It should be no surprise to anyone that reads this blog or knows me IRL, that I love being by the water. So much so, that I have assembled what I call my Beach Day Kit. Here it is, set up on the sand at Bayfield:
Sun shelter, chair, towel, book, Contigo mug filled with tea, mallet for pounding in stakes to secure shelter, cooler bag with snacks
Most of my Beach Day Kit lives in the back of my car from June to September, so I am always to ready for action should I wake up on a weekend morning and find that the beach is calling my name. I can be on the road in 15 minutes and at the beach before most people wake up. Even though my favourite “local” beach is a 1.5 hour drive from my house.
View from my sun shelter, Bayfield
I can’t resist the call of the sand or the shore, no matter where I am in the world.
Wiggling my toes in the sand while waiting for the beachside Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros concert to begin. At Bloemendaal, in the Netherlands, in 2016.I have to make at least one visit to the beach at Zandvoort every time I go to the Netherlands.A reproduction of an old tourism poster adorns my bathroom door at home. Yes, I always heed the call of the mermaid beckoning me to the beach!
And should I even mention my now-annual winter vacation, which is nothing BUT beach days, Barbados style?
Barbados is behind me for this year (*sniffle*). Time to look forward to another summer of beach days, right here at home.
Will you heed the call of the beach this summer?
Rock on,
The WB
Can you guess my theme for this year’s A-Z Challenge? All of my A-Z posts this month will be tied into my theme, which is represented by the title of a song that was popular when I was a child. Can you figure it out as the days (and posts) go by? Leave your guesses (one per day only, please) in the comments. At the end of the challenge, I will reveal the theme. Have fun!
Just before leaving for Barbados, I learned that a museum in upstate New York was hosting an exhibition of Alphonse Mucha’s works, until March 18. So I knew I had to work in a trip shortly after returning home. I asked my intrepid beach travel buddy, Mizz CJ, if she was interested in accompanying me, and got an affirmative once I mentioned the art museum was in the Hyde family home. I didn’t even have to mention the world class collection of art – I had her at “historic home”, apparently.
So, off I hop onto the interwebs, to find us accommodations:
Package offered at the Queensbury Hotel, in Glen Falls. Also: historic AF. Win-win.
After a scant week of work, I was off again for another 2 days – this time driving to Glens Falls, NY.
The weather gods were with us on this trip – no snow, sunny, clear dry streets and highways, and above freezing. We got to the hotel in time for happy hour.
House red in Fenimore’s Pub at the Queensbury – delicious. The hanger steak with parmesan frites I ordered from the pub wasn’t too shabby either!
Our room was newly renovated and overlooked the park. We really enjoyed our stay at the Queensbury and would come back.
Night view from our room. Pardon the reflection.
After a scrumptious breakfast the next morning (the pork sausage with sage – to die for), we made it to the Hyde Collection, nearby.
Entrance via the Education Wing and Exhibition space, attached to the former Hyde home.Close up
I loved seeing the full sized Mucha posters, as they would have hung on the exterior walls in Paris, advertising Sarah Bernhardt’s latest plays. There were also some creatively framed pieces, and actual paintings and sketches, showing the range of Mucha’s talent.
The house itself was lovely and the art collection of the previous owners was displayed with their furnishings. And what a collection: Rubens, Rembrandt, Picasso, Degas, Renoir, Botticelli, El Greco, Seurat, Whistler, Homer…and they are still adding to it, with modern and contemporary artists.
The house is on an estate, along with 2 other homes that belonged to Mrs. Hyde’s sisters’ families. The plan is to eventually open all 3 homes up to the public and restore the gardens.
Behind the house still exists the original source of the family’s wealth – the pulp and paper mill.
Mill behind the Hyde Property.
Unfortunately I couldn’t take any pictures inside, but I did pick up a book on Mucha before we left to head home through the Adirondacks.
Lovely museum. I would definitely go back to it, and Glens Falls and surrounding area.
Now I am home to stay for a while, and settling back into domesticity. I used the self-clean feature on my oven for the first time ever today.
That white stuff is the ash left over after the oven cleaned itself.
