Write 31 Days - Neighbour

I moved into my current suite almost 4 years ago and I still miss my old neighbourhood.
Don't get me wrong, I love my place, I have room enough for a kitchen table, I now have normal height ceilings that shortie little me can't touch, and I have access to a great fenced-in yard that my dog (Willow the Westie) can romp and play in. But I do miss my last neighbourhood.

At my previous home, living in a smaller suite and not having a yard forced me to get out and walk my dog much more. We had wide grassy boulevard-lined streets, we were close to the ocean beach on both sides, and we always met a lot of other lovely people walking their dogs, too.

This is how I met some of my neighbours.

Something magical happens when two dog owners meet on the street or beach or park and let their dogs play—you chat naturally, you already have a common interest, and you find out more about the people living right next to you. You build a trust and a friendship.

There was the teacher with a sweet little dog. She even looked after my dog when I was in a pinch one time. She and her husband were such kind and lovely people. I knew I could depend on them should I ever be in need.

There was the older couple down the street with a busy retriever dog who loved to play fetch. My Willow would run beside their dog for a while then wait half way for her to come back to play.

There was a kind of kooky single lady with a cute little fluffy dog, who had puppies a few times that I lived near her. She also always had her neighbour's big dog along on walks with her but never quite had a handle on that dog's rambunctious behaviour.

There was also a kind, older man with the BEST bushy mustache ever who would always be walking by himself. He had a dog food delivery service and we chatted quite a few times. One day I was sad to realize he must have moved as I stopped seeing him or his truck anymore.

There was the couple who lived right beside the local park where I walked my dog everyday and let her off leash to run and play. They would always come to their fence with a dog treat for her, pet her and chat with me. I've gone back a few times since moving and if they are home, they'll come out to say chat and ask how I'm doing.

I loved meeting my neighbours. I made a few great connections and still feel like I could stop by anytime and say hello.

 

There was one other time growing up where I felt like we knew our neighbours and could trust and depend on them.

When my family moved to Victoria after leaving Calgary, Alberta, my dad built a house on the outskirts of the city up on the top of a hill in a newer development. To get to the neighbourhood you had a good couple of minutes drive up a very steep and winding road with rock cliffs and forest on either side.

There were about 20 homes atop the hill and many families with kids around my age. We quickly met our neighbours both near and further up the twisting road. I met and made friends with quite a few other kids and soon my even cousins moved onto the street, adding more kids to our usual band.

This was long enough ago when we spent every minute we could outside playing until dinner or dark. We made clubhouses and forts, explored the forest behind our houses, visited other kid's houses to play and even had sitting-down skateboard luge-like races all the way down the hill, wearing out the soles of our shoes as brakes in the process!

From this small community my mom ended up looking after two neighbour girls before and after school, I ended up taking piano lessons from the wife of a doctor who lived in the largest house at the end of the street, I had a few haircuts from a neighbour mom who worked from her home, and we all felt a sense of trust with one another.

If any of us kids were walking up the hill, almost any of the adults (parents of one of us) would stop and pick up us, zipping us to the top in seconds instead of minutes of steep walking. 
Soon, my dad built our second house up the street from our first, once it sold, and we continued to spend a few more years in the area.

When we finally left, as we knew we one day would since my dad's business was to build homes, sell when the market was decent and build again, I was sad to lose that small neighbourhood feeling.

Hopefully one day, when I have a family of my own, I can again live on a street where I meet my neighbours more and lend a hand of kindness and care, building that trust and feeling of community I've had a few times.


What has your experience with neighbours been like? 

Do you prefer to keep to yourself, or do you long for a good, trusting community you can depend on?

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This has been a writing prompt post from #Write31Days, join in the fun. 

Catch up on all my 31Days + 5MinFriday posts by clicking here. 

Such a Gem!

A few weeks ago I entered a giveaway contest from a blog I regularly read (SquirrellyMinds) and guess what? I won!! 
The Prize: An original gemstone watercolour painting of my choice!
Tan, of SquirrelyMinds, is genuinely talented and I love ALL of her watercolour art!

I was trying to pick an ideal candidate for a painting to adorn my wall and it came to me....I wonder if she could paint a geode!

What's a geode, you ask? 
Basically, a geode is a sedimentary or volcanic rock...with a surprise inside. Somewhere along the way a hollow or bubble formed inside the sediment or lava and crystals formed over time.

On the outside, a geode looks just like any other ordinary rock, plain, uninteresting. But once the inner hollow is accessed (cut or cracked), a geode's centre is a riot of colour and texture, catching light and reflecting it's glorious beauty.

Hmmm, makes me think we should never judge a rock by it's outer looks. :)

Why a geode, you ask?
When I was about six years old I was visiting my grandparents in northern BC and on a trip to a store with my grandfather, or Pops as we affectionately called him, I noticed a few of these beautiful rocks on display.
 Being the generous and most amazing Pops ever, he bought me one (what grandfather can't resist a granddaughter's charm?). This small stone fit in my own tiny palm, grey on the outside and sliced in half to reveal deep blues and purple crystals on the inside.

