Katmar Baby

new decade begins

2010-04-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

A pretty positive start to the new year overall...and its spring already! how did that happen??

I really am trying to get in the habit of writing a bit more frequently so my updates don't turn into long summaries of our whirlwind life in retrospect...but I had a wee bit of writers block in all areas of life when this year began. Now that the mental wall has come down I'm back in the writing zone and catching up on things.

The end of my stable hours at the Info Centre, and adjusting to a whole new weekly changing work schedule had me feeling quite anxious for a while. Not as nice working mostly nights and weekends as I am now back to taking whatever hours I can get and that is usually what I'm offered. Feast or famine auxiliary life has its stresses, but the flexibility has worked for us so far. And up to this point I've been getting enough hours at Britannia (between the Info Centre & the pool) and the MOV for us to stay afloat just fine. This has helped me relax a bit more lately. :)

Some tales from the beginning of this new decade were worthy of their own posts, like the Olympic ramblings, farewell to ravishing beasts, spring potlucks and a moving adventure, and the rest I will recap as best I can here.

The adorable pic of Sasha above was the night she had her first hair cut a la mommy. Trimmed her bangs and the longest of the curls at the back. She's not much for barrettes or ponytails, so we needed to cut the hair in front so she could see ;)

Mark and I had a couple of date nites to start the year off. The first was dinner and a hockey game as we enjoyed his tix I got him for Christmas. Super fun night, and a bonus that the Canucks actually won that night too! yay

Our other night out was to see my buddy Matt in his theatre show "Hobson's Choice" (vid clip) How's that for a balance? Sports and theatre in one month. :D

After our food and drink the night of the game, we began a family cleanse and started the Wild Rose meal plan for 12 days. Basically, we cut out flour, sugar and dairy which turned out to be a lot less challenging than we expected. Cheese, bread and wine were a touch difficult to live without, but we don't eat very many processed foods, so we approached it as an opportunity to simply try a bunch of new recipes, and I was determined to conquer my fear of beets. I love to eat them but always worried about the mess of them so never prepared them myself. You can ask Mark sometime just how far I've come with my culinary skills and trying new things in the kitchen since we met. He still doesn't like to watch me use a knife (though he's the one who keeps cutting himself...not me, hehe) but my prep skills have come along way too and I have mastered many yummy meals! And the beets weren't so scary after all, lol.

The best part of our time of cleanse was the way Sasha eagerly jumped into it and loved it. We had to pack a special lunch and snacks for her throughout the cleanse, and she would carry her lunch bag every day excited to show everybody what she got to have. I was worried it might be tricky for her to eat different things than everyone else, but it was only hard one day when they had a snack that Sasha is a particularly big fan of. Other than that the whole menu change was fairly easy for us all.

Well, aside from the caffeine headaches Mark and I suffered the first couple of days. We didn't have to cut out coffee, but without milk and sugar I don't enjoy it as much, so I switched to herbal teas...and we were pretty darn cranky for a day or two there.

Anyways, we did actually feel better at the end of the cleanse and decided we would like to do it again in the fall. The 6 pills a day that you have to take as herbal supplements during the cleanse are a bit hard to swallow (aha), but we did achieve the goal of learning a bunch of great new recipes to add to our menu mix.

Another goal to achieve has been getting us all on track with the dentist. I realized last fall that it was time to consider taking Sasha for her first exam of her teeth. Before getting her started it was time for Mark and I to get to have a little dental catch-up ourselves. Here's an embarassing little secret: I had not been to the dentist since I moved to Vancouver in 1997. I know, I know. And we didn't even have a really good excuse since we have his dental plan and everything. 2 procrastinators = neglected dental appointments. Time to change that!!

I'm happy to say that for me, it took one 'new patient' appointment, 2 cleanings - one for each side of my mouth, and 2 fillings...and my teeth are all caught up. Seems I take pretty good care of them which was nice to hear! Mark is a different story, but he too will be caught up soon...and let's see which role model the kids choose to follow when it comes to brushing, hehe.

Sasha will have her first dentist appointment after her bday...which is at the end of this month! I can't say my 3 year old anymore because Sasha is gonna be 4 years old very soon! I will have a post dedicated to all of the thoughts I have to share about that later. For now I'm back to the day to day focus, and doesn't time move slowly living in the now? Full of great moments of help and play around the house. I love that Sasha is really into board games which has opened a whole new level of family play time :)

Before the olympics we noticed something new on our walks to and from daycare (and on my walks to Britannia) Back then it was usually getting dark when we picked her up at the end of the day, so she first noticed it because it was a bright new light in the distance. From the top of the hill at China Creek park you can see this giant piece of public art which is called the Monument for East Vancouver by artist Ken Lum and is based on a symbol that has a long history and has become a common tattoo even. The piece reminds me too much of a neon sign for some kind of chapel, but it certainly makes for interesting conversation with people from East Van, and Sasha loves it. She can read all the letters, and she likes to declare now that she is "so happy I live in our neighbourhood of East Van" which was something she didn't know before this was put in place. What do you think?

Another interesting conversation piece I've enjoyed is the Aquaponics experiment that has been going on in the Britannia Info Centre. Our food security coordinator Ian Marcus, along with some Brit Secondary students who are doing science projects on different ways to grow food, are now enjoying the greens of their labours (well, mostly Ian's labour! what a stress adventure learning how to get this thing to work!) I love seeing food growing in the office, and its fascinating that the fish poop can feed the plants! They continue to grown even more since my last 'after' pic here.

I feel it is an exciting time to be a part of Britannia as there is a new focus on the future of the centre. Not to simply get on the next capital plan for some small (and much needed larger) problems can be fixed, but to create a master plan that is bold and sustainable in its vision. Britannia has an amazing history and is a unique model for a hub of community services. Right now is a great time to share your own ideas at somethingishappening@britanniacentre.org or fill in the survey at britanniacentre.org (link is on the front page) if you'd like to have your say. I found the open house that was held recently featuring a few different ways of gathering community input to the next level of planning, was a really fascinating process. And the skill of the people who can just draw everything you imagine and tell them about is crazy impressive!

The ultimate balance for us in crazy times is a healthy dose of friendship time. Mark has the boys over fairly often, and I'm lucky to have play time out of the home! Like a matinee movie date with Ali (love her facial reaction to "what do you think of all that pretty fencing around the olympic village below?") where we saw Avatar and ate her dreamy crepes in the theatre, hehe; also had a fun nite out with Victoria where I finally got to try Cafe Katmandu. Both of these dates included nice long walks which goes so well with great conversation and good food digestion :)

There are many staff I work with at the pool that have become solid friends over the years, and I was thrilled that Erinn held a fabulous feast (a full on carribean fest of delicious food!!) in her home and a chance for Mark and Sasha to finally meet a few more members of the fabu pool crew! Only managed a few worthy pics tho:

A live music night with friends at Cafe Deux Soleils with a few pitchers of sangria - you know I was in heaven! ;)

A great treat was time with our island friends before they moved back to the city and welcomed baby Maia to the world!

Our co-op was approved for all of the grant and loan money we need to start the renovations to all of the exterior. More info to come as the process begins to move forward, but the first investment was a new appliance contract so we all have new fridges and stoves! First sign of all the changes to come - wheeee!

A family adventure one day had us walking around town and ending up at Kalamata greek restaurant before going home. On the way we had to stop at the Canada Line station at Broadway, where for some reason they have a few cute little cow statues. Not sure why...

I'm sure that I have missed something, but I feel you are pretty well up to date on us wacky folks by this point. Time for you to send me a quick note with what is new with you!

We have a lot to look forward to in the year to come, so there will continue to be much to read about! I'm off to Montreal in May and also get to try the Tourism Challenge again this month (what stamps will we adventure for this year?), our 10th wedding anniversary is in June, and family camping adventure this summer - yeeeepa!

Here is a last little something to put a smile on your face: Sasha's last version of "Oh Canada"

our spring potlucks

2010-04-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

There have only been 3 winters that I have found to be so incredibly grey and rainy that even I find myself complaining about the incessant dampness - and this was one of those years. I may have a knack for making the most of the sunny breaks, but this year was very SAD inducing. At work I love for the people I serve to walk away with a smile, which I am generally very good at. But customer service of this level ain't as easy when you have to find a hundred cheerful variations of the same weather misery chat with patrons. Combined with income anxiety and that emotionally conflicting event of the olympics...hibernation was mode of choice for our family this wet winter season. Nothing really wrong in life - just that little bit of 'blah' hanging in the air that makes some days a wee bit harder to get through.

We really wanted to break out of hiding with gusto this year, so i sent an invite to the cool cats we don't get to see often enough to come join us with a choice of 4 spring potlucks throughout April and May. Knowing we'll never find a date that works for everyone, we were looking forward to the different mix of fabulous folks that would end up arriving for each date...

Our first potluck night was "We Be Chili'n" with one pot for herbivores (a sweet potatoe black bean chili I made) and one for omnivores (buffalo and kidney bean chili that Mark made) and contributions from our friends - Allan's awesome salad, scrumptious corn bread a la Kristen, and ice cream dessert from Tanya and Nolan. Sasha, Nolan and Jacob ran around the house, and jumped like monkeys on our bed (and lucky none fell down and bumped their heads, hehe) which gave us big kids a chance to enjoy some great conversation time. After Nolan was picked up and Sasha was in bed, Mark and I had a fun game night with Tanya and Allan :)

The second potluck night was the Melting Pot which was a flavourful dipping fest! Our house was packed for this event with 13 adults and 8 children...but what a fantastic vibe and a thrill that the five families who joined us this night enjoyed each others company so much! A big bonus that it was a beautiful day so we could keep the patio door open and enjoy the outside space as well!

The chocolate fondue provided by the JAM fam was a real treat and my fave pics are of the chocolate covered littled ones, lol

Can't believe the positive response we had to fondue night, and we actually had to start a wait list for a Melting Pot 2 which we will be having in June some time! Gotta love that fabu fondu :D

With the success of our first two potlucks I really can't wait for the May potlucks: Reggae Roots (a carribean nite inspired by my friend Erinn) and Farm Fresh with a local food focus celebrating the re-opening of the summer farmers markets soon to pop up all over town. Food, glorious food!

Sustenance for our tummies, and with a house full of good people sustenance for our hearts and minds as well. et voila! Spring rejuvenation :D

a moving adventure

2010-04-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

Sasha and I had a blast helping our friends move from Pender island back to the city last month. The adventure started first thing in the morning and spilled into the next day!

The plan was supposed to be: we pick up a truck in the city, catch the 10 (ish) ferry thru the gulf islands and arrive at Pender by lunch time where a crew of guys was going to load it up in a few hours, and then we'd catch the 4 (ish) ferry back to Vancouver. Good plan.

And then there's the great story of how it all actually worked out ;P

After hoofin up the hill and 20 minute walk away to pick up the inital truck I booked didn't work out, so I had to run back home by 8am to hopefully find another! Phoned around while entertaining Sasha and actually found another one close to home. We hopped in a cab, left with maybe enough time to still catch that ferry (and no means to contact them on Pender to let them know our plans have gone awry!!)...but not meant to be. Missed it by about 15 minutes, d'oh!

So Sasha and I caught a thru fare which took us to Victoria, where we got off, turned around and then parked for lunch while waiting for the ferry to Pender from there. (this is when Jonny finally got thru to my cell when we didn't arrive on Pender as expected) Sasha was having such an amazing time riding up front in the big truck and being my awesome 'co-pilot', and I kept talking to her about all our possible outcomes for the day that she easily went with the flow and enjoyed the crazy chaos. As we were pulling up to Pender island just before 3pm (but look! it was covered by a rainbow! that's gotta be good luck right?) I started preparing her for the likelihood that we might end up spending the night on the island...which of course we were not packed or prepared for.

When we arrived the team was ready to load up the truck in the lovely rain (they were smart to load from the deck as the ground was all mud puddles), but now the plan was to try to pack up and catch the 6:45 ferry to Victoria and then the 9 (ish) ferry to Vancouver. Well, Sasha and Jacob kept each other busy while the packing continued, and I gushed over the new baby and took on the sweep after each room was empty. Gotta love an empty room for spinning like a top, hehe!

Well, we got the truck packed and hurried our way to the ferry...and arrived in time to watch it pull away. Sigh. So we then decided dinner was a must. The first restaurant we went to was closed. The only other ones open were a pub (so no kids) and the resort where our friends had been working. Poets Cove here we come! Ate a late night meal in the restaurant (where I got a few pics of the adorable little ones) and then we made our way to our little 2 bedroom cottage for a bit of sleep!

Up before the sun we set out back across the island to the ferry...and HOORAY!!! We just made it!! The kids ran themselves silly on the trip across the water, and by the time we reached our friends place on the mainland Sasha had conked out. Of course she woke up and then ran herself silly with Jacob again all day while we unloaded the truck and then put the beds together so our friends could finally get some rest in their new home! We are all super thrilled to have this family close to us again, now only a quick bus trip up Fraser instead of ferry rides away! sweet :)

It was easy for me to be relaxed and go with the flow to do whatever our friends needed because I wasn't working for a few days in a row so didn't have to rush back. Sasha was happy to miss playcare to for a mother-daughter journey and quality play time with Jacob. And it's always easier for me to help others with a move than to move myself. I kept telling them they would have the best moving day story ever - once it was all over. To which I heard the reply "that doesn't really help when we have to live it right now!" lol. If this had been my epic moving adventure you can bet I would have included many more "remember to breathe" moments. But for Sasha and I it was simple island adventure time! Yay! and we even got to see a dozen deer during our short time on Pender and met a few nice folks as well. A great time indeed :D

olympic ramblings

2010-04-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

Since many of the folks who follow this blog are friends and family who live outside of Vancouver, some of you have asked for my thoughts on the Olympics. Wanting to know what it was like to be in the centre of it all. And really, I had intended to write more often during that time...but for me it was a bit of a draining experience overall and I was rather conflicted about the whole thing. (my anxiety over losing my steady hours had something to do with my general unease around this time as well) Now that its all over, here is my post-olympic reflection.

