proof of work: book themed baby onesie

here's a snap of a silkscreen project i made for book loving friends with new babies. photo courtesy of my friend sally, and her charming model baby ben.

honest to blog

ventured south last week to visit my folks in arizona. as luck would have it, the universe presented me with my very own answer deck fortune. the last time i was in the motor home i had the deck out and was doing readings. two cards slipped under the "slide out" (code for mobile living room that appears upon the push of a button while parked) and didn't reappear until i was back in the trailer. the fortune? journey and judgement. the journey makes sense in a motor coach, and in the bigger picture of soul searching journeys and such. the judgement one makes sense too since it was paired with an image of a mountain set behind a forked road. fitting as that is a snapshot of the landscape we travelled on last week and i am trying out some new health stuff and deciding between the old and the new in many ways. oh and zest -- you'll laugh when you read this -- the vulnerable card that turned up on your question of whether or not you should take the job had a baby carriage on it. makes sense for a mat leave! i think it was telling you to take the job! the pictures do indeed add to the fortune.

also found a battered up ace for my pocket in the desert and was told by a stranger that i am a "hummingbird." will have to look that up! thankfully i didn't get stranded at the airport with all the snow storm cancellations and delays. it was lovely to get a bit of sun and a break from the sky high snow banks and ice.

leaping for lizards

today is an official leap day, i love the idea of someone having their birthday today and only having their birthday every four years. would be nice in some ways if you could skip the aging part along with it, though you might want to wait for that until your twenties. apart from that, is there anything else special about today? would we feel different if it was already march 1st? just a technicality i suppose but feels like a bonus round, similiar to that extra hour on fall back or the lost hour on spring forward. oh the silliness! it is like the bermuda triangle, a wrinkle in time and space. makes me feel like leaping... you? is there a cake for leap days, did you bother to bat an eyelash at the oddity of the day? i wonder if any culture does anything special today? fill me in if you have any rituals on leap days. the lizards part is a tribute to arizona, land of the gecko -- where i'll be heading next week.

found: kickass karaoke request

found this entertaining discarded request form for kickass karaoke in my hood.

The first rule of Kickass Karaoke is
You don't talk about Kickass Karaoke.

The second rule of Kickass Karaoke is
You don't talk about Kickass Karaoke.

The third rule of Kickass Karaoke is
Only one request in the queue at a time.

The fourth rule of Kickass Karaoke is
If you leave the room before your request is called,
You cancel the request.

The fifth rule of Kickass Karaoke is
No shirts, No shoes.

The sixth rule of Kickass Karaoke is
If this is your first time at Kickass Karaoke,
you have to sing.

On the backside of the request...

Your Name: Pamela
Song Artist: Blur Song #2

No, it's not my first time here, was checked.

this in a world where Fight Club meets the Gladstone Hotel, obviously. as you can see, I have broken rules 1 & 2 so sadly, i am not a card carrying member of Kickass Karaoke, not to be confused with KKK. i love this neighbourhood! long live Queen street, may you rise above the ashes and return better than before.

the funny arrived

this week, out of no where, the funny arrived. when asked if i wanted a spelt cracker. i replied, no way, i didn't sign up for that! like there was a sign up sheet for spelt lovers on the fridge. for valentine's day, you're the x, to my o. when asked what my inlaws should wear to the costume party their former foes invited them to, i said, they should go as a fence! it was a week of quips, that's for sure. tomorrow, we're off to the inlaws for the day, stay tuned...maybe the funny will continue.

good luck: feist

responsible for inspiring these collected moments, just thought i'd give a shout out of good luck to feist who is up for countless awards of late, notably the grammy's tonight.

good flick: king of california

just rented this flick and was surprized to find it charming and original. normally i am not the biggest michael douglas fan but he dives into this character with wild abandon. all the oscar noms were long since picked over and we stumbled upon it. it is a story about throwing caution and good sense to the wind in search of buried treasure. who doesn't want to believe they will win the lottery this time? there is something to be said for living on the side of hope and faith.

hibernating

i can see why bears sleep thru the winter, in caves. don't get me wrong, there are moments that i love the winter wonderland, the dusting of sugar on the trees and rooftops. but lately, i would rather avoid the slush, snow banks, and black ice in favour of long stretches indoors. had a long uninterrupted sleep the other night and noticed the improvement. does this make me less Canadian? or maybe more? maybe we all kind of grin and bear our way thru the season, on snow days and on dry days, as best we can, without judgement.

good find: curly girl design

a friend sent me this site: curly girl design today and i have to say i love the design, it is fresh, creative and whimsical, an indulgence. take a peek, just for fun. i could see myself buying stuff from her. tshirts and cards, good combination.

fortune telling: contagious

hmmm...who knew this stuff was contagious? dN predicted our naturopath was pregnant this week. he has suspected for weeks and kept asking when she was going to let us in on her big news. she just reached her 3 month safe zone and let the cat out of the bag. i have to say i didn't dream it and didn't suspect a thing. maybe i'm losing my touch, relying on the cards too heavily.

snow day!

most of ontario has been hit by a wicked winter storm today. loads of snow to freezing rain, rain, more snow...schools closed, flights cancelled, accidents on the highway...the forecast is like a jilted lover, all over the map - wicked in every direction! i can imagine all the school kids loving the snow day and excuse to stay indoors watchig movies all day. thankfully i haven't had to venture into it, just keep listening to the play by play on CBC radio. happy to be warm, safe and sound indoors. take good care, be safe everyone.

indulgence: CARE by Stella McCartney

100% organic, free from chemicals, environmentally conscious...CARE by Stella McCartney makes sense to me. it is definitely not the cheapest stuff but luckily i was able to snag samples of two of the elixirs, the 5 benefits moisturizer and the night & day cream from Holt Renfrew today. i bought the full size cleansing milk. this is a total chick post, sorry fellas...just thought i'd share my most recent girlie indulgence. i only wear make-up on special occasions but i do like to take care of my skin, especially in the dead of winter. so far so good. savour the deluxeness.

