Inspired

Moving out, Moving on.

Where is....?   Have you seen the....?

Those are the most frequently repeated words around here these days.  We have boxes packed for storage, boxes packed to move to Meghan's place and boxes packed for short term storage at a friends place, just in case we might need them sooner.  Chaos reigns! 

Actually, it's fairly organized chaos but I'm fondly remembering the few times I've moved when everything was done by movers...all the packing and moving...and the only thing required of me was to lounge around in a hotel while the hard work was done by someone with far more energy and muscle than I! 

We move out today but still have a few days to clean and tidy up the garden.  I'm thrilled that there will be a young family moving into our home and the house will be full of life.  Trees will be climbed and marshmallows will be roasted outdoors on the fire.

.....

8 pm. ...OMG, what a long day it was, but we did it!  The puzzle for me is...why have I felt so happy all day to be leaving?  I've never felt this detached from a home before and I've had lots of them! 

There's an excitement within me that comes from taking a "jumping off of a cliff" kind of leap of faith...with the absolute knowing that no matter what (and there are lots of unknowns), I'll fly.

Interesting.

Springtime on Moss Street

Moss Street is Victoria's favourite street at this time of year.  Its lined with clouds of pink blossoming cherry trees for block after gorgeous block. As they begin to fade, the petals fall like gentle snowflakes forming a carpet of soft pink "snow" underfoot.

Each year when I see this lovely spectacle, I thank the early residents of Victoria for their foresight all those years ago .  They planted a legacy of beauty for those of us who follow, not to mention a healthy and supportive environment for birds and wildlife.

 

Reflective thoughts on this, Earth Day 2009...

Begin each day by being comfortable with yourself as you are, regardless of what you think of your contribution to the earth or to humanity. Acknowledge that you are an integral part of a changing world and that every thought, intention and action you take, matters. Change the world as you see fit or not at all. Thoughtless problems and solutions are temporary; however, thoughtful solutions are permanent. This is because when you realize the cause of the problem consciously, you will not have a need to repeat it or be intimidated by it. Ask to be part of any solution that interests you and, as you become this, grant yourself the wisdom and compassion to share the knowledge with others. That is the gift everlasting.

Pepper Lewis, The Peaceful Planet, 2008

The Eagle Has Landed...and hatched!

Last week under the watchful eye of a mother eagle (and the rest of the world), three eagle eggs hatched in a nest in Sidney, on Vancouver Island.  A web cam was placed close to the nest far in advance the event and the world watched eagerly as the chicks hatched over a period of almost a week.

Hancock Wildlife Foundation  (click on this link to view the webcam)

I thought you might enjoy this "eagle eye view" of the chicks as they grow up.  Their mother is usually with them but she often flies off in search of food.  It's a live web cam so if the picture is black it's not malfunctioning...the sun has just set in Sidney!

It's interesting to watch her feed them (she was just ripping apart a star fish a few minutes ago) and they'll grow quickly at the rate they're wolfing it down!  The nest is just a few miles from my home.

(The Hancock Foundation has another webcam located a few miles north of Sidney on Hornby Island.  The eggs in this nest haven't hatched yet.)

Minimalism

Meet the beautiful Fawn Lily that grows wild in our forests on the pacific coast.  She's dainty and delicate, loves the shade and is also known as Trout Lily, Dog's Tooth Violet and Adders Tongue in other parts of North America.  Yesterday, while we were trying to decide just where to situate a house on our new land, I noticed that they're in bloom .  They won't survive the clearing and digging when building begins, so I'm going to rescue as many as I can before the chaos begins.  They may not all survive but I'd love to save as many as I can.

We move at the end of April and most of our belongings will be put in storage for the duration.  We'll be living with my daughter Meghan and her family for 2 months or so  and then...we don't know yet, but it won't be traveling as we had previously thought.  By the time we arrived home from Mexico and living out of suitcases for two months, we knew we wanted...needed...to stay in one place for awhile.

The packing is well underway as is the process of "mentally" leaving and separating from this place that has been our home now for eight years. (the longest either of us has ever lived anywhere!) Although we've loved living here and the home has so many wonderful memories of good times with family and friends, I'm more than ready to leave and start the next chapter in our lives.  I'm excited to be packing up all this "stuff" and feel lighter already!

I'm thinking I could easily become a minimalist, but I'm not sure it would last!

The House

Who slept here before I came,

who lived in this room

how did it look

was it the same?

Was there a girl or two,

a little boy?

A house filled with toys,

with joys,

with dreams…

Or was it just a lonely place

with empty beds

and silent rooms.

Was it always filled with gloom?

And did the house

long to be loved?

Was there a girl who danced and sang,

a dinner bell that chimed or rang?

And did anyone

ever stand

right here

as I do

now?

(unknown)

This old house...just a cottage really...is the site of my new home.  We've bought a small property...much smaller than we now have, and not far from where we now live.  It's across the road from the ocean, or rather an inlet of the ocean.  The cottage on the property has been empty since the 1950's and is now derelict with the roof caving in, so the building will be torn down and a new home built.  A smallish home with a very modern design.

It's neither where I thought I'd be living or what I thought I'd end up building!  It's funny how you can be blissfully walking down one road and then realize you've skipped over to another, completely different one.  It's not that I'm not happy with it...it's just a surprise!

I rather like the idea of clean modern lines and decorating in bright colours.  I also like the idea of a roof top deck with views of the water. 

