The story of the Linen Apron Dress

Once a long while ago before I had a savings account that had more than 1 month's rent, I still used to be able to tie two pennies together and spin myself a nifty living. I worked in a laundry factory as a mender sewing holes and patches and buttons all day long. I clocked in at 7:29 and clocked out at 3:31. I had a neat apartment with a fireplace, hardwood floors, a cat, a bike and bus pass. I was marginally happy, I suppose, being a factory girl when other people my age were going to university and thinking about "the future".

Me and my 2 pennies kept each other company and every now and then we'd have a little fun. One day I saw this dress. This amazing dress. It was about $100 which was alot of pennies to me at the time. But it was so special. It was blue linen and floor length, but it wrapped around at the waist with a bib apron and a bare back, with cross the back straps and a long wrap tie. I was rib cage thin back then. I loved that dress. I tried it on and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving the store without it. My 2 pennies and that dress had a chat in the change room and we all decided we were going to be friends.

I wore that dress with a secret glamor, like I had Cinderella's ID in my pocket. I put that dress on with a white tshirt and sneakers and a rainbow was my sidewalk- you get the point. That dress was powerful. Years later I carefully rolled it and packed it in my 3rd hand backpack to Europe when I thought I should only take things I wouldn't mind loosing because they would get stolen in the sketchy hostels I was headed to.  I took a chance with that dress, I'll tell you. I guarded my back pack with my life and that dress doubled as a pillow on many occasions.

I remember one day in Paris after many days of a scruffy wayward traveller look, I wore it and went exploring. I'd tied the waist straps criss-cross up my waist like a corset and put on a beret. I was walking up some steps at the Louvre and feeling like a fashion model that hadn't been discovered when the wind caught the wrap around panel and I walked long giraffe strides across the plaza. Further enhancing the spectacle, there were 2 guys walking directly behind me and and I was so aware of how fabulous I must have looked! While I never turned to look at them- I could overhear them speaking delicious warm croissant French words. I've always lingered on that memory believing they were talking about my fabulous dress. They were you know. Anybody who saw that dress would have talked about it in whispers woven with gold.

One day, after enjoying the dress for many years, I decided I was clever enough to have 2. In a disastrous turn of events, the awesomeness of those stitches evaporated. Before I could stop myself,  I snipped the seams until each panel and piece was separate from the other. The crime scene on my bedroom floor, you can sense I'm sure. Like an explosion in slow motion. The bib of the dress decapitated from the apron, the hems spilt open and frayed. It was a fool thing to do  and I new I would never make a copy of the original.

I was dismayed, devastated and discouraged. I carefully folded up the parts and wrapped them up. I promised myself I would put the arms and legs back on the doll one day and she would come back to life. In grief- I kept myself busy doing other things, never fully admitting I had not the skills to accomplish the task. One day I came upon those pieces of navy blue linen with frayed ends and mismatched pieces that I couldn't quite figure out what I had done or how to fix it and figured.. you know "It's time to move on." and "You can't keep hanging onto these scraps." It was a bad time of purge and I threw them away.

That was 13 years ago and I still lament the loss of dress. I frequently search- often late at night- through Google- for  some variation of "linen apron dress" in hopes of finding it again. I should maybe add the word "mythical". Not one picture of me exists in the dress and I've never seen it again. I still mourn for the $100 Linen Apron Dress to where I'm thinking me and a few of my penny friends might visit a professional dress maker/ crime scene sketch artist and send out a search party for my long lost comrade.

Here's a picture that looks not really like the the dress but a clue to it's one day recovery. (Or the day I dress up like a wash maiden from the 20's- which I suppose it what I looked like that day in Paris..)

new things to look at

I've updated my sidebar links.. look left.. to have a lot of the websites that I linger around trying to stir up the inspirtation ot open the craft cupboard. I hope you like them.

feeling a bit neglected

I'm sorry about that. It's shameful how time has passed while I mulled over an update and then said.. oh tomorrow. Suddenly tomorrow was a long time ago. Which is kind of been my feeling lately. I'm plagued by thoughts that I'm not having as much fun.. I'm not enjoying myself as much as I should be.

Just the other day I was testing gravity and my clumsy factor by jumping between garages behind my parent's house. Talking about the Cult and having water fights with friends.

Friends- I was throwing parties in my parent's basement and hiding the booze and waving the pot smoke away. I was throwing parties. I think the last time I did that was in junior high or early high school.

I think about my childhood alot lately and how far away it was and how I used to think.. one day I'll be all grown up and I don't know.. something *magical* would have happened. Something would have fallen into place and the phase I was "going through" would be over. You know and life would look like it did on TV. I'd be an adult and it would all make sense.That doesn't really happen. I think we just forget what we thought was so confusing.

So.. yeah time is slipping away every day. I'll try and start documenting it again.

I've missed you too.








 

Dorothy, Alberta

prairie landscape, originally uploaded by jilly71.

She said.."he whispers to you in your dreams." I suspect that's why I like to go to sleep.

