Things We Love 2

Winter Garden

2012-02-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

Dwarf Mugo Pine from March

(the snow is real, the rose is faux)

Barberry

out the back window

Week's end

2012-02-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

So here I am at week's end, happily spent.

Pondering the end of another work week. What a whirlwind things have been, people coming and going, new assignments, new priorities, new bosses, new team members. Head spinning, really.

One thing I learn, relearn, relearn even at my ripe old age, is all the opinions I form of people are based on a dangerous recipe of my limited knowledge, personal bias, vested interest. Tonight I am deciding yet again to reserve judgement because attaching emotions to everything is just too damn tiring, things change so fast, but I will allow myself some indulgence since really, it has been a pretty great week, time has flown by, and despite all the craziness I actually may have accomplished a few things.

I think the secret really is not to be too attached to outcomes and try to check your ego at the door. Good life lessons, overall. The ego thing sure is tricky.

Of course my philosophy is tempered right now by a wonderful pinot noir from a family winery in Monterey, California, Vintage 2010, two generations working the terroir.

Time. Now. To. Slow. Down. For. The. Week. End.

Full Ice Moon - February

2012-02-09T02:32:00.000-08:00

Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter

Icy Moon
Full Snow Moon

Wolf Moon

Take your pick for the name of the next full moon, occurring

January 9, 2:32 a.m.

As for me, since there is no snow these days, I'll go with the Icy Moon.

The Icy Moon Orbiter never made it into space, the project was cancelled by NASA. It was unmanned, in any case.

Here are two versions of one of my favourite tunes, Rocket Man.

The first, performed by Elton John, rocking on Rocket Man, on the occasion of his 60th birthday in Madison Square gardens.

The second, William Shatner camping it up in 1978. Not sure the audience knew what to make of it, but Bernie Taupin introduced Captain Kirk with a big grin.

Moon-gazing

2012-02-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

These long nights mean extra moon-gazing time.

The last two evenings, Alex, Rob and I have been watching the moonrise from our front window as an after dinner treat. By 6 a.m. the moon has travelled to my backyard, casting enough light that I don't need to flip the switch on to feed our cat.

Here is a different perspective of January's full old moon nestled in the winter plumes of zebra grass in my front garden. Finally getting around to posting them now, on the eve of the next full moon.

February Treats

2012-02-05T17:17:00.000-08:00

SATURDAY

Soirée Québecoise!
A Foodie night with friends bringing each course.

What a belle epoch!

The appetizer was a selection of Quebecoise cheeses:

Douanier (Canadian doppleganger of French Morbier) tasting slightly sharp with a vein of blue ash down the centre
La Mont Jocob (semi-soft), light and fruity tasting, a 3 medal winner in the Quebec fine cheese contest 2010
chevre noir cheddar "if cheddar is the little black dress of Canadian cheese, then Chevre Noir is the Channel classic with a twist," made from sheep's milk
Oka, made from the Trappist monk's original recipe, a buttery nutty creamy combo

These were paired with a lovely Medoc called Diane de Belgrave, a gold medal winner. I didn't realize that a Medoc was also a Bordeaux until checking just now. I was impressed by how well it went with each of the cheeses.

For the first course, split pea soup was paired with Neige ice apple cider. The soup bowls were warmed in the oven and poured from a beautiful pottery soup tureen at the table. The elegant presentation made this simple course quite special.

The Main was a Six Pates of wild boar, elk and buffalo that was simmered for 6 hours so the meat seemed to melt on the tongue. Of the trio, I think the wild boar was my favourite. A cool and crunchy side of tri-colour slaw was a great complement. It went very nicely with the Cote du Rhone and Valpolicella.

Dessert was served by the fire. I was so full, I couldn't finish my pieces of Sugar Pie and Chocolate Espresso Sugar Pie with fresh whipped cream. No problem - Rob was eager to help!

SUNDAY

After a few hours at the AGO, I sat for a late brunch at Frank and enjoyed salad of pickled heirloom beets with chevre and fried walnuts, tossed on a bed of baby arugula. The red beet juice made little red polka-dots on the flesh of the orange heirloom beets and bled into the white chevre. It looked just like a still life painted in ink and watercolour. Too bad I didn't have a camera, it was so gorgeous on the plate.

On the way home I picked up more cheese: Leyden, from the Netherlands, laced with cumin and cloves. Nice bite!

New wine discoveries

2012-02-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

A new grape, a new label, and an annual Grand Tasting were the discoveries I made when I went to a wine-tasting charity fundraiser that featured wines from the Lifford Wine Agency.

We tasted three whites and three reds.

My favourite of the night was Lagrein, produced by a woman in Italy who has been winning awards for her outstanding talent. It can't be easy to work in a profession that is dominated by men. She was originally an architect by profession, until she married into a winemaking family:

"The challenge in changing profession from architect to winemaker was at first daunting. In the meantime my wines have scooped some of Italy’s highest awards, including the much coveted “Three Glasses” from Italy’s most influential wine guide, Gambero Rosso, three years in a row". Elena Walch

This particular wine is made from the lagrein grape, (pronounced lah-GRAH'EEN, lah-GRINE or lah-GRI'NE) native to Alto Adige in Northern Italy. The taste was unique, with wonderful dimension and flavour. The LCBO sells two different labels of this varietal, but nothing from Walch, so I placed an order for 6 bottles through Liffords.

As the evening went on I was scoring the wines more highly with each passing glass. Tasting notes from the evening:

Villa Sandi Prosecco, made from Glera (which were often called prosecco grapes, up to 2009), produced in Veneto. Sparkling wine with small bubbles to dance on the tongue.
Valle Dorado Sauvignon Blanc from the Central Valley in Chile. Unoaked, but still buttery.
Garofoli 'Macrina', made from Verdicchio grapes indigenous to Marche in central Italy. Some described it as salty/sweet taste combination.
Wall Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley tasted like velvet.
Elena Walch Lagrein, beautiful red in the glass, aroma of flowers and berries, nicely balanced with a great finish
Greenstone Vineyard Heathcoate Shiraz from Australia. Definitely a big red. It had a hint of eucalyptus which added a hint of unexpected freshness. I think this would be amazing with a juicy steak or lamb shank.

Lifford's has an annual Grand Tasting each May that I'm already looking forward to attending this coming spring.

Emperor's Concerto

2012-02-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

Rob and I will have last seen Beethoven's 5th performed in 2009 by pianist Andre Laplante. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night, when we will see Anton Kuerti perform The Emperor's Concerto. I purchased tickets with the promise we would have a good view of the pianist.

Opus 67 had a long gestation. The first phrases were pencilled in 1804 and it was presented in 1808, when Beethoven was 38. His "middle period" is also sometimes known as his "heroic" period, because of the dramatic nature of many of the compositions.

original score from Wikimedia Commons

The premier was not a success. The 5th was performed after just one rehearsal. A musician's made such a glaring mistake during the choral fantasy that the orchestra actually stopped and started over. The auditorium was freezing cold and many in the audience left before the show was even completed. Performed again eighteen months later, the 5th concerto received justifiable acclaim as an "indescribably profound and magnificent". It is now one of the most loved and best known classical works.

Beethoven didn't come up with the name 'Emperor's Concerto'. In fact, he detested the nobility because the Imperial Theatre ignored his petition to become its permanent composer in 1807. Not only did they reject his proposal, they didn't even write back to acknowledge receipt. Who knows, maybe the insult spurred him to complete this masterpiece.

Beethoven's hearing loss began in his early twenties, and by the time he wrote this concerto it was pronounced, but he was still able to hear. Seventeen years later he would perform his Ninth Symphony (Opus 125), with his back was to the audience, and not be able to hear their applause.

the second movement, Adagio un poco mosso

sources
http://www.all-about-beethoven.com/
http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Bio/BiographyDeafness.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._5_(Beethoven)

Rest in peace, Marian

2012-01-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

I am so glad we celebrated her life, well-lived, on her 80th birthday.

Indeed, we celebrated many birthdays and Christmases together. Marian was a woman of many talents. She ran her own antiques business, traded antique jewelry, had a foray into real estate, served on the Board of Governors of Sheridan college and on the Sudbury Health Council. A talented seamstress and great chef. A wicked sense of humour.

When I first met her 30+ years ago, how formidable she seemed. Someone who didn't suffer fools gladly. I look at photos now and I am older than she was when we first met. There's one shot of her in the garden, looking so glamorous. Long, gorgeous legs and a great smile. A bearing that reminded me of the best of Katherine Hepburn.

Her greatest and most fierce accomplishment, the one that brought her the most pride, was without a doubt her family. Five children, their spouses, and children, and grandchildren, with the first great- grandkids on the way.

She will be missed. She brought us all together at least once or twice a year, and I hope the tradition continues. When we are all together, I'll continue to see her in the lifted corner of a smile or hear her echo in someone's voice.

Rest in peace, Marian.

Marian H. C.

(July 23, 1929 - January 23, 2012)

Passed away with her loving family by her side on January 23, 2012 at Providence Centre at the age of 82. Predeceased by her husband Dr. John R. Cowan. She will be greatly missed by her children, Robert (Diane), Sheila (Jim), Lois (Mark), Brenda (Bill), and Gordon (Linda). Lovingly missed by her 9 grandchildren, Alex, Meredith, Spencer, Arden, Ryan, Patricia, James, Christina, and Sarah. Marian was 8 of 9 children born to Peter and Frances Ryan of Halifax, N.S. and is survived by her sisters Sheila MacDonald and Evelyn MacDonald. A memorial service will follow in the chapel at 2 p.m. We are so proud of how strong and determined she was with her battle with cancer and she will remain in our hearts forever.

Happy New Lunar Year!

2012-01-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

The Year of the Dragon begins Monday, Jan. 23 and is to be marked by excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity. Chinese New Year is a time to welcome longevity, wealth and prosperity and to eliminate any negative chi from the past.
What will the year of the dragon bring for you?

The stamps commemorating this year of the dragon are small works of art!

...when the dragon of Chinese astrology arrives with the Lunar New Year on Monday, the mythical creature will bring with it optimism and hope for better times ahead in 2012. This year is considered especially auspicious because it is the year of the water dragon, something that happens once every 60 years.

Year of the dragon brings promise of change

The year 2012 is the year of the Water Dragon. From the reading of the stars and element relationships in the paht chee chart, this year is going to be a transformational life-changing year! Generally, there are more goodies in store for you in the year 2012 than 2011. It’s a good year to improve oneself, take calculated investment risks and to build wealth...

Feng Shui Forecast

Canada Post breathes fire into the Lunar New Year with Year of the Dragon Stamps

Chinese dragon stamp draws fire for 'scaring' the world

Robbie Burns Dinner

2012-01-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

BPYC held a Robbie Burns Dinner last night to celebrate the Bard. My own Robbie looked quite dashing in his kilt and did a great job as MC.

Seated at the head table, I got a first-hand look at the proceedings... and the haggis, which was far more appetizing than it looked. Someone said it was spiced lamb burger (which is a more attractive term than sheep intestine, but likely the same thing). Served with turnips, roast beef, mashed potato and gravy.

"Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some would eat that want it,
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit."
Selkirk Grace

The single malt scotch was put to good use, for toasting the haggis, Burns himself, the lassies and the lads.

After a wonderful meal we enjoyed some classic fiddling and step dancing, sang Auld Lang Syne and hugged good friends. Later we danced to the celtic sound of an aptly named band, The Drunken Sailors.

Burns was a prolific poet despite his relatively short life, and he lived during a period that saw two Revolutions (the French and American). Deeply passionate, he was a noted womanizer and fathered several children with several different women. It's also speculated that the strong emotional highs and lows in his work are the consequence of manic-depression. One thing's sure, he did not have an easy time of it and struggled in poverty for much of his life.

Then let us pray that come it may

(as come it will for a' that)

That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth

Shall beat the gree an' a' that

For a' that an' a' that

It's coming yet for a' that

That man to man, the world o'er

Shall brithers be for a' that

A Man's a Man for A' That

Warning: sex and violence

2012-01-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

this gorgeous creature
is gracing our living room

Hardly words you'd expect to hear at a garden club meeting. Tena Van Andel entertained us with stories about this exotic flower.

Sex? Because of the word's Greek origins. John Ruskin, the English philosopher and sometimes prude, felt the word 'orchid' should not be uttered in mixed company.

Violence? Because In Greek mythology, Orchis was the son of a nymph and a satyr. During a celebratory feast for Bacchus, Orchis committed the sacrilege of attempting to rape a priestess, resulting in his being torn apart by wild beasts, then metamorphosing into a slender and modest plant. Valentine florist creations

Every year, new orchids are 'discovered'. But they've been around for 76M - 84M years. Homo sapiens are relative newcomers, at just 300K - 400K.

The orchid industry generates $9B worldwide - annually. Astounding. In Canada, don't get caught smuggling this exotic species, because the fines run to $500K and 10 years in jail.

These are beautiful flowers. Rob is the one at our place that has the orchid-thumb.

His mom gave him a grassy orchid for his birthday this year, and it has been blooming for 2 months straight, its' graceful boughs arching in the living room and catching indirect sunlight.

Rob and I were wondering what those odd growths were that seemed to be appearing on the older phalaenopsis. Keiki's, that's what.

Old Vine Red

2012-01-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

A very thoughtful guest left this as a hostess gift over the holidays.

Scrumptious!

Deep red colour in the glass, wonderful legs. On the pour it bubbles up with effervescence. And guess what? It smells grapey.

