feliz navidad

It's minus 10 C or so today, a little warmer then it's been over the last several days. Believe me, I don't need to be reminded that tomorrow is the solstice to know that Winter has arrived. If there's any doubt, a jog to the car - to PLUG IT IN(?!) - will set me straight. (No, I have never had the pleasure plugging  in my vehicle to ensure it will start easily in frigid weather, before now. Add that to the list of things living here has taught me!)

It's very pretty though. And truth be told, I love the Winter - it's so darn festive! Bits of snow clinging to the branches of the Birch in my front yard, lights of the neighborhood twinkling over white lawns ... perfect for Christmas. I think I have been really enjoying it thus far knowing that this Winter I'll have some time to devote to outdoor activities and that I get to escape the terrible drives to work on particularly messy days. Oh, and maaaaybe one other thing is helping: 2 weeks in Cuba, starting Tuesday! Yahooooo!

This Christmas we are bucking the trend and trading toques for flip flops, scarves for sunscreen, and eggnog for mojitos. Talk about liberating! We'll be spending a couple of days in Havana before heading to Cayo-Coco for 3 nights over Christmas. The remaining week we'll spend wandering and exploring, driving the West 2/3 of the island or flying to a few spots ... its all up in the air for now, nothing's booked and plans are pending. What fun!

I'm hoping that this holiday will be re-energizing and grounding. I have a funny feeling that the year ahead will be an interesting, challenging and ultimately fulfilling one; a little sun, adventure, music, culture and water (after a year I finally get my dive into the ocean!) will be my foundation for 2010. I couldnt ask for a better start.

I hope that wherever you are, you spend your holiday joyously in the company of people you love, and that it's full of laughter, lightness and peace. Merry Christmas.

about last night

Annual Christmas gig for the boys:

confessions

I'm a lot better before you really know me.

I was enjoying my Sunday morning ritual, sipping a coffee and reading Post Secret, when - in between the tender, sweet, and funny confessions included in Post Secret's recent video: Confessions on Life, Death and God - she made the admission:

I'm a lot better before you really know me.

She said it matter-of- factly, and then smiled an apologetic smile before her eyes fell toward the ground. She looks like a nice woman; pretty, funky and strong. Happy, though suffering underneath her veneer. I watched her part a dozen or so times, rewinding and playing, trying to see it in her eyes. I was studying her, looking for the clues that maybe others had missed. How do we keep such huge fears from the world, how do close friends not see it? What happens when they do?

I noticed how she starts to think of her confession first, looking up towards the sky. Decision made, she faces the camera and declares her secret directly, a challenge. Immediately after, she smiles, looks uncomfortable and embarrassed, then alternates between strength (looking at the camera) and defeat (the ground).

I saw my own pattern in hers very quickly. Thinking and deciding, then direct and strong, and then the ground... wondering where to look when saying something revealing about myself, wondering if I am saying the right thing, and whether my trust has been safely placed. Fighting the desire of flight, and hoping for acceptance and understanding.

That got me thinking about what else she and I may have in common.

I'm a lot better before you really know me. 

How many people live with this thought? How many create an intriguing shell for others to see, secretly terrified that as people get to know the real person inside, they will be let down? I'm guessing its a pretty common occurrence, that people's desire to be loved, respected, and thought of as 'worthy' creates a whole slew of desperate habits. Us humans are undeniably flawed.

ditto: the smells of water on pavement and pine

I'm eating a nice crisp salad with fresh, homemade falafel on top ... hotsauce and Baba Ghanouj on the side.

Yum. I haven't had this in years and it may be the most satifying thing I have eaten in months. It's remarkable what smells and tastes can spark in my imagination ... Right now, the flavour of falafel is shooting me back across the country, to my cozy house on W.10th Avenue in Vancouver. Something about this mix of spices is really, really reminding me of home; maybe its because falafel tastes exactly like the inside of Capers on W. 4th Avenue smells?

I don't know for sure what IT is, exactly. It feels super comfortable, though; even if it's a longing comfort, one that makes me miss the rain (and the sound of the drops on the cedar deck outside our bedroom's patio doors).

west 10th house

Elsewhere

As a new 'lady of leisure' (aka - unemployed!) I have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather, warming up my camera before our trip to Cuba. I am pretty certain that I'll take so many pictures in Havana alone that a steady stream of smoke will billow from my camera. 

I've been wandering around Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto over the past few weeks (okay, month). Here's a few random photos - click 'em to make 'em bigger - there's a few more on my flickr page too.

balanced - ottawa

bench - ottawa

collective - toronto

contrasts - ottawa

vespa - montreal

let it snow

There's a dusting of snow, finally. The first hint of things-to-come arrived yesterday, and as much as Winter in these parts can drag on for an inordinate amount of time, I think I actually heard Ottawa residents sigh a collective sigh of relief at the sight of crisp white-ness.

People in these parts anticipate each season with vigor, Winter included. Such prevision may normally be reserved for kids, but I admit that all hatred of snow (and smug knowledge that you dont have to shovel rain, and rain = snow in the mountains) I learned from living in the West has been swept aside for the excitement of waiting for the snow to fly. Certain things go together so well, and Snow is the catalyst to getting it all started: Snow => Christmas decorations => twinkling lights => hot drinks => toques & scarves => snowboarding/snowshoeing/skiing => cozy fires => red cheeks, and so on. What's not to love?

Yes, yes ... We'll talk again in February when my Western friends are enjoying short sleeves and blooming crocuses, but for now, the white stuff is where its at.

Yesterday, in the midst of appreciating the teeny bit of snow on the ground, I was inspired for all things Christmasy. Decorations began making their way out of boxes, scarves and hats and mitts are at the ready, and the carols being played everywhere were no longer annoying (and even hum-along worthy). A drive in the hood took me by my favorite Ottawa quirky-house. These guys decorate all year long, and go the extra mile for the holidays - ALL holidays. If this doesn't put you in the spirit, nothing will:

The perfect cap to our first snowy day in Ottawa? The Grinch! J and I have a tradition (continued from a tradition my brother and I shared as kids). Certain old-school Christmas cartoons MUST be watched and enjoyed each year. The Grinch (oh, Max, I love you!) is our hands-down favorite. Just so happens that on our first snowy day, with fresh decorations adorning the walls, and a happy, expectant Winter attitude, that the Grinch was on TV last night! Perfect. A little Winter magic.