indigo blue

Flower picking.

A field of wild daisies near my home.

Thursday is upon us and that means a few things to me; It means I'll rise with the sun and pop off to work with a song, because the world keeps turning and people need us.  (Who needs you today? Cause that includes YOU.) It means I'll start a new book today.  I'll listen to this song a few times.  Cause I love it.

Does Thursday have a scent?  I think Thursday smells like naturally aged Indian sandalwood, with a hint of Moroccan rose. (It's got to smell good! . It's the day before Friday after all.)

Now some sharings (internet flower pickin's);

Want to watch a stylish old French film?  (Love her hair! She does too, combing it as much as she does.)

This is one expensive restaurant bill!

A place to exhibit your photography. Free.

Go have yourselves a joyous one, embrace those who embrace you, kiss those who kiss you, and praise those who need it.

xo

EDIT; I know the *new* Typepad has its niggles.  (Don't you love that word?) Anyway, I've become addicted to following.  Now I'm finding all these glorious writers and blogs...who knew?  What a pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow! Go get your free profile...then you too can follow along.  Such fun! :)

Her face is a map of the world...

 

...it's a map of the world, you can see she's a beautiful girl she's a beautiful girl :) {But then, so are YOU}

This  ...

is how I feel!~ 

I love when this song plays on the radio...I crank it and bee bop about quite happily!  (I love when a song can do that for me.)  The above photo was snapped by my mum on Sunday...we had a nice outing to the auction and then to the beach though it was freezing cold, one of the only low-lights of living in Canada.  The briskly snippy winds didn't keep my children from dunking their toes in to the water though.  Kids don't feel temperatures, did you know that? It's true. :) But as mum said, the day was good for blowing the cobwebs off!

I'm thrilled to be back to work this week, after a three week absence.  A lot has gone on in my world over the preceding weeks...as you well know already.  So it will be great to regain a sense of normalcy.  I'm also planning trips around here and there...and gardening at both places, unpacking, decorating and all the things that make a life.  :)  (I'll enjoy every minute of it) 

I've decided I've eaten way too many hamburger's already this summer.  I can't help myself.  Maybe I'm addicted?

Hmm, food for thought.  :)

Pop in to sea to sky when you have a moment, it's bursting with crimson and soft sandy walking paths. :)

Do you have a summer song?  What is it!?  I must know! I am hooked on this one too.  It's so much fun!  Shake your groove thing...the season is short, shorty.  Happy Tuesday  xo

Edit: At the risk of sounding preachy or the like...this is only slightly disturbing but...someone commented on Maryam's blog using the name "indigo", and whoever it was didn't link their contact info.  Please when you comment leave an email addy, and don't allude to be someone else.  Maryam responded to the comment, thinking I had written it.  If you comment, leave your information so people know your real identity.  It wasn't a big thing, just deceptive and that is one of my biggest pet peeves. Thanks  :)

Edit: Update! Indigo is a real gal.  She emailed me to tell me so.  Soooo, I suppose it is ME alluding to be someone I'm not. :) I couldn't click through on her name so I assumed it was a prank.  She is entirely sweet and what a name! I love it, naturally.  :)

Enjoy the day loves!

...and when they were up they were UP!

 (...speaking of UP, who loves Dug?  What a great film!)

I tell ya, not too much gets me down.  For long, anyways.  I am kicking some stuff to the curb these days.  Especially stuff that bears negative energy.  A storm blew through the other night.  Trees were downed, houses wrecked, and the damage was formidable.  Nothing like a good storm to clear the air.  (Twas a good chi cleansing.)

While that was blowing through (other parts of town, not mine) I had a convo with my father who I deeply respect and love, as he and my mom and some other family were over to help us break in the new kitchen.  I heard stories of disappointment, stories of triumph, and the human spirit that at times made me weep and at other times laugh my butt off.  I tell you, there is NOTHING like sitting down for a convo with dear old dad.  Nothing. 