July 8 1965, originally uploaded by jilly71.

i took this photo from a parachute.. wha? TOTALLY AMAZING

DSC00400, originally uploaded by jilly71.

bird's view

I jumped tandem out of a plane today. We went through a cloud and then I saw the ground 10000 feet away. It was incredible. Then I got to take a photo of my feet. That circle.. that's where we landed. Totally amazing.. totally exhausting.

Tweets

Tweets, originally uploaded by jilly71.

Location of the best Eggs Benny I have ever had.

Lovely little coffee shop/ cafe/ art gallery in Edison.

Edison Washington was found by accident when driving back from the Skagit Tulip Festival with my sister 2 years ago. I've been back 6 times since. Highly recommended.

Galloping Gertie

We went on a little trip (I'll tell you a little more about it later). We were driving along and I had that inexplicable sense of "wait a minute. this isn't right". This was supposed to be a weekend adventure. Traveling down the highway, one can come to the conclusion it's one of those places that you're bound to see exactly what is right in front of you- the ass of another car and not too much else. You can pretty much guarantee you're going to get to where you are going in an allotted amount of time and you'll get there without too much going on. You can also pretty much bank your bets that you'll be bored out of yer mind doing it.

My suggestion, especially if you have the time (and maybe a GPS or a laptop that will pick up random wireless connections in Casino parking lots) is to take that random exit off the highway. Make an attempt to find the side highways that pass through the bizarre little towns and stop for coffee if you see something random and possible interesting. You know.. support the local economy and take a photo.

And that's what we did. "Hey take that next exit. I have a feeling."

It was a good moment and it turned into an adventure. (I'll tell you more about it later.)

All of a sudden we were going across a GIANT BRIDGE. Not just any bridge though. As we start to traverse the span..he says.. "did you ever see the footage of that suspension bridge that twisted" and he moves his hand in a motion similar to a pageant queen waving on a parade float.

"Ya, what about it?"

"This is that bridge."

It was a bridge with history. Behold the Tacoma Narrows bridge disaster of 1940.

scooterific update

Its been a week since my random and spontaneous purchase of fuelled transportation. I've travelled over 200 km around the city of Vancouver. That seems like a lot, but it's 10k to work 1 way.. so before I know it.. boom- I've traveled to Seattle on side streets.

So I burned through a tank of gas. What did 200km cost? $5.00. That's less like $0.025 a km or $0.45 a commute to work and $3.60/day in insurance. So ya, it's cheaper than the bus by $0.75. Good lord. I'm surprised there's not a zillion scooters on the road.

I went grocery shopping and pack 2 bags into my little top case. I brought home a big bag of cat food. I went through Stanley Park and stopped to watch a cricket game. I've zipped out to the beaches and ran off to meet a friend for dinner.

I need to get back on my bike though so one more day and then I'm parking it for a few days.

scootedly

Here...

and then gone...

Thanks to the lovely Sonia Sangha for the photos (and for dinner)!

scoot

I had an offer for a car allowance at work. It set me off on visits to car dealerships and test drives and alot of stress. Do I buy a car? Do I lease a car? Do I finance a car? Why do I want a car? What do I need a car for?

Maintenance..Insurance..Gas..stress..stress..stress..

No. I don't want a car. I don't want to own a car and get parking permits and insurance and gas and pay for all kinds of things just so I can have the luxury of *maybe* driving somewhere like Seattle. Otherwise, you drive around with alot of space around you.I have the Vancouver Car Co-Op for my car needs.

But.. I did want some more freedom than my bike. I wanted to be able to go places and take photos. I wanted to be able to pick up some groceries. I wanted to be able to zip around the city a bit easier than transit and my bike..

I remembered when I was 13 and the neighbour had a silver one and I thought it looked so cool. Then the Mods in high school had old Lambretta's and they were the cat's meow..I think I've always kind of wanted one, and I figured I could afford one..so I decided to buy a Vespa. Tomorrow, I pick it up. It's black. I got a deal on it. Yes, Catherine- I will add a reflective vest to my accessories for night time rain riding. Don't worry.. I'll be safe. I'm excited.

a typical shotgun

IMGP0060-1, originally uploaded by jilly71.

I would so live in one of these..

"Shotgun houses consist of three to five rooms in a row with no hallways. The term "shotgun house", which was in use by 1903 but became more common after about 1940, is often said to come from the saying that one could fire a shotgun through the front door and the pellets would fly cleanly through the house and out the back door (since all the doors are on the same side of the house)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun_house

transportation

IMGP0046-2, originally uploaded by jilly71.

I'll be home in a few hours. It was a fabulous trip. I wouldn't do anything different. Thanks New Orleans.

corner of St. Peter & Royal, New Orleans

IMGP0054, originally uploaded by jilly71.

I hired a poet on Frenchman St last night.

New Orleans- Stormy Weather

New Orleans sleeps under the river,
And the lake that hug her shoulders,
In a no- time, clothed in clapboards,
Strewn with colored beads of many years.
Promising to drown one day,
Already inhabiting our memory.

I remember our first rendezvous
With this dreaming candy- woman.
The night in the pink parking lot,
Gravel gleaming on the pavement.
Moisture gleaming on my forearms.

