The last whiffs of summer

It's been ages since I posted, but mostly I didn't have much to write about other than the everyday, mundane (to some) tellings of everyday life.

In the last few weeks, though, the pace has picked up and a lot has been going on. I finally have some photos, too, which means I have no more excuses not to post:)

A week and a half ago, I took off on a road trip to PEI with my friend Laura, ready for a grand adventure, some sun, and some serious effort at relaxation. We brought copious numbers of books between us, and music to accompany the visual diorama around us.

I'd never been east of Quebec city, so this was exciting for me to foray into the east coast!

We stayed at a cute B&B in New Brunswick to break up the driving, and were in Charlottetown the following day.

Overall, we spent the time with the perfect mix of relaxation/reading/sightseeing. Some highlights were Island Chocolates in Victoria-by-the-Sea, the Anne and Gilbert musical in Summerside, and browsing the shops in Charlottetown, not to mention a trip to Green Gables.

I left early, heading back to Ontario to visit with my family. Liz, Jeremy and I competed in a local race, with Liz and I both qualifying in the top three of our age category, which was a personal goal I'd been aiming for, so that felt wonderful.

Now I'm back home, preparing for another full year, but a different one, with roommate details a bit iffy, and a year without Liz in London:( I'm not thrilled, but trying to prepare myself ahead of time, knowing I don't tend to deal well with these dramatic changes. I hope her move goes well and she loves where she will be living, but we will all miss her here.

I'm looking forward to a long weekend before the busyness begins again in earnest. I hope you all have a good one, too!

Big news

It's not really my news but it affects me, too...my sister Liz is ENGAGED!!! Can you believe it? Wowowow. I was buzzing with the news when she and her fiancé told me, and it took a few days for it to properly sink in. In fact, I'm not sure it fully has, yet.


This past week, Jeremy was up visiting, then he and Liz headed to a wedding in New York that he was in, and that's the weekend he proposed. She has the ring now and everything, it's really true! Yikes.


Congrats to Liz and Jeremy:)

Beets and bravery

Well. It's been a while since I posted, so I thought I should say something:) I have no new pictures, although maybe I'll post one of my haircut when I got my hair straightened. (Yes, the summer has been that exciting!) heheh.

Really, though, I am enjoying the more relaxed pace. Some days, it makes me restless and I have to get outside and walk about or something, and other days, I revel in the summertime spirit and just take my time about everything. I find I'm either rushing about, or walking quickly to get somewhere, or else I'm a complete slowpoke, wandering around the market or spending time at the library.

This weekend, I headed to the farmer's market and was treated to freshly-squeezed juice of organic veggies and fruits- a delicious mixture that zinged and kept me satiated for a good while. (That's where the beets come in.) I visited with a friend and made some new friends that day, and really I was all-around happy to be where I was. The rain was pouring steadily down, on and off throughout the day, but inside I was feeling cozy and bookish and quite pleased with poking around everything at the farmer's market. I headed to the library and discovered a newly-published book by my favourite author and I've been slowly taking it in, so as not to read it too fast, as is my wont:)

I know by now you are all riveted...hahah...but alas, I have to admit, there's not much bravery to speak of. I just wanted another "b" word in the title. I suppose there's a bit of bravery involved though, in daring to live life daily and fully; unashamed and with strength.

What do I mean by that? Essentially, that I have been waffling back and forth between various career decisions and ideas, personal/relational issues, and contentment in general. It's the constant tension between being content in one's situation and self, and striving to change or meet certain goals. I'm having a hard time with that balance and probably spend far too much time in introspection over it, but I'm getting through it. It's hard not having answers quick at hand- how many times have I rehashed that one lately?- but I'm continually learning to appreciate the time I am in now, and the friendships I have now.