to sleep, perchance to dream

confession: i have a habit of waking up too early, too frequently or i wake up with racing dreams about work and seem to wrestle with trying to squash them, reroute them to greener pastures. in those early hours between 4am and 6am, there is also snoring to contend with...from the other side of the bed. if i was sleeping soundly, the snoring wouldn't be a problem...i'd sleep right through it. i have tried meditation and restorative yoga, relaxing playlists, natural remedies and chamomile tea. new parents are a brave bunch, how do they do it? i am going to conquer this. advice welcome.

clock stopped: 12:45 am

we have a clock in our crashpad that has begun stopping at 12:45am. we reset the time and it works fine until it gets to 12:45am again. it is like it has a mental block. while this may seem ho hum to most, i wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something? is this foreshadowing? it is funny because i didn't realize how often i check the time until the clock broke. insights welcome.

laugh track

my old laughter meditation class fell apart in the fall and i have been wanting to find another to fill the void. sunday, i tried one. it was a half hour laughter meditation held in a yoga studio around yonge and eglington. i was the only one who showed up. i could barely understand the teacher but was amused by his mannerisms. he suggested lots of belly laughs and facial expressions. he had the craziest laugh, very contagious. during the meditation, he recommended watching the thoughts come in and then simply letting them pass without judgement. trying to control thoughts or judge them just makes them hang around longer. it felt great to laugh again, i was so out of practice that 15 minutes of laughter seemed to drain my air supply. the studio was trying to disguise its' corporate shell with electric orange walls. it is a pretty far trek for me for just a half hour class but we'll see. i need to keep searching for solutions. laughter is the finger print of the soul.

your answer revealed

ok Zest, here is your e-reading for the question: If, offered should I take the job?

PAST
Brown haired woman
Good fortune

PRESENT
Power
Frustration

FUTURE
Growth (the card was upside down though, so it means the opposite of growth)
Ending
Inspiration
Stop! Look! Listen!

OUTCOME
Vulnerable

the cards don't lie, hope this helps. i had to smile at the brown haired woman in your past that came up.
if anyone else has any burning questions, ask away!

fortune telling 101

on the edge of 2008 i thought i would exercise my predictive powers with the answer deck. send any lurking questions and i will attempt to exercise my fortune telling skills. answers will be revealed in good time. put a rock in your pocket and a leaf in your shoe.

the definition of calm

from a tunnel of darkness, the light breaks thru and invites us into pools of many a splendor. a pool dedicated to flower petals, another to echo, then heat, then ice. we swim through another corridor and part chain metal curtains to emerge in an outdoor pool set in cinematic glory amid peaked mountains. copper taps host torrents of water from deep within the earth. i loved the layers of rocks that lined the walls and the way the cracks of light slipped down the layers making you forget everything else. it was like time stood still. floating on your back and gazing up at the electric blue pockets of light above, it was the definition of calm. a temple.

i thought i would start 2008 with a best of 2007 snapshot. the year had its' challenges, but it also had moments of stillness and reflection. here is a furtive snapshot taken from therme vals in Switzerland. a thermal bath we visited to celebrate my birthday in august. anything is possible, the new year is set out before us. collect the moments, folks.

snow

december has rolled in officially. i suspect it will be a hectic month, so likely to be another pause in posts. savour the ruby of the season. peace to one and all!

tribute: black mamba

here's a pic of dN's fixie: black mamba. ain't she a beaut?

tell your mother you won't be long

stumbled upon a few photos from my files that may provide a distraction from chilly winter moments. a mini virtual vacation.

hop on the bus gus

make a new plan stan, no need to be coy roy...just listen to me...random, yes!

slip sliding away

first snow of the season, black ice reigns the sidewalks and streets. i have fallen flat on my ass, twice in the last two days. sheesh!

long time, no blog

haven't felt inspired to post lately, so i thought i'd get back into things with a shadow pic from the summer. i was obsessed with the shadow tattoos witnessed across the hood, this one is out front of our crash pad. leave the substance for the shadows, the fortune teller says. happy tuesday.

remember november

november arrives in the stealth of darkness, a quiet creep of cold along your neck. the last golden leaves kicking around seem like last call at the bar. a cafe latte never seems as cozy other months of the year, especially when it is the last bit of warmth before you brave the cold night air. i am not sure if this is an imagined state or reality, it is the way november sits in my mind. snow hangs in the air like a question mark...will it appear today? there is calm in this november and peace, the elements have no control over that. i just keep thanking the universe for all the warm souls who have arrived alongside me lately, i feel like someone is looking out for me and it feels nice. maybe it is my grandma.

trick or treat

on halloween, let's take this opportunity to remember the crazy costumes of our youth. i had a phase where i was edible items...a jar of jelly beans, a pack of gum, a carton of fries. nothing healthy, go figure. my last official year of trick or treating i was a bird -- wore this hoodie coverd in felt feathers with a plastic beak. ironic given my recent run in with a fine feathered friend. in the early years, all i can remember are the converted pjs into clown costumes. sorry no pics but feel free to share your loot. ;)

caution: bird above

ok, folks file this one under strange events that happened while working. most folks know that i spend a portion of my working life doing usability studies, usually in the homes of willing families. so yesterday, i show up to test a few games with an 11 year old girl. she invites me in. we enter into the lair that is the family computer den. she invites me to have a seat. above me is a bird cage, seems harmless enough. we start the session and when the zingy zapper games music starts playing, i hear the loudest SHREEEEEEEEEEEEKKK! that startles me out of my chair. I look up, yes, the bird. so i ask if we can move him, perhaps. she says it's too high for her to reach and her father and mother have departed. so the subtext, is deal sister...the bird stays. a few more minutes pass when i look up and notice that there is a shower of feathers and white floating stuff softly falling on my head. supposedly bird feed, but let me tell you - i am guessing feathers and bird crap too. EW! revolted I jump up and madly start brushing the stuff off. it's even in my HAIR. newly washed so extra absorbant. we move my chair to the other side of the computer where i narrowly escape having air hockey handles jab into my back. better than bird doo. later as i walk back into the safety of my abode, my husband calls out to me...You've got that bird stuff all over your butt! of course, schmarmy 11 year old girl never mentioned this on my way out. ah, such a glamour job, I tell you. such GLAMOUR.

