waiting for barb's

yesterday was another lovely saturday in victoria.

with hungry cousins from out of town visiting, 

we decided to head down to fisherman's wharf to check out the seals

 and maybe get some of barb's famous fish and chips.

i said maybe about barb's...

 because being the best fish and chip joint in the city,

 the line up is sure to be long.

and it was...

but despite all the wait 

(a mere 35 minutes to get to the top of the line and another 10 to get the food)

 the kids lined up for their calamari, fish, chicken, fries and drinks anyways.

they were smart about it...

they took turns keeping their place in line and taking in the sights around the wharf.

the resident seals were hungry ...

they were eager to pose for the camera in exchange for a fishy treat.

it ended up being a very lovely afternoon.

we found a perfect table so we could sit, talk, people watch and warm our backs with the sun.

when the food finally arrived, it was delicious... and was definitely worthy of the wait.

i love these summer days... when no one is in a hurry and actual waiting is pleasurable.

the sun wasn't too hot... so basking in it was a treat.

everyone was well hydrated... so the grumpy(s) didn't make an appearance.

we hadn't seen each other in a couple of weeks... so there was much to catch up on.

 a couple of hours later...

we sauntered home.

erica

xoxo

how was your saturday?

moving things out

visitors from out of town are coming and it's time to clear things out.

we live in a house with very limited closet space. 

 in other words... there is no place to hide.

so every month... i TRY to declutter 
to regain some valuable space and more importantly, 
some peace of mind.

my method is simple but it really works.

i call it the 'garbage bag' method.

if we don't use it, or if we have doubles of it... it goes in a black or green garbage bag.

clear bags don't work as well because seeing the soon-to-be discarded contents 

increases the tendency for retrieval.

the items sit in the garbage bag for a month... 

and if we don't miss it, need it, or crave for it within that month...

it gets donated, recycled or thrown away.

it has worked really well for us.

we've tried having garage sales... but my children tended

 to bring half of the sale items back into their bedrooms (mid-sale).

donating the lot feels great.   

to know that all this stuff can be resold and reused makes the letting go much easier.

every month... i wait for that phone call, from big brothers, big sisters or 
from the canadian diabetes association.

i'm sure they already know to include our house during their neighnourhood pick ups.

but this month...because we have visitors coming to stay with us...

 we decided to deliver our extra big load of giveaways.  

it feels really good to clear things out.

having no storage space... has become such a blessing.

it has allowed us to be very conscious of what we buy/accumulate/bring into our home.

and it has allowed us to continually practise the art of letting go.

erica

xoxo

serenity now...

i don't know how she does it...

 but she is able to achieve the look and feel of serenity in her home and garden.

being a bit of a hoarder, 

and unable to not go head over heels with any interesting display of

 colour, patterns and texture...

 i don't have the discipline to do it.

starting from the vignette at the front steps...

my sister has mastered the art of minimal decor.

while i sit in her garden, i can feel my body relaxing and my mind calming itself.

i think this is because the space she has created is uncluttered yet very comforting.

the pieces she has chosen are stunning...

not only because of their simplicity,

 but also in how they blend with the natural elements that they are placed in.

the unclutteredness gives each item breathing space.

and this space allows the viewer,  the ability to breath in the same spaciousness 

(be it in their mind, or in their body)

the serenity is quite uncanny... 

because she has a houseful of young, energetic children.

but every summer i visit here... i find it.

if i were a little bird... 
i would nest here !!!

 if i were a pixie.... 

this would be my garden !!!

and if i were aspiring to become a monk... 

studying and practising the mahamudra...

 i would call this home.

erica

xoxo

p.s. i forgot to tell you that it's the perfect setting for an alberta beef bbq.

moment 08/22/14

a moment
a friday ritual, a single photo, no words, capturing a moment from the week
a simple, special, extraordinary moment
i want to pause, savour and 
remember.

 erica

xoxo

my sista's garden

welcome to my sister's garden...

she and her family may live in zones 3 and 4  

but at this time of the year...

their garden is so lush and abundant with life.

(and in much better shape than mine)

and all that is even before you enter the garden gate !!!

once you are in,

the profusion of colour is spectacular.

while the garden is not big in square footage, 

it displays a huge variety of plants 

all lovingly tended and buzzing with insects, butterflies and ornaments.

 the sour cherry bush is loaded....

maybe there will be enough ripe pickings for a sour cherry pie??

and her tomatoes are slowly but surely coming....

 during our visits, we enjoy sitting under the huge, colourful umbrella...

taking in even more flower power on the deck.

 my favourite is the portulaca 
that opens and closes its petals with the time of day.

 sitting in my sister's garden is such a wonderful treat...
it's not hard to feel happy and giddy with all the vibrant colours

definitely, a true oasis in the middle of the canadian prairies.

erica

xoxo