Local to Sonoma County, California. From Marietta Cellars & family owned.

We take pride in the fact that since 1978, we have made quality wines and sold them at honest, fair and consistent prices without relying on mass marketing, advertising, or gimmicks. In short, our wines sell because of what's in the bottle.

I'll drink to that!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2012-01-18T18:58:00.000-08:00

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See was the BPYC book pick; an excellent choice.

The evening made me appreciate, once again, how much I love getting together with these women to talk about books. And how fortunate I am to be living as a woman in the country and time period I do. Privileged, indeed, to even know how to read and how to write.

Nine of us showed up to discuss the book, which was a fascinating account of a friendship between two women in China during the 19th century and the secret language they shared. Nu shu translates to 'women's writing' and is central to the plot of the novel; a way the characters share their dreams, hopes, and disappointments through the decades of their friendship.

foot binding was finally outlawed by
the Chinese government in 1949

The novel's most unforgettable aspect to me were the accounts of foot binding. I knew it was a brutal practice but wasn't aware of the extent of the violence. In fact, 1 in 10 girls died of the ordeal. At age 6 or 7, they would have their feet bound, their toes broken, and be forced to walk for weeks on end to acquire the most ideal shape. These perfectly shaped 'lilies' would help make women eligible for marriage into a good family, but it was never a guarantee. Those with 'normal' feet could not hope for position and would be doomed to work in fields or serve as common prostitutes. Still, I wonder how mothers could inflict such pain and suffering on their daughters.

Another theme in the book was the nature of friendship between women, and woman's inhumanity against woman (a twist on man's inhumanity against man).

The past few days the topic of violence against women keeps popping up. Monday night, I was listening CBC radio and learned about a movement in Canada to limit revealing the sex of the fetus during the early weeks of pregnancy. It seems that many ethnic communities here still persist in aborting female fetuses. This is the kind of attitude that has led to gross imbalances in the ratio of men to women in China and India.

Take a look at this Ted Talk clip, it is worth the 20 minute investment. (I also came across this Monday, through a Facebook friend).

I do..... I love, I love, I love being a girl. The planet needs more girl cells. Don't you agree?

Boat Show

2012-01-16T17:35:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to using my boat show "finds".

I drooled over the newest Catalina 35 and Hunter 33, both fine cruising specimens. Hopped on and off a number of sailboats, including Benateaus, Bavarians, and a Catamaran.

A new boat is definitely not in our immediate future, but sails and furling are. Since we plan to keep our Catalina 30 for a few years the new sails are worth the investment. I wonder what's the ideal point to trade up and in for another boat?

Since I couldn't buy a new boat this time around, I opted for a Yup Delight Glo Pebble. It is actually pretty mesmerizing, the LED light cycles through a rainbow of colours. This will be a nice light feature in my garden at night. I imagine I will see these at the yoga show in a couple of months, since the colour spin is related somewhat to chakras and advertised as colour therapy on the package. Apparently the eggs are being considered by the Toronto School Board for use with autistic children, since they have a calming effect and at the same time are practically indestructible.

Roughly 105+ more sleeps before Yondering splashes back into Lake Ontario.

A book at the Nautical Minds booth caught my eye, "It's Your Boat Too". Maybe it will help me get over my fear of docking!

Picked up a ceramic grater, used it to make my curry tonight and it worked really well with the raw ginger, as well....

King of the Blues

2012-01-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

"Give me the strongest one you've got behind the bar." I needed something with a good kick.

"How's this?" he said. "Strongest in the world."

I tasted it. "That'll do. Nicely. Gimme 4 ounces."

That is, of a really good blue cheese.

"King of the Blues," he added.

To complete the pairing, I came home and rummaged for the Christmas port and came across the one we'd opened last year, a '78 Fonseca. How could I have let that languish? There is some sediment in the glass but otherwise it seems to have survived the neglect. It is a beautiful, deep ruby colour.

And it goes perfectly with the Roquefort Agro.

Did you know European law dictates that true Roquefort must be aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzo?

Made from raw sheep's milk, this cheese was named 'king' during the Age of Enlightenment by French philosopher Diderot:

According to Roquefort legend, one day a shepherd was enjoying a lunch of bread and ewe's milk cheese, when in the distance he saw a beautiful girl. He left his lunch in one of the Combalou caves to follow after her. Upon his return to the cave (without the girl), the shepherd found his cheese covered with mould. Very hungry, he decided to taste it. Of course, the cheese was delicious, and thus, the first Roquefort was born.

As for Roquefort's documented history, the cheese was first mentioned in 1070. In 1411, Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of the cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. By the 20th century, Roquefort cheese was famous throughout the world. I Love Cheese

.... and now, a different taste of the Blues from the French Quarter:

Buddha Bowl

2012-01-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my brother Dave & his wife Therese got me this wonderful tea mug. It takes both hands to hold, it's so big. And it is absolutely unique, no two are exactly alike because each is manipulated by hand. As I hold it, I can feel the dents from the fingers that originally pressed into the clay.

Right now the 'buddha bowl' is filled with a totally relaxing blossom tea... chamomile and pretty blue cornflowers, with peppermint and lemongrass. Ahhhhh.

I needed a special yoga practice tonight to help chase this heavy feeling from my limbs. All day I felt I was walking in a waist-high river of molasses. I feel lighter now, unburdened, and ready for a good sleep.

The Artist

2012-01-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

My Christmas present from Alex this year was dinner and a movie, so I cashed in tonight and we went to see The Artist, grabbing a bite at the Bloor Street Diner before the show.

Funny how simple stories can be so complex. On one level this is a love story. On another cinematic historical fiction. An allegory for artists, and for finding your unique voice. A story about the struggle of adapting to changing times. An account of overcoming pride.

Body language and dance speak louder than dialogue... altering the channels of perception made me more alert to other ways of telling the story. Plus - the dog is adorable (actually, that part is played by three different Jack Russells).

It was great fun hearing my son talk about the visual humour and the director's approach to character development in the film. Alex is perceptive and articulate, I throughly enjoy the time I spend with him!

It will be interesting to see how many Academy Awards nominations this garners (I wonder if it made the deadline for release?)

And I absolutely love the closing line,
"With pleasure."

When so few words are spoken, those that are said aloud become all the more significant.

Full Old Moon - January

2012-01-08T14:17:00.000-08:00

First full moon of this New Year! January 9th, 2:32 a.m.

Wolf Moon or Old Moon?

The stories and names of each full moon change depending on where you live....

"The reason for the name Wolf Moon is simply because in that month the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Amerindian villages. In Europe on the other hand, January's full moon is called “Old Moon” where as February's full moon is called “Wolf Moon.”

In other areas, the First Full moon is also called "Ice Moon" or "Moon After Yule".

In central Asia, its name is "Paush Poornima", meaning Fasting month, Hindus consider the day highly auspicious, where some communities fast in that period.

For the Buddhist in Sri Lanka it is called “Duruthu Poya” which marks the first visit of Lord Buddha to that Island.

In Japan, this same first full moon of the year is called “Birth Moon.” It is also considered the official birthday for everyone over the age of sixteen. Divination, feasting, and rituals for luck and health are popular events.

For the Chinese whom have arguably the oldest continuously used lunar calendar in existence. Their festive New Year's celebration begins on the first new moon after the sun enters the sign of Aquarius. The clearing of debt before this holiday is an important part of its observance.

In Thailand for instance every full moon is celebrated with a party, called Koh Pha Ngan."

Continue reading at NowPublic.com

This Django Reinhardt composition asks the musical question,
"How High the Moon"

illustration credit: watercolour

It all begins with an exhale

2012-01-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Cyndi Lee for sending this timely reminder my way via email. Also posted at Hands to Heart:

Find a comfortable seat and let’s begin. Place your attention on your breathing and notice your exhale. Let your mind ride out on the breath and mix with space. Rest in the gap.  Trust that the inhale will come in naturally. Repeat without reproducing.

This is how it all begins; with an exhale.

Every life and every death begins with an exhale. We come into the world with a cry and go out with a sigh, each of these expressions floating on the out-breath.

Then, comes the inhale. Our natural urge to nourish, to draw in prana, is how we feed ourselves through inspiration, activity, contemplation and community. This is the arising aspect of vinyasa.

And in between there is a tiny suspension with tremendous potential and that is where we abide. It’s not so easy because it requires open attention that is relaxed. It’s not the same as waiting and not the same as doing nothing. There is richness here in staying steady without holding on.

And then we let go again.  Dissolving is an essential part of our practice. It seems like the exhale might be an ending but it’s always a beginning. It is the only way the gate opens for the arising to happen.

This practice is the ground. After doing this formal practice, you can begin to integrate it into asana and every single other thing. Your practice and your life will become indistinguishable.

OM illustration credit: evjeny kiselev

New Year's Revolution

2012-01-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at BPYC someone asked me what my New Year's Revolution would be. An unintentional but enlightened slip of the tongue. A properly placed commitment can dramatically improve your life and change your outlook.

Who has it

My revolution this year is to improve my approach to work/life balance and lighten up. Or is that a New Year's revelation?

Since my August promotion the hours I put in have been creeping up, and as much as I like my job I don't want it to become a lifestyle! I sought - and got - some great advice from a senior executive n my organization whom I admire and who seems to do work/life balance well.

Here are some great take-aways from our conversation together: pick the number of hours you are willing to work in a day or week and stick to them by heading out at a regular time, regardless of whether all tasks are finished (how could I forget something so fundamental?); set aside time to answer email instead of letting it interrupt other tasks (there is that myth of being able to multi-task again); and keep a personal work journal to reinforce your lessons learned and insights gained. I was also warned there would be a period of adjustment but to stick to the plan through the pinch.

Goal setting tools

Online advice abounds about how to work less. I especially liked the 6 Rules to Work Less and Get More Accomplished. I guess it is about developing some good work habits with the same sense of mindfulness I apply to my morning routine of meditation and yoga practise.

If you know how to change your habits, then even a small effort can create big changes.

Tips for Breaking Bad Habits and Developing Good Habits

You Tube interview with author John Tierney

A book that counsels strongly against New Year's Resolutions is Willpower. The authors point out we only have a limited amount to go around, so not to squander it. The Notables Globe review by Amy Knight says this book is worth 'at least ten therapy sessions'. The synopsis in this New York Times Review shares key messages, but I think I'll be going for the full-length edition of Willpower.

Hamlet's Black Berry was also on the Notables list and dovetails nicely with my resolution. The author gets his family to agree to an Internet Sabbath and shares the essential discovery, "In order to benefit most from new technologies we need to use them less." In work terms, this will translate to a more focused approach to responding to email.

I've heard a few people say their resolution is to "laugh more often"... and why not add some of that at work, too? I've long promised myself I'd check our a laughter yoga session, and there are some here in Toronto.

This is becoming a worldwide movement., as John Cleese explores for the BBC:

For mundane and inspired ideas to add to your list of resolutions, check out this Generator.

illustration credit: Revolutionart

Bonne Annee Soiree

2012-01-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful way to ring in the New Year!

Caro feted us with a feast of crepes: Crêpe cake Béchamel et légumes; principal À la coquille Saint-Jacques; Crêpe déssert, Suzette. The wines were expertly paired. Champagne with the first course and a pinot noir/pinot gris from France with the Saint-Jacques. I didn't learn until very recently that Carolyn was a personal chef at one point in her career. I should have guessed!

An amazing meal! Cozy by the fire. Great company, of course! And my first ever winter moonlight hot tub.

A grandfather clock led the countdown into the New Year.

I love leisurely meals.... this was such a slow meal it folded over into the next morning, when we cleansed our palate with champagne granita & cassis.

Eventually Rob and I found our way to the Commodore's Levee at BPYC, wishing our fellow sailors a Happy New Year.

Even the trumpeters' were back after a long absence; with two young females and two young males promenading.

Altogether, an auspicious start to 2012!

illustration credit

Restorative Poses

2011-12-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

I have felt like crap for the last two weeks. And I'd been feeling so smug about not catching what had been going around! The version that's caught me: aching sore throat and cough-cough-cough.

I've been taking medicine like Neo Citran and discovering new drugs like Cepacol throat spray. Some of the best medicine though has been yoga. I'm happy to say I've kept up my daily practise, sliding into a more restorative series of poses.

One of my favourites is the supported bada konasana pictured above. It is such a good chest opener, with added benefits for the hips. I've also been relaxing into supported bridge, vipirita kirani (legs up the wall), supported forward bend.

So thankful to have a repertoire I can call on in sickness or in health. Yoga Journal has some pointers here if you'd like to try the next time you're feeling 'under the weather'.

illustration supta-bada konasana
illustration restorative sequence

Cat's Table

2011-12-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

Lovely, lyrical. The Cat's Table feels and tastes like memoir, with detail richly drawn from the memory of senses.

The main body of the story takes place over a period of three weeks, as three boys make their passage to England. Dinners are sat at the lowly "cats table" with a group of eccentric adults.

The dreamlike prose is extremely rich with metaphor. The ship's passage to another continent and culture, three archetypal boys in the process of losing their innocence and childhood, a prisoner allowed to walk at night, a deaf daughter who swallows keys, a garden apothecary. A floating world.

Although said of a specific character, this sentence could apply to the telling of the entire story.

"Twenty-one days is a very brief period in a life, but I would never unlearn the whisper of Cassius."

