Rediscovery

Last week I went on a 4 day biking/hiking/yurt camping trip with M(27) and E(20).  No, they're not robots like R2D2-- they are my daughters- initial of first name and age. Initials to keep it mysterious.

In the course of those 4 days I rediscovered a few things that I think are pretty important:

1. My daughters are AWESOME and I am madly in love with them. (Same is true for my son and I know we will solidly reaffirm this when we walk the France Camino Trail together, right A?) I say this rather sheepishly because I know we are all crazy for our children and think they are wonderful, no?

Gary Larson

But really - they are phenomenal--hard working, adventurous, humorous & fun, spiritual, athletic, talented, capable, intelligent and beautiful women.

E & M on Burnt Loop, Tobermory

E, who loves to live on the edge, felt it necessary to get up at 6:00 a.m. (it's still dark do you mind?) to hike back to the grotto & cliffs overlooking Georgian Bay where we had been the day before, so she could sit, meditate and swim again, (it was 4 degrees outside and the water not much warmer) in the bay. I told her she could easily wait until 7:00 or 8:00, but she was determined. And trust me there is no stopping her! M took me hiking on an alternate trail and talked rocks, trees, philosophy and life with me.  Her  depth, calm and positive energy totally distracted me from E's dangerous adventure.

2.  This province has some exquisite scenery. I had been here before and but had not remembered how truly magnificent the landscape and Georgian Bay in and around the Bruce Peninsula are. Biking and hiking (ya, ok and swimming in the SUMMER!) in that environment are just plain good for the soul.

(See that little head in the water- that's E the day before).


3. People love to build inukshuks--the more the merrier. What is with this craze? This was on a deserted beach on the lighthouse bike route. There were more than 7 inukshuks on this beach. Why?

Spot the inushuks

4. Women can learn spatial reasoning in a short amount of time. We had three bikes with three curly handlebars and jeez was it a challenge to get them on the  bike rack. Mr. Lovely had put them on initially and the first day it took us 40 minutes to get them back on. As we were packing the wee trunk to leave the yurt campground - I said I  sure could use Dad now and M said- "Mom, you are a strong, capable woman--you don't need a man to help you with this." It was true. You shoulda seen how I packed that trunk. It was a thing of beauty. And it took us less than 5 minutes to get those bikes on the rack. (We only had 8 minutes to check out--a cash penalty is quite the motivator!)

5. Dogs will chase bikes.  Do you mind? I'm just riding my bike along the road-living my life--don't take me down man. We got chased by 2 different dogs (and growled & barked at by a different pack of them by the side of a unpaved road). Super scary! My normal retort of "bite me" when something is annoying me doesn't really work in this situation.

Color Angst continued

So I bet you are on the edge of your seat dying to know what happened, ok maybe not, but at any rate I'm going to tell you.

Well we then went on a reconnaissance mission by canoeing around the lake to get examples of other cottages that had nailed it. Admittedly many were so far in the woods we couldn't really see them but  guess what? This mission was a bust. We were not blown away by anything- some were downright hideous ("hey, that's just your opinion, man")  and some were ok, but tepid and limp (not good in anything) -overall nothing moved us. That's right we need to be moved, dammit!

We had been looking at bark from the trees to have something that would blend in with the forest, when Mr. L hits me with the idea that blending in is no good- he wants something more fun and lively. Really? Fun and lively? Okaaaaay. Go on. Well he wasn't sure so he went out to sit on the tent platform and meditate on it.

and after about 30 minutes came up with this:

A pine sprig- do you mind? No, not the pine sprig -the orange bit in the middle of the pine sprig- that's the ticket- the fun and lively color. Oh my! So then commenced the research of matching that middle of the sprig color with maibec's colour (it's called saddlery ok!) and then finding images with that color, get in the boat and then the car, to haul it to the Timbermart, to see their samples- only to find out we could have ANY color we wanted because they could mock up anything and being directed to the Bennie Moore chips.. NOOOO. It stops here! I can't take MORE choice- I can't deal with what I have. BRUTAL- I know you can feel my pain! I bet you are in pain too if you are still awake.

Luckily when we got back to civilization, the actual samples I had requested had come in so we had more to work with and with the help of a friend and here's the kicker- she's a designer( YAY!!!! why did we not think of this before) picked out colors. Timber for the siding (darker one) and Pepperwood for the trim (lighter one).

Notice how they both have a bark theme.

These are actually pretty neat colours in that depending on the light they can be either, grey, green or taupe.  My friend actually looked at the color scheme in the house as well as she said all colors had to be copacetic. Who knew? We also picked a cool wasabi green for the door trim and wood. This decision is done- it's over- Mercy me.

