*Hej!

*Hej! 

(Hi in Swedish!)

So here we go again everybody!  

Last year New York- this year Europe!  Im off to "the Bicycle town"- also known as Orebro, Sweden.  Orebro is in Southern Sweden and from what I have heard- is like home.  It has a very similar climate to Edmonton, but a fraction of the people- roughly 100 thousand!  I tried researching to see if there was anything that I might recognize in Orebro- but no dice!  All I see repeatedly is a picture of a huge, what appears to be drunk, yellow rabbit upside down on the street- stay posted for the classic tourist pic of me infront of it.   With the lack of information that I have on Orebro looks like its going to be an even bigger adventure for me!   BRING IT ON!  Flight jets Friday night and I arrive in Stockholm Saturday afternoon!  I have my luggage (two lovely whopping suitcases weighing in at precisely 50 lbs each,) my kronas (swedish money that I have no clue how to convert,) my cameras (to pocket all the silly slip ups when "*ja vealsa" <- im lost) and Ive got my 3 swedish phrases (*Hej, *ja vealsa, *kanon...because lets be honest, this language is a true battle.)  So wish me luck in Sweden and all the delicious Scandinavian countries to follow!
Keep you guys posted!

*vi sies!

(good bye! guess that makes it 4)

*please don't mind the spelling errors for the swedish phrases... Im just attempting the speech, spelling comes later

Castles

we are all kings and queens of a fantasy world.

our dragons of amber, prisimine, cascade around our castles that pipe hope.

yes, as queens and kings often do, sometimes the weight of this weightily world feels as if all of life's possibilities, situations, scenarios, tales have spiralled down to settle onto each of our proud shoulders.

and yes, even as kings and queens we maintain a facade of control, we are still smiling and we of course are still incredibly strong.

but did you know, even in this fantasy world- kings and queens cry. their thrones become bare as they disrobe their royal reds, and lush hues of blue. these golden pieces that are perched ontop of their fashioned hair are dismantled. it is there, bare and beautiful, that like an onion, layer by layer, they peel away at thick emotions, feelings of passion, of worry, of concern, of tears.

even as kings and queens we can feel burden, we can feel humanly heavy- weighted with life.

and know that as kings and queens we can feel belonging, powerful, free and fun.

kings and queens let their heart flutter in excitement at the thought of seeing their loved one that they just left thirty seconds ago. even kings and queens' fingertips and toes go numb with the smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns on christmas morning homemade in a cabin with a roaring fire as children stir and stumble out of bed.

kings and queens imagine the impossible and make it possible. it starts with a thought, a fantasy, it takes a dragon- maybe two- a castle- perhaps of rundle stone, maybe you'd prefer a log castle..- and of course it takes that pipe, even if its the faintest, dimmest pipe, its definitely there- that pipe of hope.

Done. Do. Doing.

What am I doing?

What am i doing in here?

trying to find answers, solutions to puzzles that dont exist.

if you will- rather i keep doing & not not-doing. 

 I keep every possibility at the tip of my tongue ready to ramble at any give opportunity.

please- just let my jaw be soft, my tongue be numb.

 i want this world to be 

surreal 

in sweet 

sweetness.

i will bow boldly & surrender to this day, this body, this breath.

i am existing in a whirlwind of water storms that thrash around me.

iam standing patiently in perfection in the harshest depths of humanity.

my body becomes luminescent, my breath becomes clear like crystals.

brilliance is shining beneath the soles of my feet that land into an abyss that supports me.

i will continue to chip & chizzle away at these stubborn solutions well knowing that my sail will soon set- 

slicing 

storms 

into silence.

The Embassy

Your embassy has you sitting perched perfectly on an oasis of petals,

your shrines silently shout praise of compassion, gratitude and love.

Huge elephants of patience wage peace at your temple gates

while beautiful bodhisattvas ride powerfully on the backs of rhinestone horses through the doors of heavens paradise.

