Southern India

A week at Kovalum Beach and I'm just beginning to notice things - like the gheko on my wall - may she feast on mosquitos! I've had experiences that fall into the category of really good times and blessings, and others that were just bad luck. I watched the sun rise this morning and set again tonight. The world is just like that.

I'm learning to be still. It's such joy to have positive experiences when I am open and learn something form those. There are other experiences that remind me to put my feet under me and breathe. I find breathing so helpful.

Every other day seems filled with friendships, both new and old ones. I enjoy the company of Kerala natives and try to embrace those who are passing through, like me. Tomorrow I hop a 'tuck tuck', a bus and then a train. I'm headed north to Cochin.

I have no brilliant thoughts to share, except that we are connected to each other. But you know that! So let me share a few images later 

Recovery

It's been many moons again and I am sorry for those who follow this blogspot.

I am laid up with the recovery phase of a hammer-toe. The surgery was successful i think and soon(ish) I will see how the new toe works. April 1 I get the wire out - perhaps. Osteopenia and possibly osteoporosis will mean that bone mending is slower than normal.  Then there is also the fact that I am not the 23 year olf that lives so actively in my head.



I have been reading and want to share something about Letting Go.


To “Let Go” Takes Love
To “Let Go” does not mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else.
To “Let Go” is not to cut myself off, it is the realization that I can’t control another.
To “Let Go” is not to enable, but to allow learning from learning from natural consequences.
To “Let Go” is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To “Let Go” is not to change or blame the other, it is to make the most of myself.
To “Let Go” is not to care for, but to care about.
To “Let Go” is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To “Let Go” is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
To “Let Go” is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to effect their own destinies.
To “Let Go” is not to be protective, it is to allow another to face reality.
To “Let Go” is not to deny, but to accept.
To “Let Go” is not to nag, scold or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and to correct them.
To “Let Go” is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes, and to cherish myself in it.
To “Let Go” is not to criticize and regulate anybody, but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To “Let Go” is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
To “Let Go” is to fear less, and love more.


- from Spiraling Up training on Boundaries. Spiraling Up is a great website resource with plenty of free training information and downloadable books.

Netherlands

Its been many full moons since I wrote anything here. The last full moon was viewed from the Netherlands where my Goddaughter is attending University and where there are the most enjoyable cycle tours. Let me post a few images and stories.
First the Hostel that I satyed at was modern, clean and a wonderful place to meet people from all over the world. Here's my lower bunk and the bikes that were available to rent and finally - oh, oh - the street party that was just outside my window UNTIL FOUR AM!!!

Rotterdam is a beautiful city.  I'll try to post more later, but must head off to see a therapeutic touch treatment. Looking forward to sharing.

It's 2014 and I am writing!

My goal this year is to finish the book based on the letters shared between Emerthe and I. It is great fun writing, harder work editing and very interesting doing the research to make sure that facts are correct. Emerthe and her family have an amazing story and I want to share it.

Over the holidays I watched the ice form on the St Lawrence River. It's a terrible winter in the east. Thank goodness that most people have had electricity and therefore heat restored. Newfoundland is suffering today as the Maritimes are struck by more foul weather. I'll post some of the images I took on my cell phone of the ic

One morning the mist rose from the warmer water of the St Lawrence

The trees were stunningly beautiful

At the end of a day the light made even the frozen landscape awe inspiring

But it was good to be inside looking out!

y weather in Ontario

Thought I would post some images of Nepal. Svea and I spent about 2 weeks hiking there and saw amazing things.  Let me try to share them with you - in no specific order. 

Svea and I would walk after we settled into our guest house - somewhere along the Anapurna loop trail

Some of the building styles along the trail

Suspended bridges allowed me to overcome a fear of heights with Svea's encouragement

Stuppas seemed a common theme for villages along the way. Spirituality is very important to the Nepalese.

Beautiful stonework

These men and women were carrying easily their weight in plastic piping.  They reminded me of energetic leaf-cuttter ants on a human scale.

One of the rivers we followed and a hint of mountains in the background

Prayer wheels spun through each village

We walked along the trail that 1000 people had created for tourists like us. Amazing!

I goof around with a sherpa's load. There is no way that my North American body could handle what these people carried.

Patch of blue sky and some boards waiting to be delivered to a construction project somewhere.  Much of the construction in the mountains was of wood, even cedar, which made us feel at home.

Sometimes the trail was a road, but the monsoon rains and slides closed several roads while we were there.  Donkeys and people are the local beasts of burden.

Two boys share chips

Prayer flags at the entrance to Manang

Wild flowers kept me interested as I walked along the roadway

Typical view

The new and the old.  The curved architecture of the old bridge is lacking in the new efficient bridge.

Yes we tried Yak cheese and it was delicious!

Typical guest houses - about two stories high, with a single toilet and shower room down the hall for everyone to enjoy. Since it was off season, (most people prefer the sunshine to the rain) we were often alone in guest houses.

Namaste - on my way

Carol Anne drove me to Montreal and we have had an enjoyable day with Luc and his family.  The children are 5 and 3 - wonderfully active and expressive. They are fortunate to live in a part of the world where there is plenty - plenty of food, plenty of friends, plenty of love and plenty of freedom. I leave them in a few hours and head to India where children will also laugh but I expect they will not have the space and toys that children here have. Such are the differences in the world. I imagine I will still hear the joyful chorus of children's laughter.

Thanks again to all who have been sharing my world, our world, for the last month. And Anne who brought the blog to Facebook - huge thanks for making that technology available to so many people. 

Below are the last two images.  Carol Anne writing on the truck, in St Antoine and the truck with all the stops noted. Notice that little PEI is the only province where the town is not noted.  The island is a community.

If you enjoyed the blog - please let  me know - perhaps I will do it again. It certainly helped me to feel connected to you all. Love and blessings to all. -peg

What Is it like at Kingsbrae Gardens?

Here's to a sunny June. Seems everyone is ready for summer. June is so exciting in eastern Canada, because each day new flowers open in the garden. Kingsbrae is no different than Carol Anne's patch of colourful splendor - we watched the lupines come into flower during the three days that we worked on the finishing touches of the sculpture, including securing the lids on bottles that contained messages from across the country. Each day after our work, we wandered through the huge, diverse and beautiful garden - not a manicured predictable presentation, like Butchart, but more like a naturalized English garden. I hope these pictures make you curious enough to go visit the garden.

The other 16 sculptures are almost all there - ready to be judged around the 12th of June. I will miss that and a party with the other artists on the 13th, when winners will be announced.  I think there is also an open garden on the 15th of June, when the public will be welcomed to view this year's sculpture pieces. I'll have to watch the website! There are certainly some amazing works of art.

Previous winner - I think it was entitled 'the Holy Sturgeon Larry'

 
I left Cathy, her son, Tomas, and dear friends in St. Andrew's yesterday morning, and have been at Carol Anne's for a full day now. I'm feeling a bit sad that the adventure is over, but more rested and certainly well looked after.  Today we emptied and parked the truck, with it's dragonfly wing blue box, but not until Carol Anne had added St Antoine de Tilly to the list of Cross Canada stops. The picture didn't seem to have transferred so I'll add it tomorrow. Here are some scenes around St. Andrews.

Amazing play area near Kingsbrae - a community volunteer construction for children.

Lobster holding facility - likely another community project

Lake near the B&B where we stayed, in Shamcook

My life has changed focus.  Now I am preparing for a month in India and Nepal with my wonderful God-daughter. It is a very different adventure which will involve walking rather than driving. Today I sorted things into three piles:
1) things I will take to India;
2) stuff to take to my nephew's home in Montreal area, so I can take it to Victoria in July; and, finally,
3) pill bottles, tire chains, blankets and other things that will return when the truck is driven west - likely in the fall.

I am grateful to be able to redirect my focus. It's a bit strange to leave the sculpture - that glued bundle of plastic bottles that has filled my days for months - behind. I know that it adds colour and intrigue to the garden, and it is an honour to be part of this prestigious competition. Again, I am struck by the awareness that it is our work -  a community encouraged it's creation and fed into it's final touches, and technical assistance came from several people.

Flags from the provinces we passed through and visited on our way to St. Andrews

Mom and her youngest - notice how happy Cathy is

I am blessed by family, extended family and loving friends. Thank you. Cathy has been to the backbone of the trip across the country, driving, documenting the journey, ensuring my well-being, and just sharing the joy, laughter, frustrations and awe. I can't think of a way to say thanks to her.