Library Heaven

By Maryanna Gabriel

Librarians mobilized can be a force to be reckoned with and not to be underestimated. We have a new library here on the island that seemed to go through all the hoops and happened without a lot of birth pains which is saying a lot for this community. In my recent return to my home “town” I felt I had arrived in library heaven. It took a lot of blinking for me to understand that yes indeed, I could sip a latte by subdued brass lamps, with lovely patterned carpeting, in comfortable leather chairs, and read newspapers and magazines from all over the world. I immediately settled myself in for a good read, exciting recipes from a magazine in Australia, and of course what was the stock market doing in Stockholm. I glanced over at the woman beside me and tried not to smile. She was reading with white gloves on. Well. I guess that is what you do here. Let’s face it. It’s a different tax base. 

Two Inspiring Women

By Maryanna Gabriel

Cherry Blossom Euphoria

For the people who break one’s heart, there are also those that are kind. I returned where my blood and bones were formed and made connection with two very inspiring women. My friend and I went for a cherry blossom ride into the heart of the city, the streets were lined with blossoms, enough to make one feel a bit drunk with giddiness. We laughed as we sailed over the bumps and passed block after block of street-laced pink blooms. I quite recommend it as a past time. She has a friend, an 

I Felt Completely Safe

older woman, and I was later invited to her apartment. In her presence, I immediately felt completely safe and loved. It had something to do with the way things were arranged but perhaps it was her energy, she beamed beneficence. I was regaled with cake and tea, and given candies, and things to take away with me on my journey, that proved to make me more comfortable in my travels. It warmed my heart so, to be with her and with my old friend. The world suddenly seemed quite different, hopeful in fact. It is the little things that people do that make a difference and this is a light that grows, one kindness at a time.

Ice Cream In The Afternoon

By Maryanna Gabriel

Yesterday I had a friend over for tea and we sampled homemade ice cream I have been designing. The girls gave me the maker years ago. I placed out my best  napery, wore my wide hat and white gloves, and we talked and sampled. The courses were Lavender Tahitian Vanilla, Rhubarb Lemon Yogurt, and Chocolate Peanut Butter With Pomegranate. Gosh, it was pretty swish. I served it with Lavender & Lemon Balm Herb Tea from my garden along with a buckwheat coconut cake. Of course one has to use one’s best tea pot and cups. When my daughters come to see me I now have the technology. Better late than never. Being a mom is an ongoing position.

Wild Pacific Trail

By Maryanna Gabriel

Our west coast has many moods and my recent visit to Pacific Rim National Park, showed me them all. I found myself on the “Wild Pacific Trail” drawn by the haunting bell coming from the sea where there was an

Mossy Trees-Wild Pacific Trail

unmanned lighthouse. The first lighthouse had blown away. A horn moaned rhythmically as waves and wind pummeled the rocky shore. Here I read it was the “graveyard of the Pacific” as many ships had gone down, including a barque where 28 men and one woman drowned at the turn of the century. That’s funny, I thought. I had dreamed of a woman by my bed in a long dress the night before. It wasn't a malevolent presence but I wasn't too keen on the visit. Could it have been her, I wondered? Amazingly the shoreline was lined with grasses where the sound of frogs calling were my only reply. What  a funny place for frogs, I thought to myself. The rain redoubled and I backtracked to trees along the trail that were storm-bent into protective sculptured shapes forming alcoves. A lunch at Sobo’s with old friends in Toffino seemed a good step, and I relaxed with a comforting and delicious bowl of curried mussels and clams. Finding a different bed for the night was what I did soon after.