I’ve never had a self-cleaning oven before. I am used to cleaning my oven the old-fashioned way – by moving to a new house and leaving the dirty one behind. 😉
I flew back to Canada on Friday evening, my 2 weeks in Barbados having come to an end.
I have to say that 2 weeks was the perfect amount of time to be away. Last year I felt that 1 week was just too short but I wondered if 2 weeks on the beach would be too much.
It wasn’t. It was perfect.
Sunrise skies as seen from the Boardwalk
I was and still am so grateful to be able to take a winter vacation to somewhere warm. Even though this was my 3rd year to head south to Barbados, I still pinched myself daily during my sunrise strolls, at my good fortune to be outside in sandals, tank top and skort…at 6 am, in February.
The beginning of another beautiful Bajan day on the south coast.
By week 2 my friend and I were ready to get our relaxed butts off of our beach loungers and do some island exploring. We booked a half day tour of Hunte’s Gardens and St. Nicholas Abbey (with a stop at Bathsheba and the Morgan Lewis windmill).
Veranda view of the towering palms of Hunte’s GardensGorgeous foliage – Hunte’s GardensHanging flowers – Hunte’s GardensGiant foliage – Hunte’s Gardens
St. Nicholas Abbey is not an abbey at all, but a beautiful and historic English house surrounded by a working mahogany and sugar cane plantation.
Seashell Chandelier at St. Nicholas AbbeyAn actual Thomas Crapper…er…crapper. At St. Nicholas Abbey. Yep, I go to a historic home and take a picture of the toilet. 🙂View from Bathsheba – on the rugged east coast of Barbados. Not safe to swim here, but the surfers love it, apparently.The Morgan Lewis windmill. Still used to crush sugar cane.
Our half day tour ended up being closer to a full day, thanks to traffic and being on island time. We kinda figured that might happen so we had packed snacks, figuring we might be an hour or so late getting back. Instead of returning at 12:30pm, we didn’t get dropped back to the hotel until after 4 pm. Next time we are packing a full lunch! Just in case.
Sunsets and Sangria at Champers, while the sea turtles frolic in the waves below. We ate at this nearby ocean-front fine dining establishment 3 times during this trip. Worth making and eating ham and cheese sandwiches for our beach-side lunches so we can splurge here in the evenings. Always a treat.
At the end of the trip, on the flight home I reflected on how happy I actually was to be returning to my home, and how for so many years this wasn’t the case for me. Home used to be a place I dreaded entering. Towards the end of my first marriage, coming home meant returning to my verbally abusive, controlling husband and his often-drunk, miserable mother. In my last marriage, coming home meant returning to Crazytown – a place filled with clutter, dirt and disorder – and all the other OCD-related shit I felt I had no choice but to put up with, from my last husband.
I don’t know if I can express in words how grateful I am now, to be able to say that returning home is pure joy. Home is my refuge, my sanctuary, my little corner of the world that is safe, warm, clean and welcoming. That is finally and truly mine.
And I came home to mild weather! Sunny skies and 9 degrees Celsius! Amazing!
Can this be really be the view from my rooftop patio in February? Where is the snow and ice?
Welcome to the beach. Long live Barbados!Gorgeous salt-ravaged wallBeach gate, leading to boardwalkAnother beach gateIsland humour. Even the bus stop signs want to be at the beach!Sea turtle embedded in ceramic wall. By Blakey’s on the BeachCloseup of flower seen on boardwalkLocal lizard. Very shy.Coconut palm closeupPlant life cascading down wallWhat I see on every morning walk. Bajan sunrise Feb 17.Beautiful Bajan sunset last night, as viewed from our balcony.
Sign on the Beach. Appropriate for this post!First night. Checked in, unpacked and made it down to Charlie’s Beach Bar in time to catch the tail end of happy hour.First morning, capturing the rising sun through the palms.Gorgeous flowers. Bougainvillea.Thought this was the quintessential tropical photo. Kept waiting for this guy to move out of the frame. Then realized this local fisherman was actually posing for me. Nice!What can I say? Dedicated AF to meeting my blogging goal for this year. P.S. my friend thinks I’m nuts but she did take my picture, which is what a true friend would do.
