a day in the field.

here are a few photos that my co-worker took yesterday when we were in the field...

the first two were her attempts to catch the orcas.  can you see them? 

whales rock.

little killer whales.

working girl

my octopus friend.

nudibranch- this guy was cool!

its times like these when I really love my job :) on the downside the super awesome girl I share my office with has her last day tomorrow.  I will miss her, its going to be lonely!

happy wednesday!
--m

weekly reflections.

some of my random thoughts and reflections from the past week..

*the absolute smallest or minor detail can have such an enormous effect on my mood.  this week, while I was getting very frustrated with a particular computer database program at work, I realized how quickly my mood can shift.  several small acts of kindness this week served as a simple reminder that work isn't everything and it is so crucial to remain focused on the bigger picture! since this has been my first "big girl" job in the biology field I often find myself putting way too much pressure myself.  I am learning to let that go and this week has been a work in progress.

*how am I ever going to work, be a wife, be a mom, be a sister, be a daughter, be a friend.. oh my goodness! how do people do it!? I felt overwhelmed this week while trying to keep up with my work, my fitness, friends and family, cooking, cleaning and trying to find some small amount of time for myself!   I was telling my dad the other day about the vehicle I want to buy when suzy(my volvo) passes on.  I said, "it will be perfect for the dogs!" (dogs that I will have as SOON as I'm not living in a condo)  his response was, "yah perfect for 2 dogs, 2 car-seats with screaming kids and a mother(me) thats looks like she is ready to rip her hair out"  that was a nice reality check :) thanks dad! haha. but seriously- my dad rocks. can't wait for fathers day!!

*people are so incredibly frustrating- why on earth would you dump your tray of cigarette butts in the middle of the sidewalk...? just the same as why you would dump all your garbage on the side of the road..? seriously!

*hot yoga never ceases to amaze me.  I haven't been in the hot room for a couple months and I went to a vinyasa flow class yesterday.  one of my favourite teachers taught the class and she also happens to now be my co-worker! well, she is a powerhouse and just got back from a 11 day yoga retreat where she learned some crazy moves.  needless to say, it was very intense and I was a little nervous about being back in the heat.  once we got going I was amazed with how well I did with her new power moves and the heat.  goes to show- you can do anything you set your mind to. this yoga teacher(I am finding this about a few of my favourite yoga teachers) is someone I really look up to.  she has such a positive attitude, is so incredibly encouraging and has a zest for life that I feel rubs off on me every time I see her.

*its friday- the sun is shining, I have some great weekend plans(primarily, the beach and my book) I am one happy camper- life is good! 

--m

mothers day.

what a busy week and weekend!! after I got home from sea last monday I feel like all I have done is socialize! which I absolutely LOVE! I have had the chance to visit with all my family and friends and it has been amazing. I will miss them all over the next couple weeks.

so mothers day- I love celebrating mothers and fathers day! I really enjoy getting the chance to show my beautiful parents how much I appreciate them. and today was no exception!

mom and I spent the day in cedar. we started at the barton and leier gallery and gardens which was awesome! we picked up a couple good finds after strolling through the funky gardens. I bought a necklace and bought mom 2 really cute bowls! and mom got a beautiful painting! their work is so amazing.

from there we went to the cedar farmers market which I haven't been to before. it was amazing- lots of vendors that I have never seen before. so much delicious stuff there! we sampled some fresh sweet waffles, shortbread and veggie antipasto. what a treat! after going through all the different booths we went back to make our purchases. we each got a coconut bar of soap which I can't wait to use. mom got a loaf of jalapeno and cheddar sourdough bread and we picked up a couple sweet treats to share with dad and derek. mmmmm!

we ended the day with lunch at one of moms favourite spots, the crow and gate. we shared some wine and crab cakes. we made sure to visit the black swans in the pond just outside the pub. such a gorgeous spot.

a fabulous day!! had a short visit with dad after I dropped mom off and then headed to nanoose with derek, meg, tye and rhys to celebrate mothers day with derek's mom. when derek and I got home we organized a quick dinner of burgers(veggie in my case) and sweet potato fries. quick and easy!

what a great weekend! now I'm off for coffee with steff. can't wait to hear about her mexican adventures.

--m

fashion victims.

a few months ago, a very fashionable friend of mine and i were shopping in downtown van.  she (who won't be named) is shall we say obsessed with animal furs.  she owns a lot of pieces made from rabbits and raccoons and on this particular occasion was actually on the hunt for a real fur coat.  while i tried to convince her otherwise, the only thing i could say in my defense was "what about the poor little rabbit who had to die for you to wear him?"  well, it turn's out that poor little rabbit went through hell of a lot more then just dying.  literally that animal went through hell.

tim gunn, from project runway, recently teamed up with PETA for a project called: making it work: with tim gunn--an attempt to stop designers from using fur in fashion.  his goal is to get every designer to consider the alternatives to using fur in their collections.  his plan is to expose fur farms, particularly ones in china, where the majority of our fur comes from.

this extremely graphic video shows fur farms and even clips of the process of skinning an animal which is usually done alive.  i am warning you-- it is terrible and if you have any kind of love towards animals, it will be hard to watch without shedding a tear.  with that being said though, i urge everyone to watch it to completely understand how serious and terrible this is, show it to others and stop the support of fur in fashion.

making it work: with tim gun

like tim says, there are so many things to wear, why fur?  if consumers refuse to buy fur, leather and wool clothing companies will stop using it.  simple as that.

*cA