Natural Beauty

We're closing in on a year of living in British Columbia and there's no doubt that this is one of the most incredibly beautiful places I've ever visited - from snowy mountain peaks, to enchanted moss-covered forests to beaches like I've never encountered before.  Vancouver Island is lovely as well - we encountered nature more intimately than we'd ever experienced when we travelled to Port Hardy shortly after we arrived.  It's remote -  trees seem greener, eagles roam in multiples and bears peek out from underbrush regularly.  Our time there was spiritual in a new way for me and I was excited about returning to the island - this time to Victoria.  While this visit was far different from our experience in Port Hardy it tickled my soul as well.  We arrived, after a lovely ferry ride, mid-morning on the island, and headed from Schwarz Bay to Victoria's city center - stopping at the beach before heading to the marina.  It's a quaint little town with obvious European influences - parts reminded me of Charleston, SC, while others conjured images of London, England.  The flowers were amazing - hanging baskets 3 feet in diameter, "Welcome to Victoria" planted in flowers along the marina's edge, beds full of color and texture everywhere.  We had lunch in the marina and looked out over the ferry boats, private vessels and whale watching tour boats and felt like we were worlds away from the hustle of downtown Vancouver.  There really is a different sense of time and pace on the island. 

A downtown flower bed

The capitol building - look at those hanging baskets!

The beach just outside downtown

Mama Orca and her calf topiaries

Following lunch, we headed for the Royal British Columbia Museum - they had a Viking exhibit that was fascinating!  Replicas of Viking ships, an IMAX movie about the history of Vikings (that Henry and I enjoyed as it ended up being a bit much for Miss Lydia), and artifacts from the Viking era surrounded us.  We explored the natural history portion of the museum that highlighted animals from distant past to present who call British Columbia home.  We headed for the Viking gift shop where we abruptly ended our trip to the museum when one of our children (who shall remain nameless) threw up all over the floor.  Magical, that was not.  Alas - it was thankfully a passing thing and health was restored.  We met up with friends that evening for dinner - a coworker of Philip's from Port Hardy and his family.  We had a great time - laughing and enjoying dinner and making plans for the following day to fish on the open water.  Bedtime came easily after we returned to the hotel - it had been a long, full day with another to follow.

We awoke relatively early on Saturday morning to head to Pedder Bay Marina - the drive was scenic - our wildlife sightings began with a deer and her fawn crossing the road - the marina inviting.  As we walked down to the boat, a sea otter was playing by the dock.  It's really surreal to see animals playing in the natural habitat when you are accustomed to only seeing them in aquariums.  We were excited!  Aboard the boat we went - and I have to admit I am not a fisherman and was a bit wary of spending a whole day on a small boat with at least one road weary child, but we were in it for the long haul.  Philip's coworker generously served as our guide - he's a true fisherman.  He taught our kids how to bait the lines with anchovies and patiently instructed them on how to reel one in when the line jumped.  The fish didn't bite in droves, but both kids caught fish and reeled them in and had a ball watching the lines intently - hoping to see them bob into the water so they could yell, "Fish on!".  Henry caught a lionfish and a ling cod and Lydia caught a ling cod - all of which were too small to keep, but made for great experiences and memories.  Then the line bobbed dramatically and we knew something larger was coming our way.  Philip reeled it in while Jamie netted it and we had dinner - just like that.  We fished a tad longer and then went exploring.  Jamie took us to see a colony of sea lions who make their home on this little rock island directly across from a lighthouse.  They were barking and playing and we were pinching ourselves to remind us that we really live here.  We saw two bald eagles flying around, perching on the rocky shores.  They really are majestic creatures.  And then we headed toward the marina in Victoria - along the way Lydia fell asleep in my lap and that experience of holding her almost seven year old self like I did when she was a tiny baby was nothing short of holy.  We made our way back to Pedder Bay, dinner in the hole and salt water spraying our faces, and it was silent save the roar of the motor and the sounds of the water.  It was one of the most perfect days our family has ever had and it was capped off with a delightful dinner at Jamie's house - fresh, grilled salmon caught hours earlier - on their back patio with kids playing in and outside. 

 

Nap time!

My first fish!