2017 was a calm and pleasant year in my personal life (as opposed to an exciting yet challenging year in my work life), for which I am so grateful. I wish every year could be 2017. I didn’t lose anyone this past year. (Not in 2016 either, although my mother’s death in late December 2015 was so close to that year that I felt its reverberations throughout those 12 months anyways.)
2017 was the year of REACH (my word). This applied mainly to my creating art. This was the first year that I applied a great deal of focus and effort in this area since I was a teenager. And reach I did! It was difficult to push past my insecurities and inner critic, and just start laying paint down on canvas. It was a reach to allow myself to fail over and over again. This painting in particular (which I can reveal now, as it has gone to its recipient) was very uncomfortable for me to create, and thus a definite REACH:
Horse, 2017
I went to Mark Grice’s studio in Alton Mills to create this painting. I chose it because I knew it was going to be difficult for me to paint a horse AND in non-horse colours. I’m not good (yet) at so many things artists need to know and excel at, but with Mark’s guidance this painting came together. And Mizzus J loves it. She said it looks like Gavin, one of her two horses. What more can I ask for?
I finished out 2017 with this painting, completed yesterday:
My intention for 2018’s art is to continue on my artist’s journey. I met an artist whose work I admired, at her studio in Bayfield 2 summers ago. When I asked her how to become a better painter, she said something that has stuck with me every since: “Just paint. Everyday.” Simple, no?
I have signed up for another online Mandala art course, hosted by Julie Gibbons: Mandala Days. Unlike Mandala Magic (the course I participated in, in 2017), this course is for creating actual pieces, not art journalling. Which is just up my alley, as I discovered this past year.
Other intentions involve:
Blogging – posting at least once per week on Ye Olde Blogge; find other like-minded bloggers/readers (my tribe, as it were) to connect with
Reading – increase reading for pleasure – my goal is 50 books. (I’m WidowBadass on GoodReads, in case you want to connect there)
Mindfulness – increase mindfulness in my life through activities such as meditation
Financial Security – becoming intentional about rapidly paying down the debt I am carrying on Chez Badass – debt I incurred by investing in much-needed improvements over the past 4 years
Intuitive Processes – become proficient at Tarot, because:
I believe that it is a good tool to help one develop and strengthen intuition and lead to insights – and help get in touch with yearnings/feelings that are buried deep within one’s self. So I performed a Celtic Cross spread at the Winter Solstice this year, to help me in planning for 2018:
Celtic Cross Spread, for guidance for the coming year
I was really surprised when the cards told me that:
I have to focus on my health or ignore at my peril (5 of Pentacles) Having failed at this many times in the past 4 years, I didn’t want to write it down or even think about it as an intention for the coming year!
I have the inner resources to do this. (Ace of Swords)
I can come up with solutions, and to believe in myself and focus on success. (Page of Wands)
My past is full of grief and regret and the belief I made wrong choices. No, duh. (5 of Cups)
Renewing health; creating harmony and balance is the goal. (Temperance)
Unresolved factor affecting my success – my inner “carb monster” (bondage); doubts that I can succeed. (Devil)
I need to delve into why I haven’t been able to get any traction towards improving my health. (6 of Pentacles)
Be the person others see you as: Adept, Reliable, Steady, Supporting. (King of Pentacles)
Guidance, Hopes and Fears, Beliefs, Values – I am afraid of attracting attention from men as I lose weight and become fitter. I don’t want to have to deal with this. There. I said it. Valid or not, it is a fear of mine. (The Lovers)
The outcome (when I am successful in achieving this goal) – Vibrancy, Energy, Cheerfulness, Self-assurance. (Queen of Wands)
So, an added intention for me for 2018 is to improve my health through self-caring activities including strength, flexibility and stamina-building activities, and nutritious food choices.
My word for 2018 is PERCEIVE. To understand, to become aware, to become conscious, to use intuitive judgement.
Kapsalon: Late-night takeout and hangover food supreme!
I saw a post this week on Facebook (where I get almost all my news and entertainment, these days) describing some popular Dutch food items. One of them was the glorious kapsalon, that Mizz J and I discovered on our last trip to the Netherlands.