Happy Bench Monday everyone!!! Enjoy it all and don't complain.  Life is but a sweet short ride, (cross my heart).  Cherish it. xo

The royal avocado.

 

Mashed in with a tin of albacore tuna, a splash of lemon.  Or with a spoon straight down the hatch.  Your choice. :)

This little fella hails from Peru.  His brother (in the bag of five that I bought) was rubbery.  Has that ever happened to you?  The skin was the right colour, as if he had ripened along with his kin in the sack.  But then....nope.  He didn't want to become one with me.  He went into the composter.  I've never had a rubbery avocado before!  Weird. 

I cut them in half, score them with a knife, then squeeze out the squares.  Easy peasy.

I'll be eating lots of these in November, in California. (Insert happy clap here!) I'm looking for an apartment rental, and may have found a great one at AirBnB.com...a very neat site that connects travellers with apartments.  I was lost browsing on there for ages! Go see, maybe you have a place you'd like to rent out.  For those who give it a try you will save money, meet new people and have all the comforts of home.  Some cities are dreadfully expensive, like Washington D.C...so it makes sense to go with an apartment rental. :)

Eat an avocado today!!! xo {Have a blissful weekend! I'm estate sale-ing again and hitting this beach on Sunday. What you doin?}

Three happy stems :)

 

I put three happy stems (self bought flowers, why not?) into an old olive oil jar.

I love the way they catch the light-they make me so happy!  (I keep peeking at them.)  Do you do that when you buy yourself flowers? Do you catch yourself making special trips into their room just to gaze at them?

Pleased with myself today.  Last night I took advantage of Southwest Airlines seat sale.  Going to L.A. in November.  Life is good.  (Now to pay for it....hmmmm.) LOL! {I'll figure the logistics out later :)}

xo Happy Thursday xo

Joyous simplicities...

 

Bleecker Street at night in the rain...window shopping, post-coffee and cannoli's. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

A juicy green new aloe plant in a vibrant orange ceramic jar for the kitchen counter.  (One in a fushia ceramic jar for the chef's desk as well.)

A chunky robin feasting on worms in my new backyard while I watch and drink my hot Indian tea.  (Still waking up with the world.)

Recycling fashion from my closet for fun and to save money...using Glamour magazine as a guide.  (It seems everything I have is still fashionable, we'll just mix and match looks much differently now.  Such fun!)

I will listen to Bob Marley and the Fugees while I prepare tonight's simple meal of fish stew, an aromatic blending of chunky white fish (haddock) and fresh tomatoes, chick peas, coriander and cumin.  Mouthwateringly delicious when sopped up with crusty bread and accompanied by a tall glass of cold Sicilian Lemon Italian soda.

Saying  a gentle "no" when necessary.

Appreciating today by not criticizing the brow furrow, and being gladdened by it (for it means I'm still here writing poetry and photographing my world around me.)

Loving the unpacking process and finding new homes for our treasures...a fat book about Katherine Hepburn, an antique vase, a Moroccan wedding blanket. 

Thanking the Universe for uber-talented friends on the internet who concoct the best list-making games, for who doesn't love the joyous simplicity of gratitudes listed on a page?

*You can join in too.  It's simple.  :)

Visit Christina's link above to let her know where your post is.

Days of wine & roses~

  

This past weekend was peppered with many seasonings; nutritious and delicious food, happy family and friends sharing a celebratory mood, and the joys of exploring a new and uncluttered space to call our own.  It was bruschetta on crusty bread, balsamic on crunchy greens, and red wine. 

I am still the dreamer I was; launching newer and broader ideas out into the vast Universe to see what comes around again my way.  I dream of an art retreat, a quiet place where my soul can paint and photograph happily amidst the humming of cicadas and wind swept cedars.  A place near water, that is accessible to all the family, and it would have a spirit of it's own; a kindly, mothering spirit.  The kind of place that nurtures your bones.