There were so many ups and downs to not only living in the host city, but also working at a community centre with an arena to be used as a practise facility for the hockey players -which was really only an exciting thing if you were one of the well-credentialed people who might be able to see them on the ice inside. For the rest of the community - full of people opposed to everything owelympic to begin with - all you saw was a big fence with lots of cameras. Here's a look...getting closer and closer. (And the security booth coming into the complex from the other side)

Before they put up the pretty blue and green wrap around, it was a truly ugly thing to see. (ok...not so pretty even with the artistic wrap) And the first day it went up was overwhelmingly negative for me. Even tho everyone knew the fence was coming, to actually see it going up a couple of weeks before the Olympic arrival really upset most of the folks who use the Brit facilities. And I was the first person they encountered after seeing this fence and feeling frustrated by it all needing to vent...and for 9 hours I had to fend off the misdirected anger and complaints of just about every person that came through the pool entrance mere feet from the fence (seen here). One man even freaked out on me saying I was complicit in my silence (obviously doesn't know who he's talking too, hehe) and therefore it was my fault the fence was there. Gestapo is upon us and I was to blame. Dude...you gotta be kidding. That kind of paranoia is easy to let go of. The constant frowns of people I'm normally happy to see...not so much.

And then I came home to a dinner with Mark and Che debating the Olympics (again), and I snapped when Che started comparing the city to one under 'Marshall law'. Please do yourself a favour and actually listen to the tales of someone who has lived through such a thing before you bandy about terms like that. "And I've had enough of Olympic complaints today...change of subject please!!!!"

I was as frustrated by the insane degree of security spending for this event as anyone. But never for a moment was I truly afraid of losing all of my civil liberties and ending up under house arrest, beaten or 'disappeared', or any other horrible outcomes of living under a really scary regime. Canada has its flaws, but I feel pretty safe as a citizen here and don't think Harper could ever come close to convincing Canadians marshall law would be necessary, especially for a sporting event. Even if it is a corporate cash grab with elite profits to defend more than anything else. I wish it was really still about the athletes and creating international cultural harmony.

Having friends who were huge supporters of the Olympics (some of whom really benefitted from opportunities created by the games being in town) and fierce anti-Olympic friends as well, had me in constant reflection on both sides of the debates. Working at a tourist location and at a community centre in the hub of an activist community, both of which informing staff how to communicate to the public during this time. The Olympics actually did a great job of creating divides between ordinary people in this fair city...and it all became a wee bit tiresome for me.

However, things got interesting again after one of my ultimate fave moments - on opening day when the torch was supposed to come up Commercial Dr on its way to light to the cauldron. My supervisor at the pool had seen the torch go by in her neighbourhood, and she wanted me to have that experience and told me to go check it out. Super kind, and since it was a sunny day how could I resist? What was really cool was that as Jessica (my buddy who came with me) and I got out to the street we found the sidewalks and road full of the most amazing contrast.

Mingled together we found moms & strollers, folks young and old, teachers and students from the elementary and high school, and so many with red maple leafs painted on their faces...and a whole lot of protesters who were trying to divert the torches path. I found this to be one of my best and most proud-to-be-Canadian moments during the whole Olympic period.

Why? Because it was totally peaceful even with the potential for so much conflict. The cheerleaders and protesters had some debates here and there, but overall there was acceptance of each other in the same space. I found folks to hug from both sides. How many places in the world would you see that?

The torch did get diverted up Clark instead, which the activists considered to be another success. If it wasn't for all the sad students I talked to throughout the day who had really been looking forward to that moment (I wished the cops had tipped off one of the teachers so they could've gotten some of the kids over to see it at least...), I was not really bothered by the rerouting of the torch all day. They were intending to cause disruption to a force that has disprupted their lives and their communities for years since winning the bid...and no one got hurt aside from disappointment to not see a minute of a flame running by. I know that this was a big thing for many people, and I even know a few lucky people that got to be torch runners...but those who missed it due to protest probably have a just as good a story to tell as those who waited for hours to watch it go by in mere moments with no diversion. (Sasha was the only one of us who did get to see the flame when her child care class crossed the park to watch it run along. She wasn't quite sure what it was all about)

The hard work of many activists kept our host city a truly open and free speech safe zone. Protest was alive and well in town and we have gratitude to know so many effective rabble rousers that help maintain rights and freedoms. I love living in a land where you can speak out and not be severly punished. The big protest on opening day was one we would've gone to, but I was working. And beyond that, I was tired of protesting it all. The black block activists that smashed windows of big Olympic funders on the 2nd day, such as TD and the Bay, provoked a good debate around diversity of tactics within a global struggle for human and environmental justice. Of all the things I've read there is one perspective that summed up many (not all) of my thoughts called Tactical Considerations, and if you want to reflect more on strategy and effectiveness of actions it is worth a read.

Anyways...when it came to the Olympics I was mostly just wanting to get it over with. I was quite frankly just sick of hearing about them. Years of preparation and hype to pump up us all up with civic, provincial and national pride. (lucky triple whammy for the 'hosts') Seeing the symbols everywhere (and even took an Olympic Customer service training for the museum, since its a tourist location we needed to be on the same page as the other tourist sites. The course included more info on Olympic history, logos and their meanings, the venues and what was happening at each venue...and wrapped up with about 15 min of somewhat useful customer service info), all of the buses, billboards any other advertising surface plastered with Olympic sponsor ads only, and the ongoing counting the days til it came. Ugh.

Now I just want to get to the 'what are we gonna do once we realize how broke we are after the party is over?' part of the story.

So I believe that covers most of my rant side of things. Glad to get that off my chest and out of my head. But, you know me. I'm one of those 'make the best of every situation' kind of people and it's not every day the world comes to visit...so I do have a few positive tales to share from this crazy time too ;)

Some of my hours at Brit were in the 'Community Living' room which had a big tv (donated to all the centres so the people could have somewhere to gather and watch the games with their neighbours). Hanging with folks to watch figure skating and other sports for couple of evenings certainly made it more enjoyable for me. I really liked the opportunity to get to know some of the Brit regulars better, and being paid to make sure the tv didn't walk away was just about the roughest gig I've ever had, hehe.

Aside from being in a Community Living room, my experience of watching the Olympic games was pretty much like yours I bet. In front of a tv with others who like to cheer. And I did get into cheering on the Canadian athletes and just love watching the glory they feel when they know they nailed it. I know they work hard and I also get a kick out of Canada trump the USA in particular. ;) The hockey games were the most exciting and I was able to watch all of the women's gold cup game, but for the men's gold cup game I was working in the Info Centre where I couldn't watch, so I caught the game in bits and pieces on my breaks, like the this pic I took of the game on my lunch. Right before that tying goal...d'oh!

One thing I will miss now that its over, was hearing the 'Oh Canada' horns at Canada Place every time one of our athletes won a medal. For those of you not within ear shot, every day at noon the horns play the first few notes in a harmonic that you can hear for miles. That was kind of neat and always put a smile on my face. (When most of the security and other madness left town after the main Olympic event, these horns going off when athletes won their medals was one of the only signs that the Paralympic Games were in town for me.) In contrast to this pleasant sound, those loud and ever-present helicopters flying overhead all day and night were truly irritating. I'm very, very happy to not have the choppers flying around all the time anymore!

We had one family adventure day where we walked around the city checking out some of the 'free' stuff to do. Got to take advantage of what we're paying for collectively at least once we figured. I really did love all the music, dance, public art pieces and entertainment all over the place. Every other block had something to offer as we traveled around the city using the pedestrian walkways, had lunch on Granville, and then checked out a couple of shows at the Robson Square 'Signature Celebration Site'. Would be nice if arts and culture were valued this much all the time!!

"thanks for lunch mom!"

The zip line over Robson Square looks to be a really cool ride, but some folks actually lined up for 8 hours for the 2 minute rush! crazy.

Given the day before had been a rainy one, we certainly lucked out with our Sunday adventure in the amazing sunshine! :D
Bobs and Lolo. Sasha loved them!

And after seeing the performers from Circus West, Sasha is also keen to learn some acrobatics so I think we'll check out their CircKids program at some point if she continues to express interest. They really put on a great little show :)
This was as close as we got to the official mascots. I had originally wanted to get a pic with Sasha and these mascots, but also to get a pic with the Poverty Olympic mascots (Creepy the Cockroach, Chewy the Rat, and Itchy the Bedbug) as well...that would have been cool.

A side note while I'm on the poverty issue: I just want to say kudos to Pivot Legal Society for initiating the Red Tent campaign, their tent city and successful lobbying for homes for many of the homeless who camped there during the Olympics, their record breaking banner around the Canada pavilion fence, and their ongoing efforts to raise awareness and agitation for affordable housing for all people. Before, during and on into the future...they are amazing agents for positive change on the poverty and homeless issue and I love them and their many allies for all their hard work.

Back to the sunny scenery...

Note the water on tap supplied by Ontario! wth?

These provincial pavilions (behind the rainbow coloured fence) apparently didn't have too long line ups, but after the lines we saw at the Canada pavilion (over 3 hours!) and others, we didn't bother. Also by this point we had been walking for hours already. So we enjoyed the seawall and all the Inukshuks people made, and happily bumped into some friends outside the Russian pavilion (Science World).

One other bummer was that the days Stephen Colbert was filming in this park I was totally sick and couldn't muster energy to go. (pic of him is from a friend that did make it) That, and not being able to find someone to come with me when I was offered free tix to go to an awards ceremony and concert were mild let downs for me. (I enjoy outdoor and smaller indoor venues for my music, and don't really like stadium shows, even though it was Great Big Sea - who I love to see live - so I almost considered going by myself...but it was so last minute, at the end of a long day, and I just love experiences like that so much more when I have someone to share it with)

But at least, at the end of our family adventure day, all the fencing didn't cut us off from our favorite little ice cream place! Yay!

My mind was boggled in ways both good and bad leading up to and throughout the Olympics, and I find I have so much more I could comment on, such as a 'sustainable' event using helicopters and trucks to move snow from one mountain to another. Sigh. But now that all the spectacle is gone, and soon the village will be full of new permanent residents, this area of town is gonna change dramatically... so I feel the really interesting times are yet to come. I breathe a sigh of relief that the Olympics have moved on, enjoy my positive memories and shed the negative ones, and find myself ever more curious what will the 'legacy' of it all really be?

farewell ravishing beasts

2010-02-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

A really cool exhibit that recently ended at the MOV was Ravishing Beasts. I really wanted to get in there and spend time exploring before it left, and also to enjoy a relaxed visit to the Art of Craft exhibit as well. With only a shift or two a month, I haven't been at the museum often enough to really take in all there was to see. So I called up my aunty and asked her to join me for a day trip.

The alluring world of taxidermy was covered brilliantly (imho) by guest curator Rachel Poliquin. A few of my best pics to give you a wee lit bit of what it had to offer: this example of really good taxidermy...and one that has gone horribly wrong. can you guess which is which? heh; a step-by-step guide on how taxidermy is done; the duck-billed platypus was originally believed to be a hoax since it kinda looks like someone just randomly pieced together some parts; many of the trophy heads were loaned to the museum for the exhibit; taxidermy as a contemporary art form. For lots of great perspective, crazy photos and thought provoking taxidermy sources, visit Rachel's blog at www.ravishingbeasts.com I find some of the stuff she posts to be truly fascinating!

celebrity pic: me & the lion from 'Night at the Museum' I think he still needs a good home if any of you are interested, hehe.

It was a great exhibit to tackle the whole debate on what taxidermy should be used for and why. Over the years it has served many different purposes. When colonization was rampant and explorers were collecting samples of different species in lands far, far away, taxidermy was used as a means to intrigue and educate people with diverse collections. Parlours were not considered fashionable at one point if you didn't have a stuffed bird, animal or something laying around. Hunters have forever used their catch as trophies mounted on their walls, and then there are folks who like to create dioramas with things like gophers and squirrels. A long and interesting history taxidermy has!

From the very first donation ever made to the museum, which was a trumpeter swan in 1894, the number of animals had grown in the natural history collection in the archives...and this exhibit was the first time many of them had been seen by anyone other than curatorial staff for about 50 years. Why not bring them out and provoke some dialogue on what to do with them next?

Now, if you have time before April 11th, and you admire beautiful things made by gifted people, do yourself a favour and visit the Art of Craft exhibit! My pics here, a sampling of the best I took throughout, in no way capture all the impressive things to see. That said, I hope they will tempt you...

This canoe is called "Canadian Offering" by Brian McArthur, an artist from Alberta. My absolute fave! Love it, love it, love it ~ i find it's just sooo Canadian :)

But I also loved many other things on display from 3 artist collectives (Korea, Canada, and BC/Yukon) being showcased as part of the Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver.
~ I would like to add the artist information for each piece here, and will do so after I write them all down next time I'm at work.