power

we had two power outages yesterday. one around 4 for a few minutes, then another around 5:30pm until about 8pm. the neighbours gathered outside their darkened homes collectively scratching their heads and wondering. we went for tapas in kensington and then came home, lit candles and waited the darkness out. it's funny we kept calling home to see if the answering machine would pick up, a sign the power was back on. kind of like, hello darkness? are you still there? there is something sort of fort-like about these emergency measures, like a secret space in time. i kept a mini flashlight beside the bed just in case. we laughed when the power came back on, the beep of the fire detector, the answering machine...all waking up from their slumber.

good friday

just counting my blessings today...dN brought me the sweetest bundle of mini calla lilies this morning and my mum called to invite me on a belated birthday mum & daughter day in yorkville on sunday...spa + lunch + movie. savour the deluxeness!

early bird

went for an early morning breakfast get together yesterday at the gladstone hotel with an old friend. we had the place to ourselves, a glorious corner seat, soaring high ceilings and smooth lattes. the food was ok, but the company was stellar. it is a good sign when you leave someone's company and feel inspired and energized...i am really noticing the drainers vs. the uplifters lately, trying to edit the time spent with drainers wherever possible. energy and time is too precious to spare.

more absurdity witnessed: scattered white substance

crazy chinese lady next door is back to her old tricks. this time, there is this rank unknown white crystalized substance scattered mid lawn to mid sidewalk. a long haired black chat was seen investigating and nibbling at the stuff. it seems like a cross between detergent and moth balls, some kind of radioactive salt. possibly poisonous? is she warding off bad omens or just sick of Tide? you be the judge.

politics

my fellow Ontarians know there was an election and a referendum last night here. before the vote, none of the debate discussed the issue of MMP. why? because it wasn't in the interest of the loudest parties at the table. ironically the only time i heard a suscinct description of MMP by a newscaster was after the vote. today, our new premier declared "overwhelming" support for the status quo. "Ontarians want to move on to other issues." did he even mention MMP once during the election? no. so the overwhelming majority of underwhelming voter turnout made a murky decision.

give thanks

what am i thankful for? sunny picnics on warm october afternoons with my soul mate. good friends and the way they thread themselves into life so seamlessly. good health and good belly laughs, they go hand in hand. the love and support of family, they may have their moments but more often than not they rise to the occassion. the zen of autumn leaves in all their shades. country pies from country stores. enough work to keep the bills paid. our evolving house -- the original work.in.progress, proof that hard work pays off. a world full of characters who always seem to have a story or lesson to share. wisdom that comes with age and keeps on giving.

best picture 2007

my favourite movie pick so far this year, is into the wild. a very genuine, rugged, soulful movie...the antithesis of hollywood. reminds you to go out and seize the moment, live life to the extreme and savour the happiness you share with the important people in your life. but of course, all this sounds trite. the picture is not. plus alexander super tramp is bona fide eye candy paired with supreme acting chops. see.this.movie.

flashback: lotus moon cake

the day before my anniversary, and the Chinese Moon festival still captures the imagination. read the original post here.

According to another legend, on this day the "Man in the Moon" was spotted at an inn, carrying a writing tablet. When questioned, he said he was recording the names of all the happy couples who were fated to marry and live happily forever after.

Za

heavenly. had the BEST morsel of pizza last night at Terroni's on Queen. they had a special pizza on the menu with buffalo mozzarella, zucchini flowers and anchoivies. perfection. ahhhh...

xo

from my new favourite book, Letter Perfect. The A-Z History of the Alphabet. by David Sacks.

"The custom of writing X's for kisses in signing off a letter dates from the Middle Ages, when much of Europe's population remained illiterate. On legal documents, in lieu of a signature, a person might write an X or the sign of a cross. The signatory would then kiss the X, to promise to stick to the agreement. Over later centuries, the written X came to mean not the signature but the kiss."

g love

on this official day of galloping, here's a tribute to the letter g.

globe.geography.godzilla.gigantic.google.
goof.grin.good.gal.gem.giggle.gorgeous.
garden.grandma.guest.gelato.gene.genome.
gasp.gadget.gospel.groom.gulp.
girl.giraffe.gala.gondola.give.gourmet
grant.
gorge.gone.glimpse.galoshes.groovy.

national galloping day

i hearby declare tomorrow national galloping day. went to my laughter meditation class tonight and actually galloped like a kid during part of it. worked wonders on my legs and soul. tomorrow i plan to take galloping breaks thru out the day. even the word brings a smile to my face. hard to take anyone seriously when you think of them galloping. now i just need some galloping galoshes and i'll be all set.

technicolour dream

went to a medicine buddha session this week, my first ever and found the meditative chanting and technicolour room adorned with Buddhas...completely surreal but oddly soothing and calming. we sat on cushions on a hard wood floor, with a long wooden bench/table in front that housed the book of chants so we could follow along. at one point there was a refrain, i believe 108 repetitions...honestly, it was candy for the mind...my mind tripped and gurgeled along with the soulful sounds. it was like visiting a chapter of heaven you'd never heard of before. the room smelled of incense, fans cut the hot Indian summer evening air. words, especially in English, don't do it justice. sublime.

