Vancouver Peace Summit

Me, just as I left early this morning for the Peace Summit in Vancouver. You guessed it--no cameras in the Orpheum Theatre. Boo-hoo. Just a boring picture of me pre-summit.
I saw my two favorite monks in the world: His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Mattieu Ricard. Both were as charming and wonderful in person as I believed them to be.
I had the best seat! 3rd row, centre, Orchestra--I was 20 feet from the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama is so used to being a public figure that he appears to be relaxed on stage. He listens, (daydreams only a little tiny bit which is amazing--he is ready to answer any question posed to him), adjusts Mattieu Ricard's robe when it slips off his shoulder, rummages in his maroon satchel for various items he needs throughout the talk: cough candy for a fellow panelist, visor for the bright lights, tissue to mop his brow. He sits barefoot and cross-legged--charming, wise and true. One can't help but fall in love with him! And Mattieu Ricard--wise and eloquent--yes, in love with him too.
Eckhart Tolle spoke well, and Sir Ken Robinson and Murray Gell-Mann ( Nobel Prize physics 1969) and Mairead Maguire (Nobel Laureate 1976--N. Ireland relations).
I so envied Martha Piper (former UBC president) as she got to mediate one of the talks with the Dalai Lama (and sat right beside him).
Coming home from the summit it poured rain. My Fluvoggs were soaked! I got so chilled--I couldn't live in Vancouver in the fall and winter--the rain is too cold!
Rained too hard for me to attempt Robson Street shopping but went to Pacific Centre and picked up this and that for my girls.
Oh, and good news, Hotel Vancouver found a room for us tonight so we needn't switch to the Wall Center after all.  I am relaxing at the Fairmont as I type this. I'll be home tomorrow evening. XOXO--to all my little girls.

Bewitched Buddhism

Mommy and Pip.
The weekend has been good.
An early bike this morning along the Kettle Valley Railway with Peter, Miranda and John. It is simply an out-of-body experience. The smell of the air, biking between narrow rows of pines, is the most delicious smell in the universe. If there is a heaven, it smells just like that. And when we bike through the old train tunnels, blasted out of mountain rock, it is so dark in parts that you can't see a thing. It is like biking in a dream. You keep biking and fast through darkness, trying to reach the light at the end, trusting that if you keep peddling, all will be fine.
My mom and dad are in town . My dad dropped off my momma as she will be looking after my darlings while we are in Vancouver.
 Yes, the time has arrived...I am about to depart on a great adventure to actually see His Holiness, the Dalai Lama in person. And not to mention that his talk is being moderated by Mattieu Ricard--one of my heros! Life is amazing.
And Mistaya will be traveling to Vancouver at the same time on a Greyhound with 300 other Kelowna students to attend a special peace summit for youth. And the Dalai Lama will address the students as well. And so many other amazing people will be there: Jane Goodall, Mia Farrow etc. etc. Such a wonderful experience for Mistaya.
We leave tomorrow for Van and will be back on Wednesday.
Tabs was at a sleepover party in the neighborhood last night. I could hear the party from across the neighborhood as all the little girls sang at the top of their lungs last night under the evening sky.
Mist just returned from meeting a friend at a coffee shop.
We will all be heading over to M & J's for supper soon.
Excited as my home repairs look like they will be going ahead soon: a fence for the entire back yard, ripping out the remaining carpets in the bedrooms and stairs and replacing everything with hardwood--I can still smell the cat pee in Pip's carpet, no matter how many times it is cleaned!
I suffered a short bout of insecurity/boredom Saturday afternoon--the kind where all my relationships are flawed and I am not as enlightened as I'd had hoped--but a good meditation brought me back.
And I bought the first season of Bewitched. It was a childhood favorite! And my, oh my, how times have changed! It is the most stifling, sexist world for women that they portray. No wonder so many women ended up with Lobotomies during that time--ee gads--to be part of that society as a woman would have been so oppressive, one would need to be lobotomized to survive it!
But the show left its mark on me and my sisters. We had a cat named Tabitha, two cats named Darren and a dog named Samantha. And yes, one of my precious daughters is named Tabitha too. It is crazy, I have had several people at different times, tell me that my two oldest daughters look like the actress that played "Tabitha" in the series!

