Reconnecting...

I just re-discovered my blog and have been having fun reading my little life snippets.  The world of blogging got complicated for me for awhile so I had to stop.  What to share? Why was I sharing? It got fuzzy so I took a break and only shared through Bodacious.  Now,  I'm feeling compelled again to write.  I love looking back at my pictures and insights/experiences.  It's really mostly for me but I also think it's a nice way to share some thoughts and moments with others who are in my life.  Facebook does that too but in a different way.  Let's see where this leads...

Finding Beauty...

Mostly I don't like graffiti but there's something about this picture that I absolutely love! Probably has a lot to do with the colour of the paint. What do you think?

Shifting Gears...and listening to the universe!

My most frequent phrase used these last few months is, "I guess the universe has other plans for me". I thought that things would look different right now. I thought I was ready to move on and do something new. The universe had other plans. But, you know what? That's ok. I'm rejuvenated and excited about the future again. I love what I do and maybe I just needed a kick in the pants to let me know that I'm not quite done on that journey. In the meantime, I'm not putting my life on hold until...
I used to do that around my weight: I'll wear that swimsuit when I'm thinner, or I'll go kayaking when a miracle happens tomorrow and I lose 20/30/40 pounds.
I'm moving forward with some other projects that will only enhance my life and make me a more happy, healthy and grounded person. I'm more focused on the goals and clearer about the path. That's gotta be a good thing - right, universe???
Check out my "Pretty Please Boutique" page on facebook.

Sinead O'Connor - This is to mother you

10 Years Ago a Dream Was Born...

10 years ago at the beginning of October, bodacious was born.
10 YEARS!
that's just under a quarter of my life.
it's 1/2 of the time i've been with my george.
it's 10 years that changed my world.

i never knew what the business would look like or how it would grow.
finding our first location, selecting the name (so exciting!), painting our new digs (gotta find those pix), our first sale (we still have the $5 bill framed) and thinking this was the best.store.ever!
and it was...to us (which is all that mattered).
we were revolutionary in what we were offering women and we heard that feedback all the time.

i never imagined the successes we'd have or the experiences we would share.
i also couldn't have known the challenges that owning your own business would bring.
sometimes it's REALLY hard. (today is one of those days:)
it's been a phenomenal roller coaster ride - just when we thought we had things figured out, a new challenge would present itself and make us rethink the plan. and we did. we grew with the business and it (along with the customers) guided us through. we worked through our fears and maintained a friendship through some very trying times.
but...that's life, isn't it?
it's a roller coaster ride through experiences that hopefully help us grow and become wiser and better functioning human beings.

there is a new chapter being written now.
our bodacious baby is nearing it's teens and needs some love and gentle guidance.
i'm not sure exactly what the plot is or how this book/adventure will end for me.
time will tell.
in the meantime, i'm going to appreciate the blessings and the growth and the support.
your support helps a lot!

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!!!

Gibsons Marina

gibsons marina

on a mexican beach...

i played around with some of my pictures today and am preparing to make some into greeting cards.
i love how this one turned out! this was on a beach in huatulco last april.

reflections...

as you may know, i sing in a choir. it's called 'threshold choir' - here is how they describe it...

The all-women Threshold Choirs honor the ancient tradition of singing at the bedsides of people who are struggling: some with living, some with dying. The voice, as the original human instrument, is a true and gracious vehicle for compassion and comfort. The choirs provide opportunities for women to share the sacred gifts of their voices at life's thresholds.

we've been singing together for about a year, learning songs, sharing our voices and preparing for the opportunity to sing at bedside. so far this year has been more about me - filling myself up with these wonderful harmonies sung with such love. learning to trust my voice and sing out. playing with the idea that i can sing and can even find the harmonies myself - sometimes:)

tomorrow, we move on to more learning. an all day workshop about taking the step towards preparing for that call. there was homework assigned via email. the "personal reflection worksheet" exercise came at the right time for me. it's time to be more reflective, look inward, answer some hard and interesting questions about my life and my desires.
some of the questions -

what or who inspires you? what is important in your life right now?
what brings you joy?
what is your source of strength?
what sustains you in difficult times?

and then there are the questions on mortality...
when you die, who or what will you be sad to leave?
if you had one month to live, how would you spend it?
my life has meaning because?

the one i enjoyed answering the most was
"write down some special moments you treasure in your life - would you like to share this with anyone?"

here's my answer but it's only the beginning
(such a nice trip!)
i'm sharing it with you:)

my high school english teacher 'seeing' me as a person and acknowledging that,
sailing for the first time in hawaii and lying on the boat with the dolphins under me,

committing my love to george in our seventh year of togetherness with our friends and family,

laughing so hard i almost pee my pants!
taking my mom to mexico,

family gatherings at my aunt and uncles' - so much singing!

swimming in the ocean in bali and pretty much anywhere else,

singing with my family at my grandma's 90th birthday celebration,

skinny dipping in gabriola,

working with my dad in his workshop (the comfortable silence),

holding g's hand while snorkeling in galapagos,

holding g's hand period!,

lying in bed listening to the birds,

putting on a wetsuit for the first time and feeling alive and free - just before swimming with the sharks!

singing with the threshold choir - the angelic harmonies and loving faces,


there’s so much more!