Safe arrival - part one

Well here we are again, in a beautiful part of Canada. We are visiting our younger son Gordon and his partner Lianne, who are expecting their first child... imminently!

We visited them two years ago in Whistler as they now live and work in this part of the world. It is a truly fabulous part of Canada, with its summer sports of golfing, sailing and mountain biking and winter sports of ski-ing, skating and all round snow activities.

View from Lianne and Gordon's apartment

We enjoyed a great flight to Vancouver, with just a small hiccup picking up car then a smooth ride to Whistler. Weather is grand... as in sunny and high 20s! Whistler is as we remember it. Beautiful and full of the beautiful people.

The photo on the right was taken at 6.30am on the first morning from Lianne and Gordon's balcony... and the one below is taken from inside their Canadian home. What a view! Lianne says that she never tires of it. It has a calming influence on the most anxious of souls... except when the planes take off on the half hour. Small plane excursions set off to Vancouver or around the glaciers. This will be a must before we go.


Last visit to Whistler was in time for Crankworx, the downhill mountain biking thriller.

This time we arrived in time for Whistler's yoga 4 day festival called Wanderlust. Yoga Canada style!

The village was full of yogis and yoginis in posture and pose and even some free festival concerts to help with the ultimate chillin' experience...

Festival Concert

Andy and Gordon are preparing for the ultimate juicing experience...

Who knew that healthy eating could be so colourful...

and that the taste could be so enjoyable.

Amazing what becoming a Dad can do to the taste buds.

Italian dining

Ultimate experiences have ranged from a visit to the OB (obstetrician) to the ultimate shopping experience at Walmart... and then there was the most perfect of ends to a wonderful week by going to an Italian restaurant. Who knew that my love of Italy was going to follow me to Whistler...

I will be blogging more as the experiences keep coming.


Safe arrival - part deux next week. Lianne has promised an exciting story to tell.

In the pink!

Andy and I recently attended a most wonderful wedding,

 held in a converted barn, in the vicinity of Cambridgeshire... a long, long way away from the Largs coast.


Finding an outfit for the wedding in a converted barn proved to be problematical for me. I wanted an outfit I could wear again with my usual request of being comfortable.

As you can see in the photo. I am in the pink and what is wonderful is that a friend of mine, Beryl Shaw, took the role of personal dresser and found the perfect outfit for me.

We went shopping after a Ladies Lunch event at The Blythswood Hotel and the very first dress she picked up was tried on ... fitted ... and bought within the space of 30 minutes.

I had been looking for 4 weeks for such an outfit and the best bit was that it came with a 50% off.

Moral of the story... shop with a good friend, always. If anyone wants Beryl's contact details, I can pass them on!

Summer Sensations

I wrote the poem below nearly 20 years ago. Not much has changed throughout that time. I know that there is much discussion about Global Warming, however I think whatever is changing is gradual and will happen over much more than decades... as not much has changed over the nearly 2 decades since I penned this ode!

How is July 2016 working out for you? 

Answers on a postcard please...

 

 Summer Sensations

Sun sizzling, blue skies, cotton clouds, fresh air

Heart skipping, unbridled pleasure, brown skin, bleached hair

Bright eyes, contented sighs, summer shorts, flopping sandals

Hanging baskets, sandy beaches, surfing waves, citronella candles

heralding…

Bar-BQ weather, country rambles, garden parties

… Mediterranean fayre.

Rain drizzling, grey skies, heavy clouds, dank air

Constant dripping, relentless gloom, sallow skin, lank hair

Dark eyes, depressed sighs, winter woolies, sopping wellies

Deepening puddles, stinging hail, welcoming pubs, beer bellies

heradling…

“Greenock weather”, Arran midges, Oban smirr

… The Glasgow Fair!

                   

Let’s enjoy ourselves whatever the weather! 

Eileen Auld 1998

Mauritius

These photos were taken on the island of Mauritius in 2013 when Andy and I were there on holiday.

The first photo is the typical idyllic tropical island scene, with the rolling surf beyond the protecting reef.

Andy and Kenneth exploring the reef

 

The second shows my husband Andy and son Kenneth exploring the reef on a less idyllic day...

And then the cyclone decides to visit the island. Andy and I are "enjoying" the weather. 

Andy says: "It is just like Largs promenade on a summer's day!"

Blowing in the wind!

 

Eventually, the weather really closes in and the reef gets hidden in the mist and the island battens down its hatches for the storm ahead...

  The message learned ... let's enjoy ourselves  whatever the weather.

Some day, one day!

How many times do we say the words "some day, one day"? Or is it more of a thought, not even vocalised into speech... perhaps spoken but with a sigh.

Why do we project a future that is beyond our grasp? Why do we dream without the expectation of it coming to fruition?

I procrastinated about snorkling. I know, not a terribly deep and meaningful goal but one I kept putting off because  ... yes, you guessed it ... fear. While holidaying in Mauritius I used the excuse that I breathe through my nose and couldn't possibly breathe through my mouth! I think my snoring would tell a different tale!

Off the west coast of  America, I expressed the doubt that the wet suit wouldn't fit. Well of course it would ... I would just look somewhat large!

