Long Weekend

I started my long weekend today - and what a busy day it has been - grocery shopping and so on - but then I also drove to North Nanaimo to start on the list of things I have to do before I leave on vacation a week from tomorrow. What was on that list? Important things, of course - like buying more books at Chapters and buying more chocolate at Bernard Callebaut.

Then I went to Rogers with hopes of replacing my iPhone. Yes, I could upgrade but I was 6 months away from a free upgrade and they wanted to charge me not only for the phone but also $90 for the upgrade. That's silly. Why? They already charge me a ton of money every month. Some corporations have very bad policies in place - notably the giant media companies.

I skipped it - I'll survive another 6 months with my damaged phone.

I went to BCAA and loaded up on free maps and guides for every province and state I'll be driving through - and that's a heap of maps and guides, let me tell you. I surprised myself by purchasing (for the first time in my life) travel health insurance. But what the heck - it's comforting to have and it's pretty cheap.

The list is beginning to dwindle. Three more days off and maybe four - Monday is looking pretty quiet. Tomorrow I want to work in the garden and clean the car. Hiking Arrowsmith on Saturday. Flying somewhere with P on Sunday. All in all the plans are lovely.

And now to pore over some maps and guides. Yes, the electronic versions are great but there's something about laying out those big maps on the floor and trying to accordion them back into shape.... nostalgia?

Sun and summer

In the late afternoon sun pours through my windows. I love the heat - I love the light. My body and spirit was made for sunshine and summertime. I keep the door open to the south facing deck to let in the breeze as well as the heat.

Even when the temperature soars I welcome it in. I'll adjust - I'll put on shorts and a tank top and take off my socks. Why would I expect the temperature to change for me? Air conditioning? Why? We wait all winter for warmth and sun and then complain and cool things down. Weird.

Bring on the sun!

It looks like my long weekend starts tomorrow - four days - maybe five. And then vacation. That's summer. That's happiness. That and the fact that I not only picked a bucket of lettuce and herbs from my garden but also a big bowl full of strawberries!

Alone Time

I love my alone time. I honestly don't understand the concept of "lonely." Bored? Yes - not lonely. And even bored is silly really.

I realized today as I was walking with Abby how much I value time spent alone. I think I have always been like this. I love being inside my head. I have flashes of creativity. Thoughts come to me that otherwise would remain dormant. I love the peace of alone time. I love sharing my alone time with Abby.

I suppose what I really mean by alone time then is alone only in a human sense. I find that time spent with animals is different. They make no demands. They fit themselves to my mood and feelings. They help me become part of a greater whole.

I wondered today if I would ever really be good in a relationship again. Have I become too much used to being alone? Or is this one reason my previous relationships failed - that the together time used up too much of my spiritual oxygen?

Good questions - no immediate answers. All I know is that I'm very content - and very excited about a road trip starting next week with my best friend - who makes being along a deeper, more beautiful experience.

Monday

Monday, Monday - remember that old Mamas and Papas song?

Well, happily today is a pretty darn good Monday for me. I love how my body feels after a good day (or two) of working it pretty hard. I don't know if it's endorphins or something else, but I'm moving more slowly and feeling marvelously content. Three stories to write today and NONE OF THEM ARE HVAC COMPANIES!

There - how can work get better than that? I seem to have a long list of things to get and do before leaving on my road trip and I just realized that I'm leaving next week! I've got to get myself in gear. I also have to work in the garden - weeding and harvesting.

So much to do - so much time to do it.

Oh joy!

Flight and hike

I doubt that a weekend could possibly get better than this one. Yesterday P picked me up at the airport and we flew to the island. Abby took the experience as she does everything else - with complete equanimity. She stretched out behind our seats on her blanket and dozed during the flight there and back. In between we hiked, ate lunch and dinner and generally just had a wonderful time.

I met P's daughter and his daughter's partner - two people I liked so much I'd want them as friends even if they were unrelated to P.

