What's the story?

(Canada chronicles continued ...)

I like this message strung up on the fence of the tennis courts at Trinity Bellwoods Park. I saw it last night on my way to where Drummers in Exile have their drum circle on Tuesdays during the summer. I was going to try out Laughter Yoga (was fun/interesting/different) for the first time.

Pretty impressive that someone had the idea and took the time to clamber up there and weave the letters. I felt it was a creative and strategic apology inspired by a relationship break up. The 'ex' either goes there daily or often to play tennis ... or walks that route with his/her dog ... or passes there to go home/to work ... or maybe, being Tuesday, was on his/her way to the Drummers in Exile drum circle. Maybe the two of them hadn't been communicating and this was the best way of getting through. I wonder if the sign moved the 'ex' in any way to consider forgiveness. I for one was touched when I looked up and saw it.

Or maybe it's not about a broken relationship. Could be a message woven by loved ones of someone who used to play tennis there who passed away. Or maybe someone, for some reason, left the city, moved elsewhere and his/her loved one(s) wanted to create the sign, take a photo and send it to him/her as an alternative way of expressing the feeling. Could be a sign for a lost or deceased pet who used to love to play in the park. (Like the door I saw in Kensington Market, painted in honour of a deceased dog). Could have been a giant spider with literacy skills.

My first sari

I've always wanted a sari, but never got one. Yesterday at the Indian fair I was drawn to this particular one because of the colour. It's a colour I've come to like a lot and, whenever I wear it, people inevitably say: "That colour looks great on you." When I looked closer, I knew the sari was 'mine' because it has my tattoo all over it in gold. I don't know how to wrap it, but I have various friends who can show me.

The flowers along the bottom are very 'me' too. Interestingly, my tattoo (circle with dot in middle) and a flower merge to form the Happy Hippy logo. If you click here and scroll down, you will see it.

Spec's specs

I've got a new perspective on life

The other day I was on the computer for extra long periods of time over a period of days and my eyes started to hurt and feel strained. I decided to go and get them tested, thinking maybe I should get glasses to help ease my eyes for computer use. The eye test determined that I have 20/20 long distance vision - but I require a +1 prescription for close reading. The optician recommended progressives.

I then discovered that for some reason my laptop screen was turned up at its brightest. No wonder my eyes had been hurting. I turned down the screen, reduced computer time to get some eye rest and in a day or two my eyes were feeling normal again.

When the glasses were ready, the man at the optician's called me and said: "Your specs are ready for you." (Funny, since "Spec" is what my friends call me).

So ... I now have my first ever pair of 'specs'. I went for simple red frames. They're light, comfortable and don't look or feel alien. In fact, I like them. But because I can still read without them and therefore don't really need them ... I keep forgetting that I have them.

The few times I've worn them to try them out (like now as I write this), I've realised that they will take some getting used to. Being progressives, only a certain part of the lenses are the +1 prescription. I have to keep tilting my head or shifting the 'specs' up and down my nose bridge in order to find the +1 part.

I guess I'll use them as the optician suggested - when reading for a long time or on the computer for extended periods, so as not to overwork the eyes.

Raw Yogic Picnic to celebrate my 1st anniversary

A green pepper stuffed with raw hummus and topped with walnut sits on a bed of salad made with various vegetables
(From the 2008 archives)

*

Time flies. Sunday 17 May 2009 will be my one year anniversary of being a rawist. On 17 May 2008 I embarked upon the raw food lifestyle. So you could say I am no longer a raw baby, but have grown into a raw toddler. It has been a positively transforming, learning experience on many levels.

Sunday also happens to be the day I teach my yoga class ... so I've decided to combine the two events.

Instead of having yoga from 5 - 6:30 p.m. as usual, we will have it from 10 a.m. We will continue to work on the chakra & electromagnetic field exercises. After the class we will celebrate by feasting on a few simple raw edibles which I will prepare for the occasion.

I'm mentioning this now in case anyone reading it (i.e. who isn't one of my regular yoga students) wants to attend the class and the raw yogic picnic. I need to know how many are coming so I will know how much to prepare for consumption.

If interested and serious, please contact me by email to find out more about the class. Don't be concerned about it being your first class. I will explain what is necessary before we begin and you will do what you can manage physically. Guaranteed to be a great experience.

Sat nam

Elspeth

This (notably special) morning

One of these tall candles always keeps me company as I do my yoga/meditation early in the morning (anywhere between 3:00 - 5:30 a.m.).

Looking out of my bedroom window around minutes to six
*

Since I automatically wake up so early, I always experience the day as it emerges. The first bird calls, the first light ...

Something about this particular morning - today - feels notably special. Even the light in the sky and something in the colour of the clouds struck me as being 'different' when I first looked out.

