Kiss me...it's Christmas!

I love the whole idea of mistletoe...I mean how cute is that? You stand under a twig of green leaves and someone has to give you a kiss...now that is a sweet deal. ;o) Thing is, I have never really thought about where mistletoe comes from, or why we even do it. Like who started this whole kissy kissy thing anyways. Some dude that just wanted to get all the ladies in town to kiss him? The history of mistletoe is quite extensive and has a couple changes throughout. I am not super knowledgeable when it comes to mythology of any kind...Greek, Norse or whatever. I know Zeus and all his guys...TV's Hercules cartoon helped me with that! But, in doing a little research this past week, I have found out that mistletoe evolves originally from Norse mythology. That crazy god Loki schemed to have the god Baldr killed by the blind god Höðr by projectile of mistletoe. (what that means...I have no idea. An arrow made of mistletoe???) Anyhow, like how many stories change over the years, mistletoe soon became an example of male "divine" essence...fertility being a part of that. The thought of great fertility came from the little white berries which I guess they felt represented semen. ha ha ha! Sometime in the 3rd century, the ideology of mistletoe was changed with the widespread "new" christian religion and over the years to come it somehow became how we use it now. (wikipedia doesn't even know!) "Kissing" under the mistletoe dates back to as early as the 16th century in good old England, of course. ;o) The boys were allowed to kiss the girls underneath the mistletoe that hung in the doorway...each time a kiss was granted, a berry was removed from the mistletoe. Once all berries were removed, no more kisses were given. Soooo cute!

Before this week, I had no clue where the sweet little green leafy twig even came from. Being that we are with my parents down in Texas this Christmas, we are doing things their way. Which is the way I like it, the way I grew up...the way that makes me feel warmth and love. We always had a sprig of mistletoe at the front door at Christmas. My parents kept saying last week that we should go pick some mistletoe before the rest of the family came out. "Where do we buy it", I asked. "It's all over the place, we can pick it ourselves", replied my father. What??? Mistletoe is a parasite that grows in trees. Who knew? It grows there all year long, but you see it best in the winter when the real leaves of the tree drop. They grow in clumps. Eventually they will choke out the tree and kill it. How can such a lovely little plant do that? ;op Well, it does. (remember to take your mistletoe out of the trees in your yard if it's growing. You get to have the kissy fun at Christmas AND save your trees!) Thursday afternoon, Clint, my nephew Samuel and I went for a walk to go see the horses up the street. We found some mistletoe growing in a tree that was low enough for us to get it. We came home victoriously with a big twig of mistletoe. Kisses for everyone this Christmas!!

I wish everyone, all over the world a very Merry Christmas this year. May your home be filled with love, joy and peace. In whatever your traditions may be...may they be Merry and Bright! xox

Never judge a book by it's cover...

It's been said time and time again...all over the world, I am sure. Someone dresses in a certain style, wears clothing that is different than how "we" dress, has a shaved head, looks tough or rough...perhaps wearing clothing that leaves little to the imagination. Whatever the case may be, we often will serve up a character assassination on them. Like...she must be easy...he looks like a skinhead...hoity toity princess...unemployed bum....whatever we think in that first moment will be our definition of that person that we do not even know. How fair is that? It ain't fair at all...but I would say the majority of us do it. I too am guilty. I try real hard not to do it. For me, it has been a lifelong battle to not judge. I often am looked at instantly judged for so many other reasons. Obviously. (the wonders that people have when they first see me...accident...disease...however people think I lost my arm.) So I have tried to see people for who they are beyond what they look like. Wait til the moment that I may actually have the chance to say hello to them as I pass them on the street or in the mall...wait to hear them respond to me. I still don't have much right to judge after that moment...you can't get much out of a hello. But the fact that they DID in fact respond to my greeting...and the way that response comes out can say a whole heck of a lot. But...again, we have to also realize they may be going through some tough time or hurtful time and their response may be bleak. It don't mean anything to us...or it shouldn't. We got to remember that all of us are human with many emotions and feelings and bad days and good days. We ALL make mistakes, we all have pains and joys and memories. We are all the same.

