a year of living differently

floating

2011-03-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

forward

2011-01-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

i can`t think of a better way to start 2011 than with the renewal of 8000 clicks between chicks. i have high hopes and not false lowered expectations for 2011 - i can`t help it. it has to be better than 2010.

looking forward.
feeling forward.
moving forward.

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

languish

2010-01-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

lan⋅guish

[lang-gwish]

–verb (used without object)

1.	to be or become weak or feeble; droop; fade.

2.	to lose vigor and vitality.

3.	to undergo neglect or experience prolonged inactivity; suffer hardship and distress: to languish in prison for ten years.

4.	to be subjected to delay or disregard; be ignored: a petition that languished on the warden's desk for a year.

such is my blog... a little flickr friday is barely the pick me up warranted.

1. 101 stangers..., 2. skate, 3. Meter this! - 61/365, 4. 2.100 // love bucket, 5. holiday blur..., 6. Happy 2010!, 7. Your children need your presence more than your presents., 8. Untitled, 9. Untitled, 10. Snowmen fall from heaven unassembled., 11. clover eyes, 12. r e d, 13. Maple Keys, 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., 15. Untitled, 16. Brushes and Bokeh, 17. gifts, 18. 'tis the season, 19. S N O W, 20. Untitled, 21. Winter wonderland, 22. ^, 23. down in the snow., 24. first day of xmas, 25. The Crazy Gingerbread House, 26. "I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month." ~Harlan Miller, 27. gloves., 28. Vintage cookie cutters, 29. *, 30. Untitled, 31. Light - Revisited, 32. Get your skates on!, 33. Argus Revisited, 34. fenced in, 35. Untitled, 36. T H E . L E T T E R

the first day of christmas

2009-12-21T23:45:00.000-08:00

oh my cookie recipe - sigh - how sweet (miss you t)... i am starting a new tradition in the slightly more alarming realm of don't electricute the bb...

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

"It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

2009-12-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

perhaps the opposite can be said sometimes as well - do not forget to make time to dream (it has been a little busy around here). tango - love the coloured clothes pegs... we took bb boy to stand under the massive lit tree @ english bay just as dusk was rolling in.

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

i am canadian

2009-11-22T20:50:00.000-08:00

we are canadian - in case anyone was wondering... can we be more stereotypical than this red rose & the products of the lovely maple (t did you take a suitcase of syrup with you?):

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

flickr friday

2009-11-21T20:27:00.000-08:00

last week was just the beginning - literally - of bb boy's week long battle with a nasty virus (this is what we sign up for a parents i guess - but hope will never happen). bb boy is better - finally - and flickr friday resumes (if a day late).

1. Punica granatum, 2. o o o ^, 3. Flare Friday from Death Valley,CA, 4. In the fog - DAY 267, 5. feathery, 6. dreamingly leaves see locked in gold afterglow are trembling.....e.e. cummings, 7. Old memories are like old memories, 8. 361/365: Reduce, reuse, recycle, 9. ..., 10. ~Nella Fantasia~, 11. She acts like summer and walk like rain, 12. s c h w i n n, 13. 311/365 Leaves, 14. Fall 2008 [archive], 15. Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky, 16. ruby red, 17. ., 18. tip., 19. “In solitude, where we are least alone.”, 20. Bark, 21. Dancing in the Dark, 22. 192/365, 23. Untitled, 24. because, really..., 25. 8 of 30 days of gratitude, 26. T H E . L E A F, 27. quartet, 28. painted, 29. simply rosie photography, 30. ., 31. 190/365, 32. cool reds, 33. looking up, 34. fall bouquet, 35. autumn apparitions, 36. Beauty comes as much from the mind as from the eye.

the season starts

2009-11-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

the season starts with a pang (rather than a bang) - a sudden feeling of desire or is it sudden emotional distress (how many shopping days - seriously)? i say desire!

christmas season = art & craft fair season & i look forward to it with great glee (all grown up sugar plums)... i could not start this season without first calling out my new favorite etsy shop: tangoNOVEMBERbravo!! i love the new tag line 'Hand Knit Natural Fibres from the Hills of Portugal' - it is not just because tango is one of my favorite people in the world - it`s because i own a pair of the ridiculously cool (warm) fingerless gloves & bb boy was lucky enough to receive a very special pair of socks... so we know she ROCKS WOOL & i can`t wait to see the next project...

flickr friday

2009-11-14T12:19:00.001-08:00

it has been a long, nerve-wracking day with bb boy (a fever of 39+ for more than 30 hours)... he seems to have beaten whatever he was fighting (yay baby). so i'm looking for a little sweetness & escape - hmm things i love thursday to the rescue:

my flickr contacts inspire me : 1. autumn apparitions, 2. On the Way to Saskatoon, 3. *Best Friend, 4. morning light, 5. Monday morning..., 6. Fragile ~, 7. Bestill, 8. Untitled, 9. rough waters

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

bygone

2009-11-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

this week's installment of 8000 clicks between chicks - 'bygone'. i've been thinking a lot about 'time' my concept of days & nights, minutes, months have changed only because i am now measuring everything against bb boy time (i digress & already blathered in latest blog)...

i am beginning to wonder why t has this seemingly endless supply of quirky, rusted, & unique props for this exercise (i certainly do enjoy them though : ).

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

a stitch in time

2009-11-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

i couldn't quite remember the meaning of the saying, so i looked it up (i hear that internet has all kinds of useful information):

A stitch in time saves nine. The question usually asked is "saves nine what"? The stitch in time is simply the sewing up of a small hole in a piece of material and so saving the need for more stitching at a later date, when the hole has become larger, Clearly, the first users of this expression were referring to saving nine stitches.

there were several hundred examples of procrastination in my home (none of which made a good photo). &, oddly, the hole was already in the jeans (the most expensive pair i have ever purchased) i was sucked in so easily by my husband saying 'hmm, those are sexy" (or was it mmm).

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

flickr friday

2009-10-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

so the house wasn't all it was cracked up to be... it is also not friday anymore but i have these lovelies to share on what looks like is going to be a lovely sunny day (gotta get out for a walk & a little photo shoot)...

