Happy to receive your response. Please permit me a sentimental moment.
In a way I have grown-up with Raymi The Minx. I first came across your site in the early 2000s. At that time I was living in Halifax with my boyfriend (now husband), studying at DAL, and following Matthew Good’s political and cultural commentary online. One day he referenced you in a post and I clicked the link he provided. Your page has been bookmarked on my browser ever since.
Initially I was a fan of your creativity and style. But I have been inspired, and remained loyal, because of the resilience, strength, and audacity you have demonstrated while sharing your life journey.
For over two years I have been an oncology/palliative health care worker. It is a challenging, heart-breaking, and rewarding career. Though there are days when I feel numb to all the emotions I encounter, there are other days when I feel it all: grief, joy, remorse, love . As cliché as it sounds, my job has been life-changing. It is a constant reminder that life is unpredictable.
That is why I am sharing all of this with you. You have given your readers so much over the years, yet I assume many readers, like myself, have mostly remained silent in the comments section. So I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude; it has been a privilege to read/view your work.
Now that that’s said, on to business. I have no idea about painting prices, so I’m going to bid ******.
I live in Toronto. If you don’t want to ship it I could pick it up somewhere. I’d also love to buy you a coffee or a drink, or at least shake your hand. But if that’s not your thing, that’s cool. I won’t be offended.
Nicest email award! Ok lets set up a meet and drink and art deal then! That price totally works for me too, good bid :).
Gosh, the internet is full of amazing people yeah? Not just people who are full of it. I love hearing about the lives and histories of my readers.
Btw I forgot to blog-mention about the tv people who wanna meet me. I hope weekends are good for them.
I’m up for the 2014 Canadian weblog awards in 3 categories also and they are Lifetime Achievement (I still haven’t won that little bastard yet), Life (nor that) and Travel (a new category for me!) so in a year we will know the outcome of that.
I am done wiping the dust off of my shoulders meow.
Can’t keep livin’ in the past booboodoodoo’s so here’s some current. New bathroom, it’s not legit pepto pink and the maroon offsets nicely, great shower. Golden. HA.
Les kitchen. You’ll see the rest once we’ve unpacked.
Last night went out to eat with mom to kick back finally after all this moving stress was over. I was looking forward to sleeping in on this glorious snowy Saturday but at 6:30am I was awoken with the worst cramps ever. Great thanks. I’m still feeling it now (it’s 2:10) eurrrg.
But anyway, dinner was delicious. I didn’t want anything social but we had a good spot right in front of the kitchen line and chefs prepping cooking plating and sending. My mom took a million pictures.
This guy was entertaining to watch.
I was all about the food. Moroccan chicken stuffed with tomatoes and some kind of cheese I forget. Rubbed potatoes were excellent. We shared a breasoala salad as well.
I keep coming across all the ridiculous things of my life while moving, unpacking. Memories.
I want to get rid of all my paintings so they don’t spoil in storage. This can be claimed. When I get rid of them I will start painting new ones. I already have a piece lined up for commish. The back story of this original quote I painted and made up is, I forget, but it came to me and instead of tweeting or blogging it I painted it. Yes. I stamped it. Stick that in your bonnet.
The back is one of my favs too it’s legit, a stretched canvas with back wire for the ultimate hang and comes with this wonderful wood frame. Put it in your ungrateful teenage hipster daughter’s bedroom or your dickhead dad’s den! XO RLW.
I hope you appreesh these ones because we’ll be going back to Amsterdam or whereverlands next, I still have a lot and there’s nothing you can do about it. Who is watching the Supes Bowl tomo? Where? I have bets placed again haha YOLO. The whole office does and there is no way to control the numbers or picks.
My room is coming together, great big window. View of lake. You might get sick about me talking about the view.
Terrified Rocky. He clung to me. He still is all mixed up, hides, appears for a hang, for more clinging then hides again amidst the box labyrinth.
No mo selfies in this mirror. Bittersweet. Change is good though I suppose.
I bought these for someone and they didn’t care I suppose, it’s fine. They say that when you buy gifts for others you’re really buying something that you’d want yourself. These live at work now with me and we are 1/10 through colouring in the hello kitty drawing on the xmas chocolate box from my secret Santa. I am very adult.
When it gets a bit milder I’ll wear this some day. Vintage power suit. I’ll have to start chewing toothpicks and resting them in a glass ashtray as well.
I went shopping and was bored by it after buying one thing, then struggled through underwear. I was coming down with something unbeknownst to me. This is a Jay Manuel. My wardrobe of flowery, bold, understated print ranging to hipster metro is expanding. My bf’s closet of work shirts is impressive too, many crazy prints and they go all out with the colours too where pink is the manliest of all. I wanted to go shopping today but snow storm period lazy. Maybe tomorrow before the super bowl…. What time does it start dear diary?
