A Beach Walk

An afternoon walk along False Narrows, Cormorants roosting in the Maples and crystal clear water at our feet, we admire Mudge Island from the shores of Gabriola.

Vote Earth

This Saturday at 8:30 pm you can "Vote Earth" by switching off your lights for one hour. Earth Hour it is called and it helps increase awareness about our consumption of energy and the effects of Global Warming. The goal for the 2009 Earth Hour is to reach a total of 1 billion people, and this is my way of spreading the word.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.
I know I will be dining by candlelight that night, maybe you will too. For more information visit www.earthhour.org

THIS SATURDAY 28 MARCH AT 8.30PM SWITCH OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR- EARTH HOUR.

The Story of Stuff

In my husband's day to day life he often finds interesting items on the internet. This one is particularly interesting. It is called "The Story of Stuff". It is a great short explanation of where stuff comes from, its actual cost and where it ends up. Annie Leonard is the narrator and she does a fantastic job of filling in all the gaps in the life and death of all the stuff we as a society consume. Easy line art sketches illustrate this 21 minute video and will be enjoyed by young and old alike. "The Story of Stuff" will do a wonderful job of reiterating the necessity for less and how to appreciate all we have. Visit the website at www.thestoryofstuff.com and make sure you have the time to enjoy this sketch.

Roadside Stand

On a drive down North Road on a sunny day I pass this sweet little roadside stand. It is not open in winter, although you can sometimes find fresh bread for sale, but still adds character to our island home.

Day at the Beach

It was only a couple of days ago that we bundled up the girls and headed down to Whalebone beach for a walk, which is now hard to believe due to the blast of winter we are just recovering from. We drew in the sand, played on the rocks and had a fun family outing. Aylan worked on writing her name in the sand in mile high letters while Rowyn wandered around climbing over the rocks and logs. Whalebone beach has beautiful fine sand, smooth rocks and a gentle slope making it one of the best beaches on the island for the kids to play. In the summer we will spend many days searching for starfish and sand dollars, building sand castles and swimming. But for now we will just wander along the shore dreaming of those warm summer days.

Pilates Twist

Ahhh Pilates, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. It had been far too long since I had given myself the treat of Pilates. But low and behold tonight at our workout we had a guest appearance by Miss Mara and the short but wonderful pleasure of experiencing Pilates. For some it was the first time and for others it was the reunion with that old friend we had forgotten about. Flash back to 2002 when I was newly married, childless and living in Victoria. A co-worker had become a Stott certified Pilates teacher and we were her guinea pigs. Twice a week we would climb the four flights of stairs up to the studio in Oak Bay and wait to see what new movement we would learn. Every class we would proceed to gain strength and insight into how to move and strengthen our bodies. The first time we did "the hundreds" we were sure that we would collapse. In our defense the instructor was terrible at counting and we soon learned that actually we should have called them the "hundred and twenties". Just when we felt we could do the movement with some ease the next level was presented and we would gasp, bug-eyed at what we were expected to do. So let me get this straight, neutral spine, tea-cup, shoulders down, and breathe all while doing something that I am sure would fast track me to the contortion section of Cirque du Soleil. Of course we would do it and at the end feel like we had perhaps conquered Everest, ok well maybe not Everest but at least Mount Finlayson.
So it has been 4 1/2 years since my first pregnancy made it impossible to pull my belly button in off the floor and I sadly said goodbye to my Pilates teacher and class with the intention of starting again as soon as the baby was oh, 6 weeks old. Alas we left Victoria when Aylan was 6 weeks old and really six weeks, who was I kidding. I can pile on the excuses but here we are almost 4 years later and it has shown it's wonderful and strong head again. So enough with the long winded intro, here is the "short" definition of Pilates for those who don't know.

"Pilates is an exercise method, designed to elongate, strengthen and restore the body to balance. Based upon an anatomical understanding of the body's muscular and skeletal systems, the Pilates teacher creates a comprehensive exercise programme for the client. Classes will focus on specific areas individually whilst using exercises that integrate the whole body to re-educate and restore it to optimum muscular and skeletal function."

Now to the good part, there is more than one teacher here on Gabriola but the one I am most interested in is instructed by a fantastic woman by the name of Mara, Miss Mara to be exact. Check out her website here for more information, do yourself an immense favor and try Pilates out for the first time or do like I am and find that old friend again, it could be one of the best things you could do.