1. Black Pearls ..., 2. underground - non-pose pose, 3. Mick Fanning in the foam, 4. autumn hill, 5. On the Way to Saskatoon, 6. T H E . F I G, 7. Monday morning..., 8. bench monday #24, 9. type, 10. *Best Friend, 11. morning light, 12. Fish with a view, 13. Futebol de Praia [Beach Football], 14. starboard morning, 15. 176/365, 16. Fragile ~, 17. Ice Water, 18. Untitled, 19. connecting, 20. The fall of a leaf is a whisper to the living., 21. Have a nice Friday !, 22. 172/365, 23. B i r c h !!!, 24. rough waters, 25. A thousand lanterns

Our lives teach us who we are.

2009-10-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

an interesting question : are we what we make of our lives or do our decisions & our destinations teach us more about who we really are? living in the mountains of portugal, knitting & planting herbs seemingly far from the cga world; or wrapped in the hustle & bustle of the city but listening carefully to the whisper of nature & passing that along to the little one who is fascinated by every little thing.

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

flickr friday

2009-10-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

1. connecting, 2. The fall of a leaf is a whisper to the living., 3. Have a nice Friday !, 4. 172/365, 5. B i r c h !!!, 6. r o u g h w a t e r s, 7. A thousand lanterns, 8. dangle, 9. Untitled, 10. 285/365 Worm, 11. MY PUDDLE JUMPER, 12. 171/365, 13. the path less traveled, 14. the struggle, 15. Untitled, 16. bench monday #22, 17. role call, 18. plume, 19. Janelas de Paquetá [Windows in Paquetá], 20. Faithful and loved, 21. Suger coated, 22. signs of nyc, 23. Untitled, 24. sweet like chocolate, 25. 168/365, 26. Goís belltower, 27. seat, 28. Anna's 11_small, 29. 843, 30. 161/365

& i love what Prickles and Pixie Dust had to say about bb boy...

go get me that house - sweetie...

2009-10-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

last night i said to my realtor - "i want to buy this house" (but he was already asleep). so - this morning while he was in the shower - i told him again - "i want to buy this house go out & make it happen" (or i will get myself another realtor - mwahahah - he thought that was funny since my realtor is my husband)...

so anyhow - he looked at the listing made a call (we both think it must be gone already in a flurry of bids as is the custom around here...) but we are waiting for that call back... on that thought - i am having a Pieter Estersohn moment...

from dusk till dawn

2009-10-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

ok - i must say - that was much more difficult than i expected. away in the country for thanksgiving weekend, working all day then getting my butt back out of the house for a post dusk photoshoot just seemed a bit beyond me. but here it tis...

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

flickr friday

2009-10-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

well, it is friday somewhere... i am longing for bed - but i dare not slip out from under my tot who i fear will begin coughing (again) if i wake him... therefore i browse & collect beauty - taken down the paths of those who are able to see and capture & keep me awake.

1. 161/365, 2. time to say goodbye 'til next summer, 3. tgif, 4. rainy day beauty : 339.365, 5. Untitled, 6. Untitled, 7. www.simplyrosie.ca, 8. {as the sun sets..........}, 9. whisper, 10. go away rain, 11. ~, 12. I used to be pretty clear on what was real & what I made up, but with everything going on in the world, none of that seems to matter, so I just decided to talk less & smile to myself more, so as not to add to the general confusion, 13. bench monday #21, 14. london cycling, 15. All love..., 16. Woolly Bear

fall

2009-10-05T11:42:00.001-07:00

fall: a time of back to school shopping, rich autumn light, warm sweaters, snuggling a little longer in bed in the mornings, the collective gentle sigh of leaves falling from trees...

left is ~t~

right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

flickr friday

2009-10-02T13:04:00.001-07:00

today i am chilled - fall is definitely in the air - my flickr faves warm me...

1. home is where my cat is, 2. fireworks, 3. I I I l l, 4. Autumn leaves, 5. fingerless bamboo I, 6. I'll find my way, 7. bench monday #20, 8. T'is the season to collect VI, 9. Painter's Brushes, 10. Bones of a Poet ~ Yes!!!, 11. 258/365 The other side, 12. fall is the smell of apples, 13. These knees have stories, she said, but they'd have to be a mouth to tell you., 14. If there is any secret to this life I live, this is it: the sound of what cannot be seen sings within everything that can. & there is nothing more to it than that., 15. Untitled, 16. The Simpler Days, 17. what would i do if the sun stopped shining?, 18. water for our friends, 19. 81322889., 20. Musée Rodin, 21. bicycle love.., 22. "If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.", 23. vintage brownie., 24. 140/365, 25. a boy's summer, 26. Point Break, 27. the accidental tourist, 28. Untitled, 29. Copper, 30. Wyatt's 1, 31. Wyatt's 1, 32. Harvest, 33. all you need is love, 34. say what???, 35. Porchbound, 36. Grace

on the road

2009-09-28T08:16:00.003-07:00

in the spirit of 'better late than never' & international relations, tango november & djbeat have joined shutter forces once again to bring you this highly poignant yet brief message regarding what 'on the road' means to them: literally or figuratively (or on the seawall as it turns out)...

oooh - i like how this came together...

flickr friday

2009-09-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

i am fueling my flickr friday with my 'things i love thursday':

1. fruit, 2. B L U E B E R R I E S, 3. a taste of summer, 4. flare berry, 5. Cherries Are My Favourite Fruit, 6. one word : summer, 7. ..., 8. fruit cup, 9. 220/365: Fruity, 10. the grape escape., 11. The elusive fruit of the photo before, 12. 96/365: The cherry on the cake

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

belle heir

2009-09-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

one of bb daddy's very clever friends bought this amazing little sailor outfit for bb when he was born. i knew it was special at the time (it even came with an authentic looking wells fargo telegram) but had not really followed up on the history of it or looked at belle heir as a company... as far as we can tell it is circa. 1920...

