yay! It's the week-end!

Namaste

I'm creating another site...

The demands for my "petsitting" services are growing...
this is a sneak peak of my new site..........

picture fun...or not.

So I'm working on Jibe Design's new website because it's time! (yes it's taking me awhile....)
Jibe Designs is growing and there's now 4 of us who are getting together to make it more of a studio, bring our many talents to the table, because we can!
We had some fun the other day and took a picture of us all, and then "grunged" it up.......see what you think?
Namaste

on being motivated

I don't know about everyone else out there but I find it very difficult on my "home office" days to
work inside! Good thing Jibe Designs is looking to find office space!

I like my little corner of the house....but it is distracting.......there's a few windows to look out into the outside world, a tv to watch (if you peek between the flowers) AND there's wine and books! Now mind you there's a lot of empty wine bottles in the rack and for two good reasons: 1) we have a teenager in the house and it might fool her when she sees the empty ones (as compared to the full ones mixed intermittently) and 2) when ya love a good wine, this is how we keep the label. 

Of course it has a little glitch as when you're at the liquor store - the wine bottle label is sitting collecting dust in the rack!  I don't highlight my hair blonde for nothing!


BUT
Would you not say these are distracting issues?

I've always wanted an office with a dog or cat around though..... we have 2 cats here..... this whole set-up might be a little hard to beat but when the right moment comes along, it'll all fall into place.  For now though, you can find jibe designs either here, out "there" or at the beach!

Namaste

a little bit of work......

I'm liking this ad I created for a client...........it's fun!

An ECO tip

I picked up this book from the library today and just had to share the eco-tip.  I have never used paper towels. I use real, cloth napkins (and they are so pretty) and facial tissue?  I use a hanky if I need to blow my nose - which I hardly ever do. TP? well I use the odd leaf while in the bush!

Paper towels are useless and destroying the trees. You might not really know this but now you know the stats.

Don't buy them. 
They were probably made in the 50's and 60's when everything was about making your life easier - not knowing what it does to the environment.

Become a tree-HUG - er
I am.

Namaste

a wee update......

What's up?  Whatsa happening?

That's what I'm being asked these days as I haven't updated my blog!
same ol' excuse - been busy!
Summer's here and the days are long!
We don't have the real warmth yet but we got a chiminea from a friend who wasn't using it and it's been pretty beautiful having a fire in the backyard and being one with nature! Of course there's always wine involved.

My sister and I went to Amsterdam to visit my daughter Megan there and had a really wonderful week of visiting, cycling, shopping and let's not forget eating! Amsterdam has a lot of fabulous restaurants and there is always so much to do.  We rented a scooter (because Ria has a bit of a bum knee) and laughed every time we went on it! Amsterdamers get around a lot in the bike lanes so it was dodge and
 
weave and learn to watch where the lane is and what pedestrian you have to avoid!  An art really, which took us a few days to master!  LOVE Amsterdam!

I'm still sailing and this month we are planning a trip to Saltspring Island. 

(it's getting a little warmer). It's a darn fine little oasis of an island full of laid back and organic hippy dippies and I'm pretty stoked to get there.   If we don't sail there, I'll be doing it by bike. I'm getting really attached to my bike and even though she needs a bit of work, I somehow find I just don't have the time!  My motto is "when it breaks - I fix it"  Doesn't always serve me when the chain falls off on my way to work - but angh!....there's always my friend Chris.

Hope all is well with you my friends.
Namaste

International Woman's day

It's a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver!
And I don't feel like working.
I'm annoyed with Twitter as someone has hacked my account and keeps posting these tweets that say I'm making money - join me and see how"  Drives me crazy.
But who wants to hear it.
Good news time....My good buddy Chris won a trip to Macho Picchu by qualifying on Rock 101 Radio Station and then having his name drawn out of a bucket!  He's taking me and even though it's never been top of my mind to go there - I am! No details of the trip yet but we know we're flying into Lima, Peru then heading to Cuzco where we're staying.  We'll take the train ride to Machu Picchu, rather than hiking the 4 day trail to get there, and we're going sometime in June! Right on, right on.
Italy is a little on hold - but not off the table yet!
I'm taking a course now on Tuesday nights in basic "grounding and centering" and it's lovely. How truly amazing it feels to be learning something that really would have made my life so much easier growing up if I had these tools.  But I'm learning it now and it's a peaceful experience.
Hey!
It's International Woman's Day! Don't know what that means really BUT I did run across a storefront window that kinda puts the bounce in this day! Be happy ladies! It's all about the love..... Namaste

Dream a little dream, dream, dream, dreeeeem

I'm planning to go to Italy.