Me and my rock and roll popple (bro got the electric blue one of that) and my bumble lion from the show the wuzzles. My hair was braided because the next day something important was going on, no wait this was actually Christmas morning and braiding was the crimping for the peeps who kept it real in the 80’s.
Uh yeah.
Last Sunday. Mom left the keys at Earls, but after searching for them in the wet snow and no scarf that was enough for me. My immune system cannot deal. When we went back for them I was like lets just stay for one more drink. I seriously just work, go home and work and am fine with only “doing something” on weekends to a point but there hasn’t been a chance for anything-but during this moving period so maybe now I will get a life?
Best salad ever. That’s only half of it. This is the year of the big salad. I hope we get Chop’t here.
I put left over dye in my conditioner bottle. #gangsterish
Burrito bowl whaaaaaaat.
Guess it’s a good time to bust out that new ice tray.
Goodbye view. Just want to tell you that the view here right now is so totally worth it. So writerly inspirational. Thx bye.
Going backward through time my photos get lighter.
I am super stressed about packing right now and 100% living in the past as a coping mechanism.
Whatever, at least I don’t have to think I can just scroll through the pics one by one that I uploaded in Holland.
Disco parking lot lights ooh behave Germany.
I took this picture specifically for you guys to see how words look like on signs there. Okay, we got garages.
So grand. Where’s Taylor Swift when you need her?
Super into it btw no shame. Love a build ballad. Oh yeah, and was she head banging too or something?
WHAT’S UP JUNGLE BOOK BAR!
Bye again you vision of amazing.
Jut a great looking place yeah.
We drove through the longest curvy-wurvy street of an awesomely pepto bismal pastel rainbow colour palette dreamscape, trying to find Zentrum. The core, center of the city. It is like Munchkin Land + a bit V for Vendetta style.
It reminded me of Portobello Rd and henceforth market, like an uber souped-up Kensington market what with the rows of connected housing all different colour painted. A rainbow road effect. So f-ing cool and Europe.
Swoon.
Tear drop.
More of that accident we passed.
Accident signs. Good call? Yeah I think so.
Peace gotta go pack the stress monster is after me!!!
<3.
What else do you do on a longish road trip from Nederland to Deutschland on your last night in Europe in farm country? SELFIES.
Hi pals. Your favourite weirdo is here again, continuing onward with my pics from abroad. Here we are in Germany. These gloves are a little MJ no?
Long distance relationships are intense. A lot depends on them. Though it somewhat feels like depending on a ghost, you don’t quite believe it yourself. When they randomly say certain things that help solidify your vision of the future you’re like, oh really? Really. It’s nice to have a backbone. I mean, it could be just so easy to be alone and “wait” or, I don’t know. It’s just really great to have love period. It is also whimsical to be with your love in Europe. Everything is heightened. Demanding. There’s no bullshitting. In the dating world, there is a lot of bullshitting. When you’re on the other side of the fence of that, it is appreciated.
I felt like a different person in Europe too. Like I looked different? I didn’t care, but cared in a different way. One thing I think is, if we are going to stay together and marry, have kids, how are we going to do that with me working here and him there? It’s a thing I don’t obsess over but am for sure aware of. Women have windows. TMI whatevs, assume half the people who visit here just skim anyway.
Okay I’ll stop headcasing now. Lets check out my experiences!
Lots of horses and cows, sheep, etc are seen in the area of Holland and Germany where we reside and eventually becomes a so what thing. But here, no, you do not see a gorgeous show pony every other property you pass by. I told people at work I milked cows, they believed it lol.
Happily, he captures the idiot moments too where I demand a photo opp but don’t know how to rock it yet.
Each town/desty you go to is like this. Magnificent. Not in your face, but, kind of. We’d have like one of them back home (The Distillery). Do not take the Euro design, oldness, zoning, anything for granted because once you go home it’s so different. You will develop a keen eye when watching movies placed in Europe and kind of weep.
What is this? I don’t know but take my picture in front of it.
The smell of his pipe stunk up the entire section of this euro labyrinth of shoppes so much so I took a sneaker picture. Then we smelled him half hour later somewhere else. SO obnoxious. Don’t get me started on cigars or pipes.
That’s my monkey.
That’s, German merchandising store-fronting.
And shoes. Do these look particularly Euro to you, or whatever? Can’t tell after some time.
He tried to get us to have a snack and I declined because I wanted “real” dinner but, we should have in hindsight because we wandered around and around for awhile, lost, trying to find the best place. Fungry.