i have waited a year for him to grown into it & finally the size was right, the light was right & it was warm on the beach - we set out to take a few photos...

so - back to what i was saying earlier

2009-09-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Tribeca Townhouse Renovation, New York, NY; comp 2004 (seen on world-architects)

(Photo: David Allee)

lofts lofts lofts i love lofts... it seems that i am almost back in house hunting mode (did someone say bu-bye recession) - it seems apropos that i am scouring through my inspiration files & photographer sites for motivation.

i came across this photographer: david allee [David S. Allee was born in New York City in 1969 and is a former urban planner. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, and his MFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts + on + on]. allee gets to see stuff i want to see & am going to share just cause white + whitish loft + artist spaces still turn me on!

seen in www.gavelle.com

(Photo: David Allee)

seen in www.nymag.com

(Photo: David Allee)

water

2009-09-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

water a source of life - interesting in a droplet, calming in a trickle & powerful in a torrent; the capacity to reflect, to move & to amuse... bb boy is facinated by water in the many forms he has been introduced & he loves to water the garden.

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

home

2009-09-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

home is & takes meaning from so many elements - the people, the moods, the memories, the sounds, the things & the thoughts... today in portugal it is a surfer, ochre & a harmonica : in vancouver it is a toddler & a teddie & formula 1...

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

bb birthday

2009-09-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

photo by jessie

my kid (all 368 days of him) is cooler & more chill than i think i have ever been. it kind of makes me laugh & maybe this will all change sometime in the future - but for now he is all about exploring the world - seeing people - touching stuff... i distinctly remember being petrified of everything at a very young age.

it was his first birthday last weekend - each time we think back on it - on him we are amazed... he walked around for 4 hours stopping to play with toys, pick rocks out of the planter, eat, play with friends, talk to people, mash his fingers in a cake, then off to something else. he was patient and entertained & entertaining & i can't imagine ever being quite so agreeable...

just another parent rambling about their next to awesome child - for me it is more about my amazement at where this personality comes from & how little i think i have done to help him be the way he is... i hope he continues to be a better person than me - what more could i hope for...

between the lines

2009-09-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

we were reading between the lines this week - the vineyard and the newly refinished deck (here comes the rain edition).

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

flickr friday

2009-09-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

cause i'm @ work & these make me feel good!

1. Untitled, 2. Burn Out, 3. shades of autumn, 4. from our tree, 5. "For a moment, you can really escape and feel the thrill", 6. What?, 7. Building Blocks, 8. I miss Spring..., 9. cats, 10. Getting Air, 11. blog header art, 12. pear, 13. b r e a t h e, 14. Untitled, 15. more water, 16. blackberries... yum, 17. marina reflections, 18. eggs, 19. it was worth the effort, 20. under the table + dreaming (of snacks)., 21. ., 22. Untitled, 23. she sells seashells by the seashore, 24. Day 117 - Paint it black, 25. M O V E . O N, 26. sf city scene, 27. F O R L O R N . P L A C E, 28. |, 29. electrifloric, 30. Viva Lavandula 4, 31. * * *, 32. hehe =), 33. Hello, Dahlias, 34. tigress, 35. fearless, 36. Looking for texture

refresh me

2009-08-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

ok - i have decided to post... it is 6 days past the end of mat leave & the counter started ticking UP not DOWN i am taking that as a sign... we are still alive.

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

1 day & counting

2009-08-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

i am writing up lists for bb daddy: make sure to talk to him about the location of his nose & his toes; add eggs to his menu, & butter & whole milk; point to stuff; ask him if he would rather have peaches or blueberries or toast; encourage him to build a tower... breakfast, snack, playtime, lunch, nap, snack, music, then i will be home again (to see him eat dinner, have a bath & go to sleep)...

this little journey, this love affair, started not quite a year ago (i left work a week early simply because i could no longer remember my name & had trouble walking on my flip flopped swollen feet). hmm now that i think about it - that was the last week that bb daddy & i went out to a movie (argh)! so much (& so little) has happened since that not so tiny bundle pushed his way into the world (after some 42 hours of labour).

we started here:

each of us (bb daddy included) went on instinct & love & it just seemed to work for us (ok the hospital staff were awesome & having my sister here for a couple days saved our lives). the whole crazy thing (having babies & having babies in your 40's) seemed so natural & despite rocky first 2 weeks (dr induced *sigh*) we hit a groove & an understanding quickly.

maybe i'm romantizing the whole thing now that we have been through it; it just seems like it was pretty amazing & magical (no purple baby crying, or colic & we managed to sleep 3 or 4 or 6 hours at a time) so we count ourselves lucky.

it's just that now that we are here:

everything that made our lives easier - love & understanding & bonding - makes it so hard to leave. i literaly feel incomplete if i go out for dinner or to the store without my little appendage snuggly latched to my hip & arm. i automatically order food we can share & i cut up my sandwiches & fruit into little bite sized pieces...

i've been thinking about this blog ' a year of living differently' now that my year is over - do i continue writing? i guess the rest of my life will be lived differently because we are now three (or six if you count the animals); because we have a bb boy who is magic: with brilliant starlit blue eyes, who dances to r&b, & smiles sweetly to strangers & offers them his cookies, who is remarkably strong & lithe, who`s downy hair now golden, still whisps into a fauxhawk, who is curious & careful & fearless all at the same time (unless you baaa in his face).

i guess my life will be lived differently because i have this son who makes me think about beauty & bubbles & a better world & has made me a gentler person...

in your garden now

2009-08-23T11:19:00.001-07:00

stop for a moment & step outside there is a garden full of wondrous surprises:

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

back to school shopping

2009-08-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

no matter how many years have passed since my last real 'back to school' shopping days, i always get a little tingle this time of year (it may actually be a stronger tingle than the one generated by '15 shopping days till christmas' ads). whenever i see one of those ads with cheery kids in spanky new clothes & groovy pencils cases i just want to run (or skip) to a store & bury myself in piles of recycled 'au currant' coloured craft paper...

