the dreaming Press.

super sweet snowflakey Saturday~

 
They're falling!~ {snowflakes that is}

I love the riot of colour against a backdrop of snow.  Winter is such a season of vividness-I regard it with such loving admiration. I love weekends and can't wait for mine to begin (later this afternoon after my last massage appointment~)

Here are some incredible words that moved me this morning, added extra fuel to get me going today.  They are from the incomparable Mary Oliver....and her poem The Journey.

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save. 

xo

Tea? Why, yes please....

If I invited you in for tea, would you accept?

Would you offer my child a sweet?  Ask him his name?

Would it matter to you that my second floor was absent? Waiting patiently for the second generation to build and move their family in, according to tradition....?

  
Will your children understand the level of patience and calm that our children afford them- in the face of no video games or television to distract them....?

When you stop to breathe in our landscape, will you allow us our space? That in which we have not built up in the name of commerce or gain?  We have precious things to offer the world that don't involve competing with larger cities or countries....!  We hold our own, thank you.

Would you join us for herbal tea?  Perchance in places where famous people were taking steps in their own journeys?  Tea with mint never tasted so nice!  Oh and beautiful Israel is just 15 feet away.  However, do not veer off the provided path, for land mines are located any which way, and cameras are trained on your every step-so going off the path could mean any number of troubles for you!  We are in a military zone, you see. (It is for your own protection, dear friends.)

My goodness the river is cold.  COLD.  See page 157 of the April 2010 National Geographic to see just exactly where a certain group of travellers stood, not three weeks ago.

If you feel enough at home then please accept our hospitality.  We'll be insulted if you do not. 

So-one lump or two? It would seem that in Jordan, sugar in your tea is the norm.  It is expected.  So if this sounds like your kind of place, do visit and stay for tea.  You won't regret a single moment of it.  xo

As usual click to enlarge the photos.  However, the shot of the little girl at Petra was out of focus, but she was so cute I couldn't stand not posting her, so forgive the photographers blunder. :)

Sit. Though you believe there are more pressing things to do.

Sit.

Put those tired legs up.  Close your eyes, and breathe in deeply.

Now if your feet are up, concentrate on relaxing each muscle from your great toes to your hips.  Breathe again.

Shrug those shoulders a few times, loosen the dust from your joints and set your tensions free.  Allow them escape out a nearby window, and bid them farewell. 

Okay I've done that now too.  We are on even playing fields of relaxation you and I.  So here is what's on my mind;

I remember this morning's Facebook interaction, with a high school friend...a discussion (much deep thought was put into this) about the evening's dinner.  He and his lovely wife (also a high school friend) were entertaining friends this evening (also high school friends of mine) and he was fretting somewhat in his laid-back way about doing "greek fingerling potatoes" or "citrus shrimp".  I think he settled on both. Steaks too. :)

I settle into my deep stretch.  I remember a sweet lady who is now a client at the spa but prior to that she was my neighbour and now she is I believe a full-fledged friend.  She was in this morning, discussing the ups and the downs of life with me.  A one hour pedicure took an hour and 45.  That is normal for me.  I get lost in the discussion, the therapy of it all.  We walk away from the interaction healed.  Our friendship deepened.

Should we make tea?  Meet you back here in four minutes. 

Okay mine is Earl Grey, splosh of milk and one cube of sugar.  My favourite.  Which reminds me of last winter's trip into NYC, and my beautiful and funny friend Tara from Paris gifts me a box of the most delicious Earl Grey tea in the known world. She is probably the one person I email consistently.  I value her.  So much so.  I look so forward to travelling to Jordan this spring and seeing her again.  She is true blue. 

Speaking of NYC, the above chair was photographed this past summer in this lovely lady's apartment.  Please send her and her *new* New York Times writer husband a mental message of love and happiness, for today was their wedding day and they are now man and wife. This little chair in the West Village likely sits empty tonight, wondering how the festivities went.