Anchovies for bait

Dinner!

 

 

Fairmont Empress Hotel from the water

My first fish!

Captain Marcum

The lighthouse

The capitol from the marina

Sea lions!

 

We never tire of seeing sea planes

Sunday we slept in as much as possible and then made our way to The Butchart Gardens - they're world renowned.  People told us almost immediately upon hearing we were moving to Vancouver that these gardens were a 'must-see' but that's really all I knew about them.  We meandered through a neighborhood to get there and came upon their gates.  It was pretty - but you couldn't see a whole lot through the woods - I had my fingers crossed that I wasn't leading us on a wild goose chase as I'd built this up to be quite a scene and had pushed to go since we were so close.  We parked around 10AM and wandered through the gift shop first and then into the gardens.  They were amazing.  They began as a rock quarry to help feed Mr. Butchart's cement plant that began the packaging of cement in bags, not barrels.  Jennie Butchart, an artist and determined woman, transformed the quarry into the now-famous 'Sunken Garden', there is a Japanese Garden that leads down to Butchart Cove (where the Butcharts would keep their yacht and where you may now take boat tours), there's a bog garden, an Italian Garden, a rose garden, countless fountains, a carousel and an amphitheater.  While we were there, the symphony was rehearsing in the amphitheater for that evening's performance and their music was the ideal complement to the flowers that surrounded us.  It was almost overwhelming - everywhere, I mean everywhere you look you see something different and beautiful.  We easily spent 4 hours there and could have spent longer.  The kids agreed that the Japanese Garden was their favorite and that the gelato adjacent to the Italian Garden was a close second.  Should you ever venture this way, these gardens are, indeed, a must-see.

Beware the lion crouching in the trees...

The Sunken Garden

Dancing Fountain

The frog who sits outside the carousel

Lydia dancing in a field while the symphony rehearsed - she felt like a prima ballerina!

Ms. Owl keeping watch

1/4 of the rose garden

Pondering in the Japanese Garden

 



Butchart Cove

There's a whole lot of ugly in the news these days and I find myself at a loss for how to process it and be part of making right the chaos that seems to be breaking out all over.  It gets overwhelming, really - the stories seem to come out of a horror movie script.  I wish that were the case.  I wish that children weren't growing up in the midst of evil and hate and I wish I could fix it.  Then the Mister Rogers quote that often circulates when crisis hits rings in my ears - "Look for the helpers..." - it helps me refocus on finding even the smallest piece of beauty in those places that seem to have been enveloped by ugliness.  It occurred to me this morning as I prepared breakfast for my own children that this ugliness isn't natural - it seeps in and overshadows the natural beauty of places and of people.  So, today, I send out positive vibes by celebrating beauty.  It feels Providential that I've not posted pictures of The Butchart Gardens and our visit to the Vancouver Island until now because right now needs some beauty.  May beauty break out all over and may we have a hand in ushering it forth.

Parental Fail

We put quite an emphasis on love in our family - and on compassion and empathy - which is why I felt like a Class A schmuck as I tried to go to sleep last night.  Any who know our daughter know her love for all things American Girl and as we approach birthday season her affection for the brand is more pronounced. I totally own that the brand is over priced and can worm its way into every facet of your life quicker than infectious diseases, but it embodies good lessons - I get the inherent double edges.  Nonetheless, Lydia opted for a family excursion to eat dinner at the American Girl café in Seattle and the purchase of Isabelle (2014 Girl of the Year) in lieu of a birthday party (she had to choose between the two).  On September 5, the very day she turns 7 we'll do just that.  She explains to most anyone who will listen that she's just like Isabelle because she can sew (thanks, Mimi!) and she's a ballerina too!  In a world that gives young girls so many bizarre messages, I can get behind identifying with a sewing and dancing skill set...especially when it morphs into fashion design and sparkles my daughter's creativity.

