the yak occidental

  Painting above : Vanquished ( c.1930) by Emily Carr March Excursion: Twilight Drive-In Theatre Over the course of the pandemic, my risk-tolerance has been quite low. For me this has meant no going to bars, restaurants, the mall, movie theatres, etc. When we heard the Twilight Drive-In in Langley* was opening up for Spring break, we were so there. Despite having lived in the lower mainland and metro Vancouver my entire life, I had never been! It was a great experience, and honestly the perfect pandemic outing. We could literally watch a movie on the big screen, all from the socially-distanced safety of our own car. No one else's talking, cell phone use, etc, distracted us. We had bags full of snacks that we didn't have to sneak in. It rained while we were there, so we simply turned on the wipers a few times.  My suggestions - make sure you bring a blanket - you don't want to idle your car and it can get cold in the evening. Also, consider bringing a towel to wipe down fo...

In the last year or so I've started making myself herbal tinctures. I figured they're kinda like a stronger, faster way to get the benefits of herbal tea and a nice alternative/addition to the vitamins I take. These are two of the complete tinctures I have made! The one on the left is the Spring Dreaming, the one on the right is just Skullcap (keep reading for details) What is a herbal tincture? I would say Bach's Rescue Remedy is an example of a commercial tincture!   A herbal tincture is a super concentrated formula of herbs that are combined with liquor  (I use vodka) or vinegar, usually for medicinal purposes. You might have seen or used Bach Rescue Remedy at drugstores in Canada, I would call this a tincture. Remember to talk to your health care provider before giving this a go! How do you make a tincture? One of my tinctures currently brewing! As you can see I don't stand much on ceremony - this is an old jam jar, and I have a reminder set in my calendar for when ...

We're nearly at the end of the first quarter of 2021! Here are all the books I have read so far. Kushiel’s Chosen by Jaqueline Carey (re-read) The Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self, and Relationship by David Whyte 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card by Mary K. Greer They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed: 16 Writers on Not having Children edited by Meghan Daum Body of Work: Finding the Thread that Ties Your Story Together by Pamela Slim  The Three “Only” Things: Tapping the Power of Dreams, Coincidence & Imagination by Robert Moss The Art of Showing Up: How to be there for yourself and your people by Rachel Wilkerson Miller Tarot Elements: Five Readings to Reset Your Life by Melissa Cynonva  The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman I have been doing #ReadWomen since 2014! Find out why  here .  Want to know what I've read in previous years? Links below! 2020 books  2019  books 2018  books...

Here are the songs I've been playing on repeat so far this Spring. While I'm calling this 'spring 2021,' a lot of these songs came out in 2020. Make sure you support these artists on bandcamp if you like what you hear, I've included links below. spring 2021 Track List You Left Me by Dominique Fils-Aimé Complex by Tristen Free by SAULT Good Time by Esther Rose You're Pretty Good by Duff Thompson Empire Builder by TYPHOON You And I by Valerie June White Dress by Lana Del Rey V V V (They Lie) by Pantayo 

Here is a selection of memorable quotes from They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple. Above: Three of Cups from Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law Sometimes, when there were no young men about and Harry and Aubrey were out of the house, the three sisters were happy together, happier than at any other time. There was complete confidence among them then. At these times, Vera would suddenly disclose something things she had decided not to tell Lucy. They would clear up misunderstandings, make everything straight. Vera burst out in imitations and they laughed till they were weak. They put on the gramophone, kicked off their slippers and danced wildly about the rooms, whirling each other round when they met in the hall, their eyes alight, their hair flying, smiling, smiling all the time. p.8 After her marriage, Lucy went through a strange time of repair. She was always falling asleep- in the afternoons, in the evenings. 'I'm so Sorry, William,' she would say apologetically...

Are you at a crossroads in your career? Allow me to play bibliotherapist for you and your work life. Painting above: The Plough (c.1928) by Ethel Spowers I have actually read all of these books, and each link (even if the book is mentioned more than once) leads to a different post about the recommended book! What To Read If... ...you can't see the point anymore with your job/industry/wtf am I even doing. Crossing the Unknown Sea by David Whyte ...you didn't get the raise/promotion/gig you were hoping for. Insight by Tasha Eurich ...you are realizing there's way more to the 'work-life balance' and 'you can have it all' conversations The Three Marriages by David Whyte Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu ...you struggle with delegation Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke ...you are ready to start your side hustle Body of Work by Pamela Slim ...you are new to your role and you confidence is flagging Presence by Amy Cuddy ...you're slowly realizing that people th...

Continuing my series of career book reviews, next up is Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together by Pamela Slim. Quick, on-the-go career advice If you're looking for something straight-to-the-point, with no flowery or poetic language, Slim's book is for you. The writing is very accessible and concise. To me it was almost like reading long social media posts. Overall, it made for a quick, effective read. Biggest takeaway: start a side hustle I was drawn to this book initially because I have a varied career background, and I do a poor job of 'selling' this diverse experience on the job market. I was hoping Slim's book, would, as the title promises, help me tie my story together.  While I would say it succeeded in helping me to think on how I might tie my story together, my biggest takeaway was the inspiration I felt to start a side hustle! Her book offers tons of concrete, precise advice on things to consider when starting a side hustle, how to ...

  Above: Maggie and Sophia from Trickster Despite being very hard-working and ambitious, I rather infamously have no major life plan for What I Want. The only thing I do know For Sure is that I never want to have children or be a parent. Even in 2021, this stance of mine continues to be controversial, especially for women.  Taking the time to write this post then begs the question of why I'm even doing it in the first place. I guess I would say that there's so much about women's lives and health that have been taboo in history -- breast cancer, cervical cancer, miscarriages, just to name a few things. Now we see people speaking about these experiences, and when they do, it helps to lift the taboo altogether. Slowly, steadily, things change. Admittedly , it has been hard for me to write this post with compassion (see point 'So you hate people who choose to be parents?'). Being married and in my thirties, I am constantly asked about if/when I am having children--by ...

Here is a selection of memorable quotes from the essay collection Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not To Have Kids edited and with an introduction by Meghan Daum Painting above: At the Dressing-table (Self portrait) c. 1909 by Zinaida Serebriakova So much of being a grown-up is about managing or quelling desires. For food, for drink, for sex, for good times; if you're a woman, I maintain, for ambition. You should not want too much. It is strange, then, to be in a position where society demands you should have an appetite for something. And yet here as a rare instance where I was appetite-free, and the world seemed to be saying,"You have to want this thing, if only so that we can help you work through your feelings about not having it!" - from "Babes in the Woods" by Courtney Hodell I admire women who look at the rigours of parenting and decide they're just not cut out for it, or just don't want to try, and I wish th...

  I swear this post is NOT an ad. I've talked at length on this blog about vegetarianism, and challenging the frequent presumption that my being thin and  vegetarian diet  equate a greater interest or experience in being 'healthy'. I think it's important to be realistic - my vegetarianism is far from elitist. I don't spend hours soaking cashews or gracing farmers markets for the finest organic produce. To be honest, you'll find me instead breezing down aisles of the grocery store, absent-mindedly loading up my basket with cream of mushroom soup. Indeed, there are two recipes in heavy rotation in my household that heavily rely on ye olde can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup . For me, these recipes are easy, comforting, filling, and vegetarian. They're not all that healthy, and not all vegetarian meals have to be healthy. Sometimes its about what is convenient and cheap, and that is definitely what I'm going for with these two recipes. Cream of Mu...