One of the things I really like about P is that he isn't even remotely "my type." And I suspect my "type" is the same type every time - the kind of man who doesn't really respect me or love me as I would like to be loved. P is different in every way - respectful, kind and content to build a friendship first. He's lovely. His family (so far) is wonderful - and they adored Abby, who, I have to say, I was very proud of. She was on her best behaviour. And perhaps I don't realize how good a dog she really is until I see her through others' eyes.

So yesterday we hiked for five hours - today for about six - Now I've had a bath. Abby is sound asleep and yipping in her dreams. I've had a hot bubble bath and feel blissfully physically tired - the best kind of tired.

Life is amazing!

My Dog

I was thinking today how important Abby is to my life. I don't know if that's just because she is the one I live with and the one who shares all my moments or if that's just how people who love their dogs feel.

Abby and I are very close. I can't and don't want to imagine my life without her. She watches me - her focus is constantly on me so it is little wonder that she seems to know what I want and what I am about to do even before I do. She has an impressive vocabulary because I talk to her.

I don't like to anthropomorphise dogs or any other animals but I also think it does them a disservice to underestimate their intelligence, their love for us and their awareness of us. It's an awareness that seems to strike on a different plane. Are they telepathic?  Well, I suppose that depends on how you define telepathic. In Abby's case, I'd say it's understanding and communicating without words.

She's my partner and my friend. She has a gentle, mischievous and playful temperament. When she came across an injured bird on the trail the other day, she sniffed it very gently and walked on. At the same time, don't leave any of your possessions lying around - she'll make off with them. She is a thief. She'll challenge me at times - how much can she get away with. And then, when I'm sprawled on the couch reading, she'll climb on me for cuddles - not all of her, mind you. She keeps her hind feet on the floor as her concession to not being allowed on the couch.

Tomorrow she gets to fly in a small airplane for the first time. I have no doubt she'll handle it with the profound equanimity that she displays in all new situations. It should be fun.

Reactions

I am taking deep breaths this morning and it feels quite wonderful. It isn't just that the pace of work is slower today, but also that I read a lovely bit that Tony Robbins tweeted this morning - a piece that put a smile on my face.

To paraphrase: it's not the news or the event, it's how you react to it that matters. Yes, it's all right for me to keep up with "news" as long as I understand it's just the events the media chooses to stress - and those events are almost always negative. And I don't have to react to them. I can assume a Zen-like stance. I can choose to remind myself of the beauty and love in the world. I can focus my awareness on the people and organizations that are working so hard to make things right.

I can focus on truth, a commodity I will rarely find in the media - the American media at least.

I can focus on adding happiness and joy to the world.

news - good and bad

I admit that I'm a bit of a news hound. I subscribe to the local paper and really look forward to my lunch break when I hunker down with a sandwich and the paper. I start with the bridge column, move on to the comics and then the editorial page - then on to page 1.

I read Yahoo News online as well as the WaPo, CNN and Politico. Occasionally I add Al Jazeera and the New York Times. The problem is that the vast majority of the news I get every day is bad. And not only from all these news sources but also passed on to me through Twitter and Facebook. It worries me. The latest is that our oceans are in terrible shape and nuclear power plants are about to melt down all over North America and the Harper Government is destroying the environment and.... well, you get the picture.

I want to focus on the positive because I know that when I focus on the negative, I'll get more of it - and that explains why the world is in so much trouble - it's all we focus on. At the same time, I don't want to be a Pollyanna. I want to be informed. And I want to focus on what is right and what I can do to make things better. This can be a challenge.

Do I read less news? That may well turn out to be the answer. At the very least I need to take a deep breath after reading the headlines and re-focus. It's a beautiful sunny day - and it's summer. There - that's better.

no time to blog?

I know I'm too busy when I'm too busy to blog.

Of course, one might argue that blogging is not a very productive way to spend time and it doesn't matter if there's no time to do it.

