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{zen space}

7 Nov

oh, how i have missed blogging!  and i have missed interacting with my readers! i hope you all have been well and that life has been treating you with love and grace.

so much has happened this year {and last year} for me and although i would love to go into great detail about it all, after much consideration, i have decided to refrain.  i have been taking some time to journal some thoughts down and i think that will be a good way to release it all first. then, if i decide to share, i will.

it suffices to say that i have grown tremendously over the last 24 months and i sit here writing this post with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and relief! the past is in the past and i am here, now. although, the time is always now, you know?! if we are fully submersed in the moment, we are always in the now.  the past is behind us and we can’t change it and the future doesn’t even exist yet… so all we really have is now. and it is always NOW. i am {re}learning and remembering how crucial this simple truth is to keep in the forefront of our minds. it is far too easy to get caught up in other things and especially other thoughts.

and here at food and foto, we like to keep it as light-hearted as possible. or at least, as “positive” as possible. i have been thinking a lot about what we choose to focus on; what we allow our minds to be occupied with. and for me, it is extremely important to find a way to disconnect from our seemingly ceaseless thoughts… to find a zen space. and that doesn’t exactly have to be a physical place. although – it can be found in nature, in a park, in your bedroom, at a church… but basically, being “zen” is truly a state of mind. it has little to do with location.

however, it is true and i do find that some places bring me to a more “zen” feeling than others. for example, i did like living in the mountains and especially in the tiny home, as it was a life-changing experience… one that many people dream of. however, i never quite felt “zen” while i was there. at least, not like i do when i am near the ocean. i love listening to the sound of the waves as the water ebbs and flows… it reminds me to breathe in and breathe out. i love the smell of the salty air breezing through my hair… it reminds me to stay in touch with my intuition and appreciate the moment. i love sense of wonder and awe i feel for the unknown that lies beyond and beneath… it keeps me grounded and humble. truly, nothing makes me feel more zen than being near the ocean.

i am a water baby at my core and i basically believe i am {or was} a mermaid. therefore, i feel truly at home when i am near the vastness of the big blue. something about being around the water gives me a sense of peace like nothing else does. it is truly my zen space.

with all that said, i would like to share these fotos i took while visiting the atlantic ocean recently. i had a little fun playing around with some different filters. also, it’s pretty satisfying to be able to dip your toes in the warm sand in november!

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where do you find your zen space?!

{happy halloween}

31 Oct

…from callee cat 😸🙀😼🎃

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{wordless wednesday : life, lately}

16 Mar

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{fire in the sky}

11 Mar

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{another beautiful sunset}

6 Mar

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{things that remind me of new york…}

4 Mar

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pizza… and me in this hat!

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geese everywhere for days… and creepy, unexplainable masks…

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culturally cool bikes… !

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large groups of ninjas practicing with swords… and this…

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stickers on electrical posts… and graffiti in hidden spots…

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broken glass that looks like art… and bright colours…

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stickers everywhere for days… especially funny ones…

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this cool lamppost… !

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tweety bird driving {what appears to be} a pimped-out dunebuggy… and awesome murals…

{what can i say – i’m food and foto obsessed!}

2 Mar

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bbq pulled pork sammy w/ mac n’ cheese & a rich brown ale… flank steak salad w/ chimichuri…

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breakfast! w/ salmon, avocado, & a purple sweet potato… a variety of cheeses & caviar!…

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hearty tomato soup w/chicken salad over a bed of arugula… a beautiful spread of tapas…

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mixed green salad w/carrot ribbons & cilantro dressing… potato waffles w/creme fraiche & smoked salmon…

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potato parmesan soup w/garlic foccacia breadbowl… pastrami sammy w/ceaser salad…

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colourful roasted fingerling potatoes… israeli cous-cous w/ fresh herbs over a bed of spinach…

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eggs benedict two-ways… prosciutto & manchego pop-tart w/ balsamic glaze drizzle…

{notes from strangers}

21 Feb

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a customer left this on a table for me… and i pretty much melted.

it always feels so good to be seen.

❤ ❤ ❤

{a lovely walk around the lake}

18 Feb

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once upon a time in february it was 70 degrees, and I walked around a lake in a t-shirt…

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along the way, i spotted lots of beautiful and interesting things… like naked trees and cracks in the earth…

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like, crazy amounts of cracks… like the earth is erupting from below!..

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along the way, i also spotted crazy amounts of geese… walking around, and walking on ice…

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and speaking of ice, i spotted parts of the lake that were still frozen and parts that were melting…

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it was a lovely site… the wind blew crazy in my face and yet the sun on my face kept me crazy warm…

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the clouds were very interesting… and this picture looks like an alien ship about to land!…

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cat tails… everywhere!!!

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shout out to the east coast… and to interesting angles!…

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art… is… everywhere…

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once upon a time, i saw interesting patterns in the ice… and in my shadow…

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and in the geese’s {is that right?!} foot prints…

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and then… one of the geese flapped his wings… and a ton of birds flew by…

———

j.good would appreciate this blog ❤ i hope she reads it!

{“good friends are like stars; you don’t always see them, but you know they are there.”}

15 Feb

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thank you {again} for the lovely flowers, D.A.! 🙂

{my furry valentine}

14 Feb

like most pet-owners, i’m a little obsessed… and i’m pretty much in love with my cat. ❤

i mean, how can i not be – look at how cute my callee kitty is!!!!

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i love it when she stands like this or when she looks at me like that…

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and i love her crazy long whiskers and when her ears go back like this…

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she’s mildly playful, and also easily annoyed when her claws get stuck in things…

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and it’s fun when you scroll through film and find pics like these! 😀

i’m just in love with my cat! ❤

{go broncos!}

26 Jan

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{the sn-haps}

15 Jan

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{white} christmas recap

25 Dec

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{peas in a pod}

14 Nov

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{happy halloween from the callee, the “scaredy-cat”}

31 Oct

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… and she is {ironically} not really a fan of having her picture taken.

😛

{thirsty thursday : new belgium’s pumpkick brew!}

17 Sep

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it’s just around the bend… that wonderful feeling in the air, as summer transitions to autumn… this is, afterall, my favourite time of year… and i humbly and somewhat eagerly welcome the change of seasons {both literally – in nature, and figuratively – in my own life} as i toast with a yummy, beautiful brew — pumpkick, from new belgium… and goodness, they sure know what they’re doing when it comes to beer!

and i’m slowly learning what i’m doing when it comes to life…

 

SLAINTE!

 

{silent sunday : happy labor day weekend!}

6 Sep

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{a blue moon wedding!}

22 Aug

there were such beautiful and intimate moments at this wedding, that at one point – i almost forgot to keep taking pictures! i was completely enamored, what can i say?!  these two are such magnificent souls… and their love carries such an intense energy with it that EVERYONE could feel!

they decided to wed on the blue moon, just three weeks ago, this past july. it was just the most beautiful day and only 20 people were present for the ceremony… and so was blue moon, the yummy beer.

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congratulations, a & a! ❤

 

{it’s my mama’s birthday!}

21 Aug

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it’s my mama’s birthday today… you may remember how i celebrated a couple years ago…

well, this year i am going to take myself out to do something special… and in honour of my mother {since i look just like her} and her birthday, i thought i would post these silly pics of myself… Continue reading