One more sleep...

Well, it's been 5 sometimes long/sometimes shockingly short weeks since I saw my George off at the airport to go on his 900 km pilgrimage in Spain. I didn't know what that separation would feel like or if the time/distance might make me feel differently. I guess my biggest fear was that it might make him feel differently.
Well the good news is, I believe it has done that to us both. Even before he left, there was a new sweetness there in anticipation of our separation. In our time apart, that feeling has only deepened. Through our facebook "chats", I believe we've discovered even more about our love and friendship. It's that, yes, we want to continue sharing our lives together and that experiences shared are even that more precious!
I'm certainly not suggesting that he wishes I was there for his walk. That was his journey...his dream. But I think the knowing that we'd be together at the end helped him too. Tomorrow I will fly to Madrid to meet the love of my life! I can't wait. I believe there are great things in store for us both and we are blessed to have our love and desire to share those together!
Ciao for now, my friends! Thanks to all for your love and support.

Oh yeah...Go Spain Go!!!

Signs of Love are Everywhere!...Even in Galapagos

Nature is our best teacher in life.

Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning, and under every deep a lower deep opens.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Love and Hope abound! Here are some hearts I found during our journey through the Galapagos Islands and some other images I thought you might enjoy...
Happy Wednesday to you.
Coming soon...blue-footed boobies!

How Was Your Weekend?

This weekend George and I tuckled in.
We had about 50 trick or treaters (after being warned of 100's) so have a LOT of candy left over.

Sunday turned out to be beautiful and warm so we headed off to Robert's Creek beach. Such a great day!

Check out my flickr page for some more pix.
Hope you had a lovely weekend!

The Time, It is Flying!

I'm not making apologies anymore about my lack of blogging frequency. Typically it means that I'm busy enjoying my life so I'll catch up when I can, ok? Geez, I don't know why you have to give me such a hard time! :) Oh right, that's just me giving me a hard time.

I hope you all enjoyed the sun as much as I did this past weekend! It was so healing and warm. One of G. and my favourite things to do on a weekend without houseguests (and sometimes with houseguests) is to go on driving adventures. Yesterday we hit another jackpot. I still can't believe all of this beauty is right at my doorstep!

We drove down to Robert's Creek and picked up a couple of peanut butter balls and drinks at the Gumboot Cafe and then walked down to the water. Instead of just going to the end of the road like we usually do, we went down the side path and onto the rocky ocean front. The tide was quite a ways out so we just walked and walked - through what seemed like acres of seaweed and kelp beds which led to hundreds of brilliant purple starfish basking in the hot sun. They were absolutely everywhere! A local expert joined us on our journey - we named him Simon. He lost interest when we didn't share our peanut butter balls and wandered back home.

Of course, there were also heron, seagulls and eagles to keep us company.

G. spotted this baby wolf eel and carefully carried it to safety.

Driving further down the lower road, we next discovered Robert's Creek Provincial Park. Who knew!?!

As our stomachs were starting to grumble and G. was itching to get back to his new bbq, we finally found someone to fill our propane tank on a Sunday and headed home to enjoy our yard and the view. (The cruise ships are now part of the 7pm-ish show)
...and on a quick side note - Barbie took me for my birthday lunch last week (I love celebrating my birthday whenever I can!) at an amazing new French restaurant on Cambie called Pied-a-Terre. If you have an opportunity to splurge anytime soon, you must try it. They have a set menu for lunch which was reasonably priced and the food? Well, we couldn't stop ooh-ing and aah-ing the whole meal. Soooo good! Here's a glimpse of our dessert.yummmm!

Skookum Day!

Every once in a while the universe blesses or gifts you with a day that reminds you that magic exists. A day that makes you fall in love with the world, your honey and yourself all over again. Today was my day! We drove up to Skookumchuck Narrows where Jervis and Sechelt inlet meet. There's an easy 50 minute hike from the parking lot to the narrows that takes you through a mossy forest and past a beautifully calm, pristine lake.