On a sunny spring day...this is a gorgeous place to be!

holiday family magic

2009-12-31T22:02:00.000-08:00

I posted these pics to facebook fairly soon after the holidays...but reality is - not all of my friends and family are on there yet! Most of you...but not all ;)

Tho I worked more than I wanted to over the holidays (lots of hours for auxilary staff when others take holiday time), we did enjoy a fair bit of quality family time as well. By new years eve I didn't even have the energy to make it to our co-op common room to celebrate with our neighbours and friends. Nice quiet couch night for us to end the year!

A quick recap with photos from holiday magic time with the Whittams, and our cousins too.

Morning story time; kids enjoying their presents; favorite gift for Sasha was the doctors kit from Santa (she saw this in a store when we were shopping for others, and for the first time ever said "I want to leave the store with this!". We snuck it into our pile of things to purchase after telling her we were only there to pick out gifts for our family. Then when she opened it up she was soooo surprised and asked "how did Santa know I wanted this?!"); Mark the happy camper opening his tix for a Canucks game; hugs of gratitude for Grandma :)

Sasha playing doctor with everyone willing to be her patient; Brett trying to teach Sasha how to wrestle;

this year we chose a 'green' theme. literally, everything was the colour green ;)
'ewww. I don't want to be caught snuggling with my sister!' haha

'umm. like, when can we go back to watching Lost?'
'Whoa' (imagine a big blue flame on the cake)

For fun with our cousins we had a laid back fondu nite, with yum chocolate truffle dessert. Love this silly pic of the 'little' cousins.

And a few games of wacky Jenga :D

Love all the family in our life and gratitude for all of our time with them! Best gift ever :)

thankful for our treasures :)

2009-12-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

Another year wrapping up for us wacky Whittam folks, hehe. Apparently Mark and I were the only ones in the mood for the 'silly' pic of our family this year. So funny considering how long it took us to get Che to restrain from funny faces for every pic we tried.

Well its been an overwhelming few months, with plenty of stories to tell. More to write about than I can remember really, so I'll simply plug away at an update...letting the pics guide me through it and hope I capture the best of our life in highlights.

Way back in early October Mark was away for a week in Montreal for the National CUPE Convention, so Sasha and I had a week of quality mom and daughter time starting with a weekend visit to Whistler.

Always a good time visiting our cousins, tho we missed Cheyenne who was on an adventure with friends that weekend.

Aside from chillin in their home by the river, Monica and Dean also spoiled us with yum food and a couple of walking adventures! Sasha was really into pirates and treasure, so Dean went and planted a treasure at 'Pirates Cove' and we had a grand time trekking through the woods to the secret map location...and Sasha was soooooo surprised that we actually found treasure she was stunned for a wee bit! lol, talk about blurring that line between reality and fantasy (which is already pretty blurry for 3 year olds, hehe). She still plays with the beautiful little treasure box she found that day, and it was a truly wonderful weekend! :)

A few more pics to help us remember the fun: trek through the woods; Sasha having a moment with a huge tree; 'look at me'; Walter; 'Pirates Cove'; Sasha helping to make apple crumble; trying out the roller blades not as much fun at the skate park...boys on BMX and skateboards are too distracting; and a couple of pics taken by Sasha.

I worked a lot the week Mark was away, so the rest of the week was pretty routine. However we had one other noteworthy night when we went to the Ghost Train in Stanley Park. What a fun time we had, and as it was dusk when we were there it wasn't too dark or scary for her. She was a bit apprehensive about going somewhere with ghosts, but she enjoyed the lights and the train ride. And the hot chocolate of course!

Soon after Mark's return we had a small Whittam clan gathering for Thanksgiving. 3 kids, 3 parents, and 3 grandparents. The pic of the cool kids taken by me, the pics of the grandparents taken by Sasha.

October was also the month of an international day of action on climate change, and we attended our local Bridge to a Cool Planet event on the Cambie Bridge. A great turn out and the idea of the banner drop with a bridge loaded with people was perfect for a photo op...however, organizers kinda trapped everyone on the bridge (it became so full that many people with kids and bikes couldn't leave, and the patience of children who feel caged was definetly not factored into things), with a small stage set up in the middle which the majority of the crowd couldn't see or hear as they were stretched out on both sides.

We were most fortunate to run into our friends Dan, Joanne and Saskia who we spent some nice time catching up with! Poor Saskia was terrified by the big red bird (guys on stilts seen at most family friendly events around town...and who scares many children unintentionally) so our timing in finding each other was perfect! Not surprisingly we ran into other friendly faces, such as Rob and his traveling solar panel.
Sasha took this one of the red scooter which I love!

A parade to Science World, with play time at the park and a chance to visit many sustainable tables - and most exciting was the RV all decked out to leave little impact on the world during its journeys...yup, got my wheels turning about our own road trip adventure next year! I'm gonna conspire with my most knowledgable eco-friends and find out what kind of set up we can organize for the doc journey! :D

The banner dropped over the Cambie Bridge, seen in the distance from the park below, says "Canadians Care - Climate Action Now". After the recent climate talks in Copenhagen we certainly aren't being heard by our leadership on this issue! But that's a post for another day...more pics instead of rant, hehe ;P

That day we hung outside and convinced Sasha it was closed, but since then we've had a couple of rainy day visits to Science World. One with Mark, and one just me and Sasha. Small world that day as we ran into four other families we know from around the lower mainland!

Most excited that we finally reached the first Halloween where Sasha actually understood what was going on and she had a blast following Keyan (the older and more experienced trick or treater) up to all the doors for candy a plenty. The butterfly and magician scored full bags of goods, which we rationed out over the next while. Our co-op neighbours were crazy generous with handfuls of stuff (and playdough from David and Margot) then we weaved our way up to 10th ave. For those of you in town...check it out cuz this street totally rocked! One of those streets with ginormous trees, old character homes and just about every one of them completely decked out in cobwebs, pumpkins, etc. Scary music blaring from a few of them gave the whole street a wild ambiance!

Wish I had gotten better pics, and with thanks to Kristina I actually have these few to show our adventure for you. The creepy clown was from an awesome haunted house place complete with statues and folks dressed up as things that would jump out at you and managed to freak just about everyone out. Sasha was made a bit scared by the toy witch at the top of the stairs stirring a cauldron, and with a woman speaking into a mic from within the house (so Sasha couldn't see her and really thought the witch was talking to her) who teased about eating her butterfly wings.

Our co-op social committee pulled off another fabulous potluck with an Autumn Harvest meal with many of our neighbours. In our 2 years here now (wow!) we have come to feel a strong part of this community and really enjoy getting to know people over time, especially at gathering such as this one!! We also hung out for a while at a friday pizza and movie but Sasha diesn't think thats a very fun party yet (the pizza & movie social nite we enjoyed a portion of a few weeks later isn't her cup of tea yet either). ;)

Mark has been using a lot of his evenings for meetings and more meetings between his union executive and co-op board member hats. One night his work day started with a meeting, and then he left work to go to Library Board meeting for a presentation his union was making, and then sped home for an important co-op general meeting. Fun day that was for him.

In the past few months I've only been to a few meetings, and other than the doc my biggest focus has been CPEN. (I've kind of dropped my green team hats since the fall...back to that in the new year) We had a point in early fall where the questions starting rising on whether our organization should fold or go on. This caused me to do a lot of reflecting on the Charter for Public Education and my life since I had the priviledge to be apart of the process to create it. This is another issue that feels like a whole post in itself...and the thought of the organization ending left me a bit breathless. CPEN was founded to maintain the dialogue begun with the Charter process...we were meant to continue to breathe life into the principles of public education articulated to us by over 1500 people around the province of BC. We are the only organization that ANY person can be a part of (no need to belong to any of the stakeholder groups...just gotta believe in public education and protecting it as a sacred trust), with a tool for discussion that everyone can use.

During our debate on the relevance of CPEN, one of the folks who feel our organization has no purpose mentioned that he felt like he was "killing Kathy's dog". A metaphor that carried through the rest of the discussion, and which quite iritated me becasue in my opinion it is not about me. The Charter was not my idea, I simply lucked out in being able to participate in its development becasue one woman in particular saw a spark in me she thought would be perfect for the job. But I remain committed to making sure there is a voice in public debate that stays focused on what public education CAN be, and should be. I feel committed to all the people who shared their thoughts, concerns and visions with us on our travels in 2002-03, and everyone I've discussed education issues with since then, and compeled to work towards positive change in the systems we use to educate the future of our society...and all the children in my life!

As you can probably tell I'm just a little bit passionate about all of this, and in fact am using this energy to motivate myself on the documentary to get all Canadians talking about these issues. (FYI - I created a little video Invitation to Canadians to help spread the word...feel free to share with your networks! please!) But my other point to the group was that I alone am not a movement and CPEN really doesn't have relevancy if I'm the only one who believes in it. Fortunately, I'm not the only one who believes in it and we've recently had our AGM, and with new energy and a realistic set of things to do, I believe CPEN will continue to grow and influence change in its own ways. YEEPA!

The funniest thing about having someone reference 'killing my dog' was Mark's response when I told him about the meeting: "Do any of them remember after the Charter was published and you got bit in the face by Bailey, and then spent 6 months working on finding him a new home when everyone else thought he should be put down for biting your face?!" Made me laugh so hard!

Turns out I'm stubborn about helping things stay alive when I believe in them ;)

Stressful times tend to take their toll after a while and complete burnout came close for me a couple of times in the past few months. Other than quality family time, you have probably figured out by now that my fave cure-all for stressful times are spontaneous ladies nites with faboo friends. As I'm still sane at this point you can tell they provided the balance I needed, and I've enjoyed helping Elaine (group shot from her bday dinner), Victoria and Tanya celebrate their happy days, and finally learned how to play poker with Teresa and Charlene! :D

Sasha has had some quality time with friends as well. Aside from trick or treatin with Keyan, Sasha also had fun with friends new and old. Aubrey is one of her best playmates from daycare and her bday party was a great time for her, and Mark and I also enjoyed getting to know some of the other daycare parents who were there. Gotta love this pic of Sasha and Aubrey in a hug. awww

We also had a fantastic visit with Merlin, Gilly and Rob. I love watching these two play and still marvel at how much they have both grown since Gilly and I first lay them down side by side 3 years ago!

Just so you know that we still enjoy a fair amount of chill time at home, here are a few random pics: dancing, her photo of her boot, and playing with my box o beads (here's a patience tester for you: watch as box o beads drops out of hands of little one...and all those beads bouncing and scattering around the living room! great teamwork in the clean up helped me not go coocoo...I'm a wee bit OCD when it comes to organizing those by colour, hehe)

peaceful Karma kat...purrrrrr

November brought the finale of the POWER 2 project that Che had auditioned for early in the summer (and his twice weekly rehearsals were the reason he wasn't able to join us for camping fun on Saturna and Mayne islands) What an amazing performance by him and rest of the cast of youth!! Each of the cast had a solo monologue piece, and then there were ensemble pieces as well. Che's monologue, about his Grandpa who passed away last year from lung cancer, was brilliant and moving. He even did some hip hop in the group piece! Mark went with Mum on one night, and I went with Dad & Liz on another night. I was happy to be there the night I was because I got to see a few other folks I knew and as the final performance the energy was really outstanding. The woman who directed it has plans for a documentary DVD about the process of POWER, and when it is available (she told Che about 2 years. it is a process that spans a few years and budget funding is sparse these days, so it will be ready when it can be) I will post about it and anyone who wants copies can get one then. Visit the web site if you wanna learn more about the POWER project too! www.miscellaneous-inc.org

Early in December we caved to Sasha's requests to put up the Christmas tree. I love this time of year with a 3 year old! Back to the excitement of singing holiday tunes and all the joy of the season. :)

Decorating with our little family is always entertaining, and gave me a nice dose of holiday spirit for the final preparations for the Britannia Staff & Board Party, which I was the organizer of this year. After great work by Sandy for so many years, I had big shoes to fill. So I booked one of our fave party spaces- the WISE Hall, wrote a letter to businesses on the Drive and managed to acquire some fantastic raffle prizes (a spa package being the creme de la creme), found a fun DJ and an absolutely fabulous caterer - Just Catering (honestly one of the best buffet meals I've ever had!!) and challenged my fellow staff to a song competition between all the areas. Thankfully 4 groups rose to the challenge and came up with awesome tunes, and I broke the musical ice by sharing my songs first. I'm really thankful that everyone liked them and was moved by all the positive feedback I received for the whole evening. My best support, with set up and providing musical backup to my songs, was Charlene...could not have done it without her!

I had a blast mc'ing the nite, and planning the whole thing...the only things I would change in hindsight (always something to learn after an event is over) is recruiting bodies to help with set up. I did a whole lot of table moving on my own which had my body aching for days. But the bruises were worth it cuz I had everything set up just as the first folks were coming in the door, and a good time was had by everyone! My camera is not good for dark indoor pics (or maybe it is and I just need to learn how to use it properly,hehe) but here are some to showcase a few precious moments and some of my fave Britannia folks. Cheers to the faboo Britsters I'm lucky enough to work with :D

Seriously...do yourself a favour and hire Just catering if you're in need for an event. Great organization, and devine catering!