Pippi and Mommy

It was pj day at preschool today and Pip and Artemis looked as cute as little buttons in their baby-dolls.
It is so beautiful today. Over 30 oC. I should be at the beach but Mist and Tabs are at Piano lessons and PJ at work so Pip and I are hanging at home this late afternoon.
Spent the morning downloading articles for both my class and thesis. So many articles, so many uninteresting articles. One must dig through though thousands to find a decent few.
Went out for tacos last night with Peter and then to "The Time Traveler's Wife." It was most enjoyable and I realized how lovely it is to get out in the evenings.
Did a run/mountain hike this AM again with Fernando and Miranda. I love that workout, a perfect way to start the day. My gym, I-Quest, is poopy. I would quit and join somewhere else if there was another closer or as close. After a sweet written request and even sweeter personal request--to offer a straight hour spin class at 6 AM for the fall--they didn't! All their classes are spin/core, or spin/strength--they cut out of cardio after 20 minutes. This sucks as I lift weights in their gym and only want pure cardio  classes.
I am sure that there is more I should report on, but I am a little blah. Must think up a night outing that lifts my spirits. I'm supposed to be going to a new Buddhist meditation group tonight, but Miranda can't make it and since the last four meditation groups I've tried have been tres creepy--I don't feel motivated to go alone tonight.

Sweet September Summer

Bear Creek hike with my gals and Fernando.
Both Mist and Tabs are home today. Tabs has a wee temp and feels cold. Mist is battling a double ear infection and chest cough post flu.
I am off to collect a ceramic pink poodle from the 1950's that I won at a silent auction. I bid very little and was surprised and delighted to have won.
Then it is work. More thesis planning, lit review and starting my first paper for class.
Pip told me last night, "I Love school mom!" She is so dear. My heart melts every time I look at her. And her little conversations with Artemis are too precious! The sincerity, earnestness of it all...I am a puddle again.
Up  before dawn to hike the back of the mountain with M and Fernando. It is a satisfyingly exhausting hike.
My foot is infected after I stepped on a thistle. After two weeks of pain I finally did my own surgery and extracted a thistle this morning. But the foot still hurts, so I am thinking that there are more. I always go everywhere in the yard, neighborhood in bare feet, so I guess this is to be expected.
I'm going to attend a new Buddhist meditation this Thursday evening with a new monk. I am always open to finding the right fit.
I discovered the Perfect PhD program at the U of Calgary, the only one in Canada to offer an English creative dissertation program, and the more info I find out about it, the more perfect it is for me--now I just have to get into it somehow! And when to do it? Ideally I'd start next Sept, but that might be pushing it. I'm not ready to apply yet--I need my master's dissertation for that step!

Fernando & Me

1.Stopping at Bear Creek for a dip today, after a long hot hike up the hill. A candid pose that turned out rather cool. I have no idea why my fingers were posed like that.

2.Me and my little guy.
3.The last pic is of me rescuing Fernando from the icy stream--the rock was too high for him to get onto.
It was a glorious hike on a beautiful, warm September day.
I worked this am and then decided we needed a family hike this afternoon. I may go to a movie tonight with Peter--that new Matt Damon one...
Peter's mom is in the hospital after suffering a series of minor strokes. We are wishing her a speedy recovery. Peter may be flying to S'toon to visit her on her Birthday which is Oct 2nd.
One more week and I am in the presence of my two favorite Buddhist Monks: the Dalai Lama and Mattieu Ricard. I will be staying at the Hotel Vancouver for one night and the Wall Centre for the second. A perfect mix of old and new. The Hotel Van having become like our home away from home each time we visit Van and It is really cool sleeping up in the Wall centre at night. We pull all the drapes and watch the lights of Vancouver through the floor to ceiling windows. Our Wall Center room has solid glass exterior walls--last time we stayed there we watched from high above the city as Bill Clinton's motor brigade made its way down the streets of Vancouver.                            

And so exciting for Mistaya: she is going to Vancouver with her school's Social Justice Club and attending a Peace Summit at the Dalai Lama Friendship Center for over 14,000 students from around BC. And to make it unbelievably wonderful, the Dalai Lama himself will be speaking to the kids! Mist and I will both be blessed with his presence on Tuesday.

