Colour Me Mine – e44s1

episode 44 season 1

Family Day Monday

Colour Me Mine – paint day

London and I on Family Day spent the day together painting art at Colour Me Mine in Kensington. This isn’t the first time we’ve done this adventure and it won’t be the last time. She picked out a cup to paint and I eventually picked a vase for my plant area in my studio. insert 38:38 be careful you don’t break anything.

As you can here there’s lovlie jazz music in the background. We haven’t been here for a number of months – maybe even a year or more and this place has been enhanced. It being Family day…there was so many people in, all of the tables were full.  They were having a celebration in the party room area at the back.

If you’re not familiar with this place – think creative. You can choose and items off the shelf like, plates, platters, bowls, ornaments, mugs, cups, tea cups, decorations like a little dog ornament or a giant dragon to paint. On the bottom of your object there’s a price on a sticker This amount includes all of the things you will require to get your painting – crafting object completed. These things include paint, brushes, water, designs, examples, a bit of a lesson, plus the kiln for the end. One stop shop. This particular location…is my favourite I’ve been to a few thoroughout the city but this one is the best one. as the two of us sit there with our treasures that likely add up to $80 for the two pieces, yes it isn’t cheap but you have a keepsake at the end that you’ve painted and love – you picked that pink, you wrote that love note, it was by you.

We pick our colours and find some paint brushes – some of them can be well used, get some water for ringing and dilution…a sponge for dabbing or maybe even sponge painting. and these small sample sw=queeze containers that you can use to freehand draw on your masterpiece. they have all kinds of goodies to use, stencils, sponges, crackle paint, pencils, examples…

insert 37:57 here

Flashback

As a side story we came here one time with our friends from our previous life over at KidsU, her name is Penny and her twin boys are Aidan and Noah. They adored London and called her Lundi – so cute!. Anyway, when we were their painting London was likely 4 or maybe 5 but I don’t think she was that old. Aidan and London went to the washroom to wash their hands…they locked the door and couldn’t get it opened. Aidan was freaking out and so was London, we had to get a pen, take the inside part out and push it though the lock to release the door knob – remember doing this when we were kids? What a memory to keep.

London painted a cut with a small raised plaque area and she decided immediately to paint a camera area within this small spot. Jeff gave her the idea to paint a cup or a glass for his bathroom sink. This place was full. insert 9:30.

London and I just sat and played painted while Jeff had to work…insert 9:55 here and enjoying our work insert 27:12 here. Some people we playing with glass fusion it’s a technique where you take glass pieces and put a special epoxy onto the background piece and fuse square/shapes in and on different colours. I haven’t tried it but it looks so interesting, and possibly like you might get a cut by the end of the day.

insert 42: I love that about you

When you sit and look around there’s a whole room full of people who are doing the same thing, using the same brushes, having as much fun with all sorts of different ideas in their minds. picking paint colours and trying to remember. insert 27: here the paint colour that you’ve chosen. insert note here about colour:  1:02:43 – 1:05…choosing colour background can you grab me one more…insert 1:07

Insert note here 33:57 – 36:44 – hear that chime that was the rude lady leaving.

As you can hear all the families sitting around us..This younger women came into this place picking up items for someone, she made an announcement like ” if I wanted to be around kids I would have had kids of my own”… with all of us families sitting around in this place, she openly comments about this – on Family Day?

insert 40:53 here for the convo between us- this totally sat with us and the other table with the mom, dad and kids beside each other united as a family. and again at 47:30 – 47:50yes this impacted us and London couldn’t wait to tell her dad

The atmosphere feels good in there, you can almost feel palpable creative energy all around us…and then this women comes in. What makes a person speak out like this? Why would she feel so much resentment to feel proud to make this sort of derogatory announcement? I reflect on this moment now as I write this and feel bad for her. I feel sad for her having this type of outlook. She was someone kid once – was her previous life as a child not one to want to remember?

insert door chimes at 22:20

There’s were families all around us, all kinds of nationalities, enjoying each others company. Older children like 16 or more and younger kids like 4 years old…they have a coffee bar and donuts insert donut note here 1:06:04 and good music playing, plus a piano 1:07:57