This is what happens to you when you've worked at Brit since day one, you dance like Steve ;)
DJ Tarek
...and who knew so many people knew the dance from the Thriller video? So cool to see all the folks on the dance floor doing the same moves...I thought that only happened in the movies, heh

The downside to the total body pain for a few days after the party set up was that I couldn't lift my arm without hurting and missed my first chance to try curling. But I went for the evening of fun with my fellow pool staff and friends celebrating with a Christmas party at the Marpole Curling Club (and by chance ran into my buddy Carl and got in an extra friend hug!) and had a blast watching everyone else try. lol

I missed the MOV xmas party when I had to stay home with Sasha who had to stay home a couple of days when she developed a case of pink eye. She has certainly become the little queen of all types of infections from head to toe in her short life so far. I still can't believe how many things are 'common' ailments for children that you never hear about until you have one in your home! I just feel gratitude that everything she has had to deal with so far has been easy to heal, and she handles all appointments, medicines or whatever the case may be with total resiliency.

After another eye appointment in early December we know her vision continues to improve and with her next appointment, if she can finally see that bottom teeny tiny row of letters in the vision test, we can probably stop the 2 hour patching every day that gives her right eye the extra workout. Yay!

I'm sure I've missed a detail or two...but I'm also sure that is more than enough updating on our wacky life for now. Christmas is fully upon us and we're looking forward to more time with all of our family. Happy to have Che with us this holiday season, and though I'm working more than I'd like to be (steady hours in the Info Centre will be up in January so not sure about finances for the new year at this point...breathe Kathy...breathe) we'll have plenty of time for family fun in the next couple of weeks. :D

As this year comes to an end I find myself crazy full of gratitude for all the treasures in our life, and hope that all of you get a healthy dose of fun & hugs with those you love this holiday season, and that your life is full of many treasures to keep you going in these crazy times.

much love & many hugs...and a cute little moment of play after dinner for your viewing pleasure.

a month well lived

2009-09-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Since we got back from our island getaway time, we have had a full calendar of fun times!

The weekend of our return we had a play day with Nolan, Tanya and Jer, and Mark had the boys over as Joe was in town again! Yay! We love to see him (tho Tom looks less than thrilled, hehe) I got a better pic of the boys, only Joe went and gave me the finger so I'll save that one for facebook! lol

The long weekend was full o' fun! Our community block party had a decent turnout given the rainy day. We enjoyed some catch up time and meeting a couple of new neighbours in the co-op, and then left early for dinner at Dad's before we went to the hockey game! I was lucky to be given 2 tix for the Women's Gold Cup game at GM Place, and Mark enjoyed the best seats he's ever sat in at a game. I enjoyed the game as well as the energy of a live game is far more exciting when you are in the arena surrounded by the cheers. This pic was when Canada scored the tying goal to make it 1 all...unfortunately they did not win. But it was a really great game to watch. :)

On the final day of the of the "Velo-City: Vancouver & the Bicycle Revolution" exhibit at the MOV, I did one final tour with Tanya, Nolan, Mark and Sasha. I really enjoyed giving tours of this exhibit and will miss it now that its gone. Throughout the exhibit there were 15 individuals profiled that were gatekeepers to the many sub-cultures that Propeller Design (the guest curators) identified in putting together the ideas. Actually they found 42 sub-cultures within bicycle culture which I found fascinating. There were over 60 bikes on display as well!

Below you'll see Nolan is standing next to the Varna Diablo which Sam Whittingham (one of my fave profiled folks) has broken many records for self-propelled land speed. And fastest speed for a crash at 130 km skidding out for over 300 meters! The Diablo was actually taken from the exhibit in July for a couple of weeks as Sam was off to Detroit to attempt another record breaker - mission accomplished! (those scratches on the paint job near Nolan's hand were from that exciting journey) He also designs and builds beautiful bikes which you can see at Naked Bicycles and Design. The Cherry Bomb was another of his bikes on display and it had beautiful beech wood rims. He learned how to mold wood from a guitar maker on one of the gulf islands. When he took his bikes away after the exhibit he was on his way to do some more record breaking - mission accomplished again!

The chalk wall is the end of the exhibit where the curators wanted everyone to leave their impressions...most of it was bike related. hehe. Sasha and Nolan had a blast running around and exploring. The 'Revolution Gallery' featured videos made by bike lovers near and far. Now I can fill you in on a behind-the-scenes moment: the video room was a pain in the butt to deal with when opening the museum in the morning. All the DVD players were stacked within one of the benches, and there were 8 remotes used for the whole exhibit, 5 of which were for the video room. But it was beyond tricky to get all the tv's to start all the movies at the same time. most often one dvd would not cooperate...and then you had to start all over. With the openings and closings of this exhibit I've learned a lot about exhibit design and functionality, which is one of my fave things about working at the museum! (Really stoked about the next exhibit called Ravishing Beasts!) Some pics of our play time around Vanier park. Mark was awesome and distracted the wee ones for a while so Tanya and I could brainstorm a bit, then we caught up to them at the beach.

The next weekend Mark and I had another date night, this time to see my friend Tara in a play at the Firehall Arts theatre. "Good Boy and True" was quite a gripping story about a rich jock at a private school, a video tape, a girl from a public school who was used to help 'prove' he wasn't gay, and how his best friend, the school and his family dealt with the fallout of his actions. There were many social issues I found myself reflecting on after that play, but one more than others. The play took place in the 80's when video tapes were not necessarily easy to produce and share with others...in comparison to the reality in schools today which has many students with phone cameras able to record everything, and post it online, in moments. I would be interested to see a similar story set in our more technological modern times.

The next weekend we got some more community fun time in at our co-op bbq social. A lovely day outside, and some rock band fun for all ages inside. The pinata is always a hit of course :)

After that party I went out and partied some more! Yahoo! Time for another ladies nite! This time we played pool while listening to some live tunes at the Fairview Pub. Wicked fun...and we all won a game so you can't get any more fair than that, hehe :D

It has been waaaaaaaaay too long since I have played pool...and now i'm itching to play again! Not nearly the shark I used to be (thanks to lessons from a pro at a sports bar I worked at) but still just love to play! I believe our next ladies night will have some more pool table action. lol

We'll have fun no matter what we do ;)

One of the best things to do on a sunny weekend morning (especially when feeling a little on the run down side, ahem) is simply explore our neighbourhood. This time on her scooter...for about 2 blocks. then we 'shared' the job of carrying it. Well, you can't roll down hill on it now can you? lol I'm thinkin' about starting a flicker site for her or something. She really likes taking pictures (and I only post the occasional random few), and this one of her scooter butterflies I just love for some reason. What do you think?

After a brunchy lunch and naptime, we jumped in the co-op car and went for a visit to Maplewood farms. Handy dandy pass my tourism privilege pass. We've decided we need to take advantage of it a little more. Next trip to the farm will be after Lulu (seen here being patted by Sasha) will have her baby calf in about a month or so.

For those who've been asking for health update on Sasha here we go: mid August Sasha had another follow up with the eye doctor. Her vision seems to have improved a bit, and we're gonna keep patching the left eye a couple of hours each morning to work the muscles in her right eye. The next follow up is in December.

This month Sasha had a visit with our family doctor regarding Sasha still having her poops in her panties (this is when all of you folks that don't care about poopy stories can scroll down a bit, haha) after 10 months of potty training. The pees she mastered long ago and rarely has accidents in the wet form. But the struggle to find the right way to help her master the poop end of things has been very tiring at times. A book sent home from daycare about a boy who went to the doctor to help him with the same problem proved to be useful in getting her through her own appointment with no anxiety. Also helped that we got to see the dr. as soon as we walked in the office (usually at least a 1/2 hour wait...) As I suspected it is not likely a physical problem, but rather the she is using her stubborn powers to resist for some reason. A power struggle, fun. At the end of the visit we had a new plan that Sasha seemed keen on. And a week or so later, she actually seems to slowly be taking control of things...i believe we're almost there!

Aside from that challenge, she is in another growth spurt, has had a bit of a cold lately, but otherwise is happy healthy and well. Some days she works really hard at trying to be a crank (literally. she said to me one day "I'm choosing to be a brat right now" oh really?), and she has different ways of pushing buttons for me and Mark. So far we have done a pretty good job of presenting a united front as parents and her barrier pushing seems to be abating a bit. Until the next barrier pushing stage kicks in...heh.

Things continue to go well at her daycare. She loves her teachers and here is her first class picture of sorts with her and all the over-3's. pretty big group and wonderful place for her to play all day while we work. Slowly getting to know some of the parents as well, and the after her dr's appointment there was a big family potluck at the daycare at the end of the day.

For every potluck this month we were able to bring foods made with things from our garden which is very awesome! We learned from trial and error approach to gardening of last year, and this year we had a bounty of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots and herbs aplenty. Also got a couple of peppers and squash. Green thumbs are slowly developing and we're gonna try doing some fall planting of hearty winter stuff soon.

The last weekend of the month was a party of Mark's bday weekend...we had yet another date night on the friday (record 3 in one month!) to see a comedy show, and some live music from the Yukonfest at the Railway Club. The Media Club was host to a Comedyfest show and one of the comedians was a friend Charlie Demers who I met through peace activism channels years back. I've become a fan of his show on CityTV called the List which features 3 other Canadian comics as well. aside from Charlie the other comic who had me crying laughing so hard was Maria Bamford. Hilarious!
After the laughs we heard a couple of different bands at one of our fave music venues and then enjoyed a nice walk home from the Railway. Happy 16+30 babe! :)

The rest of his bday weekend included a game night with the boys, but playing board games so I could play too ;P
Before the guys arrived we had a visit from Heath, and check out the rollerblades he delivered to Sasha from Aunty Karli...and the totally cute teddy bear knee pads. Within 5 minutes she was shuffling around on her own saying 'no thanks, i don't need help'. One of these days she'll get to use them out and about, for now she's mastering the floor here at home. She loves them!

The next day Sasha and I met Mark at Word on the Street when he finished his volunteer time, and Sasha her nap. Got a great colouring book featuring all of the Fish of BC which was created by my friend Robi. we got to see Sarah's large variety of comic materials, and got a nice overall dose of all things word related before heading to a bday dinner at Dad's. Two times blessed with a great meal at Dad & Liz's in one month! very nice!

The topper of the month for me was being given the opportunity to attend an event from Educating the Heart conference put on by the Dalai Lama Centre for Peace & Education. A morning session of panels entitled "Educating the Heart: Creativity and Well-Being and Heart-Mind Education" featuring His Holiness and a variety of other wise folks. Each of the panel members only a had a few moments to summarize their perspectives on things, so it was not an in depth dialogue. But the breadth of perspective and bits of wisdom provided me with some great food for thought. I really enjoyed the guys who founded the Blue Man group, and my favorite voice of the morning was Sir Ken Robinson. Still too many thoughts stewing around to share anything concrete...but it was a morning which further inspired my determination to take the dialogue on public education further...take it national! follow through with my project and see what comes of it.

I also spent time with Mike who is my CPEN cohort and always good to get my mind thinking in philosophical ways. Between breakfast and lunch with Mike, and a morning of listening to panels at the Orpheum (oh yah, I got to enter the Orpheum again...I love the inside of this theatre - gorgeous!) my head was swimming by about 2 when I got home. promptly flaked out for the rest of the afternoon. Catching up on the sleep I didn't get the night before between my racing mind and my little one tossing and turning beside me. Always nice when an opporunity for a nap comes along to get the bodyclock back in order. hehe.

What a month! After a summer off I had green team meetings for work and home, and this month there were lots of hours for me at work, but all my memories of this month will be from lots of community, friends and family, velo love, hockey, a farm, live music, theatre and comedy, and the Dalai Lama...wonderfull times!! :D

What's up with the doc?

2009-09-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

is coming to a town near you in 2010!

The documentary project I've been working on for the past two years (which I've mentioned many times since meeting Tanya on the picket lines where the ideas for the documentary began) is now getting ready to hit the road, and you my dear friends and family (and random Canadians that visit this blog now and then) have a chance to have your say and help "Educate Me!?" in the process. :)

Next year Mark, Sasha and I will begin a road trip journey around Canada and back again to sit with people coast to coast at their kitchen tables and hear what they have to say about public education. My quest is to find out what it would take for all Canadian parents to simply say with enthusiasm "I can't wait for my child to go to our community school!" Is such a thing possible in our nation of diversity?
After two years of development (plenty of soul searching, research, seeking of feedback, submitting of ideas, writing writing and more writing...and even more editing) the project has evolved and now I know we're on the right path with it. The family road trip, and the circles of people who invite me into their homes, will provide the basis for the documentary which follows our family journey.

The footage collected during the casual conversations across the country on what education is for, how people feel about the system as it is now, and what potential they feel there is for the future, along with other material will also be used for a follow up series which explores the big political and cultural issues I hope to unravel with this project.

While it may be true that there are many hard obstacles to overcome for an education system everyone can be happy with, I know we are capable of achieving this lofty goal one day. But we need new frames to the debate, and we need to become comfortable with thinking outside the simple 'school as a building' box.

I believe the time has come for all Canadians to really participate in a more meaningful dialogue. I know the thirst for a deeper discussion is out there, and I want to build on the process that lead to the development of the Charter for Public Education, a journey into communities province wide to listen to a vision of what public education can be, and an experience that changed my life. My path since then has me following my desire to carry this dialogue further and further. Beyond the amazing debates that exist within and between stakeholders, which influence change at a snails pace when all come from different sides. For genuine progress to occur, and to get the most bang for our buck in tough economic times, we need to get beyond what the talking heads have to say...now its your turn!

When Sasha starts school in 2 years, my life will become even more community focused. I know I will committ time to her school as an active PAC member, and maybe one day I'll let someone finally twist my arm and seek the votes of the people for a chance to put my education knowledge to use for our school district as a trustee. I've enough positive role models at all levels to feel comfortable with the ways I can be a helpful influence on Sasha's learning experience along the way.

