Mama Bear on the West Coast!

A week ago, after many guilt trips and lots of less-than-subtle hints that I was desperate for her to visit, my sweet mama bear landed on the West Coast!

I was a seven-day whirlwind of sun, cloud, fun, eating, more eating, touring, walking, experiencing, and being together.
It was a joy of the very best kind to show her around.

Here are some of the highlights:

She saw the Olympic cauldron and donned the official Torchbearer apparel. I think she looks pretty spirited and should be considered for the 2012 Olympic games. That smile cannot be beat.


She ate at Finch's, my favourite sandwich shop in Gastown. Her Avocado Walnut Brie Baguette did not disappoint.

She saw the view from the top of Grouse Mountain and from the Cypress Mountain Lookout. It could not have been a more perfect day.

She lazed around with us at Stanley park under the sun. We enjoyed a rousing game of Crazy 8s, some great reading, and nice walks.

She took us to dinner at SandBar, a great fish house on Granville Island. She tried Sablefish for the first time and was hooked.


She smelled the roses at Van Dusen gardens and my oh my were they sweet!


She drank some wine. Lots of wine. And we all felt mighty fine.

She was a good sport and endured the hike to Lighthouse Park where Beamer's ashes were spread two years ago. We sat on a rock overlooking the Pacfic. And all was right with the world.



She experienced THE best donut on the face of the planet at Honey's in Deep Cove. It's basically deep fried lard. And man is it good.

She was silly with us all the time. And that was the best part of all. :)

And then, she had to go. *tear*


Thanks ma for making the trek out west and letting us introduce you to the city we love and our humble little life out here. It meant the world to us and we can't wait for you to come back!!!!

xo

21 5 800

I am starting Bindu Wiles' 21-5-800 challenge tomorrow.
What is it?

21 days. 5 days of yoga a week. 800 words a day.

Why am I doing it?

Because I miss my life and feeling like me. I have gotten so far from the core of me that I am floating.
And I want to come back to earth. Back to life. Back to me.

I've never been one for yoga. But as I heal from my injury, I realize that sometimes you have to accept the things you cannot do and find things that you can. I cannot run. But I can do yoga. And that's a really positive thing.

I have always been a writer but have been so busy with life and work and excuses that I forget to write just for the sake of writing. I write for money. I write for a job. I write to say Happy Birthday and Wish You Were Here. But I rarely write for me. For the sake of writing. For the amazing feeling of a great sentence leaving my brain, travelling down my arm, and into my pen.

800 words a day for 21 days.

I feel some great little novellas coming on.


I'll keep you posted on how I fare.
I'm going in with all I have and hopefully coming out in 21 days a little more like me, a little less jaded, and a lot more accepting of the way things are and massively more optimistic about the way things can be if only I put my heart into it.


Check out the 21-5-800 challenge here

Dogma

Dogma: An authoritative principle, belief, or statement of ideas or opinion, especially one considered to be absolutely true.

My dogma is this: Dogs are a healing breed.
I could not have survived the last 11 months of debilitating injury without two things: (1) Mike and (2) Harley.
I fundamentally believe that hanging out with your best friends is the best cure.
And four legged best friends are a mighty cure.

I'm still pretty slow. Pretty pained. Pretty chubby.

I feel low.
I feel tired.

Somedays I feel optimistic.
Most days I don't.

But I push through because I believe that no matter what, the love of two special beings, my boy and my dog, will get me through.

Sappy? maybe.
True? absolutely.

Positive energy is a great elixir for life.

For instance, I was playing fetch with Harley today. Just a little wee game of back and forth.
She was running, catching, panting. (click here to check it out!)
She was smiling the way dogs smile even though people say they don't smile (Harley totally smiles!)

And I was happy.
I fed off her energy.
I felt elated.
I felt the fresh air all around me.
I smiled.
I laughed.

And for a few fleeting moments all was right with the world again and I wasn't a pitiful sap with a sore back.
I was just Kim and Harley, playing with abandon.

And it was soul-warming.