Gratitude List #14: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry 2

'Blood Orange Smoothie' (photo by me)

Today's gratitude list is on the theme of the usual: music, free concerts, and summer foods/drinks, in order of the events of this past week, in no particular order of importance:

* The launch of a local Green Party's campaign, Claire Martin, for North Vancouver with appetizers, music, and speeches by her and Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party
* Drop-in singing with an impromptu rock choirin West Vancouver
* Singing with a beautiful view of the ocean (inside though) at Silk Purse Gallery
* Listening to a cool band Friday evening (I thought 'Frozen' was playing so came late)
* A fresh fig given to me directly from a tree next door where I live
* Reconnecting with my previous landlady at her garage sale
* Receiving a raindrop umbrella from my previous landlady's daughter
* Being provided with fresh ice and cold water before heading out again
* Attending a block party in my old neighbourhood
* Summer fruit: blueberries (and organic at that!)
* Preparing and creating a green salad with fruit (blueberries, strawberries, and a fig from next door)
* Salmon patties
* Cold drinks on a hot day: iced tea, water, mineral water
* Popsicles and/or ice cream on a hot day
* A great live Latin band, Alma Chevere, to dance to (http://www.almachevere.com/)

Me (being silly) smelling the herbs of one of my favourite teas today, 'Blood Orange Smoothie' though not a smoothie. (It almost looks like I am drinking it; however, we each received a small plastic container to taste various iced teas with.)

* Sampling different teas at an iced tea event (http://www.teasparrow.com/)
* Tea Sparrow: their integrity, generosity, and sense of fun
* Receiving a goodie bag for volunteering

Just curious, what is your favourite type of tea: black, chai, green, herbal, oolong?

And what are you grateful for at this time? Today/yesterday/this past week?

Gratitude List #13: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry! ;)

Today's gratitude list is on the themes of 'Eat, Drink, and Be Merry' as part of my summer fun in terms of music, free concerts, and summer foods/drinks, in order of the events of this past week:

March Hare Band at Shipyards Market, North Vancouver, BC (my photo)

I have to tell you, I had a fabulous week this past week!

* Kirtan in North Van in someone's home in my old neighbourhood
* I knew the woman hosting the kirtan
* Creating a scrapbook page for a colleague leaving work
* A staff BBQ in a Vancouver park, near the water's edge
* A pair of new runners for walking (hope they work out fine!)
* An outdoor movie playing at the main library's plaza area
* A fun movie, "Into the Woods" with Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Woods_%28film%29)
* Winning a popcorn prize for the trivia question what the movie was based on (I knew as I sang part of the song in a previous choir)
* A free slushie at 7/11 as it is 7/11 day
* Salmon burger - yum, yum!
* Summer fruit: cherries and apricots
* March Hare Band (www.marchhareband.com), a great band to dance to!
* Dancing in the rain literally with other folk: fun and cooled me while dancing
* Rain - finally! - for nature including gardens, wildlife, and us humans
* A volunteer meeting where I got to sample different iced teas
* A free concert of a boys chorale in North Vancouver
* The Maryland State Boychoir (http://www.marylandstateboychoir.org/)

Last week I had wondered if I "should" stop repeating that I love to air dry my laundry. Well I did on this list as I did'nt as we got some much-needed rain! (Needless to say, I really missed doing so this weekend.)

What are you grateful for at this time? Today/yesterday/this past week?

Gratitude List #9: More of Free and Freedom

Sci-fi book cover: Kéthani by Eric Brown

Today's gratitude list predominantly continues on the theme of free and freedom from last week (http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2015/06/gratitude-list-8-free-and-freedom.html) as well as the outdoors, in no particular order as follows:

* Reading an interesting sci-fi book: didn't think I was a fan of science fiction!
* Relaxing and reading in a nearby park with lots of trees, including tall pine trees
* Creating colourful and tasty salads with organic vegetables and fruit
* Free samples including that of food
* Fridays Shipyards Night Market in North Van
* Gelato! Especially on a warm summer evening - oh, spring!
* Free music outdoors and great bands
* Free vocal session (introductory)
* Free coffee after so many stars/points collected
* Free/donation luncheon
* Being able to air dry laundry again outside on a sunny weekend
* Walking the neighbourhood nightly, usually around sunset (before/after) sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend
* Beauty whether homes, gardens, neighbourhoods, and vistas

* Living in North Vancouver: I love it here!
* A walk by the ocean in picturesque West Vancouver
* Eyesight: being able to read and see lovely vistas

P.S. I changed my photo on last week's gratitude of the side of this Bavarian Alps home.

And now your turn, what are you grateful for? Today and/or this past week and/or in general?

Gratitude List #8: Free and Freedom

Bavarian Alps style home

Today's gratitude list is on the theme of free and freedom, neighbourhood and mice as follows:

* Free training for public speaking via my work
* Free exercise class focusing on legs, bum, and tum
* Sunny hot weather this weekend to air dry my laundry :)
* About an hour nap due to a few early mornings, late nights, and allergies
* Making time to read (and enjoy) a book
* Spending some time outdoors: farmers markets, reading, walks
* Going for walks in my new neighbourhood
* Farmer's markets on the North Shore, including a few in North Vancouver
* Having an abundance of food in my fridge including lettuce/salad & fruit
* Meeting the owner of a Bavarian Alps style home: love that look!
* Meeting a neighbourhood cat just down the street where I live
* Scenic views from up on high (on the streets in Upper Lonsdale)
* Two mice caught in the hall/storage area between the outer and inner doors
* A dog upstairs with a keen sense of smell: he found the second dead mouse - I had heard the snap of one mousetrap ...hmm, wish I had a cat or dog! ;)
* Found a loonie (a one-dollar coin)

Mouse traps: old and new styles

Though I had SO wished for the mouse to escape outdoors to freedom - thought I had only one mouse (unless another came in in the meantime) - to go back outside harm-free, my landlord had tried various means including mouse-friendly traps where they would be caught alive.

Nothing seemed to work and thus she resorted to old, traditional mouse traps which I did not wish in my home. Thus, they were placed in the corridor between the outside door and my apartment door.


What are you grateful for today and/or this week?