Cleaning

Today, James and I spent about5-6 hours cleaning, and throwing a coat of paint on the walls in a house his Dad owns. His much older brother will soon be moving from Vancouver to Nanaimo, and the house needed a great deal of tidying. James and I discovered that we actually have a fairly good time working together. While there were a few difficulties (as we do things very differently----Man brain versus the superior female brain).

While this is a short and slightly lame blog post, I thought I would at least update something, to keep myself in the habit.

A very full day at the COCO Cafe

Today was both exhausting and awesome. I am almost too tired to blog, but I've got to keep it up.

I arrived at the COCO Cafe in Cedar at nine, took some garbage out (amid worries that there was a gas leak... which there was, but all fixed) and waited to get the day going. Over the course of the day we stained furniture, learned how to use the Point of Sale Cash register, interviewed someone with developmental disabilities who will likely be working at the Cafe after it opens and learned how to use the very fancy espresso machine. It was fun. I made some drinks that turned out beautifully, I am beginning to get the hang of this again.

We also spent a lot of time beginning to organize the kitchen and bar(ista) area. It was so awesome to have input in where things should go... Normally, a barista wouldn't have the option of saying "Hey, I like it if the ____ is next to the ____ (and on the right because I am right handed)". Because we are all in this from before opening, we get to have a say, which I think in the long run will make us more committed to the Cafe. We are a part of it now and as we become Support Workers, for people with developmental disabilities who will work there, I think we will feel even more a part of the big picture.

So awesome, so exciting, so fun.

It will be opening soon at the 49th Parallel compound in Cedar, where the garden shop used to be.

Check out the COCO Cafe

And the COCO Cafe facebook group

Life in my garden!

I have recently started gardening. While my University was closed for a strike, I decided to start gardening. I bought some seeds, planted them in small plastic pots(taken from the landscapers who worked on the property next to us: Recycling). I watered them, and waited, and ignored all advice that it was to early to plant. I was excited when, at the 13 day mark, my lettuce sprouted. And slowly, since then, everything else has been coming along.

Because of the cold, my beans took a ridiculously long time to sprout, I was on the verge of giving up (perhaps if I had followed the old farmer's knowledge and waited until May long-weekend they would've come up in the regular 14 days). I had even put some new seeds in a jar (wrapped in wet paper towel, like kids do in kindergarten, to ensure I'd have at least some seedlings). But, regardless, they have sprouted now. Just yesterday they were only little rounded sprouts of green, barely visible. Overnight they popped out of the soil. So no matter how long it took, they survived my early planting and are here at last.

I am nerdily excited by my growing garden, and wishing I had just a little more space. So, above are some photos to show my progress.
AT THE TOP: Some happy, healthy, growing like weeds pea plants.
IN THE MIDDLE: My just sprouted beans!
AT THE BOTTOM: My very hearty and delicious Rosemary.
Any of the large holes in the ground are old deer footprints (from before I put up my retractable bamboo fence) and some of the plants might look a bit nibbled. Also, the soil isn't great, but the plants don't seem to care.

My wonderful Mum bought me a great gardening book "No Guff Vegetable Gardening" By Donna Balzer and Steven Biggs. Its awesome because it has tons of important information, but dispels a lot of the "guff" that can be found on the internet by a newbie (me) looking for tips and advice.

Beginning

So, I've blogged before, for a University assignment. I enjoyed the class, but I did not enjoy the blog. Largely because it was being marked, I felt like it was being scrutinized (because it was). I was also a bit fearful to continue blogging about my life (on the same blog) because I was concerned that I may have one of those professors again, and I didn't want them to read my personal blog... Really, it all sounds a bit ridiculous now. While I'm sure they had to bookmark my blog during the course, I'll bet they deleted it soon after: I hope.


So, I'm starting again because:
1)Some family members have been reminding me, and harassing me to begin again.
2)I have a pretty awesome life and I would like to brag about it
3)When I am in a bad mood and life feels less-than-awesome I would like to complain about it (I'm a complainer by nature)
4)I have a garden, and I would like to brag about my flourishing lettuce, peas, and beans
5)I like to make things, and I'd like to be able to share my ideas with the world (or whoever is reading)
6)I'm also hoping that this blog can serve as an outlet for my midwifery aspirations (as I am sure my boyfriend (J) is sick of hearing about labour and childbirth...

I also have a pretty awesome new job, and I'm really excited about it. I'll be working at a Co-op Cafe opening in Cedar, as a support worker/barista, working with people with developmental disabilities(providing meaningful employment). It should be in full swing about a week from now, so I'll tell more then.

Because of my constant blog reading (about fashion, sewing, birthing babies, having kids, being a midwife, getting into midwifery school, home decor, furniture... and many more things) I would like to have somewhere to post the blogs I read, and perhaps lead other people to the sites and bloggers that I love.

Maybe blogging will encourage my sister to blog again (Hey, I'm talking to you!)

I have a whole summer ahead of me to figure this out and to get in the habit of posting. So here goes.