Just to be reckless...

...another post in less than a week- what has come over me! heheh.

In the past week, I've been rediscovering some of the local lore of my hometown, from some distance away, that is. I have undertaken to delve into the rich tapestry of the region's author and artists,through observance of their craft.

I have found it to be, thus far, similar to summer's first dip in the lake. I stick my big toe in cautiously, then half my foot, then up to my ankle, before eventually taking the plunge. My face tingles with the freshness of the cool water and, once again, I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I missed the lake.

That feeling on my face is what I associate with my current venture. I forgot how much I loved these people's work, and am thrilled to be tracing my steps but from a different angle. I'm catching so many more aspects of what they created, like the light thrown from a prism. If you look at it only from one side, you won't see the fragments tossed from the other side. (That might be grossly incorrect- I am not a scientist, obviously!) However, it really is a delight to go back to these people and their lifework or leisure, and appreciate it from a broader scope than I was able to as a youngster.

If you are ever in the Ottawa Valley, I would encourage you to check out some of its local flavour because I'm certain it is bursting with creative genius nearly unparalleled across the country. And of course, I'm not biased:)

So I pull out my library card for the hundredth time and scan the shelves industriously, and madly google local artists and drool quite unabashedly at their work, wishing I could see and touch it...this has to do for now! I think I'll check out some galleries around here, too. If I limit myself to only one geographical region or a specific style in my search, then can I really say I'm pursuing art itself???


This past weekend, I got to spend time with friends old and new. A bunch of running friends got together for a birthday, and we had a grand old time. It's funny how spending time with an older crowd, some twice my age, is just as fine as with my own demographic; it may be fairly obvious but I get a lot of enjoyment out of mixed age groups, where you can be drawn together by something you all have in common, but nothing else. What fun.

Some friends were visiting from out of town, and I got to spend time with them on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, after a great dinner, we ended up playing some spontaneous board/group games by candlelight due to Earth Hour. A nice alternative, although I got pretty sleepy from playing a hard game of soccer just before supper.

I don't know if it's the same for you, but I am just fascinated by people's connections to each other. I like to figure out how different people in a group know each other, and that's when I can truly enjoy myself, when I know the different connections. It's funny. I guess it just seems like you can relate to the group better when you have that information, which may explain why it's not as fun in a more disjointed group when you're the newcomer and have no idea of the background to the friendships or connection points.

But I digress...because I can, since it's my blog... : )

This Easter, I won't be going home, unfortunately. There's a choral performance mentioned to me by a friend that I'd love to check out, but I'll be here. Liz's boyfriend is coming for a visit, and we are hoping to check out a sugar shack after going to an Easter service. What could be better! I can't wait.

Ciao for now, meine freunde.

I don't know if it's spring/cabin fever or not, but I'm so excited lately. The future doesn't loom darkly, it pokes and chuckles and is just a little silly, but in a good way. I'm contemplating a barrage of ideas that have flown into my little brain in the last few days, as I enjoy a particularly tasty stir-fry that I finally made last night after a week of talking about it. Teriyaki tofu, PC stir fry mix (the one with shelled edamame and garlic sprout), brown basmati rice, made with sesame oil and tamari sauce. I'm not sure why I'm listing my meal for everyone, but I guess I haven't been cooking too much so this is an accomplishment for myself.

As you may know, I've been toying with the idea of further studies but while I do so, deadlines are whooshing by me. I suppose moments of inspiration don't stick to deadlines necessarily, but that's okay because I have a few ideas cooking. If anything comes to fruition, I will let you know!

In a few weeks, I will be heading out west to visit some dear friends and relatives, and I'm still a little surprised at myself for this half-impulsive decision. I am so looking forward to this time! And to seeing some of you again! Let me know if you'd like to get in touch, I'll be mainly in Alberta but my plans are fairly flexible. More to come on that, anyway.

On Sunday, I ran 21 km in preparation for my race, which is just before my trip. (Yes, I did plan my trip between two races. How could I not!) I was definitely sore but hopefully will be getting new shoes this week. My feet will be thrilled, and my wallet, a little less so! Ah well.

Beyond that, not too much is different. I guess that's partly why I haven't been writing much; I wanted to read some other people's updates, and some books, and write if I have something to say.

Have a lovely day and I'll post again soon!

The good news is...

...I'm writing again. For a while now, I've been extremely busy and have been exhausting myself, barely having a few hours to myself here and there in a week. For someone who needs their recharging time, this doesn't work well and can't last long.

This past weekend, I headed home to a friend's wedding- it was so beautiful! and I was glad to be a part of that day- and spent some time with family. We hit up the canal (Beavertails included, of course), and I got to meet my little brother's girlfriend, who is an absolute sweetheart. It was great catching up with family friends at my parents' church- I feel so loved when I'm back there. My sister and her boyfriend came up to visit the family, and he is a top-notch guy, I really like him. She sure knows how to pick 'em :) We all enjoyed getting to know him a bit more.

I wouldn't say it was a restful weekend at all, but it was a worthwhile visit. I got to see all my siblings; we had a brief but great visit overall.

