Welcome November

Well, it finally hit me that winter has arrived. We just got back from a weekend at the in laws in Grand Forks and we were struck with a dump of snow there and back. The lower mainland is experiencing major downpours, but the interior of BC is definitely seeing the white stuff.

I can't say the weather has brought on any sort of Christmas spirit - I regret to disappoint anyone, but I'm really not the most festive person when it comes to this holiday season (I know... bah humbug). I love the time with family and friends - all the eating and drinking...and eating some more. But it is such an exhausting time. Already I am overwhelmed with lists of things to do before December 25th.

But here we are, suddenly it is November. And time is certainly not slowing down for anyone. Last week we got the shocking news that Hubby lost his job (it looks like his boss is selling the business). This was difficult information to process, but now that we've had the week to mull it over - I feel surprisingly calm and hopeful for his future; our future. Sometimes we need to be pushed out of old comfort zones in order to move ahead in life.

And on the subject of being pushed forward...tomorrow brings another birthday for yours truly. *Sigh*...where does the time go? Last year was the big 30, and I was so traumatized about falling into the next decade that I didn't really pay attention to any aging that was affecting my body or mind. But I have to say, I do feel the age this year. I'm pulling out a lot more grey hairs and I notice that I shop for eye cream that contains anti-aging remedies. Also, I don't seem to keep the brownies or chocolate off my hips the way I used to and I noticed a frightening sag in the skin just below my chin (am I getting jowls??). Yikes! Did you know that every 7 years our bodies regenerate all new tissues so that we are completely different persons? How bizarre!

But I shouldn't dwell on the negative changes. I do notice that my thought process has definitely matured, and I have become MUCH more patient than I ever used to be. I still feel like I'm trying to figure myself out, but I am trying to be more open when I'm faced with the ups and downs of life. What I learned in Europe was that I really want to experience each moment for what it is and not be so obsessed about what is going to happen next. That is a tricky one for me since I am probably the biggest worry wart out there. But, there it is and that's all I have to say on turning 31. Except that some new art supplies will be the most excellent b-day gift ever and I plan to hit the store this weekend. Yay!

Embroidery for Swap

I'm so frustrated with my camera...I can never get decent pictures when they have a lot of white. Alas, here is an embroidery that I sent off last weekend for this swap . I've never participated in any sort of online anything before, so this is all new territory. I started to click on the links of other people who have sent something away and I was so totally impressed by every blog...gulp. I hope they like my little patch. The photo also looks crooked, but actually it is completely square - I just don't have the time to doctor it up in photoshop.



We're having a bit of a rough week here in Sallyland, but I still want to finish an illo for Friday...it's coming along, just not as well as I had hoped. Anyways, I'll try to post it tomorrow night.

One quick note: I just wanted to thank you all for your lovely comments on my travel posts. I had forgot to mention that I survived the flights pretty well - much better than expected. We all had our own personal tvs which was a huge help, especially on the way home when dealing with overwhelming impatience to get to my own bed. But thank-you for your concerned emails and comments! You guys are the best :)

Europe - Part II

Warning! This is a very loooong post - I'll wake you up when it's over :)

Holland - where we found a sense of home...

What else can I say about Holland except that I think it could easily be my second home. I love this country. I know, we were only there for a brief period of time, but of all the places we travelled though, I found this country resonated the strongest for me. Bicycles, canals and rows upon rows of tall, teetering houses - seriously, I felt like I was in some sort of fairytale when we arrived in Amsterdam. I think the dutch people are fantastic, they keep gorgeous homes and obviously value family and community. Harry recieved an email from one of his writing mentors saying that the difference between Canadian cities and many European cities is that they are planned around people, rather than cars. This is so true about Amsterdam, but we felt this even more when we visited Harry's relatives, Ben and Nel, in Utrecht. They took us on a tour of the countryside, and made a stop in the tiny village of Cohten. This was a very special stop since it is the town where Harry's mother was born and where the Van Leur family originated. We toured a windmill and the church that his family attended.