i have, on occasion, offered to take my friends kids or have taken my own niece & nephews to the store to go through the school provided checklist of supplies (you would be shocked who ends up having the best prices). this year i kinda feel like i AM going back to school & i can, finally, get excited about the toys & tools & supplies for my own desk... only 6 more days till i go back to WORK!!

i will admit to buying a coach bag the other day (i hardly even had to rationalize it) ok - i did - it was on sale & it fits my laptop (& the grandest rationalization of all - it also works as a diaper bag). i am not the first to discover the label laptop/diaper bag (coulda picked up th e louis vuitton)...

hmmm, gonna need some shoes too...

back to those last 6 days off...

it's red

2009-08-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

it's red hot in portugal & the sun has burnished my first red ripe tomato.

left is ~t~
right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between chicks

flickr friday

2009-08-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

just a little one this week - but lovelies nonetheless:

1. in the back room there's a lamp that hangs over the pool table, and when the fan is on it swings gently side to side, 2. fleurs, 3. dancing bokeh, 4. coffee, please, 5. The Race, 6. retreat~, 7. Untitled, 8. Tiny first BENCH MONDAY, 9. the ghost in you, 10. Untitled, 11. *HANABI, 12. misty morning from the balcony, 13. split tone, 14. Vancouver Pride Parade 2009, 15. sweetness follows, 16. 4 blocks back., 17. Viva !!!, 18. From Heaven ..., 19. storm trees, 20. Antiques and Cute Rainboots

cucumber recipe

2009-08-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

i'm sure there are many many uses for & recipes containing cucumbers; this is the only one i could think of today:

get a clean glass, add:
icecube (1 or 3 - depends on the height of your glass)
pims (doesn't matter how much)
gingerale (canada dry eh)
cucumber slices (feel free to put the whole thing in if you want - this is a cuke recipe)

it`s not just a seagull

2009-08-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

i have always had a soft spot for animals (pretty much all of them, birds included) & nothing pulls my heartstrings more than a lonely baby. we discovered a baby gull today standing on the sidewalk as we parked our car (no mom in sight).

hunter wandered over to him immediately & the little bird let out a big squawk - but didn`t fly away so we wondered if there was something wrong (aw). we offered him some of bb boy`s cheeri-o`s (whole grain organic rice, whole grain organic corn, sweetened with pomegranate juice - hah) they were a little tricky to pick up... so i offered him half an apricot & as soon as he was done he scooted straight over to the buggy for the other half & half a banana (likely beats the leftover french fries and seaweed his mom had been bringing him - still no mom in sight). he ate till he was full & politely refused more - wandered off to acquaint himself with his reflection.

we came back to our parked car an hour later & he was sleeping in a corner with his beak leaning up against the beak of that fledgling seagull in the reflection (aw)... he`s just a seagull - but i really hope he makes it ok.

breakfast is the most important meal of the day

2009-08-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

chicks<8000clicks>chicks

left is ~t~

right is ~d~

this is 8000clicks between two chicks

flickr friday

2009-08-07T09:45:00.001-07:00

mostly moving, sometimes delicious

1. & dessert..., 2. summer colors, 3. So good to be back!!, 4. 215/365 I hope you dance, 5. the breakfast of champions, 6. clip, 7. To live is to fly, 8. 17.30, 9. hydrangeas against sky, 10. All Mine..., 11. 30 down, 12. *Jog :), 13. get well soon! : (, 14. Hydration, 15. from city to country, 16. ripe, 17. bedroom, 18. flatiron flare, 19. Untitled, 20. vintage, 21. Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!, 22. childhood summer, 23. under the pier, 24. IMG_2476, 25. window light, 26. builders' grapes, 27. trapeze thriller, 28. Escape for a moment, 29. Bench Monday:Jump!, 30. finding joy, 31. a halfway moment..., 32. and the wind came through, 33. Sunny Spot, 34. 193/365 - Sundress and Urban Gardens, 35. *, 36. Bella the Explorer

19 days & counting

2009-08-05T00:13:00.000-07:00

how is this done? how is one supposed to leave everything they have become accustomed to for the past 365 days & make this drastic change (leave my bb behind?). hmm. i guess i asked myself the exact same thing at the other end of my mat leave - how do people do this? have a child - change the many years of carefree life for a future of being depended on & putting yourself last? the thing is - i can hardly remember anything else but this life.

bb boy is 11 months old today! he has changed so much but there are little things that are him that have been him since the beginning... the way he sees with his hands - he touches everything - when he is nursing he searches for my hand - touches my fingers, my palm, my wrist (like he knows who he touches & how to find comfort)... he listens to every sound (from his first hours in the hospital he held his head up cocked, his eyes (seeing so poorly then - were wide open) now he bobs his head to music, to the repetitive hum of a boat or the tweeting of nearby birds & he grins widely.

where is dada?

where is kitty?

where is hunter?

where is the bird?

he looks around expectantly until he finds exactly what is looking for & he grins widely (i cheer)... how can i leave him when there is so much more for him to learn (& so much more for me to understand & so much more for me to cheer)?

chicks<8000clicks>chicks

2009-08-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

today marks the first day of what we hope will be our weekly hug across 8000 kilometers. two girlfriends, once inseperable, now living two very different lives - one in vancouver & one in the mountains of portugal... this is 8000clicks between two chicks.

summer harvest

left is ~t~

right is ~d~

fireworks

2009-08-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

i have always been a fan of fireworks & in vancouver, the hsbc celebration of light competition has been going off since 1990. i went to the first ones & have since seen the display with friends and family from almost every angle imaginable:

- a roof top deck in kits point

- the beach access point at cornwall & macdonald

- on a point grey hill

- a sailboat

- the beach

- the bard on the beach tent

- the grassy slope along english bay

- a high rise near city hall

- standing on pacific street

& the boathouse restaurant

** one day i will see them from my outrigger canoe & perhaps from a heli

i have lived on english bay for 12 years (most years i wait until the last test explosion is done then i walk straight down my street - three blocks - stand in the throng & then wash home with the flood of humanity to sit comfortably on my deck while tens of thousands stream by for the next hour). since hunter has come to live here our fireworks evenings consist of lots of patting & consoling as he trembles uncontrollably (since we can clearly hear the explosions all we can do is turn up the tv & comfort him).

