Countdown!

9 days 'til departure! Yippee!

Fundraising, Festivalling, and Fishing!

Summertime...and the living is busy!
I've been dancing, hiking, fishing, and working---alot!
Had a fabulous weekend near Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, helping out with the Soundwave music festival (www.soundwavemusicfestival.ca). Now in it's 11th year, this really fun festival has a cult following. A weekend of dancing in a forest clearing under the stars and camping on a beautiful beach with great people; friends old and new. Midsummer highlight!
Now I am on gorgeous Langara Island in Haida Gwaii. Eagles, salmon, whales, cedar trees, crazy weather and endless ocean....there will be pictures; this place is too amazing to put into words!

Sweet Sweet Sweet...

Good times were had on Sunday night!
Much love and gratitude to our fabulous DJ's- Dom Le Funkaphone, Hebegebe and Muchi Mambo; the superstar bartenders Shandy Rae and Antoine; Andrea the decor provider and Scott Musgrave of Liquid Assets for supplying the bar; Chaedon super security dude and Jacqui for arranging the deal with Grace Gallery. Great place for a party!

FINAL FUNDRAISER!

My final deadline is rapidly approaching and Dom is finishing his job so we're having a party to celebrate--and fundraise!
This Sunday, July 11th at Grace Gallery on Main at 3rd Avenue.
Bobby, Muchi and Dom will be supplying our ears with tasty tunes, Liquid Assets are graciously providing the bar and we will dance until late! Cover only $5 with all proceeds going to the Canadian Diabetes Association, of course.
See you there!

Happy BIrthday!

...to the Dalai Lama who turns 75 today! Happy Birthday, and thank you for your endless wisdom, patience, kindness, sense of humor and compassion.

Shared with me, sharing with you

My Relatives, Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders. I ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together

from the Spirit of your Nations in prayer.

We, from the heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the World; we are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color, which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. As I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened, those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations, eventually all will be affect from the oil disaster in the Gulf.

The dangers we are faced with at this time are not of spirit. The catastrophe that has happened with the oil spill which looks like the bleeding of Grandmother Earth, is made by human mistakes, mistakes that we cannot afford to continue to make.

I asked, as Spiritual Leaders, that we join together, united in prayer with the whole of our Global Communities. My concern is these serious issues will continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of in their Prophecies.

I know in my heart there are millions of people that feel our united prayers for the sake of our Grandmother Earth are long overdue. I believe we as Spiritual people must gather ourselves and focus our thoughts and prayers to allow the healing of the many wounds that have been inflicted on the Earth. As we honor the Cycle of Life, let us call for Prayer circles globally to assist in healing Grandmother Earth (our Unc'I Maka).

We ask for prayers that the oil spill, this bleeding, will stop. That the winds stay calm to assist in the work. Pray for the people to be guided in repairing this mistake, and that we may also seek to live in harmony, as we make the choice to change the destructive path we are on.

As we pray, we will fully understand that we are all connected. And that what we create can have lasting effects on all life.

So let us unite spiritually, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. Along with this immediate effort, I also ask to please remember June 21st, World Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites day. Whether it is a natural site, a temple, a church, a synagogue or just your own sacred space, let us make a prayer for all life, for good decision making by our Nations, for our children's future and well-being, and the generations to come.

Onipikte (that we shall live),

Chief Arvol Looking Horse

19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe

*photo taken from Four Worlds International Institute

Free will reigns supreme!

Healing Garden

Some pics from last years Healing Garden.
Come visit us on Grant Street at Commercial Drive from noon until 6pm.
Treatments by donation with 50% going to the Commercial Drive Festival Fund and 50% to my fundraising efforts for the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Inspiration Garden

This morning I checked out the latest exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery: The Modern Woman: Drawings by Degas, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Other Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris

www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

Loved it! There's something extremely intimate about the drawings of Master Artists--the delicate details are an insight into the process; a glimpse into the mind of a Master...incredible! I don't know that Vancouver has ever witnessed the works of so many Master Artists in one exhibit, it's a privilege to behold. (I've spent many hours at the Musee d'Orsay; visiting the exhibit was like being back in Paris for an hour or so...)
Much love and thanks to Mel and Dave, who gave me a pass to the Vancouver Art Gallery for my birthday--an excellent birthday gift!

