Soccer on Saturday Morning

Tabs refueling

Tabs got the ball away from all of her opponents this time--it was a great play. She even saved herself from a ball in the face!

After the game:       Tabs (facing camera) 

Spent Saturday morning with Tabs at her soccer game. Peter taught his grad class all day. The weather predicted rain so I took the girls shopping as Tabs needed summer clothing (she's out grown all last year's items). And shop we did. Mist brought a friend along--we split up and met 2h later. I was pooped. Pip spilt her chocolate milk all over my jeans at one point during the trip. But Tabs was thrilled to find a lovely dress and I bought one for Pip also.
And on Saturday night, we managed a family game of tennis once again after supper.

I mailed away my revised thesis on Friday so it is time for phase 2 of  my career comeback after a decade long maternity leave! Phase one was getting my MA degree. Phase 2 is rather exciting because finally everything I have worked on for my entire adult life will come together: painting/writing/teaching. I am going to forge ahead and finish my MFA at UBC so I will be qualified to teach at any and all University Fine Arts departments. The absolute best thing about it is that my research will be my art!
So, phase 2 requires more applications to the Uni. I believe I can finish the degree quite quickly. To supplement my income I will teach Zumba while I finish my latest degree. All I've ever done is paint, write and teach my entire life so this is where I am supposed to be.

Again, I must say what Zumba dance does for me: it saves my mind. The intense physical exercises, intense dance choreography and music is what my brain needs. I am a very active/ creative person--my brain craves constant action--it is a gift but also I get into trouble with this brain of mine unless I can focus it and challenge it on all levels daily. Zumba does just that. And of course, a nice long evening meditation always helps bring me down. The only down side to being a serious meditator is that something has to give. I can no longer read in the evenings before bed or watch a movie. I have to meditate for an hour before bed. I get up super early to work out so I go to bed pretty early (never after ten if I can help it). Thus, a meditator's life involves some sacrifices in the areas of leisure entertainment such as reading in bed.

Today the girls and I had a picnic lunch in the forest park behind our house with Miranda's family (Peter working on a paper at the Uni). I felt bad because the girls decide they wanted veggie dogs and hot dogs (the new naturally cured variety--no chemicals or by products) So I made them, wrapped them in foil and headed out. Mist's friend Lauren came along as well. And wouldn't you know it, discovered the hot dog buns had mold on them once we arrived at the picnic :(  Tabs had just made her ginger snap cookies and they were ready the moment we left the house so at least we had warm cookies for dessert :)

Stowaway on an Arc

Pics are from a photo shoot of the Maplelea dolls for their upcoming catalogue. No word yet if the top pic made it in.

Tonight I'm alone
Alone in the dark
Away from the familiar tone
Stowaway on an Arc

--lines from a poem I wrote when I was 11 years old. They seem fitting today as I rest in bed with a nasty virus that has left me feeling tired, achey, nauseous, and fainty. My sister Miranda had it last week. I woke up feeling OK and Peter and I did our early morning Paul's Tomb hike to the bottom of the mountain and back up again. We even past the site of the forest fire. It was frightening to see. A large part of the forest burned and if it had proceeded any further, it would have climbed up and over the mountain and burned down our house! Thank goodness our mountain is watched each and every summer by fire crews and they are fast to react. Every summer, a fire starts on our mountain and every summer they get it out before any houses burn. Still, I think I will make a list of our most valuable items and where to find them incase one of these summers we must evacuate. I'll have to let it all burn except for my art work, writings, family movies and photographs and the smocked dresses my mom has made my girls! I figure I need to teach Mistaya to drive so she can head down the mountain with all of the little girls and our dogs while the adults pack up the vans! lol

It was after the hike that the bug crept in. I just wanted to go back to bed.

Last night Miranda and I attempted "Eat, Pray, Love" but it was sold out so we watched "Switched." All of Jennifer Anniston's movies are the very same. She looks exactly the same, not a hair out of place, and plays the exact same woman over and over.

 I finished applying for the MFA program. It was so much fiddly work--using up to 3 computers at once to locate all of my art photos and text and mail them away. The applying itself was so much work on its own, I feel like I am ready to graduate the program!