Paris 2054. Live forever or die trying.

cool flick: renaissance. black and white animation but very a scanner darkly, this is a definate one-to-watch.

artifact found: campaign sign

an extremely large candidate's sign appeared on our front lawn this morning. without warning. i always thought they had to ask your permission first, but apparently not. perhaps we were on a list from the previous owners of our house, but still. it's funny because there were smaller signs they could have chosen, but no we got the BIG one. so now i guess we are keeping our neighbours wondering, as i am sure they noticed the huge sign and now we've removed. now even if i was considering voting for that party, i might not based on the sheer rudeness of unauthorized lawn domination. has this happened to anyone else?

look up

i can hear the roar of plane engines above and can only assume the blue angels are back. may they do an extra twirl for lady di today. i can't believe it has been ten years. watched a documentary on the unravelling news surrounding her death last night on cbc. shocking really. such a waste. she always seemed like the royal with the heart. enjoy the last long weekend folks, the weather is supposed to be nice here.

just another manic monday

wish it was sunday. isn't that how the song goes? i can not believe that next weekend is labour day. i may just wear white every day this week in homage to summer. can't wait for laughter meditation class tomorrow night, it will have been almost a month since my last. i am listening to gospel music at the moment, looking to the heavens for inspiration...

the secret sauce

en route to my grandma's funeral i sat next to a fabulous spirit. i asked for aisle but ended up getting a middle seat and the funny thing is that she had just said to the guy on the end, maybe we'll be lucky and the seat will stay open the whole trip. then i arrived. i forget how we got to talking about happiness but i remember her saying - I could go today...meaning she was happy with the life she's lived and lives and doesn't need an ounce more if it's not meant to be.

so i asked her, what's the secret sauce?

she laughed.

and then she said, after some thought...

"I want what I have."

and...

"surround yourself with quality people."

what's a quality person? i asked. "well, it's different for everyone but you need to figure out what your definition of quality is and then surround yourself with it."

i really felt so lucky to sit beside her, it was like one of my deluxe cabbie encounters. philosphy is everywhere if you just take the time to look.

back in a jiffy

there will likely be a pause in posts over the next few weeks. don't worry, i'm fine. it's summer -- go have yourself a popsicle or take in a neighbourhood wander. will blog as i get the chance. thank you for stopping by. love and peace to all my faithful readers. all 5 of you.

gone but not forgotten

sadly she passed away last night. i fly out tomorrow night to be with family and friends for a celebration of her life. the stories will come pouring out i am sure, over martinis i hope. just wanted to say thanks for all the well wishes, it was muchly appreciated. i am sure she is grinning up a storm over it in a cyber cafe in a corner of heaven. you wouldn't believe the high speed access there! incidentally it is also my blog bday today.

finder of four leaf clovers

my grandma could use a bit of good karma, prayer, and well wishes right about now. she's sick in hospital in critical care. here's a pic of her just last summer when she visited. it's at the drake. she hates photos of herself but i love this one of her. she is a definate free spirit, always finds four leaf clovers, and celebrates her birthday with a martini every year. she is the kind of person who likes to seek out wild flowers and make bouquets, totally has a creative, artistic streak. back in the day, she had a flair for wild hats and leather pants. there are just so many great things about her. she is sweet and a total original. thinking of you grandma and wishing you the inner strength to get thru this tough time, i know you have it in you.

road trip'in

sometimes you just have to get out of dodge, you know? take the road less travelled, amble further than you would on any other saturday. audrey and i did just that this past weekend. we went across the border to a place with trees like cathedrals, pathways dotted with fairies and angels, and welcoming porches with a beckoning lake just beyond. of course, no road trip would be complete without the roadside diner experience -- in our case, dinner at bob evan's. it's like denny's only slightly more upscale, lots o'meat and freshly baked country biscuits with a pat o butta. we played this game on the way home where we pointed at stuff out the window and yelled out random words, so instead of house it was freckle, or instead of street lamp it was chia pet.
the exercise was supposed to free you from your dull, predictable state of being, make everything seem brighter and crisper. try it. i didn't think it would work but it did! totally frees up your mind to make new associations. i think this would be a good exercise to get someone out of writer's block. anyhow, the weekend was a lark. definately glad i went.

once

see.this.movie. if it is possible for a musical movie not to seem cheezy, here's the proof. here's one movie where it make sense for the songs to be there and it really shows the collaboration and creative process for song writing in a convincing manner. it is quirky, feels authentic. a beautiful unconventional story that doesn't cave to convention. the lead is an irish musician and the music -- great. itunes was sold out of soundtracks when we checked out the site after the movie.

lucky seven

07.07.07 Can you just feel the luck oozing from today? i'm hoping i am the 7 millionth person to write this on a blog in cyber space. bring it on baby! bonus points for 7 comments, i know you can do it. even if holding expectations on numbers seems kinda silly it sure can be fun. welcoming all lucky or unlucky seven stories...

on fire

lean too close to the flames and you will get burned. this week, at laughing meditation i scalded my hands on spilt tea, also burned my tongue and my lip on the calm cool sounding white cloud tea.then wednesday i left a hand towel on a still warm burner (for thirty seconds) as i was making some ancient grains on another burner...what's that smell? smoldering, smoking, burning hand towel. totally smoked the place out. had to throw the burning towel outside douse with water, turn on all the fans and open all windows and the door. i even ran the shower for a bit hoping the moisture would remove the cloud of smoke lingering near the ceiling throughout the place. a day later, it still smells like smoke in here faintly. yeesh. whatta week. thankfully these were just small misfortunes, really it could have been worse so i thank my lucky stars. still, seems kinda funny these two burning moments so close together...maybe the universe it trying to tell me something.

brush with schmarminess: sarah polley

drake patio today around 5pm: we spotted sarah polley kicking back with pals in a great pair of sweet retro shoes i might add. she was wearing this bold print dress and had her hair pulled back for any fashionistas who might care about details of this sort. it's funny because i feel this kinship with her because we both tried on wedding dresses together at the same shop on queen back in the day. of course, i am sure she doesn't remember but it's a nice memory and it's the dress i ended up getting married in so it stuck in my mind. maybe she was a good luck charm? happy canada day folks.

fortune teller instincts strike again

had another hunch about a good friend with child! it actually almost got me in trouble because i mentioned the hunch to another friend who took my hunch as fact. sorta pre-leaked the news in a way. thankfully it didn't get too out of hand. but it was wierd because i had no idea, but really felt sure of my hunch. i will try to conjure up a notion of the sex of the baby and see if i'm right. i'll have to keep that part a secret until the arrival.