If you're around this weekend, head over to Commercial Drive for Car Free Day. The street shuts down to car traffic and comes alive with a Roller Disco, street vendors, musicians and more!
www.carfreevancouver.org

Come visit me at the Healing Garden where the Vancouver Healing Arts Collective will have a gazebo set up and will be offering treatments by donation (Shiatsu, Reiki, Energywork and more!)
50% of proceeds go to the Drive Festival Fund and the other 50% will be donated to my fundraising efforts for the Canadian Diabetes Association.
See you there!
http://littlewoo.org/events/Healing-Garden/wellness-services.htm

It's Happening!

My flight is booked! I'm really going to Iceland!
And now I'm going for a run...

Good Times!

Thanks to everyone who came to the Cobalt for your support--extra special thanks to Muchi Mambo and Dom the Funkaphone for the funky beats; Patryk for the great space, Jay and triple special thanks to Scott for bartending with style; and pulling it all together last minute!
It was fun!

PARTY!

Definitely more on the Indigenous Gathering to follow...but now it's time to PARTY! Well, maybe not RIGHT now, but this Sunday, June 13th it will be! At the Cobalt, 917 Main Street from 8pm til 1am. The Liquid Assets team Scott Musgrave and Jason Coleman (www.liquidassetsbartending.ca) will be tending bar, Muchi Mambo and Hebegebee will be on the decks; as well as the first official appearance of Dom the Funkaphone. Entry by donation; which, of course, will be donated to the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Sunday night boogie, bring it on!
ps don't be scared of the Cobalt--it's under new ownership and has been renovated by Architect Alex Doerr...real AND stylish!

The light

"The darker it gets, the clearer the light will be seen." -Chief Phil Lane Jr.; Dakota and Chicksaw First Nations

I've just returned from an incredible 4 days camping near Lillooet; attending an Indigenous Leaders International Gathering. The wisdom, strength and compassion of the leaders and their teachings is truly awe inspiring. I am amazed and honored to have been a part of this gathering; I feel truly blessed.
People from all over the world (I wonder how many different languages were spoken?) gathered to hear teachings, join in ceremony and prayer, and receive healing and blessings.
The theme of the gathering was "Protecting the Sacred". Many troubling issues were acknowledged--the oil spill and other environmental degradation, abuse in the Residential Schools, and health concerns such as the high prevalence of cancer and diabetes in First Nations peoples.
The tone was serious, very serious; and there was a sense of urgency. Yet the message was one of hope; a light shining on a path away from the chaos we find ourselves in; a future based on honor, respect, unity, and most of all LOVE. Love and respect for oneself first; leading to respect for others and ultimately, love for the earth. This is truly the way forward. It seems very simple, but to put it into practice is not always so easy. But we can, and indeed must, take action today; there really is no time to waste. Start by expressing gratitude and love to everything and everyone; and by praying, however you see fit. Start now by being thankful for those who have been holding sacred space and who have come forward to show us the way.

Views

More of Trey Ratcliff's work: http://www.stuckincustoms.com/category/travel/iceland/

What to do...

With the second fundraising deadline successfully completed, the trip to Iceland seems more tangible--I am actually going to Iceland! In 3 months! I've been researching online and in the bookstores; places to go and things to do. It seems the country is full of amazingly beautiful "must see" places; I confess I still can't remember most of them--the exotic sounding names (never mind the pronunciation!) are still working their way into my brain...but I have found some very interesting things to do! Did you know you can attend Elf School? "Alfaskolinn" in Reykjavik, run by Magnus Skarphedinsson. Half day courses teach about the hidden people, trolls and elves and how to identify them. You even receive a certificate upon completion. (Put that on your resume!)

CADIP (Canadian Alliance for Development Initiatives and Projects www.cadip.org) is a non-profit organization based in Vancouver, BC whose mission is to promote peace, cooperation, tolerance and understanding through various charity, volunteer and youth initiatives, in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and international surroundings. The organization also promotes patterns and examples of civil activities focused on serving others, on building social ties and strengthening communities, on supporting civil society development.
And they offer amazing volunteer programs! Here's a few of them:

Living next to a volcano
Eyjafjallajökull --yes, THAT volcano! Part of the volunteer work will be to assist in clean-up.

Creating recreational spaces using Viking crafts skills and traditional materialsThe concept is to use Icelandic, natural and local materials for the landscaping and the interior, i.e. turf, soil, rocks and wood. Volunteers will receive lessons in turf cutting and turf-walling, which is a traditional Icelandic craft, then produce turf material and build a turf wall.

