Wednesday, November 3, 2010

I wish...

I wish Prime Minister Harper was more like President Obama.

Exhibit A:

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Blackberry Pictures

So. My boss has bestowed a (dreaded, vile) Blackberry upon me. It's taking some getting used to and I'm determined not to become one of "those people." Sometimes, I can't believe that I'm the one making the clicky typing noise I dislike so much.

However! I have discovered the fun that is taking pictures of my daily life throughout the city and sending them to people, particularly Kirsty in Ottawa.

Below are some highlights from the past week:


This is me talking to D about having a Blackberry on Day 1. Clearly, I'm already stressed out.


Just some beautiful flowers for sale at the market near my house.


Pumpkins piled high in the back of a vintage pickup truck parked in front of the same market.


Toronto at sunset on the Autumnal Equinox.


Where Queen St. passes over the Don River.


Looking North over the Don Valley Parkway. That's how you get to Peterborough.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Letters of Note


I came across this blog, Letters of Note, a few months ago. I instantly loved it and got lost in the many letters published on the blog. Just as I was about to post some of my favourite entries, I was distracted, only to revisit the blog this evening.

Not only are the letters incredible themselves, but I like seeing the handwriting and letterhead of people such as Steve McQueen, Hugh Hefner, Harper Lee, Wil Wheaton and Johnny Cash to name a few.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Fall is here, hear the yell*

Although fall officially begins on September 23rd this year, the season is already here. Whenever Labour Day passes and the new school year starts, everyone feels the pull towards fall and inevitably winter, even if it's still 30 degrees outside.

Though it's not quite over yet, let's take a little look back over the summer:


To kick things off, D opened his new business! Hooray!


We went to the drive-in during the last weekend in May (as mentioned before.) We also got our first sunburns of the summer that weekend.


We had not one, not two, but three garage sales in Peterborough and I believe the above photo is from garage sale number two. This is the most talented Jeff, drawing, while his beautiful art is on display and for sale. (Complete with unicorn head paperweights!)


I witnessed hundreds of teenagers spend 4 days and three nights camped out on Toronto sidewalks for advance tickets to the Much Music Video Award tickets. This meant a whole lot of screaming and mess right outside my office. It also resulted in me feeling old as I stood at the windows, declaring to my co-workers "that I would never let my kids do that." I'm sure fate will get me for that one.


My lovely grandmother turned 86. 86!


We went to the cottage a couple of times. And both times it was lovely to be away from the smelly city and the noise and the attitudes and the heat and, and, and...I could go on forever. We also went to an auction, watched my mother's dog hunt relentlessly for spiders on the dock and attended my aunt's 60th birthday party.


August flew by with a metal band from Timmins, craziness at work, lots of lap swimming at the local (free!) pool near by and some of the hottest weather Toronto has seen since the 50's. Then, at the end of it, M came home (at last) and she gave me this tote bag, among other lovely gifts. The print on the bag is by Mucha, an artist that my Mom, M and I love.

And here we are now, two weeks into September already. The weather is sunny, but cool and it makes for the best sleeping, with the windows thrown wide open.

*This song always reminds me of fall, for obvious and not so obvious reasons.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

In the middle of the night I call your name


I think Oh Yoko by John Lennon is one of the best love songs ever written. It couldn't be more sweet, straightforward and passionate.

I heard it tonight, for the first time in a long time, and my heart swelled. I thought to myself how terrible it would be if I had never heard this song. Listen to that piano, listen to John's voice.

If you haven't heard Oh Yoko before, you can listen to it here.

(Photo from the New York Daily News website)

Monday, July 26, 2010

One more month

It's exactly one month to the day that my sweet sister comes home. It will be 14 months since I've seen her by then! Too long, I say!

Here is a picture M took shortly after she arrived in South Korea. I was going to post a picture of her, but I don't think she'd like that. Plus, she's got skills with a camera (as you can see below) and I like to brag about it.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

How was your day?


My day was pretty good. It started out a little rough because I may, or may not, have been up late last night with D, drinking wine on a bench down by the lake. Work was mediocre, but then the evening was quite nice. I went to the public pool near my house and swam 12 laps (12!). Then I sat down by the pool and sunned my legs.

Question- Is a lap one trip across the pool? Or is a lap there and back? If it's there and back, I did 6. But still!