We watched the sea lions surfing the waves and saw pinky purple starfish and anemones tucked into the rocks. We sat and canoodled with the sun on our backs. We drank beer and ate burgers at the pub while watching the hummingbirds battle it out for their chance at the feeders. We sang at the top of our lungs to Cat Stevens on the windy car ride home.

Happy Easter weekend to you, my bloggy friends. I wish you magic filled days and nights!

more pix from my flickr page...

Sunset from Ocean View Drive

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”
Rabindranath Tagore quotes (Indian Poet, Playwright and Essayist, Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, 1861-1941)

George and I went for a walk around the block at the end of the day yesterday and he captured this on his blackberry! So many more to come...

Hope you're having a fantastic week!

The Life of a Super Model (tongue planted firmly in cheek)

Got up at 5am yesterday to prepare for a full day in the city. Caught up on business stuff in the am and had a nice late breakfast with Barb at Helen's Grill on Main & 25th. I was soooo cold from working in the back room at the store and the lovely owner did everything in her power to warm me up from sitting me right in front of the heat vent, turning the heat up and bringing me a steaming pot of tea. I felt very taken care of (and oh so much warmer).
That seemed to be the theme of the day - being taken care of.
At 1 pm, we were scheduled for our photo shoot for the cover of the March issue of Today's Vancouver Woman - read Barb's account here. We were surrounded by strong, intelligent, competent women (including our own manager, Brandy) who's sole purpose was to help us look our best. It was pretty fun and also, as Barb mentioned, hard work. Not complaining here - I'm honoured to be given the privilege of having this experience and live to tell the tale:) You really do start to feel like somethin' special tho', when you've got so many hands available to you - hair, make-up, buckling my shoes, smoothing that crease! I can see how this might go to someone's head - not mine of course! I was brought back down to reality pretty quickly as I was tearing off my fake eyelashes in the car on the way to catch the 7:30pm ferry.
Once we arrived home, exhausted and pretty hungry, George decided to surprise me by heating up the split pea soup I'd made the day before. Unfortunately, the elements on our new stove are waaay hotter than in our old house so the soup quickly became a burnt, stinky mess! I love that he cared enough to surprise me - and he cleaned up the kitchen so I didn't even have to deal with it (see the being taken care of theme here?) I'm so lucky. I can and do take care of myself - no concern there - but how nice to be thought of kindly, whether it's a cup of tea, the hot bath run for you, a gentle foot rub, or the truffle and glass of port delivered with a kiss at the end of a long and interesting day - yup, he did that too!!! My reality seems to suit me just fine - thank you very much:)

Countdown to Christmas and our Big Move...

I'm sorry I haven't been updating. It's been a bit of a crazy time full of reflection, memories, boxes, hours of phone calls coordinating phones/tv/hydro/movers, dreaming of our new space, facing fears of this huge change, early family holiday celebrations and tomorrow, a funeral service for our friend, Sanjay. I'm sure there's never a good time of year for this kind of event but doesn't it just put all else into perspective, right now?

I wish you all a love-filled holiday season.

Happy Love Thursday!

My love is in Paris, the city of love - tourist-ing around with some girl from the US of A that he met at his training session there and I'm trying hard not to be jealous. Good thing I trust him with all my heart. Maybe my jealousy is more about wishing it was me walking there beside him, holding hands, looking up at the Eiffel Tower from so many points in the city - Yes!...that's what it is, all right!
It's good sometimes, tho', to have these 'apart' experiences. We get to reconnect at the end with fresh eyes, new stories, appreciation for what we've created together and the wisdom gained from spending time on our own. I can't wait for that part:) I'm sure I'll have some of my own stories to share with him.
Happy Love Thursday to you all. I wish for you many special moments of love!

Warning - extreme graphic violence!

