quiet friday night

It’s a foggy night here, it’s rolling in thick and wet.   I just came in from my balcony where the mist is so heavy it’s almost raining.  I’ve had an exhausting day, 3 classes, in a row, always tiring, it’s performing for 9 hours.  I have one of my new artists from the birthday playlist playing in the background, glass of wine (or 2) and it’s almost time for bed. It’s been a week of ups and downs but I think that I’m finally on the upswing for the year.

Tomorrow morning, my friend and I are hitting the sales, the Church sales.  I know that these happen all over the country but I’ve never really taken the time to go them while I lived in Toronto but out here they are the only answer to “antique / vintage markets”.  We have 2 to hit, one at 8am and then one at 9am.  Lots of stuff to check out and buy for a great price.  Last sale I bought a new hair dryer for $5, since mine had just died it seemed like a great deal.  The last bastion of cheap potentially vintage stuff the church sale seems to be the big thing a place where 20 bucks can get you curtains, a hairdryer, painting of the ocean and a few other goodies.  I don’t have a ton of money to spend, but $20 is a good investment if you can get things you actually need.

I’m having a very melancholy night, the fog is bringing back memories that I’d rather let go of, the wine doesn’t help and I really should go to bed and sleep, the sales start early. But here I am sitting on my couch listening and dreaming about things that could be….well this has been a week of amazing things so maybe, just maybe some of the other dreams will start coming true as well.

Dreaming Big from the East Coast,

Samantha

The List

Last blog I mentioned that my birthday was approaching,  it has now passed me by, I’m another year older, not sure if I’m wiser, I’ve lost a little weight, no grey yet and I’m sure I’ve spotted a few wrinkles.  My sense of humor over the past two years has been stretched to the max and my girls are getting older as well.

Friends made this a wonderful weekend for me.  Out to dinner on Friday night to the Keg with one of my oldest friends, who I met on my 17th birthday on a GO bus coming home with a few of my girlfriends from the city.  He and his wife have been rocks in my life especially for the past few years as I establish my new life here in Nova Scotia.  29 years we’ve known each other I am lucky to have them here for me.

Saturday was the day, it dawned cold, rainy, snowy and yucky I wanted to sleep in but the girls had another idea..the brats, and woke me up at 6am.  My tentative plans cancelled so I was alone and decided to take myself to a movie.  Off to see Jurassic Park 3D and have popcorn for lunch.  Lots of lovely phone calls from friends and family wishing me happy tidings.  Miss them, the friends not the tidings. Dinner harbour side Saturday night with a newer friend finished off the evening.

I had requested that with birthday greeting on f/b, a song to be included.  Two of my lunatic friends, from high school went a little wild…not all of their songs are represented on this list I’m going to have to go back an fish out all the suggestions they had….I think it must have been a crappy day in Ontario, they both spent the day in front of their computers looking up songs and posting them on my page.  Without further fan fare here is the 2013 April 13th Play list (names of senders not included)

A great line up in no particular order: 

Song Name: Artist Name

• Thrift Shop Feat Wantz  :  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 
• Call Me :  Astrud Gilberto & Walter Wanderley Trio
• I got a feeling : The Black Eyed Peas
• Ave Maria : Maria Callis
• I love Rock & Roll : Joan Jet & the Blackhearts
• Les eaux du Mars: Stacey Kent
• Whooomp there it is: Tag Team
• Killing me softly: Roberta Flack
• Stompa: Serena Ryder
• Don’t Stop Believing: Journey
• West end Girls: Pet Shop Boys
• Classified: Inner Ninja Feat: David Myles
• The Coast: Jennah Barry
• Sailing: Chris Cross
• Rock me gently: Andy Kim
• The way it goes: Gillian Welch
• Put your records on: Corinne Bailey Rae
• Taxman: The Beatles
• Girls on fire: Alicia Keys
• Money, Money, Money: Meryl Streep from Mamma Mia
• Happy Birthday from Savillerow (unrealased): The Beatles
• Talking to the moon: Bruno Mars
• Who can it be now: Men at work
• In the air tonight: Phil Collins
• Hungry like the wolf: Duran Duran
• We’re not gonna take it: Twisted Sister
• Don’t forget me when I’m gone: Glass Tiger
• Call me: Blondie
• Fields of Gold: Eva Cassidy
• Like a star: Corinne Bailey Rae
• Empire Strikes back Theme: John Williams

An interesting fact, only 2 guys participated in this, even though I have a ton of guy friends who love music, lots of different styles and memories here and some really great new choices.  I really loved doing this so I’m going to be asking for this again next year so start thinking about what you’re going to send ’cause I don’t want any excuses next time! 

