These days...

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately blissing out. I guess it’s only fair now to share some of that bliss with my fans.

I’ll begin with my quickly approaching trip to Europe. Only 7 weeks to go! I do have quite a bit of planning left but the structure of the trip is feeling pretty well-established. I’ve cut a couple of things out - for example, I won’t be visiting Venice afterall and am even considering cutting south France out as well. Reason being, I don’t want the trip to be about visiting as many places as I can in one month, but rather about getting to know a few places the best I can given the short time. Simply put: quality vs. quantity. I can just predict I’m gonna get to some of these places and not ever want to leave! That said, here is the new structure:

I arrive in Liverpool on April 21st. I will be there until April 30th. On that day, I have a flight booked to Rome, where I plan to spend about 4 days. May 5th - May 9th will be spent in Florence, Pisa and Cinque Terre. Uncertain here if I will take a train through South France, or simply just fly to Barcelona. Regardless, I will spend 5 days in Barcelona, Spain - so approximately May 9th - May 14th. The last 5 days of my trip will be then spent in south Spain, Malaga. My flight back to Calgary (from Malaga, Spain) is on May 19th.

Next topic, happiness. There are lots of things that make me happy. Here are some things that have been keeping me happy.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Lacey bought me the new Hey Rosetta CD. Anyone who knows me well knows I am a HUGE fan, (and perhaps even their biggest fan!) The new songs are bringing me great joy, and so much joy that I’ve even been brought to tears by a couple of them. Isn’t that amazing – that music can stir the soul like that? Hey Rosetta songs and I – we just really get along. They’re always there for me, they always treat me well. It’s a good relationship.

Last Sunday morning, for the first time in a while, I visited the Centre for Spiritual Living. They had a guest speaker, Sig Taylor, a local relationship counselor who really left an impression on me. So much so that I registered for a 2-part seminar with him. While I feel I’m in a pretty healthy and mature relationship right now, I do believe there is always room for growth and healthier habits. Having already completed half of the seminar, it really would be too much to share right now with you everything I’ve learned but perhaps my next blog post:)

But another positive aspect that this experience has brought is the feeling of inspiration. What Sig Taylor does, how he does it and why he does it, really inspires me. Everyone has interactions, and is in relationships, of all sorts, and they’re all unique. I just feel it would be an interesting career – to study relationships. Reflecting back on my university career, sociology of gender courses were really the only thing that tickled my fancy. Is that a sign that maybe I should take more seriously? Should I, like Sig, head back to school and get me a masters degree in social work and become some sort or relationship therapist? Hmmmmm.

I’m loving being alone these days. It’s actually something I’ve grown fonder and fonder of over the years – but just rarely speak aloud about. I really like my own company and feel time alone is essential to my personal well-being. It’s therapeutic, it’s healthy, it’s perfect, always. And, I feel I’m getting just enough of it too, not too much nor too little, it’s just about right these days.

Alone, I like hiking alongside the river for hours, most times without my ipod, but occasionally with, just being, just enjoying the moment, the scenery, the frozen water, the dried flowers
Alone, I like cleaning my house with Phoenix blasting on the speakers, sippin’ on my hot lemon water that makes me so happy
Alone, I like to play with Fisher and learn from the beauty of her simplicity
Alone, I like to meditate occasionally, especially when the gusts of gratitude just become so overwhelming
Alone, I love to create, create valentines cards with the prettiest, most romantic paper, create Christmas cards or postcards for my friends and family
Alone, it’s just so nice to reflect and soak in the beauty that is now

Well put.

Leo Babauta, creator of Zen Habits, urges his readers to find simplicity in this age of distraction. I couldn’t agree more.

I’m busy but also always seem to have time to goof off online. So how do I free myself from distraction?

Create space in your life. Cancel a few commitments, add space into your schedule, get rid of some to-do items and focus on fewer projects. Make space to breathe, to find solitude, to create. It’s one of the most important things you can do.

What can the world at large do, collectively, to free itself?

