A Walk in the Woods

While lying face down on a massage table, eyes closed, music playing softly, in a dimly lit room I drifted away for a walk in the woods. My booted feet thumped along dark packed earth winding through cedar and fir trees; the smell of dirt, moss and sap heavy in the air. Occasional glimpses of blue sky through the canopy of branches above or a peak at the ocean below. The path I hiked in my mind this morning circumnavigates Portland island and it’s features shift from cedar plank boardwalks in cool damp wetlands, to windy driftwood strewn sandy beaches; along carved slabs of sandstone edged with arbutus trees and opening onto grassy fields that were once orchards a hundred years ago.

I don’t like to talk when I’m getting a massage. (Does anyone? ) It’s such an indulgence to have someone work on my back and neck for the sake of comfort and healing with no expectation of reciprocity, allowing my mind to wander to my happy places: beaches where I once pulled my boat up, sitting on a log sipping tea from my favorite thermos, listening to waves and watching birds; pondering walks in the woods and sometimes discovering inspiration for a painting . A good massage is the perfect time for inward reflection.

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to find a painting forming in my mind during my massage. It’s a very long time since my muse tried to get my attention. When the FedEx truck hit me I’m convinced that it knocked my muse into the gutter where it has remained for months. My recovery is now in it’s 15th month and while I think I’m almost back to normal I have yet to complete more than a single painting. Until today.

There are pivotal moments in everyone’s life that create a Before and an After. These are the moments that change the path you are on. Typically, these moments would include meeting the love of your life; having kids: moving to a new province or country. These events often include serious decisions, taking the left fork in the road instead of the right. And sometimes they involve having the decision forced upon you because the trail has been washed away. Other times the choice is so easy there isn’t any decision making involved: you step out of a cold muddy trail in the woods onto a warm sunny beach.

The most significant life-changing events in my life after 40 have included learning to kayak in 2002, becoming a nurse in 2009, becoming alcohol free and picking up a paintbrush in 2015 and my recovery after getting hit by a truck in 2023. My path has had some very interesting twists and turns with amazing companions.

That’s what I was thinking about while I was getting a massage today: A Walk in the Woods.

Road Trip

Print of the Month: Birds of a Feather

Peter and I try to get away for a road trip every May to mark our anniversary with some time alone together in a small space, without interruption to make sure we still like each other and want to stay married. We do.

This year we drove East. We managed to squeeze in 4 National Parks: Jasper, Elk Island, Banff and Kootenay. We only took 1 wrong turn in the whole week and it was an easy recovery. We saw a very sad display of wild life; a black bear wearing a collar wandering down the highway on the wrong side of the wildlife protection fence and a brown bear trying to pry open a garbage bin at a rest area we chose not to stop at. In Banff we camped beside a pair of mangy bored elk and in Jasper there was a pair of bighorn sheep lounging along the highway. It certainly takes the “wild’ out of wildlife. And even though I did get a few photos at least I wasn’t the idiot who got out of the car, flailing arms and posing 3 feet away from the big horns of the sheep for his girlfriend hanging out the car window making a tiktok on her phone.

The Rockies, as always, are spectacular.

Lots more happened, but that can wait for another post.

Yvonne

Progress of a Painting

I felt inspired today so I finally got back in the studio and created my newest piece, “It’s Lightening Up Out There". Devon made a slide show for me so you could watch the progression.

We have also added a shop section with my originals in it. Let me know what you think.

Love,

Yvonne

More about the show

For my ‘out of town’ and busy working friends and followers who have been unable to see the Show in person Devon has compiled a slide show of my paintings featured at the Rock Family Gallery in Mission. The show will run until April 29.

Mike OLeary and I had a lot of fun collaborating over 4 months. The reception was well attended and as you can see from the photo below we're grateful and happy for all the support.

Big thank you to everyone who continue to support us and local artists every where.

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Devon picked “ Entrance to Grappler Inlet" as our Print of the Month.

Excuses

I’m having a hard time getting my thoughts organised into a coherent form for my blog this month and instead of stressing over it I am going to  employ my  favourite Rule of Happiness:  “Don’t let Perfect get in the way of Done”.

So, instead of a little prose, here is a little list of excuses that kept me from writing:

*The sun came out and dried up all the rain…time to paddle.

*My rudder cable broke and I needed to repair it.

