Stolen Moments at The Victorian Inn: 2011

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

A Little Time Out

Tomorrow the packers will be in the house and all our things will be safely wrapped and boxed up for the move on Friday. At some point in the day we'll be taking our cable/internet boxes back to the store and so we will be disconnected. I imagine we won't be back on-line until late Saturday (at best), perhaps later, so please bear with me. I truly appreciate every one of you who have just begun to follow my blog.

We move into the Inn on Friday and have our first guests arriving on Saturday afternoon!

The exciting times are yet to come!

Catch you on the other side :)

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Follow Your Bliss

The divine manifestation is ubiquitous,

Only our eyes are not open to it.

Awe is what moves us forward.

Live from your own center.

The divine lives within you.

The separateness apparent in the world is secondary.

Beyond the world of opposites is an unseen,

but experienced, unity and identity in us all.

Today the planet is the only proper "in group."

Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world.

We cannot cure the world of sorrows,

but we can choose to live in joy.

You must return with the bliss and integrate it.

The return is seeing the radiance is everywhere.

The world is a match for us.

We are a match for the world.

The spirit is the bouquet of nature.

Sanctify the place you are in.

Follow your bliss. . . .

♥ Joseph Campbell

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Good Advice

"Cherish your solitude.

Take trains by yourself to places you have never been.

Sleep out alone under the stars.

Learn how to drive a stick shift.

Go so far away that you stop being afraid of not coming back.

Say no when you don’t want to do something.

Say yes if your instincts are strong, even if everyone around you disagrees.

Decide whether you want to be liked or admired.

Decide if fitting in is more important than finding out what you’re doing here.

Believe in kissing."

~Eve Ensler

Friday, July 22, 2011

Be Who You Are

Some of the dearest friends I've ever had...
Izabella, Wendy, Debbie, Sam, and Shula
staring at the beautiful Adriatic sea in Albania

‎"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want. "

~ Margaret Young

I found this quotation this morning on my Facebook wall (posted by Beyond the Veil where the Angels Ascend) and think it's amazing. Read it then read it again. There's a lot of power in living with these words in mind. I wanted to know just who this Margaret Young was so I googled the name. As you can imagine there are so many Margaret Youngs!!

I'm going to assume that this particular Margaret was the delightful vaudevillian singer and comedienne born in 1891 in Detroit, Michigan.

Some of her recordings are on YouTube - take some time today to listen and enjoy! They'll take you back to the era of fabulous flappers and real divas! Now if this quotation is NOT from this Miss Young, you will have still spent a few moments with beauty.

And by the way.... I am not in any way implying that my dearest friends in the photo above live their lives backwards. I just happened to catch them all from behind! These women.... every one of them, live life to the fullest by following Margaret's words every day. I admire them all for their courage and joy.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Venafro, Italy

Several years ago (I can hardly believe it but it's been 5 years!), we made a driving holiday through much of Italy, including a few days in the historical Molise region. Nestled at the foot of the Santa Croce mountains north of Naples and south of Rome, we found the charming town of Venafro. Being mid-November the mornings were cool and misty but quickly cleared up once the sun peeked over the rocky hills.

We stayed at a delightful B&B and I think perhaps that the wonderful memories of this fabulous place are what inspired us to buy our own this summer. Our hostess (I call her The Countess though I'm sure she's not) made us feel like long lost friends and did all that she could to make us welcome and comfortable in her beautiful family home. Constructed around 15th century buildings, and reconstructed around 1860, the B&B reminded me of an Italian palace. I adored the crumbling frescoes, the enormous palms in the garden, the magnificent staircase,

and especially our bedroom, complete with burning fireplace.

I truly hope that we will make our guests feel as welcome as we felt here.

Dimora delPrete di Belmonte

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Too Hot!

Oh so hot!

TOO HOT to cook!

So tonight it's shaved ham, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers,
several types of yummy cheeses,

a bit of cognac pate, croissants, cheese buns,

and tiny date squares with hot tea.

There's actually hardly anything more delicious in mid-July is there?

The only thing that could make it better would be
to be enjoying it out on our veranda.

Ohhhh well.... next week we will be doing just that!

Monday, July 18, 2011

12 More Sleeps!

I am waking up dreaming of this room...

only 12 more days until we move in to our Victorian Inn!

This is the dining room where our guests will be served delicious breakfasts every morning

unless they prefer to enjoy them out on the beautiful screened veranda...

Hopefully it won't be too long before we'll be able to welcome you in person!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in

my heart) i am never without it (anywhere

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that is keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

e e cummings

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Sunflower Still Life

Sunflower Still Life, a photo by Miss Kim on Flickr.

Inspired by Willow at Life at Willow Manor today...

Sunflowers have always been a favourite of mine..

I love their bright exuberance
catching the warm rays of the sun...

eager to spread joy and warmth to all...

their cheerful faces... reminding us to keep on smiling...

their strong stems... so hard to bend... resilient, supportive, and reliable.

Simple petals pointing outward... towards others...

their full centers overflowing with abundance...

more than enough to share with hungry birds.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Triptych: Windows

"So I wait for you like a lonely house

till you will see me again and live in me.

Till then my windows ache."

Pablo Neruda

(100 Love Sonnets: Cien Sonetos de Amor)

Today in the middle of summer I am missing this place-

the Adriatic Sea on the Albanian coast...

This view is very special... a rare view from inside King Zog's old royal palace, now sadly crumbling in ruin.

I think that one day it will be added to the list of local archaeological sites.

Build in 1927, as a personal gift to HM King Zog I, by the business community of Durres as a sign of respect and prosperity. Build in a form of an eagle, the villa was constructed on the highest point of the port city of Durres, overlooking the city and peering towards Italy. It is most famous for its Blue marble and large ballroom. Although horribly damaged during the 1997 riots, it remains a symbol the heritage of the city of Durres. With over two thousand newly married couples visiting it as a sign of good luck yearly.

From: Albanian Royal Court

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Butchart Gardens, Victoria BC

I suppose my renewed interest in gardens is inspired by the fact that in 2 weeks we'll have our own garden! I'm so excited that I'll have a beautiful space surrounding our home in which to live, breath, and dream. Our recent visit to Victoria's wonderful Butchart Gardens made us realise just how important it is to spend time with nature and to appreciate the beauty we find in a garden. My hope is that our garden will be a place of beauty and peace.