this year we watched via katcam (this is the webcam bb daddy uses to check the winds before windsurfing) - we are sitting here giggling - listening to the booms & taking webcam shots:

beach acres

2009-08-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

early this week we packed our bags, packed the bb & headed out for a quick vacation - two days at the fabulous beach acres resort... yes there was a heatwave going on, yes we had to wait in the ferry line-up (only 37c at that point) - but we were so looking forward to a few days away (we have been trying to organize a quick trip for awhile - when i was asked to take some photos of the resort we jumped at the opportunity)!

our cottage was on the bluff overlooking the ocean & gorgeous beach (i'm pretty sure that is the best of both worlds; close to the ocean & close to the forest). i'm sure one could just sit for days looking out to sea listening to the rustle of the magestic arbutus trees on the cliff.

one could sit for days but there is just too much to do - walk down to the beach for a swim, run to the market for breakfast, wade in the river & have a picnic, do some beach combing, pick pine cones in the forest, play in the pool, build a sand castle, bbq on the veranda, walk through the woods, play tennis, then back to the ocean for the sunset (any random order of these & numerous other activities would do!)...

top 5 trip fun

cool winds on the ferry
bb boy in the shallow waters of rathtrevor beach
watching the sunrise @ beach acres
goats on the coombs market roof
walking in water above englishman river falls

farmer's market

2009-07-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

i love that i can walk 4 blocks through my busy bustling neighbourhood & end up on the farm. saturday mornings the westend transforms - our farmers market is only a city block long - but is it full to overflowing with wonderful tree ripe fruit & veg, handmade soap, fresh picked lavender & flowers, organic breads...

bb boy & i & hunter went yesterday (we haven't been for weeks) - it was ridiculously hot - but we cruised the stalls, listened to buskers, talked to people who walked by, giggled @ other kids, met two sweet pug puppies & dipped into the shade every time we could.

i don't know what possessed me (as the are at the bottom of my fruit pick list) but we bought a bunch of apricots (with what turned out to be our last two twoonies). we mosied over to a tree - sat down in the shade & WOW gobbled them up (not all of them - that would have been sick) but a few. gorgeous, tree ripe, juicy - bb boy's first fresh apricot & for me a new awakening (& alteration of my fruit pick list).

scent of a turtle pool

2009-07-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

wow - have you ever pulled a turtle pool out of a box only to get sucked into a cheap plastic vortex? it really is a great feeling. today, i pulled bb boy's first ever simming pool out of it's box (yep it is 35c out) - it is a green inflatible turtle & the scent took me instantly back to my past...

it smelled like childhood summers; air mattresses floating on blue water swimming pools (fingers dragging making the tiniest gentle wakes), inner tubes on the river (toe rudders easily spinning us), inflatible rings on the lake (summers so hot that my grandfather sought shade under a big tree on the edge of the beach - i can still see him on his lounge chair reading the paper in the cool - while we raced over sand too hot to touch to launch our bodies into the water landing & launching bright coloured plastic rings).

a beige rug

2009-07-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

i am a fan of whites (you will only know this from previous posts, because in real life - tomboy that i am - i have never been able to keep anything clean). we have been searching for a livingroom area carpet for about a year - something fresh - something beige to go with the beige sofa & offset the whitey beige cabinets & the beigey latte walls... you'd think it would be simple (whatever). regardless, i think i have found it.

it matches the sofa

it matches the walls

it matches the cats

it matches the general sense of well being in our living room

i won't let anyone walk on it or touch it or eat anywhere near it - i won't even let anyone talk about it ('cept me & i'm only writing about it). it's beige; the dog is black (& has irritible bowels); the cats shed (& have dirty feet); bb baby has grimy knees (from the hardwood floors); bb daddy wears his outside shoes inside (nag); i - tomboy that i am - can't keep anything clean.

sigh

ooh la la lifestyle with beige carpet, white pants, cat butt, cat who lounges, backwards sofa cushion & nursing pillow...

how can people live like this (the lovely anthony todd):

imagine you are somewhere nice

2009-07-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

like a beach.. the words of my dentist as he leans toward me with a syringe in his hand. i close my eyes quickly to block out the rest of the needle & i immediately start trying to conjure a beach! to my great dismay & consternation (i discover quite quickly) i have no imagination!

this concerns me. as a creative person - i've always believed i have a healthy imagination (these two things seem to go hand in hand). though i do remember my dad once told me that i had an incredible imagination as a child (drawing fantastic inventions & the like) but the school system squashed that imagination out of me in grade one!

i spent the whole time in the dentist's chair thinking about why i could not conjure up a beach (in the end, that fixation and obsession that may have been just as effective as the thought of bright sand and margaritas...) when he asked me @ the end of our session - "do you have any concerns?" my only response was "i'm worried that my imagination could not get me out of this chair" - he says "ìt hardly ever does". this experience has left me feeling deficient (& a little numb - at least on the left side of my face)...

Imagination is more important than knowledge... Albert Einstein

summer

2009-07-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

i have had the shutter sisters one word project on my mind since the annoucement of july's word: "summer" (maybe i just have summer on my mind because i finally get one). perhaps as a theme it is a bit too obvious - but it's gotten me thinking about what summer means (past & present).

i feel a richness of history having lived in the city & the country & briefly on a farm... thinking about summer makes me slightly nostalgic for days as a child; i can still smell the sweet scent of fresh mown hay & can feel the chill of the water as we floated down the river. we camped (in a tent, then a tent trailer, then a caravan), we went to camp (sang our little hearts out & swung on the biggest tarzan swing), we took family holidays that always included cousins & lakes & fresh fruit (weeping willows are still my favorite tree because of kelowna & still remember the feeling of riding in the back of auntie bobbie`s station wagon with a pile of kids eating cherries). we rode our bikes to the garden (we never wanted to weed it but we always loved to harvest) & stopped along the road to pick wild berries (why can`t i just make a pincherry pie, or can a saskatoon berry now).