Anyways....I was just reminded of this the other day. We had just gotten out of the van and started walking up the aisle in the uber busy parking lot of the Sam Moon in Northwest Dallas...this woman turned into the aisle on her big Harley. Total "Biker Bitch". I carefully took my camera out of my purse so that I could candidly take a photo of her and all her bikerness. Naturally, I assumed that if she had seen me with my camera she would stop the engine, get off the bike and take my camera. (I watch too many movies) Thankfully, she did not notice me and my swift blue canon. ;o) Clint and I proceeded to the T-shirt store to find my girlfriend a cheesy Texas tee. After finding the perfect top, I walked up to the counter to purchase it. The sales lady was busy chatting with someone on the other side, so I patiently waited for my turn. I heard her say to the other customer to come around so that she could pay for her purchase at the till. The other customer came out of the bustle of young girls looking at the feather fascinators and telling their mom that "this is what I want in my hair on my wedding day" (they were probably 16 years old...ha ha ha...you will probably change your minds sweethearts!). The woman that came out the other side was the Harley lady!! She had the sweetest, most high pitched voice...she saw me standing there and instantly apologized as if she had cut me in line. I told her to go ahead that she was in fact ahead of me and that I was in no hurry. She thanked me and continued to be ultra sweet to the sales lady. Hm. Totally NOT what I had expected at all. Teaches me to leave my judgement glasses at home and see people as the person they are...not what they are wearing or whatever.

Thank you Harley Momma...you rocked my day!! :o)

Happy Birthday to me!

They say it's your birthday...happy birthday to you!!!

I turn another year older today...and I feel just fine. A little tired as I have been preparing for our family Christmas 2011. In terms of getting older though...I totally dig the whole aging and learning as you grow process. Man, I have learned a whole heap of important stuff in my life so far. I love life! And, I just felt the need to say that I love this day...and I can not wait til next years. This year I will be enjoying a delicious calzone at the Woodfire, it will be the 12th day of the 12th month and our reservations are at 12. Hmmmm...I should have made it for 12 people! ;o) Next year, my birthday will be real special once again. Like my champagne birthday where I turned 12 on the 12 of the 12. Oooooooh. 12/12/12 it will be for me...that is way too cool. Yup...I am just like a little girl! Excited about such simple things.

Here I am on my day of birth...many moons later of course. I have been up since about 5 am. I look a little sleepy...but also old and wise...n'est pas? hee hee

Peace out! xo

Viva la Travel

I feel like it has not been that long since we last went away...we drove to Manitoba in the beginning of August. I suppose 4 months really isn't that long of a time, yet it seems as though so much has happened since then. And...it was that trip that forecast this next one coming...dun dun dunnnnnn...Christmas travel! My dad was so overjoyed at our family reunion in August that all he could think of was having HIS whole family at their home down in Texas. So...a down home Christmas we will have this year. I know that it is going to be the best time ever. I know that I will be feeling teary and nostalgic as we are driving the Inter-State to DFW airport...already missing my sweet little nieces and nephews, my Omi, my sister, my brother and their spouses and then knowing full well I am about to have to say good-bye to mom and dad after we check our bags in. I try hard not to cry so that my mom doesn't cry. I hate seeing my mom cry. I really love my family to pieces...couldn't imagine not having them in my life. I am blessed to have a close and loving family.