A part of me was struck by storm,
Checked and reeled and thirsted,
Grew mold, decayed, and marched
Its family to the afterworld,
And came back after the storm.


We both grew in these 5 years.
I brought my boots to wade through
More flooding. But the sky was washed.
The moon chiseled the outlines
Of epic, monstrous clouds.

A storm is brewing now to see me off.
There's talk of oil rain,
There is colling in the air
Unseasonal and sweet, while swirling.
Hysterical winds slash their way

Towards this nodding shore
When they get here
I won't be here anymore.

Erin Lierl
Poet for hire
New Orleans
June 28, 2010

painted pony

IMGP0059, originally uploaded by jilly71.

a walk through St. Louis Cemetery #2

Red Beans and Rice Postcard recipe

1 pound dried red beans
1/4 cup green onion tops
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
Onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/2 pound smoked sausage (Andouille or Chorizo)
Boiled rice

Soak beans in cold water overnight. Drain and add enough water to cover beans in a large soup pot.. Add all ingredients except the sausage and rice. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 3-5 hrs. Add more water if it gets too dry. Stir occasionally. Cut and brown 1/2 inch slices of sausage in a hot skillet. Add 1/2hr before serving.. Serve over cooked rice with French Bread. Serves 4-6.

Jambalaya post card recipe

1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1/2 pound of ham, cubed
1 cup onions
1 cup bell pepper chopped
1 cup celery chopped
1 cup green onions chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 16ounce can tomatoes, drained, reserving liquid
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup converted rice
1 1/2 cups stock or water
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 pound peeled shrimp (optional)

Saute sausage and ham in heavy Dutch oven until slightly browned. Remove from pot. Saute onions, bell peppers, celery, green onions and garlic in meat drippings until tender. Add tomatoes, thyme, pepper and salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in rice. Mix together liquid from tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire Sauce to equal 2 1/2 cups. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and add raw shrimp, ham, sausage and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes or until rice and shrimp are done. Serves 12.

Do Not Demolish

IMGP0023-1, originally uploaded by jilly71.

I woke up early this morning; my bike rental was going to end at noon. My destination was the 9th ward. The 9th ward was the area most destroyed by Katrina. I wasn't too sure what I was going to find. You have to ride over a bridge to cross a canal that dumps into the Mississippi River. Once across the bridge, the 1st house I saw was pockmarked with gunshots. It was not going to be pretty, I thought.

It wasn't as bad as I imagined. There were definitely some pretty bad looking houses. I'll admit, this was an area that I had no interest in checking out the insides of these houses. I haven't gone into any abandoned houses in New Orleans. You still see alot of Katrina markings.

Houses would be checked and an X was spray painted on the front of the house. The north quadrant would have the date the house was checked, east would identify who was there, west would identify if there were animals, and south would identify entry or no entry (or some version of this). In some neighbouhoods, they just knocked on the door.

I rode around and I saw people mowing lawns, sitting on porches, walking around, ,fixing cars. I said hello to anyone I passed and kept on riding. I rode past a dead dog, which was pretty grim. I don't think it had been there long. When I noticed the car with the blacked out windows more than once, I figured my holiday in the 9th ward was over.

It's a poor neighborhood, but I saw a transit bus. No businesses seem to be open, but people were there and living and trying to rebuild. I hope New Orleans makes it.

IMGP0017-1, originally uploaded by jilly71.

on desire street

IMGP0058-1, originally uploaded by jilly71.

dueling trumpets

Last night I headed to Frenchman Street, which is less tourist- more local and closer to my Guest House than the quarter. OMG. There was this group of horn players on the street playing for money. Good thing I brought my little video maker...



The truly amazing thing that I couldn't capture on video was that there was a competing group of horn players on the opposite corner. It was insane! There were people everywhere. The music was all that you could ever expect from New Orleans. Ellis Marsalis was playing, and I hoped to hear it from outside because I didn't want to pay the $30. I popped into the Spotted Cat and listened to a set of The Cottonmouth Kings who were also tres amazing. This video looks like it was shot right where I stood last night and I heard almost the same thing. (not my video)

Gas off

Gas off, originally uploaded by jilly71.

new orelans- day 3

I got up this morning and went for a 3 hr bike tour. I would have preferred less talking and more biking. I can't recall most of what was said to me today. Which is kind of sad for $45. I did see some neat things and learned about the post Katrina marking on the houses and what they symbolize.

Then I came home and napped for 5 hrs. This heat...I went for a walk in the "suburbs" of Baywater and Marigny. I don't know what people are on about New Orleans being dangerous. If it is.. I haven't seen or felt a shred of it yet and I was walking where it was getting sketchy.

I had a great light diner at a place called Satsuma. Had a lovely young spinach salad with bacon, egg, onions and tomatoes. Mint ice tea and a side of crispy toast.

I'm off in hunt of some good music ala New Orleans. Ellis Marsalis is playing a few blocks away...

new orelans- day 2

Today I set out to do nothing but see where I went. I had one minor objective simply because it was close to my B&B.. was to find a Banksy graffiti job. I did find it, but it's been mostly covered up.

