Category: Living abundantly

Living life to the fullest with gratitude

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Posted on in Activist, Living abundantly

Story of commitment, a boat, justice and peace

Ten years ago, I planned a 1 year sabbatical to travel as a volunteer to 4 different countries.  The first stop was Palestine and it was there that everything changed.  I chose to stay for 2 years and become part of the struggle for a just peace for Palestine.  It was very important to me as a Jewish woman.  If you are interested in this story go to my blog at Sandra for Just Peace and read the archived blogs listed from January to June 2006. They tell the story from December 2004 – June 2006.  http://miriamswell1.wordpress.com/  I refer to this time as unpeeling the onion as I discover the atrocities inflicted on the Palestinian people.

Women in Black
Naomi O’Hara and me, Women in Black, Haifa 2004

I have been very fortunate to have traveled to many destinations but most of that travel was through work – as an activist and also back when I was a travel agent and travel instructor.  I travelled on fam (familiarization) trips with groups of agents and also as a Tour Escort.  When my daughters were growing up, our holidays usually were car trips to the east coast (New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) or to Clearwater, Florida.  We did spend a summer in Oslo, Norway selling t shirts, costume jewellery and African crafts but that is a whole story in itself. Later I travelled as a peace activist.  This 3 week holiday is just that – a holiday- to visit an area I have fantasized about and to open a new chapter in my Life Story. Ten years later, I am still passionate to see this Just Peace become reality but it time for me to change how I am walking in the world.  I am rebirthing my business as a healer and teacher, “Miriamswell Healing Care” in Toronto.  I am a Reflexologist and a Doula who uses a variety of  healing modalities in my practice.  I facilitate workshops in foot massage, aromatherapy, homemade beauty products, homemade cleaning products, vision books, meditation and more.

Imagehttp://miriamswellhealingcare.com/

I came to Greece in March, 2011 for the Canadian Boat to Gaza.

The steering committee realized the only way to complete our project was to have someone on the ground in Greece.  They sent me to buy a boat.  The boat needed to be refurbished to take 45 activists from Aghios Nicholas, Crete to Gaza, Palestine.   I hired a captain and a crew. I hired a lawyer who we could trust.  Together he helped to open a company and a bank account. We chose a country to flag the boat.  We purchased insurance.  I found help to plan a menu for 45 people for 10 days and then purchased the food.  I also purchased $30,000 in medicines to take to Gaza.  Everyday involved a huge learning curve.  I was away from home for 5 months.  When the Greek government locked down our boat refusing to let us leave the port, we decided to stage an escape in protest.  The Greek coast guards captured our boat after about 20 minutes.  Everyone on board in a great Spartacus moment claimed to be the captain.

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Awesome international Tahrir team of Canadians, Australians, Danish and Belgium with our Greek crew

The Greeks were reluctant to arrest 35 foreigners so they arrested me instead since I was the registered owner of the boat.  I was arrested with two others, convicted and given a 30 day suspended sentence.

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Released from detention and overwhelmed from the support of my friends, Aghios Nicholas, Crete, July, 2011

Eventually the other activists left and I stayed another month in Aghios Nicholas living on our boat “The Tahrir”. Finally we had permission to leave and I sailed with the captain and 2 crew members to Turkey.  I even got to drive the boat for an hour or so, on my own.

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Me on the Tahrir, July 2011

Now I am back in Greece and this time I am a tourist.  I am here to see Greece without an agenda.  Greece holds many memories. I made lifelong friendships.  I am here to remember and I am here to appreciate this wonderful country.

Posted on in Living abundantly, Travel, Travel

A little more Provence

The past few days in Provence can only be described as delicious……………delicious scenery, delicious food, delicious smells from roses, lavender, orange blossoms, jasmine and the burning leaves.  That is an awesome memory smell for me – burning leaves and branches from the olive trees – for me that is the smell of Palestine and it evokes some of the best life memories.  The sun is so bright and the past few days the sky has often been cloudless.

