Looking at the state of things, it will only be a matter of time before the remaining golden leaves on the trees outside blow away to leave us with the bare, brown branches of a skeletal tree. Weather in the city has been mild as of late, and although the wind has been brisk, the warm sun feels good on my face. I know it won't last though, and I'm dreading the scraping of ice off my windshield in the morning already...Weather is a predominant topic amongst us Edmonton dwellers, and I know it can be stereotypical and predictable, but when you live in a city where the temperature drops down to -40 degrees and can change any minute, it's definitely worth talking about.

Lots of things on my mind at the moment,but I'll touch on surface things just to keep me distracted.

• Funny how I spent so much time procrastinating on what I'll just vaguely call "my project" due to the fact that I needed to set up the proper environment in order to get inspired, but now that everything's been set up I'm still procrastinating. Come on! I tell myself. "Things aren't going to get done by themselves" is what D tells me. And he's right.

• Eating in the food court the other day gave me a great chance to observe people waiting in line for their food. I watched a tall young lady with dark shiny hair waiting for her Edo Japan order while standing in black leather stiletto boots, hot pink opaque tights, and a figure-hugging black mini-skirt. Although I would never feel comfortable in those heels and skirt, I envied her mile-long legs immediately. I also felt a pang of envy when a medium height Asian woman with hair in long, shiny waves walked by, dressed to the nines with a fabulous Coach bag (in Japan it's all about LV, but in Edmonton, the Coach bag reigns supreme). I looked down at my black zip-up hoody and my sneakers and tried to will my frizzy, dry hair to grow longer and faster. I've often thought that if I was to be reincarnated that I would love to come back as a woman from the Mediterranean or from the Middle East. Tall, olive complexion, with big green/hazel eyes shaped like a cat's...But you know what? I need to remember that being beautiful is not just about the physical. It's all about confidence and realizing the good points about yourself. It's about being happy. We all have our moments of self-doubt, but I'm going to try hard to remember my good points and to just be happy being me.

• My niece told me the other day,  "I want to color just with you". I felt bad that I couldn't do that with her at that moment because we were both busy with other plans that day. I realize that it's only with me that she wants to color and/paint with, and I'm touched and happy that she associates creativity with me. I want to continue making art with her, whether it's a simple drawing of her and her little brother Marco, or even just a painting of a flower. I love that she's so artistic and I'm eager to watch her develop into an artist just like her paternal grandmother and her Auntie Esther.

I'll leave you with a photo of when Maki and Takeshi came to visit me this past August.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.