Sky scraping

For some reason all I could do today was look up - look way up.

Alma matters

Took a trip out to the old Uni today - so many memories there. But they're buried somewhere underneath the new shiny buildings - even the basement of SUB abuzz with a travel agency, a hair salon and various restaurants seems unrecognizable - but then, maybe I do too.

Look up

Crinolines suspended from the ceiling showing their frilly undersides - they remind me of those paper crafts we used to do, wrapping a little square of crepe around the end of a pencil and gluing a bunch of them together on a paper.

Zumbavangalist

Today there was a tiny little girl dancing like mad beside her mother at Zumba class. I think that's how we all start out - with rhythm in our feet and bodies - then it gets drained out somehow. But you don't have to let it. You can cling to whatever you have left - and that's what I'm doing.

Wall of boys

This little installation took a some time: sorting through old pictures, choosing a few good ones (disappointed at how few there were), getting them reprinted, finding frames and framing them. The pickiest part was all the mathematics and measuring that went on to get them hung on the wall - now that they are - I'm really pleased with them. I have beautiful boys.

Photographing the photographer

This park at the corner of Wall and Trinity has the best view in the neighbourhood attracting photographers at all hours of the day. I think, though, the view is best on a clear night when the Lion's Gate bridge is lit up like a giant diamond necklace suspended between the north and south shores.

Chocolate farm animals

These wee creatures made their way from Portland to my house. They're too cute to eat, just to cute to eat.

Feels like a Friday

Not my usual Thursday - no run with friends, no strudel. Instead a tour of the neighbourhood with my hound and back home to bake a homecoming cake. Stocked the fridge and cupboards with lovely bread from East Village Bakery, sausages from Moccia, and veggies from Donald's.

Pretty in pink

A very domestic day today - cooking, cleaning - getting ready for the arrival of my travelling boy.

Running on the spot

I tried to get a picture of these guys against a blue sky - but today's clouds provided a moody back drop.

Act of hope

Here they are: these little tulips making their way through the soil. I bought the bulbs last year and was late planting them - so late that I decided just to put them in a container - et voila. Can't wait to see them bloom.

Spring fever

A blue sky as seen through the skeleton of a building. We Vancouverites, who labour under dreary, wet days: who can blame us if we get a little too happy when the sun come out. It was a stellar, stellar day that ended up with a super moon. Really.

Swimming on Saturday

Swimming has been an important part of my life - really important. I was one of those kids who was always picked last for the baseball team, who always came in last in Sports Day, who couldn't balance on a skateboard for the life of me. But I was at home in the water - and I still am.

Knocking around

Finally finished The Help.

Books are some of my best friends

I'm reading The Help. It's one of those books that clings to me even when I'm not reading it. The characters hover in my consciousness and all I want to do is get back to the story. It's an oasis, an escape and it's hard to concentrate on anything, or anyone, else.

The book is set the American south of the late 50s - early 60s. It follows the lives of black domestic help and the white families they work for. The characters are compelling, but so are the details, the fashions, the furniture, the comfort food, and the lives of the society women.

Tonight I met with my book club. An while we're not high society types, it's really it good to be in the company of women. We read The Lizard's Cage, thus the Burmese food.

Mid-week, mid-month. But it's not mid-winter. I was thinking today that there's a relief that comes with Spring, knowing the weather will be getting better and the days will be getting longer. As if to prove how much better, the setting sun lit up the ocean and bounced off the freighters in an almost blinding gold. And to add to the visuals, a rainbow set its self up in the eastern sky. Yep, things are looking up.

Thinking of Japan

Monday, Monday

Yikes, it's actually Tuesday, Tuesday. I realize I let time get by me. This sign was outside of Baaad Anna's knit shop. A wonderland of wool. It made me want to get my hands on some and work it through my fingers and onto a couple of needles.

Saving daylight

Classic Vancouver day: a misty run through the rainforest passing other gortex-clad joggers and their faithful weather-proof hounds. Then on to a cozy coffee shop full of baked goods, Lithuanian linens and pudgy toddlers.

The empty nest feels very empty. Felt like I was knocking around the house. Took the dog out. Ran an errand just to keep busy. Strange how sometimes I just want to be by myself, but then when I am I'm lonely.

To top off the lonely theme, I watched the documentary "Cat Ladies." Lonely ladies with cats.

Meow.

My bonnie is going over the ocean

Goodbye songs seem to be on the mental playlist today.

All the pretty houses

I woke, this morning, to the thunderous pounding little white balls bouncing all over and accumulating here and there - finally covering everything in a crumbly blanket.

Rainy day at the beach

No matter the weather, there's always someone at the beach - today we were joined by a flock of seagulls (cue the 80s music) and an amazing star fish.

Butts

This morning I noticed a cigarette butt on my back porch in front of the barbecue. Then I noticed a couple more - four in total. First I imagined a shady interloper huddled against our back porch door, smoking and plotting a forced entry.

But no, I checked the sidewalk below that runs between our house and the neighbour's: more butts - and more butts at the bottom of thier stairs.

This, coupled with my observation that the guy next door stands at the top of his stairs to smoke has let me to conclude that he's engaged in some kind of game to see how far he can launch his trashy little tidbutts.

Why do I feel like he's flicking them at me personally? Something must be done.

In happier news, here is a preview of the greens I hope to enjoy on my plate this year:

Daily dogma

Humans and their dogs: social animals.

Sunday wanderings

A walk in the neighbourhood reveals serious signs of Spring - the most seriously Spring were these drifts of snowdrops.

Then downtown to catch a dance performance. Though it was art much more lofty than I can understand - I think it's always good to be exposed to things that are outside my scope of understanding. They provide good puzzling matter for days on end. For example, what was with all the weird lip curling and eye rolling? Regardless of my difficulty, I enjoyed the company of (now) old friends and a walk downtown amid the Vietnamese protesters.

Vintage asparagus

For quite a few years I've been coveting my neighbour's asparagus - well, not my neighbour, my mother's neighbour. Every year I would walk by the raised bed as watch as the little green spears broke the through the soil. The family who cultivated them have been living in the house for many years and I grew up with one of their sons.

So I drew up my courage and contacted them, asking whether they would be willing to sell me a few little roots. A few weeks ago they got in touch to let me know that they had set some aside for me. The gentleman had carefully packed three flats with leggy corms. He said his asparagus patch was 60 years old. I feel like I've been given a legacy.

Since the weather took a dive, I protected the plants in the garage until this weekend. Ken built the raised bed and we filled with soil. Now the asparagus corms are all snuggled in the earth. Fingers crossed that they'll be happy in their new home.

Under the weather

Feeling. Bad. Today.

The calm before the calm

Threats of a storm to rival the great storm of 2007 - a time when we lost so many of our beautiful trees. While there was a good wind last night, all was quiet and the trees remained rooted in place.

Today I'm rebounding from that vacuum that materializes after finishing a big project. Gettin' stuff done and it feels good.

I've been in a couple of waiting rooms in the last couple of weeks. This one was tiny, but a small bouquet of flowers, a rock and a voluptuous urn made good company.

An afternoon at the QE

Over the years I've heard so many references to Death of a Salesman. I finally saw it today after a lovely curry-of-the-day at Cafe Medina.

It could be that the play is mentioned so often because, perhaps, many of us can relate so well - to maybe not being as successful as you'd hoped, to disappointment with your parent or your child, to messed up family dynamics, to loss of sanity. It's all there - an eternal story set in 1949.

Quack

New Brighton Pool has been taken over by swimmers of the feathered variety.