Guess what COORS!!!
Well, if you’re gonna buy diamonds…
Being in Germany, two days before you are leaving, as the sun sets… feelings.. This picture is my desktop bg now. Okay that’s all for now I’m toasted. I wrote this last night. Bye now.
Hi Canada! Let me show you my new little friend, partial mega (and growing) addiction called Next Issue Canada. You know Netflix? Well, it’s like that and the app is actually F___ING amazing. Yeah, legit. Allow me to walk you through now kay seen>>>>
So, first lets pick out what we wanna read. Speaking of “read”, check what is written at the top so you’s know what’s going on in this crazy mixed up world! Ipad couch internet combing marathons comprised the majority of time spent maxin and relaxin whilst in Europe. 1. I was super informed and 2. a well 6 hours ahead of you. It makes you arrogant.
Top left, there’s ma girl now I’s just gots to knows some more.
Here’s a little bit more info for you because they are just so nice. There’s no need to hoard your magazines, or clutter, no nonsense. I really like it. A total treasure.
Every page is a new painting in your hands. Bye bye paper.
Now, I love a good blog but now we’ve got a serious run for our money again as the old media adopts digital. I think both genres can tread, deliver definitely and besides, are magazines not publications unto themselves forever more. The originators. “Gazettes” if you will? They are titans and I think they should be honoured, and thus they provide top notch entertainment for the “new world”, as in digital.
Now here’s the money. It’s the Netflix of magazines and magazines are the movies of print. Everybody wins. If your favourite starlet is doing well BLAM she’s in every glossy rag.
Not to obsess or anything but it is refreshing to read print that you haven’t already read before on Buzzfeed, Jezebel, dailydot, reddit, etc. and those are the things you only discover in magazines, that you pay for. The internet is free and therefore cheap so we get cheap thrills. But magazines are subscription based or you buy one, in print, which negates the whole anti-clutter thing blah blah environment (though it is fact)… and further more I love it you should try it and it’s free right now for 30 days, sign up and then un-sign up if you hate it simple as that, just download it guy you will not be disappointed! xoxo.
Continuing now with my nonsense of things from abroad, here is my last Friday night in Holland. They had that edible paper pasted to our bread and I’m covering the name because I am private like that. Anyway I tasted it and it was like very fine barely even paper bland/remniscent of the bread flavour in taste. That sentence fuckin sucked, sorry.
I love this place for various reasons, multiple sentimental levels that if I typed them out you’d just big fat “oh so what” yawn at me for it. It’s a shower then it’s a grower but it still agitates you a bit because after final dinner service it turns into a night club, the energy is palpable to you as you dine and especially on a Friday night. It’s an influential vibe as in, you drink.
Then another night he had a croquette and beer craving, one of those days you just eat nothing satisfying I suppose so we went out late to this one somewhat local place, we threw maybe ten euros in coins into this and lost it all pretty fast but the best part was watching two dudes come in and play a machine each and you could tell they were on a tear, a full Euro tear. People watching in Europe is 1000% more interesting especially if you know what country they come from because they are so much closer to it, and all those things you’ve heard about this such and such a person or that becomes live before your very eyes. I can’t describe it, I won’t. It’s just good.
Same place. We came here one of my first nights too. They only let us leave with our tall boys instead of serve us beer there. Funny laws in Europe and loop holes everywhere. This night however we made it in time and it was packed with truck drivers, lots of Polish ones and other east Euro kinds. It’s infuriating not being able to understand anybody because my boyfriend erupts in laughter every other minute and I’m like WHAT?? WHAT!? And he has to continue listening because it’s so good whatever they’re saying and by the time they’re done we have to whisper talk because they notice we’re watching, and the moment is over.
This was my last Thursday. We visited our favourite park, the one with the trees and flowers and the necklace and our only other social life, the ducks we fed since they were ducklings.
Everything we did this week was tainted with emo because I was leaving soon. No snow though bro.
bf asked if my outfit was a Canadian flag ahhaha.
A girl at work was wearing similar Pumas to these today except with extra embellishments and flare. I pointed them out and commented. I left behind ALL of my shoes from spring. It feels like being a divorced kid.
Then when something cute happens or we laugh we’re like aw ahahahh then sad because wah going to miss that. He pretended he was filming me so I was all berserk wtf.
5 papes left warning/calling card.
Me in Germany with my friend.
Now we are in Germany on my last Tuesday. I only know this from hanging up a calendar and Flickr tells me the date the photo was taken (the 14th), quite handy that. I flew the sixteenth so depression was at an all time high.
Peach/pink gorgeous place is where that yuppie told us to eat.