I wandered through the French Quarter in the muggy morning, staying on the shady side of the street. I know Louis Armstrong says 'life can be so sweet on the sunny side of the street' but it's also scorching hot. I took a lot of photos. You can see what I've been up to here..


side note: I bought a pair of Toms shoes in Toronto. They were incredibly comfortable and kept my feet cool.

Some things I did/ saw today..

• Bought postcards and wrote them all. They'll be mailed in the morning
• Bought a cool can of coffee called Cafe Bustelo

• went into a out of the way shop: The Voodoo Spiritual Temple and bought a bar of African Black Soap. It's kind of strange. 
• road the Canal Streetcar from one end to the other and learned I can buy a $5 all day transit pass
• wandered into a Photography Gallery and learned that New Orleans has an annual celebration of photography called PhotoNola. I also saw original Bellocqs, Arbus, Weegee, Adams.. wow
• saw a man riding a bike, wearing what looked like a tight curl black wig.. made out of yarn.
• saw a lot of for sale signs in the quarter and wished i had a million dollas to make a perfect B&B dream come true.
• happened upon a group of men in shorts, tube socks, gold spray painted shoes dancing in the street
• met a woman who looked exactly like Janis Joplin but from the 80's. I should have taken her photo. 
• noticed the flood lines on some buildings
• ate at Mother's
• wore myself out and came back to my room at 7pm and didn't leave

Tomorrow at 9am I have a 3hr bike tour booked with Confederacy of Bike Tours.

New Orleans

IMGP0054, originally uploaded by jilly71.

...but it also looks like Paris, Havana, or Brussels..

a brief look at the B&B

starting..

I have to admit.. reports that a huge methane gas cavity in the Gulf of Mexico could rupture and take out the ocean floor causing multiple tsunami's.. I almost booked my way back to safety and holiday boredom. Then I thought, what if I do and then what if nothing happens and I forfeit my B&B and my flights? I'd regret it. Would I regret being swallowed in a giant methane bubble? Probably. But I wouldn't really know. This way I have adventures under foot.

My first thoughts were.. it's like Havana & Cuba. It's hot and muggy. The French Quarter is alot like Havana Veija but not as run down. The bougainvillea flowers are in bloom, like in Cuba.. and the smell of damp wood and musty spices fill the air.

I'm safely in my lovely B&B. It's cool and quiet. In fact, I have the whole joint to myself tonight. The fridge is stocked with English muffins, bagels, peanut butter and juice. There's cold cereal and milk and I can help myself all I want. The ceilings are high and everything is really comfortable. Nice big bathroom, nice big room, a TV, WIFI, books, a common area, tourist pamphlets..etc. Honestly, we does anyone EVER stay in a hotel?

I don't smell any gas, but apparently a hurricane is due on the weekend. So is the gay pride parade.. 2 blocks away. I don't know what's in store for me except I hope I never have to fly on United's tiny wobbly planes ever again.

the beginning

I stayed up WAY too late last night and drove at breakneck speeds to the Calgary Airport this morning. I'm now in Denver, CO enjoying free WIFI while I have 4 hrs to kill at the airport. Too much time to get bored and not enough time to leave..

 I've gotten an email that my B&B in New Orleans is equipt with WIFI and now.. lugging my lap top with me makes all the sense in the world..


I can daily blog my New Orleans adventures and I expect to see an email or 2!

backtracking part 2

After my brief sojourn in the Manitoba prairie, I landed myself in Toronto for a 2 week get together. Toronto is a sprawling metropolis that in sideways glances reminds me of Europe and specifically Prague with the street cars you run out into the street to jump on. It's a vibrant city, full of colorfully dressed couples. If it was foggy, you might mistake Toronto for the 1950's where men wore suits and hats and ladies matched their gloves to their handbag and shoes. It's noticeable. Especially, when where you normally live everyone looks like they shop at Mountain Equipment Co Op.

I was there for work and thus, stayed in an apartment right downtown. What that meant was I close to everything and that included the preparation for the G8/G20 Summit. It got pretty hairy the last week I was there. The fences were going up. The trees were coming down and I even saw them hauling away giant installed public art fixtures and gluing down the rocks.The cops were out in full force, but I figured it was for the free Iggy and the Stooges gig headlining the NXNE music festival (that I was going to miss). I did see some fine graffiti though...

During my stay on the 36th floor, my lovely sister came to stay. We wandered up and down Queen St where I battled her for going into button shops while she tolerated me going into cheese shops. She's much more tolerant of cheese than I am of buttons. We took photos and got caught in a torrential rain storm. We admired figurines and then found our own. We ate lunch and made our feet sore finding it and when we had just about had it, we were rewarded with noticing one of our few mutually favorite musical groups happened to be playing a gig.

It was a real treat to find the First Aid Kit- the beautiful harmonizing sisters from Sweden were playing. And opening for them was the startling beautiful Samantha Crain,  who made me a fan that night. We bought the CD, the T shirt and gave away the free poster. I think it was the 1st gig I have ever seen with my sister ever. It was a perfect accident to stumble upon in Toronto.

Other fantastic adventures..

Finding Ashley at the Distillery district for her Supersonic Gypsy Cookies and other vegan treats.