*Devon invited me to go to a play!

*I had to go on another paddle.

*I’m studying portraiture in watercolour.

*I had to go on another paddle.

* I painted a portrait.

That’s all I’ve got.  

Check out the Store to see what Devon picked for the Print of the Month.

Also, a reminder of our show dates April 11 - April 29 “ Brush and Quill, Sunshine and Shadow” at the Mission Arts Center.

“A Study in Values: Portrait of a Sensei”

The Business of Art

It’s another new month today which puts us at the beginning of the end of winter right in the middle of another snowstorm. 

I didn’t get to do a lot of painting last month, the Studio kept calling but instead of answering the enticing voice of the blank white paper I ignored it for the melancholy moan of  the “business” end of trying to be an artist.  Apparently my paintings will not mat, frame, wire and label themselves.  No matter how long I leave them bull- clipped to the design board they simply won’t magically make themselves presentable and ready to hang on the gallery wall.  And since I have not yet figured out how to paint to a standard pre-cut mat size I needed to learn how to cut mats.  It’s really not my favourite thing;  floors get washed, laundry gets done, even vacuuming and dusting gets done in my effort to procrastinate the cutting of mats. It’s a skill with a steep  learning curve; there is maths involved.  Youtube to the rescue!

After the mat is cut I need to layer the painting between glass and backing in the frame and force metal shims around the back edge to keep everything snug. My fingertips always seem to get pinched at least once per frame and if I have to pull the shims out they ping about 4 feet up in the air and bounce under the table, always just out of reach as I crawl about on my hands and knees. When the last shim is in and the wire is stretched and secured I turn the piece over to admire my efforts and inevitably there in the top right corner is a speck of dust under the glass. So far I’ve only cracked 2 pieces of glass while framing but my mentors Hiebert and Karen at the Artisan Gallery have been able to cut new ones for me while offering invaluable advice and encouragement in my framing endeavours.  

My friend Mike OLeary and I have bantered about for a few years that we should do a show together.  Last December the opportunity to apply to the Mission Arts Council  for a 3 week exhibit in April at the Rock Family Gallery presented itself.   The timing was perfect. Mike also paints in watercolour but our styles are very different;  I use bold jewel tones compared to his earthtone washes; Mike is very detail focused, sometimes putting hundreds of hours into a single piece using a pointillism style compared to my broad loose abstract strokes.

My subjects are most often seascapes full of movement where Mikes evoke stillness and calm.  

Show prep is in full swing.  I have 2 dozen works ready to submit at this point; we’ll see how many actually qualify.  It’s still 6 weeks away but I’m starting to get excited.

Devon has kept me on task with the blogs and website and Print of the Month notices and posting photos of the paintings that are matted and framed. She continues to add more to our Store, including sets of Art Cards this week. Devon also designed the poster for our Show (below.)

***If you see an Original painting on my website this month that you would like to purchase before April 6th  I will offer a  15% discount off the listed price.

Happy Valentines Day

The Phases of Valentine’s Day

Phase One:

Pink and red construction paper hearts, white doilies, sticky candies, a foil wrapped chocolate heart. Printing your name at the bottom of each and every cartoon cut out Disney character themed card and making sure there’s one for every student in your class. Even the boys. Racing home with a brightly decorated brown paper bag mailbox and upending it to count and recount how many were delivered to you, hopefully from at least one boy.

Phase Two; 

Not really wanting the ones your parents or girlfriends give you; only wanting that one that you don't get.  But you really love  the chocolates from Dad.

Phase Three;

 Knowing that now you’ll always get the Valentine you want because you married him.

Phase Four:

Being totally jaded by the commercialism of the V day but going out for a really great date night anyhow.   And maybe getting some great diamonds.  I like Phase Four. (Also, Weiner Christmas)

Phase Five: 

Making sure your kiddos are prepared with their Valentines, each one painstakingly signed for each of their classmates.

Phase Six:

Buying the really good chocolates to share while you  Netflix and chill.

Now it’s Phase Seven:

A very Special Valentine’s Day: Peter’s getting a colonoscopy and I'm getting a mammogram.

Nothing says I love you like regular cancer screening. What phase are you in this year?

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Our new Print of the Month: “ Stormy Shores” available in the Store.

Also, check out the Events tab.