We're relatively new to the American Girl scene as Santa brought Lydia a "Girl Like Me" doll for Christmas a couple of years ago.  There are quite strict guidelines in terms of how to care for your doll - especially when it comes to their hair: you must use a specific hair brush (available at your local AG store) and you must spray the hair with water before brushing.  Failure to follow these instructions will lead to a rat nest appearance to your doll's hair and, potentially, bald spots (we know of the latter because we've seen it first hand).  Lately - as in the past 4 months or so, Lydia has been saving money to pay for her doll's hair transplant...yep, a doll hair transplant.  Any Christmas money or quarters she finds in the couch cushions goes into the 'hair fund' and she's been diligent about squirreling away every penny to achieve her goal. 

American Girl (heavens, I wish I had thought of this - the marketing is brilliant!) also has a website and your doll comes with a code to enter the "Innerstar University" where good lessons are taught about self-confidence, empathy and compassion.  The whole corporate brouhaha actually reinforces many of the values we hold dear as a family - despite it's ludicrous price points.  That said - we had a trial code for Innerstar U and naturally couldn't remember the username/password combo when we sat to play together earlier this week.  The website instructed a parent to call to retrieve the information...so I did.  During the course of the conversation I learned of a *jewel* of a program in which we could actually take our balding doll to the store (where we're heading on Sept 5) and trade her in for a brand new doll and only pay the difference between the two purchase prices (about $10)!  I was THRILLED - it was a done deal in my head because it was supremely practical and infinitely cheaper than the $45 hair transplant + an additional $34 for repairs to holes in her torso.  I excitedly shared the plan with Lydia just knowing she'd be thrilled to have a brand-spanking new doll that was better than restored - she'd be gleaming new and in perfect condition and all would be right with the world.

Alas - my tenderhearted almost 7 year old's face fell.  She nodded her head quietly as if she understood the practicality of the plan but it was clear her heart was broken.  The tears followed along with, "I don't want a new doll.  I just want her to go to the hospital because Santa brought me this doll and I love her so much.  I'm really sad because I don't want to give her away."  I'd like to say I was moved by her display of affection, alas, I was almost irritated.  Here we had a virtual get out of jail FREE card with the $10 new doll option and she was committed the almost $80 fix for the old one?!?!  I launched into a PR campaign to rival any other - we made lists of pros and cons of the hospital vs. trade in options, I explained that the money she'd save not having to pay for new hair could be used to buy MORE STUFF and she'd have a virtually new doll to boot.  After all, the reality is that they'll likely just trade out the dolls at the hospital anyway effectively proving my practical plan perfect.  We agreed to table the conversation as we have a few weeks before we head to Seattle and that we'd approach it again in a few days (and I'd have time to polish my argument).

Bedtime came and went but between the Diet Coke I'd had at 3PM (mistake) and the internal wrestling match I was waging, sleep eluded me.  Then it occurred to me - I'd become a bonehead, insensitive grown up with no regard for the loyalty of a girl to her doll.  I'd lost the very traits that I pray I'm instilling in my children - compassion and empathy.  My almost 7 year old had asked me for extra chores so she could earn the extra money to send her doll to the hospital to be restored and I was trying to tell her to toss her aside!  Worse yet, I was encouraging this very behavior by dangling the prospect of accumulating more stuff in front of her.  I was wrong!  It was midnight by the time I came to this revelation and I wanted nothing more than to go shake Lydia out of sleep and tell her I was wrong and that we'd make sure she had opportunities to earn the money she needed to send her doll to the hospital.  Instead I wrestled myself to sleep by about 1:30AM telling myself that first thing in the morning I'd fill her in on my epiphany.  And that I did - as soon as her sleepy eyes entered the living room, I sat her down and hit her like a ton of bricks with the news - she wasn't as elated as I'd imagined (probably because she was still asleep), but there was relief that washed over her, knowing her doll would be with her forever family like we'd promised.

We ended the conversation like this: Lydia - I'm sorry.  I messed up.  I know now that you love your doll deeply and don't want to let her go and it wasn't right for me to try to talk you out of that.  You reminded me that stuff isn't what makes you happy - it's love.  I'm proud of you for loving so deeply and I'm proud of you for telling me how important your doll is to you and I'm proud that you're willing to work to earn what you need to make your doll better.  You reminded me that love will always be more important than stuff and that sometimes it requires work and comes at a cost.  Thank you.