Looking up to see the sign that said Vince Gasparro's Meat Market.. only 1 letter off the name of a very dear friend of mine.. who incidentally has had photographs of this location sent to him over the years.. What's odd, is that I was wandering aimlessly from trying to locate a friend of mine and happened upon it by accident.

Finding and visiting with an old friend who I was reminded on how smart and clever he was. The years haven't been good to him and we shared a few minutes that meant so much to me.

I found other dear friends that I hadn't seen in a long while. Gosh it's good to see old friends.

Toronto was good to me. It was hot, it was cool. It rained. It was muggy. It made me laugh and it made me cry. It fed me well and kept me awake at night and kept me entertained. It also reminded me of the kindness of strangers where I was walking down the street and encountered a group of people who were trying to do right by a small falcon who for some reason didn't want to fly. It did fly when there was an attempt to get him to a box, but there was something not quite right for this bird. 4 strangers came together to make calls to animal rescue, keep the bird out of the street, care about the what would happen and take it into their hands to make sure this small life stayed alive.

Thanks friends. Thanks Toronto.

one day, I will drive down this country road

View Larger Map

mutiny on the mailbox

mutiny on the mailbox, originally uploaded by jilly71.

backtracking, part 1

One night I packed a bag big enough for me and the luggage compartment on a plane. Sometimes, these aren't usually the same things, but I managed.

I got on a plane. This did not make me smile. The world is in a lot of pain thanks to fuel consumption. I will one day tell children of the days when we carelessly and recklessly got in big iron birds and traveled to far away lands with nothing more than a few days of clothes. This, I hope, will make me smile. Oh the folly of life. Driving across the country! You didn't!

I got to Winnipeg at almost midnight. I swear to blog land that Winnipeg smells like jasmine and lilacs  at night. I've smelled it twice. Maybe not in the winter, but I vow to not be in Winnipeg in the winter so I wouldn't know. I drove round and round looking for a tiny bar and stayed for maybe 10 minutes. Just enough time to be embarrassed "do you want to pay for the book I sent you too?!" ( I thought it had been a gift). I drank 2 cups of coffee and left. It was worth it to get the book. It's a very funny book.

I headed out on a road heading south. I figured I'd find it eventually- the main highway south that is. What I found was a secondary highway instead and passed through a small town call Domain.

A small town I'd never heard of and I've become oddly familiar with small town Manitoba in the last year. Something didn't smell right and it wasn't the cow manure. I took the first road going west..a connecting road. If you've ever been driving in the middle of the prairie at 1 am fueled on 2 cups of coffee, a dirt road connecting the secondary to the main is a bit freaky, especially at 120k.. gravel can twist your tires into the direction of a ditch if you're not careful.

After spotting what looked like a small gremlin in my toothpick eyes..

and deciding it was more likely a jack rabbit












I managed to get to Morden, Manitoba where my hosts were sound asleep. So, I did what any weary traveller would do.. I let myself in, left a note I was in the house, and went to bed.

I went to Morden to see my friend Denise who is packing up her house of many trinkets and setting off on an adventure to teach English in Vietnam for a year. She helps organize a sweet little Music Festival call the Back 40 where the best thing I saw was a band call the Doug and Jess band. That and a woman selling photo booth photos for 5 bucks. She was cool. Here's Jess and her husband fella Jeremy. Doug is her dad. If you look at the photos, he's the cool guy in the hat.

IMGP0004-1, originally uploaded by jilly71.

Jess wore a pretty dress and I took a bunch more photos.

And then I got some more of the prairies. 

I love to try and capture the birds and the crickets and the rain dew, but I never quite catch the silence. 

I also didn't eat the Saskatoon Perogies, to which I regret, but I did buy a vintage tin that says SNAP on it. I did have a most excellent time.

It'll be a while before I go back to Morden with Denise being away. I drove back to Winnipeg at the crack of dawn, dropped off the car, realized I'd left behind my camera batteries, got a coffee and  resumed my planet smashing journeys..

trippy

I just booked a whirlwind journey just because.

I'm off to Winnipeg, Manitoba where I'll rent a car and drive to the beautiful small town of Morden, to see an old friend of mine who helps organize a music festival there. She's going to Vietnam for a year to teach English and I figured.. why not!

From Morden, and back to Winnipeg I'll fly to Toronto where I'll work for 2 weeks to train a lovely girl to fill in for me while I'm away on holiday. When in Toronto, I get to stay right downtown on Spadina and Front. Maybe htis time, I'll get to see a bit of the city. Maybe my sister can come and visit from Ottawa. Maybe I can fly to Chicago for the weekend? Ooh there's an idea.

From Toronto, I'm flying to Calgary to spend some time in Alberta. My grandmother is turning 89 and there's a bit of a family reunion. Maybe I'll go to Edmonton and catch up with some old friends.

