Grey Blue Monday Morning...

When David left this morning, there was a thick layer of frost and ice on most of the surfaces outside as we got a nice pile of rain on top of an inch or so of snow late yesterday.

As he was leaving, he called "You should come out with your camera. The frost is forming some beautiful designs on the car windows."

Cute, ain't he ? I taught him well to look for art everywhere !

By the time I finished my little tidying up, got some sweats on and grabbed the camera, the 35 degree warmth and the sun poking out of the white clouds had taken the designs away.

I headed back to the studio and decided to do a little self-portrait shoot - I haven't done that in a while and to capture a little bit of this grey-blue morning....

Had to take a couple more shots around the house...

With a little adjusting, they fit the color scheme perfectly...

and a pair of these little sweeties were picking up the droppings from my bird feeder that has kind of become a squirrel feeder but whatever...

The sun has burned through the clouds already and the ice all over the driveway is melting. The widget says 36 degrees already and I think a high of 39 is on the charts. I can handle that !

Today, I am off to finish up some shopping - only 4 gifts or so left buy.

The tree is up but not decorated. The Cosmo kitty is super curious about it and is batting the bottom branches around but I was glad to note that the tree was still standing this morning when we got up after he had had an entire night alone with it !

Meditation this evening and then tree decorating, I think.

The smell in the house is heavenly - one of my favorite things about the holiday that scent of real tree.

I hope you have a creative Monday with whatever is on your agenda !

Oh, and if you have an extra 4 minutes or so, take the time to listen to this inspired poem that the incredible chicks, Andrea and Jen, at kind over matter posted this morning. If I had a daughter I would encourage her to listen to it over add over again. Since I don't I will listen to it instead and hope that the girl child inside of me hears the message loud and clear.

Happy Monday, Beautiful Ones !

Chicks, man, chicks...

The Queen and The Bodhi Chicklet - The Two Kims

December 1, 2009, Pointe Claire, Quebec

Back in from a bit of a whirl wind trip to Montreal. I left Sunday morning and was back home Tuesday dinner time and yet during those short 56 hours or so, I :

saw three deer in the middle of the road (alive and well ! ),

hugged and kissed my sweet Mommy multiple times,

saw and wished my sister Natalie a happy 40th birthday in person on her actual birthday,

visited and broke bread with 4 of my old friends,

met a new great friend over coffee and a 2 1/2 hour chat,

sold lots of birds and things,

slept in two different beds in two different apartments,

visited a part of Montreal I had never seen before,

soothed and healed some wounds,

offered a shoulder to lean on,

had sweet exchanges over rocks

and shined my light as brightly as I could.

No wonder I feel kind of tired today ! Tired but filled up in so many ways.

My visit yesterday morning with Kim was so fun. I found it hard to say good bye ! Like my meeting with my other heart/blogpal friend, Sherry, the conversation flowed so easily. It genuinely felt so comfortable with Kim. There is an openness of heart and absolutely no judgement of any kind which I so admire and appreciate in this lovely woman. And did you see those gorgeous blue eyes ? Just a beautiful person all around. I know, as I did with Sherry as well, that Kim and I will meet again and that our first eye to eye visit is to be the first of many.

As I sat to write this post this morning, I was struck by one of the constants throughout all the activities I did in the past few days. That constant was the presence of incredible women in my life. My Mom, my sisters Natalie and Kristina, my friends Andrea, Darlene and Suzanne, my blogpal and new real-life friend, Kim, and even the many women at my mom's office who purchased my offerings...

So many woman, so many female hearts and so much strength and feminine energy. And even here, in Blogland, where the large majority of people who I truly connect with on a heart level are women...

Of course, there are great men in my world too, (especially the man who lets me fly freely, knowing I will come back home to land in our cozy nest), but the presence of women is so powerful for me. I am really thankful for that female essence and strength in my life and in my own being ! It is a beautiful thing !

So today I am resting up. I think me and my Chica (another female !!! ;) ) may just head to the beach - it is supposed to hit 50 here today and it is sunny and beautiful ! A bucket of rocks, some walking (running for the d. o. g. !) by the surf and lots of vitamin D on the head !

Tomorrow, I am turning my energy toward my Squamie Visit on Saturday. A little cleaning, some planning for our art journal play date and some menu planning for supper chez moi !

And then Sunday, and for the rest of the month, it will be all about David and I and our cozy Christmas preparations. Putting up only the decorations that I (or David) really love. Choosing simple gifts for important peeps (I think I am going with books for all this year - maybe a few copies of Life is a Verb for a few of my friends?) Sending out cards with messages of love. Baking a few favorites. And just BEING with the spirit of the holidays... Man, does that sound good and perfectly festive to me !

So in the spirit of all of that, and because my lovely Sherry started it off yesterday by including my # 1 favorite Christmas Song in her post, I will include #2 on my list...fits that it is kind of about the woman, the woman of Christmas, I guess ! ;)

Enjoy and Happy December, beautiful Ones !