Promote minimalism. It’s not a life where you live with as little as possible. It’s a life where the focus isn’t on consuming and spending, but on connecting with others – creating, enriching your life and the lives of others. It’s also a life where we consume less and have less of an impact on the Earth.

Love yourself...

Love yourself.
Make peace with who you are
and where you are at this moment in time.

Listen to your heart.
If you can't hear what it's saying in this noisy world,
make time for yourself. Enjoy your own company.
Let your mind wander among the stars.

Try. Take chances. Make mistakes.
Life can be messy and confusing, but it's also full of surprises.
The next rock in your path may be a stepping stone.

Be happy. When you don't have what you want,
want what you have. Make do.
That's a well-kept secret of contentment.
There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow.
You have to make your own day.
To know where you're going is only part of it.
You need to know where you've been too.
And if you get lost, don't worry.
The people who love you will find you.
Count on it.

Life isn't days and years.
It's what you do with time
and with all the goodness and grace
that's inside of you.
Make a beautiful life...
The kind of life you deserve.

...good 'ol Hallmark just always has a way of getting it right!

England, Italy, France and Spain!

Either history’s repeating itself, or I’m a creature of habit, the marking of a new year does tend to see my 12-month plan of action for travel. Here is a piece of that action that I am so delighted to share with you!

On New Year’s Eve, I went and booked myself a one-month excursion to Europe. What better way to ring in a new year than with a flight purchase for a dream vacation! My flight departs Calgary on April 21st and I do not return to homebase until May 20th. I will spend an estimated one week with my family in Liverpool. From Liverpool I will fly to Rome, where you can find me letting the timeless beauty of this ancient city seep into my blood as I explore via foot for 5 days. Then, travelling via rail, I will spend a few days hiking in Cinque Terre and exploring the northern cities of Florence and Venice. From there the south of France will find me basking in its red wine and aroma of fresh bread for a day or two. Coastal Spain is to follow. Barcelona I can hardly wait to see you and your flamenco nightclubs, your sunshine, your architecture, your local threads, and your beaches!! We’re going to get along very nicely I can tell. I will shoot on down to Malaga for the last 5 days of my trip where I will reunite with my lovely Liverpool ladies. Ahhhhhh sweet, sweet perfection!

2011 Motto

Seasons greetings from Calgary!

This year has been filled with exciting adventures, fabulous friends and new hobbies, so I thought I would try something new with the Christmas cards I normally send out to those I love the most and hold dearest in my heart … This little letter is filled with highlights of 2010, and aspirations for 2011. I trust that everything is going great for you and your family, and that this year has been filled with fantastic events, special moments and warm memories to last a lifetime!

I’m still working at Lasik MD, as a tech and a patient counselor. I love my job, the service we provide, and my coworkers are wonderful! I started 2010 as a recipient of that service we provide, which I prefer to call a gift. Having a -7 prescription (which means I couldn’t see a thing without wearing my contacts or glasses) and then seeing 20/20 without glasses or contacts less than 24 hrs later, truly is miraculous! I’m filled with gratitude for my vision on a daily basis and really couldn’t be happier with the results of my surgery.

The roommates, Peter and Christine, departed in January for a 3-month excursion in New Zealand which found Logan and I with a hint of empty nest syndrome. It couldn’t really blossom into anything more than a hint as the months to follow brought a trip down south and a lovely couple of visitors. February generously brought my “Guess what, I’m pregnant!” friend, Miss Lindsay Young, from Newfoundland. In March, Logan and I embarked on a 2-week adventure in Mazatlan, Mexico where we thrived as surfer and beach-bum, respectively. Mazatlan is a beautiful coastal port with great culture and very friendly, generous locals. We were blessed with great experiences and would love to return there again someday. April kindly delivered Miss Leah Feltham for her 28th birthday celebration. She took the quick flight from Kamloops, BC, where she was residing at the time. Upon her arrival at the Calgary airport, Leah received a rather gigantic birthday surprise: her boyfriend Craig was there to greet her, all the way from Newfoundland! Needless to say, she was flabbergasted, and what followed was an awesome fun-filled weekend together!

