Vacation

Boating on the east coast

Our final day on the east coast was spectacular! Not only did we spend time with friends, students (in town for their family reunion) and a colleague, we were taken on a boat ride around Pennant Cove. The seas were calm since the cove is protected by several islands and a peninsula.

Being on that boat brought back so many memories of summers spent on Kootenay Lake during my childhood. Our summers then were a time to rest and relax and explore places and activities that we didn’t have time for during the year.

Since then I have gradually become more and more busy, to the point where summer fall winter and spring consisted of work, with very few short vacations.

The past month on the road has helped me remember those days where I could recharge my batteries. Those days when the only thing on the agenda was to get up and do whatever felt right at that moment.

I know it’s not too late to live like that again. My heart is full today and I don’t want to forget what these past 4 weeks felt like!

Priorities

web repair

Yesterday morning this spider’s web had been damaged probably because of strong winds during the night. I sat safely inside the living room enjoying my morning cup of coffee and watching what we think is a Cross Orb-weaver repairing the web, preparing it for another day of catching food.

This morning the web was still looking good, with a few fresh mosquitoes struggling to break free from the sticky strands.

As we drove through the fog on our way to do some sight-seeing we saw another web up near a telephone pole that glistened beautifully with the strands heavy with dew.

We arrived at my daughter’s new home a couple of days ago. The many surprises we found could have overwhelmed anyone, but my daughter very quickly took charge and started the clean-up and repairs one small step at a time.

The spider and her web will stay on the window for now—cleaning the outside windows is very low on the priority list. She is a reminder of how tackling one small strand at a time will soon result in something quite beautiful.

Pure love

This evening I witnessed something that surprised and impressed me. My son-in-law is a tough guy to understand and relate to. He is very intelligent, with a law degree, but unable to find a job. He expects kindness and consideration from his wife but is unable to offer the same to her.

We were eating dinner outside at the other grandma’s home, and a wasp came along for its share of the dinner. My granddaughter was absolutely terrified, as she could remember being bit by a wasp a couple of months ago. Her reaction to her fear was immediate and paralyzing. Her father grabbed and killed the wasp with his bare hands, catching it between his fingers.

I had never seen anyone do that before. My respect for him increased immensely in those few seconds. His quick action was evidence of the pure love he has for his little angel.

Early morning start

Along the north shore of Lake Huron

We were up early yesterday—more eager than ever to get on the road. I had booked a hotel in a small town without looking carefully at the reviews online. Normally we like hotels that look and smell clean, have clear running water in the taps and clean bed sheets. That was not the case!

The early morning start allowed us to have a very relaxed day. We stopped at a lovely coffee shop for breakfast, went for a walk in a beach resort town, bought several novels at a 2nd-hand bookstore and arrived in the city before rush hour.

And from now on every hotel will feel like a castle in comparison!

On the road

On our drive to the East coast we have set distance goals for each day. This photo was taken looking out over Vermilion Lakes near Banff.

Most of our other photos are taken from the car as we are covering about 900 km a day, and so far have lost one hour per day due to driving through time zones.

This has been an absolutely wonderful trip so far, with amazing scenery and fascinating skies. In the prairies the sky touches the flat horizon and you can see little storms brewing far in the distance.

The landscape changes with each hour, from the majestic Rocky Mountains, through Rolly hills, miles and miles of bright yellow fields of canola, and now the seemingly endless number of tiny lakes and trees of northern Ontario.

I looking forward to seeing more of this country.

1 year

Exactly one year ago I said goodbye to Toffee. He was my companion and friend for just over 11 years.

Toffee loved road trips. He loved walks. He was excited if anyone came to visit, and he would turn in circles when offered vegetables. My days are quieter now. I get up when I’m ready to get up…still just as early as when Toffee would wake me. He always knew (or hoped) that there was an exciting day ahead.

Here are some of the “pets” that have been trying to replace Toffee, but I have not let any of them settle into the house:

Courage

On one of our first international trips together my father and I were headed to Ireland to spend 3 weeks driving around the island, exploring as much as we could. To get there we landed at Heathrow, and transferred to a smaller airplane which would take us to Dublin.

I remember the flight being delayed by about 30 minutes, but that wasn’t much of an issue, except that we were very tired. As we boarded the flight we noticed people passing a whisper toward the back of the line, much like the “telephone game” that is used to demonstrate to young people that rumours and whispers often change as they are passed around.

The whisper “Nelson Mandela is on the plane” did not change in meaning. It was true!! As we boarded, Nelson Mandela, seated comfortably in the business class surrounded by his security people, personally greeted every passenger as though each of us was important. It was an experience that I will not be forgetting!

Mandela was on his way to officially open the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin. As dad and I travelled around Ireland, we frequently saw parade and signs indicating those games.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Nelson Mandela (from “Mandela” Documentary, 1994)

Chance encounters often change the way we observe things. They change the way we absorb and respond to the world around us.

Reclaimed wood

Continuing on from yesterday…I recall taking this photo in order to show the simple yet powerful message on the “remember to breathe” button. Now that I look at it again after over two years I am reminded of the story of how I came upon the dining table.

I waited several months before starting to look for a new dining table. Because my new home was about half the size of the one I left I knew that I would need to sell or give away much of what I owned, including dining room and living room furniture.

In my new home needed a dining set that was unique, functional and practical. I found this table made of reclaimed railway ties from Ireland and loved it immediately. It came with four chairs, and I chose two black and two burgundy. The salesman kept asking me if I was sure! There were two burgundy available, and many black chairs, but I liked the mix rather than all black. All black is too predictable.

I have always loved wooden objects — furniture, fruit bowls, real wood bookshelves rather than particle board. I remember large shiny tables in Thailand made from a single portion of teak trees, polished with thick coats of varnish. My table has knots and holes and lumps and dips. It is so authentic and beautiful.

Reclaimed wood allows the wood that has served its purpose but is no longer useful or strong enough to continue in that purpose, to be given a new life and a new purpose. I think you can see where I am going with that….

remember to breathe

I could write about many different ideas from this one photo. Today I’ll talk about the “remember to breathe” button.

Breathing happens all the time, but how often do we really notice how we are breathing. Here are some instances where I have noticed that people stop breathing:

  • during an emergency, e.g. driving down a windy road
  • while playing the piano, especially in difficult bars
  • while reading out loud
  • during intimate encounters
  • while watching a scary movie
  • during an exam
  • when facing an abusive partner
  • at the dentist

Seriously, those times are when we need to be aware of our breathing, and do it properly. Several years ago when I started taking voice lessons, I found deep breaths were a challenge. I often became light-headed, and even passed out in the middle of a song during a recital.

That “remember to breathe” button, a gift from another choir director, is a constant reminder to keep breathing, especially in instances where I forget. I no longer have the same difficulty breathing while singing, but I do notice often that I have forgotten to control how I breathe in instances where it would make a difference.

Remember to breathe…deeply…down to your toes…