and drives her

through the surf. He's smitten and loopy.

He veers off, flapping, circles back

like a gull, lassoes her around the neck

with his arms, around the waist, twirling himself

around and around the long stem of her body,

pulling and pulling her to him.

And she doesn't object, she leans right in

as they stagger like drunks

to a warm pocket of sand and fall in.

Do they know they are this beautiful?

His goofy, tender urgency. Her calm

regard and disregard of him as she sits

staring out at the waves, her hand shading

her eyes. As he kneels now, before her,

trying to be the only object on her horizon.

When they kiss, when their faces rise

to the kiss, I have to look away, though

the sea is still rolling, the gulls still crying.

Though the day, it seems should screech

to a halt, all its bright engines jumping their tracks,

this moment held out, separate from time.

But the waves are still blue, the waves

are still pulling and pulling at the sand,

they touch and touch again. The sun is shining,

and he's coming back to her for more, more kisses,

leaning over her for more, more of the same.

An introduction

In the spirit of everyone's wonderful introductions through Self Portrait Tuesdays, I thought I'd join in! Spilling the beans, as Susannah puts it! Here are 10 beans about me:

1. I grew up on the campus of a small private school where my dad has now been teaching for over 35 years. I loved having so much at my disposal- soccer fields galore, a tennis court, trees to climb, and a whole 'playground' to ride our bikes around when the kids went home for the summer! I also went to school there for highschool and spent a year working there as a houseparent.

2. The first time I tried to shave my legs (having had no direction!) I pushed too hard and cut myself all up my shin bone- I still have a bunch of little scars. Now I'm an expert and very careful.

3. I absolutely LOVE getting letters in the mail- it's one of my favorite things. Someone taking the time to sit down and write to me means so much and it means I can do the same in return- writing letters is one of my other favorite things!

4. I have kept a journal for half of my life (15 years), almost daily. When I came back from my two years living and traveling around the UK, I had 9 journals to help me remember everything. I hope to keep them in a fire safe box one day, keep them for my children and grandchildren to read.

5. I'm an anxious person - not in my day to day activities- but I spend enormous amounts of time worrying about things I have absolutely no control over. The rest of the time I spend trying not to worry! I'm learning to let go and accept things, so this is helping. Imagine what I will be able to do with all that time!

6. I have never really gotten angry at someone in my entire life. Probably not a good thing, but I was scared when people got mad at me so I never wanted to make someone else feel that way. I avoid confrontation as much as possible, but am also a good communicator so that eliminates a lot of the reasons to be angry. Or at least I find. I did once yell at my brother to stop bugging me, it scared the shit out of him!

7. I didn't enjoy at least 90% of my four years at university. The school was too small, but I wasn't ready to be in a big city. I was trying too hard to be someone else, so didn't make any lasting friendships. And I was always thinking about how I was going to pay off my students loans when I was done with a History degree. I do love to learn, but it was a bad experience all around, a hard time for my sense of self- one I've learned a lot from, though!

8. I love to cook and bake, read and try new recipes. I have dreams of a huge kitchen in our house one day, room to run wild! Be as messy as I'd like! Cooking with our kids, having big dinner parties with our friends. I do love food!

9. I had a very active childhood, spent most of my time outdoors running around and using my big imagination. As a result, I also have a big thick file of xrays at the hospital at home! Being an athlete and also a bit clumsy makes for a pretty interesting combination- two broken wrists (not at the same time!), two bad ankles, numerous fingers, I could go on and on!

10. I'm still in love with the magic of going to see a movie in a theatre. I love finding small old fashioned cinemas, or new funky places to experience the wonder of a movie. We used to treat ourselves to La Premier seats every once in awhile in Australia- still wondering why they don't have that here! Wishing there were more good movies out these days as well- anyone else find the pickings a bit slim lately??

and a bonus bean- I don't seem to give into trends very often- no Doc Martins for me, no Lululemon obsession, no addiction to reality shows (although I do watch a couple), no little dog in a bag, and I'm not really sure why.

Weekend Away!

Our beach walk view. We went all the way out to the tip of the land you can see at the end.

R and I got away this weekend, took of up the Sunshine Coast to Gibsons for some serious r+r and quiet away from the big city. It was divine! Just what we needed. We splurged and stayed at a B&B, instead of our usual hostel, and lucked into a lovely place run by two wonderful people- check it out here. Kathi was delightful and took such good care of us- we joked that we'd love to be adopted by them, our new West coast parents! It made us think about having our own B&B one day, maybe once our non-existent kids grow up. This picture is of a famous place in Canadian television, home of The Beachcombers, the longest running tv show in our history! (I think!)