I fly out of Calgary for ...New Orleans.. one of my favorite cities in the US. It was pricey. Almost like going to Havana. Initially, the idea was to rent a car and drive around the swamps and small towns/ plantations.. but that was really pricey. I was looking at sleeping in the car under an old oak tree. Um. no. Just my luck and I'd park on the bad side of town on the wrong side of the street. So,  instead, I'll ride the streetcar named Desire and take a lot of photos of weeping willows, lone trumpet players and wrought iron balconies. Something I didn't do the 1st time I was there. I will eat the beignets again and the incredible chicory coffee from Cafe Du Monde and I'll make a penance at Marie La Veau's tomb.

I think I'll go back to Preservation Hall as well.

I will rent a car though.. for a day or so, so I can transport myself the 4 hrs west to Port Arthur, Texas- birthplace and childhood home of Janis Joplin. Sadly, when I was there before I took NO PHOTOS. It's too bad.. it's kind of a kooky dump.. but I'm kind of nuts about Janis Joplin. Don't ask why, not even I know why. There's some pretty weird swamp areas around there.. maybe I'll see an Alligator. Maybe I'll see some oil wash up on the shores. Maybe I'll have a life changing event.

And then I'll fly home to Vancouver and have a bit of a time off.

Maybe I'll go camping.

the 9 o'clock phenomenon

Every night where ever you are in Vancouver, you'll hear a "boom" and when you do you can rest assured it's 9 o'clock. The 9 pm cannon fires like clock work as it has for 107 years. For the 10 years I've lived in Vancouver, I've never seen it in person until last night when Michael and I were wondering what to do.. so we went to see it.. and you can hear/ see it too. Listen carefully for the echo when the sound hits the buildings across the Burrard Inlet.

blooms of the cherry variety

sunny Scottsdale

I've been ensconsed at the Valley Ho Hotel since Tuesday..As you can see from the photos, it's not a bad place to be trapped. It's an oasis of retro cool. A flashback to the rat pack around the corner. You expect to see Dean Martin holding court at the hotel bar. It's been alot of fun. I even extended my stay one day. Tomorrow I'll leave this island in search of something.. hotpefully out of the sun.

A friend snapped this picture of my picture show.

Hi Mom..

You're gorgeous. Thanks for the good genes.

Thanks for being my mother when I needed one instead of my friend. Thanks for being my friend when I could get on without a mother.

Thanks for pursuing your goals and setting a good example.

Thanks for your kindness, generosity of spirit and love.

Thanks for teaching me how to cook, sew and do my own laundry.

Thanks for teaching me how to be good with money and save for a rainy day.

Thanks for taking me on trips and teaching me the value of travel.

And most of all...thanks for it all being utterly and endlessly unconditional.

Oh.. and thanks for naming me Jill.

Love,
Me.

PS. I can't believe you wore a tiara either.What was with the horned rimmed glasses?

artist's statement

Havana is a poem unwritten. Melodies belch from the old Chevy and Buicks. Children yell songs in the streets and nearby the horses hooves tap out a somber beat. The men whistle and hiss to the tune while the Hemingway lookalike's sitting at the sleepy bars, keep time jostling their pocket coins to the fans beating the air. All of it under the dark pages of the night, barely recognizable if not for a few flickering lights.

From the moment I'd heard of the strange island country embargoed from the rest of the world, I'd wanted to go. The soupy mysteries of Che, Castro and the Mafia and the famous Hemingway legacy. The country is a sleepy time capsule; dusty and ornate, majestic and crumbling- the limestone doesn't stand up well to the salty time. Jose Marti once said, "Charm is the product of the unexpected." I don't know if he was referring to Cuba or not, but it's the best way to describe what you'll find when you go.

I am a self taught photographer.

a Ruby blessing

brush your teeth in style

I love these toothbrushes. I saw them one day shopping in one of the local organic grocery shops. I thought it might be some sort of good karma to brush my teeth with a toothbrush made of recycled dollar bills. I also really liked that I could recycle the bristle head and keep the handle over and over again. That totally solves my 3 month dilemma in choosing a color/brand of toothbrush.

So yeah, I recommend them. They're cool. They're ergonomic. My sister saw them and made me mail her 3. You'll see them and fall in love with them too. Then there was the day when I used my boyfriend's old toothbrush that was lurking in a dark bathroom corner to scrub the bathtub grout.. you so wouldn't do that with one of these. But they're also kind of pricey. But you know what, the world is being filled up with thrown away "conveniences" which is not exactly convenient for the planet though.

Not sold on them just yet.. if you can't find them where you live and don't want to order online? I'll send you one. You can send me a money transfer.

If not yet convinced.. Here's some interesting facts.. Now go brush your teeth.It's fun with a handle made of recycled dollar bills. Trust me.

a rogue pink

IMGP0072, originally uploaded by jilly71.

IMGP0032

IMGP0032, originally uploaded by jilly71.

I hung my first photography exhibit  the other day. Naturally, I documented it.  

You can see the rest of the set here .

mood: excited

I'm off to go hang my first photography show.

IMGP0057, originally uploaded by jilly71.

Skagit County

IMGP0060, originally uploaded by jilly71.

. I went to the Skagit County Tulip Festival yesterday. It's an incredible thing to see these vast tulip fields. You can see the whole set here .

If I had a Penny- an exhibition of photos from Cuba

There will be an exhibition of images I captured from my travels through Havana and Cuba, running from 21 April to 19 May.