Thanks for all the Birthday wishes with and without a song I love that I have such wonderful people who read this blog and who are my friends.

Dreaming Big from the East Coast,

Samantha

Birthday playlist

My birthday is in 2 days (saturday).  I don’t usually “brag” about it and it’s not a “significant” one except that it’s mine.  However, a few weeks ago a friend of mine posted on her facebook status the day before her birthday, for everyone who would be giving her birthday greetings could they please include a song, old, new, something that reminded them of a special time with her or just in their life, this way she could assemble a playlist from her friends.

I have to admit, I wish I had thought of this, so I’m stealing the idea.  What a wonderful birthday gift, to have a playlist made for you from your friends and family? I know not everyone reads my blog so I’ll be posting this on f/b as well.  I hope to get a good playlist what a fun tradition this can become.  Not to mention a very interesting way to find out what music people like.

So you are welcome to leave a song for me here, if you are friends with me on f/b you can leave it there or even just drop me an email, however you would like, I really hope you’ll participate I can’t think of anything better!

I’ll post the list (and maybe some links) next week so you can see what was sent to me. Soon to be another year older….

Dreaming Big from the East Coast,

Samantha

PS I posted Jason Mraz “Who needs Shelter” to my friend for her birthday.

The new Easter norm….

I’ve had a busy few days and have been remiss in my duties to blogging.  The long weekend was lovely.  I went on a few hikes, took pictures – I’ll post them later on.  Spent the weekend with wonderful friends and now I’m back painting so no access to my pictures at the moment.

Hikes, let’s see, Good Friday it was Laurie Lake Provincial park with my friends and their kids.  Beautiful paved paths (to which one of my friends had a 20 minute rant because now you can’t find private, primitive camp sight anymore) that weave through a lovely forest.  A very cold windy lake, that looks like it has great swimming in the summer.  We walked for an hour, talked, laughed, watched the kids do fun things on their bikes and scooters, stopped for ice cream on the way home.  It was lovely.

Saturday’s hike was 3 minutes from my apartment, Long Lake.  A large lake right in the middle of  the city, with acres of forests and paths weaving through.  This time the dog, Arrow, came with us (again, I have pictures that I’ll post) and we spent a good 40 minutes throwing the ball into the lake for her, then a good 15 minutes trying to get one of the balls out from under a rock.

Sunday, I took myself to Crystal Crescent Beach, it was 9 degrees, the sun was shinning and warm so I packed some snacks (not enough) and drove the 25 minutes to this lovely white sand beach.  There is a boardwalk path that spans the entire 3 beaches and leads onto a path that continues over the rocks and through more forest.  This is probably the only time of year where you can walk to the 3rd beach and not be “mooned” by the sunbathers.  This beach is the clothing optional beach. There were lots of people on the beaches and boardwalks, walking their dogs and their Easter dinners off.  I sat on the rocks at the far end of the beach ate my snacks and watched the waves crash against them. Then there was dinner and a movie at friends, 1st BBQ of the season.  Monday was recovery time while it rained and the whole city became quiet and cloaked in fog.

It was a wonderful weekend, not what I’m used to at Easter, usually it’s spent dashing from one family to another (if Orthodox Easter happens to be on the same day).  I’m learning this is becoming my typical Nova Scotia Easter tradition, hiking spending time with friends and just enjoying the long weekend.  Much more relaxing than the old Easter tradition, although I have to admit I did miss my family. This was, however, an excellent replacement and a wonderful new tradition.

Dreaming Big from the East Coast,

Samantha

Lovely start to the long weekend

Neighbours Canoe in the trees across from my apartment

I’m sitting outside on my deck drinking my 1st cup of tea of the day.  There’s still ice on Chocolate Lake (appropriately named for this weekend) and small piles of snow dotting the sides of the road.  There are no leaves on the trees yet but the birds are out in full force.  The blue jays have returned, loudly, the crows, of course, have been here all along and the little birds I’m not sure where they’ve been but they’re singing up a storm.  The sun is shinning and it is a very warm day.

