the dreaming Press.

Contentment can sometimes be wrapped up in a dream.

 
My Grandma and me in 1975. I dig my Grandma's groovy collar.  The pink gingham pattern on her blouse is pretty too.  I have fond memories of her and her apartment near the airport in Toronto.  The planes were fun to watch from her balcony and I loved the sills for her windows, they were marble and at least a foot wide.  You could have sat on there like a windowseat.  She smiled a lot.  At least at me she did. Her bedroom was great too, she had a teddy bear collection that I envied greatly.   

I miss her so. She left us for the next life in 1997, the same year the world lost Princess Diana and Mother Theresa.  I remember how she loved Oscar de la Renta perfume, and when I smell it now I immediately think of her.

I miss my other Granma a lot too. She passed on in 2005.  She laughed a lot and liked to feed us.  If you weren't eating, she wanted to know why.  What is the matter, are you sick? Eat! Eat! I have dreamed of both my Grandma and my Granma.

In the one dream I met my Grandma (pictured above) and her cousin Phyllis in a 1950's restaurant booth.  They were much younger in the dream, and had hair like 1940's movie stars.  My Grandma sternly yet lovingly told me that I would never dream of her again, that she had to move on.  They then left, smiling and waving from a convertible car.  I felt content, as though she had left me something to get me through. 

The dream in which I met my Granma, we were walking along the most beautiful beach at sunset.  She was telling me how happy she was and how amazing things were where she was.  Seagulls were flying overhead, the sun blazing, the waves lapping at the shore.  Families gathered for picnics and my Granma and I walking along wearing sundresses and floppy hats. It was also a very contented dream.  {Grandad you listening? Maybe it is time you paid me a visit.}

Sometimes those dreams and simply recalling them gets me through a day.

May all your dreams be sweet, contented, and may you meet up with someone you love the next time you lay your head down for sleep.  They will come when you least expect them to.

xoxo

Ana bahebik Tara!

A flower in Jordan, for my friend in Paris.  Happy birthday, feliz cumpleanos, ana bahebik and feliz aniversario to Tara; adventurer, writer, photographer and friend based currently in Paris and soon to be Amsterdam!

Tara is a truly gifted writer and photographer, world wide traveller, life adventurer and trip facilitator.  {Of course that is only the tip of the iceberg.}  I was fortunate to have had the pleasure of meeting her online in 2006.  Then in New York City in 2008.  Then again in Jordan in 2010.  Where we meet next is anyone's guess but we will, that is for certain. There are talks of trains, films and Delhi....

Happy birthday Tara, may there be many fun filled trips, many happy returns, beautiful soulful images captured on your many cameras and many wishes come true for you today! Much love to you today and always. xoxo

Simple (And yet. *Surprising!*) things.

 

 
 
Pink candy {elephant} popcorn.

Camping with rich..roasted..caramel melty marshmallows! {Think snap! crackle~ & pop! fires.}

Sweet kisses under cool moonlight. Sigh shortly following.  Happy tummy feelings.

The glow of a street lamp as you round the corner near to your home, though you know you are late and your mother will kill you-all is well.  Better that then to not see that street lamp....{the devil you know...}

The Doors.  And to one day going to visit Jim in Paris.

Cupcakes from Magnolia, though they are too sweet and totally overrated due to the popularity of a certain T.V. show.  They taste like pure sugar.  If you like that sort of thing!