However - like it or not, here I am. I'm counting down the time (sort of) until I leave on my road trip - 2.5 weeks. And those weeks are going to be loaded with work - trying to fit in as much as possible before I go. I love the freedom of the open road. Love travelling. And I'm going to love reporting in on the journey.

end of day

Okay - that's it! I'm done!

This is supposed to be semi-retirement! It's almost 6 and I have only just finished working. The rest of the week looks equally silly. All this for only one reason - so that I can truly appreciate my vacation when it arrives in two and a half weeks. Hurrah! Is it too early to count down the hours?

I need to get out to weed the garden. But I want sun and warmth - at least, that's my excuse.

Hike

Someone recently suggested that one of the reasons I love hiking so much is that it keeps me grounded. They were perfectly correct. When I come back tired from a long hike my whole body feels at peace - and my heart and soul are quiet.

Today on the ridges, I discovered, by accident alas, that there were trails I didn't know about yet. So after an hour of wandering around, lost and finally, backtracking, I found that the trail we took by mistake was a new trail - very recent - and because it ran in the right direction and provided the path of least resistance, we just took it. I do wish people would somehow label new trails - or something.

The upside of that was the discovery of another ridge and some very pretty territory.

It was a great day - and I have a happy and tired dog.

No Fly Zone

Well, Vancouver Island, it seems, is a no-fly zone today. Low cloud cover. That means no flying to either Tofino or Galiano Island. So my date is postponed until next week.

Happily, I'm perfectly good with that. When you depend on a small airplane for transportation, it pays to be flexible. Instead, I'm going to have a perfectly wonderful other kind of lazy inactive day. Valhalla Pure is having a sale on Icebreaker clothing - my top absolute fav in the world. And I really *need* another Merino sweatshirt, right?

I was having an email conversation with a friend this morning about my expectations in a relationship. I told him that, like most of the rest of western society, I have been brainwashed into believing in love at first sight, followed by "happily ever after."

My experience shows that this isn't usually the way it is. Love at first sight is wonderful and giddy and good fun but it's not the stuff to build a long-term relationship on. Been there, done that, given up pieces of myself - don't want to compromise my values again.

This time, I notice that what I feel is genuine affection and respect. He's a class act; he makes me smile; he's caring and considerate - smart and funny. And I could go and on about his virtues. That's something to build on.

And I feel good - not tormented. I've had it with tormented. Good is a good feeling.

Flying next weekend instead.

The Weekend

Perhaps Long Beach and Tofino tomorrow. Perhaps one of the Gulf Islands. Or maybe Whistler. That's the thing when you have a date with a guy with an airplane - the possibilities just open right up.

The challenge right now is to find ear protection for Abby. I wonder if wrapping a scarf around her head is good enough. But then, he's an engineer - and that's what they do right? They invent things and solve problems.

It's going to be fun.

Equally fun is the hike J and I have planned for Sunday. Ah - summer - the season of doing things outdoors!

Unbroken

I love good, intelligent fiction. More and more, I am also appreciating great non-fiction. Today's great book is Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand  - she also wrote Seabiscuit.

Books like Unbroken make me eternally grateful that I am addicted to books and have been since the day I learned to read. I was 5 years old and no one taught me. I picked up a Grade 1 reader and read it - simple as that. I haven't stopped. I love being transported into other worlds, losing track of time - I love having a great book to look forward to. Unbroken is such a book. An incredible (in the real meaning of the word) story - and inspirational to boot.

Oh - and yesterday's melancholy? I blame it on a secret knowledge that the Canucks were going to lose and a handful of hooligans were going to tarnish Vancouver's rep as a result.

Today is brilliant - so much to look forward to I can hardly keep track of all the excitement. But meanwhile, back to reading a truly great book.

Go Canucks!

I've been feeling oddly melancholy today - for a number of reasons that I can perceive. First, it's been the third quiet (read - no work) day in a row and I am lacking that feeling of achievement that is so necessary to me.