Too Many Choices

Have you ever had to make a decision and been faced with so many choices that your eyes glaze over and you become paralyzed like a deer in the head lights? This, of course, is after getting a migraine so big you think your head will cave in.

Try going in go for lunch in an American road house without an idea of what you are in the mood to eat, and be faced with their 12 pages of mostly obscene offerings and you'll get the idea.

Mr. Lovely and I were recently trying to pick siding for our cottage-(it's never had siding so we were "ascared" that one day the walls would just start leaking) and figured we were ahead of the game in that we had a the product - maibec, a wood siding, that has a 50 yr. warranty ( imagine making a claim on the 49 1/2th year), that comes in many styles and colors and so all we had to do was to pick a couple of colors- easy peasy. Not so much. For one thing Mr. Lovely and yours truly have very different tastes. While we both wanted something exciting and exquisite (who doesn't?) what constitutes that is another matter entirely.

First we went to Maibec's color charts in their catalogue, which was helpful in providing fanciful names and categories but not so helpful in actually pinning down a color.

Then we looked at nine million cottage images online- from  online cottage magazines, designer cottages, to architectural websites, cottage listing through realtor.ca, to island properties images- if you could google it and it had the word cottage in it- we looked at it.  And of course we did love some, (cause some are nine million dollars) but then we figured that ours would not look like them. Good figuring, no? Then we also finally clued in that not all cottage environments are alike- so that colors that worked on a rock faced Georgian Bay island might not work for our cottage in the woods on an island. Yes both islands, but no, not the same "type" of island. You see how complex this is.

We had been to the Rona and looked up the samples on their board and in fact ordered samples that most closely resembled "tree bark"to be sent to us in the mail cause "stoopid" Rona wouldn't let us take their board up to the cottage. Also how do you divvy up the colours- do you do one colour on the whole thing, or a different one for the trim and moldings or a third for some other feature and where do you put these colours- windows, trim, fascia, all or just some and what is even the correct spelling for the word color- is it color or colour and who really cares?  What a commotion! What an ordeal! Do you mind?


..... to be continued

Bliss Consciousness

 No wait- hear me out. It isn't necessarily flaky.

So I figured I was having a pretty awesome summer- I was working like a maniac when I was in the city but on the weekends we would get up at the crack of dawn, (or so), hop in the beamer, and head up north to our island cottage -a mere 3 hours to the marina.  Worth it because once there, I got to have white wine with lunch, (on our  screened in porch which has a panoramic view of the lake), nap! yes (did I mention we got up at the crack of dawn), lop some dead branches to make the trees look even more beautiful, swim, canoe and /or kayak, imbibe g&t(s) on the dock, loll over a romantic dinner watching the sunset- into bed by sundown, read (was rereading To The Wedding by John Berger- a fantastic novel filled with the most luscious images of an outdoor wedding you will ever read-Mr. Lovely and I read the last chapter to each other one morning over coffee- the writing is gorgeous!)-  then up again with the sun.. coffee at coffee beach, some physical work like repairing the screen door of the "love shack"(our 100 yr old log bunkie named by my sista when she stayed there with her hubby- ya tmi) and then.. well you get the routine. DELUXE NO? Well yes!

the "love shack"

Sometimes I even took a Monday off, so I wasn't too troubled when I saw that my calendar was filling up with real estate closings, (sole practitioner, new staff) and I might not be able to take a full week off. Mr. Lovely said- well I'm taking a week off regardless so you decide. Harsh!

So I  did decide to move heaven and earth-(well it felt like it!)- to get a week off to go to the cottage. And it was worth it because on day 8, I experienced what Mr. Lovely termed "bliss consciousness".

So it's like this-I normally feel pretty darn good at the cottage (see routine above- not too shabby-do you mind?) but I still watch it- like if I want to chill but feel like I haven't got enough exercise I push myself to work out or if I want a carb for breakfast, (always!) I eat a yogurt with fruit instead cause I feel I should.

But on the 8th day I didn't. I wanted some pumpernickel with imperial cheese and Henrietta's marmalade made with 5 types of fruit and grand marnier and I had it- 2 pieces, while thumbing through a Cottages mag- and it felt GREAT! It was dreamlike- the complete happiness I felt. I lay on the couch midmorning, (gasp!)  cranked open the windows, and just felt the breeze roll over me. Later I took out our newly caulked wind and the willows rowboat and rowed to F Bay where I snagged some truly amazing driftwood off some crown land (thanks your majesty) for my driftwood sculpture (well one day!) and swam in my clothes off a rock cause I was just so HOT and who cares, right? And so on all day long- it was divine- "hakuna matata" (c'mon you know you've seen the Lion King). And I figure it was because I knew I really had no worries that day- I knew I didn't have to check my email, or contact my office cause it was the weekend, we had no guests (I love my guests but you can't just lie down in the middle of the day- now can you) and Mr. Lovely was off doing some man project with our neighbour so I just could free float. And, (and I think this is the kicker), I had been mostly relaxed (except for one major swearing episode where some deal was not going my way, temporarily) for the last 7 days in an environment that I loved, so I was primed for bliss.