Then I came home, ate a burger, and fell asleep reading Under the Tuscan Sun. When I woke up, I went online to find my dear sister in Hanoi. Hanoi! She's a little bit like Carmen Sandiego these days as she travels through Asia. It's hard for me to imagine her so far away, especially since I've never been to Vietnam, or anywhere in Asia for that matter, so I don't know how it feels there.

And now, to sleep! For the second time this evening.

P.S. My sister, cousins and I used to love playing "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" Good work, Gumshoe!

Simple pleasures


Lately, I can't seem to get enough of San Pellegrino's Limonata. I bought 6 at the grocery store last week because they were on sale and I'm having one with lunch right now.

It's just so tart and refreshing. (I also feel kinda fancy when I'm drinking it).

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Speaking of the heatwave...

I really like this picture.


Several of Toronto's public pools are staying open until midnight during this crazy heatwave we're having and this is a shot from the crowd last night at Christie Pits. See the article from the Globe & Mail here.

I wish...

I wish this heatwave would end.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

French fries for dinner


When you were little, did you you think about all the things you'd do when you were grown up? You know, stay up late, eat whatever you wanted, drive a car, etc?

Well, everytime I eat something terrible for dinner, I think about being a little kid. I think about all the times I just wanted to eat spaghetti forever or didn't see the problem with eating a handful of HP sauce out of my hand (gross, right?). Well, I ate french fries for dinner tonight and as I was eating them I felt slightly ashamed (even though I'm alone) and thought about how much nicer it would be if I was eating a healthy meal around a table with my family. It felt kinda lonely and I'm definitely old enough to know better. (Even worse, I got D in trouble last night for not eating a proper dinner)

Funny, isn't it, how much we learn to value the things we were so ready to be done with as kids.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

I wish...

I wish I was friends with Tom Hanks.


Have you ever seen his Oscar acceptance speeches? If not, watch them here and here. I cry every time I see them. What an eloquent, beautiful human being he is.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Working from home


My office is in close proximity to the G20 madness that has taken over Toronto, so my boss told us all to work from home this week. Although I like the office I work in, it can't compete with the view from here.

Friday, June 18, 2010

I carry things on my belt, 'cause I'm Batman.


I could give this photo some context, but where's the fun in that?

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

How was your day?


My day was pretty good. Here are some things that happened:

- I woke up next to D, a wonderful start to any day.
- I bought a Batman costume...for myself.
- I found three baby raccoons taking a nap together. It was very hard not to wake them up and try to make them cuddle with me.
- Got lost in Nie Nie's inspiring blog (again).

Right now, I'm drinking some nice jasmine tea because the temperature has dropped considerably. (I'm not complaining).

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

At the Drive-In


This past weekend we were in Peterborough, home of the Petes, Trent University, the Otonabee River and the Mustang Drive-In.

After a long hot day in the sun, we headed over to the Mustang to see Shrek 3 (or is it 4?) and Iron Man 2. The thing is, when you're at the drive-in, it's about the novelty of watching a movie in the middle of beautiful field, with the stars overhead and the crickets calling, the quality of movies isn't so important.

During intermission we went to buy sesame snaps and on our way back to the car we sang this song:



Apparently it comes to mind when we're at the drive-in. Strange... Does this happen to anyone else?

Needless to say, it was a great night.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The future is lookin' good

I found this handsome gentleman on The Sartorialist last week and I immediately thought two things:

1. Wow, this man is gorgeous.
2. D is going to look just like that when he's older.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Friday, May 7, 2010

Moody blues

For the past week or so, I've been feeling particulary moody. Why that is, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it's the combination of a few things (PMS? The state of the world? Not enough sleep?) or maybe it's nothing at all.

But when I'm feeling this way I like to go here:


And do this:


While remembering to keep things in perspective.

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Mother's Day!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

On infidelity...

When asked for his thoughts on infidelity, Paul Newman replied, "Why go out for hamburger when you have steak at home?"

Well said, Mr. Newman.


This is a photo of Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward, dancing at home.

(Photo found on Smitten)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Spring!

Thank you to the powers that be for this early spring we've been having.


I love the warm, windy nights, the brightness of spring's first green and the feeling of warm sun on my arms.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

New Job

I started a new job this week and here is what I know about my new co-workers:

Gillian is into yoga. And she looks like a modern, brunette Molly Ringwald.

Kate lived in the convent at U of T for a summer.

Tiffany likes natural supplements, a lot.

Mark is biking in the Tour de France this summer. Amazing!

