Wishes For Bridges Each Step Of Your Way

Love is the bridge between you and everything. Rumi

It was hot that day with a cooling breeze as we walked adjacent to the busy car traffic.

Crossing over the Granville Street Bridge in Vancouver, my daughter and I had a bird's eye view (pictured left) of the Granville Island Public Market and the bright canary yellow restaurant there.

What better name for the restaurant than Bridges?

There are three bridge crossings in close proximity over False Creek, connecting downtown Vancouver to outlying areas. Across the way, we spied the Burrard Street Bridge built in the 1930's. Its Art Deco influence was visible from afar. Cambie Street Bridge (not pictured) also spans this inlet at the heart of the city.

A bridge can be any transitional device ... a thread, a complex web of communication from one to another or a simple log placed fortuitously over a tricky situation as my daughter's painting of Penelope (below) shows. 

There are imaginary, real and unchallenged obstacles as we press forward in life so I'll quote Penelope Puddle who would say without hesitation to all who cross from here to there: "Wishes for bridges each step of your way."

View more West Coast scenes at my latest photographic journal UNDER MY UMBRELLA and visit POSTCARDS FROM PENELOPE PUDDLE.

Postscript: This post was originally published in May of 2018

Penelope's "Wishes For Bridges" painting updated, July, 2025

Shining A Spotlight On BC Fairies

FAIRIES HAVE CAPTURED the imagination of kids and grownups throughout the ages and I am no exception, particularly since it is time to find a word that begins with the letter "F" for ABC Wednesday. 

One rainy day I took another look at the fairies my daughter drew years ago. It's easy to become enchanted with the idea of tiny winged creatures mysteriously flitting about, barely seen, spreading goodwill and magic into the harsh realities of life. I developed my daughter's art further:

 

MAY YOUR DREAMS BLOOM!

In addition to Penelope Puddle drawings, my daughter created an abundance of fairy drawings which we copyrighted as BC Fairies. Some found their way into art cards. Some have names rooted in the fictional origins I created for them.
At a glance the fairies are easily mistaken for miniature birds, dragonflies or butterflies. They have flown from all parts of the globe, risking the ravages of weather and distance, to settle in the rainforests of coastal British Columbia. The little litterbugs love to scribble notes that they usually scatter outdoors. Some fairies have narrowly missed being seen inside the homes of unsuspecting humans in need of an uplifting message.

BC Fairies look small and frail but their traits make them largely invincible. The names, interpretations and origins of nine fairies are: Elsa, Noble, Germany; Muriel, Shining Sea, Ireland; Abril, Open, France; Halla, Unexpected Gift, South Africa; Alegria, Cheerful, Spain; Tori, Bird, Japan; Zola, Peace On Earth, Italy; Raya, Sweetly Scented, Saudi Arabia; Letitia, Joyful Leap, England.

Some dictionaries mention a goddess/fairy connection:

Main Entry: Fairy

Pronunciation: 'far-E, 'fer-

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural fair·ies

Etymology: from Latin Fata, goddess of fate

My brand of fairies have unique characteristics of their own. In addition to the name BC Fairies being suggestive of the large coastal transportation fleet known as BC Ferries, here are a few key points:

1 a : BC Fairies believe humans possess inner wings that when tapped into enable them to do surprising things of magical proportions b : notable BC Fairies are nine mystic creatures from different parts of the globe who settled in the enchanted West Coast rainforests of British Columbia c : each fairy has a unique characteristic that humans also possess d: the fairies scatter messages to awaken people to their own gifts and powers ready to be unfurled

BC Fairies don’t stay still for long and I confess I need to incorporate some of their motivation into my creative life. All rights are reserved for BC Fairies but future projects will fly only when my own wings, struggling, unfold.

BC Fairies All Rights Reserved

Fairies and ferries showcase the letter "F". If you think words are Fun and enjoy playing with the alphabet, visit ABC Wednesday.

Postscript: This post was originally published in February, 2012

BC Fairies images refreshed and updated in July, 2025

Copyright by Maria Pavlik

Hope Is A Feather

AUTHOR Emily Dickinson showed sensitivity as a writer with such prose as: “Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all."

More than wishes and fairy tales, hope is the light in an unfathomable world. It darts away to suddenly reappear with a song or a flutter. Fearing the dimming of its glow some strive to contain it through metaphors and pictures ... a hopeless task but worth a try as I walk about with my camera.

A seed holds the hope of a flower.

Visitors hope for kind receptions and hosts hope for guests that are kind.

Parents hope for futures brighter than what they've known.

Hope rests at the cusp of every sharp turn and prickly situation.

It rests in the pet hoping for a friendly pat on the head.

There's an ocean of hope in every drop and puddle. And from hope's lofty perspective, every feather and pen holds the potential to somehow fly.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

To see more sights from around the globe visit OUR WORLD at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Birds Of A Feather

A RECENT GIFT from a thoughtful friend made me smile. I love the idea of flight and the cedar eagle feather carved and painted by Vancouver Salish artist, Len McKay, reminds me of how easily my imagination can take wing.

A creative thought floats like a feather ... light, free and minus the baggage. It can lift me up over city streets, rolling hills, wind tossed seas and into the billowy clouds. My flights of fancy know no bounds.

Beautiful moments don't last forever, however. Even the camouflaging bird (above) came down to earth to forage for food.

Although I've yet to see birds in the bath (above) during my Crescent Beach walks, I suspect they do land there because we all enjoy bathing and sometimes singing in the showers.