Before I put all my focus on the local level though, I need to put a whole lot of energy into my compulsive need to find answers to the big picture issues that have parents everywhere debating education options for their children. Quality education is right for all of our children, so why do we even have to 'shop' for schools at all? I feel the answers lie in our lack of common ground on what 'quality' means, and wonder if our diverse nation can find any consensus on the matter.

So now we turn to the people, yourself included, and say "what do you think?". The small casual conversations we will film across Canada will be focused on trying to provide as many views as possible by having a diverse range of age and exprience at each table. The response I'm receiving so far has been amazingly encouraging, with people from many provinces and diverse backgrounds eager to participate. I'm more confident than ever that this will be a huge challenge, and also a rewarding one. The learning curve to get my documetary project idea this far has been enormous and now I feel ready for whatever unfolds as we take it to the next level.

A road trip I could never consider taking without your support of my ideas as this project has evolved. And a journey I could never do without taking my family along for the ride...our grandest adventure yet! We are still looking for people interested in participating in many provinces so please spread the word...and we look forward to seeing you along our way :D

Please visit www.educate-me.ca/thedoc.htm for more of the project overview, and feel free to share any thoughts, feedback, statements of support and other queries with me at kathy@educate-me.ca

More updates to come...for now, back to your regular blog viewing enjoyment with more pics and stories of Sasha and life in general in the posts to come. Hugs of gratitude for your support and encouragement! OOOOO

family time unplugged

2009-09-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

We had an absolutely fabulous family adventure time on Saltspring and Mayne islands...10 days unplugged and loving it!! :D

The trip began with some drama when we hit bumper to bumper traffic on Knight st due to a car collision on the bridge. We were at 42nd when we hit the traffic and had about an hour to get our ferry reservation on time! ack!

After plenty of anxiety on my part (breathe Kathy breathe), and an attempt to try a different route, I calmed myself down as we inched along by trying to create a plan B in case we missed the ferry. Once I was satisfied we could still have a good day if we missed it, of course the traffic started to ease...and we made it to the terminal just in the nick of time! Missed our reservation...but not the ferry! Yeepa! then we just had to wait to get on the boat to finally stretch our legs from 1 1/2 hours in the car. Freedom begins!

The 3 hour ferry ride was full of running around and around and up and down and around a number of times and then some lunch in the sun on the deck. For some reason Sasha decided to sit on the bench across from us. Does that "I'm too cool for my parents thing" start so early?? hehe

We were very happy to land on the island and made our way to our campsite to set up, let Sasha snooze and relax a bit before doing some exploring.

We stayed at Mowhinna Creek which was a pretty good campground only 3 years old. The host was a retired fellow named Gary. His wife decided he needed to go back to work as he was making her crazy after he retired. So now he hosts the campground for summers and they winter at their home in Arizona where he can ride his harley in the desert. He was funny always zipping around on his golf cart. The funniest story involving Gary was the night that the guy camping next to us gave him a good scare by jumping out in front of him while wearing a dark hoody in the total dark of night. fyi, Gary drives around at night while holding a flashlight out front as his headlight. safe right? Tho it was a prank that Gary enjoyed in the end, while he was still startled he told Dude (not his name, but he was just one of those guys you would call 'dude') "you're lucky I didn't have a gun on me or I would have blown your head off you scared me so good!" Nice.

We did luck out with a playground right beside our site which Sasha made great use of! Mark and I would take turns doing chores (clean up after meals, etc) while the other played on the swings. And we had games we could all enjoy -wheeeee!

Sasha's pic of our table during breaky prep.
oh the joys of camping with a potty trainer ;)

On both islands we explored bays and waterfronts plenty. Fulford was our first place to explore on Saltspring...

While we were at Drummond park (another of many playgrounds we played upon) a little boy who got a hold of my camera changed some settings on me...so the next pic I took of the llamas (named after the Beatles) was a black and white one that i liked. I didn't even know I could take black and white pics - thanks Matthew! Fulford is the original hippy harbour and it is colourful and full of character. Here we sampled some food at the Rock Salt cafe which made a very yummy roasted yam quesadilla.

A great highlight was the day we journeyed around visiting farms, bakeries and the Saltspring Cheese farm. All 3 of us were in heaven sampling their variety of cheeses and had fun exploring the property where you can learn the whole process they use for making their cheese. Hard choice to make for our picnic snacking treats purchase.

I played fetch wth this pooch while waiting for Sasha and Mark to finish playing with the chickens. One of three friendly dogs you'll meet.

We spent lots of time in Ganges as it was closest to our camp site. Playing at Centennial Park playground, the amazing farmers market, an afternoon swimming in the public pool (and having our first shower in days!), and ice cream were highlights of our many visits.

There was something interesting to see in this park every day (one day we saw a guy arrested, but then many of us at the playground became curious when they let him go and arrested him a few more times before we finally saw the cameras - "oh...they're filming!") and always someone for Sasha to play with. She is actually quite confident in walking up to other kids and saying "Hi, I'm Sasha. wanna play?" A little less so when there are LOTS of kids, especially if they are bigger. Then she hangs back a bit to take it all in before figuring out what she wants to do and how she wants to play. So very interesting to watch how she engages with people. Shy to start and then quick to become the leader of things.

The day we picked up treats from farms all over we had a picnic dinner on the beach and some swimming (well, Sasha walked in a fair ways and I enjoyed a nice swim myself) to finish the day off with a nice sunset. One of those 'its a rough life' moments ;)

Artistic expression is found everywhere on this island and one super place to visit is Hastings House. A great place to explore as they have a crazy variety of scupltures scattered throughout the property. Here is a sampling of my faves along with scenic beauty of the place.

my absolute fave is this one: "the gatherers"

On our last night we dined at the Tree House Cafe which is a space that has had many purposes, one of which was a much loved teahouse run by the grandmother of a woman I work with at the museum. I have enjoyed hearing her tales of what it was like to work their during her childhood summers on the island. Anyways, we played on the docks while waiting for a table and then had the treat of listening to Valdi tell stories and sing songs while enjoying another fine meal. Sasha loved him and got up and danced and thoroughly entertained the couple at the table beside us. I love that they have music every night through the summer and that you can just bring your own chair and sit outside to enjoy the music without dining in the restaurant! We need places like this everywhere!

Our last evening at our site was my ultimate moment of the whole trip. Every night Mark and I played scrabble and enjoyed reveling in the insane feeling of being surrounded by stars. So weird to camp without a fire every night, but after the first or second day I got used to it. Aside from one evening which was really cold (really...I had socks on and numerous layers on my body as well!) the weather was so beautiful we got by without flames just fine.

After getting Sasha to sleep, Mark and I were playing a final game when our neighbour to the other side of us (not the 'dude') began playing his guitar and singing some of the most beautiful music...it was perfect acoustic sound for the setting. We wrapped up the game, turned off the lamp and sat back to take in the stars one last time in the giant patch of sky we were under, while listening to his wonderful songs. At one point I saw a shooting star just as he was singing about dreams coming true and I said to Mark "this is such a ridiculously beautiful moment I can't believe it!"

how could we not have sweet dreams with an end to such a fabulous day as that? happy camper indeed!! :D
Sasha is a little blackberry monster and can spot a blackberry bush a mile away (almost literally). The campground of course had many bushes to graze upon, so the last day we had a blackberry pancake breaky before taking down the tent and packing up the car (beauty of no rain is no tarps!)

Before catching our ferry to Mayne island we went for a visit to the Saltspring Vineyards for a tasting and Raven Street Market Cafe for lunch. "Eartha" who is the feminin symbol seen all over the winery, and on the labels of their bottles of delight, represents the woman who lead the charge to protect a tremendously large chunk of the island that had been slated for clearcutting. From the vineyard you can see the hillside where the company had began its clearcuts before the women rallied, organized, fundraised by doing a tasteful nude calendar and other tactics and stopped the clearcutting of those lands. I really like how they honour everything they love about the island on their label, and while your are enjoying the tasting every story and food sample served to enhance the flavour is connected to local foods and culture. Sasha was remarkably patient so we could savour the experience, and the woman hosting the tasting included her by serving her 'wine' in a glass of her own, making it a truly family friendly treat.

The Raven Street Market and Cafe was our favorite food of all our dining out experiences. Certainly the best of the 3 we tried for the childrens options. perfect balance and portion and all of our meals were thoroughly enjoyed! mmmmmmm

A quick ferry ride and we were soon on Mayne island to visit our friends Jonny, Kristen and Jacob. What a fantastic time!! So nice to catch up as we haven't seen them since our visit to see them 2 years ago while they were living on Cortes Island. If they keep moving around we figure we'll eventually see all the islands in no time, hehe.

We made the most of our time with Jonny in the first couple of days as he had to head back to Pender Island for work during our stay. (looks like that will be our next island to explore once they move there) You won't be surprised to hear that my favorite place we visited was their community garden which was huge, had a great labyrinth and best of all a cob building to admire! Fab-u-lous!!!

cute tree frog

Sasha and Jacob spent time playing every day. Around the house, exploring the bay where the seals live (on that big rock...tho they look like rocks from a distance too) and wandering for blackberries anywhere they can find them.

"ooby scooby go!" A quick vid to show what they did back and forth on the porch for ages.

One night their friend came over with his son and we enjoyed a game nite, with kids dancing and playing in the living room while we grown up kids played Cranium. Awesome fun. And the funniest moment of all was when Sasha came into the kitchen and said "I really like the Riley boy. Is it ok if he sleeps with me in my bed tonight?" OMG!!! I still cry laughing every time I think of it. Or maybe I'm crying thinking about what we're in for when she REALLY gets into boys...oy. ;P

We had one day of exploration just the three of us and we chose to visit the Japanese garden as there is also a playgound and waterfront to enjoy all in the same area. Every art piece, bench, and many of the plants and trees in the garden are in memory of the many Japanese people that were an important part of the islands beginnings. During the war they were all sent to internment camps when governments rounded up all Japanese residents and stripped them of their land, but the islanders have never forgotten their important contributions.

Right outside their door...deer and beautiful scenery

More pics of Sasha at play.

Our journey to Mayne island would not be complete without a little sightseeing of one special thing - COB!!

Almost every book I've read on natural building alternatives, especially cob (usually a mix of mud and straw) has referenced properties on this island. And one building in particular that I was super keen to see up close was the Hobbit house.

Kristen checked in with the woman who is currently renting it and she was kind enough to let us in so we could marvel at the inner beauty too. You can see pics of the inside here, as I didn't want to invade her privacy by sharing pics of her stuff with the world. It is really amazing just how much bigger it is on the inside than it looks from photos. I'm very, very much in love with the idea of molding a home of our own out of cob and other materials...one day! Along with the Hobbit cottage there were 2 other cob homes we went to look at for further inspiration. We will be sure to sign up for some cob building projects happening in Vancouver full of renewed eagerness to do some hands on learning! :)

After the tour we shared some hugs of gratitude with our friends and went on our way to the ferry for our journey home.

back to the city...

Full of fond memories of 10 days well lived and enjoyed...and a deeper connection to the beauty of gulf island life. From the strong local currency supported on Saltspring, fantastic markets and farms, the creative and laid back energy on both islands, splurging on quality meals in unique restaurants (we dined out a couple of times on Mayne too!), time with friends, and grand family aventure full of fun and learning about positive alternatives and enjoying the simple things in life within rich natural environments. Every time I come back to urban life after time unplugged I am full of a deeper thirst and appreciation for the slow life! ;)

hot fun in the summer time

2009-08-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

One of the best memories from this summer will be the day we played at the Jones Park Family Fun day...and another MC gig for me in our old neighbourhood! yay! Check out the before and after of Sasha on the whale at one year and just over 3 years...

It was another great event for the community with great music from Reggae Rising and other up and coming talent Cory Mae Omega and Blenheim St Project, along with other local faves the Hawaiian dancers and the awe-some capoeira folks. We had a super time catching up in Brad and Virginia's backyard (I love the pic tha Sasha got of Brad!) Though we had no backyard fire to gather around this year, I totally loved the amazing thunderstorms (the longest ever since I moved here) and the crazy orange sky to finish was brilliant end to the glowing day!

We have finally all got bikes now...even more family fun now that we can ride around on the seawalls (for starters anyway, hehe). Mark and I both got our bikes from Our Community Bikes on Main St, and I have to say I was thrilled with the service and am so happy with my new ride! wheeeeeeee!

Sasha is too tall for most bike seats, and is the right height for the trail-a-bike which we got second hand...then we had our first test ride as a mobile family unit and rode the seawall to Granville Island for dinner. With ice cream on the way home of course!!

Another treat for us was a faboo bbq at Shannon's and the adorable finger puppets knitted by Kirsten for Sasha...look! its a mini and very adorable Sasha puppet! so wicked cool :D
And her new fave game to play is using all of her finger puppets for role playing fun and a whole new use for little kitchen. lol

I've been working a ton between the pool, the info centre and the museum. All are good, and I'm now feeling a bit settled in the new groove of juggling the 3 hats. Around all the extra hours I have to say we've also had plenty of fun around the home and garden:

We finally took on a project we've been talking about forever...a fountain for our patio! Here are the pics of the transformation of one little corner of our outside space (and Sasha playing with water features at home depot while we picked up the last of our supplies) over the course of two weekends:

Other summer adventures include: taking advantage of my tourism privilege pass with a ferry ride to Granville Island for water park and playground, dinner and ferry home; lunch at Lions Den with Granma; lunch at Foundation; and we went to Trout Lake for Latin Summer Fest...and some fun in the water for the naked nellie after she fell in and got soaked, hehe.