Chocolate Lake still covered in ice March 29th/13

What an excellent start to a long weekend.  I have no formal plans for this time, there is still a bit of marking left to do, and I really should run the duster and vacuum around my apartment (not to mention clean the bathroom!).  I thought I’d play the rest of it by ear.  Do a little ocean side hiking maybe, there is a giant garage sale tomorrow at the exhibition grounds – could be some good treasure hunting.  I have bread rising in the kitchen, my “cottage” playlist playing softly on the stereo.  Every so often I can smell the lavender oil from the diffuser in my bedroom, waft out to where I’m sitting, almost smells like there’s a garden full  of it right here.

Comfy spot to sit, read and watch the sun rise

The forecast for the weekend is sunny and warm – up to 7 (that’s centigrade for those of you in the US – read warmish!) and with the sun beaming into my apartment the girls are having a lovely time sitting and having their baths in the patches of warm light.  Times like these are my favorite, just listening to the birds drinking my tea, having a new decorating magazine to read (1 of the smartest things I’ve ever done with points!) and just being quiet.

I hope you’re having a lovely start to the day and weekend where ever you are.   Happy Easter, and may the easter bunny bring you lots of good chocolate.

Dreaming Big from the East Coast,

Samantha

Ipods…do they have ESP?

Sometimes I think that my ipod has a sense of humor or esp or both.  I’m one of those people who can listen to the same play list over and over again because I’m usually doing something else so the music just flows into my subconscious and keeps my brain busy.  My current favorite playlist has over 5 hours of music on it, and over 75 songs.  I keep it on shuffle, getting a new mix every time.

I find that if I’m in a “mood” that all of the songs that come on suit that mood…it could be a catch 22 where maybe I’m in that mood because the music has put me there – Matrix moment! Sometimes when I’m thinking of a certain person or place a song comes on that is one that I think of as “their” song – yes I have “songs” for most of you that when I hear it, I think of you.

I know that itunes and my ipod have a feature called “genius” mix where you can choose a song and it will develop a play list based on this song out of the music in your library.  This play list is only formed of like songs, all country, all pop, all jazz you get the idea.  But my regular playlist is everything I have jazz, country, pop, guitar only, all sorts of genres.

Right now I’m in a very melancholy mood, it’s a grey day out and I’m busy marking essays for school (yuck) and trying to get all the marks in for the end of semester.  I’m struggling with my heart and finances and just life in general, all the music that is coming on is reflective of that mood – soft, sometimes single singers and a guitar, beautiful haunting melodies that remind me of old smoky rooms filled with clinking glasses and heartbreak.

Some would say to change the music but that’s not the answer since I wouldn’t be able to work with something “poppy” on, although, I used to create budgets to Prisms “Armageddon” it always seemed appropriate.  My soul seems to need this lonely music right now, doing this singular work on this grey day even the girls seem to feel this and have dug them selves under blankets or in corners to sleep this day off.

I still feel that the Ipod is reading my emotions some how and playing to them.  Also, sometimes I think it teases me and drops in a funny song to make me laugh at the irony. I realize how nutty this must sound but have you ever though of a song and then heard it played some place?  It can’t be any nuttier than that can it?

Right now? “Dreamsville” sung by Stacey Kent, beautiful and haunting…..exactly where I’d love to be right now…check it out if you have time….http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dreamsville+stacey+kent&oq=dreamsville+st&gs_l=youtube.1.0.0.87.2851.0.4993.12.8.0.3.3.0.245.1101.2j5j1.8.0…0.0…1ac.1.0rqPclHykqI

I have no idea if this is true, about my ipod but sometimes it really feels that way.

Dreaming Big from the East Coast (Dreamsville),

Samantha

YUCKY ENERGY time to go away!

I was told that January to the end of March was going to have “yucky” energy for me…boy has this ever been true! I seem to have run the gambit these past 3 months, from crap at school, to my love life and finances…the finances have actually been the worst, aren’t they always?  Actually, if I had time to take a breath and think about the other things that have gone haywire these past few months I think they’ve been pretty bad as well, but the finance thing has been the most persistent so it gets the top vote.

I was really hoping that I had turned a corner last friday, I have figured out a way to alleviate a bit of the stress in my life, but apparently I didn’t do it quickly enough and there was just one more nasty surprise waiting for me.

I know things are getting better, I know that spring is around the corner and that these things happen in cycles and that you are all sick of hearing me complain about this (I know this because I’m sick of dealing with it).