Hosting the show is Pane Vero- a lovely little bakery/cafe in the Commercial Drive area, located between Parker and Venables.

There won't be a gallery opening or an artist in attendance night, but please go down and take a look and say hi to the proprietors, Kelly and Claudio.

link to the photos
link to Pane Vero

Vaisakhi

On Saturday, it was the annual Vaisakhi celebration in Vancouver. Vaisakhi is a Sikh celebration of spring and a new harvest year. One of the things I like most about it, is that mopst women wear the traditional sari. The colors are always so rich and vibrant. It didn't hurt that it was also a beautiful spring day in Vancouver. It was also incredibly busy.. so I snapped a few photos and didn't stick around. It was impossible to move or get to the many many booths of samosa, dahl, rice and chai. But it was fun. I like all Spring festivals.

visitors..

So.. I'm driving down the street with Michael and i get a call from a Alberta phone number I didn't recognize and I almost didn't take the call, but did.. cuz you never know..

It turned out to be my uncle Ken.. one of my 3 favorite uncles, son of my beloved grandfather and all around terribly wonderful human being.

He likes to blow into town unexpectantly. He left Alberta at something like 9am and burned his way over here with my mother's husband, and my cousin (his son) John.

"Where is my mother and Jane (my aunt)?" I asked.

Sorry you couldn't be here too... 

I snapped this rather poor image on my phone to commemorate the event. Now.. back to bed.

where have you gone?

Dear immune system... have you taken a leave of absence without notice? Maybe you went on a holiday and didn't tell me? Please come back.

I'm sick again with chest congestion, sinus, headache, aches and I have a fear of the plague of balck mold in Vancouver. Could it be the reason I've been sick since New Year's Eve?

Blogging will resume shortly.

45 things for 39

I just got back from spending a few days on the other side of the country. I went to Ottawa to see my lovely sister, Catherine and she took me to Montreal where she has a friend and we stayed at her very sweet and tiny apartment. Astrid was kind enough to let me camp in her tiny kitchen. 

In her equally tiny bathroom, she had a sheet of paper taped to the wall. I glanced at it quickly, but long enough to make a mental note to look up the author. I did and today..it seems fitting today to post these 45 things..

I don't agree with them all (#8, 34 & 38..) I kind of needed to hear a few of them.. (#13, 29 & 41) and I can tell you for certain.. #14 would have been really useful to hear when I was 15 and 21. 

What's your favorite?

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift..

Is it all smoked meat??

Montreal.. I wish I had more time here. Time to visit all the famous delis and bagel shops. Seriously, they make a lot of bagels here. We went to St. Viateur's and the Fairmount Bagel  places.. but more so than beigels.. Montreal is known for their smoked meat. Like at Schwartz's Deli. We went there last night for the famed Montreal Smoked Meat (I'm sorry.. it's better to my tastebuds, at least.. in Vancouver. I think because it's cut thin and steamed hot.)

Here's a little video I made at Schwartz's.


I'm here with Catherine, my sister and her friend Astrid who has been lovely to let Catherine and I camp on her kitchen and living room floors, saving us from a stinky and non private hostel. As I only have a few hrs left.. best to get going...

trippy

I'm on a train.

Somewhere in Ontario.

If I squint, I can pretend it's Europe and my sister lives in Paris.. not Ottawa.

T to the dot.

Hello Toronto,

I like your wind turbines on the way into downtown. I wanted to let you know. It seems like a giant alien art project in motion. Sometimes when I feel big city-ish I also enjoy all the blinking lights, car horns and arteries of cars pumping humanity in and out of the city core. It reminds me of New York City a bit. You and all your skyscrapers! But you know.. I don't really enjoy your big city ways. You have some pretty impressive freeways and commuter belts. Not to sure who's pants they're holding up though. It feels like the city is lying down and snaking through the city like a black river with confetti lights. 

But.. you have these great little nooks and crannies. Once I found a butter dish that was all hand painted Art Nouveau. It was 50 smackers but I had to have it. I hope I find that little place again. I'd buyt another one. I also love your little independent restaurants and shops especially. You feel all sorts of optimism when the one-off business is thriving. (Big box stores and malls make me sad. I bet they do it to you too but you don't know it because Coca Cola and Gap ads are so full of jump around joy).

You have a love for food too. Great freaking food. All over the place. Butcher shops thrive here. We shut them down in Vancouver. Cheese shops too.. great legendary cheese shops. One of my favorite paces is my destination tonight.. FRESH.  Everything is raw and fresh and healthy and ridiculously made from vegetables and fruits and ya.. it's like a massage for my vitamin deficiencies. You make a crazy nut and chocolate shake too.. and well you are 5 blocks away.. I know it will be good.

Thanks Toronto. We might have fun before I leave ON A TRAIN. Ya, you've got that too. You can go to a train station and get on a train that chugs out of the city on a track and goes places and has wifi and dining cars. There's something so civilized about a city that has a train that will take you to another city. I really like that about you Toronto. For some reason Vancouver plays the train game only part of the year or it costs a zillion dollars to contend with the road block known as the Rocky Mountains.