Random shots from a lunchtime walking journey to Granville Island and back one day working at the museum. I'm loving exploring the other side of town and the waterfront!

I'm quite surprised to see, in retrospect, just how often I've been to Granville Island lately. (foot, ferry and bike - check) All of the sudden it seems so central and convenient for a nice lunch break alternative, and an easy exploration getaway for our family. And speaking of getaways... now I'm looking forward to more summer adventures to come! With the next 2 weeks off for family fun we are heading off to a couple of different islands away from the city - 12 days unplugged on Saltspring and Mayne ...yeepa!!

vid clip for your enjoyment: 'wanna dance?'

we are the folk

2009-07-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

Another wonderful year at the Vancouver Folk Fest! Mark and I enjoyed the Friday nite show and all day Saturday as some quality couple time relaxin' at a number of great workshop stages. When a diverse group of artists get together and start jamming to each others music for an hour I am always in heaven...add the beauty of Jericho beach park and a wide array of fabulous folk to the mix and you have the recipe for my ultimate summer addiction ;)

Though I liked every performance and group we saw, I'd say my two new faves from this year were Mr. Something Something and Bellowhead - amazing stage performers and great music!

The other thing we took advantage of was an item of great contraversy for the folk fest fans...the beer garden! After more than 30 years as a dry event (aside from all the mixed drinks smuggled in discretely every year by many) the Vancouver Folk Fest finally included a beer garden as an extra source of revenue. Some years of bad management (at least this is my impression) left the fest in some dire financial straights, and though they have bounced back, they are still quite in the hole. So, even though many were opposed to the idea it happened anyway. Mark and I are totally the kind of people who will enjoy a drink or two in a beer garden when we are at events sans children...so we weren't as opposed as some to the trial this year.

And we didn't find it really interfered much for us. Some people told us they were bothered by the extra police presence on top of the usual volunteer security staff we're used to seeing around. I only noticed them near the entrance to the beer garden, but I understand the concerns of others who felt their presence more than I did. I think the important thing though is that it really didn't interfere with the overall safe and fun environment for all ages we've come to love...so if it helps the fest stay afloat I'm very much in favour if it staying on. And if we're lucky enough to have a grown up play day again next year we will likely be in the garden for one or two bevvies while enjoying the music on the main stage.

Our family day was Sunday and we had a great time with Sasha running around - not so much a relaxin day with the little one...but still wonderfull fun :D

Sasha loved it when we ran into our friends Joanne and Dan and their daughter Saskia. The two of them hugged each other a bunch and chased each other around and were generally too adorable for words.

We had some beach time fun in the sand and chasing waves (though Sasha really doesn't like seaweed touching her feet so that was a short game). My highlight was some quality time with Kristina at a workshop stage featuring a great line up of female artists titled "A Wise Woman Once Told Me"...and when I came back to meet Mark and Sasha I found her snoozing in his arms in the shade of Stage 2. sweet.

Sasha will hang out a stage now and then with us, especially when she's in the mood to boogy, but otherwise we spent a lot of time following her lead. Playing in the water area (I love that the folk fest has so much to do for the little ones!), ring-around-the-rosy in the food area while mommy waits in line, and more fun with Saskia later in the day...2 children + a ball = fun for other children to join in too!

We were welcomed onto the giant tarp near the stage that was staked out by our co-op neighbours (including Kristina, Thomas and Keyan) and grooving with all of them was a great end to the family day at the fest for another year. :)

quality island time

2009-07-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

what a wonderful way to spend a couple of days...

Since we moved out of our old neighbourhood, one of the folks I have missed the most is Susan. She moved with her family to Victoria not long after we moved...and I haven't seen her since! Time for that to change - and so Sasha and I had some mother daughter adventure time for a visit to Sue's new digs and quality time with a good friend :)

After a smooth bus and ferry adventure to the island, we were picked up by Susan who, after giving us big welcome to the island hugs, says to me "So I thought I'd take you through all the old Saanich roads and we can stop at a local winery to pick up a bottle for this evening"...can you tell why I love her?? hehe. Five minutes in the car and Sasha sacked out from all our running around and around and up and down on the ferry and she barely noticed our stop at the vineyard.

We were not the only houseguests for the weekend as Sue's son had a couple of his friends over (who had been there all week). The boys made us a great taco dinner and Sasha fell in love with all of them. Mostly Kje, but she's still talking about the older boys too. lol.

Gotta say my fave thing to do while we were there was hangin in the hammock, and Sasha just loved pushing me in it like a swing so here you have one of those win win activities...we have got to get one of these for our home!!

Aside from hanging around we also had music and games, a trampoline to bounce on, a hot tub to soak in and plenty of space for just chillin'...what more could you ask for from a vacation destination ;)

Here are 2 pics that Sasha took:

My other fave thing to do is hiking - check! Bluffs near her home provide some pretty stellar views of the straight! Though I didn't actually get any pics of that view this time. Sasha climbed all the way up no problems, but tuckered out on the way down so I helped her out of course.

And we also fit in some quality beach exploration time while all the boys slept on sunday morning. You may have noticed many of the pics so far have susan@rybar.ca on them, and that is because I am lucky enough to have a gifted photographer share her pics with me...and she got so many great ones at the beach I had a hard time choosing which to share with you all! I told Sasha "Mommy likes to take lots of pictures, but Susan is a photographer and her pictures are like art". I got a few nice ones, but hers are fabulous :)

I ended up cutting my foot open on a barnacle covered rock (not the one I'm pictured on) though I only thought I had bruised it initially so kept walking and walking. I didn't realize it was an actual wound of many gashes of varied sizes until we got all the way back to our shoes...having carried Sasha just about the whole way back. Apperently salt water is good for wounds (that, and I was super lucky to have Penny's car for the next few days after our return which allowed me to take proper care and not walk on it too much) and I only limped for a few days over all, and within a week the wound is almost fully healed! gotta love skin :)

As she promised, we got to see quite a few deer (these three are frequent visitors to her backyard) and the best pic is the fuzzy antlered deer we just happen to find grazing near a fallen sign. hahahaha - i love it!

Splendid scenery with never having to go farther than the deck for a nice view, and check out this beauty shot of the moon that I asked Susan to capture for me after failing to get it with my camera...and that extra glass of wine probably didn't help my ability, hehe.

Before catching our ferry home Sasha had her first thrills in a skatepark! Watching the boys do some tricks on their boards and bikes was pretty exciting. And Sasha braved her first rides on a board too! I loved watching all of them at play and also loved having a few turns own the little hill with Sasha - wheeeeee! Brilliant end to our amazing island time with Susan and all of her boys :)

I was quite pampered by my friend this visit...she better put me to work next time or I might grow accustomed to the spoiling, hehe. Not that I wasn't convinced of her solidness as a true friend already, but here's the clincher moment of gratitude for me: to give me 15 minutes to myself Susan, who experiences motion sickness and rarely gets into the hammock, used the hammock swing game to distract Sasha for me to get away for my moment of peace. Potentially making herself sick for my benefit...that is the best!

To top it all off I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how easy, and affordable, the bus/ferry combo is and will now consider this for more frequent short trips to the island in the future. Look out Sue...you've got us hooked now ;)

Next time I will pack the travel back pack instead of the suitcase (what was I thinking??) and then the 20 minute walk to the bus terminal won't seem like a lifetime. Only cranky moment of the whole adventure was limping home with suitcase, car seat, child and no money for a cab...and no ATM's between the terminal and our home in operation!!! Even this moment of tension was not long as Mark came and met us half way and relieved much of the burden...and Sasha and I both slept like champs when we finally arrived at home.

To end, one of my all time fave memories from the visit was watching Sasha and Sue playing Go Fish, and here's a little clip of my invitation to join them - who could resist?

i am canadian

2009-07-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Now tell me...is this the face of a child who is happy to be in a bouncy castle? Poor girl. Sasha wasn't feeling quite herself on Canada Day, and when we first arrived she just wanted to putter with sand on the slide and sit quiely for a bit.

Our destination on the 1st was Kensington Community Centre for another turn as the emcee for the days festivities. I love the opportunity to catch up with my friends and neighbours from our old neighbourhood, and after some hot dogs, and the presence of more and more children, Sasha eventually perked up and had a bunch of fun before heading home with Mark for nap time.

Another day full of entertainment between local musical talent, performances showcasing the talent of community members enroled in programs such as dance, martial arts and capoeira, and clowns to engage the little ones in some fun and magic. A giant new grill for Jack and Brad to grill their dogs, and volunteers aplenty helping to create another amazing day for those who came out for the sunshine.

This year we had visits from all of the local politicians as well. Stuart Mackinnon and Raj Hundal represented the park board commissioners, Don Davies the area MP and Mable Elmore who is the local MLA all had their quick turn at the mic between performances and shmoozed with the crowd as well. Not a relaxing day for politicians (if ever there are any) as each of them I spoke with were on their 2nd event of the day at least, and on their way to another...and another. Hope they were all still smiling by the end of the day, hehe.

As the day progressed the crowds grew and this year turned out to be the biggest so far! Along with the BBQ goods, there was arts & crafts, facepainting, parachute games, an activity with the scouts and pottery for kids. Plus the beautiful pottery items made by the pottery club that are always a nice to splurge on.

Of course no Canada Day would be complete without singing our national anthem (Banita was a little girl when I met her and now she is a beautiful young lady with the voice of an angel. not just a biased opinion...really really lovely job singing!!) and eating yummy cake! Happy birthday to our country, which I believe to be one of the best places on earth. I have the luck to have been born here, and despite all the things we could keep improving upon as a nation (I know, the list is long), I am always aware of the luxory I have as a citizen raised here and feel fortunate that Sasha will grow up here as well :)

The staff, board members and other volunteers really work hard to make Canada Day a great festival event and I think I have the easy job - show up and talk a lot. lol! I actually have come to realize that I'm rather good at keeping things running on time, and winging it when things go awry (as is prone to happen with community events from time to time, hehe) all while keeping the folks entertained in between. I am very much full of gratitude to everyone who helped me to identify many strengths I never knew I had 'til they made me try them out - such as emceeing...I did it once and they dubbed me their mc for life they liked it so much! Great confidence booster ;P

After 4 years as the Kensington emcee I may pass the mic on to a new host next year. I love it, and am sure i'll have some strong persuasion tactics from Dianna, Brad, Virginia and Bev who have kept me coming back so far (i love 'em for their faith in me)...but I'm longing to take the things I learned in that community - helping out at Che's school, organizing events in the local park with my neighbours and as an association board member at our local centre - and find ways to get more involved in our new community. (Aside from our time spent within our co-op) And our new neighbourhood has many events that I'd like to get involved with...perhaps even emcee some too.

For this year, it sure was good to be back among friends...and I'll see them again later in the month when I get to emcee the Jones park family fun day :D

super sweet 16th...+20 ;)

2009-06-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

This year I was celebrating my sweet 16th...+20, and as you can see I had my cake and got to eat it too :)

The cake, a chocolate guiness delight with irish cream cheese frosting (...mmmmmmm sooooooooo yummmmmy!) was made by my friend Elaine, pictured below looking just a bit frightening with the knife! lol

Monica got a great pic of the rainbow that ended outside our place, which was a welcome sign after an afternoon of scattered showers.

Here are just a few random shots of the wonderful group that came out to celebrate with me and I had a blast! (the sangria helped a wee bit, hehe) Every year there seems to be about a dozen people or so who show up, which is a great size to ensure a little quality time with everyone! Love the ladies gettin' their vogue on (nobody comes up with more original poses than Ali, hehe). I was thrilled that Rob came along with his guitar 'cuz he not only provided some beautiful music for us on the patio, he also provided some back up when I played my guitar for the first time with an audience (excluding my practice runs with Sasha and her stuffies, lol). I was glad to not send everyone running with my beginners skills, and felt such gratitude to have finally shared my songs with some of my friends...'tis why I wanted to learn to play guitar to begin with and 6 months later I'm not doin too bad so far ;)

My birthday (and Che who turned 15 a couple of days later! oh my gosh...he was 3 when I came into his life and now he's a full on tall teen - mere inches from surpassing Mark in height!) was a beautiful end to the month of June. The extra icing on the cake for this month was going to see Les Miserables at the Stanley theatre on the 30th!! Fantastic performance and it was a great treat to each other for our 9th anniversary this month. We'll have to find something extra special for the big 10 next year...

