Plant a seed of friendship; reap a bouquet of happiness...Lois L. Kaufman


I like this place, this blogosphere as we refer to it.
This part of my life where I can connect with so many kindreds who share the same ideals, goals and interests as I do. Kindreds who honour my individual, unorthodox journey as a single mother.
This place where I can spill my truth and feel safe, feel understood, and even validated in walking the somewhat non-traditional, unconventional life paths I've chosen to explore.

My online journal...it began over 3 years ago as a sacred space to record my dreams, struggles, triumphs and experiences as a single mom.
An anonymous blog where my closet friends could bookmark and check out what me & hatchling were up to on any given day...a place that would cut down on time-consuming emails and phone calls in this oh-so-busy life of a working/going to school/running a household on my own/volunteering at schools/carting around a growing hatchling... you know, my life of as a bohemian single mom.

Let's face it - when we get together with our friends in the 3-dimensional world, it's rarely a talking-stick ceremony about our deepest thoughts, fears and feelings. Although sometimes it is... and that is why I treasure the friends in my life that I do.
I find as I get older and grow more true to myself, I can let go of the dysfunctional friendships. I can let fall away, those ones with no goals, no grasp of my reality. The gossips, the sad jealous, and those who rely on alcohol and weed dependency to fool themselves into thinking their lives are real and wonderful. Superficiality is not my idea of truth and does not make for a genuine friendship.
Authenticity baby! It's what I teach my daughter every day.

That said, I've found so many friends I can relate to through this fabulous world of blogging. I think the world we live in is fascinating. Because of the internet I've crossed paths with kindreds , some as far away as the other side of the planet, that I've formed friendships, connected with some of you in "real life", and through regular emails and even phone calls. People I otherwise would've never come into contact with. It's pretty depressing to think that all my friendships would have to consist of people I meet in my small-boring-not-very-artsy town.

So a field of daisies to you all, and a thank you for reading my deepest truths spilled in cyber-space; and for continuing to read my blog when I'm oh-so-terrible at returning comments. With summer here, as is evident around blog land, online activity has slowed down a bit. I'm sure we're all busy and those of us with kids out of school are running at a much faster pace these days.
But I will integrate a blog-visiting routine...as this is an important creative outlet for me.

One more thing...I will be in Toronto during the week of July 27th. I know I've spoken with some of you about this, but I'm putting it out there...any of you Toronto people who want to get together for coffee, just let me know, or email me and we'll set something up. Something of a blogapalooza. (I may even check out if Jamie's holding a dreamboard workshop around that time).
peace

“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have. And if you cannot hear it, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls.” ...Howard Thurman

I woke up very early this morning to the sound of thunder rumblings and bright flashes of lightening outside my windows. Storms like these are one of my favourite things in the world. Even though this friend came over last night and we stayed up way too late watching scary movies, I just couldn't stay in bed and sleep through this awesome storm. While there was a lull in the rain, I headed out to my back yard with my camera. My garden, also known as "Terra", is doing quite well. Have you ever noticed how plants seem to grow 6 inches after a thunder & lightening storm?




And look at what's growing in my backyard...raspberries!




This is one of the few things I chose to keep from my childhood. Our "white rabbit" was always situated somewhere in the backyard of every home I lived as a child.



I have been carrying this rabbit around with me through every home hatchling and I have moved to, and he finally has a spot outside in a yard again.

Oh wow, I don't know what Keri Smith had in mind, but this is one of the most bizarre experiences ever. Week 6 already and I'm still trying to overcome my anal respect for books, and although I "burnt this page" with an exploding firecracker, I failed to get a pic of it.



(click to enlarge the gross-ness)






Check out Jamie's insights and more "Wreck this Journal" bloggers.

Hello Jamie & fellow full moon dreamers....


Tonight is the Full Buck Moon. It is referred to as such because July is the month when the tiny new antlers of buck deer begin to sprout from their foreheads




It's also often called the Full Thunder Moon, because thunderstorms tend to occur frequently during this month.




Also known as The "Full Moon of the Guru"... an ancient tradition in India when heavenly teachers offer powerful blessings to the human race. It is a time of opportunity for divine energy to bring new levels of compassion, joy, peace, and divine intelligence to the world.
A night dedicated to thanking all our teachers, in every walk of life; especially the difficult ones who challenge us to reach deep within to feel love and compassion. A time to celebrate the teachers in your life... your kids, parents, siblings, friends, spouse, co-workers, etc.