Do you like this song? It makes me cry. Well lumpy anyways.  Ever get lumpy? I do-I'm a blubbering fool.  Movies, songs, you name it.  Commercials!  Please, I'm a sap. But when some good old fashioned rocking out is required, I call on these lovelies. Help I'm Alive does the trick.  As does Gimme Sympathy. :)

I'm going to sit for awhile here, I'm reading a new book...and my eyelids are getting heavy.  The reading will sweep me away to a state of sleep-readiness.  Yes there were other things that needed doing, but I'm glad we chose to sit a spell tonight.  See you soon. xoxo

Little appreciations, an inspired post.

Christina at Soul Aperture wrote a post on "Simple Things in life".  I am following suit, as I believe in gratitude so deeply.  Little things do make our lives what they are.  We need to just pay attention.  So for my rendition, I'll walk you through Greenwich Village, the first of two posts I'll do on this trip.  Come along, and if you haven't already counted your own blessings, you may want to do your own post! According to Christina's rules, it's a list, some photos, or a post on the "simple things".  The first photo I've shown you here is a gorgeous apartment on Bleecker Street, a lovely place to hang your hat and read a book when you are done venturing out for wine and pizza.  So home is the first on my list.

 

A place to eat.  Be it a restaurant, your backyard BBQ or a dinner party hosted by a friend.  Where there is food, you've satisfied one of Maslow's hierarchies, and henceforth should be grateful no matter what.  Each day I hit the "click to give" button on the Hunger Site.  I can't imagine being in a place where my children couldn't eat. This sign represents food and also creativity, two things to feed our soul.  August is located in Greenwich.

 

Freedoms.  Liberties.  Let's not take them for granted.  Oh, and by the way...for my American readers....here we just call it "bacon".  LOL!

 

Adding a little "you" to your front stoop.  I am so excited about moving to my new home, because it already has a yellow front door!  It will save me from painting it yellow.  Oh it is a gorgeous, welcoming colour.  (I've had red doors for years! Still love red though.)

 

For any writer, photographer, or artist...a space in which to work can be completely sacred.  This is the desk space in the little apartment we rented.  Two talented people reside there.

 

You don't need anything but a pen and a notecard to make someone's day.  Christina mentioned loving opening her "snail mail".  There is nothing nicer than opening the mail and getting a brown paper parcel or a handwritten letter.  I can't go into a stationery store without leaving with lots of new crispy paper.  I'm a bit of a vintage postcard addict too.

Last on my list today...warm apple tarts and cool lemonade.  Why not???

See you next post for more little appreciations. Enjoy your week everyone! xo

Wish you were here...

If you were, you could come to our women's night tomorrow evening!  We are doing artsy fartsy things...and all of us get treat bags to take home...

It really gives you a lift, to get out with 30 other women and just drink tea, vent, create and bond.

When your name is pulled out of the basket, you end up going home with free spa treatments, body sugar scrubs, chocolate and hair care products....!!!

 

{I'll let you know how our evening went...I'll be by when I have a minute to breathe.  I promise.  Like I said, wish you were here. xo

p.s. That trend-setting Maryam has me Twittering again.  If you want to follow, {where I have the time for this, I'll never know!} you can follow me I'm Indigo_Gillian.  I'd be honoured to know you care about what is happening during the mundane moments of my days...also, when I figure it out, I'll post the blog linky thing.  You should sign up too!!! We can all Twitter when we are not blogging!....xo

You talkin ta me?

 

This swan was originally slated to appear only in my flickr set, {solitary sister~}

But here is the swan, now part of the latest sea to sky collaborative sunday photo.

I went down to the lake, to snap photos of gulls with a rather large and fun lens I have, and the swan walked right up to me, the top of it's head at my navel.  I was a bit unnerved, but I figured I could outrun it if necessary.  :)  He was hungry as it turns out, he went for an abandoned mitten left lying on the beach.  Alas, I had no swan food on me.