Our sightseeing highlights in Amsterdam:

• NightTrain to Amsterdam - talk about close quarters! VanGogh gallery and RihksMuseum (original Rembrandts, Vermeer and Hals as well as the history of Holland)
• A visit to the Anne Frank house
• A walk through the Red Light district - oh, how naughty!
• Daytrip to Utrecht and Cohten
• Bicycling through Utrecht - I really MUST get a bike. This was defenitely a highlight of the entire trip.

While in Holland, I learned that Gouda is defenitely a superior cheese and that a panekoek is best with apples and sugar - mmmm... I also found out that the government has made home mortgage tax deductable - how cool is that!
I had a wonderful time getting to know Harry's relatives, learning more about life in Holland. I have come back inspired to simplify my life and really focus on to the things that mean the most to us. Ben and Nel are both incredibly creative people - they keep a simple, beautiful home; filled with the warmth of home cooking, music and art projects. When I had a conversation with Nel about my life and work at home, she just said to me; "I hope you find something to do creatively in your daily work." She was so genuine and adament about this simple statement that I found ringing over in my head throughout our travels.

And onward to Brussels

We were NOT ready to leave Holland. The train ride to Brussels was quiet and reflective as Harry and I mentally prepared for a new unknown city. Our first impressions of the city were quite mixed. We both found this to be a strange contrast of rich history against fast emerging business and commerce. We both agreed that it felt like the city didn't feel comfortable with it's past; perhaps they were just impatient to get on with the here and now.

At any rate, here are the highlights:
-Walking through the Grand Place and area for shopping and eating
-Musee des Beaux-Arts
-Musee de la bande dessinee - comics! with lots of TinTin
-Antique browsing in Sablon and a visit to famous Belgian chocolatier
-Palais do Justice - impressive architecture!

We had a bit of a rough go with Brussels, but I have to say you cannot get a better gaufre chaude with whipping cream, strawberries and chocolate - delicious! Also, where else would you be able to find a cherry beer except in Belgium. I did appreciate all the treats that were offered here. Also, the architecture really was something to marvel at - particularly the palais de Justice. For a couple Canadian kids who consider an antique some item from the 50's this city was quite the eye opener. Wow!

Paris! Leaving Europe with a bang...or, was that more like a fizzle?

Oi, we were exhausted by the time we got to Paris. We were getting seriously worn out from the days and days of walking and we really needed to do some laundry and slow down to conserve energy. First day in this magnificent city we spent in our rented apartment doing laundry, watching bad french cable and eating a home cooked meal. Ah, the simple pleasures in life. The rest of our time was fairly typical of any tourist. We hit all the main attractions, enjoyed the shopping and holy cow, let's not forget about the unforgettable cafe au lait! Perfection!

The weather had turned a bit grey and cold shortly after we got there and this concrete city began to look quite melancholy. I had so many expectations of what Paris would be like, but somehow it fell short. Don't get me wrong - I was totally blown away by the art, architecture and style of everything around us. But, perhaps it was the overcrowded streets, the unending tourists, the overpriced everything - I don't know, but we had certainly had enough by the time the week was over. Also, it was unfortunate that Harry picked up some sort of virus while we were there which started out as flu symptoms and escalated to something much worse when we got home. So, I suppose our Paris experience is not the best in the world, but it certainly was memorable.

Overall this trip was worth every second and every cent! We discovered a lot about ourselves as travellers and how we relate to each other as a couple. I know I couldn't do this trip without Hubby - it was so unbelievable to share all those moments with him. I feel happy to be home, but even happier that we have so many memories between us. (Now I better stop before it gets too sappy!)

[Clap Clap!] OK, you can wake up now! The slide show is over :) Hope I didn't totally bore the pants off you, but if I did it's a good thing you can just stop reading! Ha! Now it's back to normal routines. I'm anxious to get going on Illustration Friday again as well as some Xmas projects. Stay tuned - I'll keep you posted!

