Poppies, red raspberries & dreams

It is gratitude Monday, and this is what I am grateful for today.

1. My Spring view today in downtown Charlottetown while I walked the dog...

You know....instead of this

2. Friends that walk all the way across town to meet me for supper before turning around and going all the way back across town for an evening class.

3. The delicious meals I have had today, made using local beef, local potatoes, local carrots, and so much more. It is wonderful to live somewhere that has such a bountiful harvest.

4. Home made raspberry jam and almond butter on gluten free bread. Read: take raspberries, put them in a saucepan, turn the heat on, melt them down into liquid, spread thickly over almond butter while still warm. This is what it looks like when done:

Ok so I nibbled. YOU try not taking a bite of something that looks that good. I dare you. ;-)

4. My mother. It being mother's day on Sunday and my being so far away from her and all....She is a pretty awesome lady. I don't know how I would have gotten this far without her.

5. Public buses. Because I have had a pinched nerve in my leg/foot all weekend and have had a numb right foot and calf, which makes walking rather tiring. I especially love public buses here, and the way the drivers know every single one of their passengers, and wait when someone they know should be on the bus is not there.

6. Hot baths. Because after taking one everything that seemed just too much to tackle somehow seems doable again.

7. Friends who invite me to house sit as I will be doing for the second half of this week. I cannot wait to be in a home all by myself for a few days.

8. My work. Because even when it is tough and overwhelming, as it is right now,  it is never boring. I am always learning something new, and being challenged to improve my skills to better represent and promote my clients and their products/services.

9. My bed. You got it. The only thing between me and it right now is my computer. Time to sign off!

And you, friends? What are you grateful for on this Spring Monday? 

A picture's worth a thousand words

I have seen a tremendous amount of beauty in the last week. Walking through a snowstorm can be rough on the eyes, but being out there with the snow blowing every which way on the day that I took the photo above made me wonder why I don't go out in snowstorms more often. It is such a different experience when I am standing in the middle of the whirling snow than it is from behind a pane of glass. It is beautiful, but in a raw, humbling way. The distinction between my body and the air around me feel porous somehow standing out there exposed to the elements.

I walk down this street every day. this is the quickly melting aftermath of the previous photo. I love the icicles hanging from the eaves of this building. They can be rather brutal if you happen to be unfortunately to be walking beneath one of them when it decides to give in to the pull of gravity and let go, and in reality they are simply caused by bad insulation, but there is nevertheless something magical about them, don't you think?

I had a business meeting the other day with a client whose business is just off to the left of the edge of this photo. Walking down to the waterfront to meet him that morning I had the thought "I WORK HERE..." I get to see the deep blue of the Atlantic with the sun shining down on it every day. I get to meet with clients in a room flooded with the brilliance of light dancing off water. I mean, seriously. Can you imagine waking up to this every day?

A place to call home

It is snowing outside. Not the whirling kind of snow, or the horizontal kind. The kind that falls soft and thick, millions of flakes falling endlessly quiet like an early summer shower of apple blossoms--the gentle release from branches, the graceful, weightless descent and the carpet mosaic that it seems wrong to walk upon -- cloud-like and moist.

I was downtown this evening. Went down to meet my good friend Margie for supper. I took the bus downtown, arriving too early, as is common now that I walk/take the bus everywhere I go. Instead of going straight to the restaurant where I would have to sit smelling the aromas of other people's food while I waited for the sun to set, I decided to go sit in the basement of the Confederation Centre for the Arts. The basement sounds dark, but in reality this building that houses a large theatre, the public library, a restaurant/cafe, giftshop and galleries has been built in such a way that there are courtyards into which the skylight falls, and large glass windows looking out onto the courtyards that allow the winter light to filter into the building.