We walked and talked and just enjoyed being together somewhere new. Nothing too fussy, nothing too busy, just easy. Wine on the deck watching the light filter through the trees, cuddling up in bed for hours in the morning and watching the rain outside, a big walk along a rocky beach in the beautiful sunshine. (Yes, we had both!)

A Big tree outside our room- I loved the colour of the bark.

We were ready to come home, but could've stayed for a lot longer too! We have decided that our next holiday weekend will be spent somewhere away from the water, we're starting to get too used to it! We're thinking the wine country in the Okanawgan or maybe somewhere in the mountains of the interior...who knows! So much to choose from! Too bad we have to work at all!!

Sunday Scribblings

Why I live where I live.... Vancouver, British Columbia (sorry only one pic, something wrong with the blogger site!)

I grew up in a small town (pop. 3000) on the east coast of Canada, living a simple and content life, but always wondering what else was out there. What else the world had to offer. When I graduated university, I took off for the UK and my life changed completely. The world became smaller and even bigger all at the same time, but all I knew was that small town Nova Scotia wasn't going to cut it for me anymore. I spent the next 8 years traveling and living around the world, in big cities like Edinburgh, San Francicso, Sydney and Wellington. But also experiencing small town life in different places, from Blenheim in New Zealand, to York and Oxford and Wimbush in England. Home was where I laid my head for many many years. It was no longer where I came from, but where I was, in the moment, and I loved it! Even so, I always felt like I was searching for something, but I didn't know if it was for a home or simply for myself- the authentic M.

When I met R in Australia, everything changed- life seemed brighter, more alive than I had ever known before. I was Home for the first time in a long time - and it had nothing to do with a physical location. Neither of us felt like where we came from was "home" anymore- home was with each other, where ever that might be. We enjoyed traveling the world and even living in some fantastic places (Melbourne is one of our favorite cities!!), but settling down was a difficult decision to make. With our different nationalities, being in the same country was hard enough, let alone deciding which location to make our homebase.

After our time in New Zealand was up, we were both ready to stop traveling for awhile and put down some roots. We've always been settled with each other, but now we were ready to have an address and some stability in our day to day life for a change. We chose to move to Canada simply because he is a cabinetmaker and having a trade meant it would be easier to get a work permit- much easier than me trying to in England! Neither of us like winter- the cold, icy, dark chill that sucks up four or five months of every year, so we knew being in Nova Scotia or anywhere out east wasn't an option. (I'm very un-Canadian in that way- winter has never been my friend. I don't really like hockey either!) We decided on Vancouver...we'd heard it was beautiful and there was lots of work around, and the lifestyle was healthy and the weather sounded like our style. So we packed up and moved out here last September - no place to live, no jobs, just us and two backpacks and a dream!

This was the best decision we could've made for ourselves! On the first day here, we went to the beach near where we were staying and I was in awe of the beauty, of the incredible fresh air and having so much nature around us. I couldn't understand why everyone wasn't living here! Why would you want to be anywhere else?!! And this was on our first day. This place is heaven- beaches down the hill from our house. Stanley Park down the street, full of acres of trees and walking trails and fresh air amongst the city pollution. A 10km+ sea wall all around the park and False Creek and beyond. Mountains across the bridge that surprise me daily with their beauty and wonder. Neighbourhoods well established all over the city, giving you a sense of community that I've rarely found in a city. Amazing architecture and growth all around us. An incredibly mixed population of peoples from all over the world- some days we don't even feel like we're in Canada, we're the only ones speaking English! Wonderful markets and a strong artistic community. Everything feels very accessible (except maybe the real estate!), and we've been lucky to meet some wonderful people as well. We were lucky to have met a couple in NZ who live here and they have been amazing, helping us meet their friends and find great things to see and do. It's everything we were hoping to find in a home, in a place to live, a place to start a family and a life together. Even the 38 days of straight rain in January didn't scare us off. The constant green and beautiful sunny days compensate for the wet weather.

We both found jobs in the first week, fell in love with the second flat we saw, and have already started to talk about our future being in this place. We will still travel the world and spend time exploring all around us, but having a place that we can come back to and be in love with is such a treat. I am so lucky in so many ways, but this just tops the cake! I've taken a long, twisted, and sometimes bumpy road to get here, but wouldn't change a thing. Everything has happened as it was meant to and I am so grateful we took the chance and came here. And we love showing it off, so let me know if you're coming to town!!!