Also through this month we enjoyed a night out (thanks again to Granma Penny who regularly gives us a night out and a sleep in the next day by having Sasha sleepover at her house) to attend the Codev fundraising dinner, where we got to eat fabulous latin american cuisine while catching up with some great people (roping a couple of them into my Zero Waste challenge at Brit, hehe. more on that later) A few of the folks I got to hug were Kirsten, and a couple of my fellow PEPpers Glen and Jane (and I was happily reunited with the PEPpers for a lovely evening after my bday too. haven't seen most of them since the municipal election last november!)...I love events where I get to share hugs with people who inspire me. Instead of staying to dance Mark and I opted to enjoy a nice leisurely walk home after dinner as it was a gorgeous sunny evening. :)

Random walk to work shots. I find I'm starting to post more and more scenery pics...my mom has definetly rubbed off on me. love you mom for instilling in me the apprecation of the beauty of the world around me. smooch

Dad & Liz spoiled us with another wonderful meal one night which was followed by a gorgeous walk on the beach. Across the water you can see the tents from Bard on the Beach which is behind the Museum building...

and from across the water here are some more pics of my new lunch break scenery at the museum, as well as some new bird friends. They swim in the fountain out front and live in the vast stretch of park along the waterfront of Kits. There is a beautiful little open roof atrium space within the adminstrative building of the Museum, where there is one duck who always lays and hatches her eggs. When it is time for the babies to start getting their wings flapping she knocks on the glass door and the staff hold the inner and outer doors open while the ducks parade through to the world of Vanier park outside. I really can't wait to see that next spring!! In the mean time, here a few of the babies I have seen...including one almost grown duck who tried to eat my toe which tickled :)

The last noteworthy thing we did this month (That doesn't require its own post to tell the tale, like our journey to the landfill) was to visit the car free festival on Main St. We have been to the one on the Drive in previous years, but Main is a bit closer and we want to start exploring this side of our neighbourhood a bit more now.

The Main St organizers (Che's mom was one of them) did a great job providing a diverse range of music on various stages between 12th and 25th ave - a super long stretch of street with only one break for east/west car traffic along 16th (which Che was irritated by...he is a hard core bike activist! yeah! but we told him it wasn't right to get mad a the cop who had been delegated the job of whistling at pedestrians to stop them for the cars to get through. hehe) We enjoyed a dinner together in a new burger joint near Che's place and then headed home to rest our legs after all our walking about in the streets.

So happy we have a city council that supports opening a few streets to the people more and more! Every sunday for the summer is car free on the Drive and we'll be sure to check that out at least once by walking around after a sunday morning swim sometime! Other than the Drive we'll be sure to check out the Summer Spaces fun available on Main St (Collingwood and Gastown are the other neighbourhoods that get to enjoy the extra open space on choice Sundays through to the end of August) Love walking and dancing on the streets with the people...hope we'll bump into you on the streets soon!

For fathers day we had a brunchy lunch (Sasha's favorite mealtime - brunchy lunch - can be anytime for her) at a diner on broadway, and for my birthday Mark and I had an organic yummy and healthy brunchy lunch at the Foundation (after our sleep in the next day...thanks again to Penny!!!). Still so many restaurants to check out in Mt. Pleasant, but this month we seemed to hit quite a few which was a nice treat.

I've noticed as Sasha continues in her evolution, so do I. And this blog which I started to keep everyone updated on her development in the womb and beyond has actually become a blog about my own development as a mother, a writer and an agent for positive change in my daughters world. This blog helps me stay focused on the positive things in life, such as the friends and family that are such a big part of who I am...and what I aim to be both for myself and for Sasha. I didn't really know I could be a good story teller type of writer until I had an audience of loved ones to urge me to keep posting for them! So thanks to you, my loyal 20 or so who find our story interesting enough to follow along, for you have helped me connect with myself in ways I never could have imagined without your support and encouragement! :)

To end I share a pic of Sasha in her cave and the toally adorable fathers day gifts Sasha made at daycare for Mark. awwwww. The poem on the shirt made my heart melt:

Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls,

But every day I'm growing
I'll be grown up someday
And all those tiny handprints
Will surely fade away.

So here's a final handprint
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small.

I gotta say: this month was super sweet indeed! :)

where does my garbage go?

2009-06-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

So I have more trash talk to share for the month of June as well, as I had events for both of my "green" hats at work and home.

In early june we went on a family adventure to the Vancouver Landfill with our neighbour and wonderful new friend Sarah. Not many folks brave and kind enough to take me, Mark, Che and Sasha for a road trip to delta to learn about garbage - yeepa! Not every day your kid gets to dance and high-5 a giant oil drop (Sasha fell in love with this guy and wanted to hang out with him all day! lol)

Che kept asking "and we're going to the landfill why?" hehe. Though he has the fortune of having an abundance of parent activists in his life and is used to being asked to do some pretty interesting things in the name of community and all things green, he was having a hard time with the notion of going to look at the dump...

but I just had to see with my own 2 eyes exactly where all this garbage I look down upon goes when it leaves our dumpster and figure it couldn't hurt for my children to see it too. (The stuff in the cage is dropped off at various places by the people we pay to dispose of it, and I'd wager a bunch of it goes to the landfill too after being rained on, smashed by juveniles who like to break stuff for no reason, etc) The stuff dumped beside our dumpster by folks too lazy to deal with their own garbage (argh!!!!!) gets sorted out by myself or one of the other co-op members who share my compulsive desire to keep that area somewhat tidy at the least.

We followed the route of our local dump truck and arrived at the Landfill for their Open House event, which turns out to be a whole lot of fun! You probably wouldn't think there is much to see, but we were pleasantly surprised to see something for everyone. I really enjoyed learning about all the positive things they are doing to leave as little environmental impact as possible, using the garbage to create energy, composting and so much more. In fact, we missed out on the amazing garden tour and will likely go back next year (or some point) to check it out.

One thing they offer for people to get a big picture view of what happens throughout the acres of landfill space is a bus ride that goes up to the top of the garbage heap, and passes most of the day-to-day operations carried out. The landfill is open every day of the year but one (and now I cant remember if that day is Christmas or New Years that they close?) Our tour guide on the bus was very informative and also very enthusiastic about the work they do with the garbage we create! Some of their staff are highly specialized and get called in from time to time on their days off to help out, like the guy pictured climbing up the tractor who was their rescue mechanic that day.

Up at the top of the heap you get to see the mega large compactors doing their work of crushing the pile into a hardly compacted mound which is covered by super large tarps at the end of the day to stop the debris from blowing in the wind or being taken away by critters.

One thing they do to prevent rubbish from taking flight into the surrounding farm fields is to use raptor birds to scare away the seagulls that try to scavange from the pile and drop it far away. They have trained staff that work with the birds to scare the gulls, not kill them, and we saw eagles and falcons everywhere! They only use rescued birds such as this one pictured with the woman below which was rejected by a breeder because it came out the wrong colour.

Here are some more pics from the bus tour: test plots to experiment with soil quality using different blends of soil, compost and other ingredients; the methane gas storage and transfer to electricity area (you can tell from my techincal language that i didn't take proper notes! but I found a page on the Environment Canada site that details all you might want to know if you're into that kinda thing); the space where people like you and me can bring our scrap metal, broken appliances, shrubbery for shredding, and any other garbage not fit for use anymore; the compost mulcher; the garbage pile from a distance surrounded by a fence with a large bird on almost every post.

The family fun also included a BBQ (dare to try burgers and hotdogs at the dump? lol), a play area, face painter and clown for the little ones; a powersmart lamp mascot to accompany the oil drop guy; a large area of community groups, businesses and non-profits providing information and resources including Oliver (aka Dr Recycle) and his Junkology fun! I love the stuff that he can create from milk and other containers most people would just toss (or preferably recycle), and have been a fan since I met him at a 'Think Sustainability' event many years ago. Once he showed me how, I had helped him teach the children who came to his tent how to make jumping frogs from plastic film canisters and whirly birds out of straws and yogurt containers. Then I had him come out for a few community events I've been a part of organizing over the years, and I am always thrilled to come across him at other events too. I highly recommend you visit his site to see many more of his cool creations, and if you're local please consider him for your next community event as a unique and fun activity to offer for children. Always a success :)

The last thing we did before heading back to the car for our journey home was to let the kids climb on the big machines and grab our free bag of compost for our garden. Overall, a very fun day for our family and I loved getting to know Sarah better and conspiring with her throughout the day on new green ideas for our co-op home!

Aside from our inability to control the strangers who drive by and dump their waste outside our co-op (argh!!!!) we pretty much have a handle on where our waste comes from and where it goes - especially now that we've been to the landfill ;) Our co-op Green Team can also come up with some easy steps towards improvement in many areas to get things going.

However, our Green Team waste management dilemma at Britannia is a whole different ball game. As you can see from the site map there is a lot going on in this complex. A variety of municipal and community services, and 2 schools, that are not connected in any kind of holistic way when it comes to garbage and recycling.

So the idea of launching a Zero Waste Challenge for the centre and the surrounding communty is just a little bit on the daft side...but I remain fiercely confident that it can be achieved. We just need to figure out the barriers to achieving the goal first.

So we hosted an event at the end of June to help us explore our 'First Steps to Zero Waste' at Britannia. I invited some folks who like to think big when it comes to waste management and sustainability along for a little tour of the complex and offered up a potluck lunch for us to nosh on while we reflected on what was seen on the tour.

I felt very fortunate to have a few wonderful ladies from Metro Vancouver (including one of the first inspirational people I ever met in Vancouver, Lyndsay Poaps, who became interested in supporting my challenge idea when I shared with her at the Codev dinner earlier, hehe), as well as David Cadman who is a city councilor who has been engaged in all things sustainable for many years (and a member of the Greenest City Action Team) and Sean who is the Sustainable Schools Project Coordinator for Check Your Head.

Aside from not scheduling enough time to actually tour the whole site (would take a few hours on its own) and the embarassment of finding mold on one of the breads (I had just bought within an hour of the event!) it seems the event went really well. The objective was to find out what we need to do next...and now we know. Our first big challenge is to map out what garbage ends up where, who is contracted to remove it, and how many different contracts for waste management and recycling services exist throughout the whole complex. (and the voluntary efforts of the high school students who currently manage alot of the recycling...what's happening to it all in the summer?) There does not appear to be one person who knows it all off the top of their head, so some digging needs to be done to get to the bottom of it all.

Another thing the ladies from Metro offered to do was a dumpster dive so we can see the varied types of garbage being disposed of from various areas of the complex. This activity can help us identify areas where we can work to minimize the waste ending up in the dumpsters to begin with. As you can imagine there are not many people excited about that opportunity other than me, but I'm sure when the time comes I'll have recruited some other keeners, hehe.

Other ideas that were tossed out thorughout the day were passive lighting changes, roof top solar panels and gardens, a community garden and composting area, better waste recepticles that actually offer recycling spaces for the public (can you believe we don't have that already?!), bulk purchasing for the complex and so much more. What a brimming fountain of ideas and inspiration the small group on that day generated!!

Now I need to rally the troops and organize the Green Team to take action on our next steps in our Zero Waste Challenge for Britannia. After the well received feedback from the staff, society board members, the school board trustees, park board commissioners and city councilors I've shared the ideas with I truly believe it will happen now. And already there are brilliant minds reflecting on all the potential that exists.

Just like the landfill taps into the potential energy created by methane gas to provide power for 900,000 people in the Delta area - I want Britannia to tap into the potential power that surrounds us. The power of the people in our community that have always risen to the challenge of making things better :)

may be the busiest month ever

2009-05-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

I had so much to write about this month there actually 4 posts to get it all out of my head! (See the other posts about Trash Talk, my Tourism 'Challenge' and the Relay for Life) Now I will recap the rest of the crazy hectic, yet truly amazing times in the past month!

We've had a great dose of family in May. A visit from Joe (who were are lucky enough to see a few times a year) which always means a boys night of cards in our living room and lotsa laughs. Mark, Che, Thomas and David get together a fair bit (they're all within a few metres of each other makes it easy) This time the card nite was so big the boys had to borrow a table from the common room to play around. :)

Early in the month we enjoyed a sushi lunch, sunshine walk and cake at Tante Christa's place. Sasha was thrilled to have another chocolate cake for her bday and some quality time with her big cousin Cheyenne!

On Mother's Day (which Mark remembered this year) we had planned a family swim at Brit pool along with Keyan to splash along with us...only, when we got to the co-op car it wasn't there. In over three years this is only the 3rd time this has happened. Otherwise, as you likely know, we are very big fans of being co-op car members as it suits our lifestyle perfectly. A very big bummer to stand at the top of the hill with two car seats and bags full of swim gear and snacks... but Thomas & Kristina came and took away the stuff to carry, we explored and played with the kids for a couple of hours and it was still a fine morning. We did manage to get the swimming with Keyan in the following week, and came home to a potluck lunch in the common room of our co-op. :)

We love the beauty of our community: spontaneous rocket launch in the courtyard (Knock Knock! "Where's the boy? We're gonna laucnh a rocket!"...out in socks we all go) and multi-family yard sale finds like a big box of food stuff (just in time as Granma has found a kitchen for her room). Mark is learning from his position on our co-op board and I am looking forward to motivating members with Sarah and our green team, and with contributions to the newsletter.

Stroll to the park and around the neighbourhood. Sasha has a thing for closing gates...every time we pass one that is open she has to go and close it. One of many little obsessive compulsive needs of hers, hehe.

Mark and I attended an event called "The Great Turning: An Unconference to Be the Change" which was absolutely the best conference type of event I've ever been to. We had a great time, learned about many new resources and ways of thinking, and met some fabulous postive change agents from Vancouver and beyond. We also ate some of the best vegetarian fare I've ever had!

There were a few amazing key speakers (who were not allowed to use notes and they had to finish in 15 min) but primarily the whole day was full of circle talks - 30 topics to choose from and you only got to sign up for 1. A very tough choice! With the help of 2 dynamic emcees we flowed through the day, randomly ending up at one circle talk after another. Each circle had a speaker who provided the focus of the discussion and a facilitator who helped ensure everyone's voice was heard by guiding us through each dialogue. It was interesting to learn from each facilitators unique style, and every speaker was thoughtful and engaging. I participated in circle talks about better use for our public spaces, exploring spirituality and what motivates us, determining "What's Your Tree?" (a la Julia Butterfly Hill), using garbage as our gateway to action (which I had actually tried hard to avoid) and the Alchemy of Inspiration which was the circle talk I had chosen. Mark participated in a variety of different circle talks including one about sustainable food systems which has become a big focus for our family and the choices we make when shopping. I'm determined to find time to host a circle talk with the folks we met that day to try to ensure we stay connected...it was a very inspiring day and it would be great to keep that energy going.