I'm wishing (in vain!) that Domino would publish their monthly magazine again, so for now I look to their decorating "Bible" and hold it dear, for nothing in the stores has come close to it, with it's rich infusion of small space decorating ideas and it's level of sheer creativity. 

 

Our new home has a wrap around porch, and a yellow front door.  Just what I had asked for! So it deserves some roses, rambling climbing roses...and wisteria. {As all homes do! :) }

Lots of climbing, layered, fresh flowering goodness.  Since there is no landscaping, it will be up to me for these things.  I plan to shop for roses in the coming weeks.  :)

 

I'll finish "The Kite Runner" today...had to put it down numerous times due to life.  Life must happen and so it interferes with blogging and reading.  It's a must read if you haven't done so already.  Next on my list is a book my friend Heather gave me two years! ago.  "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte.  I'm very excited to read this because I finally unpacked all the books and this one was sitting on top.  (I know, I'm the last woman alive to read it!)

What are you reading?  Summer is reading season, don't you think? 

The rest of our week will include the following; gathering up wildflowers for pressing, collecting rocks from the beach for painting, antiquing and estate sale-ing, and shopping for roses.  (Not to mention the work we have cut out for us at the new place, cleaning and unpacking. Joyous things like that!)  I hope you all enjoy your week and keep dreaming big, it does wonders.  xo

Aloha, lovelies :)

A quick pop in to say that I miss you!  I have to wait for my new internet connection at home, and hence can only do internet thingies from work now.  :)

Greenwich Village windowsill with lovely plants :) (somebody's Home sweet Home~!) 

I don't know if I told you guys, but my dear granddad died last Friday.  So I went to say goodbye on Monday.  Yesterday while unpacking more boxes at our new house, I opened an old box of photos.  Guess who was there smiling at me from 1948 Egypt?  Granddad.  :)

I'll scan it for you and show you soon.  It's a handsome one.  (I love signs from the unseen.)

On a brighter note little Bronwyn is recovering nicely from her tonsillectomy. It was touch and go for the first week, she lost a lot of weight and was downright miserable.  But as my good friend Jeaux says...those nasty germ bags are gone, forevah!!! lol

Last but not least I'm calling around for the best deal on internets (interwebs? lol) and will be online at home too shortly.  Sigh.  I feel so cut off from the world!

Sending out joy, love, and big smiles to you guys!! Enjoy your week and I'll be back with a proper post in a few days.  xoxo

Days of mending :)

Just a happy green photo of shave balm.  Nothing to do with my post, really.  If you click on my flickr stream, you'll see this as part of a collaged green photo.  We need more happy, hence the colours. xo 

I'm slowly getting around to you all.  What a crazy week it's been.

I can't believe I put my daughter through the surgery on Monday.  When I went to pick her up in recovery she was shaking, crying and scared.  Also in a lot of pain.  I just hope as a result of all this that she can eat better, and sleep better.  As a mother, I felt the guilt with a capital G.  I just wanted to make her life easier, I didn't realize how hard it would be on her.

We are now at day four and doing much better but she is still suffering.  I can only hope her healing starts to increase because she hasn't eaten in this time period.  She was skinny before...now she's a shadow of her former skinniness.

Who knew tonsils could cause this much suffering?

In the midst of it all, I'm packing to move...we get our new house tomorrow.  :)

Life with it's ups and downs...I wonder what will be next. 

xo

The sleepover!

 

Tomorrow Bronwyn has her tonsils out.  I'm worried, as any parent would be.  I'm going over every scenario in my head.  I feel like all will be well...but still, I worry. 

 

We packed an overnighter, with crayons, books and stuffed toys.  It nearly broke my heart.  She's excited about her "sleepover".  Am I a totally bad parent for making this seem like a fun outing?  Will she need therapy in the future because of me? 

Don't answer that.

 

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  We will report back in a few days.

xo