From the busy bird below (painted by my daughter when she was small) to the cedar feather and thoughts about flying, ideas are free flowing and life is incrementally changing so never as wooden or stuck in a frame as it appears.

Later in the week I joined my daughter in Vancouver for a mother/daughter hair day. I've always loved the differing shades and flow of her hair which was the major inspiration for Penelope Puddle's unruly locks.

On our way to lunch we saw the unique representation of Nike the ancient Greek Goddess of Victory (below) by Pavlos Angelos Kougioumtzis.

Presented to the City of Vancouver to commemorate the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the winged statue regally stands amid skyscrapers.

We also peeked into a high-end furniture store and saw ornamental peacocks (above) sporting feathers that I hoped were synthetic.

When we returned to my daughter's apartment it was clear to me that we both love antique artifacts, pretty flowers and lights brimming with extra sparkle.

People around the globe have more in common than not. Everyone wants to feel safe and cozy in their homes and treated with respect during their travels.

We are all birds of a feather, indeed, especially my daughter and I since we both agree there's something quite magical about a reliable and resilient umbrella.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

To see more sights from around the globe visit OUR WORLD at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Brimming With Good Luck

A COMFY CHAIR with a cushion for my back reminds me that I don't have to go far to know how lucky I am. Although it is easy to dwell on a glass half empty, today I simply can't ignore a glass that is more than full of small comforts. Almost nothing that surrounds me was made by me ... yet here it all is, providing for my every whim and need.

The angelic figure created by a friend inspires me at a glance.

It's a mystery how much synchronicity was involved in the musical instrument (above) coming to me, along with its owner who turned out to be my husband eventually. Not only can I strum an unfinished tune, I can turn a dial to make music blast from a radio speaker (pictured) that I didn't assemble and the workings of which I don't understand.

I rely on schemers and doodlers from all corners of the world every day. Engineers, architects and electricians responsible for a tangle of cords and wires brighten life in a myriad of ways.

At a glance I am reminded of our beloved family pet who has since passed away and the talented little girl (now a grownup) who created Penelope Puddle as a gift to me. How strange to appreciate but not know all those who took part in designing, painting and piecing together the ornate frames that contain so many of my special memories.

My story follows the stories of those who struggled and toiled. Some never got their full reward but each life had its portion of goodness.

How remarkable and fortunate that nourishment sprouting from plants and trees is handpicked by hardworking strangers and then driven to neighborhood stores before landing on the kitchen table.

In generations past, lemon meringue pie was made from scratch. But thanks to modern bakers I will never meet I can savor this sweet cloud without having to break a single egg or squeeze a tangy lemon.

How many hands did it take, and who built the equipment that forged the metal, to make a whistling kettle so I can sip a soothing herbal brew? What army of workers processed the tea? Who produced the tiny bags I dunk into a cup of clean water that freely pours from a nearby faucet?

How many dozens of hands did it take to make the cap I wear to keep the sun off. Who wove the purse my keys disappear into? Who invented the coat hanger where I hook my umbrella to easily find when it rains?

The universe conspires in countless ways, with the help of others and even ourselves sometimes, to make life flow easier. The glass half full is barely noticeable most of the time but every once in a while I ponder the “little” things I take for granted day in and day out.

It's particularly clear that nature provides when I go outside and find the tiniest creatures also get their share of luck to survive.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

To see more sights from around the globe visit OUR WORLD at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

The Art Of Not Being Penny-less

HAVE YOU gotten out of bed with a big yawn and a stretch and a niggling feeling there is something important you forgot that needed your attention yesterday? Oh, yes … that gift for someone special that you still did not get. It is a dilemma we all have faced, including Penelope who is only six years old and penniless.

That is the start of the story accompanying another set of watercolour pencil drawings my daughter gave me several years ago for Mother's Day, complete with original font for the prose. Penelope's Gift of Time: Because No One Can Fill Your Shoes is from a child's simple perspective while the motivation behind the theme is mine.

During my walks, I often see the very elderly or ill accompanied by uninterested strangers. Tiny tots are ignored by nannies and parents who are lost in their cellphone screens. The Penelope story is about discovering nature's true gifts and being fully engaged with someone near who deserves attention.

This is the second in what I expect to be a growing series featuring the Penelope Puddle character and her small sidekick umbrella that takes on a best-pal role. In fact, I have big plans to evolve the umbrella's "personality" in future. I just need a few more decades of time in which to do all that I want to do with the concept and art.

Although I no longer get them as gifts, I have a wealth of Penelope drawings tucked away to play with whenever I find the time. An upcoming visit with my daughter for Mother's Day will give me a chance to thank her again for providing me with an always welcoming friend that absorbs my imagination and never accusingly asks, "Where have you been? What took you so long?"

Postscript May 11, 2015

A soft light glowed through the glass at a restaurant we randomly walked into on Sunday for a Mother's Day brunch. When we were seated, I noticed a sign on the wall over my daughter's head that read, "I don't eat my friends."

The Heirloom Vegetarian served up a plate of food that turned out to be one of the tastiest meals I have eaten anywhere. The vinaigrette on the super fresh salad was laced with the perfect amount of tang and the creamy sauce, spiced with a bit of seaweed powder, melted beautifully over the mouth-watering nutty meat substitute. The exceptional flavours sweetened our conversation.

As the reflection on the window from the outside shows, the day was not cloudless. So I was amazed that the sky still cast a wonderful glow.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

To see more sights from around the globe visit OUR WORLD at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms