City of Love

San Francisco
is a city of magic.
Anything I dream of
there are plenty around.
Peacock feathers
on a busker's hat,
a new calendar
and even a hand puppet!

It is also a city of LOVE.
A giant heart at Union Square
and two more inside the art gallery.
No wonder they call this
a sister city of Paris,
cafes at every street corner
people relaxed, enjoying life.

Would love to stay here for a while
there's so much to explore.
Alas, this world still runs on money for now,
so I will be on my way soon
eager to return on Love's currency.


*********************************
This poem was written on November 15th 2010 on the rooftop patio of the SFMOMA (San Franicsco Museum of Modern Art) while I was recharging my extroverting batteries with some quiet time... which is what I plan to do tonight as well. Thanks for reading along and have the BEST new year ahead!! :D

Gratitude Week 20: My Complete Teacup Collection!

In the spring of 2009 on a visit to Brenda's Black Sheep Farm, we got to use her housemate's beautiful teacup collection. It got me wanting to start a teacup collection of my own, and my sister Victoria and best friend Gloria each gave me one on my birthday that year.

Thinking that was a pretty good start, I was joyously overwhelmed on my wonderful 30th birthday celebration this year, when my sister sent a notice to all my friends to get me a teacup as a present. In an instant I got 6 more amazing teacups!

Later on my co-worker Zion added one more to my collection, and in early December I discovered a store downtown that sold exquisite teacups for an unbelievably good price. I bought 2 as Christmas presents to myself, one for each year since I started collecting.

Happy to have my teacup family grow from 2 to 11 within such a short period of time, I am delighted to welcome member #12 this afternoon, a gift from my good friend Angela and her husband Matt.

This dozen teacups will definitely be enjoyed in the coming years, so let me know if you'd like to have tea together some time and it'll be my treat!! :D And thank you all for making another dream of mine come true so quickly, I really feel like the best loved woman in the world. :)

Click here to view my gorgeous collection!

Magician Love

I'm in love with a magician
who seems most fond of the
disappearing act.
Hiding a piece of himself
here and there,
he is everywhere and nowhere
at once.

When our game began anew again
I thought he could be contained within one,
but now I know that's not the case
because Love is everything.

So now I'm breaking down
old concepts and ideas
making room for the new,
where Love can bloom beautifully,
Life can flourish freely
and Light can illuminate the path ahead
with the wisdom of One Love.

Week 19: The Amazing Healing Abilities of Life

Two weekends ago I was in pain and homebound because of a recurring cyst problem. Over several days it had swelled to the size of a hard-boiled egg and eventually broke open. My family doctor sent me to the emergency room to get it cleaned up, and the only prescription was to soak in a salt water bath 3-4 times a day until the wound heals. Within 1-2 days I was back to my usual self and moving around with minimal pain. How miraculous and quickly my wound healed!

More and more I feel like we are all some version of a walking miracle. From people who have survived cancer, horrific accidents or suicide attempts, to friends who made it through difficult pregnancies, debilitating health issues or even a simple cold or flu, we are all winners by the fact that life and breath is still in us today. So live like the champion you are and continue being and creating miracles all around you, making our world more of a wonderland each day.

Gratitude Week 18: The Universe's Perfect Timing

I am learning to trust the universe more each day, believing that it knows what's best for me at the perfect time.

One of the disappointments of my California trip was missing the Wednesday meditation at Santa Clara. It was a lot further away from San Francisco than I had anticipated, and with a flight out to Los Angeles the very next day, the timing did not work out in the end. :(

Looking back it was probably for the best because we had a very packed daytime schedule and I would already be quite tired arriving to the meditatikon. So next time I'll plan my trip around the meditation instead of the other way around. Thanks for the warm welcomes and your efforts to accomodate me, Wednesday friends!

Like I said in my last post, this is a world of YES, and with my heart set on visiting California again, it's not a matter of if but when I'll be back next time. Looking forward to it already!! :D

Gratitude Week 17: Dreams Can Come True!!!

I spent last week exploring California, the first half of my trip in San Francisco and the later half around Los Angeles. I had a wonderful time and it was so good for my soul to experience that dreams can come true.

I say this because I've come through some pretty dark periods in the past six years, where my dreams were shattered time and again and I lost all hope for the future. So I'm really thankful to be happy and enjoying life again, and especially grateful for the opportunity to soak up the energy in San Francisco.

I've heard various musicians sing about this city and their favourite places, and it was such a treat to be there to see and experience it for myself. It was really only since 2009 that SF began to intrigue me more and more, so I feel really blessed to have this dream come true so quickly! It gives me hope that the new dreams I'm creating will be fulfilled in time, and that indeed, like the AMEX ads I've been seeing all around, mine is a world of YES!!! :D

Week 15 & 16: Don Miguel Ruiz & The Gift of Literacy

This week you're treated to a double gratitude entry while I play catch up. For week 15, I'm so glad to have discovered the author Don Miguel Ruiz while browsing through books at Chapters last year. I started with his well known book The Four Agreements, and enthusiastically added The Mastery of Love and The Voice of Knowledge to my collection as well.

All of his books are simple and easy to understand, and contains so much timeless wisdom too! They've definitely changed my life for the better, giving me new lenses to interpret the world and a better understanding of the human condition. If you'd like to borrow his books from me, just let me know and I'd be glad to share them with you! :)

On a related note for this week is my gratitude for the gift of literacy. Knowing to read and write has been the best present ever, unlocking the door to limitless adventure and discovery without and within. It has also allowed me to communicate and receive emotions, feelings, ideas and thoughts with others from near to far, connecting me to everyone in this grand family of humanity.

I know many others are not as fortunate as me, and that's why I'm committed to a free daily click at The Literacy Site, where sponsors fund programs to provide books to children in need around the world. Join in this literacy promotion by clicking on this link today and everyday!

Gratitude Week 14: My Meditation Class

In September I began an 8 week course called Meditation and the Mystical Path of the Chakras at Transformational Arts College. It has been a great experience because the material is fascinating, and my classmates are such caring, loving and open-minded ladies. It is wonderful to meet more like-minded souls and I'm learning more about myself in the process too!

I went into this course with the hope of building my toolbox of wellness, and am gracious for the new techniques I learned to help me stay balanced and grounded, plus the bonus of making new friends for life's journey too! :)

Gratitude Week 13: Change and Evolution

Change and evolution is a certainty in life, and I've become much more aware of it in the past year. I'm not sure if it's because 2010 is the start of a new decade, so brands want a fresh look, but so many signage seem to have gotten makeovers, from Food Basics to Second Cup, new Chatelaine magazine cover design and even my St. Ive's lotion bottle! Then there are products that have changed names, from toilet paper to dish detergent. They're basically the same things dressed up differently... so why all the fuss with the re-design?

I guess because it gives off a new vibe, like when I recently bought a multi-coloured handbag because it better represents my vibrant self than my usual collection of brown and black purses. It gives me joy to see the beauty within reflecting all around me.

I love the line in Jason Mraz's song The Dynamo of Volition, which goes "I'm a brand new edition to the old edition with the love unconditional." I think there's such truth in those words, that indeed each of us is a new and unique expression of the unconditional love we all spring from. So thanks for the "fresh" you bring to this world, and continue to evolve with life in this endless dance of Love.

Prison Break

Breaking out of this prison
was no easy feat.
Years of conditioning to listen and obey,
slaves of other's opinions since birth.

With the soul of a bird
meant to sing and fly through the air,
I never even knew I had wings
until Love set me free.

Plunged into the sea of Love
I became intoxicated like a drunkard.
Experiencing a depth of feeling
grander than anything I can imagine,
they declared me mad and I became so.

Now love sees through my eyes
and seep out of my pores.
Their eyes and thoughts
no longer have a hold on me,
for Love holds all my attention
and heals the past hurts,
turning this life into a glorious adventure.

***************************************
Thank you High Fallen from allpoetry.com for inspiring me to birth this poem through your "Contest Prompts for the Picking".

I chose quote 1 from Virginia Woolf:
"The eyes of others our prison
their thought our cages."

How simple yet poignant!

Fearless

Fearless you are
who envelope me in love,
defending my right and honour without fail.

Fearless am I
when I rest in your shade,
feeling safe and secure
with you by my side.

Fearless are we
together as a team,
partners in crime
transforming our universe
to one of beauty and truth.

Fearless we'll be
everyone around the world,
as we unite our hearts together
and bring peace on earth.

When fear has vanished
life becomes brand new
full of love, joy and laughter
heaven is here.

***************************
With gratitude to liquidmindforever at allpoetry.com for inspiring me to write this poem, prompted by her 20 lines poem contest on the topic of "Fearless".

Gratitude Week 12: A Holiday for Giving Thanks

The Canadian Thanksgiving holiday is a special time for my family because it always falls around the same time as the anniversary of our immigration to Canada on October 8. And I am so thankful to have moved to such a beautiful and spacious country, living in the harmonious and multicultural city of Mississauga/Toronto, minutes away from nature's offering of woods, rivers and lakes. I can't imagine how life would be like now if I had stayed in the bustling city of Hong Kong where I was born.

The North American tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving is wonderful. Counting our blessings help us to realize what abundance we live in, which in turn makes us even more thankful, a win-win situation. So what are you grateful for this Thanksgiving? Please share by leaving a comment here! And have a Happy Thanksgiving!! :D

Seasons Past

The autumn leaves
are changing colours,
brilliant hues of
red, orange and gold.

They fall like tears
onto the ground,
pools of memories
from seasons past.

My mind rewinds
to Fall 2004,
when my world
came crashing down.

A time I'd rather erase
etched forever on my brain.
Thankful time has given me a new perspective,
as if the pain happened in another life.

This new adventure
feels a little lonesome,
though I know
you're always by my side.

With this truth
tattooed on my heart
I venture out into the sea of love
knowing it's my home sweet home.

Gratitude Week 11: The Gift of Intuition

In the past year or so I've been learning to trust my intuition more and it's been a wonderful experience. It's brought me to books that enlighten my path, people who bring wisdom and a new perspective on life, and music that brings joy to my soul.

So what if I judge things by their covers? Perhaps the spirit within me knows more than I do, and that attraction is there for a reason. Sometimes I really go out on a limb and others might see me as foolish or reckless, but I'm learning to let my heart be the guide at all times, and stop worrying about what people may think. Living with integrity is the best way to be, and I'm pursuing this worthy goal day by day.

Our Lifelong Date

Our lifelong date
has no beginning or end.
Just predictably drifting
in and out of awareness,
breathing each other out then in
again.

This eternal dance
between the form and formless
plays out in my mind
and manifests into reality as well.
This evening's soft rain covering my being
like wet kisses from you
and later water drops bouncing off my umbrella
serenading me with your sweetest song.

Your presence is with me
wherever I go, so I'm never alone.
Your spirit resides within me
guiding my path, so I'm never lost.
Though you'll never be captured you've always been mine,
as I remain forever yours time after time.

Gratitude Week 10: The Beautiful Autumn Leaves

The brilliant display of fall foliage in Ontario never cease to "wow" me each season, but I always feel a little wistful when the leaves begin changing colours, from lively shades of green to vibrant yellows, orange and red. It signals the beginning of a life cycle's end, while I wish to hold on to blossoming life forever.

But as Brett Dennen sings "life is loving and letting go", so I continue to learn this lesson, thanking life for the magnificent display of beauty now, and trusting that life will return again in spring, as it always does.

The amazing colours seems like nature's way of saying "Hey, I'm more alive than ever! So stick around and love my colder sides too! And watch me soon transform death into life right before your eyes!" Thank God that's a promise we can always count on.

Gratitude Week 9: Creativity & Imagination

Yesterday I finally saw Inception, which came highly recommended by many friends. It was definitely an action-packed and intriguing movie, and I was amazed by the creativity on all levels, from the concepts to the visual execution on the big screen.

It's really incredible how creative and imaginative humanity is. The endless sea of books, movies, music, paintings, recipes and so many other forms of creative expression is staggering, and a bottomless treasure chest to explore.

I'm thankful for creativity and imagination because it makes life more pleasurable and exciting, each day a new adventure to look forward to!! :D

Forest of Humanity

We're each a tree
in this beautiful forest
of humanity.
Each one unique,
there's no other
like YOU.

In this journey of life
our purpose is to
partner with prana
dancing a balance between
human and spirit,
creating amazing manifestations
of LOVE everywhere.

Enter into the mystery
of the modern mystic
as you learn to bring
wholistic and emotional healing
to those in your CARE.

All the while observing your inner self
in meditation and reflection,
discovering the abundance of
love, joy and wisdom
that's within your timeless SOUL.

****************************
This poem was inspired by my first class in Meditation and the Mystical Path of the Chakras at the Transformation Arts College in Toronto. I loved the imagery of us as trees, the base chakra like roots anchoring our existence on earth.

Gratitude Week 8: Abundance

Week 8 is the perfect time to talk about abundance, because the sound of number 8 in Chinese sounds the same as the one for wealth.

I'm so privileged in this lifetime to be among the small percentage of the world's richest that have access to the basic necessities of life and so much more. I'd say the majority of my readers are in the same boat too, though we might not all realize it. Think about the power we have as a collective to bring about greater balance and equality in so many facets of life!

On a much more personal note, I'm thankful to Love for leading me to all the good deals, which is also a form of abundance. This week it was finding a $25 pair of new sandals to replace my worn out ones and then finding it retailed online for $89.95! And having a wonderful time with my sister at the Cabbagetown Arts & Crafts Sale for FREE when a comparable event would've probably charged an admission fee. Also making the most of our TTC Subway Day Pass with 10 trips in total and then gifting it to a stranger after our last trip.

When you start counting your blessings they really seem to multiply even more. Give thanks for your abundance today!!

Gratitude Week 7: Family Time

No family is perfect but mine is probably pretty special because we share a lot of family time together, even after us kids have grown up. For example, we spent the first part of today in Hamilton buying mooncakes, having a dim sum brunch and shopping at the farmer's market. Sounds pretty mundane but it's these ordinary moments that make a good life.

I'm thankful for my loving and supportive family because I'm learning that not all families are so wonderful. Though we might not always understand each other, at least we try our best to do so.

I treasure our time together because life circumstances may change and cause us to part for various reasons at any time. So hold your family closer today and say I love you in person, over the phone, by writing or other creative ideas. You'll be glad you did and it'll bring a smile to their faces too, a win-win situation! :)

317 Grace St.

Strolling down Harbord Street
with a new friend after an enlightening dinner,
I spot a storefront across the street
that shares the same name as me.

Rebecca Gallery, it read
located on 317 Grace Street,
what a perfect place
for a version of me to sprout!

I susppose I'm a gallery of sorts too,
displaying ideas and stories that touch my heart.
Not everyone's cup of tea, but that's okay
because the world has such abundance to offer.

So I continue to spin poems
that delight my soul more than anything else,
and trust that Love's message will be understood
by everyone else in time.


****************************************
Written on Wednesday evening, August 25th after a lovely afternoon/evening downtown.

Gratitude Week 6: A Left Handed History of the World

I have always felt a bit stuck in between worlds, and often attributed it to my immigration to Canada from Hong Kong at age 10. I never felt full belonging either to the Canadian or Chinese world, when all I wanted was to blend in and fit in somewhere.

Now I've come to realize that the immigration issue is probably less significant compared to my left-handedness. This I discovered while reading A Left Handed History of the World by Ed Wright. A fascinating book that features famous lefties in history, including Joan of Arc, Leonardo di Vinci, Queen Victoria, Mark Twain and many more, it briefly describes each person's life and how their unique left traits, such as lateral thinking, being empathetic, experimental and intuitive makes them stand out.

I would've never made the connection that my sense of not belonging comes from being a lefty in a right-handed world, but it makes so much sense to me now. As a preference I've grown up with and thankfully not forced to change, left-handedness feels so natural to me that it never came up as a factor at all, until I read this book.

So I'm really thankful to have come across this book while browsing the bargain section of my local Chapters in May, because it helped to explain my feelings and introduced me to a new community where I do feel a sense of belonging. And it also showed me that it's good to be different, because it adds to the diversity of life. :)

Paradise

The leaves are turning colours again,
Fall is just around the corner.
The summer is floating right by
and soon a new season will be upon us.

What an amazing year it's been so far
new friends and so many new experiences.
Thankful for each new day
and the wonderful memories collected,
I anticipate even more beautiful moments ahead.

The way to make heaven reality now
is just a simple change of perspective.
What a blessing to have my view adjusted,
opening me up to see the paradise
that is within.

Gratitude Week 5: Wednesdays

I'm so glad to have discovered the Wednesdays idea through dailygood.org, and to participte right here in Toronto when a once stranger now friend Polina asked me to co-lead a group together. At the moment we meet monthly for meditation and sharing at someone's home and it's been wonderful.

Staying open to whatever Love brought through has been a great experience, and I have met more like-minded friends on the journey, which is awesome. It's exciting to witness a new community developing, one I can call my own.

I look forward to more adventures in this group and thank everyone who has been a part of this so far!!! :D

Gratitude Week 4: 1st Anniversary of Balance & Wellness

I am super thankful for the balance and wellness I've been able to maintain in the last year. I am especially thankful to Sandra Levy, an angel sent by Love into my life in the Fall of 2009. Sandra taught me the importance of listening to my own body and rhythm, using creativity as a healthy outlet, and giving expression to the depth of love I experience. As a result of our time together, I have learned to accept, love and take care of myself better, and now feel healthier than I ever felt before.

This is a really significant milestone for me and I see it as the beginning of something new and wonderful. I look forward to each day now, excited to see how Love shows up in my life. I am committed to be a partner in transformation with Love and hope to make heaven on earth a reality now, step by step and day be day. Thank you also to my amazing family and friends for all your encouragement, love and support. I couldn't have made it here today without you!!

Near Yet Far

We live in the same world
this planet Earth
yet millions of universes away
is how far you feel to me.

Somehow I know
we're connected
to the same source,
but how to get to you
or if that's even the point
is beyond my imagination.

So while you sing
me to sleep each night
sounding so near and dear
you do not know me
at all.

For this time around
you are my favourite star
while I'm a mere mortal
smaller than a grain of sand
to YOU.

Lover of a Ghost

On a subway car
riding back home alone
I see versions of you
EVERYWHERE.

None of them
are actually the ghost
I'm in love with,
but it's nice to pretend
that he has temporarily inhabited
the body of that guy
with the stereo headphones on.

If I were to design
the perfect shell
to capture this
elusive ghost,
he would definitely be
a singer with
a love for words.

I wouldn't mind
if he left me alone
and went on a worldwide tour,
I'd just be glad
to hear his real voice
over the telephone.

So please come home soon darling,
I'll promise to not be mad.
Let's resume our life together
as the king and queen
of our universe
and create endless beauty
TOGETHER.

Crazy Love

I am crazy
and you are love,
a perfect match
because he sings
our song.

In fact it seems
everyone else does too,
so while I wait
for your return
the music keeps me
cozy and warm.

Please hurry home
I miss you so
when one more day
is another
eternity.

Floating in an
ocean of love
with nothing to do
but dreaming up
a beautiful future with
YOU.

Gone

Gone for a while
though it feels like forever,
I'm sorry
I kept you waiting
for so long.

I wanted to devote
my whole attention to you,
that's why I left you alone
all these days.

But you are a wonder
with endless depth,
how can I ever satisfy
all you are?

So I swing between
leaving or staying for a while
mesmerized by your
beauty and truth.

**************************************
Written for my friends at the All Poetry community due to my absence of activity there lately.

Gratitude Week 3: Freedom of Choice

I am thankful for my freedom of choice this week because it meant that I could choose to rest instead of striving to blog daily about things I'm thankful for. I am still grateful for each day but find that my creativity and time are used more constructively creating something new rather than solely recording observations.

I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to take a break and rest almost anytime I need or want to. While I'm recuperating from a busy summer and taking some down time to relax and unwind lately, I feel a little guilty that I'm blessed with such abundance while others have to work hard and put in long hours just to survive.

How do we bring more balance and peace to this unjust world? This is definitely a question that's worth working on.

Day 8: Reconnecting with My Childhood Friend

This afternoon I had a chance to catch up with my childhood friend Ramneek, whom I met in Grade 5 when I first arrived in Canada. We were also in the same class all through middle school, but because we went to different highschools, we drifted apart and lost contact with each other.

Earlier this year we reconnected via Facebook and have been messaging each other here and there ever since. Then thanks to my belly dancing class and my need to find a long and wide shawl to dance with, it gave us a chance to finally meet up after all these years. (Her mom loaned me 2 of her chunnis' from her Indian outfits.) It felt a bit like travelling to a parallel universe because when we knew each other, we were quite young and now to see Ramneek transformed into a beautiful woman and mom was really neat.

Thank you Love for reconnecting us again and I look forward to developing our friendship and growing together in this exciting journey of life!

Week 2: My Quirky Persepctive

These days I'm realizing that I see the world in my own unique way, and that's a good thing because it adds to the variety of life.

For example last week I went grocery shopping with my mom at Btrust, and as we came outside, I saw that across the parking lot was an ad that said "Notebook Outlet" opening soon. Since it was at the start of my Mayan Year of Gratitude and I was thinking about getting people notebooks to record down what they were thankful for, I thought to myself, how synchronistic that a notebook outlet is opening, as if Love knew I wanted to stock up on notebooks.

As I pointed out the soon-to-come store to my mom, she commented, maybe they meant the laptop variety? Haha.... I'm sure she's right, who would really open a notebook outlet of the paper variety, except for maybe myself because I love to write! That gave both of us a good laugh.

I'll add another bonus Becca's point of view special today. As I was flipping through the Toronto Star last weekend, inside was a LCBO flyer with the heading "341 beers. 42 countries. 1 destination." The first page probably showed all their beers available, then the pages after described certain beers with lovely photographs as usual.

I thought to myself, if I was looking at a flyer about Love instead, every human being would be in it, from every country of the globe, which makes 1 beautiful family called the human race. I wonder how thick this flyer would be? That would be a grand project, but well worth the effort. Each of us really is Love emobodied, and it's time we live this truth out loud each day. Here's to the BEST world ever as we choose to be Love BEST expressed through each individual here on earth, including you and me!!!

Day 6: Solo Time

Since my family was out today, I got to indulge in some solo time finally. I slept in, then armed with my recent windfall, I headed to Square One for a shopping spree sponsored by Love. Almost every shop had a sale, probably to get rid of the summer stock for more new arrivals, so I definitely got a bang for my buck. Afterwards I ran some errands, came home, went online for a bit, had dinner, took a nap, and now I'm writing this entry and will work on my vision board shortly.

I love solo time because I can do whatever I like whenever. Plus it gives more room for spontaneity than when I'm with others. And I often feel that Love shows up more strongly somehow, in quiet but unmistakable ways. For today, it was a $10 purple and green dress from Old Navy, and a Pineapple girl tank top at Urban Behaviour. Purple is my favourite colour and green means life, my best partner. And I've loved pineapples for a long, long time.

Thanks Love for a perfect solo day and I look forward to more days like it to come! :)

Day 5: My Awesome Support Network

I feel really blessed by Love with the wonderful family and friends that make up my awesome support network. I used to take it for granted but after meeting several friends in the past few years that are not as fortunate, I finally realize how lucky I am to have people I can trust and lean on.

Hopefully as more of us realize that we really are just one big family called the human race, people would come together to love and support each other rather than hurting each other for their own gain. I believe this is possible in our lifetime, and look forward to experiencing heaven on earth with you!!! :D

Day 4: Gifts Just For Showing Up

Love is really most generous. Just because I showed up in life and participated in the daily routine by going to work and visiting my friend today, Love has showered me with little gifts all along the way.

For example as I drove to work this morning ,the radio station was playing a song that really spoke to me. And thanks to the amazing world wide web, I was able to find out the song title and artist, which turned out to be Patience, by Guns N' Roses. This surprised me because I thought they were a heavy metal band, but nowadays I care more about whether a song resonates with me than what genre it belongs to.

After dinner I decided to visit my friend and her baby. Before going I stopped by my neighbourhood's lovely Brazil Bakery to pick up some Portugese tarts to bring over as desserts. At the counter I discovered they were selling individually wrapped gum, kind of like the ones you'd buy at a corner store as a kid, except these came from Portugal, was orange flavoured and had a monkey as their logo. This was perfect because I've been wanting to chew bubble gum but not the whole pack, plus my Chinese zodiac sign is monkey so I love anything monkey-related! ;)

At my friend's place we were having tea and I chose the Camomile Apple herbal tea because it was new to me and I didn't want any caffeine to interfere with my beauty sleep. She offered for me to take her whole stash because she didn't like it as much as expected. Yay for free tea!!! :D Then a while later her mom came back from dinner out with friends and brought us some more desserts to eat! What a full day of blessings and yummy delights. Thank you Love for EVERYTHING!!!

Day 3: Lost Treasures

Taking a break from my laptop for my eye's sake this afternoon, I decided to clean up my room, which has been really cluttered and messy for a LONG time, in fact... years! My revised goal is to clean it up by the end of August, and rearrange the furniture for a brand new start in September, the beginning of another year of learning. :)

While cleaning up I picked up an envelope which contained a Christmas card dating back to 2007. Inside it were various red pockets, which are usually given out during Chinese New Year and other festive occasions like birthdays and weddings, with money inside, a Chinese tradition. Checking to see that they were empty before recyling them, I discovered a $100 US & Canadian dollar bill respectively in two different red pockets!!! What a sweet reward for cleaning my room... and I wonder what else will I find in this upcoming summer cleaning session?

Another lost treasure that was brought to my attention yesterday was a bunch of wild daisies on the edge of my lawn. My friend had pulled up her van on the curb to pick me up, and the daisies were literally right in front of my path to climb into the seat. On the way home she dropped me off at the same spot, and I asked if she'd like some daisies. She declined saying she was dealing with bug issues and didn't want to bring more inside, so I pulled up this "weed", which was miraculously bug-less and created two small flower arrangements, one for the dining table and one for my room (see above photo). How lovely for LOVE to deliver free flowers right to my lawn, and what a great opportunity to show that even weeds are beautiful! :D

Day 2: Discovery of the Love Potion

Excited to share my new Mayan Year of Gratitude adventure with 2 friends from my belly dancing class, I invited them out to Baskin Robbins afterwards so we could chat some more. I had recently cut out some coupons from BR and wanted to make good use of them.

After I picked out the coupon I wanted to use, I decided to give the rest away, kind of like the Smile Cards idea I've been hearing about from Help Others.org. I passed all of my extra coupons to the person in front of me, and asked her to pass the rest forward once she chose one to use. People seemed surprised in a good way and it was great to have the gift of brightening their day.

There were so many ice cream flavours to choose from and initially I picked a sorbet called Eternal Eclipse because I liked its name. Then I noticed there were more ice cream flavours on the other side of the counter too, and discovered Love Potion #31. It was a seasonal flavour so I decided to choose it instead since it'll only be available for a limited time. In case you'd like to make your own Love Potion#31 at home, I copied down its description: "Cupid's white chocolate and raspberry ice creams swirled with a raspberry ribbon and loaded with raspberry-filled cups and chocolate chips."

It was a delicious choice and I am thankful that Love brought me to it through the Mayan Year of Gratitude idea that we had just created. Love ROCKS!!! :D

Day 1: A Piece of Kona, Hawaii

Returning home from brunch with my mom, a man next door doing some yard work asked who was Rebecca, because someone had visited while we were away and left a number for me to call.

Somehow we got talking and I saw that he had a hat which read "Kona, Hawaii", so I asked if he had been there before. Turns out he is a retiree who spends the winter in Kona, Hawaii tending to his coffee trees there, while the rest of the time he spends in Canada doing landscaping, because he liked to keep busy.

I asked if his coffee was available in Canada and he said not really, because there isn't much of a market for it here. Apparently coffee connoisseurs think Kona coffee beans grown on volcanic soil is one of the BEST in the world so it is very expensive, and mainly sold in Japan. But he did say that maybe he'll bring us some to try in the future. :)

Hawaii is definitely on my list of to-visit places, so how cool it is today that Love brought a taste of Kona, Hawaii straight to my driveway! Thank YOU for this unexpected encounter that brightened my day, a great way to begin this Year of Gratitude!!! :D

July 25th: A Day Out of Time, A New Year of Gratitude

Last year tomorrow I learned about The Day Out of Time from Jason Mraz's blog. Here is an excerpt he posted from Terces Engelhart's Plenty of Time creative planner:

July 25th "is the 365th day of the 13 moon calendar, a Mayan system that measures the year in thirteen months of 28 days each: a perpetual calendar of 52 perfect weeks, with a total of 364 days. The 365th day, the "Day Out Of Time," is not a day of the week or a month at all, but truly a day out of time. This day of artistic celebration is an opportunity to cancel debt, to pardon and forgive, and to celebrate life, purification, community, love, and universal forgiveness of all beings."

Though I read the passage above one day late, my July 25th 2009 indeed felt like a Day out of Time, which you can read more about here. I wondered what would make this July 25th magical, and inspired by a Wednesday meditation group I attended this week, I decided to declare this new Mayan year my Year of Gratitude today. I'm committing myself to share one thing I'm grateful for each week publicly, and also to record it down in a Gratitude journal I've just begun. I'm looking forward to what this new year will bring already, and invite you to join me on this journey of gratitude and transformation! I've just created a Mayan Year of Gratitude Facebook group for those who are interested to participate so we can encourage and support each other. May this year be your BEST one yet!!!

Week 1: Jason Mraz
My first entry is dedicated to Jason Mraz because he introduced me to the Gratitude Cafe idea and now I'm giving it my own spin with my Year of Gratitude committment. His music and blog entries have been so enlightening and inspiring, even though I didn't get on to him until 2009.

His song A Beautiful Mess has been such a gift to me, because through it Love reminded me that there's no shame in being crazy and that I am still lovable in spite of my flaws. It was a really important message for me to get and delivered so beautifully too! So thanks Jason for being my partner in transformation, even though we have yet to meet!

In gratitude I'm sharing this awesome song by MC Yogi called Give Love that I know Jason would dig. You can download it for free too, so enjoy and have a beautiful Mayan Year of Gratitude!!! :D

Inside Out

Some days I feel as if
I'm wearing myself
inside out.

My imagination
on the line
for all to read.

My emotions
in a verse
for you to feel.

Faceless
I don't mind
baring it all.

Shameless
because of my
anonymity.

Should we meet one day
don't be surprised
by my quiet ways.

For I'm more fond of
dreaming up a fantasy
in solitude

And playing with words,
whirling round my pen
to share the diamond of my heart.

Narrow the Difference

by Hafiz

When I play my lute,
The invisible ones call a conference,

And the angels travel far knowing
A rare entertainment will soon take place.

When I play my drum, my notes become so real
The winged ones throw saddles upon them;
An outrageous holy rodeo begins.

No one has ever sat with Hafiz
And not left for the better.

No one can read my poems out loud
In a tender, loving voice
And not narrow the difference,
Not narrow the gap,
Between you and God.

I have many younger brothers and sisters
Scattered upon this earth.

There are always friends of God in this world.
Find one and offer service.
For their glance is generous and cannot help
but forever give.

When Hafiz plays his lute,
My notes ascend into the air and form
Infinite blue crystals

That will move on the wind's breath for hundreds of years
As my sacred debris, as the divine dust
Rising as a gift from my
singing bones.

**********************************************************
With thanks to Life for connecting me with the younger brother and sisters of Hafiz through the allpoetry.com community. And Simon Sky for reminding me that I'm not alone in this movie of a life. :)

In Life or Death

by Rabindranath Tagore

Here I am, spilling over with you
Like a cup overflowing with wine!

You see through my eyes
You hear through my ears
You weave words in my mind
And your joy sets them to music.

O give yourself to me in love
Then feel it pouring back to you again!

You are my poet, Lord!
And I am your poem.

*************************************************
From the book "On the Shores of Eternity" by Deepak Chopra.

Owl's Own Song

With its wings folded back

like a distingushed professor

surveying the classroom,

the little owl

stared at me intently,

as if she had

a pearl of wisdom to share.

What could it be, I wonder

wishing we shared the same language.

But in this life that is not to be

so I will venture a guess or two instead.

Is it a love song

from my beloved

who lives in a realm

out of reach?

Or is it a war song

from Love's general

rallying the troops

for the freedom fight?

No matter what the message is

I know it is one of Love.

So all that is needed

is an open heart

to understand the owl's

own song.

*************************************************

Another entry to a poetry contest at allpoetry.com, this time inspired by a photo of a cute little owl. which is one of my favourite types of birds.

Empty

Hopelessly tied
to your heart of LOVE
which is a stone that sits inside
the wicker turtle Joanne gave me
as a present years ago.
The only memento I have
of a love I never met.

Your words of affection
greet me everywhere I go.
Now in a song
and in a poem
or in a story
that is really about
US.

The ache for you within me
is deep yet I don't know
your face anymore.
Each time I think it's you
I'm mistaken
AGAIN.

When my heart keeps
breaking like this
I wonder how long
before it shatters for
GOOD?

Yet your sweet love
draws me back each time
into your embrace
that is at once full yet
EMPTY.

Somewhere In Time

Somewhere in time are we
meeting and leaving again
in an endless dance.

This life I think
our luck has improved
because finally you an I
are here on earth together,
simultaneously, at the right time.

We take turns
chasing each other
around for eternity.

This time we switch roles,
you play Jane while I play Richard.
Though our chance of ever meeting
seems slim in probability,
nothing is impossible
when love leads the way.

So I will continue conceiving ideas to
bring us together
and hope that when we meet
you will remember me too.


******************************************
Inspired by a viewing of my best friend Gloria's favourite movie, Somewhere in Time, starring Jane Seymour and the late Christopher Reeve.

Dream

Is this destined to be
a love story
with a sad ending
or am I limiting myself
again?

Why do I feel so impatient
for this tale to take a turn
into one approved by fairies,
and do they really
exist?

Dancing between
the real and fictional
is all my mind ever does.
Ruined for an ordinary existence
my heart cries out for
more.

Ask and you shall receive
is a truth I'm learning these days.
So cheer up, dear one
and dream anew

a life full of joy and

miracles.

In a Handful of God

by Hafiz

Poetry reveals that there is no empty space.

When your truth forsakes its shyness,
When your fears surrender to your strengths,
You will begin to experience

That all existence
Is a teeming sea of infinite life.

In a handful of ocean water
You could not count all the finely tuned
Musicians

Who are acting stoned
For very intelligent and sane reaons

And of course are becoming extremely sweet
And wild.

In a handful of the sky and earth,
In a handful of God,

We cannot count
All the ecstatic lovers who are dancing there
Behind the mysterious veil.

True art reveals there is no void
Or darkness.

There is no loneliness to the clear-eyed mystic
In this luminous, brimming
Playful world.

************************************************

From "The Subject Tonight Is Love: 60 Wild and Sweet Poems of Hafiz", translated by Daniel Ladinsky.

On and On

You're scared I'll forget about you
and indeed I have.
For if we were never apart
how would we ever get to know each other
like what we're doing now?

Each lifetime it's the same
apart and together again
in a billion different forms.

What's meant to be together
will gather again
so don't worry,
the forgetting is never forever
while the loving goes
on and on.


********************************************
Inspired by the lyrics from John Mayer 's song "Edge of Desire" in the Battle Studies album.

Help Hunger Disappear

While on Facebook today I discovered that Campbell Canada has partnered up with Food Banks Canada to Help Hunger Disappear. Their goal is to donate 60, 000 cans in 60 days, and all we need to do is make a pledge to help end hunger on their Facebook page, and they will donate a can of soup for each pledge!

For those of us who are wealthier and have money to donate to the cause, Kraft Canada is matching donations dollar for dollar to Food Banks Canada for up to $150,000 from June 1-11, 2010. Click here to donate today!

Thanks for your participation in creating this world to become a better place for everyone. May you be blessed as you are a blessing from our amazing Mother Nature!!! :D

Muse

Though I've never seen you
we've always been together.
You serenade me with love songs
as if I am the genuine muse.

He sings I take your breath away
but I'd rather you save it
so we can spend some time together.
Hand in hand for a heart to heart
instead of restlessly
waiting around for each other.

He sings the wait was so worth it
I really hope that's true,
cuz all I feel is lonely
when you've never been around.

Can we play a new game now?
This hide and seek is getting old
and we're not getting any younger.
Let's start something new together
a heaven now
with peace on earth
where we do find one another.

June 1st: Hunger Awareness Day

June 1st is Canada's Hunger Awareness Day. Please go to http://hungerawarenessday.ca/ and share your ideas of how to end hunger and browse events happening in your community to participate. Thank You!

Perception

Below is an article that was brought to my attention by a friend's friend on Facebook. I found it very interesting, and thought I'd share it with you here.

... Something To Think About...

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year-old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised:

- In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

- Do we stop to appreciate it?

- Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever writen, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing?

Creamsicle Sky

As I walked to my car
from the library last evening
a pastel orange creamsicle sky
met my eyes,
causing me to smile back
at the beautiful scenery.

Turning in a different direction
on the way home,
a perfectly round paper moon
hung in the soft smoky blue sky
as if it was a prop
from a movie set.

Lately my life does seem to
run like a feature film
with many delightful suprises
to keep me entertained.

Happy to realize again
that life is always on my side
so I have nothing to lose
and everything to gain.

Best Day

And wished for the day
to turn out the best
he did, before opening his eyes
and stepping into the morning.

With this new dream conceived
the world around him began to change.
The flowers smiled more brightly
as he strolled by them,
and his colleagues' stress
mellowed as he patiently listened.

Lunch time was spent
in the sunshine
as both himself and the birds
were nourished by his sandwich.
The happy mood was infectious
everyone returning his smile
with their own beautiful grins.

Another best day ever
to add to the last,
and even more amazing dreams
to be realized tomorrow.



************************************************************
- The first line of this poem was actually taken out of a verse in a Dollarama Bible that my friend Maisie showed me 2 weeks ago! I didn't write down which book or chapter or verse it came from, but it seemed at the time an interesting prompt for a new poem. :)

I Wanna Be Like Phoebe!!!

I was greeted this morning with an inspiring entry from dailygood.org titled "What Adults Can Learn From Kids". Following through to explore more on this topic, I was brought to a video about Phoebe, a 5-year-old kid from San Francisco whose idea to love the hungry helped feed 18,000 San Franciscans in just 2 months!!!

How awesome is that! And I just love how Love keeps on showing me that I already have lots of friends on this journey to love and feed all the hungry, from the worldwide United Nations World Food Programme, to my province's Ontario Association of Food Banks, down to my community's Mississauga Food Bank and even on to a random little kid named Phoebe in San Francisco I met through YouTube this morning. Each of us can make a difference in this world and I encourage you to do so, in whatever creative and imaginative ways you can think up! As I read from a random box around my house last night "Beginning with one small flower the garden blooms." May YOU be the one small flower in your part of the world that starts the whole world blooming with beauty, love and peace!!! :D

Love For The Hungry

I've just started a Facebook group called "Love For The Hungry" to help love and feed all the hungry by organizing food-raising and fundraising efforts in my own community and yours. Join me in realizing peace in our lifetime by participating in or organizing your own Love For The Hungry events!

As a start I'm offering to write a poem for your loved ones, a special occasion or just because and ask that in exchange you make a donation to your local food bank whether through a grocery store drop-off bin, the firehall or wherever is most convenient for you. Just send me an e-mail with some details (topic/the person's name, what they're like, what you like about them etc.) and I'll write and revise until you're satisfied! My promise is to write up to 3 poems/day for this cause.

Thanks in advance for partnering with me and I look forward to seeing the world change for the better with our efforts. Peace and blessings to you and have a beautiful day!!! :D

Apple

You move like a snake
but you're really more like my favourite scarf
that keeps me warm and toasty
on a golden autum walk
in Algonquin Park.

Later I wander the apple orchard
delicious orbs of red goodness
tempting me to pick one
and bite into its forbidden
freshness.

Will I be like Snow White
falling into a deep slumber
because a witch has cast
an evil spell on it?

Or will I be like Eve
in the garden of Eden
cast out of paradise forever
because I disobeyed God's command
and destined to live with the consequences?

Thankfully this is my own dream
so I determine what happens.
I make up the scarf is really my Beloved
and when I bite into the apple
the spell is broken
and he returns to human form
enfolding me in an everlasting embrace.

A Poem Is

My new favourite website for inspiration is dailygood.org. Every e-mail I get from them has been enlightening, and as I was browsing the site this evening, I came upon this wonderful entry called A Poem Is from 26 April 2010.

In the article was a great quote from Dennis Garbor: "Poetry is plucking at the heartstrings, and making music with them."

And "ganola" left a beautiful reflection of a poem that I hope s/he does not mind me sharing:

A poem takes birth
as we begin
to look at the world
without blinkers.

A poem girgles
and smiles
as we open our arms
for a loving embrace.

A poem blossoms
as we kiss goodbye
to our preconceptions.

A poem heals
as we share our
vision without fear
or favour.

What beauty in the simplicity of a poem or even a quote with just a few words! Soul food like these gems keeps me spiritually nourished and ready for another game of wordplay.

Time

In time it'll be fine
for in time you'll be mine.
Even out of time
I'm close behind
and on the other side
ready to let you in.

So let your worries go darling
and come float on the sea of love with me.
We'll watch the picture show of birds and clouds
and feel the gentle waves like a lullaby
sung by our own dear Mother Nature.

And as we drift into the dream world
you'll find that time doesn't matter at all.
For it has always been about our Love
and it will ever be the same.

Romantic

Colouring in front of the TV
how romantic,
like how I would rather
caress your ears with a billion love songs
than buy you a dozen red roses each Valentine's Day.

For each day is Love
to me and you,
so while time is passing us by,
we only have eyes for each other
where one fleeting glance feels like
all eternity.

So let's start our dance again
this time I'll let you lead,
so I can feel how it's like to be
under yours skin
and you can have
your way with me,
as it has always been.

******************************************
The first two lines of this poem was my sister's comment as I left to go shopping last night. I thought it would make an interesting creative writing exercise and ended up with this.

I dedicate this poem to every musician in the world but especially Jason Mraz because his songs have helped me to remember who I really am, the Beloved. THANK YOU. :)

My Wish 2010: Feeding All The Hungry

My Love KNOWS how much I love to feed people. I know this because as part of my birthday extravaganza, He prompted my sister to bake me 2 dozen muffins, 12 of the chocolate variety, and 12 of lemon poppyseed. This "birthday-to-go" box was one of MANY surprises throughout the day and I was so delighted to be able to share my birthday joy with everyone in the office at work. There were lots leftover too, they're now kept in the freezer for later. My sister knows and loves me so well, I'm really blessed to count her as family. :)

That was pretty incredible already but then it gets even more so as I begin to open presents after dining at my favourite restaurant The Apricot Tree Cafe with 9 amazing friends. (Visit the website and you can get your own FREE birthday dinner as well, when you sign up for their mailing list. See! Another opportunity to "feed" you, hehe... )

In all I received 6 beautiful and unique sets of teacups and saucers, which I didn't ask for, but my sister suggested as a gift item because I love teacups and am working on building my collection. So from the 2 teacup sets I received last year and now multiplied to 8, I'm feeling like the MOST BLESSED person in the world, and ready for a tea party! :D

As a result of counting my blessings and knowing how much more I've received from Love than I'm able to write down even just within my birthday week, there is no doubt in my heart that if I would like to feed all the hungry, LOVE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.

So please join me in this venture by making The Hunger Site your homepage and clicking daily to give FREE FOOD!!! An while you're at it, why don't you help out the other 5 causes listed as well? It's ALL FOR FREE, and ALL FOR GOOD. Please pass the message on to all your family and friends and thank you for participating in the Love Evolution. May each of you be the MOST BLESSED!!!

And a final blessing to share, Happy Hour is happening in Starbucks across Canada and USA from May 7-16. Enjoy a half-price Frappucino blended beverage every 3-5pm on the listed dates. Enjoy! :)

fool of queens

I know this sounds unbelievable but I've been experiencing another love overdose lately, feeling overwhelmed by too much love and blessings. So while I take my time in recuperating from too much excitement, you can check out the old edition of my blog, fool of queens. Have an awesome day and much blessings and love to you!!!

In My Time of Dying

In my time of dying
I will don pink shorts
and wear a serene smile
while I survey the soundscape
on the radio waves
for our song.

Each tune rings love
and I am satisfied
to drift out of this life
and onto the next one.

For they will envelope you
in my presence forever
even though my body is decayed.
And we can dance once more
in the ballroom of your mind
like our first date.

Though I appear to have gone
I am still with you
in the emptiness and loneliness.
So breathe me in
and let us be one again
as we were before.

****************************************
This is the first poem of my third decade. It was inspired by an excellent book my lovely friend Joanne lent me called Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. In it she suggests us to pick a line from a poem and song and write from there. So this evening when I walked past my sister's room, I heard her say something which turned out to be the title of one of Led Zeppelin's song "In My Time of Dying". I had never heard it before but liked the title, so I combined it with the pink shorts Joanne gifted me in the morning, whirled it through the blender of my mind... and voila, this! My best friend Love is more of the strong, silent type, but if s/he wrote a song for me, I think the lyrics may go something like this. :)

Teacupfest Day 6

Soon after I completed yesterday's post, my true love sent to me:
4) An invitation from Daniel for a WNKU fundraiser concert on April 30th.
5) A roast duck dinner feast courtesy of Aunty Elena, which I was wishing to eat as one of my birthday treats.

And so far, on this sixth day of Teacupfest, my true love sent to me:
1) beautiful cherry red crabapple blossoms to admire all around
2) a yummy early birthday lunch with my co-workers
3) a list of Five Things He Loves About Me
4) a buy-one-get-one-50% off Chapter's coupon (from today until Sunday, May 2nd) for a book I'd like to buy for mom
5) a FREE birthday smoothie from Booster Juice (you can get one too when you sign up for their contest to win a trip for 2 to Brazil!)

... and I'll keep the 6th spot open since there are still more hours to this day. ;)

The Six Days of Teacupfest

My big 30th birthday is coming up in two days, on Friday, April 30th, 2010, and my true Love has been sending me gifts just like they sing in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. This new edition is shorter but contains more gifts, I've dubbed it "The Six Days of Teacupfest."

On the first day of Teacupfest (Saturday, April 24th)
my true Love sent to me:
1) a 60% discount on my VIA Rail ticket to Ottawa!

On the second day of Teacupfest (Sunday, April 25th)
my true Love sent to me:
1) a lovely time meeting new friends at the High Park Cherry Blossom festival
2) two boxes of abandoned Chocolate Mint Girl Guide Cookies

On the third day of Teacupfest (Monday, April 26th)
my true Love sent to me:
1) a custom-made 19 inch necklace with a lavender crystal pendant from mom
2) a glimpse of my favourite food writer Corey in Kensington Market
3) a lovely lunch at Wanda's Pie in the Sky

On the fourth day of Teacupfest (Tuesday, April 27th)
my true Love sent to me:
1) a sleep aid meditation track from Lucas
2) an invitation to watch May I Be Frank from Jason
3) Free Day Night at Milestones Restaurant on Wednesday, April 28th
4) DVD release of The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

This is the fifth day of Teacupfest (Wednesday, April 28th)
and so far my true Love has sent to me:
1) a perfect birthday card for Jessica
2) a beautiful orange butterfly magnet admired at a gift shop
3) a giant-headed blue monkey with a heart of gold from Aunty Joan
... and I'll let you know the rest tomorow! :)