Here's what is happening around here;

Currently I await some yummy chai applebutter I ordered from Marilyn. I shall put it on my favourite melba toast, and have it with hot Earl Grey.

Last night I dreamt I was cuddled up on Joe's couch watching a movie.  It was kind of like I lived there {except the t.v. is in the bedroom, so in my dream he had moved it out to the living room! I know this, because I've actually been there...remember?} Sadly, Joe has given up blogging for Lent.  We'll see him after Easter.  

Ever have lucid, realistic dreams that you could swear were real?  I do all the time.  I awoke at 3am in my own bed, not Joe's place.  It took me a minute to realize where I was.

Tonight I'm watching this movie I rented.  I shall let you know how it pans out, it looks promising.  Tomorrow, I'm watching this beautifully photographed one.

Splendid evening to you all.....xoxo Kisses and hugs! {keep those poems coming xo}

The gathering.

 

Would you do me the honour of playing our little game again?  It was so much fun reading your compositions the last time, so I decided to do another one.   You are all smart and creative and you make this comments section alive with the fruition of your intellects!

{The way to play;

Using only the words in the photo, compose a short poem for our enjoyment in comments.  Easy.  Fun. xo}

***

On another note...Lately I'm pursuing some deep and pervasive ideas.  Cosmic, big-picture type stuff.  I remember reading long ago about ancient Egyptian lore, where our souls splinter into pieces when we take on our bodies, and our journey here on Earth is to gather up those fragmented soul parts and put them back together.  Once we do, a sense of completion occurs.  To me, that means a certain enlightenment would occur.  I had this idea, that perhaps the people we meet are splinters of our cosmic soul.  Especially the people we are attracted to as friends.  They open up worlds for us that we knew nothing of until they showed us, resulting in our hearts content.  The people who repulse us, show us our darkest side, the one we don't wish to face. Sometimes a soul fragment could be found in a glorious ray of sunshine on your face, or in a field of lavender.  A small act of kindness could ripple out and gather more fragments for us.  Our bodies as baskets; used to catch our collection of fragments until we are complete once more.  With time, our baskets appear worn, fragile.  In actuality, closer to it's destiny...ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  Once dust, home again in a new form to the star we call home, Earth.  The sun will shine once more to awaken our senses; we journey here again after manifesting a new shell, a new basket.  New lessons to be gathered among hospital corridors and high school graduations.  Soul projections peppered with steaming hot blueberry muffins and love's first kiss.  A resplendent circle of existence, complete with emotional contrasts and bursting colours.  Ours to hold dear and yet also to hold high for all to see. (Just some thoughts I've been having.)

***

Share something here today that may help us gather more fragments.  Put your heart onto the page in comments with your one of a kind poetry piece that will perhaps enlighten another one of your train passengers.  xo

p.s. I'd love to introduce you to someone who is just beginning her train ride.  Her name is Madison!!!  She is only 3 days old.  She is my chunky, sweet faced new niece.  Photos to follow shortly. xoxo

Lessons from a train.

 Photograph by Gillian da Silva; Winged Messenger art piece by Susanna Gordon, of Susanna's Sketchbook

Last night, under the tremendous pressure it is some days to just be human, my mum and I played hooky, we headed to a beach in Toronto to take photographs.  The winged messenger you see above will be photographed by me and given to Susanna, for her Winged Messenger project.  These have been sent out to various locations around the globe to be photographed, isn't it the most beautiful idea? Visit Susanna to know more about this amazing project.

Shortly after the picture taking, we headed for home and then made the decision to stop and catch this film. We were glad we did.  There is some drastic contrast in this movie, with a persistent underlying core of LOVE.  Well worth seeing, it is quite the ride.  It made me think a lot afterwards...as most great films do.  Although it wasn't the  theme of the movie, the ever-present trains in India made me ponder.

I thought of my life as a train ride...the wheels clicking on the track in a forward dynamic rhythm, the unknown destination looming sometimes scarily in front of me, the scenery beautiful and ever changing, and my fellow passengers coming, going, changing cars.  We are all on this train ride together.  We occasionally get off at various station stops to do necessary tasks, or sight see, or experience our own contrasts. 