Floating

This week as part of a Mother/Daughter Spa Day  I floated  in a salty tub of water for 90 minutes in total darkness.

I can't wait to do it again.

Sensory Deprivation Tanks, Isolation tanks, Floatation tanks or just  “Floats”, have been around since the 1950’s.  REST or  Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy promotes wellness and make claims which include soothing muscle aches, increased self awareness and creativity, better sleep, decreased stress and anxiety, increased concentration and focus, and also may stimulate a psychosis like experiences or hallucinations.

Disclaimer; I had ethereal spa music playing throughout my session so I was not in total silence but I was in total darkness.  To test how dark it really was I wiggled my fingers in front of my face splashing a drop or two near my eye and promptly remembered the   “don't get the salty water in your eyes” warning from our  float attendant.  Luckily she had suggested keeping a damp face cloth at the ready just in case.  The complete  darkness  gave a bizarre feeling of total suspension.  I have floated in swimming pools, creek pools, lakes, the ocean and my own bath tub but I have never experienced  suspended weightlessness like this before.  The 1,000 pounds of epsom salts in the 11” deep water creates a mercurial pillow of support with an illusion of zero physical contact, as if you truly are floating in air, not water.

I was worried that I would get chilly.  I did not.  The enclosed pods are just a bit above body temperature and I never raised so much as a single goosebump.

I was expecting to feel calm, which I did.  

I was warned of boredom at the halfway point; I was not.  

I was optimistic to reach a meditative state; I did not.  My mind was overactive throughout the 90 minutes.  I responded to all the voices in my head by calmly suggesting that they go away until later because I was trying to clear my head and meditate.  They did not listen.

 I was inspired and painted 2 new paintings in my mind.This is not a new or unusual pastime as I often use this technique to help me fall asleep when afflicted with insomnia.

Devon and I did not share the same outcomes. Halfway through her Float she experienced mild nausea, possibly from the humidity, and had to get out of her tank and step into a cool shower before she resumed her float.  Also she did get some salt in her eyes and dropped her face cloth in the tank.  Full Disclosure: It hurts!

Prior to the Float I was mostly just curious. I had zero expectation of a positive outcome beyond relaxation. I was sceptical of the many touted  physical or mental health benefits.  But three days later I will testify that there were and continue to be positive benefits, beyond just an enjoyable shared experience with Devon.  Following my Float I was extremely relaxed and continue to be pain free in my right hip and shoulder (see my New Year Blog).  A sense of calm, mild euphoria and general increased well being has stayed with me for several days.  I could attribute that to spending time with Devon but I will also give a little credit to the Float.

 I look forward to trying it again.

Side note: 

*At the end of my session I was offered a discount because of my nursing  profession.  That was unexpected and made me feel pretty good.

** Also, you should know that if  you are incontinent  in your tank  (poop, pee or vomit) you can be liable for up to a $1000.00 tank cleaning fee.  Don’t pee in the pool!

Changes

Time may change me,

But I can’t trace time.

   David Bowie

I spent a year or so thinking about ( or putting off thinking about) the fact that my website was getting pretty stale. So with the fresh promise of a new year I decided that January would be the month to make “changes”.  Similar to changing a hairstyle I looked at a lot of Pinterest photos and asked a few friends what they thought. I tried to navigate Youtube and Squarespace and watch all the How To videos. and while it was quite clear that www.yvonnedalewatercolours definitely needed a facelift, it also became clear that I had no idea how to do it.  Thank goodness Devon does!  She is here to help me with all the logical, technical, financial and business savvy.  All I have to do is paint pretty pictures, write blogs about them and visit with Devon while she does everything else.  Not too shabby, eh?  

Part of the facelift plan is to create a Store with Paypal for more streamlined access to my prints, cards and original artwork. Devon is also taking care of all the shipping chores, which I found to be overwhelming.  As much as I love the idea of snail mail, actually getting to the Post Office is extremely awkward.  

We are also launching a “Print of the Month” feature.  These prints will be available at a discounted price, formatted to fit pre-cut mats and frames readily available at your favourite place to buy frames like Micheals’ or Ikea. You will also receive 2 bonus art cards with your POM purchase. 