Reunions, Remembering and In(ter)dependence Days

I cried myself to sleep after returning from taking my parents and aunt to the airport for their flight back East.  And while there were certainly tears of sadness, I realized that if I'd been crying colors I'd have created a lovely tapestry for the tears were of many types.  I cried because I miss having my family within a short drive so we could easily meet for dinner whenever we choose; I cried because I'm so grateful that after two weeks we didn't want them to leave; I cried prayers of travel mercies and safety as I thought of them travelling; I cried tears of joy that my children have these lovely memories of their grandparents in this lovely place; I cried because I am overwhelmed at the fullness of our life and the lovely people in it.  Alas - the road to sleep had begun with my distaste for goodbyes affirmed by red, swollen eyes when Lydia and I held hands and made our way back to the car to come back home - a home that for two weeks felt extra alive, with family in town and the laughter and shared stories they brought.  It felt really empty when no one rang the apartment to be buzzed up for the day's adventure.  The walk up the sidewalk on Robson Street seemed strange as I kept up with only my two children.  But now also feels richer - even through the bleary eyed headache that the tears left behind - because now is the first time since we've moved that I can call my parents and talk about going to the school or grocery store and they actually know where I'm talking about.  They've walked the streets that are now our home and they've shopped in the same stores we do and they've hiked in the same magical forests we've grown to love.

Now it's time to record the memories - of our 14 days of adventure and their photos - a chronology of our connection here and a documentation of the connection between SC and the Pacific NW.  And I'm excited about recounting our time together and again grateful for the memories captured within these photos (thanks to Philip - our family photographer - he's really good!).

Days 1 & 2:
The first two days were lovely and we drove through the old growth forests in Stanley Park, got out and meandered from 2nd Beach to English Bay and met Philip for lunch at our favorite English Pub - Elephant & Castle.  Then we bummed around the waterfront watching sea planes land and take off while soaking in the sun.  We explored the West End, including the kids' school and our favorite grocery store along the way.  Mongolian BBQ for lunch was a hit!  We also introduced everyone to our favorite gelato store and wandered about Robson Street - shopping and people watching.

Mimi pulls a tooth!  The tradition continues...

Day 3:
We packed a picnic lunch and headed to the aquarium for the day - the kids could not wait to take Mimi, Papa and Aunt Rhonda to one of their favorite spots and show them the beluga whales, otters, jellyfish and dolphins.  It was a rainy day but fun nonetheless - and I learned that a classic 'lumberjack' sub from Safeway can easily feed 6 people.  I'd highly recommend that plan!  We got home and rested up for Lydia's 'big show'!  Her final ballet class at the community center included a mini performance and it was great fun to celebrate her dance skills with extended family.  She did great!  And Henry was a most supportive big brother - and the coffee we had on the seawall at Coal Harbour was yummy.  We got to show the family where Love it or List it Vancouver concludes its show many times - Cardero's restaurant!

Day 4:
Philip and I preached to all who were coming to visit that they must bring rain attire.  Saturday found us heading for Grouse Mountain with a 20% chance of rain - which usually means just grey skies in Vancouver.  Alas - we rode the gondola to the top of the mountain and headed into the chalet for lunch only for the rain to come.  Naturally, Philip and I were the only ones withOUT rain gear - oh well, we just got wet.  Sadly, we didn't get to see the Grizzly bears but we enjoyed the movies, the gondola rides and the promise of warmth that home would provide.  We stopped off at the Capilano Fish Hatchery on the way down the mountain and meandered through the old growth, mossy forest and saw salmon spawning and the Capilano Dam - the mist on the water was fairy tale-ish and the forest walk was amazing.

 

Day 5:
Big day!  We were headed to Shannon Falls and Whistler - Olympic celebration at it's finest!  We hiked to the Shannon Falls viewing platform and marveled at the lovely falls - they really are incredible...and HUGE!  The kids had great fun showing Mimi, Papa and Aunt Rhonda their favorite spots along the river and looking for special rocks.  Once we arrived in Whistler we went to our family's favorite restaurant for lunch and showed off the fun playground, the peak to peak gondola (which we admired from afar), the snow on the mountain peaks and the Olympic rings.  The cloudy start to the day had given way to a beautiful, sunny day and the drive back into the city was glorious.  The peaks made themselves known as the sun burnt off the fog and nature's majesty offered quite a show! 