Now, lest I sound like a poor little old victim here, let me be clear that I could have gotten my need for achievement met in many other ways. Instead, I decided to fritter away the day. So - my choice.

I also feel oddly restless and disappointed on the relationship front. Is really liking someone enough? And what about him? I have no idea how he feels. I think I may be getting weary of the entire relationship "game." Really!

So - it's the end of the day. I am hunkered down with a great book: "Unbroken" by Lauren Hillenbrand. And I can keep my fingers crossed and believe that the Law of Attraction will deliver the Stanley Cup to the Canucks tonight. So grateful I don't own a television. I know that I couldn't bear to watch.

Go Canucks Go!

Mission Statement

I believe it's essential to have a mission statement - but not just any old thing you make up. A mission statement has to reflect the truth about you. What are you here for? What were you put on this earth to do?

I know that my mission, or calling if you will, keeps me on the straight and narrow. For instance, recently I was asked to write a book - a true crime thriller. My initial reaction was excitement - and quite naturally so. It's lovely to be asked to do something - some big project.

I didn't say yes - which I might have being the promoter that I am. I wanted to think about it. I could have weighed up all the pros and cons and the few people I talked to focused only on the pros. But what worked for me was to line it up with my calling and then ask the question, "Does it fit?"

My calling is to inspire social and environmental activism by telling powerful stories that touch people's hearts.

So the answer was simple - no, I am not going to write this book. Even though there is substantial money involved. I know that I would not be happy, nor would I experience fulfillment.

It's good to know yourself - always. It might just be the most important - and yet most neglected activity in life - the pursuit of self knowledge. It merits time and effort.

Monday

Do you remember that old Mamas and Papas song, "Monday. Monday?" I love that song.

Although it certainly doesn't apply. The sun is out, I've done very little work, I'm going to watch a movie soon and, most importantly, I feel blessed.

I'm excited about all the health news that I've been attracting lately - all of it good news. Dr. Burzynski and others - cures for cancer....

I know that we can prevent and cure any illness. And I still believe that prevention is the key. And it's really so simple. Like everything else, it starts with attitude. When you start by being grateful for your amazing body and truly loving it, it's easy to start taking good care of it. After all, you take care of your car, right? And if you don't, you know what's going to happen to it. And taking care is so simple - a body's needs are few: diet, exercise, fresh air, sunshine - the simple things.

And find your passion in life and do it - happy people don't get sick.

The second thing I know for sure is that the body is an amazing organism designed to be healthy, to fend off diseases and heal itself. Sometimes you just have to get out of the way.

Great Day

Great day yesterday - I made a new friend. Super guy! And I certainly hope to see more of him in the future. We had lunch at the Crow & Gate, hiked Cable Bay with Abby, toured Yellow Point and dinner at home before I drove him back to the airport.

I'd like to say more - but it's early days.  And I want to respect the privacy of anyone I may be writing about. I will say that my new friend is a special person and today is a very happy day.

Anticipation

Anticipation. Nerves? Butterflies? Call it what you will, it's a wonderful and awful feeling - one of those times when true dichotomies inhabit the same moment in time and space.

No expectations - live in the moment. enjoy the moment. live it to its fullest.

Right now - in this instant - I am blessed to be alive.

technology

The technology score today:

Goody 3  Technology 0

I win!

I have also found a way to drive a GPS crazy. Program in a destination that's really close and in the opposite direction from where you really want to go. Listen to American Jill, say reprogramming every time you turn and drive farther and farther from where she wants you to go. Finally, she resorted to directing me to make a U-turn. I mercifully turned her off to end her suffering after the third desperate order for a U-turn. On my way home, I erased Jill and programmed in American Jack. I don't think Jill and I really hit it off.

Jack took me home and I did everything he told me too. He was so proud of me when I turned into the driveway.

