hiking

exhale...

happy

Today couldn't have been a better day.

sunday morning, early hours

saturday

Coffee, teaching, coffee with friends, playtime yoga at the other place, more coffee with different friends at a different place, dinner with a different friend at a different place...a good, meandering Saturday.

In between, vibrating with caffeine and craving trees, I went for a walk winding my way through parks and down back allys looking for beautiful things. Twinkling christmas lights, bright splashes of colour, townhomes hidden in a dodgy ally, the setting sun over a parking lot...there was lots of pretty.

It's freezing out and I've been housebound so I don't have a whole lot of interest to offer. Instead, a picture of where I spent the weekend cuddled under my electric blanket and a sample of what, stuck inside, I resorted to doing to entertain myself between naps...







When I did venture out, here's what it took: tights under jeans, undershirt under wool sweater under fleece hoodie under vest under winter coat, then the usual scarf, hat, gloves.

I was warm. It made the cold pretty.

yoga, snow, coffee, cozy

Assisted, practiced and taught today, a whole lot of yoga. There was also a whole lot of snow, gorgeous to look at, cold to be in. It made restaurants with fogged up windows, whirring espresso machines, funky music and long couches in front of large windows for people watching very attractive. So attractive that we left one brunch just to skip a few doors down to my favourite place for more. Two brunches makes a good Sunday. Check out the final words on the receipt below - best receipt ever.

2009

2009 began in London, brought me to Vancouver, and found home in Toronto. This is the longest I've stayed in one place in years. Less moving on the outside allowed for movement on the inside. The process wasn't always easy but life responded with magic. It was a very good year in every possible way.

When the door opens, walk the path
where abundance awaits you,
where anything old becomes new
and never look back ~ rumi

Have a wonderful 2010, wherever you are.

birthday hike

quick, duck...

birthday celebrations

Beccamas spanned three days this year. Many celebrations were had, it was the best.

5am

Woke up at 4:50am to "Poison" by Bel Biv Devoe, totally 1980's, totally random, totally fun. Drove the empty roads, opened, lit candles, lit incense, assisted. Silent hugs and whispered wishes for happy holidays. Best beginning to the best day with many celebrations still to come. Peace & happiness.

plentitude

Skating followed by hot chocolate, christmas carols everywhere, more celebrations than time. Lucky.

happy lights

I know these pictures are nonsense, but I looooove this time of year with the houses all lit up. It's magic. I keep setting out to take pictures and keep coming back with blurred messes, I like these too. A few years ago I was excited to show them to a visitor who thought they were "kind of tacky" and I was so surprised, it never occurred to me. After that I could see their point but I still preferred my pretty one. One person's tacky is another person's magic, perspective is a wonderful thing. So are differences.

In unrelated news, wonderful days, life smiles on me. In further unrelated news, as I typed a huge Caterpillar made it's way across my rug. Begging the question of how on earth it made it up three flights of stairs in the dead of winter, what am I going to do with it? It moves as slow as molasses but the cat has retreated under my bed, scared. Looks like I'm alone on this one.

this weekend

was perfect in every possible way - each and every minute of it. Pictures from a brilliantly bright and beautiful Saturday morning walk...








Life amazes.

dog park

Happiness is a park full of leaping, bounding dogs.

As of today: so much snow = pretty; so busy = overwhelmed; only one week to go = excited.

decembers

2001: India. 2003: Costa Rica. 2004: France. 2005: India. 2006: Finland. 2008: Croatia. 2009: Home.

Just realized how few Decembers I've spent at home. It's all twinkling lights, the gorgeous part of winter, and celebrations. Pretty and happy and fun, I like it. It's also ridiculously busy. Cottage-bound for what's going to be the last bit of peace, quiet and the fireplace for a while.



Croatia.

sunday

Overslept. Assisted. Practiced. Breakfast. Happiness is a plate of hot scones waiting. Visited Little India. Laughed. Felt change approaching. Thought. Curled up under blankets to read. Accepted dream contract.

Wandered through the park after brunch talking to dogs and looking at stuff. Found the words above painted on the sidewalk just inside the entrance. Lovely huh?

cottage living

Creek listening, star gazing, fire loving, silence. Autumn's end is here and nature is in a state of decay. Death, stillness, rebirth. Not photo-beautiful but very definitely beautiful in its own right.