I'm in Love with a Beautiful, Beautiful Bird

Peter and I were sitting in the back yard last evening, (it is warm in Kelowna around 30 oC) and we kept hearing a tap, tap, tap...I traced it to a tree in the forest with an orange X on it--slated for removal because of the pine beetle infestation that is devastating BC'c forests! I ran inside to find the binoculars. And what I saw through those double lens was this gorgeous fella: a pileated woodpecker. Since the extinction of the Ivory-billed woodpecker, this is the largest woodpecker that exists in N. America. I believe this to be a male because its "mustache" appears to have some red in it, the female's is solid black. I ran inside and grabbed my camera, ran to the top slope of our back yard  ( in bare feet) and hopped the fence. I am never happier than creeping through he forest, studying other creatures ( I really should chuck it all in and become my teenage dream: a National Geographic photographer).  I watched this guy and he was adorable--stopping to scratch his little head with one foot as he clung to the tree with the other. I am always touched by how alike we humans are to all of earth's creatures. We only look different on the outside. My only battle wound is a gash across my right leg--presumably happened during the fence hopping.

I am off to my class today--I need to go get ready, but I was too excited about my woodpecker to ignore my blog this morning.

Yesterday, Tabs, Pip and I went to the beach--a lovely day--I love the Okanagan, it is still summer here--Mist stayed home with her friend Ashley and they had tons of fun calling up people in their classes and acting very silly.

 I am behind with my thesis work as I have been so busy with the darling children. So, I am devoting Sunday morning to finishing my thesis plan and self-directed studies class plan.

Wha...I don't want to go to school today! But I am going to get a wee break from it all at lunch when I borrow John's office to relax in--one needs to escape for a moment when spending an entire day on campus.

Gluttony for Girls

Me in my office/studio, looking anti-glam in my pj's and ' 4 generations of love' sweater. Peter snuck in and took this pic unbeknownst to me. 

Went to a talk at the "Bohemian Cafe" downtown last evening with Miranda. It was all about Gluttony. It was all right. I didn't learn anything new though. Then we went for supper at "The Bread Co." and then shopping. I was supposed to be M's stylist. I turned out to be my own stylist--purchasing two gorgeous dresses! M at least got one. We would have shopped longer but the mall closed on us (and no, we didn't spend the night trapped inside this time!).

I am reworking my thesis to show to my supervisor. It is quite exciting. M persuaded me to do a broader study as it is a field no one has ever studied before and thus I must give a more broad context to explain it to people before focusing on an autoethnographical study. The topic is the new underground fiction being practiced on the internet by unusual authors in unusual places.
Fernando is wild--bolted to the street twice yesterday and refused to be caught. But man is he bright. Case in point: I stopped by M's the other day to chat and M said to let him off his lead in the house--M and I were the only ones in the house except Fernando. He ran all over upstairs and downstairs exploring. And guess what he found? Out of all the tons of stuffies and toys he could have discovered, he brought me Pip's stuffed monkey "Rogio"that she'd left there days earlier. He carried it to me and dropped it at my feet!
I've been working out killer this week. I do love it. I am a girl who cannot sweat--it is my N. European genetics. However, this week, thanks to hot yoga, I am sweating!
Girls are off school today--Pro D day.
I have a doctors appointment later (my skin infection on my chin-- incase it doesn't heal on its own). It is my own fault. I could not stop picking at a dry skin patch--peeling it off each time it healed--sure enough it got infected. I am definitely cousin to the apes.
Thinking about the beach this aft with my gals--although Pip requested, "We go for coffee Mom? I LOVE coffee mom!"--a little Starbucks junkie like her mom. ALthough, she gets a hot choco.

Witches, Princesses and Bears

My dates today. Princess or witch? A little of both!

They hid. In a store. I had the entire staff searching for them. I tried everything--yelling a the top of my lungs for them to come out and NOW! No avail. I began to panic--what if someone snatched them and carried them out the back door?

Finally, I heard a small whispering voice and traced it to the linens. And hiding on the bottom shelf, behind giant quilts were these two. I was so mad. Even a shopper who'd helped in the search was mad at them!

And after a lecture and a forced apology and promise to never hide again, we stopped at the park. Doe-Doe's park we call it (Fernando often accompanies us to the park).