But if we didn’t have the crappy things in life how would we know the good things? And in the grand scheme of life the things that are going on with me are just bumps in the road, (larger than usual bumps but still just bumps), and they will resolve themselves and get better.  They’re not even really bad, just frustrating to deal with and solve.  There are people out there, some are friends, who are going through worse things than I.

In retrospect I’m not doing to badly, I have a roof over my head, food in my fridge, a few part time jobs, friends and family who love me and of course, my girls who are the light of my life (yes, I know they’re cats).

But I would really like this “yucky” energy to go away, it’s time….I’ve had enough!  Spring is in the air and it’s time for new beginnings and I for one am looking forward to them!

Dreaming Big from the East Coast,

Samantha

The Summer of Supertramp

Last night I was feeling nostalgic, not unusual for me my favorite playlist on my ipod is full of old jazz standards mixed in with music from the ’70’s and ’80’s and a very few current ones.  However, last night I was in the mood for something completely different.  Supertramp.  Not Crime of the Century but Breakfast in America, I am an ’80’s girl after all.

When I was young I used to spend summers at my friends cottage on Go Home Lake.  Our fathers were friends when they were teenagers, they were rowing buddies, you’ve heard me talk about my dad’s rowing buddies before, they all stayed in touch through the years and all us kids grew up together forming life long friendship bonds.  We’d visit each others cottages in the summer and ski in the winter, Christmas tree hunting and usually a few other get together’s though out the year.

This one summer my friend was into Supertramp. Usually it was the Beatles she was obsessed with, therefor, I was as well, she’s two years older than me, I had to emulate someone didn’t I? But for this post, it’s the summer of  Supertramp I’m remembering.

This particular summer we spent a week at their cottage, and it rained almost the entire time.  We sat around and played game after game of backgammon, ate peaches and listened to Breakfast in America, over and over and over again. This was back in the day when we had vinyl instead of MP3’s, my friend had a cassette tape that someone had made for her of the record, I’m pretty sure we wore it out.

For some reason last night something triggered a memory of this time and I just had to hear this music.  For me it really stands the test of time, I found myself washing dishes singing along, impressed that even after all these years, I was hitting all the right  beats and all the lyrics. I guess it really sunk into my subconscious that summer, oh, and the year after that I played it at home.

Immediately, that summer came flooding back to me and I was lost in the memories of the warm rain hitting the wood of the dock and the smell the water gets in the rain, the peaches, so ripe the juice running down our hands as we ate them by the twos, all the backgammon games we played and the distinctive voice of Roger Hodgson cutting through the air.

Probably why we prefer to listen to “old” music and the “kids” today don’t relate to what we listen to, it evokes happy old memories of times, places, and situations.  In this case, nostalgia heaped upon us in waves of British rockers who want to find kippers in Texas.  I popped onto Facebook after the dishes were done to find that another friend from that time, who has moved to Florida was at a “Supertramp” concert, actually I think it was only one of the singers.  What a weird coincidence.

Time to make new memories, and Supertramp will still be locked away in my heart and mind.  Anytime I feel like it I can call up those days by just listening to a track of their music, how amazing is that?

Dreaming Big from the East Coast,

Samantha

Decorating as a meditation….

Friends have asked me to help with the re-decorating of their house.  They want to be in a position to sell in a few years and felt that their place needed an update, and lets face it I need the extra income so it’s a good situation for all of us.

Before Christmas I did the living room, it turned out beautifully if I do say so myself (no pictures as I haven’t asked permission to post them) it is a north facing room and in NS that is actually grayer than in TO so the original decor was a little cold and dark.

They lean to greens, earthy tones and spring colours, both being from the agricultural world.  We choose a very creamy white for the walls (Windham Cream Benjamin Moore HC-6 in eggshell, almost yellow) the ceiling we did in a colour instead of the usual white, in Celadon green (BM 2028-60) and the trim in Cloud White (my favorite BM cc-40).  I stripped and stained the floors using a minwax stain in slightly darker colour (who’s name escapes me right now).  The whole effect was complimented with new panel curtains, custom made, their furniture painted to match the trim, anaglyptia paper put into the blank space on the “fake” fire place and vintage table lamps.  A chandelier and medallion replaced an ’80’s “boob” light (I’m not a fan of those lights) and a large mat silver mirror hung over the mantle.   The only thing still left to do is re-upholstering the furniture and finding a carpet for the middle of the room.

