Moments D691: Birthday Cake on the Beach

Boo!  Today was our last day in Jamaica.  That's always a sad day, but I was determined to soak up all the last rays of Jamaica before heading home to a city that had just experienced a snow storm.  Yes.  A snow storm mid-March.  Oh my.  Yes, I was definitely determined to soak up as much sun as possible in the last moments in Jamaica.

And that's exactly what most of the family did.  We checked out of the resort, found ourselves some lounge chairs on the beach and watched the incoming flow of guests.  There were many new untanned bodies on the beach today.  We looked around knowingly at one another: if they weren't careful, they'd burn today.  It was a windy, sunny, cooler day.  A perfect day to burn!

One of the things that we needed to deal with, upon check out, was an entire birthday cake that arrived a day late.  Instead of letting it go to waste, EQ and I brought it down to the beach, with a knife, napkins (for impromptu plates) and forks for all.  And there, on the beach, we cut up the cake and shared it out with the family.  With a few pieces leftover, we offered some of the resort staff the remaining pieces of cake.  What a world of joy that the cake brought to those that saw walking through the resort with the cake, cutting up the cake and of course sharing it around!

A fun way to spend the last moments in the sun, eating birthday cake on the beach.

Moments being silly, eating cake on the beach,  in the sun!

Moments enjoying the last hours in Jamaica.

Moments D606: Cold before the heat

It's always an exciting day when you know the next day you are going on vacation.  Today was that day.  My last day of work for an entire week.  While there was much to get through, it was easy to stay focused and push through to get it done.  Skip lunch, skip the breaks.  No problem, if it means everything is all laid out for the time I'm away.

And it was all done.  Phew.

And then it was a mad dash to pack for the coming Christmas cruise.  Three hours.  LOTS of time, right?  Nope!  As usual, there were more things to deal with than expected and EQ and I were rushing right to the last moment we had before heading to the airport.

We took his bike to the airport.  Good thing too as the traffic was crazy busy.  On the upside, we were able to use lane sharing to keep us moving towards the airport.  And we arrived there on time! On the downside, the ride into the airport was very cold.  So cold that even with my three layers on, with a scarf and a hat, I was very chilled by the time we arrived.

As we sat and ate our dinner at the gate, I shivered the entire time.  But you know what?  As we were boarding the plane, me still wearing my hat to keep warm, I realized, I was soon going to be in Miami.  I was soon going to be in the Caribbean.  The sun and heat were only hours away.

Sometimes it's darkest before the dawn.    In my case it was coldest before the heat would hit me.

It was a fun moment of realization.

Moments shuddering in the cold.

Moments knowing that the cold will be replaced soon.

Moments D540: Get Out!

Today's moment is a simple one.  Today, I managed to enjoy the warm Indian Summer weather not once, not twice, but three times today!  This NEVER happens in my workday-world.  Typically once I'm at work, I am in the office until I leave.  I get to work via car and the walk from the parking garage to the office is very short and often I barely see the day;  enjoying a warm beautiful day like today, is rare.

Today my schedule was amuck.  Maybe that was a good thing!

First, I had to drop my car off at the nearby Hyundai dealership as my sunroof had a recall on it. Fortunately, the dealership is an easy 10 minute walk from my office.  Early this morning, I found myself enjoying a crisp fall morning stroll into the office in the sunshine

Low and behold, my car was fixed early and I was in dire need of a coffee, so I headed back over to the dealership around 11:00 am.  What a delight it was to enjoy the higher, warmer sun on my face.  It was also the perfect time to call EQ.  Together, we shared the walk over to the dealership.  By the time I arrived, I was warm enough to shed my light scarf and leather jacket.   Awesome.

My third adventure into the sunny fall day was when I headed out to (and  back from) my chiropractic appointment.  It was mid-afternoon now and though the sun was warm, I was happy to have my scarf with me as there was a cool tingle in the breeze.

What a delightful range of temperatures - it felt good to get out and enjoy the different parts of this beautiful fall day.

Maybe I really should take up my ND's advice and do that more often.  I know Mr. B does it very day.

Something to seriously consider.

Moments enjoying a beautiful fall day.

Moments seeing the benefit in breaking up one's day at the desk.

Moments D397: Enjoying the day

Today I spent the day on my own and just focused on getting a few things done. I have to say it was a rather enjoyable day given that most of my day was made up of chores and homework. I tried to bring a little bit of light and enjoyment to each task I did today.

First when I woke, I decided I was in no rush to get out of bed. So I was slow to rise and enjoyed the lazy moments of the day. Once up I squeezed in a 90 minute workout (I must keep pushing forward to prepare for Tough Mudder!) And then I made myself breakfast. But instead of eating my breadfast while beginning my readings, I chose to watch some TV with lunch. What a treat. It’s been awhile since I watched TV!

And then I dove into my homework. While it was only 13 degrees outside, it was very bright and sunny so I decided to go outside and sit and read outside. (The key, layers, and a blanket too!) And though the breeze was quite chilly it was beautiful to be sitting outside in the sun for a couple of hours. Once the shade came around, it was too cold to sit outside. So I came inside, opened the blinds and a couple of windows and finished my readings in the bright, cool living room. (Not quite the same sitting outside but it was sunny and pretty nonetheless.)