If this were a photograph it would have blurred edges and sepia tones, but be matted on a modern mirrored surface and held in place with a water frame. Or maybe painted on the floor of a pool, then filled with water.

Not the typical unfolding of a plot, a bit of a jumble, with past, future and present entwined. Several reviews say this is one of the author's most accessible stories.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

2011-12-27T06:22:00.000-08:00

Temperatures well above zero have kept this a green Christmas.

Some mornings bring light frost.

The surface of the pond freezes, melts, and freezes again.

Snowflakes have fallen, but melt so quickly.

My garden waits for its blanket of snow.

This rose was blooming on my front porch December 2nd

Christmas dinner 2011

2011-12-26T08:17:00.000-08:00

Planning the feast ahead is always part of the pleasure. Imagining the day it will come together with all its different courses and tastes; the festive table dressed and set with the best china.

The key to preparing holiday meals, I think, is to take the pleasure it offers. If you feel like a kitchen slave, it not only robs you of enjoyment but I swear it is somehow reflected in the flavour of the meal. So I try to pace myself and not overdo, and to be in the present when I prepare the food.

Christmases past were drifting into my present as I was preparing this year's meal. My grandmother's busywork in the kitchen, the long day's preparation and the hectic burst when everything was plated, served and devoured. Usually it was my job to set the table and do the dishes. Our big family crowded around the table - ten of us - my grandparents, parents, and 6 brothers and sisters.

The older we got, the bigger we got, and it was hard to fit us all around the table, let alone the spouses and children. Such a crowded house. For almost two decades now, my birth family usually gets together well after December 25th.

Happily, my brother Dave's family and my family get together to feast on Christmas Day. The kids get bigger each year.

It occurs to me now that we should have been taking photos to mark the passage of time, but we've were too busy enjoying each others company. Next year a portrait is in order.

This year our nephew Ryan was able to join us and round out the table so we made eight.

After dinner the "kids" spent time together while "the grown-ups" talked around the tree. I mark this in quotes because the generations are no static thing. My son is a young man now; my brother and I will be, in part, children together forever...

The Christmas Menu was a meal rich with colour and flavour. Truly, the best thing was the present company!

Baked Brie topped with sugared almonds, served with fresh figs
Salad of young greens, pomegranate, sugar mandarins, and brillo cheese drizzled with aged balsalmic
Prime Rib & Port Gravy
Apple and stilton bread pudding
Brussell sprouts, roasted chestnuts & bacon
Glazed carrots
Cake Opera treats
Tuxedo cake

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T13:02:00.000-08:00

Such a cheery sight on a dark night.

My tree is full of ornaments from Christmas' past and present. Different coloured, bright lights. This is no designer tree, but a tumble of memories with hopes for the future.

Hope we have a Very Merry!

Your conversations may be scintillating, but my book club can drink your book club under the table

2011-12-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

Some of my fellow book lovers came over to my place to celebrate the Winter Solstice with a memorable wine-tasting.

"Wine is sunlight,
held together by water."
- Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

The theme was Italian. Grapes from Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily - with a surprising majority from Veneto... at least 4 of 10 bottles.

"When it comes to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and invest in a corkscrew. The best way to learn about wine is the drinking."

- Alexis Lichine

I learned a few things: It is more than probable that Shiraz/Sirah originated from Sicily (Syracuse); Italy has more than 2000 grape varietals; and frozen grapes are an absolutely decadent treat!

So life's year begins and closes

Days though shortening still can shine

What though youth gave love and roses

Age still leaves us friends and wine.

- Thomas More

taste map debunked

This was my 4th annual Winter Solstice tasting, with some new faces joining the table for the first time.

Different people voiced different favourites and I admit I was at times surprised. Preference is such a personal thing. Even the naming of things... how can we be sure we all taste the same vanilla, raspberry or pepper flavours?

"There are no standards of taste in wine, cigars, poetry, prose, etc. Each man's own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standards."

- Mark Twain 1895

Here are the bottles and pairings for future reference:

Prosecco Superiore, Santa Margherita, Valdobbiadene, Brut; with chevre wrapped in prosciutto around breadsticks, served with fresh figs Kaarinna
Prosecco Superiore, San Fermo, Bellenda, Valdobbiadene, Brut; pizza topped with carmelized onions, mushrooms and roasted pepper Niki
Pinot Grigio, Santepietre, Lamberti, Delle Venezie, 2010; smoked salmon topped with dill and lemon on crostini Wendy
Anselmi, San Vincenzo, 2010; with Lincolnshire Poacher cheese Christina
Shymer, Syrah-Merlot, Sicilia (Baglio di Pianetto), 2008; with meatballs and sauce cooked in Sicilian style Annika
Sangiovese Merlot, Puglia, Mezzomondo; with lasagna Grace
Serego Alighieri in Toscano, Toscano, 2008 (Bello Ovile); with shaved chocolate Brix Laura
Valpolicella Classico, 2006 (Cantina di Negrar); with shrimp Nicolette
Valpolicella Superiore, Ripasso, 2009 (Cesari); with bocconcini tossed in garlic scape pesto fresh from Jimmy's garden! and fresh fruit kabobs Carolyn
Barolo, La Pieve (2005) Dogliani; with Testun Al Barolo cheese and frozen grapes Diane

While waiting for designated drivers to show, we sipped Monte Antico, Toscano (sangiovese, merlot, cabernet savignon).

Illustratiion

Really? There are wines from countries other than Italy?

2011-12-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

Pinotage - signature grape of S.A.

Although it seems I've been favouring Italian reds, other countries have been filling my glass just as well.

The Bean is a flavourful coffee pinotage from South Africa. There is a notice on the bottle, "no coffee beans were used, abused, or mistreated during the winemaking process." Very oaky red.

Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde, a great value white from Portugal - less than $10 - with a score of 92.

Chateau La Tour de By, Cru Bourgeios Superieur, Medoc.... very tasty Bordeaux from France

When I win the lottery I'll go on a wine tasting tour, Around the World in 80 Bottles. In the meantime I'll sip on the grapes and look at google maps.

Illustration credit

Full Long Nights Moon - December

2011-12-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

With the winter solstice approaching in another 12 days, we are due for even shorter days and longer nights.

Time to enjoy the comfort of the season, the twinkling lights, and the promise of a distant spring.

Light a candle to celebrate the Full Long Nights Moon, which became full at 9:36 EST this morning.

Illustration credit

In the mood for a little classical entertainment?

Clair de Lune, Debussy's moonlight sonata... hard to believe this beautiful scene was cut from Fantasia....

Great Paintings

2011-12-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

Great Piece of Turf - Durer

I was reading through the Globe and Mail selections of gift books and saw a title I couldn't resist - Great Paintings: The World's Masterpieces Explored and Explained.

I picked it up on the way home tonight.

A tour of 66 groundbreaking works from galleries around the world, the illustrations are lavish with pull-out details that deepen appreciation for the artists' skills and talents.

The realistic, almost photographic watercolour of turf was created by Durer more than 500 years ago, but it looks surprisingly modern to me... it was one of the first great nature studies.

Arcimbaldo is here! And Michaelangelo, Raphael, Rothko, Tom Thompson, Warhol....

Although there is a focus on Western and European art, the Qingming Scroll is here, and so is this Cypress Tree. Akbar's Adventures with the Elephant, too (1561)

The Dance - Paula Rego

I'm looking forward to hours of unhurried pleasure as I rediscover some familiar faces and get introduced to some new.

This is the first time I've seen anything by Paula Rego. I like the fact it can be interpreted as a dance through the stages of a woman's life, from childhood to old age.

And it has a full moon in the sky, one of my favourite subjects.

Started Early Took My Dog

2011-12-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

What a great title!

Quirky. Funny. Poetic. Not necessarily words I'd normally associate with a mystery novel.

Started Early, Took My Dog, by Kate Atkinson was the Book Babes November selection, chosen by Nicolette. Nothing controversial here - all of us liked the book, which is the fourth in a detective series.

Nice touches.... Jackson, the central character, has a surprising penchant for poetry which was gained in some dark days of his personal history. The novel ends with the Emily Dickinson poem, 'Hope is the thing with feathers'.

What he discovered was that the great novels of the world were about three things - death, money and sex. Occasionally a whale. But poetry had wormed its way in, uninvited. A Toad, can die of Light! Crazy.

Great descriptions of English abbeys and National Trust properties which make me want to make a visit just to take in the scenery, like watching wild deer grazing out your cottage window or passing by Jane Seymour's bench.

... the ruins had touched his soul in some inarticulate and melancholy place, the nearest thing to holiness for an atheistic Jackson. He missed God. But then who didn't?

Satiric observations nicely sum up the state of modern affairs:

"Western civilization had had a good run but now it had pretty much shopped itself out of existence."
"You go to sleep living in a prosperous country and you wake up in a poor one, how did that happen? Where had the money gone, and why couldn't they just get it back?"

The plot is artful, if a bit gruesome, involving the murders of prostitutes and stolen identities over two different generations; told out of sequence in a nonlinear fashion. So sometimes it is a bit difficult to figure out which decade you're in or which character has the stage. Reading this on the kobo was challenging because it wasn't easy to thumb back and double-check previous pages.

If this were a film, it would definitely suit film noir. I'd pick Guy Ritchie to direct and Hugh Laurie or Robert Downey Junior as Jackson.

Vino Italiano

2011-12-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

While we were in Tuscany good wine was so accessible. Even the supermarket shelves boasted amazing labels: amerone, barolo, chianti, brunello.

And so affordable! At a restaurant here I recently paid $30 for a half litre of a red because it came from San Gimignano. I'm sure there it would have been less than ten euro for the entire bottle.

I don't think I'll ever forget the tasting we went to at the farm Tenuta Torciano to sample the featured local vintages: white Vernaccia San Gimignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunellos, Super Tuscans, Vin Santo, and a balsalmic aged for thirty years.

While there we picked up a few bottles to bring home, including a Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico Geneste.

I'll be sharing a bottle of the Montalcino at the Winter Solstice wine tasting this year. Just sent the invites off to the Book Babes and I'm already looking forward to it! The theme this year is, of course, Vino Italiano......

Seeing Red

2011-12-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Haven't been to an opening night in .... I can't remember how long.

Lucky for me, Kaarina's date wasn't able to make it so I tagged along to the Canadian premiere of Red.

This Tony award winner had an outstanding script and I enjoyed how red was punctuated in the lighting: during a scene transition, on the character's fingertips; at the end of a burning cigarette; in the warm glow of the hot lights.

The stand-out scene for me was when the actors flung themselves at the canvas with their brushes and turned the blank white slate into a red scream. Live, and in less than three minutes. It was literally breathtaking (the actor playing Rothko was left panting). To me this is a central, powerful metaphor. Most of the time the characters talked about, looked at, pondered, paced, mixed, poured... yet so little time was actually spent in the physical creation of the art itself.

The dynamic between the artist and his assistant was fascinating to watch. Rothko was cruel, self-absorbed. The assistant was a blank canvas. At the play's end, the young man is given his freedom and sent off into the world. Like a Rothko painting, perhaps?

Orange Red Orange - Mark Rothko

I enjoyed the production, the direction and the actors' interpretation so I was surprised by how nasty the Toronto Star review was the next day in its attack on the Director. It seemed so vitriolic it made me wonder whether the reviewer had some snub he was trying to settle. The Globe and Mail was far more generous. The National Post a bit less so.

In the play, another scene transition saw copies of Warhols, Jasper Johns, and Lichtensteins dance across the stage. Rothko felt these pieces unworthy to displace his work and saw them as meaningless representations that demanded little from the viewer.

Some of Rothko's paintings were exhibited this past summer at the AGO. Over the years I've come to appreciate abstract expressionism, and can even claim a visceral connection with many. Like Orange Red Orange, which I interpret and react to differently, depending on my mood. I can't say I've ever been moved to tears, though:

Pop art, relying on figurative imagery, was the antithesis of Abstract Expressionism. Whereas Warhol often utilized "found" imagery in his paintings, Rothko used abstract forms and colour - although he denied being an "abstractionist" as recalled by Selden Rodman in his book Conversations with Artists.

Mark Rothko: "You might as well get one thing straight... I'm not an abstractionist."
Selden Rodman: "You're an abstractionist to me... You're a master of color harmonies and relationships on a monumental scale. Do you deny that?"
Mark Rothko: "I do. I'm not interested in relationships of color or form or anything else."
Selden Rodman: "Then what is it you're expressing?"
Mark Rothko: "I'm interested only in expressing basic human emotions - tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on - and the fact that lots of people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I communicate those basic human emotions... The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them. And if you, as you say, are moved only by their color relationships, then you miss the point!"
(Selden Rodman, Conversations with Artists (NY: Capricorn Books, 1961) pp. 93-4)

Despite his denial of being an "abstractionist" Rothko and other Abstract Expressionists had fought hard over several decades for public acceptance of abstract art - through exhibitions, protests and writings. When Pop reared its figurative head in the early 60s, Rothko saw it as a step backward rather than forward. When Sidney Janis presented many of the Pop artists (including Andy Warhol) in his 1962 exhibition, "The New Realists," Rothko, along with Adolph Gottlieb, Philip Guston and Robert Motherwell, resigned from the gallery. Guston's daughter Musa Mayer recalled that "Overnight, it seemed, the art world changed. My father was in despair over the selling of art, over the slick, depersonalized gloss - not only of Pop Art, but of Minimalism as well - that was taking center stage in New York. Art was no longer struggle; art had become marketing."

