what am I going to do with my life?

The count down is on. I turn 40 in one week.

So far I've had a month off to do quite a bit of thinking about what to do with my life. I've been having a hard time coming up with a clear idea of what that is.

I think that has something to do with the fact that I very rarely ask myself what I really want (other than shoes). I've spent most of my life trying to do what other people have wanted or needed me to do, or doing what I thought I had to do.

I've spend 40 years doing that. I think it's time to spend the next 40 figuring out - and doing - what I want to do.

I want to live on a boat. I really want to live on a boat in California or maybe Hawaii - it's gotta be somewhere hot all year round.

But what do I want to do? As a result of repeatedly asking myself this question, some interesting things have arrived in my life to help me find the answers.

On Friday, Jason Mraz put up a post on his blog, Freshness Factor Five Thousand, about a blog called The Daily Love. There are so many wonderful ideas on this website about the power of positive thinking, how to love yourself and others better, and how to get what you want out of life.

A post that particularly caught my eye was one called "How to be a magnet for what you want" by Gabrielle Bernstein. Now obviously you have to know what you want to become a magnet for that thing but I liked Gabby's style. 

So I went to her YouTube page and checked out some more of her thoughts. And in this short chat about what she wants out of life, I think I found a good starting place.

I want to figure out how best to serve with love.

I want to help people by doing what I'm good at - which is helping people see the forces at work in their lives and how to change them or just change how they think about them and be happier. I want to help people get happy! Now who wants some help?

Marcel likes banana pancakes

My sweet sister Ceciley makes really great mixed CDs and she put Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes" on the one I was listening to the other day. Made me really want to eat some real banana pancakes.

Good thing I bought some Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pancake mix. I find these are especially yummy if I add vanilla and cinnamon to the mix.

Marcel likes them too! It was raining and I am pretending it's the weekend all the time!

Wishing you all a wonderful real weekend!

we swabbed the deck

Well actually Perry vacuumed the deck, but that just doesn't sound as good.

And he also scrubbed down the walls and cupboards.

I fixed and hung the curtains and organized the closet.

Hey, when we lived together I did most of the cleaning and all of the laundry, so I figured he should clean his own boat.

Once things got to looking pretty good Perry quickly understood that living on the boat requires 3 very important things: a fridge, a BBQ and a water cooler. So he took off to Home Depot to acquire these things since he had invited everyone he knows to come and see the boat on Saturday.

So Saturday morning I met Perry at the dock to help him load his new purchases onto a water taxi and take it all over to the boat.

It was a good thing he bought a fridge and a BBQ and the water because everyone he invited over arrived at some point on Saturday!

Twelve people showed up throughout the day and at one point there were eight people on the roof. Somehow I managed not to get any photos of that.

Since the roof has the most space and gets the best sunlight, Perry has decided that the first order of business is to set the roof up as a proper deck. He's going to try and make that happen this week.

Perry's friend KC brought his little daughters Tegan-8 and Teryn-5 over and before they destroyed the boat or fell in the lake with all their running and jumping I took them over to the park to play on the slide and the swings and then we walked over to the beach to play in the sand.

I think everyone who came to visit will be clamoring to come back on the next nice day!

it floats my boat!

Because the boat floats!! Perry had to make up a name for it quick on the spot when he registered it at the marina.

He's calling it "Spooncake". Yes, after one of his favorite deserts.

Could have been worse, he could have called it Chocolate Flan. (I did mention that he can change it whenever he wants.)

The table and benches at the front convert into a double bed. But the table is too high and the width of it cramps the benches so Perry is thinking of ripping that out and building in an "L" shape couch which could turn into a bed.

Yesterday we went and threw out all the crap left behind by the previous owner. They hadn't gotten rid of anything and that closet right behind the bench was full of years worth of mildewy junk. Perry's thinking about ripping out the closet to make room for a fridge - I vote yes to that.

This is mostly the junk we brought with us. That wooden door behind the chair is the tiny, non-working fridge.

The lower bunk is a double bed and the upper bunk is a single. The single does fold down to make a couch back, but I'm suggesting it get removed because the head clearance on the lower bed is crappy. With a bed at the front and a bed at the back, I think that's enough. And he could always keep a blow-up mattress on hand if he really wants to have a slumber party.

We found a jillion life-jackets, which will come in handy, and a bunch of old novels from the 70's, which I may read. You know, while sitting on the back deck admiring my favourite willow tree.

What am I saying? The place is filthy and we haven't actually cleaned anything yet - that's tomorrow.

more boat, more island

So Perry bought a little house-boat and tomorrow we find out if it floats. What? Yes, we don't know if it really floats, but tomorrow it arrives and goes in the water and I can't wait to see what happens ...

 

I really hope it does because the island at this time of year is incredibly beautiful.

There's hardly anyone around so its

tranquil,

serene,

and vibrant.

spring is officially here!

What's that I spy outside my window?

Yes the trees are blooming! The apple trees in my backyard which I can spy outside my kitchen window.

And finally the gorgeous cherry trees in High Park!

Magnolias are blooming too! But I gotta say, I've been fairly unproductive. I think it's time to start doing stuff, making plans and setting the alarm clock because after a few repairs the fine fellow's boat should be in the water in a week.

And, I did such a great job talking about how great it is over on the island that Perry has bought himself a little house-boat too - should be arriving at the marina on Tuesday! So, I've got about a week to get things all spring cleaned and organized before I start spending a lot more time on the island!!!

blue and green

A couple of friends from work commissioned me to make some special requests and I finished one of them this weekend. Wendy's daughter Emily is going to two proms - she's doing a very princess-y outfit for her own prom and for the other she's wearing this BCBG dress:

and to give it a bit of pizazz she's wearing these BCBG shoes:

I love these shoes! But Wendy was having a devil of a time finding jewelry to work. We agreed that lapis lazuli would be gorgeous but she hadn't been able to find anything that wasn't an absolute fortune. I believe I have now saved the day with what I came up with.

Lapis lazuli and serpentine. Did you know that the first blue eyeshadow was simply crushed lapis worn by Cleopatra?

Emily is going to look stunning in this ensemble if I do say so myself!

 

UPDATE: here she is!