One last thing.. please don't snow. I didn't pack for it.

Thanks,
Jill

it's been awhile..

Techy things are happening.. I can't talk about it.. it's all hush hush.. but the ransom is cookies.. maybe.. postings have been halted in the meantime.. sneaking one in.. maybe..

stay tuned..

in the name of art

This was a lot of fun... Michael and I went for a ride through Vancouver and all around Stanley Park. I made this little video while on my bike. It was  slightly dangerous. The part with the rollarbladers is kind of whoozy but then you get to the part where Michael runs me off the bike bath.. in name of art..Too funny.

Saturday afternoon..

The Ipod video is sooooo much fun. I walked down Commercial Drive in Vancouver today. The weather in Vancouver is Canada's best kept secret.. by the way. Here's my little video..

I ate some cheese today

I just woke up from a dream..

I was on an episode of a talk show. I was wearing a blond, dusted bouphant wig and a straw hat with a ribbon, pedal pushers and a cardigan sweater set. I had a small yellow typewritter on my lap that I was recording the "activity" for my blog at home. I don't remember what I wrote.

Also sitting there was Mightygirl. I don't remember what she was wearing, but at one point I handed her a sequined cloth bathing cap and matching vest. She told me a story of how she and her sister were wearing matching bathing caps in Amsterdam and the staff told them that because of them they would always wear rubber boots (apparently an avantegard item of fashion not normally seen.. like a cloth sequined bathing cap)

We were accompanied by two friends, one of which was a friend of my fella- Todd- who has the retro thing going on already. I don't remember the 4th guy.

We were seated to the far left of the stage on Retro chairs. The host was Stephen Colbert, I think..but I can't remember. Apparently we didn't have anything to say as a group at all and we were waiting for a vote results to come in??? At one point the host said.. 'The audience has to go home, we need the internet to go home.'

There was an intermission and the lights went up and I looked down at the audience ( we were on a high school like stage/ auditorium except the drop to the audience was much bigger). The audience was all decked out in 50's ball gowns, sequins, tiaras, skinny suits, gloves, etc.. and I thought to myself.. wow..this is where you can come if you want to be in the past.

Mightygirl took a photo of us and that's when I first realized, I was also dressed in clothes from the past.

The intermission had a musical act which was like Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" video.. all women who were dressed similar- except in my dream.. all slightly different and they all wore white face makeup, heavy black eyeliner and red lips. Some had gold tassel, some wore suits with gold ties..

I got up and saw a pair of silver strap shoes lying on a mantel.

I sat down and was wedged in beside a wall and a very large man who I joked with to move so "I could be seen".

A man in an orange suit sat down next to me instead. I don't know where Todd and Mightgirl went to.

What does it mean??

Happy Birthday Catherine

Things to do today..

1. wake Up
2. deny your age and immediately assume preferred age
3. make cinnamon toast, pour a big glass of milk
4. rub sleep from eyes
5. Load up golden ipod from loving sister
6. dance
7. get dressed

did you know...

Did you know that a lack of dairy in your diet can lead to a shortage of ice cream, Greek style yogurt, cheese on bread and milkshakes? 

Have I mentioned that I've stopped consuming all dairy products? I miss cheese on toast. I miss thick yummy Greek style yogurt with Cuban honey even more. It makes me sad to walk past the dairy aisle in the supermarket.

Today, I took the day off and went to the doctor about my persistent insomnia, feeling run down since Christmas and excessive anxiety to which he gave me a low dose of some anti- anxiety medication and an antibiotic for a severe chest infection that he could determine I had by listening to my lungs (wtf?)

Then I told him of my dietary choices..

Did you know a lack of calcium in your diet can lead to the following symptoms:

Insomnia, anxiety, nervousness, depression, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, PMS, painful periods..

I've had them all. Now I have a bottle of berry flavored Calcium Magnesium with Vitamin D and a Mega multi-vitamin. 

I'm going to lay down now with a stalk of broccoli to chew on.

Calcium..it does a body good.

I've won a million dollars

Well.. no not really. But you can imagine if I did? What do you think I would do? What would you do?

I can tell you what I think I would do..

I would run for the hills and keep my trap shut. Nothing brings out the worms out of the grass like bunch of rain.

I'd promptly look for an amazing property to turn into a guest house, a hostel or a B&B. Someplace with a lot of history and with a strong tourist flow. Like Cuba. Ha.. Like Vancouver.. like one of these.. found here on Granville Island or maybe one of these..

- buy out Catherine's student loan debt.
- go back to school leisurely and frivolously study photography and art history.
- sock a lot away very smartly.
- buy this company
- stay at my job for a while longer.
- send my friend Vince and his partner Mitch on a trip to anywhere they wanted to go.
- take my mom and sister on a trip to someplace wonderful. I don't know what I'd do for my dad or other family.
- rent a hybrid camper and drive across Canada and America taking photos.  - get a lot of tattoos.
- help you do something you've always wanted to do.
- volunteer my time more and help others.
- buy all the camera equipment I'd ever want to


And a million other things. What would you do?

mow.

IMGP0109, originally uploaded by jilly71.