Building hiking trails in the Land of elves and fairies
The area is very famous for stories of elves. Locals even believe that the queen of Icelandic Elves lived in the town. Álfaborg (Elf Rock), a small nature reserve is a tourist highlight of the area until now. Close to the town, you can also find the Islet Hafnarhólmi, a puffin colony with 10,000 pairs.

The lighthouse at the end of the world

Crawling Valley & "Flying balls" Rock festival
(???FLYING BALLS???)

Organic gardening and forestry activities in the Solheimar Eco-village
Worlds of fire in the Westman islands

Environmental activities at the foot of Trolls’ Headland Mountain

Water, nature and sustainable energy

End of the World, Worlds of Fire, Flying Balls, Trolls, Elves and Fairies; with Organic Gardening and Sustainable Energy--just to balance things out! As well as my two personal favorites:

1) Forestry and gardening activities in the Rehabilitation and Health Clinic in Hveragerdi
This friendly little community sits on top of a highly active geothermal field which provides heat for hundreds of greenhouses where fruit, flowers and vegetables are produced throughout the year. Even bananas grow in these greenhouses! The name Hveragerði means ‘hot springs garden.’ Geothermal energy is Hveragerði’s lifeblood, and you probably won’t find such a natural wonder in the middle of a populated area anywhere else in the world. The whole valley explodes with hot springs, geysers, mud pots, fumaroles and steaming vents. Our host is the Rehabilitation and Health Clinic which is a part of the Nature Health Association of Iceland located in Hveragerdi.
The Clinic does its best to meet the needs of all guests by enhancing their physical as well as mental well being. The basic philosophy is to build up clients’ health and improve their quality of life and well being. The approach builds self-confidence and individual awareness of the fact that only he or she is responsible for his/her own health.
Mud baths, herbal baths, therapeutic massage and lymphatic drainage massage are some of the special therapies used in combination with other treatments. The association has a horticultural and environmental department with forestry and greenhouses.

2)The power of the runes

The aim of the project is to give to the participants the opportunity to learn about the myths and legends of Runes and the old Viking religion. We will create Runes out of Icelandic volcanic magic stones. First you travel around to special sites to collect the stones!

I'M GOING TO LOVE THIS COUNTRY!

Discovered some incredible photos today (including those above) by Trey Ratcliff on his blog:
http://www.stuckincustoms.com/category/travel/iceland/

more of his work to follow!

CLOSING NIGHT!

Last chance to see "A Streetcar Named Desire"--like you've never seen it before! The action takes place inside/outside and the audience stands in the street and moves around to follow the show....a whole new level of voyeurism.
It's entertaining, intense, interactive and engaging.
Come check it out!
And buy some tea and popcorn; support my fundraising cause!

A Streetcar Named Desire

Welcome to an East Van take an Tennessee William's classic "A Streetcar Named Desire".
The play takes place in, and around, our house and yard!
Come on by and check out the action.
Tickets $22
I will be selling popcorn and tea--proceeds to Canadian Diabetes Association, of course!
Rain or shine....see you there!
9pm 820 Woodland Drive

DEADLINE

The second fund raising deadline is rapidly approaching....and I still have some funds to raise! If you would like to donate, it is extremely easy to do so online. Just click this link: https://ocp.diabetes.ca/Pledge/csSearchResult.asp?prId=td
then enter Cheryl Davidson
You will be e-mailed a tax receipt for any donation over $15.00.
I, and the 1 in 4 Canadians who are affected by diabetes and pre-diabetes, thank you very much!

Impromptu Yard Sale!

....happening NOW!
clothes, books, etc...you now, yard sale stuff! come get that treasure you didn't even know you needed!
Adanac at Woodland, Vancouver
proceeds to Canadian Diabetes Association, of course!

I LOVE MAY!

Waterton National Park, AB, in May
My absolute favorite month is May (might have something to do with it being my birthday month...gifts and surprises are two of my favorite things!)
Other things I love about May-in no particular order:
Biking around Van with Minnie (my black cruiser with pink trim; and a basket, of course!) to visit friends in the sunshine
drying clothes on the clothesline
Patio hopping
Spectacular sunsets
Garden parties
Yoga and pilates outside on the deck
The Drive comes alive and the city comes out of hibernation
People are excited about hockey--(AND it's almost over...even better!)
After dinner runs--it's still light out!
And green and yellow have replaced blue as my favorite color (for the moment!)
Most of all, it's a very hopeful month. Energy is high and anticipation is in the air.
Feeling very grateful!