Well, maybe I have an unusually sensitive psyche but this movie disturbed me for days after seeing it. It wasn't something that I'd been looking forward to seeing - it was a free movie matinee through a friends' work. (I'm not mentioning names here to protect the innocent:) I'd never heard of it and had no idea what we were in for. I'll tell you what we got - incredibly violent and graphic violence from the first scene to the last. I almost walked out half way through but it would have disrupted too many people (in hindsight, I should've just left anyway). The storyline was actually interesting and the acting definitely impressive but did the close-up, graphic, blood-splattering violence enhance the movie in any way for me? Absolutely not! The movie? Pride and Glory Just so you know...

And now for something a bit lighter - It's Love Thursday...so take a moment today to say thank you, smile at the stranger walking towards you on the street, lend a helping hand and embrace the love that surrounds you! Happy Day to you...

Happy Love Thursday!

I don't have a lot to say other than...feel the LOVE...from me...to you!

Check out Shutter Sisters for more LOVE today.

Here's a quote...

"It's so easy, To think about Love, To Talk about Love, To wish for Love,

But it's not always easy, To recognize Love, Even when we hold it.... In our hands."--Jaka

A Stranger Friend...

Every day I go and visit Jen Lemen. I only know her through her blog and she's probably never heard of me but there's something there most days that lights me up.
Her writing is eloquent, she shares deep with her thoughts and gives herself permission to stay there as long as it takes, she surrounds herself with people who nurture her and give love back, she went to Rwanda on a mission to help out her friend's daughter as well as thousands of other children in need of books full of love, she's raising children with such an awareness of the importance of this task, and she frequently challenges me to look at life with loving eyes, open arms and the patience to allow myself the time it takes. With thanks...

Things I Love...Happy Love Thursday!

1. fresh cut flowers
2. clean, fresh sheets off the clothesline
3. lazing on a sunday afternoon...
4. watching people meet up or say good-bye at airports
5. a good, crazy night of dancing
6. the satisfied feeling after a run or a long walk in the fresh air
7. the smell of dirt in the summer
8. my mom's home-made buns and borscht
9. shoes, shoes, shoes
10. sailing with my george on a sunny afternoon (and napping on the boat when we're done)
    
11. giggle-y days
12. talking "like we have company" (I'm stealing that one from my grandma)
13. new magazines (a bit of an addiction)
14. those quiet moments when you realize how noisy your life gets
15. hearing stories about love and compassion (it renews my faith in humankind)
16. soweto gospel choir (how can you not be blown over by this powerful music?!)

What do you Love??? I'd love to know...

In Search of Hearts and other Inspiration...Happy Love Thursday!!!

I went in search of hearts yesterday and this is what I found...

Happy Love Thursday to you all.

And...to my George...ma tanu piar cardi!!!

Happy Love Thursday!

I haven't taken any heart pix lately so I'll just show you what warms mine...

Check out Shutter Sisters for more warm fuzzy...

I said I'd post so...here ya go...

Grandma’s stories…(as read at her 90th birthday party celebration)
I remember grandma being a part of my life in a big way when she and the family moved back to BC after grandpa died. We had a pretty small house in Yarrow at the time and several of them moved in with us until they could get settled into their own home. I was in kindergarten, going into grade one – I had red rubber boots. Lucy was going to be in my school! It was all an adventure for me. Before their arrival, I only knew my other grandma and didn’t know that they came in all shapes and sizes. My other grandma was "grandma-like" with permed grey or blue hair, kinda short and pretty quiet. The day the family arrived, I couldn’t believe it – this woman was tall (at least to me at the time), had long black hair, and did not fit any grandma image that I knew. She actually fixed her own car! I was so excited to get to know her.
I never tired of hearing grandma’s stories. This is how I learned important things about our family’s history, their move to Canada, my dad’s life as a boy and the hardships they all had to endure. After they all moved out, our families visited together regularly but my special time with grandma was always one-on-one. I was a bit of a clumsy girl and twisted my ankle a lot. Whenever this happened, we’d go over to grandma’s and she would get out the liniment and massage my foot until I felt better. Her hands and her presence were so strong and healing!
When we had an assignment at school to interview someone about their history, of course I chose grandma. I couldn’t wait to ask those burning questions like: what did you eat when you were a little girl? What did you play with? How did you come to Canada. What was it like for you? I couldn’t get enough of her stories!
My biggest and fondest shared experience was getting to go back to Mexico with grandma in 1983 for one month. This, for me, was a trip of a lifetime. She has always been one of my favourite traveling companions (George is in the top two!) She graciously shared this journey with me which on many occasions meant also sharing a bed (we won’t talk about the snoring), translating conversations (I didn’t speak any German), and comforting me when I became homesick. At the time, I didn’t even appreciate how this could have been difficult for her – and she certainly never gave me the impression that it was.

Grandma taught me to love and appreciate travel – how to pack a suitcase (always roll your clothes), and how to take any situation as it came and make the best of it. I love you Grandma, thank you for your stories !

Can I bottle this feeling???

This past weekend will go down as one of the more magical moments in my life experience. I got to re-connect with some family members that I had such special bonds with when I was younger. I spent many, many hours in my girlhood singing with my aunties and cousins and we got to recreate that all this weekend - but even better. Saturday night was spent singing our hearts out in my uncle's basement - 3 part harmonies, blended voices, magical sounds, connecting spirits! I will hear those voices in my head for a long time with so much fondness and love!
Grandma's birthday party went off without a hitch (except for the part where we almost started her on fire by putting a bunch of sparklers on her cake - not a good combination with 'vintage' polyester!), I said my speach with much difficulty (so much emotion) and about 100 people came to honour her and the gifts that she has brought to so many lives.

I can't quite figure out how to explain my feelings/thoughts other than to say, these are 'my people'. They look like me, sound a bit like me, have similar mannerisms and thoughts as me. Being with them all again and hearing our voices singing together was so powerful!

When I'm away from all of this so long, I forget that feeling of connectedness that's feeds my soul. I'm welcomed into this group and surrounded by loving arms. Sappy, I know.

My aunt and uncle who hosted the after-events all weekend are so gracious and giving - they have the perfect party house with a basement full of musical instruments, a bar, many rooms for sleeping and a kitchen that welcomes all who enter. There were so many things that reminded me of the past, but even better, new memories were created. I'm a different person now and I come to these experiences with such different eyes. I get to put the pieces of the puzzle together - the history of who I am and these people that are all part of that creation.
Now I just have to catch up on some sleep!

Happy Birthday to You...

This weekend, we're celebrating my grandma's 90th birthday. 90!!! And she's going strong. We have over 100 people coming to the party in Chilliwack. I've written a little blurb to say at the event which I'll probably post after the fact. Please join me in honouring a wonderful and inspirational woman. Happy long weekend all! (my George is coming home tomorrow!!!)

My George - happy anniversary baby!

Well, as I mentioned before, my George is away this week and I'm missing him somethin' awful. Monday was our 18th anniversary and he wasn't here to mark it with me - we'll have to celebrate when he gets home!

My George is my...
best friend,
companion,
travel partner,
support system,
lover,
sharer of dreams,
massager of feet,
and the best cuddler in my world!

It's Time to Give Back...

I've had a great life so far and things are going pretty good! One thing that I find missing these days tho' is a sense of giving back. I used to spend a good amount of time volunteering for one thing or another and I benefited in so many ways from all of those experiences. My goal for the near future is to make that a priority again in my life.
Today, I've decided to loan some money to a fellow entrepreneur in Cambodia who is a weaver through the KIVA organization. Here is her story - http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=56273
Here's some info about KIVA -

Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.
Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.
The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.

Have a wonderful day everyone and if you're walking down the street - smile at the person walking towards you - it will make a difference !!!