So hip hip for taking a longer vacation- I think we need to.
Mr. Lovely says I can now try to live in bliss consciousness but who is he kidding. Back at work- not a chance but I know it's there and hopefully I can get there more often!

Ever have bliss consciousness- tell me about it.

ps. I have not blogged in so long I mostly forget how to download photos so not very good visuals but will try to get up to speed next time.

Happy People: Seriously, Werner?

I recently watched the documentary Happy People: A Year in the Taiga by filmographer Werner Herzog and Russian co-director Dmitry Vasyukov. These "happy" people live in Siberia (need I go on?- SIBERIA- the land of cold and bleak where the Russians send their criminals) in a remote village of 300 people. You can only get in by helicopter or when the river isn't frozen, (like for 3 weeks of the year) by boat. They live without running water, phones, pez dispensers, and minor things like medical attention and proper education. Why are these  'happy" people there you ask.. oh ya they were sent there by the Russian government in the 70s and guess what they can't get out! (too poor for the helicopter or boat ride, so sorry you have to stay).

They live in abject poverty, in a harsh, barren, wild and (ok I'll give them) scenically beautiful environment. We follow the industrious inhabitants- mostly the guys, through one year of their "happy" lives. We start in the spring- (think winter) where the main dude shows us what he can do with an axe and the answer is- ANYTHING.  (He should really try to build a helicopter, I think). He is a awesome craftsman and can plank a tree in straight boards with his axe (these, to make skis by hand with moose fur on the bottom for slide-ability, true story).

Then comes summer and you the viewer are happy because you think "great- some relief from the hideous cold" and that part is true but guess what- they are plagued and I mean plagued head to toe by mosquitos- do you mind! These guys can not catch a break. Yes it's light for 20 hours of the day & the vegetables are ginormous but again summer only lasts 3 weeks and then boom you are into fall, (again, think winter).

So in the fall they have to get ready for winter (they like to pretend that they are not already in winter), getting the traps in gear, repairing their hand-made log hovels so the bears can't get at them, fishing for themselves and their beloved dogs- you know the normal back to school stuff we all do. The hunters go off in the winter to hunt and trap for several months with only their dogs for companions.  I wrote to my brother who is an outdoorsy type of guy and asked him if he had seen the movie and told him he might like a year in Taiga  (like actually living there as a sort of insane experiment) and mentioned the great dogs because he is a lover of these types of dogs and he wrote me back and said 'AND GREAT FISH' (he had seen the movie),which is right- they catch pike the size of small apartments.

 One scene shows the bakers baking the bread the hunters and dogs (the dogs are always included, apparently these "happy" dogs eat bread as a thing) will need for their long winter away hunting and trapping and SPOILER ALERT and when they go off, the bakers kiss the hunter /trappers goodbye. I was like "say those baker dudes are really friendly with those hunter dudes-" but I thought ok like in prison (which really this place is) you takes what you can get.  I'm cool with that. Then Mr. Lovely clued me in that those baker dudes were their wives (not dudes at all but women). OOOPS.  I now get the hunter guys going off with just their dogs- makes sense.

It is fascinating and visually splendid and although I admire Werner on account of he produces great films (loved his compassion for the underbelly of America society in Into the Abyss), I gotta think he's trying too hard to paint a lovely picture of these noble people who live by the land and are "happy" with their lot.  I think they are self sufficient to the max, extremely capable, simple, rugged and well, resigned to their lives. They don't even drink booze which is also very commendable.  I think Werner based the title on one scene where a trapper was sitting by the fire, in the snow, with his dog and mused  "Ah, this is the life - nothing like settling down with a nice cup of tea." At least that is what the translator said he said but who knows he is probably saying  " I hate my &%$#^%&^ life and wish I could build a helicopter with my axe!" It's a good watch and I highly recommend it.

More "CLEANSING" Repercussions

I know what you are thinking- no posts for 2 months and then bing, bang, boom- 2 in a row. Is it because of "the cleanse" and feeling energized because of eating really healthy fude lika dis?

(See, it isn't all beige glutinous mush). No, it is because of the cleanse and in particular the no booze- got nothing to do, so as Van Halen says-might as well jump  blog.  I'm sure he sang that.