On another note - I'm really looking forward to the weekend and visiting with a lovely person.

Not a Luddite!

It's true. I am definitely not a Luddite. Still, I have discovered that, when it comes to technology, particularly when it is computer-related - then if it can go wrong, it will.

So, with girded loins (yes once again) I set forth to Future Shop this morning. Here was my mission: buy a GPS that was reasonably priced, that had lifetime map updates and that was bluetooth enabled. Next - buy a new battery for my APC battery backup (cause my APC battery backup is in a state of FAIL) and a new D-Link because my wireless router no longer works.

Well, I got the GPS and settled for a reasonable price foregoing the bluetooth because that would have made it unreasonable.

Then I found out that, of course, you can't buy a new battery for the battery backup - you have to buy a whole new backup.

And I got a new D-Link router.

Then I sat down to set it all up.

First, the battery. I unplugged everything from the old battery only to find that the old one had 8 outlets and the new one only has 6 and I had to find which plugs I didn't need in a backup and then had to dig up an extension cord and - well, you know.

Then I was instructed to attach the second battery terminal wire and I couldn't figure out how to do that until I took the old APC apart cause the instructions don't tell you how. Then I discovered that none of my plugs would fit into the slots - and even though I pushed really hard they wouldn't go all the way in. And then I found out that they worked even though they didn't go all the way in - and I'm hoping that's going to be okay. And then I had to drag out the vacuum cleaner because, let me tell you, it gets mighty dusty back there in the land of tangled wires and terminals and peripheries and god knows what.

Then the instructions told me to install the software. But there is no software. So to hell with it - on to the D-Link. Insert software and let the Wizard help you install! it says. Okay! I'm game! I did that. And you know what? It worked! I did however, find one modem connection wire dangling in the dark pit at the back of my desk. It's not connected to anything. But everything works. Shall I just call it a mystery and let it be?

I'm okay with that.

Now it's time to investigate my Garmin.

Please, dear gods of technology: let it be simple!

New Project

I've been approached to write a new book - the subject matter can only be described as a "true crime thriller."

The question is, "Do I want to take this on?"

Another question might be, "Is this my sort of thing?"

The answer to both, at the moment, is a big, fat "maybe."

It will involve a lot of work and research. I also have to wonder if it involves danger, given the crimes are not completely solved yet.

I hope I am the kind of person for whom the danger aspect is of the least possible significance. The story itself is certainly fascinating.

I shall ponder this some more as I walk Abby in the glorious June sunshine.

exciting day - not!

I have a friend who boasts that her life is boring and dull.

And I get it!

Remember the old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times!"

I think there's no question that we live in interesting times so living a dull life during these times is plenty reason to be pleased.

In celebration of the prosaic, I am living a boring life today. I have written the two stories on my agenda. I have had a lovely lunch (the usual) and a restful nap (as per normal) and am planning on my most exciting outing of the day - a trip to the hairdresser. And actually, this is pretty exciting because I get to have my hair washed and my scalp massaged, which is the best feeling...

The sun has come out - and I'd be pretty happy if that became such a normal event I wouldn't feel obliged to write about it and bring it to everyone's attention.

Still summer

It's possible that today is the best day of the year. Of course, there may be even better days to come, which means I really have something to look forward to.

Why is it so great? The weather - shorts and bare feet - 'nuff said. Then, lots of time off to walk in the park with Abby and snap some photos. I managed to mulch my strawberries with (yep) straw. Lots of little green berries are happening. My lettuce will be ready to pick tomorrow or the day after. All my other seedlings are sprouting.

I resolved my "new glasses" issue to my satisfaction for now. I'm not sure if it's good or bad to have an optometrist say he's never seen a case like yours, especially not when said optometrist is in his 50s. However, I can see clearly and I will soon pick up my sunglasses with new optical quality lenses - and in August I'll see an opthamologist. Until then (and past then I'm sure) I am good to go.