hot unda collar

temperatures soared, tempers flared. i felt zen most of the weekend but witnessed some firecrackers around town. at my laughter yoga class this fiestly 83 year old cranked out so much that my teacher up and left class and decided to take a few months sabbatical. i ended up racing after her and we did some tai chi on the grass together and then had a nice chat. she totally didn't deserve the lack of respect but she felt good for not taking it and i was glad i could cheer her up a little. it will all work out in the end. thank goodness our laughter meditation class is drama free, it's just the saturday laughing yoga class that is kicking up a fuss. how ridiculous is that? it's about laughing for goodness sake! then today, we went to the beach and in the very full parking lot this guy was standing and holding a parking space for a friend when this other car proceeded to drive into him, yes drive into a person. parking rage! it all happened in slow motion but the standing guy got so mad he kicked the car and started yelling. not sure how it all went down with the cops. we were lucky because in all the fuss we ended up getting this good parking spot as another car was leaving and there was no competition for the spot. hard to feel glad for too long because of all the drama. geez louise, why can't we all just get along?

little old ladies

went for a walk today and had to laugh at the little old ladies hosing leaves etc off the side walk, it's like a rite of passage for that demographic. brooms outlawed! another thing that made me chuckle was the crazy lady from next door. there's another pyramid of salt on the walk out front of her place, this one strategically placed at the far corner, almost at the doorstep of our house. warding off some kind of vermon i am sure. maybe she knows who took the boots?

a mile in your boots

dN had a pair of old stinky construction boots outside our crash pad's door. upon returning from our father's day visits we came home to find that someone had taken the boots and replaced them with a black pair of imitation crocks. such a funny thing, especially with tales of urban robin hood in the hood. who takes stinky boots and leaves a pair of replacements behind? in the same position by the door, no less. how bizarre. we imagined a world where his boots had a tracking device and we can see who decided to walk a mile in his boots. did they actually expect him to wear the crocks instead? the considerate thief. ridiculous thief because the reason the boots were outside to begin with is the stench factor. stench-ola. festerville. what do you make of this?

late night film shoot

on the doorstep of our crash pad, there was a huddle of a film crew saturday night. it will be an independent film about an urban robin hood. we got the heads up from the continuity girl who was perched on our neighbours steps before the shoot began. they also shot in the alleyway between this house and next door, as well as some of the lane ways in the hood.

heaven meets earth

this week my laughing yoga teacher taught us this breathing exercise called heaven meets earth. sounds like pure poetry, doesn't it? well imagine it to the scent of steamed peonies...dreamy. we breathed and hummed in unison. we capped things off with a cup of white cloud tea of course. this week was surprizingly calm (despite a heavy work load) with the exception of hellish friday. my tuesday laughing meditation class lingered 2 days afterwards. friday, however, the xl gods were against us and a 25 minute quick fix ended up corrupting a file, the previous version i had saved did not include 8 hours of work. what a reminder to always save back ups! anyhow, the rework is thru, so the storm has passed. i met yet another one of my philosopher cabbies today -- his message today: always be happy. health is the most important thing. i left him a good tip for reminding me. ;)

mango + raspberry

it's officially popsicle season. my favourite flavours are mango and raspberry, they come individually wrapped and they are the definition of bliss. now all i need is a pair of flip flops and i'm set for summer.

guilt tripin'

the theme of late is the remains of a Roman Catholic upbring: Guilt, with a capital G. those damn guilt muscles were exercised to the form of an olympic athlete. i remember this hellish math teacher from grade 7 who guilted me out for losing a test before my parents had a chance to sign it. she would not except a note in place of the signed test. even though i got an A on it. for weeks, she laid on the heat. and yet, who did i voluteer to help after school, who did i make breakfast for in home ec? hellish math teacher, of course. i had nightmares about this woman, i kid you not. guilt causes so much unnecessary stress and really if you do somthing because you were guilted into it, doesn't that undo the niceness of it in the first place? i say, down with guilt. life's too short. it is not like we will turn into karla holmolka if we don't have it in our lives. i'm going to set my guilt-dar to sensitive and fight the urges as hard as i can. anyone with comical stories of guilt wrecking havoc or advice on smashing it out of your life, please do tell.

what's your kidnap word?

went to bookclub this week and laughed a howl when one of my fav members let it be known that "medieval times" was her kidnap word - meaning the word she'd use to let someone know she was in danger if you happened to call during a kidnapping or some other catastrophe where the bad guy is pointing a knife or gun at you. why? because she wouldn't be caught dead at medieval times, much less wearing peach! so in that way it is perfect because, she wouldn't ever suggest going to medieval times in a normal, rational state of mind. it's a code word for CALL 911 NOW! one of the other members pointed out that it might be hard to work that naturally into the conversation but you'd find a way, i'm sure. i'm trying to think of a good kidnap word myself because you never know when you'll need to use it. ;)

june bug

summer is beginning to sink into my bones. this weekend we toured the city in search of light spectacles as part of a festival called Luminato. (or should i say thinly veiled marketing opportunity er festival) we also read on a beach and at a marina, despite the overcast skiies and loom of rain. toured artsy spaces with friends on saturday. ate japanese food and fell in love with vegetables all over again. feels like the beginning of june is the start of summer goodness. definately feels like we need to hold on to it and savour it.

deluxe

as you know, this is one of my favourite words. wishing deluxe-ness on the world today.

happy birthday

it is my favourite person in the world's birthday today! can't imagine my life without him. the image of a grin sweeping over his face starting at the eyebrows fits this post, you'll just have to imagine it. just thought i'd shout it out. xo~

shut up & sing

in case you haven't heard, this is the title of a film about the way the Dixie Chicks dealt with the right wing back lash when Natalie Maines spoke her mind and said she was ashamed the President was from Texas on the eve of the war in Iraq. i thought the chicks were brave and handled the matter boldly. it must have been very tough to face that heat. personally, the story speaks to me. i feel like much of my life i've been expected to shut up and apologize for speaking my mind or having a different view point. this is the way it is in my family, it seems. i usually try to deflect and defuse conflict by making everyone laugh or telling sentimental stories. i can see the value in "making nice" because sometimes kicking up a fuss just leads to more grief and angst. in the end, would you rather be right or happy, peaceful even? i guess in the Dixie Chicks case, they took a break and then came back to say it again. this time, the message wasn't as shocking and the context had changed. it is interesting because two very American qualities were at odds, supporting their leader and freedom of speech. both highly valued. anyhow, thanks Dixie Chicks for living out loud so bravely. it helps us all.

fresh

back in action, just distracted trying to fit five days into four this week. the liver cleanse was an experiece, good in the long run I am sure. no photos of stones to report, sorry Zest. almost wished there was some cosmic stone in magenta to report. can not wait for the weekend, sleeping in and doing nothing. have a great weekend everyone!

ancient grains

on day 3, there was amaranth. day 2 millet, day one quinoa. this cleanse is teaching me how to eat, but i have a way to go before i am an expert. need to learn the tricks with these grains to give them their due. today i cooked amaranth for 45 minutes, the instructions called for 20-30 but it didn't taste right so I left it longer. the steamed veggies and alkaline broth definately feel like clean energy, good for the body. the grains have an abundance of goodness too and keep you full for hours. it is a lot of work, but we're almost past the mid point. who hoo!

rooibus tea + rain

laughter meditation class was deluxe last night. we started the class with a cup of rooibus tea, tasted sort of cherry and fragrant. there were only two of us there but the gibberish exercise and the laughter meditation were my favs. with only three of us there you would think it would have been quiet but somewhere deep from within, huge belly laughs chased one another up into the sky. even the thunder roared along with us. flashes of lightning added sparkle too, egging us on, daring us to keep going. i laughed so hard, it hurt. literally. who knew a rain storm could be such fun?!

e.x.h.a.l.e

you know that feeling, that relief...when a huge weight is lifted from your shoulders and you can breathe, and laugh and perspective is finally within reach. life isn't perfect, nor is it always kind but it feels good to let off some steam once in awhile. i feel grateful (or greatful) for all the gifts that have come my way, especially lately -- both the obvious ones and those in disguise. it's like some of the dots are connecting and my emotions are detoxing along with the rest of me. i am out of practice in this dept. what can i say? i am truly a work.in.progress. collecting the moments, both sunny and cloudy and movin' on up. it feels brave at times, fiasco-like at others. i will be stronger from all the changes, and it feels good.

i am starting a one week liver cleanse tomorrow for health reasons. it's alot of vegetables, grains and apple juice. it won't be easy but i think it's long overdue. we'll see what happens, the end result is a bunch of stones full of salt and toxins -- toxins I've been carrying around inside my hard working liver my whole life. that's a metaphor I am sure. once you start seeing metaphors in life, they just keep coming and sometimes they are laugh out loud funny. like having constipation at your inlaws, sorry to be crass. that wasn't the case this weekend, but still -- it's an example. hope that made you chuckle. thanks for listening. bonus points to anyone brave enough to post a comment. i could use the support. that feeling that someone understands.

take that universe

the anthem of fighters, sing it sister.

my moon my man

love, love, love feist and this song. don't you? sublime.

silver lady speaks

there are times when it feels like the universe is saying Talk to the hand, girl. this week is definately like that. woke up to jack hammers that sounded like they were in the office early monday morning, it was like the theme song for the week. it's just been the small stuff, but it is almost funny how one after the other hassles have lined themselves up. hopefully the sky is clearing now. i feel like this silver lady pic speaks to the universe, saying RESPECT and then socking it to me. yeesh.

the doors

the excitement this week was the arrival of... wait for it. our new front door(s). double door, in fact. here's the work.in. progress captured for all to see.

before...


during...


after

the jar of pickles whispered

openned the fridge this morning and heard this sound "shhhhhhhhhhh...." i leaned in to the jar of soy whipped cream and thought maybe something had gone awry with the spray bottle. the shushing continued but this wasn't the source. i leaned closer and realized it was the jar of pickles. our fine traditional polish jar. how bizarre!

strange trash

wish i captured this on film. the crazy lady next door left 5 fans on the sidewalk as trash this week. she has the tiniest house, was there a fan in every room or is there some feng shui ritual involving fans that i am not aware of? she is a woman of the elements. first water out the window, then mountains of salt on the sidewalk, brooms in the window, now fans. any theories?

gather round

here's a snap of the grill on our lower level fireplace. i love the intricate detail, imagine the stories it could tell. snowy nights with the crackle burning behind it, rosy cheeks and chatter gathered round. stockinged feet lounging along side. makes you ache for hot coco and a good book. anybody have any good camp fire stories to share?

tattoo dreams

the angels invading my dreams have a funny sense of humour. last night the feature was all about deciding to get a tattoo on my face. the word soul beneath my eye, though i considered deluxe as an option and a few different symbols that had meaning at the time, one incorporated a cross. there was some sort of peer pressure on the tattoo until i finally realized i could say no and that plain skin was more beautiful. george clooney made a cameo. we actually played this video game together, i think i kicked his ass. anyhow george agreed that no tattoos was beautiful. i considered getting the tattoo somewhere less obvious, at the nape of my neck but decided against it. the tattoo artist did a sketch of just an O below my eye to help me see what it would be like...it looked alittle marilyn monroe. i commented that it would work if i was Oprah or Olivia. silly me.

luck

friday the 13th, the eve where mischief and hooligans make off with the jewels in life. good luck turned inside out. managed to escape catastrophe today, though my brow has furrowed itself into quite a crankola knot. any advice on ways to chase these blues away? i am sure this too will pass. i hearby summon the sweet angels of lady luck to soothe away any foul spirits from the weekend, to remind me of all the good of late and to keep on shining. today is the kind of day where i need to reverse any broken words that fall upon my ears.

obladi obladah

life goes on, alahala life goes on. as the wind chases your coat tails and you look up in the sky, the wind sighs knowingly and the spirit of spring makes itself known to the universe and you. i have been chased by crazy dreams lately -- lost on a film set parking lot where even zach braff's cell phone does not work for me. security guards hinder instead of help and different parts of my life mingle but it is like the dream soundrack for ill communication by the beasty boys. lots of missed connections and lost messages. here's hoping tonight sweet angels breathe a soulful kiss instead.

kickin' it old skool

this has been our expression of the day for the last couple of days. i woke up the other morning thinking of that expression "work is a four letter word" and then i was obsessed with thinking of four letter words that i love, like love, live, soul, sale, walk, sing, save, calm, grin, fate, face, eyes, kiss, rain, moon, star, give, take, make, eats, skip, cure, heal, bliss, oh that one has 5...happy easter all, sorry for the pause in posts, life.in.progress.

open wide

in the spirit of spring here is a snap of our work.in.progress sun room.

lucky pink sweater

i call this my lucky pink sweater because within hours of the sweater coming into my life, two new gigs came our way. who hoo! this week is going to be so deluxe.

