Halloween In The City

Except for the blinking pumpkin lights in the apartment window across the street, there's not much sign of Halloween out there tonight. I'm surprised. I'm used to Halloween in suburbia, where the kiddies are out on the street with their plastic pumpkins and pillowcases at 5:00pm running from one driveway to another, usually with one or two exhausted parents in tow.

I enjoyed seeing the kids, especially the teeny tiny ones dressed as puppy dogs or pumpkins. Too young to even say Trick-or-Treat, they'd just stand there with open bags and look up at you with those big eyes that said "C'mon lady just dole out the candy would ya?" I kind of miss that.

So to put myself in the Halloween spirit, I plugged in my own illuminated plastic pumpkins and made a mental note to go pick up sale-priced miniature chocolate bars tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a bit of Halloween history on this All Hallow's Eve. BOO!!!

Paper: A Product of Play

Friday, a friend and I spent the afternoon playing with pulp, colours and textures to make homemade paper - a giddy first for both of us! Each piece took on a different look and texture, depending on what we threw into the pulp. We had fun experimenting with things like crushed rose hips, green Tempera paint and strings of Spanish saffron, never knowing what would come out.

The picture above is the product of our labour - if you can call it that. I'd just as well call it the product of our play. :)

Perspective

It's cold and crappy out there, perfect weather for hunkering with comfort food and a movie. This afternoon, I went to the grocery and video stores to pick up the necessary accoutrements for my evening in. Not even halfway to my destination, I started muttering under my breath and whining to myself about the miserable weather. My Merrells were getting wet, my Columbia jacket soaked and the drizzle kept hitting my face under my umbrella. Oh woe was I.

I looked up and noticed a man sitting on the wet sidewalk across the street, with only a hat to shelter him from the rain. He slowly lifted his face towards the sky then slowly let his head drop back forward, eyes closed. Hm. I think it was my Higher Power's way to tell me to shut up and count my blessings. There are worse things then getting my brand name sneakers soaked.

Favourite Things: Books, Books, Books

This stack of books is delicately balanced on a wobbly table that's delicately balanced on a crooked hardwood floor, yet I can't bring myself to put it away. In fact, I keep adding more & more to the pile.

I often have several books on the go. When a subject tickles my fancy, I go to my bookcase and pull a related book from the shelf. I like to keep them handy by my favourite reading spot on the couch, hence the stack.

The titles? Voici:

Film Art, An Introduction
The Secret Language of the Soul
Nesting, It's a Chick Thing
Evangéline
Sacred Space
The Prophet
2 Practical Essays on Life & Career Planning
There Are No Accidents, Synchronicity and the Stories of Our Lives
Comfort Prayers
The Spell of the Sensuous
Promenades Historiques dans le Parc de la Gatineau
The Journey from Abandonment to Healing
The Sound of Paper
Everyday Enlightenment

Sigh. I love my books. :)

Treasures Of An Urban Hike

I just got back from an invigorating 20 minute walk around the neighbourhood. Low on energy, I debated between a short yoga routine or a breath of fresh air as means to perk up. I'm happy I chose the latter, my only regret being that I left my camera at home.

During my brisk jaunt I saw beautiful artwork, inspiring architecture that included one of the coolest turrets I've ever seen, and a baby blue house that although subtle in appearance, stood out so delightfully on its street it made me stop in my tracks. A collection of treasures on a short urban hike.

Beavertails Already?

They're lowering the BeaverTails huts in the Canal this week, prepping for skating season. Isn't it too early to be thinking of that? Eek!

Urban Living Checkpoint: 9 Months

It's been nine months and I'm still happy with my decision to move downtown. Despite sometimes missing the country, especially in the fall, I'm happy here.

This past month, it seems I've been spending more time inside. I've been less inclined to walk around the city and more inclined to stay in and continue setting up my apartment, hosting gatherings and hanging out. Maybe it's the time of year, time for cocooning. Maybe after exploring my surroundings during the summer, it's time to appreciate the apartment itself, to feel its vibe and make it mine.

I must admit, I'm curious to see what the city will have to offer during the grey month of November and how it will build itself up to the Holiday season. Now that the tourists are gone and students are settling back into their routines, what kind of vibe will prevail? Does the city cocoon too? Maybe I'll make a point to take an urban hike or two to find out.

