It’s been a soul nourishing time, this season of festivities, a substantial departure from my rather quiet life in Kelowna. There were lots of family meals, parties, school functions, Oliver’s 8th birthday party in the middle of the month was certainly celebrated in fun form at Westside Recreation Centre, the kids enjoying an afternoon of skating, swimming, eating cake 😂!

A Christmas luncheon and faire at Aliana and Oliver’s Waldorf school returned in full flight after a two year covid hiatus … the classrooms were decorated by troops of parent volunteers, students and teachers … they were decked out in fairy lights with various themes .. unfortunately school policy does not allow for pictures 🫤 … too bad! it was so magical and beautiful!

I tried to capture some of the moments for my journal. Not as quick on the draw these days with pictures … I tend to sink into the moments more often rather than documenting them 🙏

Rob takes us out for a delicious dinner at Hy’s … that great tradition!!

Christmas dinner was a quiet affair albeit delicious as always at the Overmann home, with only a handful of family around.

2022 is now relegated into the history books. A new year, new experiences beckon. I sold my home of seven years … a surprisingly quick sale, taking less than a month for an offer … I had listed it prior to leaving for Calgary thinking it would take until the spring to sell … but it all happened so quickly!

Kelowna somehow never quite felt like a fit for me, despite making a valiant effort to try and make it so.

I have zero clue at this point what I will be doing in a few short months, or even where I will be living! A nomadic life holds great appeal as it always has but perhaps not so easy at this age where my knees are an issue I deal with daily 🫤. Brian used to say, my theme song should be Willie Nelson’s “On The Road Again” … still very appropriate even after all these years and varied life experiences! 😊

For perhaps the first time in my life, I have no plans, beyond the most elementary and necessary ones! Yes, it is an unfamiliar feeling, to be so devoid of a plan … but more importantly, it also feels strangely exhilarating! I am still drawn to explore this beautiful earth, even if I have to limp along while doing so. It will certainly be a different experience than my past adventures where I have hiked and biked the back country roads, hills and valleys in many countries but I am cool with what is and will adjust the sails accordingly!! Stay tuned 😊

Thanksgiving this year was perhaps the first time in far too many years that I was with my birth family and all our various offspring and partners. There was “halina” to spare … a Finnish term that roughly translates to lots of commotion and party atmosphere 😂!

Dinner at King Taps by the lake with Sarah, Rob, Aliana and Oliver on their first day in Kelowna. Tim, Liseanne and their two dogs Wilma and Martha opted to stay at Jennifer and Steve’s for the weekend.

A slightly larger gathering at my home the following night with both my kids and their entourage, Margaret and her troops. Fun getting together with family … there has been so little of it in these isolating covid years.

Thanksgiving festivities culminated in a grand finale at Jennifer and Steve’s lovely new home. It was a warm and welcoming gathering with over 20 of us sitting around various tables. Delicious turkey and potluck contributions from everyone …

Aliana Oliver and Penny … three peas in a pod 😊

I share a bit of the history behind our Thanksgiving:

“During and after the American Revolution, American refugees who remained loyal to Great Britain moved from the newly independent United States to Canada. They brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada, such as the turkey, pumpkin, and squash.

Celebrations involved spending time with family, feasting on earth’s bounty and religious services for many”

It had been a somewhat emotionally exhausting three days … I lead a fairly quiet life and at some point on Thanksgiving Day, I needed a few moments of quiet so I opted for a nap … 😂😴

But yes, all in all, feeling thankful for the revival of family connections, for sharing beautiful days together, nourishing meals, much laughter, camaraderie … all of it nourishing ‘soul food’ for body, mind and spirit. 🙏

Onward to winter winds …. A month later November 6th in Calgary … 😂

August kicked off with the Hawaiian themed wedding of my dear friend Mickey’s son Rod, who I have known since he was a wee toddler. It was a special weekend, full of celebratory joy and much laughter and love. Feeling honoured to have been treated as a valued ‘family member’ 🙏.

Two old buddies celebrating!!

Leaving behind the Okanagan heat for the refreshingly cooler coastal breezes of Victoria was a welcome way to finish off summer. My sister Margaret, Mickey and I hit the highway from the Okanagan, dropping Mickey off at her home in Surrey, where we ‘camped’ out for the night in her master bedroom. Felt like royalty! Margaret and I continued on early next morning, joining up with Sarah et al later that day. Our August home in the James Bay area, was a tiny charming carriage house on Government Street behind the parliament building … apparently the oldest street in Canada, west of the Rockies. We nestled into the cozy space and made it our home for the rest of August.