Now, with that all being said I also am very attached to my home...my little island paradise. I believe that one of the smartest moves Clint and I have ever made was moving to Gabriola. There has been many a tough time...but different than tough times dans le city. It is such a unique and simple lifestyle out here. It is definitely not for everyone...in fact, I feel that most people I know would never, ever want to live here full time. It's like country living with a ferry in between you and the big bad city. It is way more effort than necessary to get over to where "all of the action is". And I love it that way. I do not, not like the city...it has its purposes...I just love the quiet and easy life of the "country". When we leave here I miss taking Maggie to the beach for a walk and listening to the waves and birds and smelling the sometimes stinky ocean breeze. I miss my friends, I miss the people that I always see and enjoy a quick chat with, I miss the dark night sky filled with a million twinkling stars and dancing with my moon shadow with the full moon down on the beach...or my porch. hee hee. I love the life that Clint and I have out here. I don't mind that there are only like 3 restaurants to choose from if we decided to go out to eat. I don't mind that every business is closed by 10 pm the latest...unless it is the bar, which stays open til midnight...1 on the weekend. I even love (well, most of the time) that each time I leave my house I will run in to at least one or two people that know me by name and are genuinely happy to see me and know how I am doing...and I the same for them. I love the people in my community. It is all these sweet and simple things that I miss so dearly when we are away.

People travel from all over this great big globe of ours to come and visit this little island that we call home. That makes me proud to live here...to be Gabriolan. We are all so very lucky to live here...we all know it! ;o) I also feel that we are lucky to see other places though too...experience other cultures and food and lifestyles and a whole bunch of stuff that you wouldn't see or do if you only stayed home. So, I am excited to travel down to the big old State of Texas...yeeeeeeha! It's gonna be fun. Before we know it we will be back in our cozy little home on our precious little island and enjoying the memories of the fun times we had. Viva la travel!

Oh, my love of ceramica...

It continues...my new addiction to the art of playing with clay. Molding a pile of "mud" into an object of desire...I find it stimulating and amazing and I am totally ALL over it! In my mind, it is a hobby that pretty much every living human being can enjoy. It's one part being a kid and getting your hand(s) dirty playing in the mud and one part, "I am creating something magical!" I find myself continuing to thank Mariko for suggesting to Bryan that they buy a home on Gabriola and continue their artistic passions on a remote island that allows the flow of energy in order to be perhaps, even more creative than in the big bustling city of Calgary. Feedlot Studios is da bomb and I am thankful that I have it as my home away from home to get my creative juices flowing and mold some mud into something I see as special. I love it!!! I highly recommend that all people, at least once in their life take to a ceramics course or join an open ceramics night in your neighbourhood. I know they have them in the big cities...open the Yellow Pages, errr, I mean Google a studio in your area...have some fun. Let your imagination run wild...feel free.

Recently, a friend of mine commissioned me to make an ash tray for a friend of hers. She liked the bathtub tray that I made in the spring...she had faith in me that I could produce what she was looking for. I am grateful for that...she made me feel special even just for asking. ;o) Her friend, in conversation one night said it would be hilarious to have an ass tray. The mind could go to so many different places with that in mind when designing your creation. Clint was suggesting some hilarious yet rather distasteful ways of making it...I laughed at the ideas...they were funny...but not my style. I guess you could say that I am more of a creator of the "cute". Like I always say, "I am just a big kid", so I enjoy things that are sweet and cute and innocent, yet still with that bit of cool that I have always enjoyed. I put quite a bit of thought into my creation...even though it seems quite simple. An Ass Tray for sure HAS to have an ass as part of it...how do I make it look cool?? Butts are always sticking out of everyone's jeans these days. Crack is just a part of everyday...ass crack that is! ;op I went in that direction. You need an ash tray to butt out your ciggies, cigars or doobies or whatever...why not have a sweet tray to do it in? Well, this is where my brain took me...

 

I am happy with how it turned out...it was a fun project. You can even keep your pack of cigs or lighter or whatever inside the body cavity! Was I thinking, or what? I just really liked how in the creation of this piece, I was allowed to be free with my imagination and let the idea take me to a place of that was outside of the norm. Perfect! Thanks Patricia for the fun time! ;o) I really hope that your friend enjoys it for years. It's a piece of art that you can use! hee hee hee.