During holidays around the coastal Mediterranean waters, I found every excuse I could.

• I'm not fond of flippers...
• Can't see without my glasses, so goggles are of no use
• Waves make me sick
• I need to look after the children, the bags, the deckchairs, the beach.

I couldn't use the excuse that I couldn't swim as I love swimming but fear makes you say the strangest of things.

The islands of Fiji had been on my "some day, one day" list. Then I got the opportunity to attend a Tony Robbin's Life Mastery course in Fiji. Imagine my surprise when in the midst of detoxing my body and reprogramming my mind, I was encouraged to face my fear of snorkling and found to my delight the joys of the ocean that I had avoided for over 30 years.

Six of us went out on a boat, far away from our island shore into the deep waters surrounding the many Fijian island destinations. I had an instructor with me and found with his expert tuition that my fears were groundless. I could breathe! In fact the breath and the view below became a meditative experience. Not only was the sea alive with beautiful coloured fish and coral reefs but I could see members of the shark family... the friendly ones... moving about far below me, with grace and purpose, ignoring me completely. Sharks hadn't been on my agenda before the snorkling experience but once seen folks... never forgotten. I can assure you.

I so enjoyed myself that I went off on my own and I was the last one back on the boat for the return journey to our island home.

This day gave me such insight into the "some day, one day" scenario. So much so, that for every year since then (2004) I have looked at my one day list and ticked off many dreams/goals/fears and found that each time I did so, the tendency to procrastinate has got less and less. Living in the now and embracing everything that comes my way is the recommended habit of Living It.


The end of the day photo below is the one that says it all. I see it and I remember every moment of my Pacific Ocean adventure.

Namaste folks ... and no there is no photo of me in a wet suit... at least not in my photograph album.

Time away.

Andy and I went away for a day to one of our favourite places, Loch Melfort with two of our favourite people, Billy and Catherine.

View from our bedroom

The weather wasn't the best. No perfect blue skies but we still managed to have the most superb of times.

The view was still inspiring as the clouds gathered and the sea tossed up spray over the rocks onto the beach and the Highland cows calmly grazed through it all. They have no sense of weather watching but just get on with the job in hand. That of eating and eating.

There was the sense of getting away from it all. A feeling of joy in the moment spending time in a worthwhile way. By that I mean in the company of friends who can laugh with you and at you at the same time...

Arduaine

We walked around Arduaine Garden enjoying the display of rhododendrons just beginning to show their colours. I can recommend both the Loch Melfort Hotel and Arduaine Garden and would also recommend that everyone takes a moment now and again to spend time away from the hustle and bustle of hectic living and savour the moment by moment company of friendship.

Let's move away from weather watching and enjoy ourselves whatever the weather.

Over the Rainbow

Happiness Is

What a wonderful sight. An empty piste with fresh snow and a rainbow to inspire. Whether you think that "Over the Rainbow" is a heavenly place where bluebirds fly or you love the sight of a miracle of nature, the picture reminds us that life can be Awesome! as our trans-atlantic cousins say.

The two skiers in the photo are our sons, Kenneth and Gordon. They are having a ball together on the slopes in Whistler, Canada and my response to their enjoyment is summed up in the statement "Happiness Is"... yes that's right... just...

Happiness Is. Not over the rainbow. Or under it in a pot of gold but in the present moment, enjoying what is.

Missing You!

Have you missed me? It has been a while since I communicated through the blog. I have not been writing the blog as circumstances have curtailed my moments at the computer and if I am absolutely honest... which as you know, I love to be... the subject matter, that we "writers" call the muse, has been missing.

So here I am sharing the fact that yes, I have missed you.
Missed, writing my thoughts in a form that clears my head.
Missed, thinking of who the reader might be that ponders my words.
Missed, having time to construct a communication that has meaning to me and in turn hopefully, has meaning for you.

I am writing this blog to all the friends that I have neglected over the past months and even years while I became absorbed in my own story. You may even find a card or letter popping through your letter box as I reach out to tell you that I am missing you...

Take this as the first of many methods of connecting with the world at large. We need to connect. However we need to connect in a loving and generous way. A connection that satisfies the soul and not the ego. I know that the ego can be a good friend, but I am looking to connect with my soul family not the millions of egotists that so many of us turn out to be. And I am including myself in that group, folks!

The following is a poem that I wrote many years ago when I was struggling to connect on a soul level with anyone. Perhaps it resonates with you or maybe it doesn't, however just less than 20 years ago I realised that something was missing in my physiotherapy practice and the answer was being there for you, however I also had to be the being, who is here for me...

Searching for answers

There is only one question requiring an answer.

Only one answer that justifies our existence.

All I need to know is that I am here for you.

Are you here for me?

Researching the Problems

How do you measure Grief?

Only by its presence… heal my pain.

How do you measure Love?

Only by its absence… feel my need.

How do you measure Joy?

Only by its presence… share my delight.

How do you measure Freedom?

Only by its absence… release my chains.

How do you measure Life?

Only by existence… be with me.

                                                By Eileen Auld 1998