What a glorious sunset as I drove home yesterday! … There is nothing quite like our Alberta skies, whether fully lit in the warm hues of a yellow, pink and orange blanket at sunset or the wide open crisp clear blue of a winter morning sky … takes my breath away and one reason why I continue to be drawn to live here for just a little bit longer 🙂 before wanderlust nudges, seducing me back on the road ….
Another destination wedding was certainly the reason for our week in the warmth of the Caribbean but by no means the only reason ….. It is just so freeing, so cool and bohemian to run around barefoot or, at the very most, in flip flops all day 🙂 …. clad in a swim suit or the lightest of clothing, basking in the sun’s healthy rays, refreshing my vitamin D storage tank … I swam daily, explored Bavaro Beach with Sarah and Aliana and filled up on a daily feast of freshly squeezed watermelon, mango, papaya and pineapple juices, delicious passionfruit, grilled fresh grouper …. yumm …. yes, all great reasons to head south to the Dominican Republic on a chilly January morning! …. And a beautiful wedding to boot !!
It was a busy party week for Stacey and Craig Adolph …. a sweet, well suited couple … it is obvious both picked the long straw in partners …. loving, kind, caring and attentive …. they were a total delight to be around … a fun week of socializing with the Adolph family and friends! The wedding …. lovely …. the vows spoken with refreshingly definitive strength …. there was no wavering …
What I enjoyed the most? …. no contest … being around Aliana of course! … she fell in love with the sea and beach … we could not keep her away! Aliana was Stacey’s flower girl at the wedding, proudly carrying her little basket of rose petals, but loathe to drop any of them …. she is so very heart bracingly sweet natured! Sarah continues on her journey as an awesome enthusiastic mom …. it is so much fun to watch her share her love of the tropics with Aliana …. never tiring of running after her on the beach, gently introducing her to the force of the tides, playing with sand toys, digging in sand drifts … I do believe Sarah even managed to lasso Rob to join her on a few beach walks with Aliana … a miracle in itself, as it is not an understatement, just simple fact, that Rob is not much … ummmm … into physical activity …. Sarah on the other hand (they are total opposites in this regard), loves sports and physical pursuits of just about any kind ….. it is apparent that these two apples do not fall far from their respective genetic trees 🙂
So, yes, all in all, despite a few blips and blops, a most welcome respite from winter.
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An ordinary life on an even more ordinary weekend … still managed some extraordinary moments …. a peaceful walk in wintry Griffith Woods, a pleasant drive to High River, which has grown into quite a charming little Alberta town, to meet the first grandchild of our friends Gay and Mike Morris. Their daughter Jaimie, (Sarah’s childhood friend) and her husband Wade welcomed Jayden Nelson into their fold December 13th …. it was lovely to cuddle a newborn again … A family Bon voyage dinner for Tim at his favourite restaurant, the Japanese Village followed that evening … he leaves Monday for two months of adventuring in Australia ….. followed by a Sunday pizza night at my sister Marg’s …. culminating in a family farewell hug scene at Calgary Airport …. Tim, although a rather mature 25, still gets ID’d every time we are out with him …. my ‘little boy’ !! I finally understand my mother, who never ceased to dispense the most mundane advice to me as an adult …. “Remember to wear a hat in winter weather” for instance …. Although annoying in my early adult years, never ceased to produce a chuckle in my later years …. (Hope my kids get to the chuckle stage earlier than I 🙂 Were she alive today, undoubtedly she would still remind a sixty year old me, to “wear that hat”!!! I suppose some part of every mom still sees a bit of the child, whose hand she once held in her own, in her adult children.
…… poignancy heavy in the air today …..
With Brian away in Korea, and despite Linda’s kind offer to spend the evening celebrating the advent of this new year at her home, I opted for time on my own … time to reflect, to be in gratitude, to really feel and know what is important in my life … allowing for space and quiet to guide my attention to the compass of my heart. Time to reflect on the, at times, seemingly endless process of letting go … of sadness, disappointments, anger, fear, frustrations, the need to control anyone or anything!! … and oh yes, to lighten the load of that steady stream of possessions and trappings that we North Americans surround ourselves with. A major league purging is in order this year! This new year brings forth a resolve to continue embracing the good, the kindness, the simple pleasures …. something as basic as a morning ritual of yogic breathing and stretches can set that compass towards more authenticity in every area of my life. I wish to grow in kindness, lessen the sting of what at times can be a sharp tongue indeed … My zeal for honesty could be curbed with more kindness and empathy (ESPECIALLY towards the unlovable, who of course need it the most) … not everything has to be spoken out loud …. a commitment to continue trusting the process of, not only my own journey, but that of others ……. just “Let it be”, to quote John Lennon 🙂 ….. to know the joy that follows when we allow ourselves the freedom to flow …. so yes, 2013 ….. more letting go, less struggle and concern for outcomes, more joyful flow. That and …. giving myself some slack when I take a negative detour …. “To err is human, to forgive, divine” …..
It was also a good night to just hang out and watch TV, which I rarely do …. weeks go by when I barely turn it on so quite the novelty for me … I thought of a movie, but instead found the comedy channel and laughed myself silly on Russell Peter’s humour …. followed by George Carlin (have never seen him live before … rather an odd dude) …. felt unbelievably good to laugh out loud ….
It occurred to me recently, that this blog I started almost three years ago, has turned into my private little diary (doubt many if any read it when I am not travelling and writing about my global experiences yet, my thoughts at home seem somehow more profound, more interesting to me) ……. Unlike written journals, I can throw thoughts around, edit when words come out feeling false, embellished, rude or just plain stupid …… with editing, comes more clarity ….. thank goodness for iPads! Teaching me about knee jerk reactions and to think before I open my mouth, or in this case, before I peck away at this tiny ipad keyboard! So here I am, January 1, 2013 …. heart wide open, I embrace this new year …..
Scrooge took a hiatus from my consciousness and Christmas spirit took a hold, albeit a brief and tenuous hold …. all with the aid of a host of family get-togethers ……. Webb/Cullen/McMechan/Hawkes/Overmann potluck and gift exchange, Susan’s church Christmas service, where a talented Michael and Andrew entertained with melodic guitar music, a special Christmas Eve dinner with Brian and Tim, breakfast at the junior Overmann’s, where Brian cooked our traditional Christmas morning Finnish pancakes …. followed by a small Christmas dinner at our home with my sister Marg, Brad, Jen and Jordan and good friends Arlene and Berendt, joining Brian, Tim and I …. all good pleasant heartwarming times ….. pictorial follows …. words fail me … still figuring out these new dynamics of family Christmas since Sarah’s marriage … I had a dream once, that when my children marry, my family would grow and that family celebrations such as Christmas would be full of new extended family … hmmm …. reality intervened ….. I adjust easily (well, okay, not sooo easily, but I am getting there 🙂 Much to be grateful for as a new year makes it’s appearance ……
Seija's Gypsy Spirit 