Early afternoons found me driving my grandkids to their sailing lessons for a few weeks, allowing for much quiet reflective time by the ocean in the afternoons. It is one of my favourite places in British Columbia … the coastal area at Oak Bay, to take in the always stunning views along Dallas Road and onward to the scenic Beach Road towards Oak Bay and the Victoria Yacht Club. The daily oceanside breeze was a refreshing respite from the intense heat of the Okanagan. I would often stop at a seaside driftwood bench with a good book, coffee in hand and quietly marvel at the variety of beautiful vistas in our country … East coast to West coast, I have been fortunate to trek through so much of it. Feeling grateful 🙏

Sarah, Rob, Aliana, Oliver and I explored our renowned Canadian artist Emily Carr’s early home, now a museum, a mere few blocks from our carriage house. I remain astounded in how little I knew about her life. She was such an independent woman for any era, never mind hers! It would truly have been an honour to have met her! Parts of me definitely resonated with her unusual spirit. To learn more about her life and her art, I picked up a few books from the museum and have now been devouring them!

Sarah flew the kids home to Calgary early, leaving me with a few days on my own at the end of August. Sarah’s dog Dexter was left behind to keep me company until Sarah returned on the weekend. Dex and I explored the historic streets in the early morning hours … it has been almost twenty years since I have been woken up by a furry four legged family member! Little bossy boy Dexter nudged me awake shortly after sunrise every day … a return to early morning risings once again 😂

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My friend Jane’s 70th birthday surprise party put on by her children … they always make me feel like I am part of their family … I remain so grateful that we renewed our friendship some years ago, a friendship that had its beginnings in 1967!!

The many joyful moments of summer at Glen Lake on Vancouver Island, caring for my grandchildren ❤️

Avid hikers, these two!

A departure from my normal blog posts … but it resonates! Ten years ago, my time at Parmarth Niketan Ashram was an intensely heart opening, life affirming experience and the teachings continue to reverberate in my life to this day. With all the strife and uncertainty circling our beautiful planet (perhaps it has always been this way … the evolution of the human species is seemingly a very slow process) … and as we pass the halfway mark of 2022, this message in my email box today arrives at an appropriately auspicious time. Hari Om Shanti🙏

“Asteya – non-stealing – is not as simple as refraining from stealing a possession that belongs to someone else. We steal much from others without realizing it. We steal people’s time by wasting it engaged in idle gossip or complaints. We steal people’s credit by claiming to have done something that actually was accomplished by someone else.

We steal from Mother Earth by using more than we need – by driving cars that are too big and use too much fuel, by building homes larger than our requirements, by purchasing more and more unnecessary possessions which are made using natural resources and whose production pollutes the atmosphere. We steal the dignity, the safety and the health of the poor when we purchase things that were made by indigent people in deplorable conditions.

Further, if God has blessed us with prosperity and we have enough to help others, it is stealing if we do not share our wealth.

We must realize the joy that comes from sharing with others. Life is for sharing and caring. Life is for giving.”

– H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji

What a spring 2022!! Who could possibly have anticipated what has transpired??!! I felt so sure that a new world order was slowly emerging after the pandemic pandemonium of the past two years. Hardly the kind of world order I had hoped for by any means 🙄

The truckers freedom rally started its long journey across Canada to Ottawa to protest the endless mandates imposed by our government. I would have joined in except I am not comfortable driving on winter roads through mountain passes. Cheap excuse not to get involved 🙄! However, I was very proud of the peaceful way the majority of the protestors that did go forth bravely, handled themselves … although not crazy about the incessant horn honking in Ottawa … was that really necessary?? It is inevitable that protests tend to attract a fringe element of bad apples who garner far too much attention! Unfortunately this one certainly did, necessitating the ‘beyond overly knee jerk reactionary actions’ of our Prime Minister. For what it’s worth, I was in total disagreement with how our government handled the situation.

Just as our Canadian situation was settling down and the truck rally folks were making their way back to their home provinces, Russia attacks Ukraine!! What??!! New World Order??!! Hardly! One step forward, ten steps back into the old worn out paradigm of war! Mr. Putin, what were you thinking??!! My father said it best long ago and I have never forgotten his words, roughly translated from his Finnish into English …. “If a diplomatic solution is possible in conflict situations, we must find it! Killing each other is not an intelligent way to solve problems”! It seems incongruous to me that in 2022, we have a large wealthy country like Russia, attacking a smaller country in hopes of adding to its borders and yes, undoubtedly taking advantage of Ukraine’s abundance of natural resources!!! Whaaaat??? Come to your senses Mr. Putin et al. I doubt there is a country in the world who agrees with your choice of action against a peaceful country! The positive to this brutal and unprovoked attack on Ukraine is what I remain hopeful about … that it has led to a powerful and united international response! I pray this war will end soon.