Heaps and bushels of white roses. In.Your.Face! (So many you gag!!!) But OH! the smell.... 

~~~Wishes~~~  Tons of them that totally come true no matter.

Sweet, endearing, and spiritual MUSIC.

All tings Jah. Ya mon. (See ya on da beach)

All things groovy!

All smart things!!!

Oh that last one gets me every time.  (Briefly so.)

You know, Einstein was THIS CLOSE to bridging his unified field theory.  Who among us is the next Einstein? I often wonder.  Men like Chopra come close, marrying the quantum with the ordinary.  But when shall we know for certain?  And does it take the simplicity out of things?

Let us keep things simple.

We shall not ask.

We shall not expect.

We shall be open to the many and often truths.

xoxo

Christina, Happy Birthday!!! This list was created specifically for YOU.  You are all powerful, all wonderful and you my friend, are indeed, LOVED.

{love=life}

xo

The scent of rain.

I love the natural scent of a rainy day.  It is refreshing & loaded with ions & bursting with promise. {Silently the seeds have waited.}

I took these two little bars of soap outside to shoot them on the cedar bench.  The light refracted just so and I felt a pang of happy. {The soaps a gift from the person I consider a gift.}

I drove to a popular bakery to pick up a chocolate birthday cake with buttercream frosting & pink and purple butterflies on it...for a very popular girl who celebrates her tenth birthday today. Along the way I noticed how life has burst into being here...the wind is warm despite the rain, the trees are saturated with greens and it is those two things alone that make me pause to count my lucky stars.  {I love noticing these things-there is so much redolent in the noticing.}

I'm off to a party.  {The best kind-fraught with cheese pizza, balloons, cake and games.}  ...and to think ten years ago becoming a mother was going to turn out to be the best mother's day gift I was ever given.

So there you have random Saturday thoughts.  See you again soon with another freshly pressed photo and in the meantime I tweet right here.  {Follow!}

xo

 

Stubborn as a bull...yet entirely loveable. :)

You are a Taurus.  A stubborn, strong willed gal.  And I love you so. :) Being an Earthy Cappy myself...

Happy Birthday to you, O! TEN years today, wow.  You make me so proud. 

You are a straight "A" student. You are empathetic.  You are affectionate.

You are FUNNY.  Together we watch "The Biggest Loser" and cheer for Sunshine!

Sunshine HAS to win. :)

We eat nachos. We do the treadmill.  We read.  Watch movies.  Snuggle. 

We talk. Talk.  Talk.  We are best friends.  I love you, O.  You are the Universe, the Everything.

Happy Tenth, and many many many happy returns shugs.

xoxo

Tribute to the wonderful H

She is photogenic {oh! so beautiful}.

She is smart.

She is funny.

She is a good puppeteer, she can make alien bugs sing opera!

She is a vegetarian, and no she won't stand to hear about the delicious veal sandwich you ate at that Italian place last week.

Today is her 18th birthday, and I hope she has many happy returns.

xo

A birthday & a red toque (my favourite one of all)

Today is my birthday.  I am 39.  So I am officially into my 40th year of life as of 10:14 pm tonight. 

I'm giving myself a few gifts.  One is this:

http://awakeisgood.com

...because I love meditation and since opening my business I've really let this practice slide.  I am questing peace and stillness, (please join in if you like) and so then I found this link rather serendipitously and happily through a flickr friend. So thank you Nowordz, what a fortuitous sharing you did today....xo

The other is more material than spiritual...I shopped today for mid-rise jeans that are long & lean according to GAP but that is fine with me because low rise does nothing for me and I find them uncomfortable. 

Then I zipped off to renew my license and health card (Happy Birthday!!) and so my morning was then spent.  I picked up my youngest from school and came home to a phone full of sweet messages...

...so let it be said right here and now, that I love my family & friends SO MUCH.  In you I find my light. I mustn't forget to mention that my day began with a song (Happy Birthday of course) and a homemade breakfast served to me after I slept in a little, and gifts from my husband and two daughters.  It was perfection, just like they are. ;)

Also, prayers for my Dad, he went in for follow-up bladder surgery today to make sure all the cancer is indeed gone.  He must have these recurring treatments now for a very long, long time.  Every three months or so.

Okay that is all but I will share one more thing, a link from one of my best friends that was in my inbox this morning with a charming and heartfelt letter to go with....enjoy it and have a beautiful day today all (and thank you Nicole!).

xo

A post that is chock full of Grace...~

 
Good snowy, and I do mean snowy day from here in snowy Southern Ontario!  There are a few orders of business to story about today, and I shall begin here...

A way overdue, don't know what I was thinking, not sure where my head was, can't believe I didn't mention it and am so disappointed with myself but my amazing adventurous friend TARA Bradford had a birthday last month (oops! silly me!!!), and though I did manage to send her a present (miracle!) I am sure I neglected to mention it here.  So allow me to rectify that situation by wishing her very publicly and very loudly (with love) HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you so, you've opened up my small world and made it real big.  Real fun.  Real adventurous.  I cherish you so Tara, if you are reading this.  xoxo (Go read about Tara's latest find, a most perfect pink typewriter. Jealous.  Yes I am.)

A very Happy {belatedly so, but none-the-less} BIRTHDAY to my most whimsical, and oldest (blogging-wise, not age-wise) friend, that gorgeous California girl, dear Lisa Oceandreamer!!! Lisa you are an artful, loving most dear friend to me and I hope your day was full of magic and love because you so deserve it.  I adore you always. xo

A very Happy {today, on time!} BIRTHDAY goes out to a very dear friend of mine, one I met in college almost two decades ago, Nicole of  Stepmother with Grace! We studied nursing together.  She moved to the U.S. and subsequently renested down there permanently.  She is now settled with her new adorable! husband Giovanni and his daughter Grace, in beautiful North Carolina.  She is embracing step-parenthood like no other, and she makes me so entirely proud to be her friend.  Please join me in wishing both of these dear friends of mine a happy birthday!

Okay, three cupcakes for three dear women.  I love the number three.  It is magical, as I've said before. xxx

So there was a tiny sprinkling of grace, I'm now on to another sprinkling of grace with that lovely lady, Grace Gal. I mention the lovely Paula from Grace Gal, because hers was the first to arrive. First what?you ask...the first postcard of loveliness!  I jumped for joy when I opened the sweet green envelope sealed with a single word, wings.

I will share the thoughtful words of encouragement Paula wrote, and her card with you in the New Year.  I will do the same with all the cards I get from my little wee project. It is so much fun already, I can't wait to read the cards that come in.

I had a brilliant surprise this morning.  No, I'm not talking about the Rouladen I burned.  Yes, I burned the dinner.  It happens occasionally but this is truly upsetting because I only left the pan for five minutes.  Up to that point it looked perfect.  Sigh.  You know, a watched pot never boils...well a watched pan always burns! With me anyways....sigh.  Oh back to my brilliant surprise...Sherry was here! This morning! Well the cigar store bell tinkled and through the door she walks.  Sherry is a lovely lady, too bad I had clients waiting for me and I had to go...I spent a few minutes with her and her husband before I had to bid her adieu.  I asked her if she would like to join me in the Distillery for photography and chai, and she said yes.  So, we'll blog about that one when it happens. :) Sherry thanks for coming to see us, you are a sweetheart!

I am done, I think.  I felt like running away with a band of gypsies this morning, everything seemed to be going to "you know where" in a handbasket.  Sigh.  I suppose it all turns around, doesn't it? Which leads me to the gratitude I'm focused on right now, three things:

1. Birthdays! Keep them coming, I say!

2. Postcards & pink typewriters.

3. Photography: my escape, my love, my life long lesson to learn....xo

Joyeux Anniversaire à vous mon cher ami!

Happy birthday to my dear friend.  Tara of Paris Parfait I hope you had the most wonderful day! I bought you these flowers at the market today.  I hope you like them.

They are for YOU. :)

Many happy returns.  Many more happy adventures. (Hopefully with me!)

Wishing you everything your heart desires. xo

"My friends are my estate."
- Emily Dickinson

"The bird a nest,
the spider a web,
man friendship."
- William Blake

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."
- Helen Keller

He built me a room of turquoise and sand...

...and he saves his funniest one liners for bedtime, right when you are about to hit REM sleep.  He'll drop it on you and thank goodness you aren't drinking milk for if you were, it would shoot right out your nose.  Funny!  The man makes me laugh like NO ONE else.

And today he is having a birthday.  My afianced.  My love.  Happy Birthday Julian, my life is so much sweeter (and spicier) with you in it. Many joyous, happy returns! xoxo

A dedication for you on your birthday.  Crank it up shugs!

{p.s. I've kept this short and sweet to protect his privacy.  It's the same reason you don't see a lot of my children on here either.  K?}