those summers are still so much a part of me - i am that kid jokingly paddling a canoe the wrong way & that teenager in the too short cut-offs (why was i ever let outside in those). i am in awe of summer & i am soaking it up - it is the first time since i was 21 that i had the whole sum sum summertime off.

fly baby

2009-07-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

we have been watching the nest for ages (wondered at first if there were going to be chicks this year); then we saw their little heads popping up (the nest is easily 5 feet across so they really do have to pop up); then we saw them flapping their gangly wings (the pair of them testing the edge & testing their parents).

today we saw them fly! i was so excited & proud - it felt almost as if we had had some part in helping these eaglets fledge when really we have done nothing but park under the tree several times a week & watch the nest in awe. we think they are one male & one female (just by the size difference) & they are big birds eventhough they are really just chicks & still have tufts of down poking out between their new feathers. there was quite a comotion as the parents called & cajoled & directed each eaglet out of the nest, down to the coast guard station & back again (bigger brother did it a few times little sis only once). the adults were chased by gulls and crows each time they left he nest - thankfully the chicks were never bothered.... amazing (my bb boy is fledging at the same time)

flickr friday

2009-07-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

oh happy day...

1. Nature story part 1 - Life, 2. evening light, 3. candle in the rain..., 4. Bestill, 5. Nature story part 1 - Happiness, 6. A trail of breadcrumbs, 7. *Necessaries of Life, 8. Away for a while......, 9. that look you give that guy, 10. summer lovin', 11. second blooming~, 12. {summer legs}, 13. still with cherries, 14. Siebe, 15. 20090705_2, 16. 7.05.09, 17. ding ding, 18. apartment of my friend Claudia, 19. Bench Monday, 20. We shot...., 21. bench monday (rainy evening edition), 22. Soul, 23. in square, 24. I love walking in the rain, 25. 6.12.09, 26. dude, 27. Untitled, 28. the four!, 29. the elegant eggplant, 30. beet love, 31. Reflejo medieval, 32. saturday morning in the kitchen, 33. 2 days in toronto, 34. Bath time ..., 35. All go, and take al walk, 36. urban jungle

he cracks me up

2009-07-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

the world is a pretty serious place (don't even get me started on recessions, depression, or old what's his name jackson). but my world is pretty damn funny thanks to my bb daddy... he cracks me up fairly regularly (he wears goofy hats, he can turn a clever phrase, he makes funny noises for our bb, he understands irony)... today he saw the sign & said "slow - we don't need no stinking slow" (i put that in quotes even though that wasn't really what he said!)

his idea - his implementation - my finger on the shutter:

happy birthday sweetheart

it takes a community...

2009-07-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

they say it takes a village to raise a child - it then must take a community to raise a really good garden...

there are 5 community gardens within 4 blocks of my home: some are brand new, some have been growing & transforming over the last several years. they are city projects, private endeavours and one is just locals grabbing a piece of ground & making something out of it...

i have been planning to do this story for ages (last week i managed to leave home without an card in my camera) - but we went today (the only rainy day in the last two months!) the first garden is a land grab - neighbours who have collected bricks & rocks & soil & have planted both fruits & veg as well as decorative plants under the burrard street bridge. they are tenacious - as are their plants.

the second is omni's land (developers) - they had planned to develop the land before the economic crisis hit (numerous real estate projects halted in vancouver). they have cleared & tilled the land & put in boxes & allowed the community to take over (as an aside, there is a mural painted all along one wall - part of the granville street bridge) so it makes for a bright spot!

the third on our tour is the city's endeavour (& the newest to the westend). a newly vacant lot has been transformed into a literal oasis. there are thousands of tomatoes alone - i have heard people wonder aloud 'why don't the homeless just take these?' - i believe, just given the community we live in & the idea this type of garden promotes - that the tomato owners would not mind if those who needed them most just helped themselves.

the fourth is a stunning centerpiece to one of the coolest co-op communities in the city. a collection of heritage houses has been transformed & the land that runs between & around them is garden - kitchen gardens, bee gardens, fruit trees etc. it is one of the best examples of 'community' i have seen. i love to walk through their back lane - sometimes sit on a bench & just listen to the kids & birds.

across from the mole hill co-op is nelson park - the city has recently redone the park (i'm not completely sure why) but the upshot is there is a new section (just half of the length of the park) that is run by the community. this is a truly lovely collection of gardens - very creative - bamboo & driftwood fences & stone walkways.

View westend community gardens in a larger map

50 days & counting

2009-07-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

bb boy is 10 months old today! the last month has completely flown by (without, as predicted, bb boy taking more than two definitive steps on his own).

i know he is still just a baby - but he is starting to look more & more like a little boy (& now i finally see the resemblance to his dad - having not paid attention to the exclamations of every grocery store clerk, starbucks barrista & the guy who runs the local ferry - it wasn't totally clear until now). he is big for his age, but not huge (i can tell that he has grown though as he is now officially 1/2 the length of the sofa). he still sleeps in our bed (when we tried to leave him in his crib - his dad missed him too much - so bb daddy & i continue to cling precariously close to the edge).

work looms - things have changed there significantly in the past month - i hope it is still the place i love... because i cant imagine anything being better than spending each day with my bb boy.

their garden is their gallery

2009-07-04T00:45:00.001-07:00

well, not really, these two are lucky enough to have a wonderful gallery & gardens! i have been meaning to find this garden for several yeas now - friends have come home from holidays with art work from their gallery & stories of the magical gardens. we finally made it (me, bb boy & mom & dad). oohs and ahhs at nearly every corner - a pot of succulents arranged in colourful rows, shells and glowing marbles in a garden path, buddhas peering serenely from behind brilliant day lilys, secret benches surrounded by chirping birds & mosaic saints. i'm sure it takes several visits to see it all (& even that wouldn't do as the plants change seasonally & the treasures are continually added to...)

the place is barton & leier gallery & gardens (nixie barton and grant leier are full time artists). their art work is fantastic - though very different in style & method - they clearly compliment each other. & bb grandpa bought one of their books for bb boy - roberston rat - looks like it will be a treasure for years (grant was nice enough to sign it for our little treasure).

