Embracing my inner art-lovin' peace-lovin' hippie

It's been a full and exhausting week, but oh the good things that have come in the midst of all this craziness!  To cap off the goodness, I won the bid on this AMAZING bag from Joyce, and now I can truly embrace the peace-lovin' hippie in me!

How perfect is it that I'm buying a peace-sign bag from re-purposed fabric in support of justice and food for the people of Darfur!?! Everything about it just screams "this is meant to be Heather's bag!" I hope to have it in time for my east coast tour next week (Joyce lives a half hour from me), 'cause I'll be able to tell myself I'm just a free-spirited hippie out to convene with mother nature and a community of other hippies on the coast. Smile.

If you haven't checked out Joyce's Darfur Project yet, then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Go there NOW. Bid on a bag. (It's okay - go -  I'll still be here when you get back.) Bookmark it for future reference, and keep going back.  I kept forgetting to visit until it was too late to bid on the bags I wanted, but it turned out to be serendipitous, because I showed up at just the right time to buy the bag that is my favourite of the bags I've seen so far (and she makes lots of cool bags).

While I'm wandering the East Coast with my hippie bag, one of the coolest things I'll be doing is visiting the artist Dale Cook in New Brunswick. Dale is putting on an art show in support of the organization I work for (Canadian Foodgrains Bank), and some of her paintings are based on my photos from India and Bangladesh.  Here's one of my favourites from a photo I took in India. Isn't it beautiful?

I SO wish I could afford to buy it, but with kids who've suddenly outgrown winter coats and boots at the same time AND have this ridiculous expectation that they'll get Christmas presents (sheesh), that would prove to be a little difficult. Hopefully it will go to a good home. :-)  Check out Dale's blog here.

I've got lots of other fun things lined up for my trip, including lunch and a studio visit with another artist/writer in Nova Scotia (whom I've admired from afar since I learned about her a few years ago and I'm in awe that I get to meet her face to face), and a meal in a restaurant/bakery that's developed a special bread recipe that they're dedicating to the Foodgrains Bank (every loaf they sell will support the work of ending hunger overseas).  Plus I get to stay with my friend Randy (who gave me my triple spiral necklace on my last visit), and some other people that I really like (and expect to like once I meet the ones I've only spoken to on the phone so far) in three of the Atlantic Provinces.

It's a good life for a peace-lovin', art-lovin', bread-lovin', people-lovin', justice-lovin' hippie!