Yesterday, after church, I walked to the market from my house, armed with a notebook and pencil. On the way, some guy called out my name from the back of a pickup truck, and I've no idea who it was, pretty funny. I lingered at the market, bought two truffles and some vitamins, and sat outside writing for a bit, at a table in the shade of a tree. Eventually the shadows shifted and I was sitting in persistent sunshine, so I headed for home. On the way back, a man on a bicycle called me "beauty." I was really amused and heartened by the moments of a day that you just couldn't plan:) and sometimes don't know how to interpret, but hey, I'll take the compliment:)

So, that's my daily dose of introspection (introspectiveness? hmm). I hope I haven't bored you to tears, and I'll try to post photos soon to make up for it:)

Nos bemos pronto. (I'm taking weekly Spanish lessons from my Mexican friends, so now I can say a couple other words other than just la ciruela - the plum- heheh)

Stratford

On Sunday, my three good friends from church headed to Stratford for a play and dinner, to see Christopher Plummer in Shakespeare's The Tempest. We were well rewarded, and I still thrill to think of the stunning performance he gave. The props and characters were incredible, but he overshadowed them all, while giving credence to their value at the same time. What a powerful stage presence, and a true icon.




Here is Christopher Plummer, I swear- the photo didn't turn out but I guess you'll have to go see it for yourself:)

The lovely restaurant where we ate- it was perfect, and my favourite colour scheme too. (I'm totally trying to channel Tartelette with this photo!) :)

Delicious black cod with Japanese eggplant tempura and rice in yuzu ponzi (or something close to that).

It was a truly incredible early birthday- thanks, girls! I'm so glad I spent it with you!

xo

Family

I thought I'd post some photos of my trip to visit my family first, and Stratford after.

I love my goofy brothers. It's blurry, but they're always moving about so it's hard to capture them:)

My brothers and Dad and I hiked up Blueberry Mountain, part of a property that is now connected with the local conservation authority. It was a gorgeous hike, and I'd love to see it again in the fall.

This is my longtime friend Jenny, whose kids I babysat since they were infants. We enjoyed a great time of catching up, beside her pool:)

On Canada Day, my little sister and I walked into town to meet the family at the ball park, where the fireworks were going on. They have quite a good display for a small town, and I was glad to go, although if my sibs weren't working, I would have liked to take them to Parliament Hill that day, since I don't know when I'll get a chance to do that again.

This is a creature my brother invented, and I just love it, so had to snap some photos of it. Clever, eh?

That's my weekend, in photo format:)

And now I wait

It seems to be a constant theme in my life, as I'm sure it is for many. Things start happening, and I feel like life is "getting going" again, then it slows to a standstill as I must exert some measure of will not to get too impatient.

Know what I mean?

I'm all for anticipation, but sometimes, it's difficult to wait for answers to manifest themselves. I'm not saying that life should be lived passively, expecting events and people to roll along into your existence, but at some point, even living in an active sense doesn't make solutions arrive any more quickly. For a generation where instant gratification is normal, this doesn't make sense.

They say that if something is good, it will be worth the wait. But what happens when you're not sure it's worth it?

I know I'm being really vague and could be talking about any number of things, and maybe I am...but mainly about the whole education situation, as well as reevaluating friendships and human relations in general.

It's funny, really, to start off the week with such a pensive post, because I've really had a splendid weekend, beginning with a much more relaxed trip home, and ending with a magnificent performance in Stratford of The Tempest, featuring Christopher Plummer, and a lovely dinner afterward with my three gal pals. What a great way to celebrate my birthday early:)

So...now I'm feeling convicted- the last thing I want to be is ungrateful, because I have so much- wealthy in relationships, in possessions, in mobility, in access to untold services. It's a challenge to find the balance between recognizing I am blessed but not entitled, you know?

I will post photos soon of the weekend, so I guess in the meantime you must wait...like I'm doing... :)

Later!

xo

p.s. A very happy birthday to my friend Melissa today!!!

The weekend before last, I visited my former roommate, Jenny. We hiked to some nearby falls, and enjoyed magnificent views and some great conversation.

That evening, we went back to Jenny's and made a splendid meal of asparagus, roast potatoes and sweet potatoes, and scallops- it was delicious. We haven't had a visit just the two of us for a long time, so it was great to catch up and have that time together.

Liz and I at her birthday dinner- none of the pictures turned out that well because it was dim lighting, but I enjoyed our time together and I think she had a good birthday, even though we couldn't celebrate the day of.

I guess I haven't much to say today- just doing the usual; work, soccer, more work, hanging out with friends, the occasional movie.

Tonight I hope to check out an act that's part of the Fringe Festival with a friend of mine, and this coming weekend I'm going to visit the fam. Good times!

xo