I post some more peaceful scenes from late winter and early spring with my family … to balance out the negatives that are simultaneously going on in our world.

It was good also to see my older sister Maija a week later. She treated me to a delicious birthday lunch at Joeys where we reminisced about our childhood … had some good laughs and a few teary moments too. Totally forgot to capture a part of the afternoon in a picture.

So there we have it … the ‘new start’ to 2022 as May comes to a close 🙄 🙏. Praying for peace on earth

Nothing short of pure laziness has stopped me from updating my journal … my blog … my life documentation of sorts. I do like to keep it up, if only to refer to it every once in awhile, to see where I am at, or more appropriately, where I have been, both geographically and internally. It’s a senior memory thing at play 🙄!

Fall pictorial moments into Christmas and January …. my lazy lady style of blog update 😂

For the most part throughout this historical covid period, I have been living in a state of zen like calm, challenged intermittently when I travel to my daughter’s very busy household 😂. Geographically, my travels have consisted of frequent trips to Calgary and Victoria to offer a helping hand to Sarah when needed. I have termed my life these past two years as “Feast to Famine’ … from the busyness of my daughter’s home … (was I also like this in my thirties and forties??!! … an unequivocal yes 😂 !! … they are typically the busy decades when raising a family, juggling work and life in general) … to the monastic quiet lifestyle of my home in Kelowna where I return to refuel, to slow down, breathe deeply, regain a sense of gratitude for all that life has brought my way. 🙏

And just like that, Oliver is now 7 😊

Have given fleeting thoughts to a new journal post but oh so hard to be motivated most days …. summer warmth has faded into fall’s golden hues …. my thoughts slowly shift to thoughts of further global explorations …. but most days, a quiet zen like peace invades in it’s place and I am quite content to push wanderlust to the back burner … I simply savour this precious time with my granddaughter, Aliana …. being in her midst, seeing life through her two year old innocence … such brilliant simplicity and honesty …. it is enough. />

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 ….

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 …..

Almost home a week but that spacey feeling from switching time zones lingers or perhaps it is something more profound than that ….. family grounds me somewhat … Sarah and Rob hosted a great welcome home barbeque last weekend … so good to reconnect after two months away. Aliana has turned into a sweet little lady in my absence! Great feeling, holding her in my arms … Stampede is well underway, reminding me why I normally escape the city for the ten days 🙂 I am just not much of a “hee haw” party animal anymore, if I ever was. 🙂

Oh, that Birlad, Romania was closer, so I could pay the little ones a visit every week! … emotionally, this was my hardest volunteer posting yet …. It broke my heart to leave these children behind, children who only have the stream of volunteers to give them a sense of love and belonging in the world …. they are all abandoned children and no matter how hard I try, I cannot wrap my head around anyone doing that to a child …. So yes, despite intense happiness to have my own family to hold, love and cherish, a part of me will always yearn to be of help to those most vulnerable, those requiring extra love, care and attention. I suppose I need to feel useful …. making me think, is altruism ultimately, at its core, really just selfishness in disguise? 🙂

My own children have been adults for a long time now …. raising them has been one of the true joys of my life. More than any job or career I had, being a mother was what I enjoyed the most of all. Both Sarah and Tim are happily entrenched in their own lives, no longer in need of the impediment of a doting mother intruding in their lives …. I feel I still have so much more to give and a typical Canadian retirement holds no appeal at this point in time. It would appear I am drawn to those in our world, who have so little …. I am happy in their midst without the distractionsi and accoutrements of our modern world in Canada, a country where we have so much of everything, an embarrassment of riches in every area of life, riches that many parts of our world have never, nor will ever know ….. I think of the penniless peaceful sadhus of India who have willingly renounced all worldly goods or my little ones in Birlad, who can light up a room with smiles in the midst of the harshest of living conditions! …. Not meaning to be too hard on my fellow Canadians, or myself for that matter, but it appears most of us need far too much of everything, thinking the road to happiness is paved with having ‘stuff’!! In recent years, I have noticed a movement afoot, a growing trend, to incorporate more simplicity into our lives, even here, in the land of plenty. It is not without irony, that I realize I enjoy writing thoughts down on my IPad 🙂 …. helps enormously to bring some form of clarity to my experiences of the past few years …. the mind attempts but somehow is failingly incapable of formulating adequate descriptives and reflections on perhaps the most inwardly transformative years of my life as an adult … my insides feel as though they have been rearranged and I am not quite sure how to adjust to the new configurations …..