I'm not sure what it is and I don't think I am seeing it or touching it yet ... but energetically I know something has shifted, something is happening, something has been/is being given to me and I am ready to receive it. I've been feeling this building up ... and I felt it very strongly yesterday in particular. This morning I felt so thankful for 'it' in advance, that I started to cry after yoga ... and found myself saying (silently, in my head): "Please help me to really see it and know when it comes, to be really open to receive it, to embrace it fully and make the most of it."

Wow!! ... as I wrote that I looked down and there's a Praying Mantis praying under my fan! So of course I had to look it up as a power animal to see what message it has for me. Fitting, as always!

The Praying Mantis under my fan

My first ever surgical experience

My hospital wrist band which I kept as a souvenir
*

Dear All,

I was wondering if to blog about this before or after. I've chosen to do it after ... now that I am back home. This way there's no need for concern.

Early on the morning of Friday 23rd January, I had my first ever experience of 'going under' (anesthetic) and having surgery. It was 'minor' surgery, but being my first time with any kind of surgery, it felt 'major' ... since I didn't know what to expect. I was anxious, curious, excited and afraid all rolled into one.

I haven't had the flu or been sick in over ten years, I go to the doctor maybe as much as once a year (for a routine check up or to get a medical to fill out some form or the other) and I can't remember the last time I've taken any kind of medication or pain killers. As a result, in the past few days when I've told my friends that I'm going to have an operation, the across-the-board response has been: "You?!!" Just like when I said I was painting my room pink. "You?!!"

In all it was an interesting experience. Going under the general anesthetic especially. As they fitted the nozzle over my nose, I said (or tried to say) a few last words: "Wish me well" ... only it came out like the deep drone of a warped tape or slowed down record: Wooooooorrrrsssshhhh mooooooyyyyyyy woooorrrrrrllllllll." One of the nurses said: "What?" and removed the nozzle from my nose. I repeated as slowly and carefully as I could (as I felt myself fading quickly): "WISHHH ... MEEE ... WELLLL ..." Through my half closed eyes I could see quite a few of them leaning over me and I heard a chorus of singing voices saying in unison: "WE WISH YOU WELL!!!" ... and that was how I 'went under'.

Next thing I knew, someone was gently waking me.

Lots to say about the experience, but I'll end here for now. Healing time is an estimated 2 weeks, but I feel it will be much less. I'm grateful for the health of my body, its swift healing responses and, thanks to raw foods, its clean inner landscape and flow. I'm grateful for my loving family and friends.

I had asked a few of the nurses at the hospital:"Do you like what you do?" Each of them had responded without hesitation: "We LOVE what we do!" So important. I felt their care and their carefulness in all that they did for me. Even when they gave me hot oatmeal for breakfast this morning, I could taste that it had been made by gentle hands.

So, that was my 'adventure this weekend. And I'm glad to be back in my glowing pink room ... my rose headquartzers.

Good thing I don't have needle phobia. This is where the needle was (in the vein on the back of my hand) for the anesthetic. It stayed in there until I left this morning.

Before and After

The background wall colours in the above photos came out pale (I guess because of depth of field and exposure?) ... but I was feeling too lazy to take them over and get the true hues. Use your imagination to deepen and brighten them and you will see the before and after of my bedroom.

Before (left photo), it was blue (see this post for a truer representation of the hue).

Yesterday two painters painted it pink.

It surprises many people when I say that I'm not good with choosing and combining colours. They say "But you're an artist!" But colours have never been my forte. I just have to go with what feels right. And somehow I felt for pink. When I told friends, etc that I was painting my room pink, their reaction was a shocked (or in some cases, disgusted): "Pink??!!!" And then some would say something like "But that's not you!!!"

Well it's 'not me' (in the traditional sense, seeing that I've always been on the blue-green end of the spectrum) ... but when I looked at the colour charts in the paint shops, I only felt drawn to the pink hues. They felt warm and had a strong, resonant vibration. Of course I decided to go with what I was feeling.

So, this is a first for me. My first ever 'pink' room. Such a change, considering I once hated the colour. It's what I feel now. But will I feel it a month from now?

Let's just say that the colour on the colour chart isn't what ended up on the walls. Is it ever? I had thought it would be a rich, earthy, natural kind of pink, but it's not. How do I describe what now surrounds me? I like to think of it as walking into a huge rose quartz and being embraced by its properties. It's kind of deep and bright and seems to be a different tone every time I look at it. It depends on the lighting in the room at the time. It's a strange pink that I can't quite put my finger on and am not yet accustomed to. Maybe even strawberrry meets dash of blueberry? Not being a colour expert, I don't know how to describe it or what colour curtains and sheets will complement it.

My friend Nisha (who's coming over in a while to see it and give advice on colour combinations) says it takes a week to get used to colour change. I can feel the physical effects of it. Whereas with the blue I was calm (maybe because it was blue and/or because I was accustomed to it), I can actually feel my inner body vibrating for some reason in this pink room.

"Stimulation," according to Nisha.

We'll see what she says when she steps in!