Bungalow 1924: May 2011

I recently came across a wonderful saying: A garden is a process, not a product. Isn't this true for our homes, as well? I am constantly rethinking, rearranging, dreaming, imagining, and testing in my home. Am I never satisfied, or simply trying to find that place of peace with my environment? Or, maybe it is my way of expressing my creativity. Whichever, it is never ending.

In Zen practice, process is important. I, like many of us, usually focus on the endpoint, often missing the beauty of the journey. Staying present in that journey does take discipline.

In looking at some photos of my home from just a few years ago, I realize how much it has changed, yet I am barely conscious of this. And it will change and evolve again and again from where it is today. Process. Journey.

These shots of my dining room were taken in the summer of 2009, just after my boys were born. We had not been living in our home too long, and had little time, even then, to devote to rearranging and decorating.

BEFORE 2009

The rooms are more cluttered and I hadn't yet learned some simple, yet poignant decorating rules, such as using a mirror to open up space, that I learned in a wonderful book Use What You Have Decorating. (the author also has a consulting firm).

AFTER 2011

cleaner, simpler, and better feeling. I wonder what will come next?

(sorry, the earlier pictures are not too great; my daughter took them with her i-phone).

The weather has been extra nice (finally!), so every spare moment I get (which is not a lot) I am outside digging in the earth. I am not happy that I have not been posting so frequently, because there is much I'd like to share. Last weekend, for example, for May 1, I went to Montreal to visit a friend. I had not been there in 20 years. Though Spring was even less advanced than here, just being in a new environment, and a foreign-speaking one, was refreshing. I took a few photos, and have reflected upon what I liked about that city.

1. It is a large city with a small town feel

2. It is French speaking

3. It has style, both in the way people dress, and in how the city is planned

4. There are interesting neighborhoods with an edge and that are hip

5. They honor public transportation: there is an extensive public bicycle system and a clean, easy-to-use underground system

6. There is plenty of good food to be found

7. Although it is a northern city, there was plenty of outdoor life spilling onto the sidewalks, i.e. cafes

8. Interesting housing

9. It appears to be child-friendly. There were lots of babies and kids around with parents

10. It had a vibrant, dynamic energy

Montreal is known for its interesting stair cases leading to flats

There are stations where you can rent bicycles to get around the city. This is meant as a viable means of public transportation, and not just for touring. The system encourages short-term use for this purpose.

We found two adorable and delicious restaurants on the same street, one for dinner and one for lunch, two separate days. I just loved the interiors. For me, atmosphere is extremely important in my overall dining experience.

Dinner at Les Entretiens