Gifts...

This could easily be a Mary Oliver tribute blog. I love her poetry.

I've been thinking about this particular poem lately, and not because I'm unhappy or because anything is wrong. There is just something about it that I think is very beautiful and true and deeply comforting.

Hope it encourages someone out there today.

The Uses of Sorrow

(In my sleep I dreamed this poem)

Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.

It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.

-Mary Oliver

Old material...

Cousin Laura,

I was looking through some photos from my brother's wedding and this one reminded me of something...something from the past...

(Victoria, Canada, 2011)

Which was, of course, this photo. Are they not strangely similar? Why are our facial expressions exactly the same? And what possessed us to wear scarves on our heads?

(Mucombeze, Mozambique, 2010)

Sadly, this is not the first time that something like this has occurred: http://notlikejacob.blogspot.com/2010/03/dear-laura.html

I think we're in a rut.

Egads...

I haven't blogged in ages. Please accept this link to my recent Facebook photo album as a proxy for the 15 or so blog posts I should have written in the last little while:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150834402225215.746907.804750214&l=f8b553aba2&type=1

The project...

Since getting back from my brother's wedding my focus has been on getting my dissertation finished as the due date draws nigh...very, very nigh.

I told my tutor that I would get my first draft to him by today, August 10th. In retrospect, that was a bit ambitious.

Anyways, after a rather sleepless night, a brief nap at dawn and then a few more hours of frantic edits, my first draft is submitted!

I stumbled out of my room at about 1:30pm exultant and full of joy! According to my housemates I also bore a strange resemblance to a mad scientist.

And now I guess I'd better clean up the post thesis-writing mess...

Love

My brother got married this last Sunday. I am so happy for them. I am so happy that I could be there.

The bride and groom set off on their new bicycle for two!

London

"New ideas must use old buildings."

Jane Jacobs

Inside the Natural History Museum.

Love this shot of St. Paul's in the gloom.

White Tower at the Tower of London.

One of my favourite places in the British Museum.

Victoria Monument at Buckingham Palace.

Westminster Abbey.

Canada Day

On Canada Day there was a big shindig here in London at Trafalgar Square.

My friends Celia (Italian) and Meghan (Americano) kindly accompanied me to the celebrations.

(Here are Megs and Cel with their loves. It's a great shot, no? Okay, on to Canada Day...)

Here are Megs and Cel surrounded by friendly Canadians with the lovely National Gallery in the background (by the by, Trafalgar Square is probably my favourite place in London, hands down. It was the first place I took my brother when he visited and, while I won't name any names, I will say that one of us got a bit emotional. It's just that lovely).

Here is me proudly wearing my Vancouver 2010 Olympic t-shirt! I think covered wagons are alright. Especially when they sell curly fries.

I introduced the girls to poutine. Celia was unimpressed, Meghan professed to enjoy it, and I was very obviously in love. There was a Tim Horton's booth as well, but they sold out of coffee and donuts before I could get some. I was rather saddened, until I remembered that I'll be in Canada in two weeks. I'll stock up then.