There I met PSCHO-Mom. YIKES and ICK! First thing she stopped me to say her child has a severe peanut allergy and have we had peanuts today? I humored her--no we hadn't. And then the two lovelies were playing on the slide in the pic above and singing ABBA songs when she barked, "Make sure MY daughter isn't in any of your photos!" I was taken aback--her daughter was off to the side, above the slide. I said, "She's not." And Psycho barked, "Just make sure she isn't!" Wow. Mental illness is scary. We were the only other people in the park besides that Psycho--she'd probably scared all the others away.

Mist is set for another busy year--I've had to say no to field hockey as she's doing too much: band, piano, musical theatre/jazz, school rec-team, social justice club and candy striper.

Tabs is doing piano and musical theatre/jazz and soccer. Pip is doing preschool two mornings a week--my girls are all ready to go.

There are bears in the area. A mother and two cubs were spotted in the area. I do worry about the bears. The devastation of salmon stocks is creating mass starvation.

First Day of Preschool

The girls loved their first day.

Pip woke up this morning, sat on me knee and exclaimed, "I can't believe I go to school today!"

She was ready an hour early and refused to put her lunch kit down--she carried it around for over an hour before school started. They are so cute. It makes my heart melt into a giant puddle.

Worked a little this morning, sorting out my thesis. And I have decided what I want to do my PhD in finally! I am excited about that.

Shopped late afternoon with Mist and Pip--Tabs is at soccer with her dad. I purchased many on sale, long sleeved t-shirts from the Gap and American Eagle for Mist. She also bought a cute dress and some shoes.

Hiked Paul's Tomb early this am with M. I arrived at 380 at 6 am and the sky was still black. The house was dark and quiet. I walked into the back yard to discover the second story master bedroom window open. I whispered harshly "Psst! Miranda!" I know she sleeps with ear plugs so it was poor Yianni I awoke who roused her up. She came to the window, eyes still closed, and whispered, "Ya, OK." I took that as meaning she'd throw on her running gear and join me--which she did--we ran down the mountain and along the lake path and then hiked straight back up the mountain. It is killer. That's why I love it!

Darling Poopsies

Hanging with these two feels like I am in a Hollywood comedy.

I took the little poopsies to story time at Chapters and then shopping at the Gap. It's easy enough with the Pip. I underestimated the power of two. The Gap became an obstacle course/race track. They refused to stay with me and hid all over. Thank G the staff found them amusing rather than obnoxious like I was finding the whole situation. I finally got the two of them to stay beside me and that is when the Hollywood Musical began. The twosome decided to serenade each and every customer with "Honey Honey, how you thrill me, uh-huh..." The entire Gap store was amazed and amused by these two wee princesses and their songs and wild dance moves. The staff and customers couldn't get enough. I just continued shopping--business as usual as they preformed. People kept shooting me amazed, bewildered looks like "these two are incredible--are they yours?"

It was quite the experience.

We stopped for hot chocolate at Starbucks were they continued to sing to each and every little boy playing at the "Thomas the Tank Engine" table.

This afternoon they tucked themselves in the playroom to play--and I heard cascading laughter ringing throughout the lower level as they played.

I woke up at 5 this am and drove in the dark to hot Ashtanga yoga. It was gruelling! They have many large infrared heating lamps hanging throughout the studio and heated floors. There was no way to escape the blistering, agonizing heat! Usually in Bikrams a good flat corpse pose on the floor will ease my nausea but alas, those blasted heated floors burned through my yoga mat and made me feel like a sizzling piece of bacon! On the upside, her ab workout was great.

Back at my workouts with a vengeance and I must say I feel filled with happiness. Working out is the best mood booster! Also the colour orange, it is the happiest colour.

Pippi Gymnastics

Biking the Kettle valley Railway this morning.

It is paradise up there. Biking through the tunnels and between narrow cliffs the air is crisp and refreshing and biking on the hot, sun-soaked trestles (that smell of train grease) is exhilarating.

I am suffering from post-stress disorder as well as impending stress disorder. My skin has decided to flare up...I shall overcome!

Tomorrow I will be up bright and early--well perhaps dull and early---in time for trying out yet another hot and gruelling yoga class with Miranda.

Fernando has decided to fill Silver's shoes by peeing all over in the kids bedrooms. HELP! Get me out of this pet nightmare! I've never had more difficult pets in my entire life than Silver and Fernando. Silver has been adopted into a new home (Thank-G) and I will break that little Fernando's 'naughty to the nuts' spirit of his or else he will find himself knocking on a certain Aunties door in the Kootenays.

I am pooped from a lot of heavy duty workouts lately. So tonight the entire family (Pip did nude gymnastics on our bed as the rest of us tried to catch the odd glimpse of the screen through her antics) watched part of season five of "The Office" on a DVD until our player overheated. So while it cools down, I popped Pip and Tabs in the bath and managed a blog update.

Finally meditating again--just before bed each night. It is my much needed vice.

Bikram's & Dragons

Tabs, Nemi, Pip and Artemi as a dragon. They entertained our Hawaiian guests with this creature. You can't see the head in this Pic but it was quite impressive. They made it out of paper and stuck it on the front.

Beautiful weekend. This morning Miranda and I up early for Bikram's yoga--killer as usual. And we recently returned from the beach. Mist stayed home as she is recovering from a fever/cold type bug. Tabs and Nem gathered unusual rocks on the beach and Artemis and Pip ran all over nude singing "Honey, Honey" for all the fellow beach dwellers. I went for a we dip but I was so tired from Bikram's and this cold bug I have that I did no heroic swims. Peter and John chatted on the beach together.

Tonight I shall watch a little of "Office" season five on DVD.

Tomorrow morning a quick early grocery run and then it's up to Myra Canyon for a bike ride along the Kettle Valley railway trestles.

Don't even ask me about my school work. No time to date. Next week I will get caught up in prep for my first class.

I found a new home for dear Silver. A single woman named Tia who is new to Kelowna, works nights and just wants some fuzzy company to greet her each day. She is perfect. I think Silver will be very happy with her--he was so unhappy with us as he hated the kids and Fernando. Still, it has been a very stressful situation for me.

Now we are working on the fence so I can manage Fernando and make my life a little simpler. Fernando is very bright. Yes, he often poops in the house, but he always does it in the bathroom, next to the toilet--if you are considering a new pet, don't read my blog. The amount of work I do cleaning up poo, pee and vomit will turn a saint off pet adoption!

Girls back at piano lessons and loving them. Once all three girls are playing, I want to buy them a baby grand.

Artemis and Pip

Pip and Artemisia are so in love with each other.

Artemisia arrived this morning with a huge smile on her face and a backpack full of little toys. Pip had just woken up and was sobbing upstairs for "Tabby"--because she'd left for school before Pip woke up and thus she wasn't able to give her goodbye hugs.

Then she heard Artemisia's voice! She rushed down stairs with a huge grin and helped Artemisia carry up her toys--I haven't seen them since! They are always so busy playing together, however, they stepped out of Pip's room for a little snack and singing session. They sang "Honey, honey, how you thrill me...I heard about you before...I wanted to know some more...now I know what they mean...he's a love machine...Oh you make me dizzy!" They are so amazingly cute!

Tabs was so looking forward to Nem's visit after the first day of school yesterday. Nem arrived in a new dress and happy as a lark. She and Tabs and Mikaila played all afternoon--writing a book together and walking Fernando. The cousins are so happy together it is wonderful that they love each other's company so much.

All little gals did very well on their first day of school. Tabs suffered first day anxiety and tears but recovered. Mist had a great first day and has friends in every class. She is enjoying being on the school rep team--escorting a new girl from Korea around.

I am helping look after Artemisia until M and J can find a full time Nanny.

It is working out great because Pip just loves Artemis and Artemis just loves Pip.

Mountain Hike

Mistaya and Pip hiking behind the mountain yesterday.

Tonight Peter, Miranda, John and I are off to "Moon"--creepy!

Peter and I rented "Sunshine Cleaning" last night and relaxed in bed. My girls were adorable, watching Barbie movies and setting up the Barbies afterward to recreate the movie.

It was a very sleepy relaxing weekend. Once a year, a family needs to simply putter around the house. We did stop by Chapters though. I ordered an Elizabeth Lyons book, "Manuscript Makeover" and bought Julia Child's book about her life in France--I need a light read as all my Buddhist books require a focused mind and right now I am in La-la Wonderland.

Tomorrow I vowed to get back on the horse--so it is back to the workout grind.

Tabs is doing much better--a cold and that is all. Pip was sniffling a bit today but seems fine.