 

 

Whistler - street performers!

Day 6:
We rested - and mama and Philip ventured down Denman to give acupuncture a whirl while the kids and I walked with Aunt Rhonda and Daddy to this lovely little (well, really not so little) bookstore called MacLeod's.  We walked into that store and I felt like we had wandered into a book warehouse - books were stacked all around us - we were in a hoarder's paradise.  But the folks who own/work there know exactly where everything is!  Everyone picked out a book they wanted one and we cabbed it back home.  Acupuncture and massage were deemed great uses of time and recovery was lovely.

Day 7:
Canada Day!  We had the pleasure of celebrating Canada Day with friends at a community picnic hosted by our friends Jeff & Sara and their church.  The kids shared their friends with their grandparents, we ate hot dogs and hamburgers, played baseball, tossed water balloons and just had a great time!  Then we rested up for the big Canada Day parade!  At 7PM we walked down the block for a great parade...there were countless cultures represented, and it was really fun.  And I was struck that this celebration of Canada and its independence was so heavily focused on the cultures that have come together to make Canada great - a true celebration of people which was really delightful.

Canada Day Parade - bagpipes!

Canada Day Parade

Nothing says Canadian independence like stormtroopers, right???

Canada Day Picnic in Stanley Park - Mimi and Aunt Rhonda concentrating on checkers

Pure joy!

Buddies: Leiroy and Henry

Lydia's got a future in facepainting

Aunt Rhonda got the star treatment in the face painting department!

Loving on Papa

What's a picnic without water balloons?

Happy Canada Day!

 

Go Canada? :)

Day 8:
We enjoyed a low key day - Aunt Rhonda got  new 'do' at my favorite Aveda Hair Salon on Robson Street, mama and I went to T & T Grocery Store and marveled at their live seafood selection, green tea flavored Kit Kats, sauces by the carload and more mushroom varieties than you could imagine!  It's great fun to explore ethnic grocers and find new menu items to incorporate into our daily life.  Papa held down the fort with the kids while Philip returned to work.

Day 9:
We hopped aboard the aquabus and headed for Granville Island.  The kids eagerly shared their favorite part of the island, Kids Mart (I wonder why it's their favorite?!?!), with everyone and then led us to their favorite restaurant - Cat's Social House.  On the way we discovered the Granville Island Water Park - it was AMAZING!  We'll totally head back to enjoy that fun spot!  It's been amazing to discover all of the FREE, public water parks for kids to enjoy around the city - our goal is to hit every single one of them.

 

Day 10:
We began our day with yummy brunch at Abode - close to our house - that serves the best, slap your mama brisket breakfast bowl I've ever experienced.  We took our time, filled our bellies, and met some folks from Alabama who were heading for an Alaskan cruise.  It's amazing how shirts with college sports logos have the power to connect people who would normally never speak to one another.  It was really funny and neat at the same time.  Then - Miss Lydia's patience was rewarded - we FINALLY made our way up Robson Street to Chapters (a bookstore) which houses the only American Girl Doll store in Vancouver.  She had the most wonder-full time of sharing the store with Mimi, Papa and Aunt Rhonda and was delighted with her spoils (which took nearly all day to narrow down to fit within her budget).  Henry floated on cloud nine as he got to choose Legos from the kids' area of the store.  The kids walked home with Papa while we grown up girls slowly made our way back up Robson window shopping and laughing.  The evening saw a boys' night in the making as Philip and Daddy met up with Philip's closest colleagues for drinks at Blackbird's - a place that I'm sure has played host to many a tall tale and lots of laughter.  Funny enough - they were excused from Blackbird's as the whole place had been booked for a film's wrap party - but not before Bombay Gin handed out freebies to everyone in the restaurant. 

Day 11:
Today we walked to the seawall and the beach at English Bay.  It was cool and cloudy, but lovely nonetheless.  We got to people watch and everyone got to touch the Pacific waters that lap the sand at English Bay.  We gathered shells, took pictures of the giant inukshuk and then headed to what really should be a Southern restaurant - C-Lovers.  It's a place where fish and prawns are all served and the only preparation available is FRIED.  It was tasty and inspired nap time afterwards.  We got to visit Ayoub's Dried Fruit & Nuts store - it's a glorious destination for all things decadent.  I even found saffron for $4!  Real saffron - and not just a strand or 2 - it was half an ounce!

Day 12:
Kind of on a whim, we rented a minivan and headed East toward Mission, BC (the filming site of Rambo: First Blood) to visit the Othello Tunnels.  We'd never been there but had wanted to go and it seemed only fitting to head there with family so all of us experienced it for the first time together!  Naturally, it got cloudy and rainy, but it wasn't too bad because it kept the air cool.  The tunnels were incredible - they had been part of the railway system and their builder (who was responsible for construction of many of the Canadian railways) had an affinity for Shakespeare.  He named all of his railroad projects after famous Shakespearean characters and the five tunnel section that's now been graveled over in Hope is the Othello section.  There were crazy tall bridges and views of water I've never seen before.  It was glorious!  As luck would have it, there were car accidents on Hwy 1 on the way back to Vancouver so we hopped off the interstate in Agassiz (home of the illusive tulips we searched for on Easter weekend) and had a yummy dinner at Jack's.  Then we embarked upon a lengthy, albeit beautiful, ride back to the city via back roads.  The sunset was the prettiest I have ever seen - I only wish I hadn't been driving because I would have taken pictures galore!  We finally pulled into the apartment at 11PM - thoroughly exhausted and road weary, but FULL from the sights and experiences of the day.

Day 13:
As the finale of our sightseeing we headed to Gas Town to find souvenirs and enjoy the older part of the city.  It has the feel of Charleston, with some cobbled streets and older architecture, but has the grit you'd associate with inner city - I just love the energy of Gas Town.  We lunched at one of the kids' favorite spots before making our way down Water Street.  We window shopped, t-shirt shopped, and souvenir shopped as we meandered to the Gassy Jack statue.  He got his name not as one might think.  Turns out he worked in a bar and became well known for his lengthy stories - and for his ability to talk ad infinitum - aka 'blowing gas'.  Even funnier was the sign we came upon right beside the statue that read "Real Carolina BBQ".  Despite having just eaten lunch, mama insisted that we give this a try and test its validity...and I must say - hat's off to Peckinpah for some legit BBQ (the noun, not the verb) and the ONLY hushpuppies you'll find in all of Vancouver.  Discovery points for mama - now we have a Southern BBQ joint right here in the Pacific Northwest that we can visit when we get a hankering!

Peckinpah - yummy! http://www.peckinpahbbq.com/

I need a break!

Gassy Jack

Day 14:
We enjoyed a quiet day in the apartment - emotions were thick as we whiled away the hours before we had to head to the airport.  Tears came readily as Lydia begged her grandparents not to leave.  Countenances were drawn.  Hearts were full.  The goodbyes were lengthy, the hugs tight.  Lydia and I drove everyone to the airport and she was a wreck - lamenting the departure of people she loves dearly and who love her back.  The sendoff at security was torturous and gut wrenching, but we survived.  In truth, I'm glad it was hard - it meant our connections are deep and our bonds strong.  Had it been easy I think that might have been more sad.  The tears and heartache were tempered, however, when they gave way to belly laughter as we got trapped in the airport parking lot!  My card got stuck in the machine at the "easy" exit (not) kiosk.  We clogged an entire lane for about 20 minutes as we waited for someone to come fish out my card and let us out.  It was hilarious, really, especially when I realized that instead of climbing across to the passenger side of the car to get out (since I was parked so close to the kiosk) I could've simply backed up and gotten out of the driver's seat.  Clearly the high emotions were affecting my sensibilities.  Nonetheless, we escaped and got home in one piece.  Sleep came easy once the tears dried.

We had a lovely two weeks sharing this part of ourselves with people who know us best - we have a new depth knowing that we're connected by experience to the East coast and it's great fun to talk with folks who really know what we're referring to when we talk about what we do on a daily basis here.  I realized the irony in being together with family over two countries' independence celebrations while enjoying how connected we are to other people and how dependent we are on our connections.  Independence is great - don't get me wrong - but I think it's richer when we realize it's at its finest when celebrated in relationship.