Let the light of amber shine through your heart to reach my sight,

in a vision of acceptance, contentment, santosha and a paradox of peace.

Let these rubbles become rubble, forming a rundle stone path of excitement.

Be my journey to nirvana.

UpDaTeS from all the way back in 2010!

Wow!  Okay so a little less than a month and Iam coming home!! Time here has gone incredibly fast.  So here are some of the pics that I have so tardily delayed to post haha.  Lets start WAYYYY back October 

when I first got down here.

  

It all started with  Micheal Franti concert in New Haven at Toads!! such a great concert!  look at how close we were!

These are the sweeties over at Balanced Hot Yoga in New Haven!  Erika and Lori *hearts*

Dustin, Javier and Lori!

So Halloween!  not my favourite holiday but this was fun..

 Dustin, Anton and roommate Dylan.. they were druggies and Anton was their dealer...hah

 These are two of the gals living down here steph and kerstin!  Steph- a guitar and Kerstin- wind blown!

 Figgy as a hotdog.

 Me- hippie.  Didnt step to far out of the box.

Okay so November!  Which was basically consumer 100% by yoga!  Practising, volunteer teaching all over CT!  Bumpin month!  So here is FHY- Fairfield Hot Yoga where I have been practising!  In the picture is Richard- the owner- and his partner in crime (Yogi the German Shepard) is below!  The studio is rockin hot and the classes are stellar!

November was also preparation for little girl Annie below!  She came to us last day of November!

December!  Christmas time!

This is Milford Senior Center where I volunteer.  It is convienantly a block away from our place and they had a stellar christmas concert.  As you can see the seniors were super into it!  it was great!

 Annie's first venture into the trees..

Parents came down and visited later on in the month of December up until Christmas Eve. Sooo lucky and what a blast!

Downtown Milford, how ideal that there is a store called Sweet Annie

Went into the city for a couple of days, this is Rockafellar Center JAM packed we moved past it pretty quickly!

One night we played cards..  Annie was very into it..

January!  Pretty relaxed month, it went by soooo quickly I can not believe it.   One of the days me and the gals went into the city for a night in the town and the most exciting part was the creepers at grand central- kerstin!??

Irving Plaza saw Sister Hazel and did drinks soo yummy and the venue was fantastic!

Mass snow storm 2nd week of Jan.  Me and Annie were stuck shoveling it!  Muscles or what?!?  Dylan was gone and Dust was sleeping..some nerve..

Annie has built regular play dates with Yogi at FHY- she loves to taunt him by hiding in the cubbies then run out and bite his tail!  priceless haha

Feb.!  Bday and Vday month!

Annie wasnt so fond of a photo shoot for valentines day and started to eat our decorations.

Dinner at Bistro Basque!!  In the middle is the owner he is so fabulous and the food and wine is the best ever!  Definitely one of my top 3 restaurants to this day.

Okay thats it guys!  Sorry this is so brief but was looking through pics so thought I would post what I could!  Have a stellar weekend!  

Nirvana

We speak of right diligence, right speech, right mindfulness, right action but what does it all boil down to?  

Enlightenment- to touch a piece of peace & breathe in bliss.  

Nirvana is a place of bliss.  

In literal terms cessation of attachments, of separation and segregation- no birth, no death, no permanence, no impermanence.  Within each of us exists a seed of life and love.  This same seed is in you, me, the tree outside on your front lawn, the snow in your backyard.  We are united through this seed that lights exuberance in all of us.  Once we realize we are all the same, separation ceases, interdependence ignites our souls and we live in a beautiful place of peace!  

Send gratitude to your sangha and nourish the world with a unifying life of love.  

Touch moksha- liberation, enlightenment.  

Taste nirvana.  

Today lets love & live.

Annie and Roses

Annie and Roses..

How is possible to love something so much!?

Annie is one of my biggest gurus in life.  

We could all learn a little something from her.  Slow down and smell the roses.

Because look-

 its beauty.