After the Great Turning event I headed downtown to meet my friend Kristen for a ladies nite out. We enjoyed a sunset at Crab Park, a stroll through Gastown, and a pitcher and nachos at the Railway. Marvelous end to a day of great inspiration

Random pics on a nice walk home: my short cut through the CN rail tracks; really neat staircase a block from home; coming up the stairs of the green space next to our co-op.

The biggest change to our weekly routines this month is my new auxilary hat: I'm now working at the Museum of Vancouver! Another element of customer service in Vancouver for me, and as a tourist destination it has a different vibe than a community centre. I'll likely be there one or two days a week. My first shift I got a tour of the archives which I found very exciting. I look forward tot some artifact handling training and other unique learning oppotunities I'll have working here. And when we get our bikes I can start riding the seawall to the museum and show you even more beauty in my world...Vanier Park is a nice place to commute too ;)

So, I get to stay at Britannia where I love to be and help motivate the Brit Green Team's new Zero Waste Challenge for the Britannia community. And I get to try new things in another great workplace. Like working exhibit openings and taking on the Tourism Challenge. Plus, I'll still have a wee bit of spare time for getting the doc off the ground now that we finally have polished the story we want to engage everyone in...this update will have to wait for another post one day. Somebody pinch me! It's not 'stable' but it's darn near a perfect set up for me at this point in our life. As an auxilary worker I'm feeling an abundance of gratitude for my 3 hats to accumulate hours in.

Ever grateful for the Whittam clan, and especially when we get the whole bunch together. Brunch was a fabulous feast of flavours. yummmmmmmm. I was very happy to see Daniel for the first time in a while and Sasha is always keen to spend time with her big cousins...especially Sarah!

After the family gathering Mark, Sasha and I began the collection of stamps in my tourism passport. Then after my whirlwind day with Ali I picked up Sasha and had more fun on our walk home. So happy to spend a night with her after 3 nights in a row at work! (My fave element of the MOP garden; Sasha taking a break with teddy; rolling down the hill; and jumping down the stairs.)

Plenty of sunshine lately which allows us to enjoy our outside space again and water play we don't need to clean up after - yay! ;)

I'll finish off with a quick clip of Sasha's rocket launch in the courtyard

Kathy's Tourism "Challenge"

2009-05-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

I was hired by the Museum of Vancouver just in time to take part in the best job perk I've ever had. Every year Vancouver Attractions, Tourism Vancouver and the Hotel Association of Vancouver offer up a little Tourism Challenge for all of the front line staff in the tourism industry. The Museum is a tourist attraction...so I got to take part in the challenge!

A week full of adventure trying to collect at least 15 stamps from attractions and hotels around the city! The passport acts as a pass for me and a guest to try out all of our tourism finest...and if you collect the minimum of 15 stamps you earn a pass that is good for a year of unlimited experience for all of these places! Sweet!!

So this special post highlights nothing but a photo recap of the 'challenge' I've had in the past week...it's a rough life eh? ;)

Last Sunday I began the passport to adventure with Mark and Sasha and her first ever trip to Science World. Then a ferry boat ride to Granville Island for dinner and another ferry boat ride home. (Well, we are about a 15 min walk from the ferry at Science World and Sasha loves the ferry rides so much that this little benefit of the pass I have earned was my main motivation for cramming the challenge into my week) One fun day worth 2 stamps to my passport. (Sasha took the pic of Mark on the ferry ride...she's mastering my camera!)

Mid week I spent a morning visiting the Maritime Museum (thrilled with their Climate Change exhibit and look forward to spending more time there one day) and the M.R. MacMillan Space Centre before dropping off my new employee paper work at the Museum (which I have toured pretty thoroughly since being hired). Another 3 stamps complete.

Thursday I spent the day with my buddy Ali and we ended up covering 8 stamps worth of tourism goodness (you've maybe seen all of these if you're on facebook where I posted for our mutual friends to enjoy Ali's creative posing capabilities, hehe): a quick hello at 2 hotels; the Art Gallery; the Bill Reid Art Gallery; the Harbour Centre Lookout; the Convention Centre; Tourism Info Centre; and an hour long harbour tour boat cruise! A super fun whirlwind and fabulous way to spend a day off ;)

To finish the week we had 2 days of family adventure fun! On Saturday we had Che with us too, so we all headed to the Aquarium where Sasha was thrilled to see beluga whales after singing about them for so long (now that song will be stuck in your head for a while - gotta love Raffi)...but still not super keen on sitting through the whole show (or the dolphin show. just wanted to keep running around). Cute to see the baby nursing underwater, and the other beluga is due any day now...

Sunday Mark, Sasha and I had a North Shore adventure which started at Maplewood farm. The cow did a whole lot of moooing, which Sasha expected...but she wasn't prepared for how loud they are in real life. Many kids actually got pretty freaked out by the cow which was pretty funny. And for a farm there are pretty much all your standard farm animals...though you may not see peacocks often.

Nice stopover for lunch at Granma's where Sasha shows us what the cow says - moooo! And here's a pic Sasha took of Granma. beautful!

Fully nourished we set off to trek around Capilano Suspension Bridge and the Treetop Adventures (suspension bridges between trees). Sasha had a blast running around this place, had no fears of an heights, and made me and a group of folks on the trail laugh when she started to state "But I really want to climb a tree! I want to climb that tree like a monkey!" lol!

Everywhere we go if we see water Sasha will play with it; and she'll play hide 'n seek anywhere (she's 'hiding' in the pic of her crouching) and she loves maps and pretending like she knows where she's going with them, hehe.

Crazy week of fun with family and a friend, enjoying sunny days, ice cream and more...and 16 stamps complete. Now we can do this stuff whenever we want! yeepa!!

Trash Talk

2009-05-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

The following is the article I wrote for our June co-op newsletter:

"You don't filter smokestacks or water. Instead, you put the filter in your head and design the problem out of existence." William McDonough

Over the course of the past 10 years or so I’ve had a big thorn in my side – garbage. Dealing with the garbage of neighbours and litter of strangers, has made consumerisms leftovers a pretty big focus in my life. I won’t dwell on the ugly details (like hair, spit and debris hanging out a bathroom window – gross!!) but suffice it to say that garbage has primarily been a frustration for me...and living at the end of our co-op overlooking our collective garbage has just been the icing on the waste cake side of my life.

But, I don’t do negativity very well. At some point I need to do something about things that are problematic to my mental wellbeing. So I’m happy to say I have found a proactive role at work and home to provide positive balance to this increasing anger with others and their waste. Also to calm the nagging guilt I perpetually feel knowing there is always something more I could do. Turning all my negative energy to a positive use...making my world a little greener. :)

Elsewhere in this newsletter you will see mention of the new Green Team for our co-op home. Sarah and I, and a few other keeners, are out to inform and inspire you, our fellow members...to make a difference and reduce the eco-footprint of our collective home. Lots of fun stuff to come to help our individual eco evolutions as well as what we can all do together to bring this whole place into the green revolution.

That’s what I’m trying to do at home. At work I’ve shared a new green vision at Britannia: to achieve a Zero Waste footprint for our community complex by 2015! If ever there was a community, and a worksite, up for such a challenge it is Britannia. I believe it will be made even easier given that we live in a municipality that aims to be the Greenest City in the world by 2020. And our city is a part of a whole region, now known as Metro Vancouver, which is supporting a Zero Waste Challenge for all communities. In our quest for a holistic recycling/waste plan for the complex, our next step is to host a walk around, potluck lunch and discussion (with a member from Vancouver’s Greenest City action team, as well as an advisor from the waste assessment branch of the region) on what we are currently doing with recycling and what we could be doing better.

Other members of the Brit green team live in housing co-ops too, so we will take opportunities to ask questions about potential involvement in our home communities as well. Thus a ripple effect with a zero waste focus is spreading and people feel excited to be a part of it. Certainly nicer to focus on positive actions towards what can be, instead of all that frustration with what others are doing wrong...

It seems odd how much energy we actually have to put into teaching and learning about reducing and recycling. My generation was the first to be taught our modern day recycling in schools, which then became a way of life in most places in Canada. Our society keeps trying to improve these means of waste reduction, while never really grasping that perhaps there just might be something wrong with the whole system that creates the waste to begin with.

When exactly did the frugal wisdom of our elders (“waste not, want not”) become so blasé that it too became just a wasted commodity? Truth is, that wisdom of simplicity never really went away. It fizzled out to the fringe of our collective conscious, in some areas was labelled a ‘dirty hippy’ way of life and for a generation or so the dollar trumped reason and wastefulness was chic. Not so much anymore. Though we still face an upward slope of difficulty on creating a truly sustainable global society, I believe that humans know what to do and are already doing amazing things at the grassroots level in communities around the globe. Including here in Vancouver!

I recently received another dose of inspiration and affirmation in my belief that we humans are not merely a plague to our Mama Earth. I participated in an event called “The Great Turning: An Unconference to Be the Change” which had a few hundred positive change agents from around our city and beyond in a room, using circle talks to share wisdom and learn from each other. There was one circle talk I was actually trying to avoid called “Garbage: Our Gateway to Action” as I wanted a break from all the trash talk in my life on green teams at work and home...but it seems I truly can’t get away from garbage...by the organic nature of the event I ended up at that circle anyway! In this circle we met a few great people from our neighbourhood, learned about a few new resources to explore, brainstormed some great local actions and I inadvertently agreed to host another circle talk to maintain momentum with the folks we met that day. I guess garbage really is my gateway to action these days. So, what’s yours? ;)

It feels obvious that the world is changing dramatically and at an ever faster pace, but we still have choices to make on whether we want it to change for better or for worse. This is what ‘the Great Turning’ was all about – we can be the change and help the world move towards something better. It is our joy and our opportunity. My generation, raised to be savvy consumers, are using some of those powers to force businesses to change or beg for bailouts. And most importantly, schools are still teaching kids about green stuff, and not just the 3 R’s of reduce, reuse and recycle that began my green thinking as a child. Students today, especially in our district which has a new sustainable schools vision, will learn more about biomimicry, green chemistry, sustainable building, community economic development, participatory democracy over their lifetime and they have a global awareness unlike any generation before them...so there is still plenty of hope for a bright green future after all. Especially if we all lend a hand to the process!

"We can no longer have everything we want,
but we can be more than we imagined."
Howard Jerome

Some Links to Explore:

www.vancouver.ca/greenestcity – Vancouver has a new action team with a focus on making ours the Greenest City in the world by 2020!

www.metrovancouver.org – check out the Zero Waste Challenge for the entire region to take part in.

www.chfcanada.coop/eng/toolkit/tk-page01.html - "Sustainability at Home: A Toolkit for Your Co-op." This is a great resource from the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada.

www.bethechangeearthalliance.org – Be the Change Earth Alliance was the organization which hosted The Great Turning event. Their site has info and resources for hosting your own circle talks and more.

globalonenessproject.org - Another Great Turning event host, the Global Oneness Project asks "What if the world embodied our highest potential? What would that look like?" Great video content and other resources to help you reflect on these questions.

www.blessedunrest.com/video.html - a video clip of "Blessed Unrest - How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being...and Why No One Saw it Coming" or even better read the book by Paul Hawken. Either will provide a great dose of hope.

teamgreenbrit.blogpsot.com – a blog created for the Britannia green team and the community that embraces us :)

relay for life

2009-05-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

On Friday I joined the Britannia Wranglers Team at the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

Here is our happy team...proud to be there and loving the beautiful people and environment around us. :)

"Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back."

For everyone I know who has survived cancer, for everyone I know who hasn't. Young and old I have seen people show such incredible strength and determination not to give in...and I have always wanted to do something for all of these people I know who've been touched by cancer in some way. This cause has touched us all...and will continue to do so for some time to come.

With my daughter's generation facing more than 1 in 2 chance of developing a cancer in their lifetime, I've become passionate not only about finding cures where we can...but also changing the facets of our world that produce many of the things that cause cancer to begin with. Why do we continue to build a society that makes us so sick?

Well, in my mind community building events can create positive change to the toxicity...and that was why I finally committed to be a participant in the Relay for Life! An event that not only raises much needed funds, but also builds community for those who will be there - survivors, caregivers and supporters.

My best pics from the wonderful event at Hastings Raceway (we walked around the new pier that was built around the pond in the middle of the raceway. nice walk aside from all the goose poop!): "ok, we've arrived...now where is team leader Dianna?"; found her...now gather up all our cash! Elaine and Michelle were our superstar fundraisers - awesome job ladies!; Robert came prepared with rubber gloves (well, ya work in childcare you learn to be prepared, hehe) and cleaned up a patch of grass for us all to sit safely upon poop free; some of the crowd listening to the speakers; the survivors starting the first lap around the boardwalk; Michelle and Robert; me, Leslie and Gail; Dianna and her niece; a baby goose; and Gail...who Sasha loves to cuddle with at her daycare which makes me about the happiest mom ever! Squish :)

Next year I'm making everyone camp out with me! I was super jealous of those tenting for the night...