There was a huge thunder storm this afternoon--unlike Kelowna.

Tomorrow it is fence shopping--Peter is going to build a giant dog run. And laundry for the girls and wine and cheese with the Hawaiian families at Miranda's. I am bringing wine and a few of my paintings to show off (we'll pretend Miranda has been displaying them all along!).

Nothing new really, nothing at all because like I said, it has been a rare weekend of my entire family being home bodies and relaxing.

Wake Me When September Comes...

More photos of my darling Pip.

Tabs is ill with a slight fever and cold bug. She passed her swimming and confesses to love swimming--this is wonderful considering the mental block she had against swimming last year.

Mist passed her swimming as well. I attempted to register them in dance at the Canadian School of Ballet and both girls chose to do a class in musical theatre/jazz. Piano lessons start this week and of course, school. I have to pay $200 a child to have my girls on a school bus. It is robbery considering we live too far for any child to walk to school--an hour and 1/2 walk up steep hills for Tabs and an over two hour walk for Mist.

I took my sister Miranda's advice and grocery shopped early this morn--I hate grocery shopping, so it is nice to have it over with so early in the day.

Starting Monday, I will have my Zen back on--no more sleeping in past 5:30 and missing the gym! No, I am back on for the new school year.

I must get an overview of my thesis project to my supervisor this week. That is what I shall be working on.

Thinking about a movie tonight with Peter, "Moon."

Miranda's fam and my fam are hosting wine and cheese for a couple from Hawaii (Joop's Nephew and wife). They are checking out our homes for a possible house switch this Christmas. Their son just started Uni at UBCO. My family and Miranda's would spend Christmas in Kona, Hawaii and they would spend Christmas in our homes visiting their son. I hope it works out as we'd all love to visit Kona in a few months! Theresa and fam stopped by Thursday night and all of us met the Hawaii family and friends at Joey's for an enjoyable meal. We all chatted so much that the waitress was frustrated as no one was interested in ordering food until late!

I have reached a Buddhist based philosophical decision. It is the hardest decision I have had to make in a long while. My Persian cat Silver seems to be going down hill mentally. For the past five years he has become intolerable to live with. He insists on peeing and pooping anywhere but his little box. I have tried EVERYTHING--drugs, new litter, new box, new confined living area etc. Although he is now confined to living in the laundry/ front entrance area, he manages to create at least 3-5 messes a day for me to clean up. So, with a heavy heart, and an exhausted mind, I realize he is not fit for cohabiting with our family. We must give him up. It is tragic, as I have always had a cat my entire life, yet now I no longer can have one for many years--a new cat would smell all the places Silver urinated and may mark as well.

Back on My Zen

My girls in my parent's back yard. Their property extends to the waterline of the Thompson River.

I have been flying by the seat of my pants all summer long---this is so unlike me. I am usually so organized, so schedule rigid, so driven. But chaos ensues this summer. Perhaps it is good to let everything go--to flow along with it--following my life, not leading it--once in awhile. I am ready to get back into the driver's seat though--perhaps it is impossible to keep a schedule for years and years without a fly-by-your-pants summer to break it up occasionally. Of course fear is what prevents me from embracing the fly-by-the-pants summer completely. Fear that I will accomplish squat and I will get out of shape. I think my mental balance needs structure to be free. Without structure, I actually feel much more trapped. I have tried mediating periodically and realize how scattered my mind is in this state. I cannot focus on any of my usual meditations long enough to complete them. So, in observation, I note that my life is more zen within my self-created mandala for my life path. If I let that go (as I have this summer) my mind becomes more chaotic, less zen.

Today Pip and I are making chocolate/pumpkin cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese icing because she tells me, "dey are my favowit!"

Went out for tapas at the Elderado deck last evening on the marina with Miranda and her visiting friend Jen from Guelph. Lightening and thunder chased us inside a few times.

The Mist is camping with friends at Bear Creek Provincial campground across the lake. I was worried for their safety during the storm.

Tabs is at swimming (Auntie took her) and then she will join her cousins and friends at Energiplex for indoor sliding fun.

Peter is on a special task force at UBC dealing with how to cope with the impending Swine-flu pandemic they predict this winter.

I am actually going to do a serious meditation tonight to get myself back on my Zen!