AN OCEAN VIEW

PREVIEW OF 'AN OCEAN VIEW'

A 32 Page Coffee Table Book by Vancouver Island Photographer, Micki Findlay

What a great journey this has all been for me. I had certain goals I wanted to achieve this year and having a book out was one of them. So to my surprise and amazement, I actually stayed focused long enough to stick to it and get it done. Now comes the time-consuming task of getting the word out wherever I can. Over the past few years, I have picked up all kinds of tips on how to do just that and I find I am on a constant learning curve. But I so enjoy the challenge and the great feeling of accomplishment I receive at the end of the day when I have attacked yet another goal, gotten over a hurdle and landed on the other side.

Everyone's 'Bucket List' is unique. But it is my opinion that everyone needs one. I think sometimes we get caught up in the mundane chores of everyday life and forget to dream. Sometimes we are simply too tired to go there. But I believe that no matter how hectic our lives are, if we have a dream, we need to find a way to inch towards it. I know what you're probably thinking... right... it's easy for her... she doesn't have a nine to five she has to go to every day. Her children are all grown up and she has the luxury of being able to stay home. You are so right. There is not a day goes by that I do not count my many blessings. I do manage to keep myself quite busy between Cheryl and my online gift shop, volunteering at the gallery and my singing telegrams. However, I do the bulk of the work from home. Anyhow, I digress. The point I am trying to make is, even if you do have a nine to fiver, a family and various responsibilities that tend to take up all your time and energy, (been there) don't lose sight of your dream in the midst of it all. Perhaps your goal list will need to be written in smaller increments over a longer duration of time. Or perhaps you need to find ways to be creative in fitting in your personal goals. You either have to suck the life out of life or it will suck the life out of you.

I read somewhere of a young man whose dream was to be a dancer. His nine to fiver was a parking lot toll booth operator. But he would not let his job deter him from his ultimate goal. So in-between cars, he would play music and practice his dance moves in his tiny cubicle! He had found a creative way to keep his dream alive. I do not know the end of that story but, irregardless of whether he went on to be a dancer, think of how much more fun work must have been for him because he dared to dream and not 'settle' for what he 'had to do' opposed to what he 'dreamed' of doing! Plus he would have had the wonderful feeling of accomplishment whenever he stepped foot on a dance floor.

I want to say thanks to all my family and friends who continue to support, encourage and believe in me. It is easy to soar when you have wings of love .

I am looking forward to another book on the horizon. It will be quite different from this one and... well... I won't let the cat out of the bag just yet. Have a great day everyone and don't forget to dream!

(Special thanks goes to my hubby David for his immense patience and belief in me, and also to my son Matt at Inerseshen Creative Media for all of the awesome things he has designed for me!)

The Magic of Winter

'WINTER WALK' - PHOTOART BY MICKI FINDLAY

It is so pretty outside today... our Christmas lights glow with their magical hues against the perfect white backdrop of our very first snowfall this year. Everything is so quiet and peaceful. I have some Christmas baking to do today and what a perfect day for it! I wonder if we will have a white Christmas this year? I can always dream. One would think that my eight years in Mackenzie BC would have cured me of that desire, but not so. Although I must admit, six months of snow is a bit much. I am glad to be living on Vancouver Island.

My sons, Gordon and Matthew, loved the winters in Mackenzie, however. They were just little boys and did not seem to notice or care that they went on for so long. I recall the snow forts they built and the numerous tunnels we shoveled to make a 'maze' of sorts through the entire front yard. It was a magical time for them as they played endlessly in the snow, decked out from head to toe in various layers of clothes, snowsuits, scarves, toques, mittens and winter boots. I always dreaded when they would have to come in to go to the bathroom because it seemed to take forever to undress and redress them for the brutal cold. Some days it felt like that was all I did all day! But they could not play outside all the time because Mackenzie can get down to 40 below at times. You didn't go anywhere on those days unless you absolutely had to. So as fun as it was for my boys, I am glad to be back here on the island alright. Brrrrr!......

I am almost done my Christmas shopping... only a couple more things to buy. Our house is all decorated and ready for David's son, daughter and their partners to come and celebrate with us on Christmas Eve. I still cannot figure out how I managed to stuff a Christmas tree in my little Hyundai but I did. That car has certainly served me well, although it is sounding pretty rough these days. I have loaded everything in that car including loads of firewood!

I hope that this Christmas is extra special for everyone this year. I am saddened to hear of various Christmas school concerts that have completely bypassed the whole Christmas message. I know that has been happening for quite awhile now, as far as the baby Jesus is concerned. But I am told that now there isn't even an elf or a jingle bell! And they are now called 'Winter Concerts'. Hmmm..... political correctness seems to be our modern day 'Scrooge' and it is sapping the life, joy and magic right out of the season. How ridiculous!

Well I will not let Scrooge get me down! Merry Christmas everyone! And a very happy new year!

Luke 2:9-12
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

MEMORIES

Story and Photo by Micki Findlay - 'Herring Season' - (To purchase click here) A2SeaPhotography

What is it about the ocean that beckons us? When I close my eyes and think back to some of my favorite memories, so many involve the ocean. To me there is no aroma so intoxicating as fresh, salty sea air blended with that of a distant campfire. I am instantly transported back to a time when all was perfect with the world in a wonderful place called Gibsons, BC where I had been asked to serve as a volunteer chaplain for Cub Scout Camp.

That was a precious time for me on so many levels. I had prepared all my lessons ahead of time so I could take part in as many camp activities as possible and thereby develop relationships with the boys. I went there to teach some life lessons but they ended up teaching me just as much, if not more. For instance, I learned to cook an entire meal over a campfire in a foil pouch, (gotta love that...no dishes), how to steer a canoe (well, almost), how to build a lean-to in the forest, how to catch a fish (and an old boot!) without a rod or reel, how to take part in homemade boat races down a stream, how to sing a hundred silly camp songs, many of which required me to use every muscle in my body and, most importantly, how to discover the best parts of myself.

During the day I played hard and at night, I slept like a baby. I grew to love each and every boy there as they opened their hearts and lives to me. We learned from each other; lessons that were life-changing and eternal.

So now when I go down to the sea I remember. And smile.

A2SeaCreations.com

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE - Bottle Design by Cheryl

Story and Photo by Micki Findlay

I have always had such a fascination with the whole 'Message in a Bottle' concept. I mean, how romantic would it be to find an abandoned bottle laying on the shore with a love note inside it from a mysterious stranger? There is something about it that just warms the 'cockles of my heart'... the fact that someone, somewhere, at some time wrote a note to a loved one they had lost track of and, thereby possessed enough faith to dare believe that if they stuffed their message in a bottle and threw it out to sea, that there could be a possibility that their loved one may one day find it and return.

It makes me think about the power of hope. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk once said, “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”
So true! I believe that courage is a by-product of hope. Is this the ramblings of an idealist? Guilty as charged. I do have my practical side as well. But I believe that how a person looks at life determines how they survive through the devastating times.

So is the whole Message in a Bottle idea silly and frivolous? Or is it empowering to the one sending the message? When I think of how I met my husband David, I know there is such a thing as miracles, but that is a story for another day. Figuratively speaking, I guess you could say that I threw a bottle into the sea in hopes that I would one day meet someone like him: my soul mate, at last.

A2SeaCreations.com