It's a funny old thing, this life we live!

Q52 - Manilla Tag Mini Journal

 

Just before I left for Mexico in January, I mentioned that I thought I would take part in Emily Falconbridge's Q52 mini art journal.  Emily poses a question every week and the idea is to create a small visual piece of art on a manilla tag (or an ATC) with journalling on the back and then put it all together to make up a tiny art journal.  Emily used manilla tags and I had some on hand too, so that's

 

Q52 Mini Tag Journal cover

what I've been using.  Because we've been doing a lot of travelling since January (I just got back from the interior of BC, for a visit with my father a few days ago) I haven't actually been doing one each week, but when I've had the time.

Q52 - #1 What are your wishes for 2009

  They're small, quick and simple but it's been giving me the creative fix I need and haven't had much time for.  I've also being working almost solely in digital because that's the most portable medium!

Q52 - #2  Are you afraid of change? (front and back)

Emily ask's a question each week and the back of the tag is perfect for journalling the answer...big enough to write down my thoughts but not big enough that I feel I need to get wordy (who me?).

 

Q52 - #3 Do you believe in fairies?

There's an eclectic mix of questions and I'm finding it fun to do.  I love slipping them on the ring when I have each one done and enjoying them as a collection.  I'll be posting them as the year progresses

It's Easter Sunday and raining here on Vancouver Island.  It's not cold but the Easter egg hunt for the little ones may be a bit soggy!   Wishing you all a lovely weekend ,where ever you are and what ever you're up to.

SoFoBoMo

 

While I was in San Miguel de Allende last month, I was invited by a local blogger to get together for coffee.  We (and our husbands) had a great, albeit short, visit at Starbucks one morning...and yes, there's even a Starbucks in San Miguel, located in yet another of the town's numerous tranquil courtyards. 

With a shared interest in photography, Billie told me that she was planning to participate in SoFoBoMo this year.  I'd heard of NaBoPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)  NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) and NaSoAlMo (National Solo Album Month), all with active online participation, but I had never been tempted by any of them.  When I heard about SoFoBoMo, I knew I'd not only be tempted, but I'd fall hard! 

Solo Photo Book Month is a group event where a bunch of photographers all make solo Photo Books in one month, start to finish.  To quote the official SoFoBoMo website, "the goal is to make the photos, write any needed text, layout the book, and produce a PDF image of the book, all in 31 days. Rather than confining it to a single calendar month, we use a 'fuzzy month', where you can pick any contiguous 31 day period inside a two month window - this makes it a bit more flexible and encourages broader participation.

  

Don't let the PDF part intimidate you, as this can be done through an online publishing company like Blurb.  The "month" can be any 31 days from May 1 through to June 30.

Although I haven't actually signed up yet, I'm almost positive that I will.  The teensy, weensy, teeny, tiny bit of reticence on my part is because I'm moving at the end of April and not sure yet just where I'll be living during May and June.  (more on that later).  I don't want it to become a stressful obligation.  So....we'll see.  But I really, really want to.

If you've always wanted to publish a book of your own photography, this could be your chance!  Let me know if you decide to jump in. 

April's Narrative

April

I am here to bring you hope; 

for sunshine,

for warmth.

for renewal,

for new beginnings. 

Allow me to awaken your barren inner reaches. 

Allow my raindrops to slide over your body and fall to your feet. 

Allow me to nurture and nourish your footsteps as they walk now in new directions. 

Allow me to shower you with hope, with love and with promises of joy unfolding.   

Trust that you would not be asked to blossom if it were not so. 

Trust that your unfolding will bring beauty to all who behold you.

Do you not see your own truth?

It blossoms now before you

in elegant perfection.

Kate Iredale

I invite you to stand outside in the spring rain, with arms outstretched and let April wash you with her assurance of new beginnings.  Open to it.  Feel it.  Accept it.  I did it today and it felt great!

Illuminating Mystery

While I was in Mexico this winter, I received an email from Christine Valters Paintner of Abby of the Arts, asking if I would be interested in participating in a publication that she was in the process of putting together.  I immediately shot back a response with a resounding "YES!"   (Finding a hi-res copy of the work and emailing it from an Internet cafe in San Miguel de Allende, is another story that I won't go into here!). 

I met Christine in person last summer when I met up with a group of bloggers from the Seattle/Olympia/Bellingham area for dinner and a book signing at Borders for Patti Digh's book, Life is a Verb. (I was also thrilled and honoured to have some of my artwork published in Patti's book).  Christine is a thoughtful and talented writer, artist, spiritual seeker and spiritual leader.  She has authored many reflective art journals  and various articles for spiritual magazines.  She is also the art editor for Presence, an International Journal of Spiritual Expression. 

Her first book  Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening and Awareness was published last year in 2008.  She is also a talented photographer and if all of that isn't enough, Christine regularly leads retreats which integrate spiritual formation and contemplative practice rooted in the Christian tradition, together with the healing practice of the expressive arts and the cycles of the natural world. 

In this, her second book Illuminating Mystery, Christine has collaborated with several of the artists who participated in her Sacred Artist Interview.  She wove the art together with her own writing while developing the theme of creativity as a spiritual practice.

I was both thrilled and humbled today to receive a copy of this beautiful and insightful book in which Christine elegantly connects the artist's works and their words while giving voice to the mystery of the connection between the artist and the sacred muse, and the magic that results from this connection.

I feel incredibly honoured to have been included in this work.

Thank you Christine!