So because of "the cleanse" I had purchased some organic virgin coconut oil to use in making some fake sugar by mixing it with cocoa and agave to make some awesome cookies found on the Chocolate Covered Katie's Website.  Katie, a young, attractive, veganista blogs about chocolate recipes that really rock- what could be bad?  Haven't yet made the cookies but this is more about the virgin stuff. So I was showing Dani my oil (ok, I was showing off my oil) - let me show you my oil:

yup that's some good looking oil, no?

So Dani says "hey you know this stuff is great for your hair- just grab a handful and mush it on, leave it on for 20 minutes, wash and rinse and your hair will be shiny and lovely.  Yes it is true, I needed more details about what a person does in the shower for 20 minutes while waiting, but she clued me into the fact that you can put it on before you got in the shower (ohhhhh....).

So Dani knows this stuff (she does have shiny, lovely hair) and who am I to look shiny, lovely hair in the mouth, so I did try it.  I wish I had worn a button shirt instead of an over the head shirt (still learning) but when I got out of the shower - well blow my lips off- my hair did feel good- silky, smooth, manageable- bouncy even. But then again it always feels better when its wet.

I dried it in my usual way- air- and went to work. BIG MISTAKE. This virgin oil gave me a rogue curl that could not, would not, be tamed. I wet it with Moroccan oil (you know hair of the dog- treat one oil with another) water, smoothing gel- nada! This is that hair-

DO YOU MIND, HAIR? It's bad enough having thick, ropey, curly, GREY hair but a hair that curls one way and then the other in one curl- that's just wrong! Product! What I need is product.

HOW MUCH CLEAN IS ENOUGH

So I am 10 days into my 21 days cleanse and I am NOT loving it. I am not eating gluten, processed sugar, animal products and not drinking alcohol. I am supposed to not have any caffeine but no can do- that would kill me- do you mind- this is tough enough. And 2 demi cups of French roast in the morning with frothed almond milk is not really cutting it so it is like giving up my morning coffee- it's certainly giving up delicious morning coffee- good enough.

I have  to blame credit Mr. Lovely for getting me into this. He had been out to Vancouver to visit his brothers and had partaken (he says once, but I bet more than once in his 3 day visit) of some Chinese food (politically incorrect  maybe - but I mean no harm - it's just that this way everyone knows what I'm talking about) and was on a mission to find some similar quality CF here in our small Ontario city. Good luck! In the past 30 years we had already tried 3 of the 5 places in town and I'm sorry to say they were not up to Mr. Lovely's standards. So here we were chomping down on yet another attempt at spring rolls, beef with snow pea pods, singapore noodles, and lemon chicken, all mostly smothered in miscellaneous goop -ok not the spring rolls but man were they greasy-yeesh. I got to thinking- hey I don't have a clue what I am eating and how smart is that? Not so! I also had spent quite a few nights having my cocktail- (a delicious Spanish wine called Garnacha Centenaria) standing at the counter and devouring about 1/2 large size bag of Miss Vickies (Jalapeno flavour mostly- though the sweet chili  and sour cream is also pretty darn good and I do like to shake it up sometimes). So I had told myself- yup tonight after work I'm not going to have a drink or any junk fude (that's the way Gary Larsen's animals spell food- cause you know they are animals so can't spell right).  But guess what- I have no will power and I was always putting that resolve off to the next day. But that Chinese food meal put me over the top. So I decided to go all out and hence the 14 day cleanse.

Here is  some of what I have been eating:

organic beet humus;

sweet potato and kale peanut soup;

the banana cream part of a banana cream pie (no pie crust cause of no gluten) made with silken tofu, bananas, crushed cashews and medjool dates (for added sweetness- not that it needed it) YUM- you can tell it's nearly gone;

no it's not chopped liver- it's a quinoa burger made with quinoa, sautéed onion and sundried tomatoes, and black beans- actually very tasty though a bit messy.

HOLY CRAP BATMAN, right? Are you so impressed? Ya me too! I have been cooking- (though the humus was from the store and the soup was c/o my buddy Kate) the rest is yours truly-that part is good- I suppose.

And although Mr. Lovely has also given up the booze and processed sugar for his "cleanse"- it is pretty darn hard to watch him chowing down on Jesse's country bread (Jesse makes his fantastic bread in his outdoor oven and it is amazing (I may miss that the most!) with  4 yr. old Balderson chedda cheese and then lace into a perfectly BBQ'd (just slightly bloody) steak.

And my friends?  Well-they are as supportive as they can be given they have lost a drinking buddy- Dani PB said "what?- this is a terrible idea!"  My book club pals called me "boring" (ok they were hooting it up not even discussing the book anymore and I wasn't drinking so I had to go- it was no fun) and LL said - 10 days- surely you will get enough benefit from that.

So I am thinking how cleansed do I want to be? Surely 12 days is clean enough!