Hugh really likes the plants in the office and refuses to get rid of the ones that are dying. (I like that.)

Rob sprints for the GO train most evenings.

Susan has two kids, born 9 years apart.

Jennifer, Marissa and Karen I already knew and have the goods on.

What my co-workers learned about me: I really like plants, coffee and nice pens. My family shares a cottage that my Papa built and I don't like how quiet the office is.

So far, so good! To be continued...

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Yo, Adrian!

We've watched all 6 Rocky movies in the past week. And I have to say, despite the fact that the movie follows the same forumla every time, each one of those movies had my emotions swelling every time Rocky would "go the distance" and miraculously win another fight. Also, the love between Adrian and Rocky is so precious and real.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Choice

I've been thinking about choice lately. More than usual...and so I give you:

The word that allows yes, the word that makes no possible.
The word that puts the free in freedom and takes the obligation out of love.
The word that throws a window open after the final door is closed.
The word upon which all adventure, all exhilaration, all meaning, all honor depends.
The word that fires evolution's motor of mud.
The word that the cocoon whispers to the caterpillar.
The word that molecules recite before bonding.
The word that separates that which is dead from that which is living.
The word no mirror can turn around.
In the beginning was the word and that word was
CHOICE.


I didn't write this. Tom Robbins did.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Totes!

When I was little, my mom carried tote bags everywhere. Perhaps this is because she was/is a teacher and tote bags are the best things to carry books and papers in, aside from a backpack and my mother has never been the backpack kind. Well, I never got it. I always thought it seems cumbersome to lug all those bags around. I'm very much a backpack kind of girl, or was, until I moved to the city. (I swore I'd never carry a purse and now I never leave the house without my black leather purse from Fossil. Ha!)

As it turns out, I'm becoming a tote carrier too. Last summer, when I was in Germany, D's friend Sandy gave me my very first tote bag from her shop, RoyalWe. It's thin, light and it's made of modern looking black & white print. I used the bag a lot in the summer and since then, I keep eying other tote bags. Seriously, how many does one person need? It's likely that I'll only ever carry one a time anyway! That being said, I recently acquired this bag:



But that's it, I swear! But in case anyone else out there is looking for a good tote bag, take a look at this one:


It just goes to show you- no matter what you think you like or don't like, your tastes and opinions are constantly evolving as you grow, in both big and small ways.

(First tote is from Alphabetbags.com; the second is from APC)

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Always with Us

I recently saw these pictures on Pete Dungey's website. He's an artist who plants flowers in potholes. Brilliant.


These pictures remind me of a conversation I had with one of my teachers back in highschool. At the time, a stretch of woods near my house was about to be buldozed to make way for a new highway and I was upset about it. My teacher and I were talking and she pointed out that no matter how hard we humans try to squash all the nature around us, nature always, always prevails. She reminded me that even the toughest concrete cracks over time because lush, soft green plants are pushing with all their might below. We've all seen little weeds and flowers growing out of sidewalks before but I don't think we consider how much effort it took for them to break the concrete that is suffocating them or the fact that those delicate plants, with the help of humidity and frigid cold, actually did all the work.

Pictures like the ones above and this incident remind me that the real world is always with us. No matter what. No matter what we do. You could be standing on a sidewalk in Toronto, drinking a latte and texting on your Blackberry, and you'll look up and they're could be a deer looking back at you.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Monday, February 15, 2010

I only have eyes for you


D took this picture of me yesterday. I think my look says it all.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Los Angeles

Tonight, while rumaging around looking for some old tax information, I came across the disc containing the pictures of my trip to L.A. in 2005.

I'm thinking about travelling a lot lately and the places I've already been. It's definitely time to start planning our next adventure. Until then, take a look at these pics. They're from L.A., Santa Monica and Laguna Beach. I was surprised to find that I actually liked L.A. a lot when I went there. I especially liked the neighbourhood Los Feliz where my friend A. was living at the time. She was the reason I went to L.A. in the first place. Had she not been living there, I probably would never have seen L.A. But who can say?






Friday, February 12, 2010

Paris


Oh Paris, how I miss you.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

All About Nie

A couple of weeks ago I discovered nieniedialogues.com.

But first, let's start at the beginning.

