Grateful for those who are there unfailingly; who doesn't gossip, take offence to respectful honesty or act constantly with self interest, who offer the gift of their friendship with humour, grace, strength, kindness, loyalty and empathy.
Also thankful for those individuals i encounter who do not possess these qualities, for the contrast makes the 'good uns' all the more special.
Setting up camp in the middle of nowhere at 2am in total darkness made for a tired and grumpy Green of Eye. It was worth it, as i discovered upon waking the next morning to blue skies and epic views like the one above.
For many years I swore blind that I'd never entertain the idea of marriage.
PMV strolled into my life with his boundless compassion, kindness, intelligence, generosity, humour, positivity, creativity and love. Needless to say I've since reevaluated my opinion on the subject and I'm incredibly grateful to have this amazing gent in my life.
A much needed weekend away with good food, 12 year old Jameson, a roaring fire, hot tub and falling asleep to the noise of the Pacific crashing against the cliffs beneath our cottage
You know how every day should start?
Naked hot tubbing, peach juice, huge breakfast. Not necessarily in that order.
A tattered crackle manicure clutching a seemingly Roman Dirge inspired icecream
Only in Canada: flipflops on snow in May!
Some of the coolest gates i've ever seen which were made by Foggy Mountain Forge.
The pillars of the gates were flanked by dragons and the pièce de résistance? An enormous spider centrepiece.
New shoes inspired by listening to lots of Kate Bush
"It's the red shoes, they can't stop dancing, dancing And this curve, is your smile And this cross, is your heart And this line, is your path"
Usually 500,000 people infiltrating downtown for the Celebration of Light fills me with dread. However i found a not so busy vantage point and had a blast this year stretching out on the grass with friends to watch the Vancouver skyline shimmer with fireworks.
Staying in a cliff side cottage that overlooked the Pacific and lounging in the hot tub watching the night sky pulsate with stars makes for one very relaxed weekend. I'm ridiculously lucky.
Discovering new breakfast joints where the pancakes weigh as much as a small child. Truly.
Two pancakes equal one heck of a food baby.
Walking on hot sand then wading through ice cold water.
My custom build from Jett Grrl came home and it was love at first spin. She's been christened 'Akira' and one of my new favourite things to do is take off on a three hour bike ride.
Meeting with Tracy A.Myerson of JettGrrl Bike Studio and planning a funky custom built bike. A local queer friendly business with stellar customer service, an emphasis on quality goods and maintenance, honest advice, no pressure to buy and a chance to hang out with a mini Australian shepherd. Love.
Enjoying my new job but it's made me realise that there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything i want to do!
Continuing to eat a healthy diet: no alcohol, dairy, yeast, sugar or wheat and placing a heavy emphasis on fresh vegetables. Whilst i was pining over ice-cream in my local grocery shop, i spied 'Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss' non dairy frozen dessert. It's dairy, soy and gluten free and made with agave-this stuff is better than ice-cream! The dark chocolate flavour is rich, smooth, with a strong kick of cocoa and isn't too sweet!
Watched as the sky filled with smoke and helicopters caused by a crowd of idiots running riot in the city. Issues such as homelessness, funding cuts to schools, libraries, health care and arts; higher taxes, high cost of living, low pay etc are generally met with an apathetic reaction from most Vancouverites. However the Canucks losing a hockey game? Some people see it as a reason to overturn and set fire to cars, attack firefighters and police (not the biggest fan of VPD but in this case my sympathies were with 'em), destroy and loot businesses and shut down Downtown Vancouver. The place looked like a war zone at 6.30am. Way to keep things in perspective folks.
Three tone self-manicure. 'Nuff said.
Wandering along miles of railroad tracks, an afternoon adventure with a close friend.
Ten days filled with amazing people, sights, sounds, smells, tastes and experiences.
Hope springs eternal in the human breast; Man never Is, but always To be blest: The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home, Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
