Boxing Day

After weeks of frantic preparation, followed by the excitement of Christmas Day itself, I find it is Boxing Day I am most inclined to enjoy. Sated with turkey and chocolates, foggy from lack of sleep and relieved that I’ve pulled it off for another year, I fall happily into a day where nothing more is expected of me.

We set out for a walk, the cool, bracing air a perfect antidote for the lethargy that settles in on the heels of the holiday. This bright, chilly morning, we head to the Serpentine Fen with Meeghan, her small dog body aquiver with excitement at the scents and sounds that greet us. Overnight, the world has been transformed by frost. A white, icy mantle coats every surface, reflecting back prisms of light picked out by the winter sun. I stop often to examine the crystal drops suspended from every branch, and try vainly to capture their beauty with my camera.

High in a tree, we spot an eagle, quietly swiveling his head about in search of prey. Around us, the marshland teems with wildlife. Herons stake out their territory, and waterfowl lazily mingle on strips of deep water the frost did not touch. This is their sanctuary, and we give the birds a wide berth, aware that as considerate visitors, we must be on our best behaviour.

It is a restful outing. I am soothed by the simplicity of the day, rejuvenated by the cold wind that chases the last vestiges of the year’s worries from my head. I find myself looking ahead. There is promise in the air, and I am ready to let go of the old, to make room for whatever adventure awaits me…

A Christmas Wish

May the holiday season wrap you gently in contentment..may you view the world through the curious eyes of a child..and may every day greet you as a grand adventure waiting to begin.

For this Christmas...and for always...I wish you love.

In the Library

After my people and pets, books are my greatest treasures. I am fortunate enough to have amassed hundreds of them, and have spent many hours lured in by their irresistible richness. A peek into my home library will attest to that! With books, the whole world is laid at my feet in all its beauty and complexity. I can be anyone…go anywhere…experience lives entirely different from my own, and grow a little from the experience of trying on other peoples’ realities, however briefly.

Additionally, I have found a wonderful serendipity at work in the world of words. Sometimes the right book manages to find us at exactly the time we are in need of it. Such was the case last week when I happened upon Tara Frey’s, “Blogging for Bliss”. I’d been curious about blogs, but knew little about them. That all changed after reading this book. Its straightforward and concise information, coupled with yummy pictures and pages of inspiring bloggers and sites, was just the catalyst needed to lure me into the vibrant world of blogging. A site of my own was suddenly within reach.

So here I am in cyberspace, with my own virtual journal. I’m very excited, and a little nervous… but charged with creative energy and eager to see where this new adventure leads me. And all it took to get me to this wonderland was a book. No wonder I love them so much…

A Virtual Bouquet

On this gray Vancouver morning, I offer a bouquet of virtual flowers to brighten the day...

Water Lilies from Egypt..a Desert Rose from Kenya..and a Cornflower from my garden.

In The Studio

My studio is a

feast of creative

possibilities.

It is crammed full

with books, toys,

ephemera and the

accumulated

collections of a

lifetime.

I like nothing better

than to go there and

play. Although I don't

get to do that as

often as I'd like, I

love knowing it

awaits me. Like Virginia Woolf, I believe there really is nothing as nice as a room of one's own.

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Beginnings

I'm new to the world of blogging, and like any beginner, a little unsure where to start. Fortunately, being somewhat vague is not new to me.
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According to my husband and sons, my grasp of the moment can be tenuous at best. I'm given to much daydreaming, countless distractions and a tendency to lose my thoughts in mid-sentence. They tell me this as if it were a bad thing!

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I choose to think I'm just a little out of step with the rest of the world; it is hardly my fault that the world is often reluctant to wait and let me catch up.

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I am a dreamer...and unashamed of being one. In this hectic world, I take the time to pick daisies, to follow curious ideas, and meander endlessly inside my own mind. It is hardly earth-shattering if I lose focus for a moment...a quick shake of the head and I'm back to hear what you have to say! Surely a moment is not a lot to ask.

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I pause...I ponder...and I play, as the subtitle above suggests. For the major part of the day, I am adult, conscientious and responsible; but every now and then, I drift away, distracted by a silvery mass of clouds, or plop myself down on the curb to visit with a dog I've just met. These moments heal me, nurture me and make the real world more manageable once I'm back into it.

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I will continue on my dreamy way, seeing things that others miss and finding joy in small snatched moments. If you ask me, the world would be a better place if there were more dreamers like me....

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