My static blog was keeeeeling me. Plus, I have a couple things to do that I “can’t” from winding down after work so one hand blames the other. I feel like if I personal blog, me-blog, like “I’m in trubs” because I did something but not the priority things. But maybe I need to personal blog to open up the creative flood gates and make way for the to do. Which I can’t quit whining about. I think after jet lag then confronting post vacay blues, emo acceptance and thrust into moving stress as well as back to work getting into the groove of (which am happy to report: all is good there) I needed to just, do those things. Period.
I uploaded 500 photos from abroad like a mad man and it’s starting to give me Obsessive Compulsive Disorder anxiety and worry “I will forget” #neverforget.
So here are photos from my last night, in Germany, the night before I left. My last supper. At a Deutschland potato place. Don’t get me started on the food. It’s really good, I will just leave it at that. BORINGLY that. Hee.
Imagine Yogurt with a J. It is real. Jogurt. It’s cute.
Hispanic prawn what? This is english provided menu, thank god. Reading German is like reading a made-up cartoon language on the care bears. I dunno. I know that’s really ignorant, but words are just SO LONG.
I had Fanta vodka. YOLO
Those are good signs for British people.
You’re kidding me. Love it.
The tables were covered in papers, so many menus, we were sitting in wooden church pew-like booths and everything had that old classic look and feel to it. Authentasia.
The outside. We ran around lost for a long time getting colder and colder and finally I made us ask someone and then we found this place. It’s like finding a giganticer Yorkville, Distillery, Old Mtl, etc. BUT real deal Germania.
And you don’t understand a thing.
A yuppie told us to go here. His kinda place. Okaaay. linen service place. I guess it’s a compliment. It had more of a work drinks vibe to it.
Cuckoo clock shit like this everywhere. My favourite.
A lone man smoking here, I doubled back and took a photo of the lemons, the moment.
That’s the man there. Each tiny place was cookie cutter Paddington bear set in nature.
Like seriously.
Took quite a bit to settle/decide on where to eat. This was a cafe that boasted, like, Timothys, but was really a restaurant, a proper one. I’m not a picky eater anymore, just selector. Because I hate being settled then realizing you’re in a hole or their menu is ridiculous. Food snob all the way forever more and nothing but. Deal with it.
Forgot to bring smokes, bf had to buy some here. They have cigarette machines everywhere here in abundance like the 70’s. 80’s. Super time warp.
Sure. A spot light behind a terra cotta Jesus’ biblical times water vase, cliche whatever have fun.
Okay that is good. It’s so nice there.
Lots of Gothic black roofs. It’s their thing. You can tell by the stripe in their flag.
Moving over to Holland, I discovered this particular favoured way of marketing this particular feature film. #interesting. and #goodluckwiththat does it work?
Speaking of Germany, had just gotten back from there this evening.
I left this coat for sister. She doesn’t know that yet.
What I had for Linner in Germany. I thought I ordered something more mexican but received gyro Greek. Okay then. I still love this place.
Huge burgers if Big Macs were flat and round like massive saucers.
Catching up on my local fashion cultures.
This was before NYE, we were like hmm what to do/want to do that but we are old. Still it was fun and exciting. I’m a big fan of “before” anticipation. I’m sure you love a pre-game too.
Classic retro repro posters hang everywhere, mirrors so you can spy on everything and person. We came in during a Vanilla sky sunset. Can’t forget the magic of Christmas ornaments donning everything everywhere.
That’s a festival bracelet. Tiny bolts are on the other side, stacked.
He explained this one to me but I forget. Go for it.
Dick Tracy lights.
Sith Lord what.
Jesus. Ballin’. I always do a good 2 avocados a week from the couch. Rock salt and lime guy.
My last Friday in Holland, went for a Fridate bender and that’s my beloved tree in the back yard and it was misting. Then my hat fell in a puddle. Hehaha.
Baha don’t ask. Bottom left is what gingerale looks like over there and it’s hard to find but has since been easier or they order more at our grocery store finally.
This is back in Holland now.
Yep I look stupid it is not just your imagination but maybe no game is my game.
I love this part of Holland.
I am tired now/need to move along. To be continued. Oh, I’m up for a travel category blog award now as well as life time achievement and life. ZZzz bye!
Here’s a post I began, don’t know when, but abandoned sure enough off to somewhere with no time to spare. I’m back now in Canada and completely brain fried. Yay. I know that I hated my prawn pasta dinner but was too much of a priss to send back so I soldiered through. This was my last Friday in Holland. Sigh. Guess I’m still a delicate infant in denial. Glad to be back at work to occupy me of course, and be social. I go back Monday.
