smokin'

how does one complete the most deluxe fall day? with smokehouse chicken and ice cream, that's how. the day was gorgeous. fall leaves in their full rich colour, warm sun that felt like August, porch chatter with all the neighbourly charms. great company. as the sun set, dinner was on my mind. if you are a meat eater and live in toronto, you must try this place. even the sides were sublime. (no mayo potato salad and green beans). we had to share the last chicken because they were sold out but every last bite was worth it. smokey freshness, bbq heaven. in a word: incredible.

thank.you

for the moral support, that arrived in my inbox, comments on the blog and in person visits. you guys are helping me through this quest and I am so grateful. i am lucky to have your love and encouragement. i know that all the coaches will make the difference. thanks for believing. appreciated.

coins + snow forts

i have been meaning to capture these memorable dreams for awhile. they felt like they were worth saving, a snapshot of my state in this moment. ideas welcome.

coins
dreamt i was going to a benefit and was stalled at the door trying to get the admission fee together. there were these beautiful coins, smaler than a penny but the colour of a dime. one had an ornate 7 on it. very dainty and magical. i lost track of the task at hand and was consumed by the artistic merit of these coins. i even wondered whether the Italian lire still existed, these were coins worthy of the italians.

snow fort
i was an adult but a friend called on me to play. we went outside and were gleeful at the site of this open air igloo. no top but blocks of snow and deluxe snow couches.

ass backwards

today was a tough day after a few weeks of languish. bad habits and short cuts galore. tomorrow is a new day. kick it into high gear. moral support welcome. most days I put on a brave face. the only way to get the happy ending i want is to stop the damn self pity party and become the heroine I know is required and write the story myself. no one said it was going to be easy. seize life, go after the goods. you.can.do.it.

food for thought

listen to the Oct 19 podcast of the next chapter. this ted talk also fed the fire this morning.

opera by candlelight

the power went out on our street tonight. darkness enveloped the house and the entire street. made the gusty winds rustling in the trees seem spookier. dN lit some bee-z wax candles and sure enough, the muse, the opera singer on the other side of the wall, decided to take the darkness as an opportunity to practice. the faint smell of honey was a nice touch...the lights came back on and the spell was broken.

life is but a dream

i have had many vivid dreams lately, here are the highlights. all insights welcome.

the green library
i dreamed dN and I were applying to OCAD and we snuck into their library prior to sending our application. the library and all the books were painted green. there was a collection of students there clipping stuff from various books for their applications. it was a tough crowd, they were convinced we wouldn't get in. i was going to make a choose your own adventure collage type book as my entry. the deadline was 7pm on friday.

picking perfect vegetables
i was at a deluxe grocery store and the whole dream was about selecting the perfect, healthiest produce. garlic, mint, mushrooms, stuff to make lots of salads and stirfrys. i didn't sample any of the fare but couldn't believe my luck to find such good stuff.

the township of olive
i was poring over these maps/architectural plans of this utopian village. sort of cottage country meets italian hill towns. beautiful typography. the plans showed shops to buy figs, bread, and of course olives. julia roberts made a cameo. she was telling me how olive was the type of place she liked to ride her bicycle around and watch sunsets from her dock.

obama makes a cameo
obama and i were trying to get bookclubs started in schools for all subjects. the idea was to start interesting conversations early and expand the topics covered in the curriculum. i was tutoring some of the kids on their recycling projects.

special forces

this post is for a special soul who has inspired me and continues to coach from the sidelines like no other. her son Mark (26) Corporal of the USMC will be dispatched to Afghanistan today and she needs all the prayers and thoughts imaginable to bring him back safe! he will be over there for 8 months. join.the.circle.