........from www.warholstars.org

Slow Food

2011-11-27T14:38:00.000-08:00

Bacchus by Caravaggio

Spent a wonderful evening enjoying a long, slow meal and lingering at the table with Caroline, Maureen, Dick and Jim. It was Rob's and my turn to host, and the theme was 'Italian'. Everyone bringing a course (or two) and fabulous bottles of wine to share.

Six hours to do Bacchus proud.

A rogue cricket had gotten loose in the house and was chirping loudly.

Between courses we went out on the deck to enjoy the unseasonably warm evening and take in the night air.

Bursts of flavour. The portions were small enough to leave us wanting just a bit more, so at the end of the six courses we weren't over-stuffed.

At one point Caroline and Rob brought my grandfather's self-portrait oil painting up from the basement and we hung it in the living room where he now looks wonderfully at home.

Much merriment! And now plans for New Year's Eve....

Menu

antipasto - platter of tasty salamis, cheeses, olives & artichokes
primo - silken handmade ravioli stuffed with 2 different delectable fillings... mushroom and two cheeses
secondo - sweet and sour caponata and Tuscan chicken
salad - young greens + Pecorino brillo (light and fruity) served with pomegranates, and aged balsalmic
cheese - tallegio + pecorino with truffle + brillo
dolce - rainbow sorbet with limoncello and blackberries - full of colour
finish with espresso + biscotti + shots of limoncello

wines paired were barolo and chianti classico,
Fontanafredda Barolo
Montegiachi Chianti Classico
Gabbiano

O Henry!

2011-11-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

For Susan, who so kindly enquired after Henry. He is still valiantly hanging on but the cold morning frost is causing him to wilt. Such a desperate romantic, I have to admire his flagrant disregard for winter.

November 23rd, 2011

Golden beauty

2011-11-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

This morning when I looked out the back window I couldn't believe the colour of the hosta by the pond... so very golden. For many years I've admired it's summer foliage and slug resistance, but I can't remember seeing it so brilliant in the fall. Well positioned by the pond, even Ganesh seems to appreciate its heart-shaped leaves. What's not to love?

Henry continues to astonish, and here it is November 18.

It snowed just north-east of here yesterday. Frost blankets the earth at dawn.

And so the seasons turn.

Henry's still hanging in.....

Autumn glory

2011-11-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

I am a lazy summer gardener, too many competing interests - sailing becomes a priority. So I have cultivated a garden with all-season interest and look forward to my plants displaying their autumn glory.

Henry astonishes me when he shows up in November, I have yet to take him for granted. Here he is, November 13th (clematis)

Do these plants make my hips look big? (rose hip)

White and green ruffles - such presence! (cabbage)

On loan from Paris

2011-11-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

On loan from Paris, the exhibit of Chagall and the Russian Avant-Gard was drawing crowds this blustery grey November day.

Blue Circus

What colour in the Blue Circus and Double Portrait.

I've long been a fan of Chagall but hadn't realized he was a Russian Jew who spoke only Yiddish up until he was 11 years old. He had not even heard the word for 'art' in his small village of Vitebsk. This was the area that Catherine the Great had confined the Hasidic Jews, and it was rare for anyone to leave. Higher education here was rare, and money was scarce, but there was a rich tradition of music.

Chagall nostalgically painted many a fiddler on the roof, inspiring the image of the film of the same name.

I learned Hasidic translates from the Hebrew as "loving kindness" and as part of the spiritual and mystic tradition God is seen as a spark of goodness living in all things.

Double Portrait with Wine Glass

I love the Double Portrait he created of himself and his wife, Bella. Such a celebration of light and love. She was his muse for 29 years, and when she died he couldn't even hold a paintbrush for an entire year.

He did go on to other loves, dying more 40 years later in St. Paul de Vence when he was 98 years old.

I came across his grave there, not knowing in advance his resting place would be overlooking the countryside in Provence. Respectfully, I placed a pebble in his honour.

Full Frosty Moon - November

2011-11-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

The moon has looked full to me for a few days now. Especially since the nights are getting longer. The Full Frosty moon is peeking through my bedroom skylight and shining in my eyes, and it is glowing in the mornings when I sit for meditation. Bright enough to cast shadows.

Today though, at 20:16 the moon is 'officially' full.

I found a fabulous site by googling moon music. And another.

November is such a moody month, I think this song strikes the perfect chord.

Illustration credit

Great Value Reds

2011-11-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

Good buys

It's getting into party season!

These are two of my late summer/fall faves from the LCBO; not just for the price point, but great taste.

DREI DONÀ-TENUTA LA PALAZZA NOTTURNO SANGIOVESE 2008
Italy | Drei Dona Tenuta La Palazza
VINTAGES 39958 | 750 mL | $ 15.00

Sangiovese is most readily associated with Tuscany, but that is not to say that the grape cannot thrive elsewhere. From Emilia-Romagna, in Central Italy, this example offers spice and red berry on the nose, followed by a palate that is dry and finely structured with a balancing acidity. Great length. This is a perfect match for gourmet pizza, or one of the region's famous exports, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. (VINTAGES panel, July 2010)

SAN GREGORIO MANGA DEL BRUJO 2008
Spain | Bodega San Gregorio
VINTAGES 15073 | 750 mL | $ 13.55

Driven by naturally low yields, the red wines of the Calatayud region are real rising stars of Spanish wine. The Grenache blend here offers delectable aromas of redcurrant, sweet ripe fruit and suggestions of dried figs, tar and leather. This medium-bodied, easy-drinking red is a superb value at this price point. Enjoy with veal marsala or rack of lamb.

Autumn colours

2011-11-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

Witch hazel, sedum and weeping maple put on their fall dress

Toad lily - exotic, fragile looking, funny and sexy... that's a lot of personality!

Weeping maple... going out in a blaze of orange...

Take 5

2011-11-04T15:23:00.001-07:00

A different take on Brubeck's classic:

Happy Anniversary!

2011-11-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

I quit smoking 10 years ago, as of November 2.

Definitely one of the harder things I've done. It must have taken me over 100 tries, but eventually it stuck for more than a week, then more than a month, a year, and now... a DECADE!!!

I am still quitting, there are still moments, but I am so happy to have reached this milestone!

Illustration credit

Dia de los muertos

2011-10-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

We've had a few trick-or-treaters at the door tonight. So cute! A little Harry Potter, 2 pint-sized Astronauts (twins), a Zombie Princess, a stuffed dog, and of course a few skeletons. We bought enough candy for 200+ kids, because we're used to heavier traffic. Looks like lots of leftovers!

As much as I like our Halloween traditions, Day of the dead, celebrated November 1 and November 2 all over Mexico, looks like more fun. Making offerings and celebrating the lives of those who have died and we miss, sharing a drink or two and reminiscing.....

illustration source

Last Sail of the Season

2011-10-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

dusk at anchor

The second weekend in October was our Indian summer, and Rob and I made the best of it as we sailed over to Toronto Island. We weren't the only boaters taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather, and motored past the last available space on the wall to drop anchor at one of our favourite Island spots.

Later the next day, we went beach-combing along the rocky shore, bumping into only two or three other people... We had the view to ourselves, but there was evidence we weren't the only ones to appreciate this unique island park.

An aspiring Andy Goldsworthy had built a cairn along the shore with found materials.

And there was an panicked love letter, wrapped in plastic and taped to a picnic table, "Hi! Brazilian Girl!" The writer had fallen in love on the ferry, arranged a meeting, missed the connection, and was desperate to find his lost love. I wonder if he ever found her, or if he will be forever unrequited? I wonder if the cairn builder and letter writer were the same person, even though the stones and the picnic table were several hundred meters apart?

Winds were light, but we kept the sails up, wing on wing, for the trip back to BPYC. It took hours longer than it normally would, but I didn't mind a bit.

Early this morning Yondering had her Haul Out. She's in the cradle for the winter.

click to enlarge any photos below

Lost love

Andy Goldsworthy?

Yondering wih CN Tower in distance

Wing on wing is a beautiful thing......

Putting the garden to bed...

2011-10-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

Admiring the toad lily, winter cabbage, snake root and late blooming roses.

Still, it's time to put the garden to bed.

Emptying the flower pots, putting the annuals back into the ground to over-winter.

Digging up the cala lilies, begonias, and peacock orchids to store the bulbs over winter.

~sigh~

Breaking Bad

2011-10-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

After watching a few episodes I feel totally stressed because the suspense is so incredible. Yet I can't stop. I'm totally addicted! How appropriate for a series that looks into 'cooking' crystal meth.

Rob and I hadn't watched the AMC series 'Breaking Bad', but Liz was raving about it when we were on vacation. So, early October, we started into the Season One DVDs. Now, 26 episodes later, we're launching into the Season 3 DVDs.

Long form drama like this is so immersive, I find myself entirely caught up in Walter White's predicament. As much fun as it is to lose an entire weekend to back-to-back viewings, it's going to be tough to withdraw to weekly episodes when we get up to speed with Season 4.

The two main characters, Jessie and Walt, make an interesting study in ethics, the power of intention and the philosophical quandary of whether the end justifies the means. As they go about expanding their business and face hurdle after hurdle, you almost find yourself rooting for their success... or at the very least, their survival.

eReader

2011-10-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

For my birthday this year some wonderful ladies at the BPYC Book Club chipped in to buy a Kobo for me.

I figured it would take me a few books to get comfortable, so I started with a classic - Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. I brought it along to Italy, loaded with The Prince (Machiavelli); The Inferno (Dante); and the Decameron (Boccacio).

There's a lot to like about my eReader. The convenience. How compact it is. The adjustable font size. Being able to highlight sections for later reference (perfect for the book club!). Sharing eBooks with other readers in the club. But mostly I like it because it was a birthday gift from some wonderful women.

It did take a bit of getting used to, but by the time I read Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay for our book club meeting this week, I'd gotten perfectly used to reading this way.

Although the book this month was enjoyed by everyone, there were some common criticisms. Why, o why was that romantic ending conjured up? It seemed so superfluous. The ending was so incredibly sacharine compared with the rest of the novel it didn't seem to fit. Pressure from the agent to appeal to Hollywood?

I'll have to get around to seeing the movie while the book is still fresh in my mind. This may be one instance where the film ends up being better than the book:

Low GI Diet

2011-10-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

It seems every time you turn around there is contradictory advice. Low fat, no fat, local, macrobiotic, high protein, low GI. Yikes!

Sunday on CBC Radio I listened to a convincing anti-carbs argument from the author of 'Why We Get Fat and What We Can Do About It"

Today, Mr. Taubes is the world's best known spokesman for the "low carbohydrate" approach to nutrition.He claims that our decades-long obsession with counting calories and banning fat from our diet is actually the PROBLEM, rather than the solution to the obesity epidemic. All this has left the professionals at war with one another. And us left in the middle with no idea whether skim milk is a health food or a deadly poison. The Sunday Edition

By coincidence, at my annual physical earlier this week, my doctor advised me to go on a low GI Diet, and cut way back on my starches. I actually got a bit pissed off - I just figured out this Weightwatchers thing! The doctor must have mistook the look on my face for confusion, because she expanded a bit to say, a "no carbs diet". When I asked her a few questions, like 'what about oatmeal in the morning?' she said only in moderation.

Truthfully I've felt a bit sorry for myself the last few days because so many of my favourite foods seem to be yet again on some forbidden list; and because it seems I'm going to have to learn a new system and I don't know whether I really feel like it after just being three months in to WW.

Well, doctors aren't nutritionists, that's for sure. Turns out the low GI Diet actually encourages oatmeal. Pasta, not so much. Foods on the GI Index with ratings that don't surprise me are: 'High GI', such as white sugar, flour, bread, pasta (which I don't much indulge other than pasta). On the 'high' list that do surprise me are pumpkin, dates and watermelon.

~sigh~

Point and view

2011-10-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

One of the best things we packed for our recent trip to Italy were the binoculars. I thought I'd be using them to do a bit of bird-watching, but they turned out to be invaluable for sight-seeing overall.

Light and easy to carry, the 8 x 25 magnification was more powerful than the telephoto lens we had for the camera.

So the binocs were great for checking out the Tuscan hills in the distance and scoping out fishing boats in the water on the Amalfi coast. But they were also an amazing tool for the interior of churches, the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel and for viewing the tops of beautiful buildings like the Duomo. Not bad for stargazing, either!

These will be added to my packing list template - I won't leave home without them - at least on a vacation.

Fall of Man (Sistene Chapel)

facade of Duomo in Florence

Don't Worry, Be Happy

2011-10-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

source (for me)

Over the years I've tried to build habits into my daily and weekly routine to help raise my happiness quotient. Things like starting this blog, in part, as an online gratitude journal. Also keeping a garden, doing yoga, beginning a meditation practice, and most importantly being mindful of the simple joys life has to offer.

It's good to get reinforcement that these conscious choices have deeper benefits and such a positive impact on wellness. Stress is a killer and there's no shortage of it in our modern lives. The pursuit of happiness is no trivial matter.

As say the YOU DOCS (Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Michael F. Roizen, MD), "Happy feelings influence your brain and body chemistry in ways that make you better able to cope with pain and stress and to fend off colds, flu, heart disease, and even cancer. ...being happy isn't just luck. You can make yourself happier, day in, day out."

Here are some of their tips.