took a walk with my dad today

2009-07-03T21:17:00.001-07:00

my dad has been wanting to take photos of this lovely grove of arbutus for sometime. as we were driving past it this afternoon (& bb boy was napping) we decided to stop for a quick photo shoot. i think it was the first time ever we purposely set out to take photos together (oh no - except my cousin's wedding 10 years ago) but i have to say it is my dad i have to thank for my desire, ability & maybe even a little of my photog style... our family is used to stopping to wait while dad takes photos of flowers, rocks, moss, people etc... we have been subjected to (yes mostly happily) hours of slide shows over the years (it seems the digital age has only slightly changed his methods).

the grove was amazing - brunt moss crunched beneath our feet, grasses swishes and chattered in the breeze. the arbutus reached up majestically from the black soil, red arms, peeling and achy touched the blue blue sky.

while my dad took photos of the arbutus i took photos of almost everything else & together we took several minutes out to track down an adorable little quail! walking with my dad is like walking around with an encyclopedia or nature book - he knows pretty much everything (i might have learned a thing or two from him about this too). it was nice though brief walk (mom called to say bb boy woke up crying) i'm glad we took time to stop (instead of just talking about it)...

ah sonoma

2009-06-29T16:04:00.001-07:00

who knew... well i suppose lots of people know how lovely sonoma is - in fact we did do a quick comparison to napa & concurred that sonoma is much more laid back (some people say it is the what napa was like 15 years ago)...

i was almost beside myself as we drove in - the light in the late afternoon is stunning - glowy grasses, vineyards on rolling hills, rivulets of lush green trees trickle down sun burnt hills - truly gorgeous... i was so looking forward to seeing our inn (mission sonoma) which i thought was built on the site of an old mission (but i found out after 2 days of search for ruins that the old mission was @ the golf course). oh well, the room was gorgeous! the spa was stunning! & the mineral, thermal pool was a pure delight (and perfect for bb boy's first swim)...

we happened upon the farmer's market on tuesday evening - the city square was alive with families & music & brightly coloured fresh produce & crafted wares. it was a wonderful thing to see - after a hot day - people lounged under the trees & played & strolled the shops & sipped wine in the many restaurants around the square. we happened upon the most wonderful bistro - sat out on the sidewalk (bb boy stopped traffic all night with his smile)...

during our stay we visited a few wineries (& an olive press) - i think the most interesting was benzinger... they had a lovely little tour & it was amazing to learn about their biodynamic processes... we also drove to napa (i found it curious that the cut-off road out of sonoma is called 'napa road' and the cut-off road into napa is called 'old sonoma road') hah. the evening light is stunning too...

a list of our bests in sonoma valley:

bistro : http://www.theplazabistro.com/
farmer's market : http://www.sonoma.com/thingstodo/farmers_markets/featured.html
benzinger winery : http://www.benziger.com/
el dorado : http://www.eldoradosonoma.com/splash.html
kenwood inn & spa : http://www.kenwoodinn.com/
glen ellen market : http://www.sonoma-glenellenmkt.com/

ah europe...

2009-06-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

sigh. i made it through the month of may without dying of a broken heart (we had been planning a month in europe with bb boy almost from the time i got pregnant), downturn, upturn, second thoughts whatever it was - it`s done. one of the first times in 6 or 7 years without ancient stone walls, ochre light or the sounds of le bon vie to sooth my wanderlust...

so, i was happy to visit the latest vancouver art gallery exhibition : vemeer to rembrandt; standing in front of the works of these masters takes me overseas & back in time. we are so lucky to have such amazing pieces traveling the world - reminding us where we came from & what we can be as artists. there are truly wonderful things at home (these are simply a coupleof them)...

& besides we are going to san francisco next week for a week - i`m so looking forward to it...

white noise

2009-06-17T23:50:00.000-07:00

shutter sisters asks: "such beauty under our noses, always waiting patiently to be noticed. What about you? What's hiding right under your nose today?"

it is so easy for me to find beauty (as each mother does) in my baby's eyes; they are the most remarkable blue... his dad said this to me the other day: "they are truly the most amazingly beautiful eyes, we will have to teach him impeccable manners to go with those..." lately i have been keeping notes of the curious and quirky things bb daddy says (perhaps another day)...

they have a sparkle & behind the sparkle today i saw me & a tree & white clouds floating in the sky...

neo neo-impressionist

2009-06-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

if i could find a definition other than these photos (taken back in 2006) i would certainly share it (talk to jeff topham @ westworld magazine - he's the guy i lifted it from).

i just read an exciting story about what i've always believed to be just amazing graffiti... down on the east side @ homer & cordova is a wall of brilliantly realized art (the concept, and the colours are brilliant). according to jeff the work was "created in 2005 by gabe stone, vincent dumoulin, and amos daniel of "cold world media" the city actually provided the paint and building owners paid the artists. the art is worth a look - it is hard to miss in a maze of grime covered alleys littered with bins and strewn with poles and power cables.

awakening

2009-06-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

how is it that i can live 30 metres from the beach & not be drawn to it every day? how is it that i can be simply wandering - looking @ shells & beach glass & oddities then be suddenly & physically struck but the scent of the ocean like i have not encountered the scent for years?

it happened to me today - a moment to myself (bb boy & bb daddy were playing in the grass) i bent over to pick up a piece of glass & it hit me! the scent of blue & green of shells & seaweed - it was rich & moist & it reminded me of home even though i was already there.

flickr friday

2009-06-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

seems as if photos have taken over my inspiration file... though i will admit to buying a decor mag this week (haven't had a chance to open it though - what DO I do during his naps?)