Where Has All The Water Gone?

They drained the Rideau Canal this weekend. I guess preparations for winter are officially underway. I was thrilled when they filled it up this past April; it was a telltale sign of warm sunny days and summer fun to come. Now my first summer in the city has come & gone and I feel sad. I wonder what the city has to offer in November, when everything is cold and grey? I guess it's all part of the urban living experiment, I'll just have to wait and see.

A Few Of My Favourite Things

Now that I've figured out how to post pictures on my blog (YAY!), I thought it would be fun to share some favourite things that help make my downtown apartment a home. It could be a special feature or quirk that comes with living in a old building, a knickknack that's meaningful to me, or the way the light hits the floor at a specific time of day. It's a fun process for me, hopefully you'll enjoy it too.

First item up on the list is this old photo:














I don't know who these two are or what their story is, but I love looking at them. I think they're related to my great-grandmother's family from the United States, but I'm not sure. I found it in an old box of photos and documents brought back from New Brunswick in September, and was smitten by the couple's style and their youthful, hopeful look. I was so smitten that I decided to give them a prominent spot in my dining room so I could enjoy that look every day. It's quickly become one of my favourite things.

Wanting To Do vs. Doing - Update

I think airing my frustrations helped. After yesterday's post, I took my to-do list and just did. It felt good.

Wanting To Do vs. Doing - Airing My Frustrations

It feels like I can't bring myself to do many of the things I want to do this week. I want to clean. I want to catch up on my paperwork, on some of the items on the to-do list that are becoming more urgent each day. I want to cook healthy meals. I want to run. I want to do yoga. I want to create. I want to write. I want to paint. I want to sew. I want to read. I want to rest.

I'm on sabbatical, I should have time to do all these things. Is it a lack of discipline? A lack of structure, energy or focus? All of the above? Maybe my expectations of what I can accomplish in a week are just too high. Maybe I need to break it down into smaller chunks. Maybe I need to just do.

Whatever it is, at this moment, I'm feeling the tension and dissatisfaction that lie between what I want to do and what I'm getting done. It's frustrating.

Thanksgiving Weekend Highlights

It's been a while since my last substantial post. The past several days have been full, fun, emotional, restful and busy - a bit of everything. Thanksgiving weekend was especially good to me; here are a few of the highlights (warning: it's a bit long):

Breakfast At Stephanie's
A few of my friends had Friday before Thanksgiving weekend off. What better than a pancake breakfast complete with maple syrup, fried ham and three pots of Nicaraguan coffee to start the long weekend? I took a lot of pleasure in planning the meal (yogurt & fruit, oatmeal raspberry muffins, pancakes & ham), choosing music to set the mood (Les Cowboys Fringants, French Café, Congo to Cuba) and serving up goodies in my great-grandmother's heirloom dishes. I'd forgotten how much I like playing hostess; I look forward to doing it again!

Hike In Gatineau Park
On Saturday, the same friends and I set out to Gatineau Park for an early morning hike under sunny skies and crisp single-digit temperatures. Despite a few of us being delayed by getting, um, lost on the way to the initial meeting place (you know who you are! :), we enjoyed relatively empty trails not yet saturated by Thanksgiving leafers out for a glimpse of the park's spectacular display of fall colours. We worked up an appetite and ended the hike with a picnic in the sun. Here's one of my favourite pics from the trek:
















Thanksgiving Dinner
Monday, my friend Dave and I drove to his grandmother's for Thanksgiving dinner with his family. What a treat! The kitchen table was packed with the usual fixin's: turkey, stuffing, gravy, the creamiest mashed potatoes I've ever had. Add to that a warm "make-yourself-at-home" atmosphere, a welcoming family including three dogs and a cat, and it set the scene for a perfect, comforting day.

I can't help but notice that most of my highlights involve food. I also can't help but notice that they include sharing it with friends and family. Good food and good company, now there's something to be thankful for.

Comfort On A Cool October Night

Tonight, comfort is sipping on herbal tea in a dainty teacup, listening to Billie Holiday's sweet voice and working on a brand new jigsaw puzzle.