Bio-Diversified...

Eyes Wide Open
It seems like when you forget everything that you've learned university, there will be a time when your memory banks are tested again. The life test. Today, we went exploring a rainforest and it seemed like it was biology class all over again. I remember why I was interested in biological sciences and why I'm still intrigued with nature and biology.

Looking around, up and down, all around. There were so many sounds, strange bird calls, leaves clapping in the wind everything. We saw numerous birds, wonderful colorful flora and fauna and beautiful flowers. There was also a cool red spider and a blue bug with two red dots and centipedes with a billion legs! So much to take in!

I know inspiration for design and patterns can come from everywhere. There were some really gorgeous ferns and greenery all around. I should have been sketching today! Mushrooms and fungus of all shapes, forms and colors.


until next time,

Instructions for Life

This is a note I've seen before but got reacquainted with again recently. The directions still fit.

   1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve  great risk.

   2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

   3. Follow the three R's:
   Respect for self
   Respect for others and
   Responsibility for all your actions.

   4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

   5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

   6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

   7. When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

   8. Spend some time alone.
 
   9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

   10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

   11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

   12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for
   your life.  Do all you can to create a tranquil, harmonious
   home.

   13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the
   current situation. Don't bring up the past.

   14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

   15. Be gentle with the earth.

   16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

   17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your
   love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

   18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order
   to get it.

   19. Call your mother.

   20. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon. 

I met two sets of sisters today.Two retired ladies were off to the Dominican Republic they were laughing and having a great time! They said they always went away in the winter to share a laugh! The second set of younger sisters were off to NY for the weekend, it was a surprise 21st birthday weekend and the birthday sister didn't have a clue , she thought they were going out for brunch! Hilarious! Carpe Diem...

Amicus

 I had three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.

Henry David Thoreau

Connecting, reaching out, a sense of community and solid relationships are vital to our survival. Dr. Robert Sapolsky is a professor of Neuroendocrinology at Stanford University. He has also studied wild baboons in the Serengeti of East Africa. His study focuses on what a baboon's dominance rank, social behavior and personality have to do with patterns of stress-related diseases. Why do some bodies and some psyches deal with stress better than others. His studies can be helpful in determining our needs to connect and ability to deal with stress.

A recent Scientific American study finds a decline in empathy among young people. Increasingly, it seems that our society appears to be detached from the rest of the world. I worry about this sense of detachment even though we seem to be more 'connected' through social media. Connected but disconnected. We talk and we don't talk.....say something.

To me it's always about balance, some days I'm better at it than others. The last few weeks, I think I've been running on a hamster wheel. I work on those meaningful moments day to day. We all live hectic busy lives, but remember to breathe in, exhale and enjoy the moment. Find beauty in everything....

Survival of the Fittest

Maritime Moment

Sometimes I travel to places that definitely feel alien to me. I rarely get that sense in Alberta. This week, I spent a few days up in Fort McMurray and every time I go I see that it is evolving into a place that is certainly unique in Alberta maybe in the world. A couple years back there was an labor shortage, and in response the government opened up immigration to fill positions. People from all corners of the earth have made their way here to make 'easy' money and get out or for others to stay. The car rental guy behind the counter had just arrived from the Philippines two days ago and left his young family behind to make a better life for them.

The population is youthful, ambitious and many are looking for a new opportunities. Unfortunately, the emotional and societal costs will not be known for years to come. Needless to say, the environmental impacts as well.

The local grocery stores also have a maritime foods section, which I've never seen before. It speaks to the number of migrants that have come here and given up lots to make a better life for themselves. It's a familiar story (echoes of my own family history and others as well) that has been repeated thousands of times and will continue to for people looking for a better life.

Available at the ft mc save on foods from Newfoundland the iconic snowball treats!

They have a radio station called KAOS 911! Which sort of describes rush hour during shift changes in the transit town. It was -45 on Friday morning...with wind chill.

Barista Apprentice

When I have time in the morning, I do enjoy a warm mug of latte and have always been appreciative of those beautiful rosettas or a warm heart. I practiced the last couple of days (with a couple too many lattes) but still haven't been able to perfect this temporary art form, that has been described as delicate as casting a rod in fly fishing or the coordination of rubbing your tummy and patting your head! I will continue to labor at this elusive art form!

This one is from a barista from 'transcend' last night. Oh, it was soo pretty!!

Rub Two Sticks Together
Even in this frigid weather, I've been trying to make food interesting and diverse. Here is a Sante Fe Salad idea from D that was refreshing and delish! I added a couple of things to it! Easy to make and good for the belly!

Sante Fe Salad

Sante Fe Salad

can of black beans

Red onions

cilantro

can of peaches/cream corn

red/orange peppers

lime juice/olive oil/rice wine vinegar

salt/pepper to taste

Stay warm! 