1. Reflejo medieval, 2. saturday morning in the kitchen, 3. 2 days in toronto, 4. Bath time ..., 5. All go, and take al walk, 6. urban jungle, 7. 20090608 159/365, 8. 266/365 Surviving Bulb at the Redemption, 9. don't give up on me: 112/365, 10. Untitled, 11. 20090605 156/365, 12. Happy Bench Monday (ttv edition), 13. Untitled, 14. looking for light.., 15. sunday art, 16. Simplexity, 17. *Old Tree, 18. da bench, 19. Untitled, 20. Untitled, 21. holy macaroniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, 22. Varandas, 23. 85/365 - Snail away with me, honey, 24. Zurich Fun, 25. quiet moment, 26. wishful thinking, 27. free falling, 28. parade, 29. cactus at sunset, 30. Untitled

my four leggers

2009-06-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

i have been thinking a lot (started this blog entry back in january but was prompted by ss) about how lucky we are to have the four leggers that we have...with a big black dog, two cats & a bb boy our home could be crazy! as it turns out - it is just perfect...

our dog hunter is 11 this summer & he quite graciously let two kittens into our home 2 years ago & has since welcomed with lab like devotion and shepard like protection our baby boy...

the kittens (we call them the siamese twins) were 18 months old when we brought the baby home - they were curious but careful & extremely gentle. chai (brother in thai) looks for love everywhere & will offer his belly to anyone. scout (our only girl) was our most adamant snuggler, has had to look for alternate places on our laps, couch & bed (she is surprisingly calm & nonplussed even when bb has a handful of her fur...)

82 days & counting

2009-06-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

82 days!!? i would hyperventilate if i could muster the energy... i`ve talked to people at work - i remember their names - their voices - i even remember some of the things we do there... but 82 days?

baby boy is 9 months old today. i`ve been thinking about my experience of being on mat leave. i`ve been so lucky (economic downturn or not) to spend time with bb daddy practically every day - but it feels a little like i have missed something - some rite of passage... it feels vaguely like when i talk to others of their university years & they include parties, hanging in the sub with classmates etc. - i had a boyfriend (off campus) & spent my time with him (i have different stories & experiences). i hear about mommies meeting in the park, or stroller boot camp, or mommy commiseration lunches - these have passed me by (and i would not change a thing).

baby boy is 9 months old today. he is developing so quickly - loves to eat (he ate clover & buttercups & maybe part of a pine cone today), he is getting so big (as my massage therapist will attest), and he is crazy mobile (it seems as if the day`s activity may actually be turning into full nights of sleep)!

sweet baby boy.

sigh

on the rise |

2009-06-03T23:57:00.000-07:00

we visited a new gallery on south granville the other day - on the rise... it had a nice collection of local art including some up & comers that i have seen at various shows around town. the cool thing about the gallery (a collective) is that you can rent wall space for the month & all the proceeds of a sale go to the artist... it`s a great way for artists who don`t have a large portfolio or those who don`t want to share their proceeds with a larger gallery to get started (i did this with studio blue back in the day). it is nice to see this happening again.

i loved seeing art by arleigh wood once again:

treasured

2009-05-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

Shutter sisters ask: "Do you have a tricket, a charm, a tiny thing on your dresser, on your windowsill, that makes you a little bit stronger, that leaves you a little more happy? "

treasures, mementos & keepsakes - i am a collector of memories & things that make me smile. perhaps it can be said that i put meaning into too many things or too much meaning into some things. shells & rocks & postcards - i still have i have 50 franc banknote & a paris metro ticket in my wallet. regardless, each little item reminds me of a moment or a feeling or mostly importantly, that i am loved:

& i have hundreds of pieces of beach glass from all around the world (my hub indulges my beach combing obsession) but i keep one piece in the pocket of my camera bag - it is small & white & not the most beautiful of the lot but it is the most precious ( my husband picked up for me one day when i wasn't there...) truly unexpected & treasured.

my baby took these

2009-05-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

we had a great day in the park today (we were planning to head out to our deserted island for lowtide but we started a little too late). so - back to the park - we were just lounging around & bb boy motored over to me (all the while i snapped shots of his journey) he had his hand out most of the way intending to grab my shiny point + shoot... so, as anyone would (encouraging creativity & exploration - ha) i let him have it, and these are the results (i think if he had any idea what he was doing - he could not have done better):

hmm what was that story? oh yes - "my kid could paint that" or my my elephant...

flickr friday

2009-05-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

i quite by accident & conveniently racked up 36 more faves (actually 35 - hello picasso):

1. Abandoned, 2. Stella, 3. free falling, 4. clean and dirty, 5. 2 together, 6. Retro Dog, 7. ..., 8. -, 9. -, 10. texture/024, 11. Calle 20, 12. Calm Down, 13. a year of mornings 148:365, 14. Virtual Development and Training Centre - planet, 15. pink mum, 16. Jump!, 17. window - thorshavn, 18. Laundry - Part II, 19. Untitled, 20. 2 girls~ 2 coasts~2 clicks : week 22 : gratitude 174.375, 21. Untitled, 22. *Enjoy Camera Life, 23. everyone should sneak into an abandoned building at least once in their lifetime, 24. DSC_7689 (269 of 365), 25. Untitled, 26. Untitled, 27. best of the blues, 28. Bench Monday - my first, 29. On the way to Cabril, 30. Untitled, 31. Untitled, 32. glisten, 33. Untitled, 34. shower, 35. servico de aguas, 36. picasso

ow

2009-05-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

i've started going for massage again (precipitated by ghastly headaches and pinched neck nerve). perhaps i had expectations that could never be met (if only due to the current condition of my baby wracked body). i daydreamed of a 1hour nap sans sound of harleys roaring by on the street, cats meowling for food or dog clipping clapping across the hardwood or husband on the real estate bat phone or (dare is say it) whining, laughing, crying, babbling bb boy...

i daydreamed of a nap - face down on the massage table - drooling onto the floor deliriously. but it is not really as i dreamt - it is excruciating to the point of not being able to breathe & toes curling into little balls. it's a good pain (in that i know it will make me better) but i admit that 20 minutes into my 60 minute session the urge to bolt from the room & go directly to the closest spa for a nice fluffy make me feel good massage (topped off by a nice drooly nap) was almost overwhelming.

there is no image i can think of to share with this other than something pretty & calming: