Travels with Mimi Vancouver BC

 Over the next week I will share some glimpses of traveling this month. I am calling myself Mimi in this post because that is what those dear to me call me.

Earlier this month my "live-in gardener" husband and I left our little apartment and ventured to Vancouver, BC and then on to Alaska. We always said when we get older we will go to Alaska. Suddenly we realized we were older and had better do it now. Actually by the end of this trip we realized we should have done it sooner. Alaska is gorgeous, but our old bodies just could not always keep up with doing the hiking we would have loved doing. 

That all said, we still enjoyed the adventure; but came home exhausted. It was sometimes just the little things that jumped out and grabbed us, life this pretty little bouquet in a gorgeous little coffee/flower shop across from our hotel in Vancouver, BC. 

The shop was like a gift given twice while we visited this amazing city.

The one full day that we were in Vancouver, BC we decided to take the Greyline On-Off bus and tour the city. If we had more time and energy we would have explored more. The next few pictures were taken at the one stop we did enjoy in Stanley Park. What an amazing park.

We enjoyed exploring the rose garden; though really it was much more than just roses.

It was a blue sky day and just gorgeous for a walk in the garden.

There was a wedding just about to happen. Wouldn't this be a beautiful wedding venue?

There were bike paths all around the park, an aquarium, plus gorgeous views of the water and city.

As you travel along with me this week you will find beside traveling by foot, we fully took advantage of shuttle buses, airplanes, cars/taxis, boat, and train. It was an adventure of technology and nature.

It had been a long time since we had visited Vancouver BC.

The multitude of tall buildings astounded us.

People out walking everywhere.

This was near the terminal where the next day we would hop on a ship.

Come along with me as we travel to Alaska.

Though the goal was indeed Alaska, we thoroughly enjoyed this city.

See you tomorrow.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Wow! Moments

 "Honor the WOW moments in life!" and the Quiet moments too!

After looking through old pictures on my computer I realized the "Wow" moments come quietly, like the gentle way the sun shines on the petals of a flower in the garden or the water sparkles on the sea. Most often my WOW! moments are connected to nature or the arts, such as a beautiful painting, dance, or music.

Recently Instagram has decided I need more music in my life and they post things for me to notice. Some of the music has touched my heart. I find myself saying "Wow"!!!

Art always intrigues me. I wonder 
"how did someone actually do it and what was their inspiration?"

The light and darkness, the shadows delight.

How is it that the light just captures the three cups, yet holds the fruit in the shadow?

The sunlight enhances the petals of a flower.

I love chatting with the birds or animals that cross my path. This parrot enchanted me. But the cat that shows up on my patio at unexpected morning moments will pause when spoken to and I say "Wow" "you are comforted by my voice".

The water sparkles on a slightly foggy day.

Light guides the way. It says here I am, follow me, notice what you notice.

What makes you say "Wow"?

I am planning on some "Wow" moments in the next 2 weeks, as I adventure to Alaska. I am sure there will be some nature involved, but maybe even a song. How I would love to hear the songs of a whale, a bird, or the strum of a guitar.

Sending love,

Marilyn

It Makes me Happy!

 When I was a young girl I dreamt of designing clothes. I would take small scraps of cloth and hand-stitch them into clothes for my dolls. But growing up in a conservative family I knew the only thing allowed was to be a wife, mother, or maybe a secretary. I kept my dream locked up tight. The high school counselor suggested I attend business school and become a secretary. My mother made the same suggestion. The only other acceptable family push was to attend a "Christian college" and find a husband, which I did. My secret remained and I worked in offices until I had children.

I would design and make clothes for myself and my two children.

As I was approaching 40 years I asked myself what do I still want to do. My children were more independent. I finally let the secret out and told my husband I wanted to go back to school. After much hard work I graduated with a degree in Apparel Design. The illustrations you see here were done during my time in design school. I hadn't looked at them in a very long time. 

Yes, that is me in those snap shots!

My mind has a bit of an engineering thought process and I ended up working for Jantzen, Inc. as a patternmaker. It was a good career choice and I loved it. When I retired I was working for Nike as a technical designer. A technical designer needed the patternmaking background and good writing skills. I worked with an amazing design team to develop street clothes, making sure the garment fit correctly and the quality was up to the standards of the company. I was the final approval before it went to production. My career makes me very proud of myself.

One of the 100's of sportswear outfits I worked on at Jantzen, Inc.

Now in writing this I was thinking we must acknowledge our dreams and gifts in every step through life, not just our careers. I have heard it said "what do you want to do with your one, beautiful life?" It is so important for our hearts to do the big things, but also the little things.

It's also important to encourage those around us to follow their dreams.

She doesn't look happy, but she shines. In shining and following her dreams, she is happy. She puts on her sparkle and shines, she dances.

I danced too, which is a story for another day.

The spirit of creativity still sits in the center of my heart. Each time I do something creative, even writing these posts, it satisfies my heart. It makes me happy. 

Just a little peak of my past dreams come true, living the dream.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Flowers I Buy Myself

There is an old song sung by Neal Diamond and Barbara Streisand, You Don't Bring me Flowers. that I was thinking of recently as I purchased a bouquet at our farmer's market. Even when I visit Trader Joe's I most often buy myself flowers.  They are a self love gift to myself and I enjoy each and every one of them.

This past Sunday I had a teatime date with two nieces. For some reason I later found out about I showed up, but they didn't. I waited awhile and decided I would treat myself to teatime alone. Then I saw this pillow sitting in the tearoom and knew I could buy myself tea and I could bring myself flowers.

Miley Cyrus also sings about Flowers, I can buy myself Flowers.

 What a treat to sit quietly and enjoy the moment of sweet indulgence with a pot of tea, two savory tarts, sausage roll, and a pavlova with fresh berries.

We don't need permission to treat ourselves with love or to bring ourselves flowers.

At the farmer's market in town, there were flowers. Though I didn't buy the flower in these two pictures, I did buy the bouquet at the beginning of this post.

Then today I walked in Lan Su Chinese Garden and shared tea with two friends. As you see the lotus were blooming and the flowers just touched my heart.

Aren't the pink lanterns beautiful too?

Flowers touch my soul, make me smile. Even if I don't buy them all, they bring me JOY.

Do you buy yourself flowers?

Do they bring you JOY?

Sending love,

Marilyn

Sitt'n and Dream'n

 

I adore a pretty Adirondack chair to sit in and dream in.

Recently I had an email from the magazine, Bella Grace. They send me encouragements to subscribe. The magazine is gorgeous, but expensive; so I just enjoy getting their ad emails. Now in most cases I unsubscribe, but this is one I look forward to. They always have a link to something fun and free.

Recently they had a list of 35 Joyful ways to settle into Spring. I thought I would share a few with you to think on when you find a few moments to sit in a pretty chair.

1. Refresh your closet with a burst of cheerful paint.

3. Line a windowsill with pots filled with herbs.

8. Keep an eye on the sky for migrating birds.

13. Practice the art of strolling.

15. Visit a flower market and splurge.

20. Put lemony bar soap in your drawers as sachets.

23. Eat a decadent breakfast.

24. Paint your toes like a spring bouquet.

28. Stargaze.

33. Take note of the change in light.

35. Start taking the stairs.

All three of these chair pictures I found when out and about this past Spring.  I love finding them and dream'n too.

Books finished this week are the first in the 3 part Timeslider series by Santa Montefiore called Shadows in the Moonlight. I always love a time travel adventure. A gift from a friend was Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism by Stewart Reynolds. A very quick book to read and made me smile with the comparisons to cats in our society today.

What would you add to the list of Joyful Ways to settle into summer?

Oops! I just noticed I forgot to post this in springtime, but summer works too.

Sending Love,

Marilyn

A Week in the Life

 

Most often there are tea adventures in my life and this week was no disappointment. Cindy Chin from Wuyi Origins (she and her family are the growers in China) sends our group of tea lovers samples twice a year and we sit down for a tasting session. Whew! This afternoon we tasted 14 different teas. I wasn't sure I would be able to sleep that night, but somehow I did. Her teas never disappoint. They were all good, but I chose two teas to order, an aged white tea and a black oolong tea.

And of course I continue to notice the summer flowers around me. These hydrangeas are on the apartment grounds and so very beautiful. I will miss them when they are gone.

Then I walked in another garden and "noticed what I noticed"; which is always fun to take time to do.

I had to look up in the tree to find this one. There are also some on my apartment ground too.

Yesterday I walked through Peninsula Park in Portland. It is near where my house was located and I love any excuse to walk here. Isn't it beautiful? It is the oldest rose garden in Portland.

My tea group that meets once a month met under the trees. It was a gorgeous day for 20 tea lovers to share tea together. I shared a new to me tea called Forest Sprite from Floating Leaves in Seattle, a Taiwanese oolong with a hint of green.

And I keep reading, but often forget to share what I am reading. So here is what I have been recently reading:  Soulwork by BettyClare Moffatt, The Paris Assignment by Rhys Bowen, and A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs. I read Soulwork years ago, but thought it was time to refresh my memory and do a little internal work. It has essays to create personal evaluation and thinking when needing to do some self work. Then I always enjoy Rhys Bowen's adventures. I tend to like reading women's stories surrounding World War II and this was a good one. I have probably read about 20 of Laura Childs mystery books. Though I enjoy them, I am not sure I will read anymore as they seem a bit too much the same. The tearoom owner is a self appointed sleuth that always solves the mystery.

This week will be for rest and reflection before my summer heats up and starts filling with more adventures. How's your summer going so far? I hope you have time for rest and adventures, some days with gentle breezes that are neither too hot and too uncomfortable. Some slow days of meandering a country lane or walking by the seaside would be extra special too.

Sending love,

Marilyn