3 minutes

wandered off the street into a gallery on ossington where they were taking names on a sign up sheet for a three minute relationship. there were several people waiting and the incentive was simple, there's hardly a wait right now. audrey and i looked at each other, are you game? we were not. i must admit i was curious. what happens in a three minute relationship? speed dating gives you 7 minutes I think. they were capturing this art project on film so maybe we'll discover the mysteries in a documentary some day. it was a surreal moment.

artifact found: a safe + a pot

artifacts found: a safe + a pot
someone left a safe and an oversized pot (minus the tree) outside our garage at the work.in.progress house. we think it was our portugese neighbour with the garbage conspiracy theories. he has a habit of leaving random objects around the neighbourhood. It's an odd pairing though. what do you think it means?

the death of cool: facebook

join my anti-social network, ASSbook.com yes, i am nursing my inner bart simpson in response to the latest craze of webbies, facebook.lately it seems to be on everyone's lips, are you on facebook? like there is this world of 1000 thread count sheets and lush living if only you join, show your mug, share your contacts list. the answer is no. i am not on facebook. i will admit to being tempted to see what the fuss is about, but i woke up the other day thinking what if there was an anti social network. one called assbook. i checked, and sure enough it exists. gotta love the web. i think the problem with facebook is that we graduated from highschool,and there is someithing so very uncool about aching to relive it, to cheerfully fill out your form and feel proud as your friends rack up. how about connecting with your friends in the real world, over coffee and talking to their yes, face. am i wrong here? i think the best way to find out your friend's status has changed from attached to single is over coffee chat, a walk, a gallery hop. the very sentiment of you're missing out on so much fun, makes me want to head for the hills, embrace my inner bart simpson, call a friend, go for tea and cupcakes. never mind that facebook was cool to the people still in highschool, ages ago. touché.

hope springs eternal

there was a hint of spring in the air yesterday, warmer weather, melting snow, sunshine blasting. here's hoping the weather is a sign of good things to come. we'll weather the storms and arrive on the other side in sweet, savvory spring.

soul survivor

went to my first laughing meditation class tonight, it was the inaugural class with only 5 in attendance. we started with a cup of mint tea. there is no talking and a chime of this bowl from tibet signals change to the next exercise. there was this great gibberish exercise which was so fantastic. a cacaphony of chitta chatta non-sense, we were re-setting our brains, making room in the attic, messing with the pull of the brain into constant internal conversation and commentary. i imagined these wacked out faces in a cafe, speaking in a language i didn't understand, parts of their faces blurred, even a penguin appeared. we laughed a medition, hummed and there was an exercise where you were encouraged to be the kid let run wild in gym class; a wild animal of laughter with no rules, no eye contact. it was crazy but fun. it felt more soulful then our regular saturday class. there was one moment in the class, in the darkness and the stillness of silence that i felt -- this is the first time i've been truly alone. like i was floating in a black hole. it was like all emotions were on pause. i didn't feel scared or worried. i felt calm but outside my body and personality. it is like exercise for your soul. we ended with a quick cup of mint tea and headed back outside into the cold, dark night. the subway attendant let me thru with 5 cents shy of my fare, he was listening to "sitting on the dock of the bay" which seemed quite perfect. i also overheard 'eleanor rigby' enroute home and sang out loud with it. the soundtrack of my soul, perhaps?

bonnie + clyde

two pidgeons moved into our work.in.progress house via the chimney. they were trying to get out of the cold but once inside they tried to make a quick getaway and the windows baffled them. dN nearly jumped out of his skin, thinking he was alone at the house when all of sudden he heard them cooing. he chased clyde out and bonnie disappeared into the rafters. we left a window open to aid her escape. did i mention we are in a super chill out in TO these days, minus freakin' 30 with the wind chill. no wonder the birds needed to a place to crash. fly blackbird fly, into the light of the dark black sky.

out loud

finally bothered to fill out the profile for this blog. it's an odd thing, i like to fly under the radar most of the time but decided to see what life would be like on the other side. it was only mildly painful filling it out, feeling like i had to fit into the blank spaces, we'll see who finds me via the new profile. welcome if you are new to the site! i may have to mess with it abit. so far life out loud feels pretty quiet. ;)

after the storm

a high-as-a-house tree was struck by lightning and fell across our street, making mash of a parked car's trunk, blocking the street from traffic. the sidewalks alternates between skating rink and melting crunch. march definately came in like a lion, here's hoping she's out like a lamb.

snow day

there is snow and snow and more snow falling from the sky today. walked half a block and felt like i braved the elements at the north pole, my hat was covered in snow and my glasses fogged over. above, there was a huge clap of thunder then the street lamp I was walking beneath lost power. are these signs? i may need to stay inside for at least 24 hrs. all this fuss about the weather reminds me of snow days when i was a kid. growing up in sudbury, we actually had to dig out our front door occassionally from snow and we survived the odd bit of snow in june. then again, people i went to highschool with actually snowmobiled into school, parading their YAMAHA gear around the halls with pride. i used to make snow forts in the woods complete with ice couches made via multiple thermoses of hot water. it is funny because no one ever cancels anything because the weather is too hot in the summer, it is nice that we get these built-in excuses in our canadian winters. and it's officially march, spring - yeah right. long live the snow day!

elixir

shout out to elixir organic spa on king near bathurst. they offer food grade facials, synthetic free fabulousness! it is a small shop, but the vibe is good and the owner is really nice and very open to offering advice on other good health and wellness services around town. my skin seemed to say -- ahhhh. thank you, as it soaked in the aroma-filled goodness. so nice to know that eveything they used, i could eat. i went the day before valentine's day, it was a gift from my mum from christmas. very lovely.