Listen to music. Whether you love Bach or the Beastie Boys, music that makes you feel good increases your heart and breathing rates and makes your brain release dopamine, a lovely feel-good neurotransmitter. (Music can lower your blood pressure, too!)
Hang out with upbeat friends. Your chances of happiness increase by 15% if someone in your immediate social circle is happy. (Find out more about how your friendships can help you live longer.)
Take a joy break. Don't worry if you're among the 80% who say their jobs don't thrill them. Even a few minutes of doing something you love (singing, hiking, watching a sunset) can reduce anxiety and improve your mood.
Talk nice to yourself. Is your inner voice quick to snap out things like, "How could you forget that, you idiot?" Trade put-downs for encouraging words; they set you up for success.
Connect. Talk -- really talk -- to people you care about; you'll both benefit by connecting. Get physical, too; hugs stimulate oxytocin, the "cuddle hormone," spreading a feel-good boost. Lovemaking does, too, in steady relationships (those couples report the highest happiness levels).
Keep a gratitude journal. Simply writing down what you're thankful for makes you healthier and more optimistic. (Don't miss these other tips for showing gratitude and feeling better for it!)
Don't sit around. Physical activity is a significant happiness booster. Get moving for 30 minutes a day -- you'll also make your RealAge more than 7 years younger. (Check out these four secrets for walking off weight.)
Meditate. It eases stress, improves sleep, strengthens immunity, and measurably increases happiness (in one study, by 20 points on a scale of 100). (Here's how to train your brain to meditate.)
Help others. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, hospital, or shelter. Giving back adds more meaning which is essential to happiness in your life.
Go outside. Spending time with awesome Mom Nature makes you feel alert, enthusiastic, energetic, and, simply happy.

be happy

:-)

Uffizi

2011-10-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

Going through the Uffizi was dizzying. There were so many old masters to see and I was greedy to see them all, so tried to get through each and every one of the 45+ rooms.

It is not overstating things to say this is one of the most important collections of art in the world: Leonardo Da Vinci, Durer, Boticelli, Michaelangelo and so many others. (Funnily enough, we missed Caravaggio's because they were on loan to Canada).

Rosso Fiorentino - Musician Angel

Sculptures from the time of the Roman Empire. Works of religious art through the centuries, which after awhile seem to blur. Portraits of the Renaissance - famous patrons and beauties. Later periods showing Henry the Eighth and his wives.

Familiar faces everywhere! The portrait of the Musician Angel was hung high in a corner, jostling for attention.

One image that has stuck with me is the naked image of a dwarf and the expression on his face. I listened in on an English tour where the guide was elaborating on the unique two-sided painting. The mannerist work was produced to prove that painting could rival sculpture in depicting the true nature of its subject. On one side, the dwarf is young, on the other, he is an old man. The artist Bronzini made a strong case for his argument that painting could present the passage of time, where sculpture could not.

[The dwarf may have been a favourite of the Grand Duke but he was also a source of entertainment:

The second half of the sixteenth century seems to have been a particularly populated time for dwarves at the Medici court. Morgante’s case was no exception. Records testify that he was often mortified, and even had to fight, naked, with a monkey. Rosella Lorenzi]

I circled back when I'd realized I missed the room with the Rembrandts, and stood to admire the works of the Dutch master. But this was after more than an hour and a half, and my brain and eyes were having a hard time digesting all the riches.

Rob and I thought we couldn't possibly take in any more, but on the way out we were captivated by a multimedia exhibition that brought to life how the Uffizi itself was built, block by block, starting in 1540, through the ingenious use of pulleys. Projectors enlarged the images, and we were transported to a construction site in Renaissance Florence, listening to the banter of workmen and the creaking sounds of ropes straining under their heavy load.

If I can't go back in person soon, at least I can return for a virtual tour of the Uffizi

Falling Leaves Full Moon - October

2011-10-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

My calendar calls this "Falling Leaves Full Moon". Well, why not? Leaves are, indeed, falling. Yesterday my eye caught the sight of a hundred golden leaves being blown off a tree in a gust of wind, dancing in sunlight. How lucky!

Farmer's Almanac calls this The Hunter's Moon

I read these beautiful lines of poetry on my way into work one day via the subway train. Poetry on the (Better) Way is a great diversion. Transporting from the daily drudge.

Escondido Nights
by Jim Christy

The moon is the shape
Of this hidden cove
fishing boats are constellations
We floated through a heaven
that glittered phosphorescent
like plankton in tinfoil
And paused between a pair:
Aurorita and Viridiana, to thrash about like comets just
Let out of school.
And continued on a light year
later Moondust in my mouth
And all over your body

Photo credit

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-10-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

I feel deep gratitude for a happy home life, a wonderful husband and son, family and extended family and supportive friends. Meaningful work. Health and happiness.

Thanks for a decade where both Rob and I worked and Alex thrived. For the leisure to enjoy yoga, my garden, sailing, and book clubs.

To have been able to set aside time and money for travel this year, with amazing trips to Victoria and Italy.

I am feeling incredibly blessed and thanks-full; with deep gratitude to be able to experience its meaning.

Villas and B & Bs

2011-10-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Booking the accommodations for our trip to Italy via the Internet in advance, I was hoping the photos and descriptions lived up to their promises. Luckily, everything we booked was even better than I imagined.

PRAIANO

Calanteluna looked straight out onto the Mediterranean, with Praiano just below us and Positano winking not too far away.

The view was always changing, depending on the time of day and the weather. The sea and skies showed us many faces in the short time we we there: evening sunsets and twinkling lights; midnight blue skies. On two nights in a row I got up to watch very active electric storms with multiple & simultaneous lightning strikes... white bursts of waves and bolts of lightening opening against the black night. By dawn, calm returned with mist on the water and fishing boats bobbing on the sea. Calante luna means 'waning moon' in Italian, and we happened to be there just as the moon was shrinking. Perfetto!

ROME

We booked the B & B through the Bed & Breakfast Association of Rome. Our original accommodations fell through, so they offered us another alternative, closer to the Vatican. Better value, same price.

We ended up at La Ciumachella, in the Prati district and just a walk away from the Piazza del Popolo. Breakfasts were delicious (yoghurt, fresh fruit, pecorino cheese, cafe Americano)! The room was comfortable and a place to lay our heads; but one of my favourite things about this place was the bathroom. Well-appointed, spacious, and en-suite. We didn't want to spend too much time indoors, there was too much to see, so this suited us just fine. A choice of restaurants and cafes in the area offered everything from Michelin dining to pizza sold by the weight.

TUSCANY

I loved everything about Casale Rosanna, but most especially the vista.

Morning sunrises and the mist lifting off the hills. Late afternoon light. Afternoons fading into the magic hour.

The hills were so rich in colour and texture. Such a soft, embracing horizon. When we go sailing the horizon is often so simple, uncluttered. Here there was such depth and infinite variety. Looking through the binoculars was like framing works of art.

One morning I watched an air balloon floating over the hills, approaching slowly and soundlessly from the distance.

Nights on the patio here were starry, with very little light pollution. By this time in our trip the moon was disappearing into the sky, becoming new, and then waxing to a sliver. There must have been meteor showers because we saw several shooting stars.

The kitchen was great for cooking, the dining table was a generous size, and French doors opened to let in fresh air from the patio, the kitchen, and the bedroom.

We even got good use of the pool on a couple of hot afternoons, overlooking the towers of San Gimignano and sipping on limoncello. I remember drifting off to sleep and hearing the clanging mechanical sound of grapes being gathered and tossed into the back of a small truck, realizing I was in the heart of Chianti. The 2011 vintages will always hold special meaning for me!

Giardino - Villa Cimbrone

2011-10-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

Returning to Ravello, we were raving about the beautiful gardens we'd explored the day before. The driver thought we were talking about Villa Cimbrone. What? There is another Garden of Paradise in this same medieval town?

Turns out Villa Cimbrone was originally built around the same time as Rufalo (11th century). Two splendid castles like this must have lent themselves to countless intrigues.

While Rufalo was returned to it's former splendour by a wealthy Scottish industrialist, Cimbrone was revitalized by an aristocratic Brit. He must have plundered the countryside for Roman relics, they are all over the grounds.

Vita Sackville-West was a one-time visitor, although long before she designed her famous White Garden.

Many famous visitors came to the villa during the Beckett family's ownership. It was a favourite haunt of the Bloomsbury Group, including Virginia Woolf, Leonard Woolf, E. M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes, and Lytton Strachey. Other visitors included D. H. Lawrence, Vita Sackville-West, Edward James, Diana Mosley, Henry Moore, T. S. Eliot, Jean Piaget, Winston Churchill and the Duke and Duchess of Kent. The actress Greta Garbo and her then-lover, the conductor Leopold Stokowski, stayed at the villa several times in the late 1930s; (Wikipedia)

We only had an hour or so here, I could have spent the entire day. Beckett, the wealthy Brit, died in London in 1917, asked his remains be placed at the Temple of Bachus, overlooking the sea, with this inscription:

Oh what is more blest than when the mind,
Cares dispelled, puts down its burden
And we return, tired from our travelling, to our home
To rest on the bed we have longed for?

Home is where the heart is.

Giardino - Villa Rufalo

2011-10-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ravello was such a beautiful place.

I hadn't heard of this gem on the Amalfi Coast until I was leafing through a brochure at our villa in Praiano. There was a photo of an orchestra with the audience facing a stage that overhung the sea. What an incredible sight! I decided I wanted to see a concert in that spectacular setting, but it wasn't to be, the season was over. But the city had cast its spell.

The trip to Ravello from Amalfi was like climbing into a green heaven. Liz and I had hopped on to one of those open air tour buses, and it drove almost vertically up the side of the cliffs, with the Mediterranean in full view off one side, and garden-terraced cliffs on the other. I couldn't help but think how difficult it would have been to build this city, founded so long before a bus ride would have made it an easy climb. The year 840, in fact.

Not having heard of Ravello, I hadn't heard of Villa Rufalo either. What a wonderful surprise... Because this wasn't a planned destination and it wasn't on the original itinerary, it felt like I'd discovered new territory.

The Villa itself was exceptional, with its graceful arches and curves and columns. Towering palms and umbrella pines and cypress. Green, green, green.

Liz and I wandered together and Rob joined us a bit later. We loved Ravello so much we went back the next day...

click to enlarge photos

Grazie Mille

2011-10-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

view from the villa patio

What a busy two weeks we had. It was fantastic to be able to share it all with Rob and our good friends Liz & Darcy. It feels more like a month, really. Four nights on the Amalfi Coast, three in Rome, and then seven nights in Tuscany.

It is all such a blur right now! Just back today, suitcases still to be put away.

enjoying a chilled limoncello on a hot sunny afternoon

Such sights. Information and sensory overload.

The natural vistas are so BIG. Huge skies, majestic hills, vast Mediterranean sea.

The time on the Divina Costa seems so long ago.

Exploring Rome on our own and at our own pace was great fun. Walking through piazzas and town squares, so many fountains. Rediscovering the Pantheon. One civilization eclipsing another (Etruscan, Roman, Christian). Indulging in tours through the Vatican Museum, Sistene Chapel, the Colliseum, Public Forum. Peeking into green courtyards tucked behind the concrete street fronts, exploring the Villa Borghese park. And over 300 churches...so impossible to see everything we wanted to see in Rome in just three days.

I absolutely loved the week in Tuscany. The weather was perfect, with daytime temperatures in the low eighties and evenings just cool enough to toss on a pashmina. After touring the Chianti hills and exploring towns and villages we drank in the views from the villa patio. It was off the beaten path, but close enough to head into San Gimignano in the evenings after the tour buses had left for the day. Casale Rosanna was located in one of the most picturesque spots in all of Tuscany, and we enjoyed misty sunrises and starry nights there.

detail on the Duomo

A full day in Florence, obviously not enough! I could have stared at the Baptistery doors or gazed at the Ponte Vecchio for hours. Although I'd seen photos, I wasn't prepared for the sheer scale of the Duomo, the Bell tower, or the tomb of the Medici. Big places with such endless detail that could take a lifetime to properly contemplate. I brought some binoculars and put them to good use to see the detailed carvings and frescoes. It must have been amazing to see these monuments built and sculpted. What must it have been like to see Bruneschelli's dome or Michaelangelo's sculpture of Dawn unveiled?

The Ufizzi Gallery! The Botticelli room, the Rembrandts, the hundreds of sculptures and religious paintings.....

We spent a few days just driving through the Chianti hillside. Plenty of medieval castles and ruins dotting the landscape, and time enough to explore towns like Volterra, Grieve in Chianti, and Casole d'Elsa.

The wine was fantastic! Especially memorable was a tasting Rob and I enjoyed together at a Chianti farmhouse cellar (Tentute Giachi), where they served white Vernaccia San Gimignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico, two Brunellos, a couple of Super Tuscans, some Vin Santo and balsamic aged for thirty years. All the while the grower giving the back story, "gold medal winner and 93 points from Wine Spectator..."

Nice moments, like the one afternoon we went for a drive and packed a picnic of pecorino cheeses, Tuscan salamis, grapes and pickles.

And simple pleasures enjoyed on the patio. Watching the olives ripen from green to black over the course of the week; sampling a glass of chilled home-made limoncello on a hot afternoon; catching shooting stars in a starry night sky.

Bella, bella. Grazie mille!

Vatican Frescoes

2011-09-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Brain anatomy.

Being able to tour the Sistene Chapel before the crowds arrived was a pleasure. Gazing at the walls and ceiling without being elbowed and jostled, and being able to hear the guide without the babble of the crowds meant there was little to disturb the connection.

