Tomorrow or Today » In Season

Inspiration : February 2010

Sarah — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:30:45 +0000

Happy Groundhog Day, everyone! Did the groundhog see his shadow this morning or no? I actually haven’t checked yet. Either way, I feel like we’re heading into the final month(s) of winter here in Toronto. But still, there’s nary a snowdrift to be found. It’s been a cold winter here, but a dry one. It was a cold autumn too, almost as though we’ve been holding in this weather pattern since September. So if that groundhog really didn’t see his shadow then I am happy. Knowing that spring is right around the corner is what Groundhog Day is all about.

Because change is good, right? Right. So on that note, let me introduce you to a new monthly blog feature:

My Inspiration of the Month.

February’s inspiration is this lovely card that I got from Dave on the occasion of our 4-year Date-aversary. It seems odd somehow, celebrating our “anniversary” in January when we’re already knee-deep in October wedding plans. I guess this was the last time we would celebrate January 19th as our official anniversary. And so what better piece of loveliness to inspire me for the month ahead.

So, what do you think? It’s a little bit romance, a little bit whimsy, a little bit luxe. It’s royal purple and cool silver and the deep red of Valentine’s Day. It’s quiet mornings and sweet treats. It’s a great big pop of colour in this still dreary month of winter.

Hope you like it! I’m sure it’ll inspire me all month long as we head into February. And if you’d like to see a close-up of the board to catch all the little bits and pieces, you can find it here.

Winter

Sarah — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:13:41 +0000

Why do people hate winter? Or any season for that matter? I know that up here in Canada it can get very cold and the realities of moving through snow can prove to be difficult on a Monday morning, but why the hate? Don’t they know that each in turn is part of the whole? There can be no summer harvest without first having winter’s snow melt into the ground to replenish the water table.

I’ve never been a great fan of extremes, be they in winter or summer. I’m much more of a spring/fall girl myself. More wardrobe options that way. But I am getting better at learning to take things as they come. Each season has something enjoyable about it that I think we’d miss if there was suddenly no more of that one time of year. Like, for instance, lighting candles in the early evening when you’ve barely turned your mind to dinner and yet the night already envelops you.

Note to self: remember this feeling and this sentiment come Groundhog Day when the brunt of winter is upon us and there are no more twinkling Christmas lights to make me feel good about it.

Also: remember to stock up on candles.

Sugar Cookies & Puppy Love

Sarah — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:39:38 +0000

Well, my baking bonanza was a success. I spent the better part of 3 glorious hours in the kitchen, cutting out shapes, drizzling icing and sprinkling coloured sugar. It’s a good thing I had prepared and refrigerated the dough on the weekend when Melissa and Carvill and I had a cookie-baking day of our own. Otherwise, I might have been in that kitchen for at least a couple more hours. I did, after all, make a double batch.

But all of my efforts were worth it. These cookies were gobbled up by my coworkers and at the end of the day when I went to check there were maybe 5 remaining in the tin, which I left for the night crew to enjoy. (Whoever got their hands on one before they were all gone, anyway.)

After my busy day on Wednesday, I was glad to be working from home yesterday and today. I definitely needed the peace and quiet. And Daisy was definitely missing me while I was gone too. She followed me around on Wednesday night from room to room, where ever I went, keeping an eye on me and cuddling me whenever I sat down.

To think that this is the same dog who was so independent and spurned my attentions when she was young, only to grow so attached to me in her old age. I can’t believe she’s gonna be 13 in February. Has it really been 13 years since I was 16, demanding that my parents let me buy her with the first earnings of my first job? Wow. It really is incredible how fast time flies.

Countdown

Sarah — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:50:32 +0000

{a little blurry, but I don’t mind.}

Christmas is almost upon us. Ten days to go. And the solstice is on Monday, which is definitely a special day for me, personally. I’ve spoken about my thoughts on the seasons before, and Yuletide is one of the major points on the wheel of the year. That blackest of nights that gives way to the promises of brighter, longer days to come. Though we still have the brunt of winter to get through, we can take comfort in knowing that every day now will be just a little bit longer. Until finally, we reach the promise of spring and a world reborn into new beauty.

But back to the topic at hand: Yule and Christmas. I unfortunately have to work on Monday and Tuesday next week, but after that both Dave and I have the rest of the month off, heading back to work in January. Even though I don’t have Monday off, I do want to do something special with Dave. Maybe something just the two of us. I’m picturing candles, but I haven’t gotten much beyond that yet. Either way, I can tell the solstice is close. As I write this, the sun is already going down and it’s barely 4:00.

I still haven’t finished my holiday shopping either. Dave is stopping at a store after work to pick up another gift, but after that we still have four people left to shop for, plus stocking-stuffers. I used to find Christmas shopping a lot easier and more enjoyable, but we’re on a much tighter budget this year, saving for the wedding and all. We’re trying to make it work but it’s made gift ideas a little harder to come by and the whole shopping experience seems a bit more tense. Once that’s done though I think I’ll be able to start enjoying myself the way I normally do at this time of year. Because usually, I’m that annoying person in every family that loves the holidays SO much, despite the fact that everyone else around them seems to be a giant grinch. As proof, I submit my Christmas Music playlist, currently standing at 100+ songs in length. It has been on heavy rotation in these here parts ever since the Santa Claus Parade.

ANd tomorrow is our office’s Holiday Lunch. My workplace is too poor to afford an actual Christmas party, so they have some catering brought in for us one day instead. That generally translates into not a lot of work getting done, which is fine by me. I’m planning on baking sugar cookies tonight to bring in as my contribution to the “party.” Sugar cookies with a drizzling of royal icing and sprinkles on top. What do you think? And I’ll try to remember to take pictures of my baking bonanza this evening, during which the aforementioned playlist will again be put to very good use.

T-minus 10 days and counting!

Some Thoughts

Sarah — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:00:43 +0000

I found myself feeling overwhelmingly philosophical this morning. More than usual, it would seem. Most of the time I keep my philosophical thoughts to myself. In our “modern” world, it has become something of a faux pas to start up a philosophical discussion. And with the frantic pace of 21st century lives, who really has time to waste on philosophy anyway? So really, I guess I don’t talk about this much, but I am actually an acutely seasonally-minded person. More than any organized religion ever has, the spiritual side of me is awakened by a reverence for nature as it continually renews itself through the turning of the seasons. I see creation in all things from stardust to my pinky toe and I have respect for them all, equally. Call it what you will, this is just how I feel in my heart.

And as you know, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my day-to-day life, what it’s been like for these past few years and how much of it has been lived on autopilot. And part of what bothers me so much is that I don’t live what I feel, partly because I worry about being judged as a weirdo, but more because of this autopilot fallback postioin my life often takes. I guess it’s just another offshoot of the general thoughts I’ve been having about mapping a direction for the rest of my life. Now that I am happily engaged, it seems as though philosophical and practical questions are colliding. I’m questioning what kind of future I want it to be: Where do we want to live and “settle down”? How soon after the wedding do we want to start having kids? How are we even gonna afford this wedding and what kind of lifestyle changes will we have to make to save that kind of money? How do I start living a more seasonally-minded life so that I don’t feel quite so spiritually hollow all the time and can start creating the home and family that our future children will eventually be welcomed into? And where does a career and the need to make money fit into all this? Because I am still struggling with knowing what to do in that aspect of my life, and generally trying to fight back the overwhelming fear that in this recession-ridden world, me and my Celtic Studies degree are completely unhireable.

As usual, I don’t seem to have any of the answers to my questions. Part of it is that I don’t really know where to begin and part of it is that no matter how hard I try, it is increasingly difficult or me to feel at home in our cramped upper floor apartment, living in someone else’s house in the dirty urban core of a major metropolitan city. No money + no car + no job with a future = staying put right here without even being able to change my surroundings even a little bit to spruce it up and make it feel more homey.

There I go, sounding all down and sorry for myself again. I’m not really, I swear. I guess I’m still just floundering, looking for square one of where to being. It’s just hard to feel connected to nature when all you see outside your window is concrete and brick. But take that first step I must, whatever it may be, because I refuse to stay living in this limbo. I need to start being mindful and fully present in my own life, not just coasting through it. I need to create the life and the future and the family I want, not just lie back and wait for it to find me.

Veggies for Everyone!

Sarah — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:17 +0000

Dave and I joined a CSA this summer and we’re into week 3 of our veggie deliveries. It’s so fantastic to have all sorts of local, in season, fresh, organic goodness to eat every week. (Though we may be ODing on lettuce for the rest of the month.)

We’ve both been trying to get in shape and be more healthy since March. We’ve been going to a gym and changing our diet a lot, both in what we eat and how much of it. Not that we weren’t eating veggies before, we were. It’s just well, small changes can help in the biggest ways. So as part of that, we’ve been eating even more fruits and veggies than ever before. Heck, sometimes 75% of our meal will be veggies. And though it does take a bit of extra prep work, we’re actually enjoying finding different ways to eat them.

Anyway, back to the CSA. Basically, we get a quarter of a bushel of fresh, locally grown veggies every Tuesday for 20 of the 52 weeks of the year. It changes from week to week depending on what’s in season and ready to go. I’m personally loving it and I think Dave is too.

And if I’ve left you with a fever for veggies, you can find out more about our CSA here:
Twin Creeks Organic Farm

Once the late evening comes…

Sarah — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:00:14 +0000

Once the late evening comes, everything remains in shadow, except for the tops of the tallest trees, whose leaves glitter in the last of the fading sunlight. The air in the evening smells deeper, richer. It carries the smell of grass and berries and pollen. Nearby, I hear the shrill screams of children playing. Everything seems so different during childhood. The summer days seem so long and twilight is a magical time. Cicadas chirp in the trees during the day and crickets chirp in the grass at night.

I remember the summers of my childhood. All day, every day, running around outside with friends, building tree houses, playing make believe. And then at night, when the heat would break and the thunder and lightening would come, I’d huddle in my bed excitedly waiting for the next earsplitting crack.

I remember being really happy during those summers. I never even remember being bothered by the humidity. I think it was the freedom of living on a quiet suburban street, able to spend unstructured hour upon unstructured hour finding ways to entertain myself. I was never bored but I do remember always wishing to be grown up. I couldn’t wait to be 18. That was the age when you were an adult and your parents couldn’t tell you to come in for dinner right at the best part of the game.

Now that I am a grown up, I wish that summers were still like that, where you had all the unstructured free time you could want to pursue your every fancy. I’ve been thinking about that a lot as I try to reclaim a little bit of it this summer. All I’m missing is having a yard and a chance to have grass between my toes.

On an unrelated note, I’m thinking that I would also like to ween myself off of evenings full of TV. Instead, maybe I’ll go for evening walks or read a book or do some knitting. Something quiet. I like TV, I do, I just think I’ve had too much of it in my life for a while and maybe summer is a good time to take a break from that. I’m just sayin’.

Feeling (somewhat) Better

Sarah — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:00:16 +0000

Well, my chest cold has broken into a lovely cough with stuffy/runny nose to match. But I do seem to be getting my energy back, albeit in small spurts. It was enough for me to take Daisy on a walk around the block this morning. And I really should’ve taken the camera with me when I did. New summer flowers have been popping up everywhere while I’ve been cooped up inside. Roses and tiger lilies, especially. They’re everywhere and they look gorgeous. Note to self: Remember to take the camera next time we go out.

And because I’ve had more energy, this morning actually resembled something closer to a real morning, rather than me just getting up and moving directly to the couch. Which reminds me. I did have “plans” to settle on a rhythm to my days, something that everything else will free-flow around as I see fit. So I’ll be posting my shot at putting virtual pen to paper and thinking up a routine that works tomorrow.

PS – What the HECK was the name of that show from when we were kids where two teams of two children had to do ridiculous things, including making some disgusting concoction that the other had to eat the most of before the time was over. I seem to recall flour and M&M’s and peanut butter but…. What the heck was the name of that show?!

Mornings (or: Happy Canada Day)

Sarah — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:47 +0000

You know, it is so much easier for me to wake up when I’m not dreading the day. Most weekday mornings I doze till it’s almost too late, finally dragging myself out of bed after hitting snooze for the second or third time. But any morning I know is my own, I wake up naturally refreshed and happy, long before the alarm is even set to go off.

This morning was like that. The sun rose and I followed, just before 7. Daisy got up with me, ready for her morning walk and so I tied back my hair, threw on a pair of jeans and took her around the block.