January’s Print of the Month is “Summer Arbutus” , Watercolour 8” x 8” (Seen below in a 10” x 10” frame.) Over the next few weeks there will be many more prints and cards available in our Store as we continue to grow,

There will also be an Events tab added to the navigation bar to let you know about local galleries and pop-up shows which I will be participating in.

And in case you had not noticed the background is Green.

I hope you enjoy the changes. Let me know in the comments section below.

Happy New Year 2023

I brought in the New Year on the floor, my drab grey hospital scrubs soaking up cold water giving me the chill of realization that I had fallen, actually slipped on a slick pool of water, and landed in a heap between the med room and the nurses station, my water bottle spinning across the floor with my dignity. Of late my body has been sending me messages that things are not what they once were; my knees don’t bounce, sciatica has become a nocturnal enemy and my right rotator cuff has a particularly angry voice when I do simple common tasks like dry my hair or reach to open the blind or reach for anything for that matter. I laid on the cold floor in that puddle and spent a few seconds soaking up some self pity along with the dirty wash water childishly ticking through the list of injustices starting with having to work all the holidays this year and not being born rich. I let a tear or two squeeze out of my clenched shut eyelids and then gradually became aware of the spectacle I was creating and of my lovely colleagues trying to convince me to get up off the floor.

I’m fine.

I have bruises; they will fade.

Like Peter says” Be grateful for what you don’t have”. This New Years Day I did not get a broken hip. I think it’s going to be a good year.

The Summer of Broken Dreams and Ankles

Today is august 15th. Eight weeks ago I broke my ankle, an avulsion fracture of my left distal tibia to be exact. At the time of injury I didn’t pass out or throw up but only due to Helens reassuring voice to breathe and the potential to fall 20 feet on to sharp rocks and into the ocean. We were camped a hundred yards away on a tiny remote beach in Kyuquot Bay on Union Island. We had climbed to the exposed western side of the island to take in and sketch and marvel at the beauty of where we were and the distance we had paddled from (Spring Island) on rolling swells early that morning.

Helen helped me hobble back to our camp where I applied an “icy Hot” menthol pad in lieu of actual ice, 2 tensor bandages, a tight smartwool sock and my neoprene boot velcroed securely for support. Tylenol and Advil became my 2nd best friends, next to Helen who pretty much did everything else. We decided to wait until the next morning and listen to the weather report on our radio to determine our next move. We were a long 16km paddle back to Fair Harbour with limited pull out or camping opportunities. In the balance we had 4 days of food and water left and more important enough tylenol and advil for a week. But I had questionable strength and endurance issues now and honestly , significant pain.

It was so beautiful the next morning; our first wake up of trip with sunshine streaming in the tent. I could feel things shifting in my foot but how could a day of rest hurt the situation. And by rest I mean sitting in my kayak , paddling through a pristine chain of islets, in awe of giant kelp, clear deep turquoise water, lions mane and moon jellies, listening to the language of ravens and hummingbirds, discovering waterfalls and hidden lakes, reefs and sea caves.

Later that afternoon we decided to check on the weather and discovered that we were in a dead zone for reception. No radio contact at all, not the social channels, not the weather channel, not the coast guard channel, on either of our radios. Helen started hiking searching for a pocket of reception and finally got through around 7 and arranged a water taxi from Voyager in Kyuquot Village to get us out the next day at noon. The trip was prematurely over. My much anticipated summer of paddling adventures with friends was put on hold.

And I am pouting. (And painting a little.)

This week I start physiotherapy and hopefully by Labour Day I will be back to work and back to normal.

I Should Have Been a weatherman.

I guess in order to be PC and Gender Neutral the title should say Meteorologist or WeatherPerson instead of Weatherman, but everyone knows what I mean. My favorite CBC Radio personality is Johanna Wagstaff the meteorologist. Is it normal have a favorite CBC radio personality?

Last week I went kayaking for a few days on Alouette Lake and we had some Weather! All the weather! It rained torrential monsoons followed by epic winds, hail, thunder and lightening and sunshine. The clouds were wispy, low, cumulus, every shade of grey from blue to purple, threatening and entertaining.

One tent flooded in the night, saved by a resourceful tarp erection in a storm. Wet jackets were stretched on a line to dry in the wind, sleeves billowing at 90 degrees, hurriedly gathered up every time the rain started and stretched out again when it stopped. Ah, Weather!