Now I’m back to do the hall.  The floor has been stripped and prepped and is ready for me to stain the same colour as the living room.  The stairs to the second floor have been primed of their burgundy colour and await their new hue.  This house was built in the mid 1800’s and has amazing baseboards about, 8″ thick and trim (all plaster) in the public areas and as soon as you step into what would have been the “private” family area there is little to no adornment.  It took me about 3 hours to strip, and prep the floor and about 5 to prime out all the trim (all those spindles on the staircase!).

The hall will echo the living room and the existing colour in their kitchen, the walls and some of the ceiling will be the beautiful Celedon Green and the trim and the rest of the ceiling will be Cloud white. The treads on the stairs will be Willow (BM, CC-542) which another friend has in her home, where it is so stunning I stole it for this project.  This combination will lighten up their hall way and make their home more current.

I have to “kick” the homeowner out of the home for a few days since the hallway and stairs are the only way to the second floor and their lovely dog (Miss Scout) is loosing her winter coat … ALL OVER THE PLACE and it would end up as a permanent part of the floor and stairs.

I really enjoy this kind of work, although I have to admit I am sore from using muscles that my body isn’t used to using.  I find that this is very cathartic, this time I didn’t have music going (I usually do) although my friend had the radio on for part of the day and it was very nice jazz music I could just get lost in. Gave me lots of time to plan and think about my future.

I love the ideas that go through my head when I’m doing this kind of work, from a great idea about what colour would work where to what I’m going to do about getting a full time job to where I want to hike next weekend.  My thoughts run the gambit, like meditation, they cross my mind and leave, just like they are supposed to do while your meditating. The paint brush just keeps sweeping back and forth in rhythm with my thoughts and before I know it, the job is done.

Dreaming Big from the East Coast,

Samantha

Reflections at 3am

Cardigan Bay

I changed my wallpaper on my computer this weekend to a different picture of the bay at my cottage.  For ages it’s been the same picture as the one that graces the top of my blog, the beautiful sunrise.  The new one I chose is a shot that looks calm and beautiful all in shades of grey with the sun trying to shine through the clouds, and is not at all what it seems.

The rolling waves look very smooth, soft and quiet, you can almost imagine that they would calmly roll onto the beach and roll off with just a whisper on the sand.   In reality this type of wave is one of the loudest you can get here.  The bay is quiet with very little wind, the waves look small, but when they hit the shore they land with a surprisingly loud boom.

Once again it’s 3am and I’m wide awake, sitting in my living room listening to soft music, with purring cats around me, candles lit to  give a little light, the smell of spaghetti sauce that I made earlier today still permeating the air. Not bad for the middle of the night, however I’d rather be sleeping, instead of worrying about how I’m going to get everything I need accomplished and paid for.  The picture I chose seems to reflect how I feel at the moment, everything is grey and calm looking on the outside and keeps landing with a loud crash.

I moved here to this city after my relationship ended because I needed a new beginning and wanted to be happy, you’ve heard me say this before.  I’ve realized that this is actually a great place for me to live.  The city is not to big, although I do love big cities, the property prices out here allows for me to at least entertain the idea that I’ll be able to afford to buy a home at some point.  Lets face it, it’s on the ocean how can that be bad, near beautiful hiking trails.  Close to my cottage so I can spend weekends there.  Wonderful friendships are beginning to develop, some picking up from years ago and some new.  But it feels like I’m waiting for something, I’m not sure what.

Saturday was the annual Women Making Waves conference that the local chapter of WIFT-AT has hosted for the past 3 years.  I love to volunteer at this event, I get so much out of being around so many wonderful women in my industry.  Catching up with friends, listening to the panels, going to some of the workshops and helping out with whatever the organizers need me to do, which between  you and me, it seems that I get the far better deal out of this arrangement.

Then I get home and realize that I have all this marking to do, I have another teachers to do as well, another project starting this week, an on going current project and a potential root canal that I have to find the time and money. The things I’ve been avoiding are starting to become unavoidable and need to be dealt with and just like those silent rolling waves everything crashes to the shore and I’m overwhelmed.  Hence my 3am wake up call.

We all have stress in our lives, wouldn’t it be nice to live without it? Someday I hope to be like those waves and just roll on to the beach and then roll out without a care.  Until then I guess I’m going to have to pull up my big girl panties and get on with it, sigh, maybe I can get some sleep then.

Attempting to Dream Big from the East Coast,

Samantha