Back to Familiarity

Sigh..big sigh...Yes, we are back at home. We were happy to be off the plane on Sunday night and into our own warm cozy bed. This was totally an adventure of a lifetime for us since neither Hubby nor I are world travellers and I honestly don't think either of us is cut out to do the long backpacking treks. We are still nursing individual levels of exhaustion and unfortunately Harry caught a horrendous virus in the last few days in Paris, so needless to say he was done with travelling and just wanted to go home. Done like dinner.
I like to think I could handle longer travels - perhaps an extended trip through Italy, then Greece and Turkey. Or maybe something more exotic like an African Safari or some sort of expedition through the Australian Outback. But really...who am I kidding? I can handle about 3 weeks and then I'm dreaming of being back home, cooking in my kitchen, watching tv, lazing on the couch with all my knitting projects.

But here we are...and today was my first day back at work. I had been dreading this since Monday - thinking it is going to be so awful to get back into the routine of being in an office. Blah, boring and completely uninspiring. This was all I thought after experiencing so much beauty in each new place we visited. I was in for a surprise though. I am happy to report I have been assigned to a new project which promises a lot more creativity than what I've been working on in the past. This industry changes all the time so I don't know if this will be permanent. But for now, I am hopeful and content.

As we settle in, I'm noticing that a lot of things about this trip are finally starting to sink in. Many travel days passed like a whirlwind and at dinner I'd think...what did we do yesterday? Then I'd draw a complete blank. Luckily I kept a travel journal. Somewhat cryptic; with doodles and thoughts randomly jotted all over the page. But it makes sense to me, so it's all good. I'd like to share some of my thoughts about each place we travelled to, along with some of my journal pages and perhaps more photos. But don't worry, it won't turn into one of those painful travel slide shows that you are convinced will never end. I'll be sure to break it up into a couple posts to keep you from nodding off ;) So, here goes...

Our first stop was Augsburg, Germany to visit our good friends Colin and Marlene. They moved here 5 years ago to start Colin's international career as a professional tenor singer.

Our sightseeing highlights:

• Schloss Neuwanstein (the castle that Disney based his signature castle)


• various cathedrals in Munich and Bavaria


• an afternoon shopping and wandering around the MarienPlatz


• a visit to the concentration Camp memorial in Dachau

Bavaria is so beautiful - it so reminds me of home with the green landscape and mountains in the distance. The weather was amazing the entire time we were there - we were even wearing shorts to accommodate the heat. This photo was taken from the castle window when we did the tour. I'm sure it could be found in some story book - it did feel quite magical to be there. Although it wasn't anything like Disneyland...

We had many wonderful times visiting with our friends. We caught up on lots and heard all the plans for the baby they are expecting. I learned that Germany has got a kick ass health care system and that it's worth paying to use a public WC. We also enjoyed excellent cooking by Miss Marlene. They are impeccable hosts and it is times like these that I am so very thankful for generous friends. We are incredibly lucky!




I'd have to say that the visit to Dachau was the experience that stuck with me most. This place is haunted by the atrocities that took place during the war. I was overwhelmed by the barren spaces, an open gravel field where the prisoner barracks once stood. There were so many of them. So many people who suffered. Honestly I don't know how respond - I am still speechless after having time to absorb it. In my journal I just called this a big open space of sadness.

Well, that was our short visit to Germany in a blur and a nutshell. We were only there for 3 days and then it was off to Amsterdam, Brussels and finally Paris! But I'll keep that for the post tomorrow!

And we're off!

Ok peeps! Here we go into the wild blue yonder. It's kind of hectic around our house right now, but I thought I'd just leave a little farewell post before heading out. A million things going through my mind...passports - check, camera - check, socks&undies - check, chapstick - check, excellent music on my mp3 player - check, valium - check! ok. I'm good to go! We tend to be quite the procrastinators, so of course here I am the morning of our departure, stitching the flag onto our packs...must - sew - faster!

I'm looking forward to every minute of this vacation and I'm sure it will fly by so fast! Farewell to all - see you in November!!