The wind blew hard enough to topple a 6 inch diameter tarp post at 2 in the morning, landing awkwardly on my camp stove and waking me up from a deep sleep. I struggled out of my tent flinging on a damp rain jacket to check on the damage and get reassurance that the boats were secure. The rain had stopped and the wind had cleared away the clouds to present a star filled night sky. Lovely Weather!

Out for a shoreline hike scavenging for firewood to fill our Ikea bags we were startled by a brief shower of hail. WTF Weather?!

After a windy beach day we were rewarded with a calm clear warm sunset paddle. Thank you Weather!

We sat around the campfire eating our dinner being chased by directionally challenged smoke, in the eye of the storm the wind switched from south westerlies to north easterlies and 40 minutes later back to south westerlies bringing rolling storm clouds and thunder echoing in mountains above our heads. Noisy Weather!

An early morning rise, breakfast and pack up had us paddling home, coffee mugs bungied to our decks on flat calm water …until the last 3kms …then we got one more gust of Weather and paddled into white capped waves and a head wind for the last hour. A reminder that the Weather makes the rules.

I love Weather.

It's a Giveaway! 5 FREE Art Cards!

2 Easy steps to claim your 5 FREE Art Cards:

1. Like and Share my website on facebook.

2. Click on Contact and leave me message with “Art Cards “ in the subject Line.

3. The first 10 to do so will receive these 5 FREE Art Cards.

Begin Again

Hullo. It’s been a while since I felt inclined to be present. The Pandemic works in mysterious ways. But I’m still here, still paddling, still painting. My absence can only be explained by mental exhaustion. It felt as if only the very basic activities could be maintained, so my website sat on a mental shelf waiting. Like everyone else for the last 15 months I got up every day and shrugged off the anxiety; I laughed at Peters’ jokes and drank my coffee watching the news waiting for an announcement that Covid was over and that I could stop waiting to exhale and take a deep breath of clean air filled optimism. And yet here we still are, waiting and almost normalizing this strange existence.

Luckily, so far my peeps and I have not been too adversely affected. Two beautiful baby boys turned 1 last week, their birth and parents’ struggles hidden safely away from the dirty claws of the Pandemic. I have not yet met them. My nephew celebrated his 40th with sobriety and health and his lovely wife and daughters. I ache to hug him. My sister is 1,000 kms away, as isolated as being on the moon. My circle is small, like everybodies’ should be. I am lucky to have Peter, both my parents, and my kids, my brother and 2 dear friends in mine. I stay in contact on social media. And of course I have my work family with their twisted sense of humour, generosity and compassion holding each other up. I am lucky that my economic safety was not threatened, although I am starting to question the sanity of my career choice as an ED nurse. But then , no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

I am also truly lucky that the 2 things that keep me sane: paddling and painting, were safe to pursue throughout the pandemic. My website is going through some growing pains. Thanks to Devon I am back on Squarespace. In the coming weeks I hope to actually have an online Shop.

It’s lightening up out there.

60 For 60: Catching Up on International Women's Day

Every year I wake up on March 8th and smile at the appropriateness that International Women’s day lands on Helen’s birthday. Leading up to International Women’s Day I’ve been reflecting on some very impressive women who have helped me become who I am, women who have supported change and suggested direction and who have cheered me onwards. In the last month I have twice asked Helen “Who is supposed to be our Role Model at 60?” I keep wondering who am I supposed to look like, dress like, think like, behave like, work like, play like? It might sound ridiculous that on the brink of 60 I am still looking for a contemporary woman to gage my progress through life. Today instead of looking for a Shero that doesn’t exist, I have decided to look at the qualities of the most influential women in my life for inspiration.

I want to be as steady and loving as my mother. I want to be as dynamic and open to opportunity as my daughter. I want to be as learned, patient and tolerant a teacher as Lisa. I want to be as good a nurse as Karen. I want to be as calm and centered as Yogi Adrienne. I want to be as fit as Claudia and as sexy as Dame Mirren. I want to dress like Katherine and smile like Meg. I want to inspire happy memories like Cynthia. I want to paint like Marilynn. And I want to be as good a friend as Helen.

There are many items to strike off the list as complete today, but before I start that delightful task I must admit that the last 5 weeks or so has provided me ( and a couple of friends) with more than one opportunity to ask Why are you so driven?  And even though I am very clear as to “Why” Helen and I created the list and set off to complete it, now that I am in the middle of completing it I too am questioning Why is it so important to keep pushing my way through it?