For years now, I've been on a journey of trying to live mindfully and not put so much importance on the material things in life. I began this frame of mind when my car died and I couldn't afford to get buy and insure another one.
For the past 4 years I have been beaten down by living a constant struggle to find employment I can access without a car. My small town has few, if any employment opportunities and I've gone after them all, mostly part-time cashier work, even though I have a college diploma.
WIth my self-esteem eroding more with each passing month, depression and a taste of defeat I've never known before, I stand and wait for city buses that drive by irregularly and infrequently to transport me to a part-time, usually night job and work for minimum wage. Walking through snowstorms, pouring rain or sweltering summer humidity, I try to stay positive, I try to put money away, even if I can only afford $20 a month in hopes of reaching that forever unattainable dream of owning another car.

For my dream board this month, I want to acknowledge and celebrate the "teachers" and "gurus" in my life.
My altar with my Buddha, where I sit mindfully and try my best to be thankful for being able to provide what I can for my daughter.
My father (who is deceased), and taught me great lessons in work ethics and being thankful for any car... as he himself could never afford his own new car until all his children were grown and living on our own. Before that, he always drove what he could afford to pick up used, and fixed it himself. I thank him for his resourcefulness, and how it rubbed off on me.... a quality I never even realized I possessed until I became a parent myself.

And finally I acknowledge whatever universal force may be trying to teach me something?... may be leading me in the direction of moving to a "bus community" where I can access employment opportunities? OR maybe my car is on it's way to me as I write this?

But mostly, I thank my hatchling who is such a brave and resilient kid. She never complains, never feels self-conscious that we are perceived as "poor" in our community. She never complains that it takes us a whole day to shop for groceries on buses, never complains if we have to walk in a snowstorm to her dance class, or a dentist appointment. Never lets it get to her that I can't be "one of the mom's" who drives the kids to the movies. She is the most optimistic, non-materialistic, most enlightened, most precious teacher I have in my life. And one of the few non-shallow teenagers in today's world.

I dedicate my dreamboard to the teachers in my life, my gurus....

Summer has taken off in full swing here. It's been a blur of gardening, fruit picking, and late night bonfires, swimming and biking and having fun with my hatchling, who has her own agenda of sleepovers and sleeping in.
As per usual, our place is the "hang-out" for both her friends and mine, so many nights have been spent outside at our bonfire pit, roasting marshmallows and yes, hotdogs (ewww).

We've had lots of rain and some great thunder & lightening storms, (which we love), so we spent a couple late nights out on the front porch with neighbours watching the whole street light up like daylight and rain pouring down in sheets.

This morning, the sun rose bright and sunny and my fellow granola friend called for our weekly girl's outing for coffee and a trip to the farmer's market. So I woke up hatchling, who has definitely reached that teenage "nooooooo....let me sleep 5 more minutes", stage.




she was crashed out on the couch after we got in late last night from here.


where she bought this next book in the series...

and where I got my favourite beverage, which is a big deal for me, as we don't have one in my little town...



So this morning, we walked to the farmer's market and as always, I had my camera with me...







Hatchling boarding the bus to go back home with our strawberries, raspberries, & zucchinis....baking zucchini bread today - yummmm!.

AND...
Happy 4th of July to all my American Bloggie Friends!!!!

and...Sarah Palin is Now the Joke Her Opponents Wanted Her to Be?

It's July 1st, CANADA DAY here in my little corner of the world.



With the sound of firecrackers echoing all over the city, myself & my somewhat twisted friends decided to come up with an original creation to celebrate the occasion.

Meet Suicide Bomber Barbie


(do not try this at home)


couldn't get the exact timing of the explosion on film, but Barbie screamed and threw her arms up in the air


the devastation was shocking and disturbing

Yes, we are a strange group of friends with a twisted sense of humour, but I can assure you that no impressionable children witnessed our actions.
And only one Barbie doll was harmed during this Canada Day celebration.

Happy Canada Day!

Today is Wednesday, the day we all come together and project our wishes out to the Universe. There's power in numbers and so much fun in the support we give one another on these days.
Our manifesting goddess Jamie, asks us "What do you wish to nurture?"

For me, as you know, it's the first time in years that I've had a yard. My hatchling and I have been breaking the ground, turning over soil and are now weeding and nurturing tiny vegetable plants and sprouting seeds.
I wish to nurture these plants into healthy organic vegetables for us to eat, thus saving money at the grocery store and farmers market.






and a private corner of our yard is now a Zen garden

peace & happy wishing!

Is there anything more sacred than discovering a world of colours and oh-so-exciting accomplishments with a little 2 year old?
My babysitting gig this morning, as my own hatchling is at her friend's house for a sleepover.







Have a happy & colourful Sunday