We visited a huge Friday market in Valbonne where they sell clothing (mostly Italian), soaps, pottery, linens, herbs and some vegetables and fruits.  I bought an Arnica cream(Baume a l’Arnica pour les Articulations Douloureauses) that is effective on aches and pains – great for my creaky knee.  I also bought some lavender soap and some mountain honey (Miel de Montagne).

window in Valbonne

Greta is an awesome tour guide and has made sure that I get to see everything.  She has taken amazing care of me. Hmmmm…..how can I possibly say thank you enough?!?!?!?

I took a leisurely walk through the village of Bar Sur Loup – there is not much there but it is just so picturesque.

Bar Sur Loup 4it Bar Sur Loup 9Bar Sur Loup 8Bar Sur Loup 18

Today we had lunch at a neighbour’s home.  This villa is exquisite and I could not do it justice with my words but it was exactly how I would imagine my dream home………pictures of ships and beach scenes, African art and furniture, beachy, breezy, and comfortable. The table set outside was just beautiful and the food and wine….ahhhh….delicious and abundant.

lunch in Provence

In true Provencal style we ate and ate and ate….and then ate some more.  The starters were tomatoes and cheese on toothpicks with a salad of cucumber and creamy cheese similar to sour cream.  Everything made with fresh herbs from Greta’s herb garden.  We had garlic bread hot from the oven, bread with green olives, and another baguette.  Then came the main course….I thought we had it…..forgetting the multitude of courses.  We had a delicious Italian pasta covered in olive oil, basil and parmesan cheese.  We then grated more parmesan over it.  Next was a platter of cheeses and a salad of mixed leaves.  Wine and more wine…………. and then dessert which was a beautiful platter with a variety of pastries.  We were almost too full to walk home and naps were all we could manage.

Posted on in Living abundantly, Travel, Travel

More Provence, My birthday

My 58th birthday and I am just where I want to be –physically (in Provence with friends), mentally and emotionally.  Ahhhhh………..so Blessed. I always enjoy living in community.  This week I am doing just that.  We are 4 women  in this magnificent villa.  We range in age from 58 to 80.  We have a lot in common – radical crazy- ass activists, independent, self supporting, mothers, travellers, passionate about all we do.  Greta is the perfect host -so generous of her time, her home and her spirit. The days seem to flow organically with everyone moving at their own pace. Yesterday Greta drove me to Gourdon –a breathtaking village set high up in the mountain.  It has little touristy shops and a few lovely cafes.  I bought  jasmine eau du toilette –an  intoxicating fragrance that I love and always reminds me of the Mediterranean.

view from Gourdon
view from Gourdon

2014-05-12 14.20.03 Earlier in the morning we went to a nearby Farmer’s Market.  We bought fresh fruit, vegetables, sausage, bread and cheese.  I am shopping for the perfect market basket – serious business that will probably take me the whole visit to find!

Shopping in the farmer's market
Shopping in the farmer’s market
Perfect market basket
Seeking the perfect market basket

Today we had a beautiful birthday breakfast with Greta’s famous Swedish scrambled eggs ( a recipe from her Grandmother), crusty baguette, and delicious melons with banana slices. Of course, the usual pots of coffee and glasses of juice.  The table was covered with a very traditional Provencal print with matching cloth napkins in the outdoor dining area where we seem to spend a lot of our time.

Villa dining area and master bedroom balcony
Villa dining area and master bedroom balcony

My friends – Greta, Audrey and Mary gifted me with a huge bottle of pure lavender essential oil that I will have great fun when I get home making bath salts and bath bombs, eau du toilette and other cosmetics, room fresheners and cleaning products.   I will scent my  homemade beeswax candles and look through my book that my daughers, Raya and Tovah, gave me for my birthday more than 10 years ago “Lavender and Lovage” for more ideas.  At midday we drove to Juan les Pins – a sea resort where I swam in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in 3 years.  The water was cool but not for a Canadian from the east coast…..pure bliss!!!  Cold beer in a cafe outside under the bright spring sun………………can you feel my JOY?

Posted on in Living abundantly, Travel, Travel

On my way to Provence

I chose to start this blog at a time when I am turning a new page in my life story.  It is time for that change and I am calling this holiday to Europe the first chapter, the first page of my new life story.