Aviatophobia: the fear of flying

22 days until our big vacation and I'm becoming overwhelmed by my fear of flying. It's not like I haven't flown before - we usually get on a plane at least twice a year to go out east and visit the family. But that doesn't stop me from losing sleep over my paranoia of a plane crash or a laptop explosion (have you heard about those sony batteries?) or even worse a terrorist threat. The flight from Vancouver to Heathrow is 9 hours, then we have to make a connection to Munich. Ug...my stomach is in knots already just thinking about how long I will have to endure sitting in a tin can thousands of feet above land. So, to help me prepare, I thought I would try some art therapy.
Here are my major fears: crashing into the ocean or exploding in the sky. Both are equally horrifying to me - although falling from the plane without a parachute sometimes takes the cake. I am a nervous mess when we land and I'm even worse when we take off. There is something just completely unnatural about humans wanting to fly in the air. So why do I put myself through this??

And the new restrictions do nothing but feed my anxiety. To top it off, I am clausterphobic and during our trip to the Dominican last year I had a bit of a breakdown halfway through the flight. I felt like the walls were closing in and everyone was breathing in my face. That was horrible - imagine everyone in the cabin asleep while I was locked in the teeny tiny bathroom trying to catch my breath. What a nightmare!! But now there is no extra comforts to soothe me... no water, no chapstick, no knitting?? Well, ok, the knitting has been banned for a long time - but it would do wonders for my nervous energy. The only solution here is to knock myself out completely - unconscious. Seriously. I don't know how else I'm going to last!
I wish with all my might that Europe was only a lazy afternoon river boat ride away. Please note the calm water, the blue sky, and the narrow river where green grass is just a hop and skip away from the boat. This is the proper way for humans to travel...if only travel were this easy.
Well, it would be way cool if someone would hurry up and invent the star trek transporter. That would solve all my problems with travel. Sigh...
Until then, I will just breathe and pray...breathe and pray. I can do this, people fly every day! Just breathe. Think about Oktoberfest, castles, French pastries and Van Gogh...it is so totally worth it!

Gee Ma, I wanna go back to Ontario...

Well, I don't have a camera back from the manufacturers but I thought I'd share a couple photos from our trip to Ontario in July. We all had such a blast...almost makes me want to move back. Almost.

Our daytrip to the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit- This place was wicked cool! I've actually been inspired to do a series of drawings based on all the bicycle models they had on display. Harry was blown away by the size of the steam engines (so much so that he didn't notice me taking a picture of him with his finger up his nose - lol) My Dad took a million pictures of the red MG which is identical to the kit car he has in the garage.


The entire FamDamily celebrating Mom's B-day - Me, Mom, Ken,Mandy, Dad, Hubby Hubberson

The lovely wedding we attended. I actually babysat the bride when she was a wee one, so it was a bit strange to see her all grown up. Gosh do I feel old!

Europe..here we come!!

Last week Hubby Hubberson and I made a giant leap and booked a trip to Europe for 3 weeks in the fall! This is a huge event for us since it has been one of those things that we blabbed about forever! And we finally set a goal last January of actually getting there this fall. We've been saving $$ and vacation days all summer long and I'm positive that it will be worth every little bit! Harry has never been much outside North America (besides our beautiful beach vacation to DR)and although I have been to Germany and Prague in my teens, I must admit that I spent more time partying it up with my crazy German friends than really taking in the cultural sites! So, it will truly be a new adventure for us both!

In October we will be flying into Munich and taking a train to Augsburg to visit our good friends Colin and Marlene. After a few days there, we will travel north to Berlin, onto Amsterdam and ending in the romantic Paris!



I think we will be backpacking and staying with friends or in hostels for most of the time, but our final week will spent in blissful Parisienne paridise! We've booked a beautiful apartment on the Ile Saint-Louis which I have read is the most romantic area of Paris. Mon Dieu, je suis au paradis! (ok, I know my french is tres terrible..must remember dictionary)

Isn't this just amazing??


And the view is to die for!