Sitting and painting in quiet just with our thoughts and sharing them as they come to mind, but all the while enjoying each others company and thoughts about our works of art. our masterpieces. insert 1:25:26 to 1:25:31…

Our creations…pre-kiln

From Google Reviews

Here’s some of the reviews on google I wanted to share about this experience just to validate my feeling more:

insert 40:27 friendly to 40:41 the lady working in the store is even commenting on the people and how they’ve grown over the last year

  • From a month ago: It’s honestly so much fun. So many different types of things to paint and enough paints to be totally free to get as creative as you want.
    The gentleman working was so friendly and helpful and just a great energy to have around.
    Love that they’re trying to focus on being more environmentally conscious too.
  • insert note: 41:25 here From a month ago: Color Me Mine is such a great family-run business. The staff are very helpful and the owner went out of his way to find the pottery I wanted to paint. They play smooth jazz, which is totally relaxing, and serve a great range of teas, coffees, soft drinks and snacks. It is open late at night, which makes it ideal for an alternative meet-up with friends to a bar or movie theatre. The pottery appears expensive but the price includes the paint and firing in the kiln (I believe some other similar businesses charge an entry fee). Your item is usually ready for pick up after five days. It has a friendly atmosphere and you don’t feel rushed at all. I would recommend. A great experience all-in!
  • From about a month ago: I love this colour me mine. I have been to a few in the city and had a great experience at all but this is my favourite one. JJ is the kindest lady I have ever met and so enjoy being in her studio! The way she is kids it’s so amazing! I go here about twice month and always leave feeling refreshed and relaxed!
  • From about a month ago: Color me mine Kensington is the best experience for painting ceramics. It has a very nice ambience and atmosphere. And the workers who own it are very kind and ready to help any customer.
  • From about 3 months ago: We had just the best time here today. The staff is very nice and very helpful. My daughter is absolutely obsessed now and we will be planning her bday party here! I highly recommend it!

Background was recorded by me, sorry about the undertone of singing…London enjoys her idea of a donut, the donut wasn’t that good…in the end after all this waiting, I like to still and finish this spot and that, trying to get every last line painted and crease taken care of. I always like to initial my piece on the bottom with a date – I encourage London to do this also as it just makes the moment all that more captured..

So, I want to encourage you to go out one day with your kids in tow or a friend and just enjoy the day away being in bliss with each other…this place warms the creative sole. I’ve done this with many friends…some no longer around anymore (RIP my dear friend Christi) and others who want to go back because it left a lasting impression on them.

insert 1:38 here what would you choose……be prepared to spend a good chunk of time, like a couple of hours you can bring a snack, coffee or tea if you want and I think they are also licensed so a glass of wine – but double check this. If you want some company invite me I’d go with you…

insert 1:48 here

I can be done, and be sad the day is over I say, well, it’s a nice time, we have a piece of cherished pottery painted by my daughter and me with good spirits and energy added to the mix..so yes I’d say we are artists!

Thanks for listening to this show today, means a lot to share these moments with you

See you next Tuesday.

Taxi! – e39s1

episode 39 season 1

Welcome back to another episode of Valerie’s Variety Podcast, V-Squared and a secretive recording of a taxi ride I took recently…hope you’re okay with a little eavesdropping. I’m usually quite chatty with my UBER or Taxi Drivers – insert annoyance here. BC doesn’t have UBERS – would you please get with the times!! Anyway, here’s a story about an interesting Taxi Driver –  yes he’s from Pakistan, money conscious, doctors for parents, arranged marriage and more…

Take a listen…

Taxi Cab Convo

His parents are both doctors – his home food is better than any food in a restaurant – don’t we agree with this? Village food is so natural and good – he even said queen elizabeth never has never been luck to have this food.