The Muskox and Reindeer

The Siberian muskox and reindeer are both very extraordinary resilient creatures of the north. They are well-adapted and have been able to survive in the most extreme and harshest of conditions. Muskox tend to stay together and remain in the same place even in extreme snow storms. They huddle and stick together to weather out the storm. Reindeer on the other hand, will tend to flee and look for alternative shelter.

The last few days in our great white North has been a story of the of the muskox and the reindeer. How many of you ran for shelter? How did you do as a Muskox? I like to think of myself as a muskox...but sometimes I just prefer to run like a reindeer!

Incredibly, we have had more snow than I can ever remember! The last time snow fell like this it was 7 years ago! I felt like I was in a episode of 'Survivorman', foraging for whatever food I had left in the house and still trying to be creative in meal prep as I was snowed in.

I'm so cold like an ice cream cone!

Inventions and Inventors

I met a inventor recently and his enthusiasm for creativity was  contagious! I would probably say that this person could be someone who could end up on Dragon's Den or have a pocket full of patents in five to ten years! I often still think about creating and inventing something...that makes life better or easier for people. Over the weekend I started drawing and sketching again, I'll keep sketching....maybe I'll invent something one day!

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.

- Confucius

Everything is just copacetic!

Smarter than you think...

How do salmon know their way home?

Is there a marked trail? Signs? What drives them to go against the stream to return to their place of birth three or four year later? It's by scent. Earlier this fall, I visited Goldstream Provincial Park on Vancouver Island where thousands of coho, salmon make their way through the goldstream river from October to December. I didn't see any fish that day, maybe it was too close to the end of the salmon run. There were a number of bald eagles, looking for salmon buffet. Today there was a story about the Gold stream river glowing like a toxic soup. I was upset that some one would put something in the water to change the ecosystem. They report that the water is not toxic...mmm...but it's fluorescein.

 

Fact: Sheep are able to recognize other sheep in pictures!

Chimps are our friends. How many of you wanted a pet monkey when you were young? I have to admit I think I thought of it too! I would have dressed it up and brought it to school. Not like MJ who actually got one! They do have 96% of our genes...they are our people!

Things that make you go....mmm......

Whisper to a Scream

HTM.. HELL

It's been awhile since I've looked at HTML code but I wanted to personalize my blog up from the 'cookie cutter template' from blogger so I ventured into the world studying the foreign language and spent a little time familiarizing myself with HTML. I still have some tweaking to do with fonts and sizes and EVERYTHING....but its' actually been kinda fun! <certified geek>

ps. If any of you out there are experts I have a couple HTML questions for you!

Creativity through music...

A few weeks ago, I was at a party where this young man pulled out a guitar and started to play a beautiful rendition of the Beatles, "Blackbird."  I was so inspired, that when I got home that evening and said to myself I would 'work' on that song and learn how to play it in the new year. I've worked on it a couple of times and my rendition is slow...more like a lullaby....but I'll keep working on it. I might need this 'street musician 'skill' if my job falls through!

Speaking of blackbirds, what's with the 3000 black birds that fell out of the sky in Arkansas the other day and I just heard that another 450 fell out of the sky in Louisiana! They can't quite figure out what happened....they think it might have been the fireworks that scared the birds. Strange, I sure hope it didn't have anything with me learning that song...

I heard this question on the radio today:

Most people will lose half of these in 7-10 years? What is it?

The answer to my surprise was... friends. Their discussion talked about life changes and how people 'switch' out their friends due to life cycles and changes. I think back to my friends and friendships and maybe some of my friends have changed due to circumstance but over all I can honestly say that have a solid group of relationships that I count on for life and I'd be there for them too! I don't think the 7-10 year rule applies to me. :o)

Welcome MMXI

New Year, New Shoes!

My friend S bought these really HOT SEXY shoes! I think they came equipped with an oxygen tank and balancing poles. We were all trying them on and had a blast! Especially when the boys tried them on <heh x3>. I've had my eyes on these super cool over the knee boots that you would probably wear fencing or maybe lounging around in a castle. Unfortunately, the price wasn't that cool...so I'll get a pair when I live in that castle.

Last Supper NYE 2010!

This was part of the NY feast with friends! From the top: Spinach salad with black and blueberries, vegetarian lasagna, chips with cranberry/cilantro salsa YUMMY! A Christmas kale salad with red peppers, pomegranates, avocado, feta cheese, and slivered purple cabbage. Savory candied bacon in a cream puff! My friend L always loved the sweet and salty combo, this candied bacon is a perfect match! It reminds me of the 'horn of plenty'...delicious! Deep fried tofu in a sweet thai chilli sauce.

New Year New Beginnings!

I have never made any new year resolutions before and I don't think I'll start now. However, but I have been known to have reflective moments now and then...So, I will aim to be more creative and start 'new projects.' I will also master the art of parkour! Yes, Parkour and freerunning....it's so cool to watch....and I can jump a bit and land a fall....

Until next time,