Leonard Cohen

I saw Leonard Cohen in concert in Montreal (his hometown) yesterday. Amazing! Wow! Wow!

I have never been in a place with 30,000 people and it took my breath away. The huge spaciousness all surrounded by these loving bodies.

Leonard started just after 8 pm and went on until 11:45 pm. There was a 20 minute intermission. (Younger performers could take note of this).

His accompanying singers and band members were absolutely fabulous. There was a guitarist from Barcelona who could have had a concert of his own and same with his keyboard man, I think his name is Neil Larsen. Two sisters from Kent, England and Sharon Robinson, were the three singers and they had solos which were awesome. And the violin player.....! I love how Leonard stood with hat in hand and eyes closed with reverence as each member of his troupe shared their own magic.

Leonard went down on his knees to sing many of his songs which felt like he was expressing service to us, how he wanted to surrender to the divine and share his gifts so we could all be loving and kind.

Every time he went off the stage he skipped and danced waving his arm. Such beauty and grace in this 78 year old icon. I felt privileged to be present. I have never been to a concert that I loved so much. It even brings a tear to my eye thinking about it.

The little dude

This is Whiski - otherwise known as Whiski Dude. He is 13 weeks old. He had his first walk in the park (he has been in the park but until today has stood terrified instead of exploring). We wandered in the neighbourhood, his little head bobbing up and down in his carry bag. He fell asleep at the coffee shop. I definitely felt like the proud grandma.

Minna, my daughter, and the dude.

Porter

I love the Porter airline lounge at the Toronto Island airport. I've had roasted almonds and a latte in a real china cup. They have a little store now. Lots of leather goods.........really nice! WANT Passport is the name of the store. It began with two Canadian brothers (twins), and there are four people running the company now. They have their main store in Montreal.

So, I've arrived in Montreal. Minna and Jon, (daughter and her boyfriend), have an awesome home right downtown, it's too dark for good photos on the iPad tonight.

It is wonderful to have adult children who live in amazing cities. I can visit!

Pumpkin Soup

I have modified this soup from a recipe in a Canadian Gardening magazine Fall 2012.

Olive oil
chopped onions - 1 to 2 cups
some minced garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
a bit of cream or milk
cut and chopped pumpkin - I used a whole small pumpkin but you could have less or even pureed pumpkin
roasted pumpkin seeds and sour cream for garnish

Heat the oil in a pot. Saute onions and garlic and cook until they begin to soften. Add ginger and stir a bit. Add curry powder and stir until smooth. Add pumpkin chunks.
Add broth. Simmer until pumpkin is cooked. Puree.
Add some cream or milk (or evaporated or condensed milk). I usually just put in a dollop, or 1/4 cup but you can put more if you like. (I bet coconut milk would taste great too).

Enjoy!

Little time for great benefit

I love to do yoga before supper. I usually do this on the weekends. I get supper started or partially prepared so that after yoga I can just sit down to eat. Today was wonderful. I only did slow yoga postures for a very short time but it was enough to get into a peaceful, slower mode. And I lay down on the carpet and listened to Will Blunderfield's music (a Vancouver yoga teacher and musician). It was heavenly. Such a little amount of time for such a large amount of peace.

Getting up in the morning

This business of getting up in the morning: I've been exploring it.

I remember my dad (who worked 2 jobs) getting up around 5 am every morning. He drank a pot of coffee and played solitaire until it was time to go to work. He loved work! I never remember him grumbling about "having" to do anything. Maybe that's why he had an easy time getting up in the mornings.

When I was a kid I got up pretty early too, school days or holidays, I read a book before I got up to get ready for the day. And I liked school and holidays. But the days we were going fishing or to the dump, well, I got up even earlier. If it was just my dad and I going we left before 6 am. It was always an adventure.

So, yes, I am a morning person.

I have noticed though, that getting up in the morning isn't like it used to be. Perhaps because I am not usually home in the evenings until 9:30 or 10:00 pm and I can't get to bed early enough or maybe getting up now isn't like to go to school, or fishing, or the dump.

This is what I have discovered about alarms, mornings, and morning practices. The most important part is the night before. Before going to sleep I have to "input" that I will happily and eagerly get up in the morning. I set the time, put the alarm on, and "input" that I will wake up just before the alarm......so the sound doesn't "alarm" me. This works when the habit is formed. Really!

However, I must never press snooze. I must never roll over onto my side.....or I fall asleep instantly. I have to kick myself out of bed the first few times and right now as the mornings are dark, I have had to kick myself out of bed for a good week. And that's only because I have been off track.

When this works and I don't miss a single morning for a while it is heavenly to wake up. Another adventure!

I have started to also allow for one morning a week to sleep in. I usually wake up as usual but then I remember.....ahhhhh......this morning is the sleep in morning. It is heavenly to roll over and not have to feel I have to keep a promise to myself.

I want to get up so my morning practice is done first. Right now I mostly meditate. And if the day is busy I still feel accomplished because I did what I am committed to doing. There is an amazing feeling of power in that. In doing what I set out to do.

If there is a practice you want to do daily, and daily is best, even if it's not long, you must commit to it. You must consciously find the time, whether it's morning or afternoon, or evening. Once you decide, really decide, then you just follow through, no matter what. Just do it!

Who am I?