This year, adding to my repertoire, I began running. I successfully completed a 10km run and two 5km runs – and thoroughly enjoyed each. It’s a pretty amazing experience running for a cause and feeling the energy and adrenaline of the participants running with you. I look forward to the races 2011 will bring!

It was Logan’s Grandma Alwyne’s 90th birthday celebration in June, in Duncan, BC. We were blessed to attend this event thanks to Logan’s bighearted mother, Gaileen:) It was really wonderful to meet Logan’s father’s side of the family at this time and not surprisingly, they’re all very lovely people! 3 of my cousins from Liverpool, England came to Canada for the very first time this summer. Paul, Mark, and Jack spent 2 weeks with us doing our favorite things: hiking, climbing mountains, camping, celebrating and dancing! It was truly wonderful spending time together and getting to know these beautiful individuals who we are lucky to call family. Also this summer, Logan was once again sponsored by his employer, Mountain Equipment Co-op and competed in a total of 8 downhill mountain bike races. We were all ecstatic and so proud when he won a gold medal in his category at the Canada Cup in Panorama, BC!

In August, while my 3 roommates were enjoying a week-long downhill, mountain biking trip in Whistler, BC, I revisited my roots and took a solo-vacay to Windsor, ON, and Newfoundland. Honored and delighted, I stood beside my best-girl, Miss Jennifer Hewer, as she tied the knot and became Mrs Jennifer Jones! It was a beautiful celebration of love and life and spending time with this woman is always #1 in my books! From there, I jetted over to my Newfoundland family where another two weeks of fun awaited me. I spent the time enjoying my parents’ beautiful home on the water. Dad had a break from work which allowed us to have lots of fun together cruising around on his motorcycle and heading out for a couple of boat rides. My visit found my friends and relatives to be happy and enjoying their lives which, in turn, makes me feel warm and fuzzy! I went on a whale watching expedition and it was so wonderful that I will make a point of doing it every time I return home. The highlight of my trip though was meeting Miss Lindsay Young’s 4-hr old baby girl in the hospital, Natalie. I waited for her the whole two weeks but of course, just like her Mama, she was a little late and arrived only one hour before my return flight! It was very well worth it though as I had never met that new of a life before and it was quite an incredible experience.

When I returned to Calgary in September, I discovered my brother and Christine went and had a baby while I was away! I became an Auntie to a lovely little puppy we call Fisher. Fisher is the star attraction of our household now and we are certainly left wondering how we ever thought our lives complete before this little sparkle arrived! We experienced a beautiful autumn, complete with colorful leaves (a rarity for Calgary), unseasonably warm weather and earth smells abound! With the season came a change in activities. I have been enjoying hot yoga once or twice a week, and Logan has swapped his bike for his board. Despite the frigid temperatures and plenty of snow that late November has brought, we’ve been quick to grow our winter skin and have been spending as much time in nature as we can (as per usual)!

The four of us recently experienced the Cirque Du Soleil for the first time and only one word comes to mind now as my memory dances back to that show: amazing! We all agreed that we will never miss the opportunity to see this extraordinary group of individuals again. Also, Peter had laser eye surgery last month and Christine will follow suit in December. Speaking of December, the month will also bring Logan’s Mom for a visit from Victoria, a few Christmas parties, and a simple, cozy food-beverage-and friend filled Christmastime at the Marsh-Couet-Keats household! On Christmas morning my household will also have the pleasure of making and serving breakfast at a local shelter.

That’s all for now loved ones ... I wish you the happiest Christmas of all time and hope 2011 will bring you an abundance of what it is you desire!

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year old)

I found this fantastic story in a blog I came across this morning. Enjoy!

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long."

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

~When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

~Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

~Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

~Take naps.

~Stretch before rising.

~Run, romp, and play daily.

~Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

~Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

~On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

~On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

~When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

~Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

~Be loyal.

~Never pretend to be something you’re not.

~If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

~When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

~ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!