This evening I sat and said some prayers for the Fast -- gratitude prayers for making it this far through the Fast without getting sick as I usually do--and some prayers for grace and strength as I continue to move forward in my job search. Then I sat and watched the snow fall into one of the courtyards. There are two trees in the courtyard that I looked out into, and the snow was collecting in fine, weightless ridges along the tops of all the bare branches. The branches were strung with white Christmas lights that were on, but the sky was still light enough that the chain of tiny lights appeared faint -- almost not visible. I sat and watched the snow fall and fall. I find watching snow fall to be extremely calming. Mesmerizing. I could sit quietly and watch it fall for hours and be entirely content.

When it was time to head over to the restaurant I collected my belongings, put on my down-filled coat, my scarf, my woolen hat, and my mittens, and headed back out into the snow. Margie was waiting for me when I got there, and we enjoyed a relaxing meal together -- me sharing about my challenges with finding a job, and she sharing a little bit about her recent trip to work with women market gardeners in Kenya. There are some people whose company I enjoy so much that I find the time with them always flies past....it always feels as though we just sat down for a chat and it is already time to go again. Margie is one of those people, and I was sorry when it was time to head home.

One thing that I love about Margie is that she always makes me reflect more deeply about how I am living my life, encouraging me to always be conscious about what I am doing, saying, thinking and feeling, and the impact of all of this on what is actually happening in the world around me. Tonight she asked me if I had thought about why I might not have found work yet, and whether there was something inside of me that was influencing the physical job hunting process. I am inclined to think "nope-- this is all Immigration Canada's fault, or the fault of the ridiculous citizenship laws that allow some people to have the right to work and prevent others from easily finding a job." But if I allow myself to reflect on her question, I think it is worth looking at. As she said: "You want so much to find a home and settle down. But is there part of you that does not think you are worthy of having a place in the world?" I am still thinking about this question, and it is resonating with me at some level, so i think I will keep thinking about it. Maybe I do need to make an internal shift....learn something and make some changes in my perspective before a job offer will come my way.

I am home now, listening to the snow plow outside, the clock ticking in the kitchen, and the sound of the keys tapping away beneath my fingers. Lots to think about, and a long snowy night ahead for finishing the novel I am reading right now -- The Custodian of Paradise -- and dreaming, once my head hits the pillow. Tomorrow morning I will be up before the sun again for another day of Fasting. Make my breakfast by the light of the stove top and eat it perched on a wooden stool in the kitchen, easing my body into another day. And you, friends? Is there something that you need to learn before the next door of your journey will open and lead you onwards?

Little island, big sky

I walked home tonight under an enormous, dark, crisp winter sky speckled with stars. It was cold, but not too cold to enjoy the walk, and the sunshine today had melted enough of the ice that the sidewalks are no longer treacherous to navigate, so I can risk looking up and enjoying the sky when I walk.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day, the light golden and warm. I began my day before sunrise, rising to say prayers and eat breakfast. It is amazing to me how quickly the Baha'i Fast is passing. Today was day eleven. More than half way through. I keep telling myself to enjoy every moment of this special period. To make the most of every hour and minute, and the blessings that they confer. It is too easy to get caught up in the physical reality of life and reach the end of my day without pausing to be grateful for this blessed time of fasting.

After walking Chloe, the little dog I now walk daily, I headed over to a friend's house to take in an online social media workshop by Amy Porterfield about the changes to Facebook, and how to make them work for businesses. If you have a business, and are interested in improving your social media marketing skills, I highly recommend checking her website out. She has a great deal of knowledge and is superb at sharing what she knows with the rest of us! I am now doing social media for three businesses, with one more coming on board hopefully in the next few months! I am really enjoying helping businesses grow and develop using social media, and am enjoying learning more and more every day to help the businesses I work for use social media to maximize their profits and strengthen their relationships with their customers.  Social media brings together my networking and conversation skills with my love for creative expression through writing, photography and artwork. It is a coming together of so much that I love in one place. I cannot wait to share this journey with you as I learn and grow my skills in this new profession!