I love early summer mornings. There’s always just a touch of cool to the breeze, since the sun hasn’t quite risen far enough to make it muggy and uncomfortable yet. This morning was like that. It was refreshing and awakening. On weekday mornings there’s always such hustle and bustle going on in the neighbourhood, but today was like a Sunday, almost. The streets were all but deserted except for the occasional dog walker or elderly woman watering her garden. Even the pigeons had yet to come down from their roost atop the old school. They still sat up there in pairs and threes, cooing to each other in the weak sunlight.

Daisy, as usual, thought it necessary to smell everything, so our walk was slow. Which was fine by me. On weekdays I all but drag her through her walks, always feeling rushed to get back and get on with whatever else is left to do on the laundry list of daily chores. But no, this morning was leisurely. Flowers always smell sweeter first thing in the morning, right after they’ve opened. I always find it amazing how many flowers can be crammed into the tiny front yards of downtown homes

Eventually we made our way back and, as usual, Daisy demanded immediate feeding before promptly going back to bed for a snooze. But I stayed up, having a cup of coffee, relishing the fact that I had the chance to sit down with a cup rather than having to pack it into a travel mug or buy one on the go. I wish all mornings could be like this: quiet, sunny, warm, calm. Gives me a peaceful feeling that I carry through the day. You know, rather than the frantic and rushed knot in the pit of my stomach that I carry around most days. It’s too bad, really. Something tells me that most mornings used to be like this…a long, long time ago.

Persian New Year

Sarah — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:00:28 +0000

The first day of spring is also Nowruz, Persian New Year. So on Sunday, Dave and I went to Ram & Shima’s pad for a festive get-together! There were cookies, and sweet treats, wine and mimosas. We chatted and laughed and had dinner. It was a lot of fun and a great way to welcome the new season.

The best thing, though, (you know, besides all the sweets) was the New Year’s Table that Ram & Shima had set up. Each item on the table had a different symbolic meaning, whether it be life (goldfish), patience (vinegar), or wealth (coins). It was very cool. I like symbolism, it speaks to the deeper meanings of life and the emotional needs of the soul. But that’s a post for another day.

So Happy Spring, everyone! If your March came in like a lion, may it go out like a lamb.

Sprung

Sarah — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:15:25 +0000

Happy Spring Equinox, everyone!

I love spring. Not as much as I love autumn, but it’s definitely a close second. Tiny little buds unfurl, bright sunshine means warmer temperatures instead of colder, and the days slowly begin to get longer again. While it may not yet be perfectly spring-like up here in these northern climes, there have been several warm days already and all but the most stubborn of snow piles has long melted.

This morning was chilly but I could smell spring in the air when I took Daisy for a walk. (You know, that “growing” smell. The smell that comes after the dog-poop-like sent of soggy ground has gone, but before the perfume of pollen has a chance to fill the air.) And the birds are singing again. They’ve come back and right now I can hear them chirping up a storm outside my window.

Yup, spring is definitely here and in another month I’ll start seeing sights like these lovely blue flowers popping up all around my neighbourhood! Yay!

P.S. : Happy Persian New Year, Shima!

Happy (Lunar) New Year!

Sarah — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:55:27 +0000

Welcome to the Year of the Ox, everybody!
(Yes, I know those are dragons in the picture above.)

Now, being born in the Year of the Monkey, what does the wise interweb say my fortune will be for 2009? You can actually find long, detailed horoscopes for every animal year here, but I’ve found a couple others that give the general gist of it.

MONKEY - 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956, 1944, 1932

“The lion may be called the King of The Jungle, but in 2009 Monkeys are set to knock Leo from his throne with a blockbuster of a year. Relationships and friendships are set to blossom and your efforts at work will be well rewarded. In fact, with so many opportunities you may feel a little overwhelmed; don’t be, swing into each one while you can. If primates can steer clear of monkey business then this could be one their best years in memory.” (Via here.)

“Luck is with you this year, which could mean good news in your work and your love life. You could become more powerful, especially if you’re involved in politics, the military or the law. Whatever you do in business, act courageously. The signs are good for you financially, especially in the stock market and foreign exchange. If you are single, consider marriage. If you are married, pregnancy may be imminent. Your overall health appears favourable, but watch your kidneys and bladder, and try to keep your weight down.” (Via here.)

Looks like good times ahead, people! Woot! Excellent news, especially since last year was so crap-tastic. Here’s hoping your horoscope has good news too.

Kung Hei Fat Choy, everybody!!