Coming back here, I thought I would be exhausted, but I've felt a bit more refreshed for some reason, and started working on a piece I had started a while ago, but had added onto on Friday. Yesterday, I added lots more, and today I am trying to keep it going. When I say I'm writing again, I'm not trying to jinx the process :) but rather, I'm encouraged that there are still some creative elements in my life and some ideas in my brain. Sometimes I wonder! So that is encouraging to myself. I do wonder if these scrawlings of mine will amount to anything, but for now, I'm trying to build a repertoire and draw from a broader palette. For me, this is a good start.

This morning, I realized I still have some thought to put into the conference I attended. There was so much information it was slightly overwhelming, and I am still attempting to put the pieces together while not feeling I need to commit to one thing right now that will be forever, but also not getting too caught up and avoiding making a decision altogether. I wish I could say I'm usually at a happy medium in this area but, unfortunately, it would be more accurate to say I'm sometimes one and sometimes the other and usually can hope for a happy medium on the way to the other extreme:) Wow, doesn't that make me sound stable, haha.

What all that means is that I'm still exploring opportunities, and pursuing what I do know I'm good at/enjoy, and the rest will fall into place (so I'm told). I'm learning that no frenetic activity or hair-pulling (my own, not someone else's, heheh) will accomplish much of anything, so I am doing my best to take each day for what it is: a new day.

(I had another post cooking, but decided against it, since it was written on a much less positive note and I didn't feel that would be useful; it doesn't apply to me today, in any case. If you had wondered or noticed.)

I'll try to post some photos soon...tschüss!

un petit dessin de rien du tout

This is meant to exemplify the way I'm feeling today. I had a long tirade written out elsewhere but may or may not post. It's one of those I should probably re-read before rashly posting:)

I call it Deception and Fine Mastery of Flagrancy, or Flaming Laurels.

(You're right, it makes no sense, heheh.)

Of conferences and concerts

This man was an incredible tap dancer, and it was along with a spoken drama- just amazing.

One of my favourite songs from the conference!

The tap dancing again

My friend Melissa:) It was awesome to see her

Amy and Carmen, all the way from the Canadian prairies! We lunched together the one day after Carmen and I randomly ran into each other. So refreshing to see these girls! I went to school with both of them at different times

Rascal Flatts in the flesh! What a concert. And right in my city!

love these gals!

You can dress us up but you can't take us out, haha!

Old Mills and Siblings

On our way home for Christmas Eve, Jon and I stopped at this old mill to take photos, both of us captured by the charm of this place, dead silent on Christmas. These are from our explorations. (While we were taking photos, Liz thought it would be funny to drive off with the van, using the spare keys.)

Brace yourselves for a slew of family photos now... :)

Naomi and I

Liz, looking sallow- just kidding, that's a tan

Success! A good picture of Samuel

Ruth and her lovely scarf

Silly Tim

Mathieu

Dad

Yes, it's true- Hershey has a car seat

Maman et moi

Benjerman

More to come...

"Forget regret, or life is yours to miss...no day but today"

In case you can't tell, I'm currently enamoured of (of? with?) Rent, and I don't know how I've missed watching it before now. Of course, I'm sure the Broadway production would be simply amazing, but I really like the movie- the cast, the music, ahhh! Brilliant.

As you can see, I'm back in the blogosphere! I've been putting off posting because, once again, I keep forgetting to upload photos and like to have them on my posts. However, that will come later.

Well, there's lots to catch up on- if there's no day but today then I have nothing to write about, because most of it is in the past:) Christmas involved a short visit home, a lot of travelling, and an incredible conference. Good times with friends old and new. A furry addition to the family. A connection with a family friend from before I was born. Meeting a new friend who's from nearby, that I wouldn't have met otherwise. Yup, exciting and packed with non-stop activity.

I got to visit with my two cousins who are my age, and that was so great, since I haven't seen one in two years and the other, since the summer. I've always thought of them as way cooler than me; it's funny the ideas that stick with you from childhood even though no one plants the ideas in your head. They're awesome guys and it was great to see them and catch up.

There has been so much running through my mind since the conference; it gave me lots to think about and process. I think I would summarize it as challenging, intense, touching, and shaking-up. I learned a lot, and caught up with my good friend before her trip, and had to process some unpleasant realities about myself that I would rather have skipped. All in all, there is a lot I still have to think about, which is why I'm being so vague (and irritating even myself as I write, if that's any comfort) :) Mainly, I was hoping to come away with a bit more direction in terms of what to do with my life, or where I might find a place to use my gifts (those elusive entities), or maybe even stumble upon some great revelation. As it turned out, none of these came true in the ways I had anticipated, but I learned so much in other ways and I know these will continue to shape my life and decisions.

Right after the conference- I'll elucidate on that when I get the photos up - we had a breakfast meeting with the life group leaders at church. It was a pretty tough meeting and we all discussed the challenges and hardships that we'll be facing in the next few weeks as a community.

What else...Liz's boyfriend came to visit this past weekend, so I got to meet him. She sure knows how to pick 'em. (By that I mean, he seems like a really together guy.) :) Hopefully I'll get a chance to hang out with them more, since he's now an important part of her life.

I'm contemplating a trip out west and even fleshing out some potential dates/places. I really hope it can work.

More soon! ...

These are from Christmas Eve- the family get-together

Father and son (couldn't resist snapping one of the lederhosen from my cousin's trip to Germany!)

Grandfather and granddaughter

The two Barbs

The mutual phone fascination of the cousins