This evening I broke my Fast with my dear friend Honeylyn! We had a lovely supper and then walked home under the vast sky. There is something about being on an island in the north Atlantic that reminds me of my humble place in this vast universe. I feel grateful for the sky. For the resources to get by until my work starts supporting me. For my warm bed when the night is so cold outside. For friends like Honeylyn to break my Fast with at the end of the day. For all the challenges and learning opportunities that the world of social media is bringing into my life. And for you -- my readers -- who continue to inspire and urge me on with my writing! Happy Gratitude Monday, friends!

Back on track

It is the first day of a new week, and I am getting back on track with my blog. I usually do a gratitude entry on Mondays. Here is what I am feeling grateful for on this chilly Monday night:

1. I managed to raise my tired body from bed before sunrise for a fourth day in a row to observe the Baha'i fast this morning. Since I was 15 I have never managed to make it through the entire 19 days of the Baha'i fast without getting sick. My body does not handle it well, no matter how much my heart desires it. Every day I am able to rise before dawn and eat something and pray, and make it through the day without the first symptoms of getting sick I feel incredibly grateful. Each day of this fast is SUCH a blessing.

2. I caught the bus on my first try this morning. I got to the bus stop literally one minute before it passed, and it dropped me off about five blocks from where I needed to be. I cannot tell you how blessed I felt to be driven downtown instead of having to walk this morning!

3. I began my first dog-walking job this morning with a sweet 13 year old tiny little dog who is the cutest. I have never walked a dog this tiny. I have to keep turning around to be sure she is still attached to the leash she is so light. For the time-being I will be walking her every morning at 8.30am and twice a week again in the afternoon at 4. Things have been incredibly tough lately, and the tiny income from this dog-walking is SUCH a blessing right now. Walking Chloe is not only going to put food on my table, but it also makes me smile because I have never seen a dog more excited to be going on a walk. She literally goes crazy when I arrive at the door!

4. I lost an earring in the snow this morning. One of my favourite earrings made of coral and turquoise. I backtracked, looking in the snow, and ran into a complete stranger out walking her dog who asked me what I was doing. A few minutes later this same woman came running back down the sidewalk -- she had found my earring. Blessed or what?

5. This evening one of my best friends met me for supper downtown. We had a simple but delicious meal together after not having eaten all day long, and then walked home together beneath a big, crisp black sky, trekking across fields of snow and over sheets of ice, each step our boots sinking deep down, leaving a trail of footprints across the crusty snow. In the distance the lights of Charlottetown looked like Christmas lights. There is something timeless about walking across snowy fields at night here. It makes me feel like I have gone back in time somehow. I stopped at Honeylyn's house for some water before continuing on home over ice-slicked sidewalks crusted with salt and flooded with the futuristic ghostly light of the streetlamps, my breath expanding and diffusing into the air ahead of me, my heart pumping in my chest, cheeks and nose cold. I had a great, joyful evening, and was thinking how thankful I am for strong legs that can carry me such long distances when I do not have access to a car to get around in.

6. My bed. I am truly grateful for a bed to rest in tonight, so that I can rise refreshed tomorrow to embrace my fifth day of the Baha'i fast.

And you, friends? What are you grateful for on this Monday?

Snow falling on morning

When I went to bed late last night it had started snowing steadily, the streets quickly being blanketed in a soft layer of wet snow. I woke up this morning quite early, came downstairs to let the dog out, and when I opened the curtains to let in the morning light what I saw was so beautiful it stopped my breath. Every edge, every branch, every step and eave and sill were outlined with light fluffy ice crystals, and snow still fell soft and gentle over the already rounded edges of the world. In the uppermost branches of the snow illuminated trees, a few crows were perched, as if in a painting. The snowploughs had not been through, and everyone was still in bed, so the neighbourhood was intensely quiet. There is something gentle and soothing about this kind of snow...the kind not accompanied by howling winds and freezing temperatures. It feels like the sky is somehow caressing the earth, trees, rooftops, fences and wings of the birds as they dart from perch to perch.

I went back upstairs and got my camera, came back down to the kitchen and took some photos of the view. As I was shooting I noticed a flash of light coming from the neighbour's door across the way. I looked over at his door to see him also capturing the brilliance of the day behind the shutter of his camera. It made me smile at how human both recognizing beauty and wanting to capture it in some way is.

