Unsexy underwear, The Bay and The King

and juggling many plates!

The past month has felt like a 24/7 circus act, where I’ve been juggling work, family, writing deadlines, commitments involving Rubik’s cubes and my constant quest for self-care. When I’m referring to self-care, I don’t mean bubble baths and sheet masks. I mean moving my body, a good night’s sleep and eating as well as I can. It’s interesting annoying how quickly overwhelm and anxiety show their faces when I don’t—or can’t—prioritize my pillars of wellbeing.

As we all know, balance isn’t always possible. For circus artists, though, the loss of balance can be the difference between life and death. Thankfully I’m not juggling knives or fire torches, and the worst that can happen is an emotional meltdown, which I’ve had and have recovered from, thank you very much.

The month has been so busy that I haven’t had time to pay my respects to The Bay, which is officially shutting its doors this weekend after 350 years in business. For my international readers, this is the equivalent of John Lewis in the UK or Macy’s in the USA closing.

I’ll try to make one last shopping trip if possible. I desperately need new underwear and I’m embarrassed to admit that I mostly wear the same underwear from when I gave birth almost ten years ago. I want something loose and made of cotton that I can pull up right to my belly button. I want the unsexiest number possible because that’s what I like. Sexy lingerie isn’t for me. Do you know what I wore on my wedding night at the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa? A washed out, hole-filled Metallica t-shirt.

Speaking of the nation’s capital, THE KING came to Ottawa this week to deliver the throne speech and I’m impressed by his French — “Le Grand Nord est en effet fort et libre.” And since I’ll never get over the thrill of living in London for a year, it was nice to have a fellow UK resident (a king works fine) visit my side of the pond. What news do you bring from L-town, fine sir? I would have asked had I been in the crowd on Wellington Street.

The King’s visit reminded me of the time my sister, my friend and I went to Ottawa to catch a glimpse of Kate and William, then known as the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge, on their first royal tour as husband and wife. This was 2011. We spent hours under the scorching summer sun, next to the National Gallery of Canada, waiting and wondering what it would feel like to breathe the same air as a real-life princess. When the moment came, the horse-drawn carriage carrying the couple sped by, the crowd went wild, we waved like maniacs and the whole thing was over within seconds. It turns out breathing the same air as a royal changes nothing. There are still pictures of this exciting event on my Facebook account (lol).

I took the day off from work today, my first since starting my new job in January. I’m looking forward to having a nice coffee at my favourite coffee shop, catching up on reading and treating myself to take-out noodles from the recently opened Nouilles Sauvette on Beaubien Street. This is chef Anita Feng’s temporary take-out project, as her usual restaurant, J’ai Feng closed unexpectedly last September due to the chef’s cancer diagnosis and treatments. My husband and I are obsessed with J’ai Feng’s Szechuan noodles and we can’t wait to enjoy Feng’s delicious food again.

Wishing you a lovely, relaxing weekend and talk to you soon.

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Obsessions of the week

1. Still wearing foam ear plugs every night.

2. This plate by Dan Jamieson:

   dandanjamieson

   

   A post shared by @dandanjamieson

3. This quote by Maggie Rogers:

   “Art is not an industry or a game; it is a practice. I’d tell that girl nine years ago that, over and over again, it’s your artistic faith that will save you. I’d tell her it’s kind of punk to take the long road. I’d remind her that no two artistic careers will ever be the same, and that the numbers do not matter. What matters is how you make people feel.”