My Weblog

Are the dark days of winter gone?

We have had 3 consecutive days of glorious, warm sun here in Vancouver, I think we are turning a corner. It's been a long winter, too many days indoors with a toddler! The cherry trees are in full bloom and the daffodils are shining. Yae! 

Making cookies

I haven't made cookies in a really long time because I will easily eat a dozen in a day. But something moved me to make some and we had a good time doing so. I would include the recipe but it was pretty make-shift. I added less sugar than the recipe called for, and less butter, but then I forgot to compensate for that, so when I added the flour, they turned out really dry. So I kept the mixer running and poured in maple syrup, but that didn't help immensely, so then I poured in non-fat milk, and got distracted with something Liam suddenly did, so I didn't stop pouring when I should have. The batter was unlike a cookie batter, but nevertheless, they turned out well enough for me to eat a dozen!

Is it Spring?

We had snow the other day and it was -5 degrees, with a wind chill of -12 degrees. Not your typical weather for Vancouver in March, however the branches continue to form buds and the flowers are blossoming. It's almost here, it must be!

Hello again.

I have been away for a while, as some of you know from my last post. I thought I'd drop by and say hello as I miss this lovely community. However I still haven't decided on whether or not to continue posting on a regular basis, as I previously did. For now, I am simply saying hello and giving a brief update. (I hope you are all doing well.)

 

While I was away, my little gem turned 2 and continues to be a beautiful spirit that fills me with awe every day. (Sometimes my awe is over his demands and preferences! Ahem...) 

The rest of my time has been focused on Yoga and keeping balance. I had the pleasure and excitement of teaching 5 classes in a volunteer position. The experience was pretty joyful and I long to teach more. The process of finding a job teaching has been surprisingly difficult but I continue to look and am strengthening my practice daily. In the meantime, I am involved in a mentorship with a fantastic teacher in the city. I get to join her in one of her weekly classes, where I demonstrate the postures, then help her with adjustments and relaxation at the end of class. During the week, leading up to her class, she gives me an idea of what she wants to teach during the week, and I get to create a sequence for that class. She doesn't use it, but we sit down together and discuss its' elements. It is a wonderful learning opportunity and I am very lucky to have this time with her. 

The rest of my time has been spent with Liam, enjoying podcasts for A New Earth, (third time around) getting out with friends more, spending more time in nature and reading more. I got over my little bout of depression by assessing the quality of my diet and changing it to include more fresh food, less sugar and wheat. It made such an immense difference on my energy level, which in turn gave me more focus and a better outlook because I was no longer so exhausted. 

I hope everyone is keeping well. I have continued to follow my favorite blogs and continue to be inspired by your creativity, values and self-expression. Lovely...

Taking a little break

(Photo from Studioilse) 

I have been having some dark days, too many of them to be comfortable with. With much thought and a bit of grief, I am putting my blog on hold for a little while (hopefully only a little while) as I need to cut something loose in order to gain some balance. I have a history of depression that I keep in check with tools I have learned over many years of dealing with it. It is a chemical thing that I manage with balance in my life but lately I have not had balance and I am struggling to keep ahead of it. As a result, I need to take something off my plate in order to focus on more physical and quieting pursuits. I was not going to mention this in here, I was going to put up a veneer of 'life is great', but I felt dishonest in doing so, and in reality, there is nothing to hide, and depression is far too often considered something shameful. I am totally okay and am taking measures to maintain it, but if I don't do so, I will have a harder time managing it in the future. So I hope to be back once my feet are a bit more firm and I hope everyone continues to enjoy their blogging and communicating in a lovely, creative environment. Thank you to those of you who read my blog, I will continue to read yours. 

Ice Time

We took Liam ice skating for the first time yesterday. He liked the helmet and skates, but not the ice. We spent maybe 1 minute on the ice, a few minutes sitting on the edge of the ice, and many minutes running around the change area. It was pretty funny, I don't think we will go again until next year. So we headed home and did our favorite thing, engorge our library books. And as per a previous post, it is too soon for potty training, there isn't enough of an interest there beyond the underpants, so we will hold off for a while. 

 

Max Wanger Photography

I found an inspiring photographer through Joanna Goddard's blog the other day. Nice shots. If you like these, check out Max Wanger's site for more.

(Okay this one isn't so much about the photography, as it is about the shoes.)

Nice spot for brunch and tea with friends

Oh I love it so... Photo by Ellen Silverman.

Toilet training

We started toilet training yesterday. We aren't sure he's ready after all. He loved the new underpants and was very excited about them, but he peed through 4 pairs, all before I could get him to the toilet. And each time he did, he didn't care. Pee running down his leg, soaking his socks, it didn't matter. I tried to be up on it, he peed every 30 minutes or so! He doesn't pee that much in his diaper! Go figure. We got one into the toilet, otherwise he wasn't interested. Wondering if we should continue. It was fun, we had a couple laughs, no stress, but is it worth it if he's not showing much interest? We will see how today goes. 