What the hell! Ever since "Under the Tuscan Sun" came out, I'm sure Italy's visitor population of the over 40's single women boomed. Hey, it got me thinking "why not?"

Why not rent a villa in Positano with your girlfriends?
Why not expect to meet a few nice Italian men and meet them on your rented moped?
Why not drink wine with breakfast, lunch and dinner? (or instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Why not sit on a balcony overlooking the Almafi Coast after having stepped out of the shower?
Why not meet your old high-school friends there for a re-union?
Why not dine out every night, because you can?

All of the above is the plan this year.  So I've been preparing by doing all things I-talian. I'm reading "When in Rome...A Novel of Piazzas and Passion" 
Sclock really.
And then there's the "produce of Italy - Cantucci D'Abruzzo al Pistaccchio e Cedro falcone" I picked up (pistachio cookies), pasta dishes I'm starting to eat and a great site on Airb&b https://www.airbnb.ca/ which I search constantly for "stunning" villas to rent.  Got the girlfriends on board, the "first squeeze" of my life visiting us there, AND euros in my pocket.

Freedom 55 baby!
Here we go

Namaste

there's a couple of "hooters" in town!

Did you know there are Artctic Snowy Owls in Vancouver?
Neither did I!  Until a friend said he'd heard they've stopped to rest here in Boundary Bay on their way down from the Arctic.

We went over to check it out and sure enough, we caught a few of them hanging out by the dykes, checking us out too!  They have no fear of us.  They don't see many humans where they live in the Arctic.  Let's just hope no one gets stupid and trys to stress them out while they're here. Apparantly a few have died due to some harsh conditions on their migration.  Sad really.  Not the humans fault.  It's life. (but I'm sue glad I wasn't witness to dead snowy owls)
I'm stoked to have seen them in real life, in full snowy color! Last time they were here was in 2008. 
Chris got a few good pictures and was happy to share them with me.
Thanks for stopping by!

Namaste

how about a little bread with that butter

So last night I made my first sourdough rye bread. It's an art this sourdough stuff because one has to make the "sour" dough culture first (takes at east 4 days) and then you mix that culture in 3 types of flour, knead it and it has to rise overnight.  Mine really didn't rise much because the temperatures have to be just right (weird). (and I forgot the salt so I threw it in after). I put it in the oven this morning and voila! Looks good but I haven't tasted it yet! It's too pretty.  I'm going to relish it for a little while with my eyes, then cut it soon.....with a lot of butter on the slice!

The sun is shining in Vancouver this morning! I woke up to the fog horns going off constantly since 6:00am.  It's an interesting thing living close to the ocean. If it's not the gulls screeching, it's the fog horn going!  I do love it though.  After having lived in Ontario for most of my young life, the sounds of gulls always reminded me of the ocean.  Now that I live by the ocean, the gulls still have a way of telling me how grateful I am to live here.

Life is good. Always believe that.

Namaste

desert time

Just got back from the California desert visiting my mom at a little community east of Palm Springs called "The Foundain of Youth!" Mom's been a snowbird there for the past 12 years and it's more home to her there than in Victoria where she lives....I can see why.  There is sooooo much to do out in the middle of nowhere in the desert and everyone you pass says" hello".  The weather was a little cool for California standards but the sun shone everyday and after the rains of Vancouver for the past few months, coolish was not a problem for me.

Megan and I got to spent some quality time eating vegetables, playing pool, ping-pong, shuffleboard, walking, eating more and I went out for a day in the desert on the quads in a jeep to search for crystals.  They are just lying there on top of the ground and some of us were lucky enough to find some amazing smokey quartz ones! The desert is beautiful and expansive and I am lucky to enjoy these ventures when I visit my mom.

I think I might just retire here like my mom when I get older..hmmmmmmdoes freedom 55 count?!
Namaste