I've kept this momento and it has always been a warm reminder of my grandfather.

* Today, I am quite distressed. Since thinking about this geode, I have tossed my house looking for it, to no avail. It's misplaced! When I do find it I'll be sure to update you with a photo.

So, I asked Tan if she would venture to try painting me a geode.
Tan delivered!!

She created a wonderful, unique painting for me!

She also went the extra mile and delivered it to me, though sadly I had stepped out of my office and just missed her.
I came back to work to a lovely gift wrapped with crisp tissue and gold foil stickers spelling out my name!
(As a kid with a slightly unusual name, let me tell you anything with our correct name on it is a treasure!)

Here it is, my very own geode painting. Love it!

Thanks, Tan from SquirrelyMinds! (Psst, check out her wonderful blog!)

(Extra foil stickers cut outs from the front adornment.)

Love my new Geode Painting!

A mid-February Love Story.

Oh yes, it's February 14th...Valentine's Day or Singles Awareness Day...or just another Friday.

Yes, I am single.
Yes, I am fully aware.
And yes, I have yet to date someone and have that relationship coincide with this auspicious day.

However, today I am thinking of more than just candy hearts, or flowers, or chocolates or the countless date night photos I see plastered all over social media.

Today I am thinking of a love story from my own ancestry.


I am thinking of a young soldier with red hair stationed in northern BC over 60 years ago and a feisty small-town girl, eight years his junior.

I am thinking of how he must have smiled at her, gazing through those beautiful hazel eyes and how her cheeks must have blushed.

I wonder how they spent their first ever Valentine's Day. Perhaps a card or note was exchanged, or flowers or another gift. Maybe a walk together, holding hands, talking of nothing or maybe planning their future together.

Pops, Grandma & Me

I don't know all of their stories, but I do know of a great love that began a legacy that continues in my own life.

A legacy of cherishing family.

A great love for God and others.

A fieriness and a spirit that is stubborn and strives to live and not let tragedy or difficult circumstances rule.

 My grandparents showed me how to love.

They showed me how to treat others.

They oozed God's love and proved that trusting God may not be easy, but it's worth letting go and letting God work through your life.

They showed me that no matter what background you come from or what hardships you face, you can surround yourself with sorrow or you can live another day and find joy. It is a choice.

Pops, Grandma & Me on a road trip to Hyder, Alaska for the day.

They also taught me that we do not have to make this choice alone. If we choose joy, God will bring it. Maybe not in the way we asked, but He will reward us and lead us toward the joy He knows will enrich our lives and show others the way towards Him.

Grandma Dot, what a lady!

I am thinking of my Grandmother tonight, as she is surrounded by a few family members and nurses and doctors in a hospital bed in the north.
I am remembering.

And I am thanking God, though I feel a stab of grief at the thought of her fading away. She loved. She is loved. She will be forever loved by those who knew her. She is always a thought ahead and always has a witty, cheeky word to say.
She is a woman like no other.

I am thinking of how I would like to live.

Like my grandparents lived. 

Choosing joy.
Loving others.
Trusting God.

Happy February 14th.

February Photo-A-Day: Little Me!

 "A Fave Photo of You"
- I love this photo of me.
I was proably about 5 or 6.

We lived on a farm just north of Calgary where you could just barely see the city on the horizon. (Now that whole area is covered in homes and development!)

Behind me is one of our horses and the rest is the pretty, rolling hills.

I must have just lost a tooth around that day and my mom is taking a photo to capture the moment.

I also love my afro! No, I do NOT have curly hair (I wish!) but had many home perms as a child to keep my thick hair cute and manageable. (PS - one of my brother's nicknames for me back then was "Little Orphan Annie".)

This photo brings back so many memories, smells, sights and feelings.
Love it!

A few creative randoms....

A few random photos:

The rhododendrons in the courtyard where my parent's live....so pretty, and I caught the sun at a really interesting focal point above the flowers.

Some interesting drawings that Shantala and I drew while waiting for our dinner one evening at Montana's. This is her conception of a dragon's face...very cool, quite horse-like which would be in keeping with one of our favourite authors, Anne McCaffery and her Dragonrider books.
My sketch of a dragon. Whenever I sketch, I am reminded of the very first Art lesson of grade four. Our Art teacher was the principal and he came in to show us how to sketch a scene with a cliff, not too unlike my dragon's cliff below, but with the ocean and a boat below. For some reason that Art lesson always stuck out, maybe it was when I first really saw my own artwork look realistic instead of colouring in the pictures bought in some children's colouring book.

I wish I could draw better than I do. I wish I had taken more Art lessons, or at least paid attention more in Art class all throughout my school years. Anything I ever drew or moulded or painted or created always felt a little juvenile, at least more so than the other 'artists' in the class.

I'll admit that I feel that I am a creative person, but I think I can create in a more abstract way then realistic, like a sketch or drawing. I enjoy manipulating photos and images into something interesting and unique, I enjoy using colour and shapes and layout to create the few websites I maintain, and I love even taking photos, trying to capture that one image that pops out and awes someone, if only me.

Summers Past

Summer used to be a time for sleeping in, planning fun days, going to the beach, swimming, sun tanning, taking the bus to the mall, going out to movies, BBQs, taking trips with family, or having family come visit you.....

Some of these summer fun activities are still available to a late-20-something, full-time working woman like me. I enjoy the air conditioned movie theatres, the trips, the BBQs and lakes when I have the time or when friends and family are around to join up with. But some of the lazy, leisure time will never be the same as when I was growing up as a child, then as a young teen.
True enough, I didn't really have a summer job until after I graduated from high school, besides the odd babysitting, but I truly, heartily enjoyed every moment of my summers growing up.

My mom played a major role in helping us to have good summers. She worked part of the weeks but when she was off, she would take us everywhere....museums, lakes, beaches, mini golfing, and any other fun or touristy place we wished to go! She would pack sandwiches, or picnics or let us get fish and chips or some other yummy treat. We have had countless sunny days people-watching on seaside shores, or walking along beaches, with me always collecting rocks and shells.

Camps more often than not, took up at least one week for each of us; kids camp or teen camp or when I was really little, family camp on Sylvan Lake. I always made new friends, played new, fun games, grew closer to God and always had a terrific if exhausting time!

Living in such a beautiful city, we always had streams of company stay with or visit us. From family and friends, we showed them the best side of Victoria, taking them to the prettiest spots, the nicest parks, the most lovely walks around. Mom always made spectacular meals as we all gathered together to enjoy some chatter and catch up on one another's lives. I always treasured my summers.

One summer in particular, my dearest friend became a summer ally as we made each day an adventure, whether at the beach, or overnight with sleepovers and fun movies. That summer my mom's side of the family arranged to all come and visit, bringing loads of aunts and uncles but more importantly to me, cousins! I loved my cousins! A few were close in age to me, and the younger ones were all so cute and I hadn't seen them in what felt like ages. So amidst our small family reunion of sorts, my pal Elise tagged along as an extra 'cousin'. We packed lunches and picnics, and planned outing after outing....Beacon Hill Park, Elk Lake, Fort Rod Hill, Esquimalt Lagoon (where only Elise and I braved the freezing water to try riding a log in the waves! I still remember how crazy we were!). We did it all and Elise fit in just perfectly!

As I grow older, creating more memories to fill my summers, I remember less and less specifics from when I was a child. I recall more the feelings, the events and the best moments. That summer was a great one, with family and friends so close, and I will treasure it always!

Here are a few photos of a day Elise and I were at French Beach. I don't remember who else came, I don't remember what else happened that day, all I remember is how much fun we had and how splendid summer seemed. Back then, it seemed those long summer days would last a lifetime....I am certain now, that those wonderful days will live on as childhood highlights, memories that will never fade.

Remebering the Wedding....

I wanted to update my blog but I have not had any epiphanies as to what to post, so I decided to share one of my favourite memories with you:
My sister's wedding that took place last summer, August 2006 (Angie and Tom), I was the maid of honour and we all had such a wonderful day!

Let's start with the flowers and decorations: Angie bought two tall candle pillars and sprayed them white, roughing up the edges a bit. My mom and all her sisters went to a Lavender farm early the morning of the wedding to PICK the bunches of white and green hydrangea. They also threw in some white lavender and greenery and we bought some white roses. Then Mom and Aunties went to work putting all the table center pieces together, each in a stemmed glass with dragonflies etched on them, and each also meant for decorating the steps at the front of the church (as seen below). They were the BEST floral arrangements I've ever seen!

Then came the candles. Angie purchased small glass votive holders and attached a pattered white paper around each, glued on the green ribbon trim and a single dragonfly accent.

There were 3 per table at the reception and at the ceremony they covered the stone 'hearth' area behind the couple. So pretty!

The sunlight streamed though the skylights during the ceremony, making it a very bright and pretty moment!

Here is the bride and me getting our photo taken on the lawns of McMorran's, where we took all the family photos.

We also went to several places around Victoria for other wedding party photos. Guess where this is?

I think this photo looks like something out of a bridal magazine!!

For favours at the reception tables, Angie (with the help of various relatives) made up boxes with two chocolate guitars and topped with engraved guitar picks. Very cool!
(Tom owns a guitar store in Langley - www.act1music.com)

I highly recommend McMorran's Beach House and Restaurant for Weddings!
Top notch service and food!
We enjoyed a great time with family and friends, good moments and memories, lovely music and fun videos (if I do say so myself!)

And this was the moon rising out over to ocean as seen from the balcony at McMorran's during Angie and Tom's reception.
A fabulous ending to a spectacular day!!