Standing in the midst of a room that has spoken to generations of Cardinals as they voted in the next Pope, I couldn't help but wonder what these figures spoke to their consciences.

Michaelangelo didn't even have a specialty in fresco before the Pope summoned him to Rome. He went unwillingly. He struggled with technique, perspective and ego as he worked to complete the masterpieces. Between 33 and 37 when he painted the ceiling; and between 59 and 64 when he painted the Last Judgement. Almost ten years of this genius' life, poured into wet plaster.

Michaelangelo dissected corpses to gain deep insight into the muscles and body, and likely dissected a few brains. Neurosurgeons have confirmed that in the creation panel, the depiction of God and angels is an accurate representation of the cross-section of a brain. The green scarf is modeled after a brain stem.

Michaelangelo in the foreground of Raphael's painting.

As Michaelangelo was hard at work in the Chapel, young Raphael was busy in adjoining rooms, painting the Pope's personal quarters. R. snuck in behind M.'s scaffold and was amazed to see the human figure revealed with such raw power and intensity; it was groundbreaking. R. went back and painted M. into the foreground, copying his technique. In the same painting, higher up on the steps, you can see another master, Leonardo da'Vinci, depicted as Socrates with a long grey beard. Raphael's own self-portrait is to the far right in the black hat.

Michaelangelo's self-portrait in the flayed flesh of St. Bartholemew

Michaelangelo's self-portrait is presented in the flayed skin of St. Bartholemew in the Last Judgement. The genius was brilliant, but not particularly happy. He spent much time alone and not a lot is known about his personal habits, loves or personal tastes. One of the guides was heard to say he was a depressive and wore boots to bed... but maybe that is just idle gossip.

If M. was depressed, maybe it was because he knew that not long after his death, his students would be called in, to paint strategically placed scarves and garments over the naked flesh that many found so unsettling. Imagine the religious debate that preceded; repeated in recent history when the 20th century saw restoration work carried out to the ceiling. Figures could have been returned to their original, yet only a few were fully restored to their original splendour.

photo credit Sistene Chapel
photo credit Last Judgement
photo credit Raphael Room

Divina Costa

2011-09-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

The view from our balcony at night was molto bene! We were staying in Praiano, so got to see the twinkling lights of Positano in the distance.

The stars above were on full display on the clear nights, but we did have 2 nights of wicked lightning storms. This was the first rain Praiano had seen for months.

During the day we toured surrounding territory. Positano, Amalfi, Ravello. Many of the cars you see on this coast are scraped along the sides, either from passing traffic or the cliffs. We chose taxis and buses so we could enjoy the scenery.

In Positano at Le Tre Sorelle, we lingered at the table out of the hot sun and tasted a memorable meal at the beach. Lots of shops here and no shortage of ways to spend money. Plenty of luxury hotels with stunning views.

Amalfi was gorgeous too, but the highlight for me here was the Cathedral. A place of beauty, repose and faith, it welcomed deep contemplation. Liz and I wandered the back steps and streets together and emerged again at the foot of the cathedral and in the town piazza. Come to think of it, it is likely all the streets eventually wind up somewhere near.

on the tour bus to Ravello

Ravello wasn't originally on the itinerary, but what a breathtaking spot. Higher up in the cliffs from Amalfi, it was originally settled when rebels ('revel') broke with the Duchy in the 800s. I loved exploring the gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. Resting in the cool of the Duomo. The open air bus tour that climbed to our destination at the top of the cliffs had us gaping in awe.

Just as we left the Divina Costa we stopped in at the Herculaneum to wander the ancient ruins and get some context for our next stop - Roma.

More details later.... caio caio

Ravello photo credit
Positano at night photo credit

O my!

2011-09-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

Rob gave me a nice Brunello for my birthday this year and I was saving it for a special occasion.

What am I waiting for?

Six months of anticipation and now we are on the cusp of our journey. Tonight I am packing for my long-awaited trip, tomorrow we will be on our way.

Alex and my brother Dave will hold the fort at home; water the cat and feed the plants. I don't think I've ever gone this long without seeing Alex and it will be a bit odd, I'm going to miss him... We decided to take my laptop so we could Skype each other. I've backed up all the data, just in case the laptop disappears somewhere along the way. It would be a shame to lose all the photos.

This wine is exceptional. I've long been a fan of this big-red-berry flavour and I'm so excited to think the next Brunello I sip may very well be in Montalcino!

I can't believe how much I'm dithering over luggage. I did a practice pack the other day and managed to fit everything into a carry-on very nicely. Should I bring the extra-sized bag so I can shop and carry home... or do I travel light? And what about my yoga mat? I'll be bringing that, but does it count as a purse or carry on? Can Rob carry on the laptop and the yoga mat as his purse? If I am bringing a laptop, do I need to print the itinerary? Plans A, B, C and infinity... So many important matters to sort.

A nice surprise! I found 55 euros & change I stashed since our Mediterranean cruise. I forgot about it being in my purse, I'd tucked it into a pocket and then never quite got around to exchanging it. Now it's tucked into a sleeve with my passport. When I unfolded the bills I was surprised by their stocky dimensions (so much shorter and wider than I remember). Now instead of exchanging this for Canadian dollars I will exchange it in an Italian market to buy some bread & cheese & olive oil. So much more suitable a use for euros, don't you agree?

Best Wishes

2011-09-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

What a birthday celebration!

We invited some guests down to TGIF at BPYC to help celebrate my birthday and it was a truly special night.

Grace arranged for her trio to be there and play music that made the evening even more magical. Great music, surrounded by friends.

Years ago I started a gratitude journal and since it still had some empty pages, I asked people to write down their best advice for living well in the next half century. I got some real gems!

Best of all, I can pull the book off the shelf and read the handwritten words of wisdom.

The advice is so wonderful I can't keep it all to myself, so here it for you to enjoy as well:

Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!
Life is like reading a book; one doesn't know what's on the next page until the page is turned; and one doesn't know what's in the middle until you've reached that point. Here are a few thoughts to influence the other half of your book: it's not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you've built in the end. Happy is the person who doesn't mourn what he's missing but delighted for what he has.
You are as young as you let yourself be.
As my 89 year old friend says, just keep on going.
Seize every moment that leads to a new adventure.
Stay positive - there is good and evil, pain and joy - all part of life. So for the next 50 - keep your focus on the good and joy.
It's like, relative. For example, you seem like a fox to me. xx
Enjoy every day. Every day is worth it!
If life begins at 40 then congrats! You are only 10. But they also say 60 is the new 40, so that means you aren't born yet. Either way you have your whole life ahead of you, so enjoy!
50 was the start of a great decade.. I stopped procrastinating and started doing the things I had always wanted to do. I couldn't wait any longer to "grow up". Hope it's the start of a beautiful part of your life, too!
The years will fly by but the moments of joy will last forever. Celebrate each day as it is built upon the one before.
My best advice is "feel no guilt" - life is too short to carry guilt and worry. The next decade will be good - a time without many family responsibilities and a time to grow.
Our advice "drink lots of wine" especially whilst in Italy. As they say in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Don't sweat the small things. Embrace your new freedoms. Write things down. Breathe. Deeply. Know you are loved and appreciated. Have fun!
Be good to yourself with the same kindness you give to others. Continue to explore, embrace, engage and experience. As best we know, we get one dance around this earth, make it a tango.
They say that anything you try and stick with as you get older you tend to master...
I have no advice to give you; you know what you're doing; you're doing it right; keep on doing it.
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? (Satchel Page)
Once you turn 50, you should start counting backwards, and begin to think younger instead of older. That way when you turn 70 you're thinking and feeling like a 30 year old, but much wiser than the first time!
Hope the next 50 years are filled with wealth, health and happiness. Now that you've passed the uncertainty of youth and hopefully left judgement behind, the world can be your oyster (or in your case, your garden) to explore.
I turned 50 six years ago. I absolutely think these are the best years of our lives. Enjoy. Be happy. Think about retirement. Kids growing up. It's all about you. Do everything you want. Think back to when you were a kid. What did you enjoy doing back then. Do it now.
Sing and dance whenever and wherever you want; live and laugh large. Use your silver, china and crystal every day. Don't ever think about your age when you are shopping for clothes - if you like the way you look in it and it feels good - buy it. Tell the people you love how you feel about them every day. Do one thing or say one thing each day that makes someone feel good.
Keep your love strong.

Full Harvest Moon - September

2011-09-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

I love a warm September sail and this weekend I was blessed with two great days on the water.

Saturday was my first-ever race (loafing on Bob and Margaret's boat), and today it was a leisurely cruise from late afternoon into evening, watching the full moon rise like a Phoenix. Moonlight dazzle on the water.

The official time for the full moon this month is 5:27 a.m. September 12. The moon closest to the fall equinox is the Full Harvest Moon which would give me an excuse to post the Neil Young standard, or the 1930's favourite, "Shine on Harvest Moon", both of which I absolutely love.

But what can I say, Italy is on my mind. And the moon hit my eye, like a big pizza pie!

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

If You Were Born Today, September 7:

Famous people born today: Grandma Moses, Buddy Holly, Chrissie Hynde.

Your Birthday Year Forecast:
A trine between the Sun and the Moon in your Solar Return chart this year is a fortunate aspect. It suggests that your domestic and career needs are not in competition with one another in the year ahead. Your inner needs tend to be mirrored by external events, and vice versa. This aspect is very powerful and rewarding. It suggests that you will be on top of your game this year, for the most part, and positive connections with others can be made fairly easily. A comfortable level of personal popularity helps to keep conflict to a minimum. With the ability to handle your emotions successfully, there is less stress on both your mind and body. Your self-confidence and positive attitude will reward you!

You are more aware of moral issues this year, and have a stronger than usual desire to improve and learn this year. Optimism and confidence are with you, and you are able to attract fortunate circumstances into your life as a result. Problems are easier to resolve this year. Travel opportunities are likely. You are likely to enjoy good humor, optimism, and a larger perspective on matters that keeps you from getting lost in details or overly frustrated by everyday stresses and strains. Be confident, but also grateful and humble, and this will help attract the things you want into your life.

Opportunities to advance your personal interests are especially strong in April 2012.

Your faith in your ability to produce and to win takes you places you perhaps never imagined. You are able to see the "big picture", which helps you to plan effectively.

It's a strong year for engaging in creative projects and for joining in groups working towards a common goal. Competitive activities may often work in your favor - positive outcomes in competitive activities, including sports and business, are likely.

Err on the side of caution if offers arrive that seem too good to be true, however. Some confusion or possibly deception could arise in communications this year, and you may be skipping important details without even realizing it. Your imagination is stirred, but you may not always follow through on your ideas.

Romance is in the air this year - your sensuality, sex appeal, and animal magnetism are enhanced.

Relationships tend to hold good levels of interest, and you might find it easier than usual to make connections.

Your social life is likely to be animated and pleasing this year. The ability to see the big picture helps you to stay confident and optimistic, and to stress less over the little things. A cooperative attitude improves your relationships. Creative and group projects can thrive in the period ahead.

illustration credit
horoscope from cafe astrology

Sultan's Tent

2011-09-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

Rob, Alex, Penny and I went out to celebrate a special occasion on Wednesday night and I got to pick the venue.

Although I am a bit of a foodie, we don't get out to restaurants much and I confess, I don't stay current on what's hot. This is all by way an apology to confess why I picked the Sultan's Tent. Oh dear. I think this has seen its day, back in Yorkville when people sat on pillows and ate with their hands.

The night of our visit the food was uninspired but the biggest disappointment was the belly-dancing. We ended up with someone who shook their bum, instead of undulating their belly. It kind of missed the point. Ah well.

To make up for the transgression, here are two of my favourite You Tube performances.

Saint-Paulin Fromagerie D'Oka

2011-09-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

Sure, the packaging made it all look innocent enough, but 350 grams of Saint-Paulin have somehow disappeared after just 5 days in my fridge. That's a good-sized chunk.

Rob brought it home and left it in plain view and now the entire round has somehow disappeared. Where oh where did it go?

All told, over 1000 calories. In Weightwatchers parlance that is about 36 points (almost an entire weekly 'treat' allowance). Mea culpa!

Saint-Paulin is made in accordance with the authentic Trappist recipe and set in the original cellars of the Oka abbey. So it can't be all that bad. Sure tasted good.

If only I could put that "all things in moderation" advice into practice!

My chunk was just over .722 pounds or .350 kilograms.

To help put things into perspective and for comparison purposes the average intake of cheese per person in various countries

UK is 113 g per week
US is 31 pounds per year in 2003 (or a little more than half a pound per week)
France is 23 kilograms per year ( .4 kilograms or almost 1 pound per week).
I feel positively deprived in comparison to rural Austrians, whose average intake is about 1.5 to 2 kg per person per week.

Enough feeling guilty, already.

Of course, there is another way of looking at this. Appetite and drive for specific foods may be a biological mechanism to assure intake of all necessary nutritional components. In other words, my body is craving calcium.

Buona Notte

2011-09-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Buona Notte!

Last year we went on our Mediterranean Cruise and it was our first cruise as well as the the first time to Europe.

We were scheduled to stop in Naples and were so looking forward to the Amalfi Coast, but the port wasn't able to accommodate the cruise ship. It meant an extra night in Venice, but still, it is an understatement to say we were disappointed.

So this year, Positano is on our itinerary. And Capri. I can already hear the ocean waves!

Looking forward to seeing the lights at night. That was the one serious drawback of the Mediterranean Cruise last year - boarding the ship at the end of the day and missing out on the night life and the stars above. This time, we're scheduled for three nights and four days. Time enough to explore...

Positano from pierrelord on Vimeo.

... and a fine summer it was...

2011-09-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

The first autumn leaf has fallen in my backyard. It is just a tiny little thing, less than an inch, but bursting red. And it is already September 3!

This was an amazing summer. I was able to take almost the entire month of July as a holiday and for awhile it almost did feel that the days were moving as slow as syrup.

Henry and Josephine

Versailles clematis


Nelly Moser clematis


astilbe, iris, Japanese fern

Margaret's lily

image of maple leaf is from Getty Images

Floods, Earthquakes, Tornadoes...

2011-08-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday night started with a flood in the basement. Alex and Penny mopped up, but still, 2 of the 3 rugs in the basement were destroyed. Possibly the third, we're trying to restore it.

Tuesday there was an earthquake. 5.5. I was in a training course, on the 8th floor, and we could feel - and see - everything swaying. The facilitator just carried on as though nothing was happening. My table-mates and I looked at each other. Did you feel that? Did the earth just move for you? Nervous laughter.

Then the powerful lightning storm and official Tornado Watch on Wednesday night. The light show was incredible, with strikes so frequent they looked like strobe lights. Rob and I watched the light show through the skylights. According to the news this morning, the CN Tower was struck multiple times, and the lightning was striking a thousand times in a single hour.

That's three. We're done, right? I'm pouring myself a cuppa and hoping for calmer days ahead.

valerian

chamomile

peppermint

lemongrass

pretty blue cornflowers

David's Tea: "Mother's Little Helper"

Hurray!

2011-08-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

I've lost about 7 pounds in the last month!

That is, if my scale is to be trusted. This morning I noticed that depending where exactly on the bathroom floor I place the scale, it can make a difference of a pound or two. Of course, I'm going with the lighter verdict.

I've joined WeightWatchers; the online version. I'm not going to meetings (they just don't appeal to me). But using the online tools to track my progress and intake is useful, it's made me more aware of the amount and quality of foods I put in my mouth. I stay within the guidelines overall, but that is also because I don't deprive myself of what I'm craving. Like sampling from some of my most favourite foodgroups - cheese and wine.

Probably the most variety in type of foods in my "favourites" list is cheese: blue, cheddar, spanish, monteray, feta, parmesan, cottage... At one point I tried the low-cal stuff but it was so disappointing I figured, why bother? Better intense flavours in small bites than a fistful of something that tastes like plastic.

I thought I'd lose a pound or two for my heart health, but a recent study released from York U challenges the assumption. Obese people who are otherwise healthy live just as long as their counterparts; and in fact, have a lower level of cardiovascular disease. Maybe the study would be better to measure the percentages for the overall health of obese people vs. the overall health of people with a "healthy" BMI?

Regardless, I'm staying on track with the lifestyle changes for awhile.

And no, I am NOT dieting in Tuscany!

Uccelli

2011-08-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Uccelli = Bird in Italian......Hope I get to see some of these beauties that have been spotted in Tuscany.

sources:
Paul's Birding Diary
Tuscany Birding
Birds and Art in Tuscany
First Flight of a Young Tawny Owl
Hacking of Young Tawny Owls
Red Kites Released in Tuscany 2007

Stendhalismo

2011-08-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

"Florence is so full of art that travellers risk falling prey to the condition known as Stendhalismo, a term attributed to the writer Stendhal, who was so mesmerized by the beauty of Florence that he almost fainted. A type of travellers nervosa, Stendhalismo mostly strikes visitors who have difficulties prioritizing a visit." Michelin guide to Tuscany

Recommended:

Piazza del Duomo

Galleria degli Uffizi Primaver
just think of the 27 Botticelli including The Birth of Venus and the Springtime or the Doni Tondo by Michelangelo, the Annunciation by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Palazzo Veccho

Galleria dell'Academia

hmmm.... according to this frank Trip Advisor comment:
Galleria dell'Accademia does not worth a visit unless you are desperate to see the original of David and have the eye to distinguish it from its copy....There are more interesting museums in Florence (Pitti, Bargello, Galileo,...) I don't understand why L'Accademia is this much popular

San Lorenzo and the Tombs; from the tomb of Lorenzo Medici

Museo di San Marco showcases Fra Angelico's works
Peter Preaching with Mark, 1433

... and Fra Angelico's The Last Judgement...

Albero

2011-08-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

Cypress and stone pines

Albero is Italian for "tree" and the word should come in handy in Tuscany, which is the most densely wooded region in all of Italy.

When we were driving through the Tuscan countryside last spring on our way to Cinque Terre, the guide was pointing out the straight, raised Roman roads and the "open and shut umbrellas" that dotted the landscape.

The open umbrellas were of course, umbrella pines; the shut ones were cypress. Umbrella pines are also known as stone pines and have been cultivated since ancient times for their edible oil-bearing pine kernels.

Also abundant are sweet chestnuts. The Mugello region has whole groves, and the European Union recognizes Marrone del Mugello as the territory which is specially adapted to the cultivation of this fruit. First news about this chestnut dates back to the Roman age.

October is the month they ripen, so we may be able to taste some of the early harvest.

It is here that the fruit, as well as being a precious source of income, has been long used by the local population as the basis for much of its local cuisine, so much so that the chestnut is often referred to as the albero del pane (the bread tree). The harvest of this fruit is still carried out by hand due to the steep, hilly location of the many centuries old chestnut groves, making it impossible to harvest using machinery. - The marroni of the Mugello

This region is definitely a spot to stop for lunch or dinner. In addition to the famous chestnuts, the area also produces oil, wine, high quality meats, cheese, honey, saffron and potatoes, various types of mushroom, and the white truffle, which grows in the woods and chestnut groves of the surrounding valleys.

Mugello is supposed to be great for nature walks, but I have a feeling we'll be better able to get the guys interested in visiting because the roads are the site of the Autodromo (Formula 2 and Motorcycle Grand Prix racing circuits).

Olive Grove

And the trees I remember being everywhere in the Mediterranean- the olive. First cultivated by the Etruscans in 4th century BC, these evergreens can live for hundreds of years. They look the same as they do elswhere, but there are many different, prized cultivars that can only be identified by olive experts, who study the pit and leaves to determine the varietal. Although there are countless varieties, the olives themselves are either green or black (the black ones start out green and change colour as they ripen).

Olive oil is one of the first things I want to pick up at the market. With fresh bread. And pecorino cheese, some parmesan & balsalmic.... mmmmmm

Negata Shachu

2011-08-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

Negata Shachu played at the Toronto Botanical Gardens this week. The last concert in the summer series went out with a bang!

The taiko drummers were amazing to hear and to watch. Such physical exertion. Their whole bodies went into their music.

Drum beats are so primal, with the power to quicken or slow your heart beat. The performance was mesmerizing.

Alex, Penny, her mom, and I sat on top of the garden spiral with the best seats in the house and munched on samosas and oranges to enjoy this last show of the season.

For each song, the drummers changed the position of the instruments on stage. A big drum paired with a small drum, the next song the drum on a stand. As the relation of the drums to one another changed, so did the shape of the sound. And so did the position of the drummer. Sometimes crouching, sometimes lunging, sometimes drumming with their arms above their heads.

After the concert, a walk in the garden forest. The cicadas are incredibly loud tonight and it seemed so very suitable...

Here's a clip of the same troupe giving an indoor performance.

What are you reading?

2011-08-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

For a few years now, I have been inviting my book club(s) to come down to BPYC so we can ask each other, "What are you reading?"

Memoir, historical fiction, non-fiction and true-life tales outweigh fiction in these summer choices: 21 books and only three of them works of fiction set in modern times. Interesting choices!

Diane: Under the Covers

A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway: what he chooses to reveal tells more about him than his subjects
Freedom, by Jonathon Franzen: dysfunctional families are this author's specialty

Joan: Trilogy of Memoirs by by Dave Pelzer

A Child Called It: His brother, Richard Pelzer, is the author of the book "A Brother's Journey", confirming much of what David has said and describing his own abuse when David was finally removed from the home, although the two disagree about Dave's depictions
The Lost Boy
A Man Named Dave

Anne: Next month's BPYC Book Club pick

The Help by Kathryn Stockett: Anne will be serving chocolate cake next month. Will anyone bite?

Grace: Is war a rich man's game?

The Theatre of the World by Peter Marshall: Alchemy, astrology and magic in Renaissance Prague
The War to End All Wars by Adam Hochschild: A story of loyalty and greed
The Ghosts of Europe, by Anna Porter: Looking at Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia

Anita: Comic relief

Flashman, by George Macdonald Frazer: recommended by PG Wodehouse; how can you go wrong?
The Fine Art of Insincerity, by Angela Hunt: easy summer reading about the dynamics between sisters

Kaarina: Beautiful book covers

A Gathering Light, by Jennifer Donnelly: young adult fiction doesn't read like kiddie-lit
The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: a hit with book clubs across the world...

Wendy: Compelling titles

Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls: Another "true-life" novel from the author of the Glass Castle
Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas: Historical fiction set in the Great Depression
A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard: memoir from a kidnap victim about 18 stolen years

Liz P.: This book is so insane and hard to believe, it must be true

Sins of the 7th Sister by Huston Curtis III: true story of the Gothic South...

Liz C: A big cat with a taste for revenge

The Tiger, by John Vaillant: A true story of vengeance and survival as expert trackers hunting a man-killing tiger along the Russia/China border become prey themselves

Rebecca: insurance tales

Visit Elliot Special Risk to learn details such as Shirley Maclean's $2.5M policy to insure against being captured by aliens; or Keith Richard's insurance for his middle finger

Annika: Authentic voices

Three Seconds, by Rosenberg Hallberg: A Swedish bestseller penned by an unusual team; a former criminal and journalist. Inside knowledge of the drug trade behind prison walls
The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain: The Moveable Feast told through the eyes of Hadley Hemingway

Under the covers

2011-08-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite reads this summer included the latest Franzen novel, 'Freedom'. Some deliciously bizarre and ironic moments, such as the detailed account of the cheating husband who swallows his wedding ring and has to lock himself in the bathroom when trying to seduce the "other woman" so he can retrieve the ring barehanded from the toilet (talk about spoiling the mood!). Or the two lovers that commit their infidelity while the woman feigns sleepwalking. Yes... there is a fair bit of infidelity in the novel; thus the title. I was a bit dubious about this one because all the book jacket does is blurb about 'The Corrections', but I did enjoy the storytelling. It carries the theme of dysfunctional family to a new set of characters.

'Incendiary' was another novel I quite enjoyed. In an afternoon, I read the book from cover-to-cover, racing through the pages. The narrator rang true. It wasn't until a day or so later that I realized that particular narrator didn't have a name, yet the voice and story were so strong in the telling her identity didn't need a label. I read this right after 'The Room', which seemed to be the polar opposite in so many ways.

I pulled out Hemingway's memoir, 'A Moveable Feast' after watching the latest Woody Allen film.

Hem relays a deep remorse for pursuing an affair with his wife's friend that led to the end of their marriage. The remorse doesn't seem to stem from causing Hadley pain so much as of the stupidity of the whole escapade, that resulted in the loss of the woman he loved truly.

When it comes to his accounts of F. Scott Fitzgerald, I can't help but wonder if Hem is competing here by offering up some unsavoury details: portraying a drunken hypochondriac taking to his bedcovers with worry he'd contracted consumption, needing Hem to escort him to the Louvre to view classical male nudes to reassure him he was of 'normal' size in manly respects, and of course the troubles with Zelda. After revealing all this, Hem quickly sums up in a sentence or two the great and reliable friend the sober Scott was, and continued to be, for so many years. Interesting, the details he chose to elaborate. In many ways I think they say far more about Hem than F. Scott.

Hemingway had a profoundly deep respect for Ezra Pound and held back any criticism here, instead talking about what a great friend Ezra was to many poets, and recounting Ezra's efforts to rescue T.S. Eliot from a career in banking by taking up a monetary collection on his behalf called Bel Esprit.

Papa also took some love-making tips on how to please women from Gertrude Stein, but there is also the disturbing scene that causes him to sever his deep ties. It puzzles me... what exactly is going on here, and why can he not continue their friendship? Is it her weakness he cannot bear?

... the colorless alcohol felt good on my tongue and it was still in my mouth when I heard someone speaking to Miss Stein as I had never heard one person speak to another; never, anywhere, ever.

Then Miss Stein's voice came pleading and begging, saying, "Don't, pussy. Don't. Don't. Please don't. Please don't pussy."

I swallowed the drink and put the glass down on the table and started for the door. The maidservant shook her finger at me and whispered, "Don't go. She'll be right down."

"I have to go," I said and tried not to hear any more as I left but it was still going on and the only way I could not hear it was to be gone. It was bad to hear and the answers were even worse. pp 118-119

Lastly, I want to mention the easy entertainment offered by 'The Third Pig Detective Agency.' If I were in the business of optioning properties I'd nab this series. It is from the UK and centers around fairytale characters. The third pig, you'll remember, is the one smart enough to build the strong brick house. He's also the detective hired to solve mysteries that involve Aladdin's lamp, orcs, elves, and the Wicked Witch of the East Side. An animated HBO series would be perfect!

Went to a garden party....

2011-08-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Grace invited people to enjoy a summer evening in her backyard. Great food, great company, and a wonderful surprise - live music! As soon as the musicians started to play, the skies opened up and the rain poured down, and everyone huddled together under backyard umbrellas and awnings to listen.

The musicians were all fellow-Bluffers, with Grace on violin.The trio of violin, keyboard and bass played a few songs, including a beautiful rendition of 'Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most. 'Summertime', was a duo of violin and harmonica that was perfectly executed - accompanied by thunderclaps in all the right places. Raindrops pelting on the shelter added an extra layer of percussion. It was as if the storm was sitting in to jam.

When the rain stopped, night fell, and we went for an evening splash in the pool. Altogether lovely.

Full Green Corn Moon - August

2011-08-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Time to celebrate the Full Red Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Green Corn Moon....

I'd love to give proper credit to these images, but they were sent to me via email. Wonderful photos! People positioning themselves with the moon in different ways... inspired play!

Jane Bunnett at TBG

2011-08-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

The temperature and light were perfect when the musicians started to play, and by the end of the concert the almost-full moon was bright in the sky.

Jane Bunnett, Hilario Duran, Roberto Riveron and an amazing percussionist played tunes from Cuban Rhapsody while the bees and butterflies danced in and out of nearby blooms.

At the end of the show, Alex and I enjoyed a summer evening stroll through the gardens while Rob went to buy the CD and scored an autographed copy of the evening's playlist.

...Ahhhh, summer nights....

Glass Ceiling

2011-08-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Greenberg series - Glass Ceiling

Jill Greenberg produced this series of underwater photos entitled 'Glass Ceiling' - to document the 'Female Object'... these photos are absolutely beautiful and vaguely disturbing all at the same time.

A portion from her artist statement

In 2008, I was commissioned to do a fashion shoot with the US Olympic Synchronized Swim Team, 2 set ups included high heels. What follows are caught moments, inspired by a few images from the 2008 shoot’s outtakes: captured between the posed formations, coming up for air.

Elana Kalis @ Bricolage

Funnily enough, I saw another female underwater image just earlier today, featured on Bricolage. That image, too, is headless, but doesn't feel as starkly depersonalized. Fabric and muted colours wrap the figure in softness.

In 'Glass Ceiling', Greenberg's colours are vivid, the bodies stripped of clothing are vulnerable and somewhat interchangeable. No faces, but definitely not feature-less.

Greenberg series - Glass Ceiling

In this last photo, especially, the dreamlike feel of a floating world reminds me of Chagall.

Greenberg series - Glass Ceiling

Marc Chagall

Notes from the Galley

2011-08-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

Simple. Easy. Delicious. That's my criteria for the galley.

When we first started cruising, I wasn't sure about menu planning. Long term cruising is a definite challenge, stocking the pantry is an art. But with weekend get-aways, you can afford the space a head of Boston lettuce and quart of fresh strawberries consume in the ice box.

Ah, the ice-box! Frozen water becomes a limited, magic commodity. Constantly melting. Feeding the cooler with blocks of ice, like stoking a box of coals. Chipping off ice for a tall glass of water with lime. Luscious luxury.

I crave fresh fruit and vegetables. The colour and crispness they bring to the plate.

Waking up on the boat in the mornings, I seem to have time to put together scrumptious breakfasts. This morning was a fruitarian's feast. Fresh squeezed orange & mango juice served with a bowl of strawberry, mango, banana & blueberry topped with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.

I like to keep the pantry stocked so we don't need to do much in the way of grocery shopping before setting out for a weekend sail. These days Knorr Swiss soups and Kitchens of India packets fill the shelf. Both are tasty and you just need to heat and eat. You don't need shore power to put together a meal, the propane stove works nicely.

Saturday night dinner at anchor was tandoori chicken, basmati rice, dal and papadams with cool cucumbers on the side… Served with G & T’s & clinking ice cubes!

Leftovers made a tasty lunch for Sunday.

What is it about Paris, Midnight, and Moonlight?

2011-08-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Midnight in Paris is both entertaining and beautiful to look at, especially in the rain.

Owen Wilson is perfectly cast in this romantic comedy with Rachel McAdams. As soon as I saw Kathy Bates listed on the cast, I knew she would play Gertrude Stein. Adrian Brodie does a hilarious Dali.

The Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Picasso and Cole Porter can all be found together in a smoky scene or two.

The movie made me want to pull out my copy of the Movable Feast again:

But Paris was a very old city and we were young and nothing was simple there, not even poverty, nor sudden money, nor the moonlight, nor right and wrong nor the breathing of someone who lay beside you in the moonlight. (p. 89)

Back to work

2011-08-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

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What a great vacation - 26 vacation days strung together - spent in Victoria BC, in the Toronto Islands, and in my own backyard.

Jumped off the boat and into Lake Ontario more times than the whole of last summer.

Dipped into some new mindfulness exercises, enjoyed leisurely mornings filled with yoga, meditation & gardening.

Read a ton of books (Freedom, The Help, Incendiary, Lapham Quarterly to name a few). Went to my Book Club.

Checked out some wonderful gardens: Butchart, Music Garden, & Toronto Botanical Gardens.

Just hung out and did whatever. Carpe diem.

This was more time than I've had off for vacation since I was a grade school kid!I loved the expanse of it. The first week crept by, but by the middle of the second week it was slipping by quickly. Very elastic.

Now it feels like Back to School time.

This was my first day back at work, and I started a new position within a different division (same company). I'm excited by the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I guess I couldn't have timed things better if I'd planned it, what with leaving for a long period of time and then coming back to something new.

I feel entirely refreshed and ready to go; and gratitude to have the opportunity to learn new things and stretch a bit.

Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better | Video on TED.com

2011-08-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better | Video on TED.com

Thought provoking lecture on how to better listen. I especially like the acronym RASA (coincidentally, Sanskrit for 'juice'), as applied to conversation:

Receive
Appreciate
Summarize
Ask

First time mooring on the Island

2011-08-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

View from RCYC mooring ball

Late Friday afternoon we set sail for the Islands and hit a strong wind that whipped the halyard from its rigging on the main. Rob and I had to motor the rest of the way knowing our sailing would be limited to flying a jib until we manage to hoist a chair and reattach the two.

Spent the first night of our Island Cruise anchored near Gibraltar Lighthouse. Along the way we looked for a place along the Hanlan's Wall, but there was no space. Lots of power boats, rafted three deep in some points, with their tents and bonfires and boomboxes and bonhomie. Our quiet spot wasn't even all that quiet, four other sailboats swinging on a hook and a big yacht with revellers dancing and hanging off the sides. Still, the commotion didn't deter our cronies, the night herons, from seeking their evening feast.

It is Caribana this weekend, and appropriately Hot! Hot! Hot! The island is packed, with party-ers galore celebrating North America's largest street festival, residents attending the Ward Island Gala, and boaters taking advantage of a long weekend.

Which brought us to a mooring spot right in front of RCYC, since there were no available slips. I dipped a hook into the water and pulled out a slimy green rope that was attached to a floating tire and tied it to the bow of the boat. Rob reinforced the mooring with a line of our own, but I was still a bit speculative about how secure we were with a meagre two lines tied to a floating tire in the middle of this busy harbour: the constant traffic of passing boats and tenders casting their wake and tugging on the lines.

I fixed lunch and we sat in the cockpit enjoying the incredible, unobstructed view of the city skyline. After an hour or two we felt secure enough to venture off in the dinghy and explore.

We toured QCYC and Centre Island, running into some fellow Bluffers along the way, and then took a detour into lilypad-land where and switched off the motor so as not to scare away the birds (blue jays, kingfishers and hiding herons). A monarch butterfly landed on the brim of my hat and stayed long enough for Rob to snap a photo.

Back to our mooring - I was happy to see Yondering still there, tugging playfully at her lines. We changed into our bathing suits and went for a refreshing plunge into the lake. Now, some people might grimace at the thought of swimming here, but there are blue flag beaches on just the other side of the island. And, after all, it was hot! hot! hot!

Then G&Ts on the deck, watching the sun set and the city put on its sparkling evening jewels. The green island jutting out beside us, the city glowing in front, and the RCYC clubhouse lit just behind. Above the stars and planes. Party boats, ferries, pleasure yachts all sharing the same view. Hard to know where to spend your gaze.

We've been to the Island so many times, and there is always something new to discover, another corner to explore.

45 days to Tuscany!

2011-07-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Casale Rosanna details

Just paid the balance on the villa in Tuscany for September!

Poking around with some online Italian lessons, the one from the BBC is fun and interactive.

Also reading Every Day In Tuscany, by Frances Mayes. I love it so much I will likely pick up the other titles: Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany. The memoir is a great slice of life with lots of details about food, gardens & wine.

My copy is all dog-eared:

image credit

I'd like to stand up and quote Cesare Pavese: "A gulp of my drink," he wrote, "and my body can taste the life/ of plants and of rivers." (p. 31)
The brilliant yellow lemons rival the beauty of the dangling orange persimmons, kaki, in many gardens, Before the first hard freeze of November, back the pots go into the limonaia... I learned to mend my vase... I thought it was the ultimate in thrift when I saw huge lemon trees in pots held together by wire. Even small geraniums on steps would often be wired (p.60).
I miss the balcony when the jasmine, lemon, and tigli, linden, scents collide and seem to emanate from the moon. (p.61)
I don't need a celestial paradise; I'll take my immortality here. (p.62)

Winning by losing

2011-07-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

illustration credit

When the emphasis is on what you can't have, there is just one massive black hole needing to be filled.

I quit smoking 10 years ago, and it was tough. Since then I've put on about one pound each year. Not a gi-normous amount, but still, I think it's time to take it off. :-)

When I quit smoking, I must have attempted 1000 times. Agony! I still want a cigarette, to tell you the truth. I still dream about smoking and when I do, it is a nightmare... one of those dreams within a dream, where you think it is real, then hope it is a dream and can't really be happening, and then realize with horror it's actually real, and then wake up with total relief! Usually I get this dream once or twice a year, after I've been hanging out with smokers.

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Anyway, tangent. What made me successful over the last ten years was wanting health and wellness, and wanting to save money... In other words, thinking about what I would GAIN by quitting. Focusing on abundance vs. deprivation.

So... right off the bat, trying to 'lose' weight just doesn't resonate. Automatically setting myself up with a not-too-enjoyable proposition. I LOVE food! I NEED food! Why would I want less of something that brings me so much pleasure?

I guess there are many keys to this dilemma. What will I gain by losing?

Better health + a more youthful 'Real Age' + more energy + feeling better in my own skin.

I know, I know, I'm ranting.... and googling about the notion of willpower:

In the meantime here is something to smile about, a re-enactment of the famous kid's Stanford Marshmallow experiment.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

2011-07-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

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Chapter 1

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost ... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5

I walk down another street.

~ Portia Nelson ~

Seretonin Overdrive

2011-07-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Wow. I am totally blissed out. Day 14 of my holiday, another 12 to go. Time was going really slow, now it seems to be racing ahead of me.

I am squandering my Time: rocking on the boat, bike riding, kite flying, listening to waves, looking at the city lights, going to the beach, just hanging out, following my own rhythm, losing track of Time.

Flew this so long today the image is there even when I close my eyes.

I must have said "Awesome!" 50 times today, exclaiming at the scenery & the taste of things. The feel of the night breeze on my bare arms, and stepping into water on the rocky shore. Such a handy adjective, verb, noun. Chant.

This is Awe-some awesome Some-Awe some-awe

from this perspective it seems the boat is on a dangerous precipice, but it was pleasantly bobbing along the shore.

Earlier this evening.


4 nights straight enjoying the breeze on the pier... essential with such hot days!

View from the boat - the lights on the CN Tower put on a constant show....

New discoveries on the Island

2011-07-17T15:53:00.000-07:00


Wing-on-wing

Started this Island Holiday with Maureen, Dick & Caroline anchored on an island inlet and toasting the full raspberry moon with champagne. This is the first time we've ever anchored overnight on the island. Tucked around the corner without a view of the city, Dick remarked we could be in the Thousand Islands. It sure felt secluded! Until the party boats promenaded by with their colourful lights.

The next morning, Caroline pointed out some diving ducks and we looked them up - canvasbacks? teals? black ducks? Not entirely sure, but it was fun watching the adult coach the ducklings to dip and disappear.

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Our sailing companions headed out in the afternoon but we stayed awhile, swinging on a hook, before heading out for a late afternoon sail in favourable winds. We even did some wing-on-wing.

After a breezy tour around the island, we dropped anchor again and I assembled a delicious meal from left-overs in the icebox (chicken on iceburg lettuce with oranges, almonds & St. Augere cheese).

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It grew dark, and I saw a creature skulking on the shore with a bristly back. (Did I mention we were right by the water treatment plant?). It was about the size of what I imagined to be a huge rat. When it turned in profile, I saw the beak and realized with relief that it was a Night Heron. In fact, a whole row of them. We counted six silhouettes in the dark. As they dove into the water, there was barely a splash. One came up with a frog that it stretched like an elastic before swallowing it whole.

Today, made the acquaintance of a stoat on the docks at the Toronto Island Marina. I can't remember ever seeing one before, but they've been around since the Ice Age. Apparently you can tell the difference between a stoat and weasel by the length of the tail.

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At least three more days of my island holiday! Right now I am docked at QCYC and looking forward to a cool shower. Rob has had to head back to the city to work, and it won't be the same without him. Still, looking forward to some Island time! Wandering in the gardens, taking in the view, and maybe making some new discoveries....