Kapsalon covers all the best necessary food groups with its delightful mix of fries, cheese, garlic sauce, sambal, shawarma meat, and veggies. Hehehehe.
After experiencing this takeout food of the hedonistic gods, we were all fired up to bring this to Canada, the land where La Belle Province introduced the world to the wonder that is poutine.
But since we are not restauranteurs, the learning curve was very steep indeed and we soon lost interest abandoned our mission to bring this delight to the New World.
Until this week! There is a restaurant in the Village that would be perfect (IMHO) to introduce this tinfoil tub of deliciousness to North America. They already sell shawarma AND fries! So I contacted them (via Facebook, natch) this morning.
We’re not just about Celine Dion, Nickleback and Justin Bieber here in the Great White North, ya know?
I may have mentioned this before on Ye Olde Blogge: I am loving and appreciating the Canadian alternative music scene like never before. It’s always been great IMHO, but lately the quantity and quality of music is just blowing my mind.
Here are just some of the current crop of Canadian bands/artists that I think are just great, in no particular order. Check them out!
This week a memorable date in Widow Badass-ology came and went. On November 14 it was the 4th anniversary of my becoming a widow. I’ve already discussed that recently, and in various places all over the blog – use the search feature if interested – so I didn’t feel like writing about it again so soon.
Except to say that I have such mixed feelings about that date… Is it my birthday? Is it a sad day? It was the day my life took a drastic turn. It was the day I got my life and freedom back. It was the day I lost someone I once thought of as a soul mate. It was the day another human being close to me left this life far too early. So many conflicting feelings, all of them valid. Which I am OK now to acknowledge, and move on.
In thinking about what to write today for NaBloPoMo, I was coming up empty so I thought I’d do a Throwback Thursday to a happier November 14th.
November 14, 2015 – My mom had come to live die with me by this point. The chemo wasn’t working anymore and she had had enough. Months before all this had happened I had bought tickets to take her to see Jersey Boys – a musical Mom had long expressed interest in seeing. Then my aunt came to spend some time with her sister one last time in October of that year. Mom really wanted Tante to come to the show as well. So flights were changed and another ticket was sought out.
My friend, Mizzuz J, Me, Mom and Tante waiting for the show to begin.
Tante had a brilliant idea to get the cast of the Jersey Boys to come out to say hi to Mom after the show. So she somehow got backstage at Intermission and made it happen. What a woman!
Mom – in the centre of it all.
Oh my, we had fun that day. Mom was clearly in her glory, surrounded by all that…er…talent.
Last night Mizz J and I attended yet another rock show together (yay!!!). Arcade Fire (with opening act, Broken Social Scene), at the Air Canada Centre on what we found out was the very last night of their tour!
I had been under the weather earlier this week but I knew I’d have to be pronounced dead before I’d miss this show.
It turned out to be one of those concerts that you felt was more like a giant house party or a show at an intimate club rather than an event at a major venue.
I didn’t know the opening (local to Toronto) act, but I did enjoy them and they appear to have a very strong following.
The stage was set in the middle of the arena and the members of Arcade Fire moved around the entire set playing to every last corner (and ventured into the crowd on a couple of occasions) so that everyone felt intimately connected with the experience they were creating.
Turn your lights on, we were told. And we did.
To begin, the band walked through the floor crowd (after being introduced like fighters) and climbed through the ropes set up to resemble a boxing ring, to start their set.
For most of this show, there were 2 free seats to the left of Mizz J and we utilized the extra space for DANCING! The owners of those seats showed up partway through Arcade Fire, stayed for about 30 minutes, then left again well before the set ended. These seats weren’t cheap. Who does this?
And, after a blistering finale they paraded off through the crowd again led by a sax player, like a New Orleans jazz funeral. We sang them off. Magical.
Highly recommended to see this band, if you get a chance.
I’ve been to a lot of concerts but never one like Arcade Fire. Everyone who purchased a ticket to the show was sent a copy of the latest CD, Everything Now. I’ve been enjoying this disc immensely since receiving it in early August.
Today I’m feeling the after-effects of this event coming so soon on the heels of being ill. I see a couple of naps in my immediate future.
But first I have to add some bands to my journal’s list of artists I have seen live…hehehe.