Huge family but he’s the only one here in Canada – he feels lonely. He’s a people person as you can tell he’s very friendly. Never liked firing people – always felt bad and didn’t like this part  of the job wanted something more. He wanted freedom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan

Pakistan is the 6th  most populous country, along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, in the south it’s bordered by India and to the East, Afghanistan to the west and Iran to the southwest and of course China to the north

insert this at 269

Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto (Sindhi: بينظير ڀُٽو‎; 21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996. She was the first woman to head a democratic government in a Muslim majority nation.

lady priministor in pakistan

Insert at 363

to travel from Pakistan to England for Higher Studies it’s an 11 hour plane ride, one would travel Start: Pakistan, fly over Turkmenistan, over Turkey, Over the Urkraine, over Poland and then land in England.  From Pakistan to England

Insert at 393

Never allow him, I wonder what this would be like to be not allowed to practice medicine because your Grandfather said. If I was a doctor and not a overworked project manager – my grandfather would have said – get to practicing!

Insert at 404

Don’t pay? what a humble way to run a practice how kind is this man? A dental practice here in Canada and especially Calgary have some of the highest rates in dentistry, if you couldn’t pay you likely cannot go to the Dentist.

Insert 428

Don’t we all feel like this growing up? Compare this moment, and what he said to your life? We think our parents make money but why can we get all the things we want when we are kids. I know when I grew up with a single dad money was tight altho my dad worked two jobs and went back to school when we were just young kid – so he could earn more. Reflecting back now money can only go so far and needed to be put to bills and groceries first then the more fun things in life came after the priorities.

Insert at 438

doctors become brutal Raymond says,  60% of women in Pakistan have caesarean operation, doctors become brutal who give them that. Research shows this is a global problem or assistance depending on which way you look at it. Is much more common even in our country to be scheduled for a c-section, it’s planned, the date is provided, it’s on the doctors scheduled. a natural birth the date, time and doctor is out of our control.

Insert at 461

Not sure where he got this information but According to April of 2018 BC tops the country in caesarean birth – TOPS the country. He was leading me to believe that they were low, I know Calgary is on the rise from going through the birthing  process myself having a natural birth  and seeing my sister deliver her to babies – they pressured her to deliver by c-section in both cases and we had to to support and fight against it as both mother and child were not in distress – this was purely out of convenience to the doctor.

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-tops-country-in-caesarean-section-rates-federal-report
https://www.cihi.ca/en/c-section-rates-continue-to-increase-while-birth-rates-decline

Interestingly giving birth remained the most common reason for  hospitalization in Canada with 366,000 people giving birth in recent years, the next most common reason is pulmonary disease (heart problems). WOW we hear about our hospitals and emergency wards being inundated with people who are abusing the systems but really it’s the mom’s having babies.

Insert at 469

This is my perspective of BC – with adoration i feel like this is truly the way things are, growing up in the mountains in Jasper and travelling through BC on vacation we get a sense they are most connected with mother nature. Mid-wives and duals are becoming more common here and there. after educating myself more about these statistics we are relatively close in our birthing practices – in the end we want healthy babies and healthy moms.

Insert

to clarify, this is also the decision of some moms out there, they want this process to be set and organized, booked not and organic process.

Insert at 564

in 1947 13.5million people fled from one side of the British colony to the other side – a new border, millions didn’t survive and came to a violent end. The direction they took depended on their faith Hindus and Sikhs came together and separated from Muslims. This partition gave a new hope with a new nation, Pakistan.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/08/asia/india-pakistan-independence-timeline/index.html

Insert 612

Male Nurse, trade, upgrading their education, spending years to better their education and now they end up in Flin Flon practicing medicine. Laboratory technician in Flin Flon Manitoba only 5 muslim people living there – they are the smallest little muslin community in Manitoba.

Insert at 752

Find a partner? The pakistanies still have arranged marriages, semi-arranged marries to this day, they sometimes take a year or more to be established. And it’s between the families and not just the bride an dgroom, this starts at the age of 20. I met my husband when I was a waitress at a local golf course and he was having supper with one of my work mates. Arranged no, but 17 years later it was a good night, beef dip and all.

Insert 783

Yes you heard that right his wife stays at home and takes care of the kids for the last 10 years and has has 2 bachelor degrees 1 masters degree, 1 diploma. Umm what? She could be working here, have a nanny for her kids until they are old enough for private school and have a sense of empowerment here in Canada. Start student of the University.

Insert at 821

Hmm do you think she’s really happy at home – sounds a bit like she was a career student with this much education under her belt and being a star student at the university – now she’s home all the time taking care of her kids. This taxi driver sounds like he’s supportive of her going back to school and upgrading her education so she can if required work here in Canada.