There are so many things that I love and that bring me pleasure and those are the things that I want to write about and that I wish to share. For me it is important to embrace things I love, acknowledge them and share them.  I love to travel, I love great food, I love my daughters and my grandson, I love new adventures and I love to embrace life!

Provence isn’t just a destination for me – it is a place that I have fantasized about, dreamed of, read books about, watched films about and always knew that one day I would visit.  I never doubted it but I wasn’t sure how I would manifest it. When Greta invited me last year, I knew it was closer to my reality.

Provence – the lush gardens, mountains, forests and water.  Provence – farmer’s markets with delicious foods – baguettes, cheeses, sausages and delicious melons and other fruits and vegetables.  Provence – villages playing Boule, friendly shop keepers, unforgettable dining experiences, meals a la fresco.  I have come here to find it all.  I want to feel, touch and taste every experience.

I flew overnight from Toronto and arrived at 7a.m. in Paris.  A few hours later, I boarded a train to Antibes in the south of France.  The trip took about seven hours.  I could have flown to Nice but I wanted to experience that train ride across the country.  I really enjoyed it watching the French countryside pass by and the scenery changing.

When my daughters were young, they had a story book called “ Orlando and His Little Friends”.  Orlando went on holiday with his parents and he met new friends along the way – his little while friends.  My girls have teased me for years about being Orlando because I love to talk to people and make my own “little while friends”.  Checking in at the airport, I met a woman and we started up a conversation in the line.  We found we had things in common and we were both on our way to Paris.  We decided to give the special Air Transat lounge a try.  The airline had a special on and the lounge was $36 for 2 hours.  It included alcohol, a buffet meal and a quiet calm atmosphere.  It felt like traveling first class and was a great start to the holiday.  I  traveled to the airport by TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) – I recommend it because it is cheap and easy – subway to Kipling and then the express bus to the airport all for a $3 ticket.

I am visiting my friend Greta Berlin who owns this magnificent villa in the south of France.  It is so beautiful – 3 large bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen, large living and dining room and a view that catches your breath every time you look.

View from my bedroom window
View from my bedroom window
The patio off the gourmet kitchen
The patio off the gourmet kitchen

 

Posted on in Living abundantly, Who am I

Sixty in the City

For 3 decades SandraLaya Ruch has been inspiring women to live their lives to the fullest. She is a firm believer that anything is possible and each of us must dare to dream. She encourages women not be held hostage to our victim story but to use our survival as a reminder of our strength and possibilities.
Ruch, began her global activism for the rights of women and children as a young woman. For almost 10 years, Sandra played a prominent role at Canada’s only national Feminist peace organization in Canada, the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW). As a committed peace activist, she lived and managed numerous initiatives in conflict areas working with International Feminist organizations. As a result of her human rights advocacy, Ruch has been arrested and detained several times both abroad and in Canada. Her speaking is a journey about conflict, crisis and commitment to living a meaningful, substantial and significant lifestyle.
From her extensive women empowerment experience and expertise, Ruch provides timely insight for women and how they can begin to see and manage conflict differently. She is a sought-after speaker on strategies for social justice and empowering women to come into their voice.
SandraLaya Ruch is the founder, and CEO of Sixty in the City which helps empower women to live meaningful lives. Ruch views conflict and crises as pivotal moments in our lives that can deepen our significance or destroy it. Ruch sees extensive conflict for women at work where levels of anxiety are heightening, not lessening. Often anxiety stems from women’s desire to have life work balance. Given the fact that most today’s organizations continue to advance and promote employees who work more hours and carry more stress, women face enormous conflict. The manifestation of this is detrimental to women employees and their respective employers. With Ruch’s 30 year women empowerment background, she provides organizations with a customized speaking programs, aimed to equip women with a completely new perspective on conflict, how to embrace it and to enjoy it.
Both a Mother and Grandmother, SandraLaya raised her daughters independently facing many of the struggles familiar to single parents. She is no stranger to domestic violence and the dangers that women experience in a patriarchal society.
“We must look for the opportunities waiting for us”. SandraLaya Ruch

Sixty in the City

sixtyinthecityblog.com