Just before dinner I had a surprise phone call with a friend of mine. We talked for nearly an hour about things. It was nice to catch up and to discuss the woes of life. I love those moments and it was a great break from my readings.

And then, I had an opportunity to get out for a drink with another friend. I figured why not? And so I met up for a drink for a couple of hours. What a great way to finish up the day.

So today’s moment is about loving moments the day. It was a day that wasn’t very exciting, but it was good and calm and kind to me. This I appreciate.

Moments getting “stuff” done.

Moments just going with the flow of the day.

Moments D369: Coffee, Beef Jerkey, and Poutine and the universe speaks.

Although I didn’t manage to stay awake to see the sunrise, I didn’t miss much of the night and early morning. Having finally crashed around 4-4:30am, we were up only 3.5 hours later.

At that point the sun was bright, the birds in song and though there was a slight chill in the breeze we were all (well most of us) eager to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the morning. So me, my bestie and my BFF, made ourself coffee and made our way down to the dock. We laughed at some of the stories from the night before, relived the beauty of the bonfire we had and shared new friend stories. And yes, I managed to get my first sunburn of the season!

Eventually the we became hungry girls and we began to pillage what was left of the prepared foods from the night before. For breakfast, we had cheese, buns, crackers, apple pie and coffee (and a banana) for round two of our time out on the dock. Just the three of us. It was then that we started speaking to the universe and it eventually began to speak back to us. (Actually, it was my bestie impersonating the universe’s responses, but it was very apropos!)

Beautiful moments all in themselves, and moments I will cherish for a life time. Later our trine was joined by the boy next door for yet another pot of coffee. Another set of great moments.

And then my BFF had to run, and as she was packing up our amazing new friend, who I will call LWF (for his Lest we Forget tattoo) finally rose from his sleep. Of course, he was in desperate need of coffee. To his shock and horror, we had brewed up and drank all the coffee.

It wasn’t long before we were making a run to West Guilford for coffee.

But, we were in luck as we stopped at the Haliburton restaurant for a cup of java, and then we made our way to West Guilford to stock up. We picked up coffee, bacon, and LWF picked up beef jerky and cheese curds (a good hangover cure? I’m not sure, but it did seem to perk him up!) And then there was this light begging for attention across from the store. The CHIP TRUCK called out to us. And so, my bestie and I enjoyed some of the best fries in the region. (I was very bad with a poutine, she behaved herself with fries only and LWF simply enjoyed his beef jerkey.)

We enjoyed our moment with the food. Sharing stories and getting to know one another just a little bit more. Those moments are always good for my soul for I love to learn about what inspires others.

So today’s moment? Simple. The people, the silly post-party food and just being lazy and enjoying the day as it came to us. The shared stories during the best day of spring Haliburton has seen. A perfect first new day after being reborn. Packing was pushed off to the end of the day as the sun started its decent in the sky.

An amazing day with my besties and new friends.

Moments of pure laziness.

Moments of pure silliness.

Moments D284: Soaking in the sun and the winds of change

Today we enjoyed a day by the pool, but in the sand. Yes, our resort has a man-made beach! Drinks from Jay the ever attentive bartender, pizza lunch on the beach. A perfect day out enjoying some tunes and each other.


The best part of the day was late in the afternoon. It was just my uncle and I left soaking up the sun as the girls bailed on us. We continued to soak in the last of the day’s rays in complete silence. How zen it was! It was in these last quiet moments that I found a deep sense of quiet & relaxation. It was incredible. No distractions, just me, myself and I, enjoying the heat of the sun.

In those last moments of the day I thought about many things. From a brief overview of my last year of change and growth to a more in depth processing of next steps looking forward. I feel a great change coming. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it is coming. The question becomes: Am I ready for it?

Yes. I think I am. There’s no reason to simply be comfortable. Change makes us uncomfortable. But I think, I’m ready for that stir up. My new year’s resolution: To be more true to self. and not fear change.

Moments in the quiet.

Moments with one’s thoughts.

Moments - D18; Death & Baptisms

Today started early for me - 4:50am. I was on a train to Ottawa leaving at 6:40am. Coffee in hand, I fully intended on sleeping on the train. Two hours into the trip and the train comes to a halt.

There's been a tragic accident ahead of us. Someone trying to run across the tracks was struck and killed by the train heading to Toronto. How incredibly sad. Overall we were delayed by 2.5 hours by this incident. Long enough for the woman sitting behind me to miss the baptism that she was headed to. Life and death. Present. The cycle of the world us ever present today with me.

It was a big reminder to live everyday to its fullest. To be true. To be open.

Death and Life.

After a day of relaxing and catching up we were sitting on the balcony enjoying the spring air. The clouds were a stunning swirl of colour, layers and textures. The sun breaking through and its rays bathing the sky in warmth. It was a beautiful moment. And in that extended moment, I thanked the universe for all that I am fortunate to have in my life. For today, someone's family is mourning. I am fortunate. I am surrounded in love and light.

Moments to reflect.

Moments to remind.