Insert 861

isn’t this amazing that someone – a stranger saw something in this cab driver that he wanted to teach him how to drive taxi and find his way around the city – over the phone. Teach him how to deal with impatient caucasian men – this is a whole other schooling lesson in it’s self.

insert 872

this stranger gave him his number and made jokes about losing his fair due to training this stranger to him – isn’t this a nice story about paying it forward, one man changed another mans life? His very first day was really good on the job – 7 years later he has such a good disposition, very happy and content to be doing his job and how friendly is he?

I hope you enjoyed getting to know my Taxi driver Raymond. i always find this interesting getting to know someone in this short drive and how much they are willing to share with you and open up with you about their life. Im a big believer of being open to the world and the world will be open to you – it’s a serendipitous moment you will have. We are all connected. So the next time you jump into a taxi or an UBER get to know your driver and you’re world will be brighter for it.

Thanks for listening, do you have a taxi ride experience you’d like to share – please drop me a note/text or email to valerie@valeriemoss.ca as I’d love to hear your story.

The intro and outro for this podcast is recorded by London Moss, the voice recording is by me from the Vancouver Airport to my hotel inCoast Twassen Inn at Delta BC, the music I chose for this episode is through GarageBand

  • Indian Rajah Sitar 30
  • Indian Rajah Sarod 15
  • Crying London is recorded at London actual birth day
Thank you to:

cnn

Vancouver Sun

Google Maps

Wikipedia

Bowling Anyone? Alarm Clock – Beer Tidbit – e4s1

e4s1

Strike, Briiinnnnggg – Ahhh

  •  a new podcast review
  •  beer tidbit
  •  Sunday’s at National
  • alarm clock for a 6 year old

We’ve been steeling away lately -now that our daughter is 6 and can be dropped off at a left at a birthday party – and heading to The National for a couple hours of adult time  it’s been fabulous

– We start with x6, 3 each oysters east coast is our favourite  served on a bed of crushed ice, with freshly grated horseradish and 3 sauces to spoon on with a tiny spoon that likely holds several drops- you sprinkle on either the tomatoe based, sweet one OR the zingy vinegar pickle one OR the sweet sauce  all are clear sauces and you have to put all three on with a topping of fresh ginger  so yummy

Next:

– seafood chowder made with House smoked cod, crab and lobster pieces mussels and scallops as well as veggies in a rich broth   Let me see i can describe this soup! It’s rich and luxurious I’m not one to choose clam chowder like ever then my hubby said we should try it – worth the risk

– next we order tater tots with a spicy may on the side – that’s basically it

Add enjoy a tasty pint of raspberry beer on the side…

all good and worth the stop

last weekend we happened to be downtown walking and snapping photos when we decided we needed this lunch – even tho we were with London – yep now she knows our secret

and after we ate this amazing combination the waitress asked if we were going to bowl  we knew there was a bowling alley in the basement of this National location but didn’t know it was free on Sundays with a meal…

We played and enjoyed for an hour or so what a nice way to end the day  here’s some of my walking pics!

My podcast review this week is…

  • Under the Influence gives you a rare backstage pass into the hallways, boardrooms and recording studios of the ad  industry. Terry O’Reilly has a great voice, convincing plot lines and I always want more episodes. He has first hand experience, produces his podcast out of an airstream mobile studio.

alarm….

well it’s official our 6 year old is waking up by alarm clock and she likes it and its working  so…we have an old iPhone with no SIM card – works off wifi  anyway w showed her how to charge – it set the time and pick her alarm sound  then voila she’s in like Flynn  3 days in a row  worked!!

beer tidbit!!

Listen to the podcast and let me know what you think by leaving me a comment on iTunes, stitcher, google play, blubrry and tuneIn radio or wherever you get your podcasts.

Music for this show is provided through Garage Band

Isabela Topper

80 Mirage Topper

Jazzy Downtempo

Carla Lyric

Ping Pong Topper

including the sound effects of the bowling strike, alarm clock as well as the rooster call,

The intro and outro for this podcast is recorded by London Moss

The podcast is produced by me Valerie Moss, through Garage Band and WordPress.

Thanks for listening.