Black and White

Some Things that are Orange

Doris Day

This woman means many things to me:

No. 1
I knew her famous song before I knew her. My mom would sing "Que Sera, Sera" around the house. These days it seems I have fully adopted the phrase as my daily mantra.

No. 2
Doris Day's birthday is right in between my mom's and I. I was born on April 2nd, Doris was born on April 3rd, and mom was born on April 4th.

No. 3
She is such a Rockstar! Her voice has a thick jazzy underbelly with a bit of salty and sweet mixed in there. The sweet bit is what allowed her to be so believable as an artistic mother of 4 boys or as an endearing music teacher who juggles acting, mothering and keeping her husband happy after convincing her whole family they should move to the 'burbs.

No. 4
I fantasize that if ever I lived the life of a movie star in another life, I would be Doris Day.

No. 5
The opposite pictures of Doris "The Bikini Babe" and "Miss. D" the school teacher represent my life at the present time - Ms. Full-Time Job by day and Rock n' Roll Diva by night...

Graffiti With Faces

Winter Blues and Big Thoughts

During the month of January it became apparent that all things romantic and magical were tied up in Christmas and New Years celebrations. What we were left with was frigid temperatures, snow that felt like a burden on my feet, and salt. Too much god damned salt. But on return from a mandatory 4 day school trip to the "Big Nickel" I managed to conjure up some "Big Thoughts".

The Big Thought - "There must be a balance in winter..."
- Wear a healthy mix of warm, weather appropriate clothing
- Experience real outdoor activity! Like snow-shoeing and skating on lakes
- Have more artful appreciation...radio shows, live music, good biographies and re-discovering the lost art of conversation with strangers
- Live in a place that feels like a neighborhood - not a pushy rat-race
- Eat amazing warm foods and soups
- Seek out colour - the winter blues are actually the clearest and crispest, and when you combine deep breathing while looking at blue skies you can feel the balance seep in.

All things plain and beautiful are the real things that define us.