#8. Practice Yoga for 60 Consecutive Days I started January 1st, a new year , a new resolution. Each day I turned on YouTube and did Yoga With Adrienne. Find What Feels Good is her motto. It felt really good to practice everyday. I did this last year as well, but on the 80th day I forgot to unroll my mat and turn on the tv and That was that. So this year I thought if I went in with a different attitude that I would be able to maintain a daily practice after the 60th day. I was wrong. On the 61st day I did not unroll my mat. Maybe I will tomorrow.

#23 and #8 Paddle Widgeon Creek and Hike to Widgeon Falls. We had a dry day in February and set off from Pitt Lake boat launch and paddled across to Widgeon Creek. The local mountains create a beautiful backdrop, fresh snow was heavy on the trees halfway down the slopes. The creek was frigid and crystal clear and took about 45 minutes to wind from its mouth at the Pitt River to the campground. There we pulled our boats up and set off on the hike to the falls. It’s has been many years since the last time I did it, maybe a decade. I forgot how far it was to the fall and even though I had brought my hiking boots I left them in the bear cache with our thermos of tea and set off in my paddling boots. Dumb. I had very sore feet and ankles but the hike did not disappoint ! The falls were beautiful. We hiked back for our picnic lunch of smoked salmon, croissants and tea sitting on the bank of the creek before our paddle back to the cars.

#45 Attend a TEDx The theme of the BEAR Creek TEDx 2020 was “A Shift in Thinking”. There were 17 speakers, 2 bands, a choir refreshments and swag bags. I had an amazing seat 3 rows back from the center stage. The topics were as varied as the degree of experience from a 10 year old boy to a 60 year old CEO. There was a gifted poet, a spoken word artist, an ex-addict, a comedian, entrepreneurs, paraplegic vet and The highlight of my day, Adrian Midwood speaking about his decade long efforts to keep plastic out of the ocean. I did have a shift in thinking on a couple of the topics and I think I will try to get to another TEDX next year.

#47 Participate in the Opus Daily Practice Challenge This is such a huge challenge especially on work days. More than once I would be ready to fall into bed at 11:45 and drag myself in to the studio to complete a sketch before midnight, but I did manage to create Art everyday through the month of February. You can see my efforts in the Gallery.

#14 Hike Aldergrove Park This is a gentle rolling hill, winding through the woods kind of a hike. More like a walk. It’s a perfect meeting place, halfway between our 2 homes, porcelain toilets in the heated bathrooms and close by a lovely coffee shop to get warm up in after our walk.

#58 Apply for the Abbotsford Arts Council Women In Art Show 2020 This was the first time that I have applied for a “juried” show. I entered 3 paintings and 1 was accepted. Last night was a very successful Reception for the show Opening. In spite of snow and rain it was a packed gallery, bumping elbows. I am quite pleased that “Boats on the Beach” was hung in a rather prominent location.

You can see it’s been a hectic 8 weeks keeping up with The List. But “ if you don’t start you won’t finish.”, so I’ll just keep puttering along. As a reminder, Helen and I started the List on my birthday 5 months ago. Today is Helen’s 60th birthday. Our intention is to finish the list in exactly one year on her 61st birthday.

60 For 60: The List #24 ( Paddle Kanaka Creek) and # 30 ( Start a Bird Watching Journal)

I’ve always believed that a little self awareness goes a long way. For instance, I am very aware that I am a great idea person and list writer person and getting things started person. I am not a great maintaining the daily drudgery of chores person. Or in other words I am rather undisciplined and easily distracted by shiny things and chocolate. And chocolate wrapped up in shiny things. I knew when we added #44 “Paddle Every Month of 2020” that it would take a whole lot more effort in the winter months this year than it has in past years. But my self awareness also brings an understanding that this might be the last winter that I push myself to get out there. The older I get the more aware I am that grey, damp, cold wintery days do not lend themselves to walking, cycling, eating healthy or paddling. Curling up in front of the fire with a sudoku game on my phone, nibbling on chocolate chip cookie dough, wrapped in a blanket wearing soft cotton sweats and cozy socks is much more inviting in January.

I had technically already met my January paddling commitment but Helen was unable to join in on the New Years Day paddle, so we found a day that worked for both of us and circled it on the calendar with “paddle rain or shine ! “ beside the date. It rained. Hard. It wasn’t a long paddle. We launched at Derby Reach campground, paddled upstream across the Fraser, under the bridge that indicates the mouth of Kanaka Creek and continued a couple of kilometers to the wetlands at the edge of suburbia north of Lougheed Highway.

We saw lots of ducks. Mallards.

I will admit that the best part of the paddle was drinking hot chocolate and eating the apple cake that Helen brought… in the car with the heater on, wearing soft cozy dry polar tech pants and top which had replaced my sodden wet neoprene farmer jane now heaped in a pile with my pfd, sprayskirt, boots and gloves.

Of note: I have a renewed love for my goretex rain hat and am deeply saddened on the realisation that my favorite green jacket is no longer waterproof and must be retired.

The most ridiculous part of the day: applying formerly mentioned neoprene farmer jane. Nuff said.

Did I mention that there was still snow on the ground?

60 For 60: Staying on Track

So much of the List involves a steady , daily commitment to practice everyday. As someone motivated by lists and ticky boxes I’m finding it quite satisfying to maintain movement through it. My 60 days of Yoga practice is well underway with arriving n the mat 10 days in a row. My path to 60 miles of walking is about 1/4 through. My plan to paddle every month of 2020 started on New Years Day. There is a journal of the paintings I am completing bi-weekly on this website in the Gallery under “Hot of the Easel”. So, good beginnings.

60 For 60: The List #34, and #54

#34 Attend a Christmas Market

Back in late October Helen and I started to search the facebook events pages for Christmas markets that would coincide with days off, availability and be in this calendar year. By shear good luck we managed to get to The West Coast Christmas Show and Artisan Market on November 16th at the Abbotsford Tradex without having to juggle too much. It was the first event of the season for me and the first time I’ve been to a Tradex event in a decade. This market was nothing like a Girl Guide Craft Fair- Oh my goodness no! I bought a much coveted Steamer ( still in the box), mint and ginger infused honey (gifts), laser cut wooden Christmas puzzles and leggings and a dress that will fit my great niece for 2 more years, but its really cute! And some elderberry shrub elixir - it tastes great and its good for me!

The low point of the day was when I “lost” all my cash. I thought I had been pickpocketed and had a bit of a dizzying panic. We searched my purse and back-tracked and still it was gone. A cup of tea was needed and as we sat with the throng of shoppers surging past us I looked in my bag again , and there it was! Exactly where it wasn’t before! That was when I went back and bought the Steamer I had been thinking about.

Looking back to the day the list emerged, planning to visit Markets wasn’t just about the shopping. It was to make a point to embrace each of the seasons and do what I see thousands of other people do, tourists and locals alike. I wanted to experience something I just haven’t been doing out of laziness or flippancy or lack of time and effort. I’m really glad we made the effort to work this one into our busy lives and go together.

#54 Retire the Footcare Business

This was a difficult decision. When I first became a foot care nurse I thought that it would be my retirement job. The plan was to maintain 15-20 clients, 2-3 days a month while I worked at the hospital and then it would be my supplemental income in retirement. I’ve been doing just that quite successfully for 6 years, and truly enjoying my “feet peeps”. But in the fall, the rest of life got in my way and fitting the business in was causing a lot of stress. So I decided to find someone to take over and announced it to my clients. I did not renew my business insurance and yesterday I visited my last client. The end.

60 For 60 : The Complete List

* denotes a completed item on the list that has been blogged

@ indicates a work in progress

*1. Buy 60 beads to signify starting the list.  One bead for each item on the list.

@2. Apply for a solo show. 

 (Turned down by Kariton Gallery.  Moving forward with a private show October 18).

*3. Multivitamins daily.

@4. Walk 60 miles.  Created a 1.5 mile route.

@5. Drink 3 glasses of water a day

6. Fly fishing lesson.( Contacted Mike to teach in Spring).

7. Shingles vaccination.

@8. Yoga 60 consecutive days.

@9.Visit with Helen every 6 weeks.

@10. Play guitar (revisit/learn 10 songs).