I have to find a way to get my photos off of my camera as I forgot my USB connector in California, but am hoping to find a way to transfer photos soon, and will be sure to share my morning shots with you, friends!

Island girl

As I sit and write this entry, the wind is howling around the house outside. I arrived on Prince Edward Island last night a little after midnight. You know when you were so excited about something as a child that you could not *wait* to get to whatever it was that you were so revved up about? That would have been me when I climbed down the stairs from the plane out onto the island last night, and made like a mad woman for the doors into the arrival area. My dear friends Paul and Alanna were there waiting for me...they had stayed up to come get me from the airport. We bundled into their car and came back to their home for hot tea and a long chat that kept us up into the early hours of the morning.

Last night I lay in bed and watched the sky through the windows--lit up by the brightness of winter. The wind blew and blew, and I lay awake for a long time thinking to myself how good it was to hear the power of the winter wind again.

Eventually I fell asleep, and woke this morning, got ready, and headed out with my dear friend Alanna to get breakfast at a local greasy spoon that was jam-packed with islanders. It was the perfect way to start the day. Alanna is one of those friends who I can talk to for hours and hours, and we somehow never run out of things to share. We share stories, thoughts, ideas, fears, dreams, and most of all lots and lots of laughter. I have been laughing all day long. Our breakfast lasted three hours. When we finally dragged ourselves out of the booth we had taken up residence in, we decided to head out to the house she recently bought in the country to have tea. It was a migrating conversation if you will! We bundled up and headed outside into the icy wind, hobbling across the icy patches of the parking lot and jumping into the car, all giggles and joy. There is something about truly freezing weather that you just have to laugh about. Today it was -18 windchill, which, if you live in California, is bloody cold, but not nearly as cold as it can get here in the middle of winter.

We headed out to her home in the country. The road had ice and snow all along it, so we drove slowly, giddy with the excitement of the day and with our little escape from the reality of the world for a full day. We finally reached the turning for the house, turned in past the little mailbox, and drove up the dirt driveway to the house. The home she and her husband just bought is a rather old house, and has all the charm of a small, storybook house out in the country. It has a barn and a few tiny cottage-like buildings on the property, wood floors, lots of windows that look out across the fields to the west, and a wood-burning stove. Alanna immediately got to work stoking the stove, and got a fire going while I made tea. We brought two chairs in front of the stove and sat down to our steaming mugs of sweet almond tea. The sky through the windows that stretched along the whole western wall stretched out in bands of rose and violet. The earth was dark with shadow and dampness. Reeds outside the window rustled hollowly against the panes of glass. It was so peaceful. Alanna and I talked and laughed, sipped our tea, and warmed our hands by the heat of the fire. It was such a magical evening. As the last light was fading we decided it was time to head back to town to get some groceries and then go back to her house where I had promised to cook Alanna and Paul a hot, belly-filling supper.

I cooked pasta with mushroom red sauce sprinkled with cheese, and salad. It was a simple but hearty meal-- the kind of meal that is perfect on a cold night in December. The company was excellent. The wind howled outside. After supper I made tea, and we sat around the table getting caught up on work that each of us needed to get done. Now I am sitting here alone. Alanna and Paul have headed to bed. The wind is still howling. I find it calming in a familiar sort of way. The sound of an old friend whispering a poem I have heard many times--one that slows my heartbeat and assures me that everything--everything is exactly as it should be in this moment. Such is the song of the PEI wind.

I never thought I would say that I am happy to be home about this island, but that is how I feel. The muscle-relaxing peacefulness even in frigid temperatures, the laughter that has been playing upon my lips all day, and the sense that some sense of rightness has been restored in my world. I am home, and whether it is for an extended stay or a short visit, it feels really, really good, friends!

Wherever you are, I hope you are having a night rich with dreams, wrapped with the sounds of winter, and that joy is bubbling up plentiful in your chest!