It was a beautiful day

Happy New Year

I have not posted in a while, been under the weather, turns out I have Strep Throat. It's not fun. But I love this time of year. Change is in the air! I have resolutions every year, however I don't recall last years, and I don't recall achieving it, but it's fun to think about nonetheless. This year I have a few. I would love to know what yours are. Happy New Year!

1. Enjoy the everyday wonder of things. 

2. Eat more vegetables. Plain and simple.

3. Consider saying yes, before saying no.

4. Push fear aside, it has never served me.

5. Be more spontaneous. My need for structure is actually a need for control, let's face it.

6. Be more gentle with my husband. 

7. Treat Liam to more experiences in nature. 

8. Meditate.

9. Laugh.

10. Volunteer teaching Yoga.

The Evolution of a Snowman

So long....

Glittering Lemon Sandwich Cookies

If you aren't tired of sugar and sweets yet, and are looking for a little something, this turned out to be a fantastic recipe. It does however call for the cookies to be sandwiched together, with the icing in the middle. But I didn't like how they turned out when I tried, so I put a little indent into the top of the cookie, just before putting it in the oven. That way, there was a tiny space for the icing to be placed. I also thought the icing recipe was too large. I would recommend making only half of it. The recipe is from Gourmet, you can find it here. It was super light and sweet, and unique.

We'll miss the snow

Favorite Christmas moments

An evening walk on the seawall.

Crafts together. (I'm so in love.)

Explaining cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeers.

Playing with new toys. 

My beautiful gift from Bill.

Happy Boxing Day

Today is a day to stay inside, despite the Boxing Day sales. Here in Vancouver it is snowing hard. There are car accidents everywhere, roads are slippery, or closed. I was out getting groceries this morning, my car got stuck on my way home. Thankfully I had heavy boots on and I was within feet of my home, I just dug myself out. So I hope everyone is safe and warm. Maybe enjoy some homemade Chai? I hope everyone had a good Christmas day.

Homemade Chai

4 cups water

2 cinnamon sticks

4 cloves

5 green cardamon pods, emptied

2 tsp peeled and minced ginger

4 tsp loose black tea

1 cup organic, no-fat milk (traditional chai is made with a full fat milk, fill your boots if you like!)

honey and brown sugar to taste

Bring the water, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger to a slow boil. Lower the heat, add the tea and milk and simmer for a couple minutes. Add honey and/or brown sugar to your liking.

Busy times!

I've been busy despite my efforts to keep things simple. I feel so stretched for time, that even to make today feel easier, I was dropping a package off at a friends at 10:45 last night. Seems my days don't end, and they still aren't long enough. I can't imagine how I would achieve anything if I had a job outside of my home. Kuddos to those of you who lead a creative life, work, raise your kids, have time for exercise and still have room left over for your husband and yourself. Are you out there? If so, please, do tell how! Anyway, I don't know how much I will be posting over the next couple days. We are visiting family and friends and our days will be full. I also teach my first Yoga class next week, I want to be prepared for that, so I need to focus some time on being quiet and keeping my practice up. I have to admit, I feel a bit overwhelmed right now. I love the Christmas season, I love the snow we have right now, I love playing Christmas carols, having the Christmas lights on, the smell of cookies baking, wrapping presents, sending and receiving cards... But a part of me is ready for it to transpire into something else. Something a little more organic; less shopping, more Yoga, less sugar, more salads... Don't get me wrong, I am super excited for Christmas morning with my son and husband, and the rest of the family visiting we have that day, and I am so lucky most of us are in the same town and not missing each other due to the snow. (I won't see my mom however) But I am craving a bit more balance. Am I alone in this? Well if I don't get a chance to post in the next couple days, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, and I hope everyone has a safe, healthy, warm few days. I will leave you with a few snowy photos from a full day in it yesterday. (this is not normal for Vancouver)

 

Shortbread

When I was a kid, baking was a huge part of Christmas. My mom had an amazing shortbread recipe. I have tried to find others over the years, just to compare, but nothing does, except for this one at 101 Cookbooks. I don't have time to leave my moms' recipe so if you are looking for a good one, I recommend trying this one, it is almost identical to my moms. Mmmmm sweet butter goodness.

Oh this room!

It is perfect, through and through. Image was found here, via Marion Hearts.

An extremely thoughtful gift

The other night I had a really nice visit with my friend Kirsten. She passed on some gifts to me that showed a lot of thought and knowledge of my interests. I wanted to share these gifts here. 

She sewed this lovely Yoga bag for me. I wanted another photo of it, hanging over my arm, but I have yet to have time with Bill to do so, so I am hoping this gives you an idea of how nice it is. I have suggested she make them for her Etsy shop, let's keep an eye out.

She bought this little travel place-mat from a local artist named Amanda Wood, as a gift for Liam. Best of all though was this truly beautiful book based on a beautiful blog called, A Year of Mornings 3191 Miles Apart. I have been absorbing every detail of every page for days now, it is really inspiring me. Check out the authors new adventure, A Year of Evenings. Thank you Kirsten.