If you have noticed lately, you don't seem to have a handle on things (I know I don't).  Things are rather chaotic.  The Universe is reminding us that we do not ultimately control it.  We manifest, yes.  We create, yes.  But control, no.  Never.  So with that in mind, lets just sit back in our dining cars, while the scenery hums by, the tea glasses tink, and the book's pages turn.  Our destination will come soon enough, and it is up to us to make the best of the train ride until then.  Help your fellow passengers.  Love them, even if sometimes you dislike them.  Hold on, when the tracks feel uneven or bumpy.  Don't forget your manners, lest you should bump into somone while changing cars.  Common courtesies go a long way in this world.  Kindnesses cost nothing and are worth everything.

***

The winner for our poetry challenge a few Sunday's ago is Pam Aries, in Portland, Oregon.  Pammy, you must email me your address, I've changed your prize.  It is at the printers currently, and will be mailed out tomorrow when I pick it up from him.  Prepare to be surprised! Thanks to all of you who played our super fun poetry challenge!  Everyone came up with something wonderful. 

(I'm doing another one next post, if you would like to play again!)

 

Happy Fat Tuesday-yippee!!!

We've had inches and inches of the white stuff.

 

We are expecting more today.

 

However, all that will be tempered with tonight's dinner of pancakes and bacon...it's Shrove Tuesday!  Also known as Fat Tuesday.  (Even though we already had crepes with fresh fruit for breakfast...hence the "Fat" in Fat Tuesday! :)

The rest of this lovely white day will consist of;

~assisting a friend champion a cause...see www.ZeroWaste4ZeroBurning.ca

~cleaning out the playroom

~creating a sorbet with a thick mango smoothie and jello!

~finishing up with laundry, and making the house clean and smelling good

~read a chapter of my book, with a hot sweet cup of Earl Grey tea

~research a new recipe for a veggie side dish, my old standbys are a little tired :)

However you celebrate, and whatever you celebrate...do it well, do it with a big smile, and enjoy your day!

We'll part with a shot of more snow!  xo

For some extra lovely visual goodness, please go have a look in our beloved 'sea to sky sundays' gallery...xo {Look in the sidebar under 'Love'}

I needs me a little Hawaii~

Indigo Blue Bay.  No, actually it is formally known as Cook's Bay, as in Captain Cook.  No again, it is actually Kealakukua Bay.  The history of this little bay is fascinating.

This bay is known for it's breathtaking coral reefs, dolphin pods, and also the deathplace of Captain James Cook.  In 1778, Captain Cook was the first to have contact with the native Hawaiians.  

For me, this is a splendid piece of my own history, as this is the very island of which my sweetheart proposed to me.  The day I snapped this photo, we saw a family of dolphins swimming around our boat.  It was beautiful, surreal.

Today I needs me a little Hawaii.  While our tempetatures have been mild, the days have been rainy, and grey.  Nothing needs even to be specifically wrong in my life for me to feel a bit down, and sad.  Maybe worrying about my dad, hoping so much that his test results will be positive from this surgery he is recovering from, is draining me a bit.  Maybe worrying that I should worry less about the things I have no control over.  See, it all results in worry.  Crazy! 

In Hawaii, the days are long.  Yes, they are only 24 hours the same as ours.  But the tide pools have these little creatures living there, and when you stop to look at them, you extend your day by at least an hour.  Then when you breathe in the ocean air fully into your lungs, that will grant you at least another 40 minutes. 

Maybe the trick to extending the day, is to be in the moment of what you are doing.  Hmmm.

Now as I look around, at the boxes piled up to be sorted, the dishes that need washing, the plants that need watering...I am deciding just now that tomorrow I will do it all with my full attention. 

Right now all I feel like doing is sipping a hot cup of tea, and watching Annie Hall.

Yes, that is what I'll do.

Love to all my friends.

xo