oh, october

The whirlwind that was October is drawing to a close.
The insanity that will be November is just around the corner.

In the meantime, a few random thoughts from this absentee blogger.

Life is good. Life is sweet.
Life is chaotic, to be sure, but there have been lots of quiet moments during this time that make me immensely grateful to be where I am now, as opposed to where I thought I would be. There is joy in the small things I once thought would never again be mine - coming home to candlelit magic and dinner waiting for me after a long day at the studio or after a fitness class; the shared nuances of intertwined life.

I am discovering that I love that my parents and siblings are also my friends.
I called my dad last night to ask how to stream live baseball coverage off Chinese tv (no, my black-and-white two-channel television does not include a channel with World Series coverage, and yes, I am that much of a nerd).
My mom and I discuss on a regular basis when the next time is that we can meet up for a tea outside the house for a veritable date. It will happen, Mom, I promise.
My aunt and I have bi-monthly hair appointments at the same salon, a perfect opportunity for a day complete with pre-haircut coffees, post-haircut lunch and usually a jaunt to the Eaton Centre to do some shopping mixed in.
My brother came into the studio for two full days to record beautiful cello tracks for my album; my sisters and I have girls nights, usually involving pizza and a lot of hysterical laughter; my sister-in-law and I keep updated through email: on Monday morning, the one in my inbox read "Just wondering how your trip was and how the concert went...let me know".

There is, of course, the unifying aspect of sports fanaticism in both J.'s family and mine. J. and I have commented on how lovely it is to be in a position where not only do we love our families, certainly, but it's also nice to know that we like them, too, and that we share interests and passions.
For example, we find ourselves planning upcoming weekend activities in the next few months around my youngest sister's varsity basketball home games in her senior year at U of T: in fact, J.'s dad, a former basketball coach, is intending to attend at least a couple of her games this season as well, and one or more of my family members are constant attendees.
Then there's the fact that my sisters and my sister-in-law play on the same rep soccer team, and J. and I play soccer every Monday night in a co-ed rec league on the same team as J.'s sister and brother-in-law. It's a great opportunity for weekly catch-up and post-game hangouts.

I'm also discovering that there is a time for new friendships. For several years, I have shied away from making new connections. I've feared judgement, shunning the vulnerability of new intimacy, choosing instead to rely on my tried-and-true trusted friends. Yet I find myself now in a place where stagnancy and/or disparity in the direction of our lives is seriously choking some of my friendships. It was truly a breath of fresh air to feel a "kindred spirit" connection with an eerily similar stranger I met a week ago. It's a pity she lives on the other side of the country, but in this day and age, that's hardly stopping us from almost-daily contact.

NOTE: I still need my late-night phone calls (L.); my accountability and creative outlet (R.); and my dose of blunt straight-talk (E.) to keep me sane. Don't worry, ladies.

Life is good. Life is sweet.
More soon about the trip out west, I promise.
More too about playing soccer, bad bruises, and how much I love BCBD classes. Because I not only do I love my BCBD classes, I need them.

Also, the CherryApple Art launch party is happening this Saturday.
I'm so excited and so proud to be a part of it. More on that as well!