I was re-reading some of my favourite posts, from one of my favourite blogs, A Cup of Jo. (You might even say that Joanna and her blog inspired me to start my own). Joanna got married this past summer and while she was on her honeymoon, she invited some of her favourite bloggers, writers and friends to post their secrets to a happy marriage marriage while she was away. Quite clever, wouldn't you say? It's a really sweet idea and some of these posts bring tears to my eyes. So, while I was re-reading these posts recently this photograph caught my eye:


This picture is Nie Nie and her lovely family dancing together in their living room. This photo tugged deep at my heartstrings because it's an image I have seen over and over again in my head. For a long time now, I've carried the image of my own dancing family in my head. I can see my husband, my beautiful children, our living room, everything. I even know what album we're dancing to. This picture of Nie Nie struck me because it is exactly what I want.

Naturally, after seeing the picture and reading Nie Nie's secrets to her happy marriage, I wanted to know more about her. I clicked on the link to her blog and discovered a whole world that I did not expect to find. Most of the blogs that I read or have found are written by people who are living their lives and sharing the details of their days or the things they buy or the music they're listening to, etc. And Nie Nie is sharing too, but the difference is that Nie Nie is going through something that most people only fear but never have to face. Not only is she going through it, she's sharing it with thousands of people, daily.

My original intention was to post the picture I found of the Nielson's dancing together and share how amazing it felt to see a photogragh so closely resembling my heart's desire. But after learning all about Nie, how could I not talk about Stephanie herself?

This post has taken a long time to put together because everytime I started working on it again, I would look at the nieniedialogues and get lost for hours in the archives. Needless to say, I am now a regular follower of all things Nie.

Like most of us, the thing I love most about Stephanie Nielson is the joy, positivity and fun that can be seen on her blog everyday. She treats being a mother and a wife with reverance, honour and dignity. Before her plane crash, she was inspiring thousands of people by just being herself. Now, "AC" (after-crash as she calls it), Stephanie's life has become inspirational because of what she has endured and continues to endure day after day. But as always, Nie Nie writes with a sense of grace and humour that I find truly humbling.

I could keep talking about Nie Nie, but I think you should just go to her blog and see for yourself.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Days at work

Lately, when the days at work seem long and challenging, I try to keep this in mind:



(Image found on oldsweetsong.com)

Monday, January 25, 2010

Can you feel it?

The feeling of Change in the air is palpable, my friends.

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here in Toronto, change-with-a-capital-C seems to be happening everywhere. There are big things happening within and without me.

For instance, my grandmother called me on Saturday and asked me to come visit her. When I arrived at her house a few hours later, we talked on a more genuine level about one another and our family than we ever have. This is the grandmother that usually laments that no one cares for her anymore, no one calls, no one comes over, etc. Something in her has shifted and allowed her to make the call to me and simply ask for what she wanted. This is a big deal on my mother's side of the family.

I don't know what is causing this ripple of change, but I do have one idea. Often, in the spring, with warmer air blowing through the city, everyone (including me) gets all riled up and ready to go. This makes sense, no? People were meant to be outside, so when they can finally go outside comfortably again and everything is lush and green, it makes you want to try for things. The blood starts pumping in your veins and all of the sudden you can quit your job or pick up that instrument or call that person or whatever. Well, this winter (January in particular) has been unseasonably warm. Today the temperature reached a balmy 7 degrees celcius. If I had to guess the time of year, without any knowledge of what the calendar date is, I'd say it's near the end of March. And that is right on schedule with that amped- up feeling that comes with the beginning of spring...the one that makes change happen.

What do you think? Is there change all around you too?

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Reading & Writing

When I was four years old I was given a tape recorder for Christmas. ( I asked for it).

When I was eight or nine, I started writing stories with protagonists with names like Charlotte and Victoria.

When I fourteen I started keeping a journal, primarily consisting of my tortured feelings about boys who didn't know I existed.

When I was eighteen my friend Danyel convinced me to start a Live Journal, which is filled with self exploration and suburban angst (the worst kind).

In 2008 I completed a degree in English.

And now, as you know, I'm blogging publically for the first time.

Needless to say, reading and writing have been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember.

I have all these bits and pieces collected from my short life and together, I suppose, they give some representation of who I am. I've been digging through some of my journals (there's 20 of them!) and reading through old blog posts on LJ. This is both funny and bad for me...not only because I'm drinking wine and listening to the Rolling Stones at the same time...but because the past is just that. Past. I used to love nostalgia and spending time with relics from days gone by, but that's not me anymore. I think too much of that really holds you back.

