Thursday, December 23, 2010

Its The Happiest Season Of All

The Christmas Vacation has now offically started for me, as I just finished my last shift at work (last night), and my last gym workout (this morning), until after the big day!
I am loving how dedicated I have been at attending the gym daily for the last 3 weeks straight (cept for Sundays, cause I girl needs a break). I've been mostly running on the treadmill for at least an hour each day, and then working out my arms on some of the weight lifting machines. I like my routine, which allows me to push myself in different ways each day, and see how far my body can take it.
Today I even got myself there on time for their Thursday Hatha Yoga class, which was quite a little treasure, as I haven't been able to fit in yoga into my days for the last few months. I love how yoga makes me feel and how the right teacher can make you see poses in a whole new light, and push your body furthur than you thought possible. I am going to try to attend more classes in the new year in addition to my time at the gym, but I know that I must take little steps towards this, so as not to stress out and stop everything entirely which is what I have been prone to do... many times before....
Well on the note! I would love it if you (readers in the abiss out there), would push me along in my journey in bettering my body so that I don't fall off the band wagon once again. Either leave comments, or if you know me in person, offer to work out with me or even just tell me your proud of my new healthy habits :) It would mean the world to me!
Now to get on with the elephant in the room, which is that today is offically Christmas Eve Eve, and I am as giddy as a sleigh bell, that all the festivites are here at our doorstep.
I love Christmas like none other, and if it was a person, I would snatch it up and marry it so fast, just so I could keep it with me all year long.
I love all the random acts of kindness, the togetherness of friends and family, the warm heart of the home, the bringing up of hidden happy feelings, and the glow of a city covered in lights.
I wish you all the most merriest of Christmas's, the most happiest of holidays, and above all love in your hearts for one another this holiday season.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

"Waste Not" Exhibition at the Art Gallery

In a world of consumerism and greed, want and need, the artist Song Dong's piece "Waste Not" portrays a culture that thrives on its possessions. Bars of half used soap, balls of twine, dirty water basins, forgotten childhood dolls, all became a work of art, and an act of healing for his family who lost their father.

Frugality is a virtue for Chinese culture, so growing up in a home where every item had the ability to be used, reused and recycled as something new, made it hard to throw away your day to day household items for fear that they might be someday useful. "Anything that could some how be used, should be used as much as possible" states Dong of an entire generation of Chinese people.
The collection at hand came together as an act to pull his mother out of depression after their fathers death, when a need to keep everything in case of use, became an obsession. Song Dong was able to give his mother a space to be an artist, with a decades worth a collections. This allowed her to have a job and a purpose for all the stuff she wanted to find a reason to keep, thus bringing happiness into her life once again.

"Keeping those things was useful, wasn't it", she gladly tells her son, as if an end to her collecting madness has come full circle. With this exhibit they now have the space to start anew, as a decade of used items have come out of their home, and into their new purpose as art. 


Walking through piles of thoughtfully placed and organized articles of ones life in material form allows you to look at your own possessions which we horribly label our "stuff". Especially this time of year, an exhibit like this speaks to each of us who filling their Christmas tree skirts with brightly wrapped surprises, only to later be broken, lost, forgotten, or worst of all un-used.

I am as guilty as the next person on this front, although maybe this is a lesson for us all to find the hidden presents in the items that have already seen their way around the block a couple of times, or that will withstand the test of time. I encourage you to give the gift of experience, as our memories are something that we can carry with us and don't take up space in our landfills once they have lost their purpose in our lives.

Song Dong's exhibit is being showcased at the Vancouver Art Gallery until January 16th.

My Kitten Fundraisers Got Some Press

Thanks so the charming and talented Meghan Mast, word of my kitten fundraisers got press this week on an online and interactive newspaper called Open File. Check out the article here for all the info!
http://vancouver.openfile.ca/vancouver/file/2010/11/feline-fundraisers-prowl-drive

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Simple Pleasures from a week worth living....

I thrive on the simple pleasures in life, and here some, just to name a few :)

The little messages from a best friend in Japan, telling me "did i ever tell you that i love you? i dont tell you enough. <3mwah!"

Waking up in a apartment where a beautiful Christmas Tree has been baking in warmth and love. This place is a home.


An advent calendar giving and recieving 24 days of love before Christmas

Paper cranes, painted dinosaurs, nerd poets, christmas lights, getting your bed made for you, childrens books, hand making gifts, and love unmeasurable...

A best friend to which I can work, play, workout, snort, go on dates with and poke fun at...

And a love who shows me he cares everyday :)

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Pen Pal Writing Club

I have found yet another rare gem in this city, and it is a club for folks like me who thrive on the written word delivered in a snail like fashion.

I been on the pen pal band wagon, since I first took to it in the 4th grade. Her name was Jessie Moore, and she was my teachers niece who lived on Galiano Island, was home school, and was apparently in need of a little lift in her life. So our class was chosen to each write her a letter (which at that age is a great experience and lesson), and we made a memberable trip to the post box.

Since then I have found pen pals through relatives, old roommates, classmates, friends who have moved across the globe, and most proudly through strangers.

I love everything about the art of pen paling and to find a club that caters to and embraces my passion with welcoming arms, is a rare sight to see. In a world of emailing, texting and facebook, the act of creating a relationship with someone in the form of a letter, has fallen by the wayside.
I understand all the arguments against it : Too slow! Unreliable! Impractical!...but think of all the wonder that goes with it.

I am proud to say that I no longer receive any mail that is not a letter from a loved one, and I receive one at least once a week!
No more bills, junk mail, or newspapers, just pure unadulterated love.

Now back to this pen pal find of mine :
Assembly of Text is quite possibly the cutest store in Vancouver (or at least on Main street)  http://assemblyoftext.com/. The walls of this teansy store are lined with handmade cards, rubber stamps, buttons,and ready made shirt prints (just to name a few), and the back is a full wall of filing cabinets filled up to the brim with all sorts of stationary materials.

On the first Thursday of every month, the store opens its doors to the letter enthusiasts a like, and hosts this fabulous club for two hours. And for the entirety of those hours, the single room is packed with people of all walks of like addressing envelopes, typing on typewriters, and eloquently positioning stamps upon letters. Running along the middle of the room is a tables filled with 10-15 typewriters, all of different makes and sounds, and when they all come together they make the most beautiful orchestra of cackle, that resonates through the space.

I've only been twice now but it is safe to say that I am hooked. I even walked away with a couple of early Christmas gifts to myself that have made me more than over joyed. I picked up a rubber stamp set of birds, nests and leaves, to add to my ever growing stamp collection. And more importantly I picked up a new type writer ribbon for my room mates beautiful, black, classic typewriter, which I have now stolen, and fallen in love with. There is something about the act of pounding your works purposefully into the parchment and having to really think out your words before you type. Pure art!

Hope I have inspired you to send a letter to a long lost friend, or at least send a Christmas card some one specials way this holiday season :)

Love Nymph