11. Hike Gold Creek Falls

12. Hike Widgeon Falls

13. Hike Wildside Trail

14.Hike Aldergrove Park

15. Hike Blackies Spit

16. Bike Vedder Trail

17. Bike Boundary Bay

18. Bike Stanley Park Seawall

19. Bike Pitt Meadows Dyke

20. Bike Galloping Goose Trail

21. Bike Fort to Fort

22. Paddle Finn Slough

23. Paddle Widgeon Creek

*24. Paddle Kanaka Creek

25. Paddle Somewhere New to Me

26. Paddle Harrison River

27. Paddle Copelands

28. Mothership Paddle on The Luna Sea

29. Save $300.0 a month for 18 months

*30. Start a Bird Watching Journal

@31. Read 2 books per month

@32. Paint 2 watercolours per month

*33. Learn to Type

*34. Attend a Christmas Market

35. Granville Island Market

36. Commercial Drive Car Free Day

37. Steveston Night Market

38. Trail Ride ( on a horse)

39. Volunteer

@40. Reduce/Maintain a healthy weight and BMI

41. Create a 60 for 60 Journal

@42. Update my Website

@43. Blog regularly on the website.

@44. Paddle every month of 2020

45. Attend a Ted Talk

46. Visit 3 new-to-me Art Galleries

47. Complete the Opus Daily Challenge in February

@48. Eliminate single use plastic bags (except on kayak trips)

@49. Massage every 6 weeks

@50. Facial every Season.

52. Road Trip with Peter

53. Visit James and Trisha

*54. Retire Footcare Business.

55. Expand Etsy Store.

56. Anonymous Show 2020

@57. Recall Isshinryu empty hand Kata and Urashi Bo

58. Participate in the Women’s Art Show at the Kariton Spring 2020

@59. Administrate the FVWMS facebook page

60. Surprise

60 For 60: The List # 1, #33 and # 3

#1 on The List for both Helen and I was to buy 60 beads, one for each item on the list. Like an entry in a journal each bead would be added to the string as each item was accomplished.

After my Birthday lunch at Tracy Cakes we strolled up Montrose to” Strung Out On Beads” a most amazing and appropriate place for the task. An hour later we each had a special packet of colour coordinated beads, hand wrapped and sealed until the day we could start stringing. My hope is to one day wear them around my neck and bore all my friends and family with tales of why a particular bead was placed on the string.

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#33 Learn to Type (Disclaimer: this Blog was “hunt and pecked”)

The first time I knew that my mom was cool I was 6 years old.  Mom was one of my Brownie Leaders in the late 1960's.  Sometimes newsletters and parent notices and permission slips needed to be written, obviously this was long before personal computers were around.  My mom would haul a heavy shiny black Underwood portable typewriter off the top shelf of the hall closet and set it up at the end of the dining room table.  It was from the 1930s, extremely elegant like an antique car or pterodactyl.  The rhythmic clicking of the keys hitting the paper was mesmerizing. It was magic to this six year old to watch all those words appear from moms fingers tapping at the keys.

Later in Grade 8 in 1972 I was faced with choosing "electives" for the first time.  I knew all about electives because I had older siblings who had the independence to choose their own education pathway.  I was determined to stand out in my decision, be unique, be my own person.  God forbid I limit my horizons by taking a Typing Class and end up as a secretary!  

I took Woodworking.  I was the first girl in my highschool to take Woodworking.  And goodness knows operating a planer, belt sander and band saw have taken me far in life.  In my mind, avoiding the typing pool I felt as if I had joined the hundreds of highschool girls who marched in protest the year before that they should be allowed to wear blue jeans to school. I was a rebel.

Sometime in the 1980s I realised I had made the wrong choice.  It seems that being able to type "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" 10 times a minute is a very useful lifeskill.  

In retrospect it would have come in really handy for all those College course.

And now working in a hospital that no longer does paper charting  I actually get a sore neck from constantly  looking up and down at the keyboard and monitor doing eletronic charting. Hunt and peck, hunt and peck, sometimes hunt and peck, peck, peck. And a lot of time delete, delete, delete.

So one of the first things I addressed on The List: # 33 Learn to Type. It took about 6 weeks. No quick foxes or brown dogs for this girl though. I have Space Invaders instead. It really gets the heart racing , let me tell ya!

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#3 Take Vitamins

Centrum Silver for Women. It just seems like the right thing to do.