Focus on wellness - that's the trick.

And I am very, very well - mind,. heart, body and soul.

Meeting someone special this coming weekend. And that's all I'll say for now.

More summer

On a warm, sunny day in June, there really isn't a lot to talk (or write) about other than the weather. Well, it's true. I'll bet if you check your FB posts from friends on the West Coast, 80 percent are in praise of the weather.

That said, I naturally spent most of the day outdoors - gardening, pulling weeds, hiking with dogs and friends and visiting the very spectacular Cedar Farmer's Market.

This week I will be eating the first salad from my own garden! (very exciting). I had to replant my pole bean seeds - they froze to death I'm afraid.

And that's it! The door to the deck is open. Abby is sprawled out in the sun. Life is good!

Breakfast cookies

I caught this beautiful misty sunrise this morning - I thought it might be an apt photo for today's blog.

For those of you who have asked about my recipe for Breakfast Cookies, I found a great recipe on the web, which I modified (they taste great!) and which I will modify further with my next batch.

Here then, is the recipe:

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter

2 cups raw, organic sugar

2 eggs 

2 tsp vanilla (real - not artificial)

3 cups all-purpose organic spelt  flour 

2 tsp organic baking powder 

1/2 tsp organic baking soda

2 cups organic quinoa flakes

1 cup organic slivered almonds/coconut/sunflower seeds (about 1.3 cup of each)

1 cup organic raisins

Melt butter and pour into a large mixing bowl.
Stir in sugar, add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
Add flour, then baking powder and soda.
Blend until all flour is moistened.
Add oats, nuts, fruit and stir.
Drop spoonfuls onto  cookie sheets and bake at 350 F for approximately for 15 minutes.
Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and cooling rack for 20 minutes more.
Makes 14 - 18 large cookies

So here's what I'm going to do next time - reduce the sugar to 1 1/2 cups 

reduce spelt flour by 1/3 cup and add 1/3 cup pumpkin or some other seeds.

replace butter with organic canola or some some other vegetable oil.

I took one on my hike today - very, very good - and it did the job - a great long-lasting energy boost.

scare tactics?

Okay - so I went back to the optometrist at Iris. He checked my eyes again and told me that my prescription was the right one. "But I can't see through these glasses!" I say. Still, he insists it's right. He can't explain why I can see just as well or better without glasses. He says I need a prescription (because he is working for Iris?) or (and here comes the scare tactic) I may not be allowed to drive.

Finally he says he is referring me to an opthamologist.

The trick now is not to get anxious or scared or stressed.

Is he covering his tracks?

I don't know.

I know that I must stay happy and upbeat and assume the best.

And that's what I'll do.

I can see clearly.

And I am going to go for a long and lovely hike in the warmth and sunshine tomorrow.

On another and much happier note, I baked for the first time in years this afternoon. The Spelt Bakery in East Vancouver is gone - and I must have their breakfast cookies. I think I've come reasonably close to duplicating the recipe. First taste says, "yummy!"

The Joy of (Not) Working

Here's what I really love about the "semi" in "Semi-retired." It's working for four days and then, unexpectedly, having a day off - tomorrow. It really is cause to celebrate! It's the gift of another long weekend.

If I was completely retired, I would miss that jolt of pleasure.

Luckily, I also happen to be working at something I enjoy and at something that is 99 percent stress free.

Did I mention that I have a great life?

My only worry right now is where to hike on Saturday. And then, after the hike, there is always the big decision - nap or bubble bath first?

Another possible addiction?

Do I dare?

No sooner has American Idol left the screen (with yet another religious southern white boy crowned the winner) than American's Got Talent takes the stage.

I know without a doubt that if I Google American's Got Talent 2011, I will get some hits on YouTube. I could, of course, wait until the fall - until the X factor, to start wasting time again. On the other hand, if it's worth doing badly, it's worth doing it badly now right?

May as well check it out.