Check out this gem: http://www.elixirspa.ca/

oscar fatigue

anyone else sick of the oscar's before they even begin? i am having flashbacks to last year, that hung over feeling at the end -- thinking that was just one marathon promotional commercial disguised as an awards show. easier to catch the red carpet highlights in the trash mags and the acceptance speech goofs on youtube. maybe it is just that none of the best pictures really have my vote, though many of the others i've seen in the race leading up to hype night were good. ah, long live the art house pic!

the year of the pig

happy chinese new year! let me look into your future, i see many a sweet and sour pork dish there. the year of the golden pig. supposedly, this golden swine is good luck. likeable even. however, because it is the year of the fire boar apparently we're in for some major climate or political struggle this year. they should have waited to release charlotte's web until this year. maybe charlotte would have wove a warning into her web. some fire pig! last night we had fun looking up our signs on wikipedia and learning about our inner and secret animals. they are determined by the month and hour of your birth. so apparently i'm an inner monkey and a secret ox. i had no idea it was at least a four part process. take that western zodiac... i do love the idea of having an inner monkey though. cracks me right up. oh the mischief that awaits an inner monkey in a fire year. all kidding aside, the more i think about it, the more i am beginning to see the chinese new year as a second chance on new year's resolutions. a fresh start, take 2.

rattle and hum

woke up this morning to hear the rattle and hum of something clattering about in the furnace room. landlord is on the case. went to yoga this morning and made a mental note to remember the lovely sunshine streaming thru the space. a yoga mum came to class and actually left her two boys in the basement to play while we tried our best not to hear them upstairs. i guess it was a PA day or something. right as we were about to go into corpse pose, one of the boys peeked his head out asking his mum if he could get his mittens - it's cold in the basement. she said, no, you don't need them. just 10 more minutes for relaxation. kinda funny really. i think that is an example of not being able to have your cake and eat it too. anyhow, the clatter in the furnace has now been silenced. it is friday, lovely friday. can't wait for saturday!

and best picture goes to...

The Fountain by Darren Aronofsky. went to the vintage rep cinema, bloor cinema, last night. there is something perfect about the big band music booming before the show, the red curving walls, the worn theatre chairs, the heavy velvet curtains pulling up to unveil the picture. this is the way watching a movie should be, forget buildings shaped like space crafts or rubix cubes. perhaps it is that the theatre reminds me of castro theatre in san francisco which is even more dreamy, complete with wurlitzer performance and tons of architectural drama. anyhow, that is just the set dressing to tell you about the main attraction. the movie. so beautiful, heart-breaking, stunningly innovative. i can not believe it was not even nominated. obvious politics at play, damn you brad pitt. it is timeless. in fact, the movie spans 1000 years and examines love, death, the meaning of life, the boundaries of science and faith, the fountain of youth...it's amazing, especially because the visual effects were made on the cheap with magnified droplets of various liquids and substances -- makes you feel like you're traveling thru space as it has never been witnessed before.

bonjour bri-ROACH

one of the nice things about working for yourself, is that sometimes you get to have a little slice of saturday on wednesday. i had a breakfast meeting at bonjour brioche yesterday morning. this popular East end brunch spot is difficult to get into on the weekend, but mid week there is elbow room to spare and the same delish features like salmon scramble with rosti caviar, horseradish and creme fraiche alongside fresh baked bagette. i even treated myself to a cafe au lait, in a bowl no less. deluxeness. only one small problem. ok, two small problems. after i had cleared my plate, my meeting pal who was sitting facing the open kitchen leans in and tells me he just saw, wait for it... a roach scuttle up the wall. i quickly turn around to see one of the kitchen staffers spraying something on the wall in question with a paper towel. my meeting pal must have a stomach of steel because he still put away two pain au chocolat which he ordered from the pastrie window where he had spotted another roach nestled in the goods. insane! anyhow, i wish i knew about the bug problem before i ordered. i felt like it was my civic duty to alert my fellow foodies, to tell you to stay away until they have fumigated. yeesh.

pursuit of happyness

Martin Frohm: What would you say if man walked in here with no shirt, and I hired him? What would you say?
Christopher Gardner: He must have had on some really nice pants.

watched this flick and felt inspired. the trailer doesn't do it justice. makes it seem cute-sy and hollywood when it is actually quite genuine with a good story. it was also set in SF which brought back lots of memories especially since our first days there were spent in the Tenderloin area where the Glide church is, Canadian dollar at an all time low. you actually feel the financial pinch alongside Chris; along with the shame. will smith's character is well drawn, he never blames anyone for his tough time and he never plays the pity card. brave, brave.

also saw Children of Men, clive owen is fabulous. i love the way the future isn't that different from today --just has a few technological advancements, different politics but it is believable because it is almost like today. you can feel the sorrow of a world where children no longer exist. this makes the film feel so vulnerable, it is very personal, yet the future of the human race is at stake. i have to say that i have been loving the oscar noms this year, haven't been disappointed yet. still so many to see.

perfection

still savouring the deluxeness of this perfect saturday. woke up, dN read some cool articles from Wired magazine aloud, then I ate homemade guacamole and corn chips for breakfast before jetting off to laughing yoga class. best laughing meditation yet, lots of crazy laughs chasing one another up into the sky. felt like my soul opened up and basked in the collective glow. next stop, chinatown for mother's dumplings. a slice of heaven, i tell you. wandered queen, coffee in hand with my pal audrey. came home all flushed and cheery from an afternoon of laughing punctuated by good stories & insightfuls -- watched xfiles with dN and my brother-in-law under cover of sleeping bags. leftover hot and sour for dinner. tonight? a night out at the movies. another oscar pick, children of men. (couldn't convince the boys to see dreamgirls, sorry zest...it is next on my list i swear) my apologies if this post is alittle catalogue-y but i felt i had to record it in the order of progression, almost like you couldn't describe a meal with the appetizer last. ahhhh...namaste.