Another favourite movie of mine is Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell and Catherine McCormack. It is based on the true story of Veronica Franco a 16th century Venetian courtesan. Sewell and McCormack fall in love but can't marry because she is from a lower class than he is and he has to marry for money. Her choices were few. McCormack's mother was a courtesan and she trains her to become a courtesan to the rich a famous. The ending is amazing.

One of my DD's is coming over on Sunday to show me how to set up and use my Ipod so I didn't take it back. She is also going to organize my laptop and clean it up. I so appreciate it when my DD's can help with new technology and such.

One of my favourite poets is William Butler Yeats. This is one of his beautiful poems:

Those Images

Seek those images

that constitute the wild,

the lion and the virgin,

The harlot and the child.

Find in middle air

an eagle on the wing,

recognize the fire

That make the Muses sing.

These are some the things that bring me joy!

Haven't had much luck with my Ipod so I think I will take it back. Too complicated and I like to keep my life simple.

One of my favourite feel-good movies is Shirley Valentine. It starts off with this song:

It was always "sit down Shirley Valentine"
"Go away Shirley Valentine"
Until Shirley Valentine just wasn't thre any more
A bird is born to fly
Born for the moment it takes to the sky
And all its' dreams
Are riding on its' wings
But if it falls its' dreams aren't broken
As long as the wind is fair
The sky is always there
Oh, the girl who used to me
She cannot play
She was free
And she wrote all the words
To her songs
Yes, the girl who used to be me
Used to go dancing
And I feel she's been gone too long
I'd like the chance to be
The girl who used to be me

The movie is about her finding herself. It's an English movie and is light-hearted and fun and yet has a really good message about learning to be yourself.

I am working a way on my purses and hope to have one finished soon. I miss blogging every day but it just seems to slip away from me. I have noticed that a lot of the blogs that I visit aren't posting much either and others that post almost every day.

A friend and neighbour just stopped by with a bouquet of daffodils for me for Easter. So thoughful!! I love daffodils and tulips and glads. They remind me of my Mom and Dad. My Dad was Dutch and sold and grew Dutch bulbs.

And one more favourtie poem:

The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for mirth
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth

Dorothy Gurney (1858 - 1932)

WILD GEESE
by Mary Oliver

Tell me about despair, yours and I will tell you mine
Meanwhile the world goes on
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers,
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air
are heading home again
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely
the world offers itself to your imagination
Calls to you like the wild geese harsh and exciting---
Over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

This is one of my favourite poems. I have visited a blog that I have in my favourites and the person has chosen JOY for her word for 2010. I have decided to adopt that as my word as well. I couldn't find the blog to give the address but will look again tomorrow. I carry such a deep sense of sadness with me and really want to change that. I am tired of the heavy weight. I am searching for the things that make me feel joyous and will share them with you. This poem is one of them.

My daughter bought me an Ipod Nano for my birthday and if I can figure out how to use it I will download all my favourite music to listen to. I spent some time on Youtube this morning listening to some of my faves. Harry Belafonte's "Skin to Skin", "We Make Love" and "Streets of London". Charles Aznavour's "She" are a few of them. So I have something new to learn again. I would be just has happy to have a CD player that held several discs and played random tracks but those are outdated now so I have to keep up with the times.

I am working on several purses at the moment so will photograph them when I'm done.

I finally finished my mermaid pouch. I had it all sewn together and then decided I didn't like the colours of the lining and the back so I tore it all apart again. It has to have "that feeling".

I have started another one and hope to finish it a little more quickly than this one.

I spent some time the other day looking at some fabrics in Chintz & Co. There was a lady in there from out of town buying some fabric to make purses. I had just been thinking a couple of days before that it would be fun to make some real purses like the book purses I made a couple of years ago. It might be fun to re-create those designs.

On Friday, I took a few pictures: a camelia on my neighbours patio:

The beautiful fresh green of the weeping willows and daffodils by the pond:

Today I went to Rokko's in Little India at 46th and Fraser. They have such an amazing selection of saris and fabric.

I bought some dioponi silk to complete my mermaid purse.

This is the DMC 5 Perle embroidery thread I bought yesterday. I love to look at the wall in the store - Dick and Jane's - lined with all the beautiful colours. I would love to have that wall of thread in my studio.

It was another beautiful day so I went to my favourite sushi restaurant for dinner before heading home.

After the Olympics hockey game this was the scene on the seawall with Stamp's Landing pub in the background.

There were six or seven Americans who had a bet on and when they lost the hockey game they had to jump into the creek.

Fortunately, the day was quite warm but I bet the water was very cold.

Yesterday, I went to Dunderave in West Vancouver. This is the village with lots of cute little shops and the magnolias in bloom down the middle of the street.

I bought some DMC 5 Perle embroidery thread for my crazy quilt purses and then had some tomato and basil soup at the bakery. Then walked down to the pier over the railway tracks.

There was a beautiful bunch of daffodils and a stone sculpture.

To the left is the seawall to Ambleside, the Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park.

The short pier where I sat for a while and listened to the waves crashing in. The tide was coming in so the waves were quite large. It was a beautiful warm day.

To the right is the beach, I walked down and did a little beachcombing - one of my favourite things to do. I found some nice little pieces of driftwood for my purses.

Then I noticed a train was coming so ran the short distance up the hill to get a picture....

A little boy had put a penny on the track but unfortunately it had fallen off and so it didn't get flattened. I think everyone loves to watch a train go by.

On the way home I stopped at Michael's and bought some button for my cq's and was going to stop at Lonsdale Quay on the way home for the best fish and chips I have ever tasted but unfortunately it was too late so I had a Starbucks latte and then had to make something when I got home. Had a lovely day and was happy to be out in nature, not much of that in the middle of the city.