Now, that being said, if you're careful, you can really learn about yourself by doing this too. I know I'm being contradictory, but I stand by each of my statements. So there!

I'm thinking of posting old entries from LJ here from time to time and perhaps even scanning some of my real journal entries for all eyes to see. Writing publically has been something I've struggled with for a long time and frankly, I'm done with that. Why not let my growing pains out for all to see? Ha, ha!

All my life I've wanted to be an artist and wondered if I am and what that means and what Art-with-a-capital-A means and what it means to me and why, oh why, does nothing happen when I sit down in front of an instrument and how can I have all this passion but feel no instinct as to how to express it and what happens if I never do and will it make a differene to anyone and does that matter, it should only matter to me because you have to please yourself and being self-concious about even talking about this stuff with anyone and feeling like less than I am and feeling envious and joyous for other peoples art at the same time and thinking there must be a reason I'm surrounded by artists ALL THE TIME, right?

Well, maybe it's time I gave myself up to writing. I tend to lost in words, but it looks like they might be all I have. I didn't choose words, but they certainly seem to have chosen me.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

In B Flat


I just got home from work and a massage and I'm feeling quite sore. That's an understatement; I feel like I got my ass kicked. I've had a couple of massages now, but neither of them left me hurting like this one did. However, I do feel a deep kind of relaxation and surrender. There is nothing left of me right now except raw skin and bone and feeling. I don't know if that makes sense...but I am certainly feeling very aware of my body right now. Anyway, I'm going to curl up bed shortly, but before I do, I wanted to share this amazing video I stumbled upon today.

Go here to see it. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but as an incentive to make you click on this link, I'll give you a quick description.

It's 20 YouTube videos that you can play all at once or only a few at a time, whatver you like. It doesn't matter when you start them. You can try and sync them up or not. It's a collabortive music project and no matter how many times you listen, there is always a new song. It's incredible.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I'll always love you, Joni.



Joni Mitchell was one of the first (if not the very first) musicians I became interested in, all on my own. I was 14 years old and I saw someone singing "Both Sides, Now" on a made-for-TV-movie and I was hooked. I needed to know who wrote that song and where I could find more music like that. Once I discovered it was was Joni Mitchell, I saved every penny I had, literally, and when I had saved up enough money for her compilation album "Hits," I begged my mother to drive me to the mall so I could buy it.

From that day forward, Joni has always been there. No matter what kind of mood I'm in, listening to Joni Mitchell always makes me feel better. And if that mood was already a good one, then it just gets better.

It's safe to say that Joni Mitchell has had an effect on the kind of woman I've become.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Life Online

I just read this article from last Tuesday's Globe and Mail. It's not surprising to me that digital "detoxing" is becoming a trend now. Our lives are becoming so digitized ( digitalized?) that it only makes sense that some of us are going to stop and say, "Hey, is this really good for me? What am I really gaining from living so much of my life online?"

The article from the Globe specifically talks about deleting your Facebook account, but it generally discusses the effect spending so much fragmented time online, with "tools" such as Twitter and Facebook. One of the people quoted in the article emphasizes the fact that focusing on too many things at once seriously effects most people's ability to get anything done. And once that happens, people start to lose energy and enthusiasm for their work. This point resonated so deeply with me. I have never been very good at multi-taksing and at times, I've felt bad about that. Even in conversation, I can lose my train of thought and the points I want to make very quickly if the subject is changed or if I am inturrupted. This means that fast-paced commucnication like Twitter and Facebook don't go over well with me. It feels like a lot of meaningless noise. The buzz of everybody trying to keep up with each other what's hot right now. It actually makes me wonder if we're all going crazy if this is how we prefer to communicate. IM, SMS, Twitter, FB, MySpace, email...do these mediums make people feel more connected to anyone? Really?

I think businesses are benefitting from these tools the most because it's humanizing them. Customers can directly address someone who has power at the organization they are talking to, rather than calling a automated answering machine to leave a complaint that will get lost in the great voicemail void. But I think it's working the opposite way for individuals- we're getting more and more impersonal with each other all the time. Social media is supposed to be bringing us closer together, but I really don't see that happening. Sure, we all talk to a larger number of people now, but how meaningful are our interactions?

I know there's no particular answer to these questions out there, but I think it's important that we all keep asking ourselves what we truly get out of living so much life online. The glow of a computer screen just can't compete with the sunlight.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

I wish...

I wish people weren't allowed to smoke. Anywhere. Ever.

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