Dec 23 - Jan 15 - Vancouver Citiness, Friends and honoring Peggy Riley

Kona!

I am sitting in a surprising place writing this blog this morning. There is a dusting of snow on the ground outside and the temperature is much below zero. I will share more about this location later in this blog post. Right now I will share about Kona, that adorable Cairn Terrier, Poodle mix doggy you see above. What a gift to spend Christmas with this character. We arrived in Vancouver on the 23rd, after two long days of driving. It was a typical rainy time as we passed by Portland, and Seattle, two cities I have always wondered about. We stayed at an airbnb in Portland, the hosts were a sweet couple who oozed the "I love Portland" vibe. They were musicians in the band, Snailbones, they gave us their demo cd. Kind of wild...

We arrived at the border crossing wondering if all of our food would be taken. I kept the mantra, om namah sivaya going and Luke repeated the Light mantra. The officer asked us more questions than the last time; Luke answered with a sweet unsureness which lead us back into Canada. Bittersweet was the experience in my heart and mind. There was a release of tension being on my homeland, yet there was a deeper knowing that it was temporary--Horizon Travels will take us back to the States in time to come, where we belong right now - strangely...

Photos on Christmas from the Kitsilano house sit:

We arrived at our Kitsilano (a beautiful neighbourhood near the beaches) house sit on December 24th, it was a Christmas miracle moment when we walked through the door. There stood a beautiful tree, shining with lights, two stockings hanging from the mantle and a beautiful card welcoming us. I felt loved, cared for and abundant. And on top of that, Kona welcomed us with many kisses and an eagerness to celebrate.

We indulged in a few traditions - a Starbucks festive drink on Christmas Eve, a filling turkey dinner, a Christmas movie and sweet treats. It was quite startling to our beings and bodies after being in such a quiet inward peaceful space, from the time spent at Eagle Point. To be quite honest, even as I write this on January 15th, I have been vibrating at a different frequency. This is not a bad thing necessarily, it is an awareness about change, and knowing what it is I do want and I how I want to feel. I am an unwinding from a whirlwind - life offers them as gifts. I know I will find my way back. And love every minute of it :)

Here we are at Starbucks and Christmas dinner (still in on pjs) :)

On the 27th, 28th and 29th of December we had a special visit with Chandra, Colin and their two children Aubelle and Aimée. What a neat treat to be with friends and share in the bigness of Vancouver. From temporary happiness at Sweet Obsessions, to a picnic at the big, wet, cold ocean, eating BIG at the Naam and engaging and releasing into music. I was gifted with reflections of who I am and how dear my friends are to my life. Thank you for sharing yourselves with us on your visit from Quebec!

This photo below comes with the title, "Temporary Happiness!!"

One of the highlights of our visit were these two sweeties. They are steeped in reading books on having babies, and midwifery. Luke is playing beautiful piano music which fills the air with a sense of calm. Chandra, Aubelle and Aimée's Mom, mentioned that the two girls love baby books, it was the first books they read and they are hooked. How adorable is that!

One more shout out to Kona- she gave so much love to us.

From Dec 29th to the 1st, life took on another flavour for us. We were staying at an airbnb in Shawnignan Lake, on Vancouver Island. I was beginning to get sick, and on the 30th I received a phone call from my Dad. He shared that my dear Granny died earlier that day. A wave of grief came over me, and tears shed opening space for her release. When I left Peterborough I shared a deep thank you to her for all she offered me. She was another Mother to me as a child and I love and appreciated her kind, sweet attention. The stars continued to align with a cancellation of a house sit by the owners because of their house that was damaged in a storm, then a one week, last-minute house sit coming available and then a place to leave our car (at my Aunt and Uncles in Courtenay). So, here I am sitting in Luke's parents home in Cavan, ON., white powder blowing past the window through gusts of cold wind dancing branches wildly.

Peggy and Bruce Riley- My Grandparents

The week of Jan 1st to 7th, we spent in Sooke, BC., a town on the ocean with such lushness. The weather was wet of course, with patches of sun that we ran outside to feel on our faces. I was very sick during most of this week and mostly slept. It was a cozy, challenging way to start the year. I finally accepted and surrendered on day 4, which helped it pass, I am sure. Here are a few photos of the awesome animals we cared for and Luke's mountain bike scenic shots.

I would like to end this post with gratitude for the messages I receive from Mother Earth and all her creatures. Here is one I was very surprised to see. A hummingbird in the winter...

Hummingbirds have come to both Luke and I at the most surprising and synchronistic times. Reminding us to shine, be aware of the subtle sweetness of life and be present to the magic.

Stay tuned for the next blog on our unexpected Peterborough, ON visit.