August

For August, I am thinking that I would like to dig in to being a bit more creative. It's my break from school and I will have a week off of work in there too and while it is tempting to take on big projects like cleaning up my WHOLE APARTMENT, I think what I need most is some fun. So I've decided to join up with Susannah's August Break. Which, given how infrequently I post is maybe not a "break" exactly. But I have not been taking many photos lately, and I'd like to. I like having a snapshot record as the seasons pass, even if they aren't all masterpieces (which, of course, I want them to be). I like taking a bit of time to find a new perspective, a pretty shot, a good angle.

(Caveat: I may not actually take a photo every day... when I am not up for new shots I may go back to my bulging files of photos that have yet to see the light of the internet and post one of those instead. We'll see.)

Want to play along? Don't worry. There are no rules.

The Dread Crew shall be mine!!!

I'd love to win a copy of The Dread Crew: Pirates of the Backwoods by sweet/salty Kate Inglis, and even to review it (although I'd more than likely just gush). So here goes her contest meme.

Cover image from website, artist: Sydney Smith

Stories that Stick

1) You are facing an epic journey. You may choose one companion, one tool and one vehicle from any book or film to accompany you. Or just one of the three. It's up to you. What do you choose?


The Doctor (David Tennant incarnation, please!) and a magic wand and... hmm... Howl's Moving Castle for transport? Or a pirate ship.



2) You can escape to the insides of any book. Where do you go, and why?

All of my cookbooks (haha)? Whoville at Christmas? Christmastown & Halloweentown? Oh wait those two are just a movie. Oooohhhh, the Clayr library in Garth Nix's book Lirael! It's in a glacier. The world of Philip Reeve's Larklight? Hard to say. I'm not sure that the perfect book-world exists for me. I just know it would be styled by Henry Selick and/or Tim Burton. And it may have muppets.

 

3) You can bring one literary character into your current life. Who do you choose, and why?

My very own dæmon. I wonder what animal it would be? 

Or perhaps Captain Jack Sparrow... but I get the impression that he's more fun to watch romping on the screen than he would be to cope with in real life.  

 

4) _________________ is my go-to book. I could read that book fifty-seven times in a row without a break for food or a pee and not be remotely bored. In fact I’ve already done that but it wasn’t fifty-seven times. It was sixty-four.

Do audio books count? It's got to be the Harry Potter series. I can't tell if it's like medicine or candy to me. Maybe candy-coated medicine? It is the literary equivalent of hot cocoa and a cozy sweater. It is perfect company for stressful times. I listen to Stephen Fry reading it over and over and over and ... over some more.




5) Of all the literary or film characters that made an impression on you as a kid, who was the most enviable?

Anne Shirley, I think. What gumption! What moxie! A kindred spirit. And the Pevensies, I suppose, even though a lot about the Narnia books irk me. But imagine living out a whole lifetime (as royalty in a parallel universe no less) and then getting to go back to being a kid again.



6) Of all the literary or film characters that made an impression on you as a kid, who was the most frightening?


I didn't really get scared of literary characters as a kid. I got scared of nature documentaries about freak storms or swarms of biting insects. That shark in Jaws made me think twice about swimming at the lake though... oh and when I was very young I think I was afraid of the Ghost of Christmas Future, that thing is creepy.



7) Every time I read _________________, I see something in it that I haven’t seen before.


Hmmm. Other than HP I don't re-read things that much. Lets say Chronicles of Narnia and the Little House on the Prairies series' because I ate those up as a kid and then re-read them as an adult with completely new eyes. And Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy... that's worth reading more than once to see the hints and details missed the first time around.



8) It is imperative that __The Mortal Engines books__ be made into a movie. Now. I am already picketing Hollywood for this—but if they cast _someone incompetent_ as _art/style director_, I will not be happy. I will, however, be appeased if they cast _Ewan McGregor (I don't know what role... but who doesn't like Ewan McGreggor?)_.






9) _________________ is a book that should never be made (or should have never been made) into a film.


Oh yes, there are lots of these. Let me say instead that Mermaids was a book that was actually better as a film.





10) After all these years, the _________________ scene in the book/movie _________________ still manages to give me the queebs.


Trying to think of a creepy book... erm... I know there's some gross monster stuff in the Abhorsen books, but I forget specifics. I can not stand it in movies OR books when someone vomits. That's gross.



11) After all these years, the _________________ scene in the book/movie _________________ still manages to give me a thrill.


Well, I am a total Christmas movie nerd, so lets say that scene where the Grinch's heart grows three sizes? I love all the Christmas parts of the HP books too (NERD) and um... I always choke up when Anne gets her dress with the puffed sleeves.



12) If I could corner the author _________________, here’s what I’d say to them one minute or less about their book, _________________:


I couldn't. I'd be too shy to approach a famous author in public I think! Or just too conflicted (they need privacy too!) or something... and anyway, in just a MINUTE? No fair. I love Jeanette Wintersons books, but I think she would seriously intimidate me. For most of the authors I love I would probably just say THANK YOU. And also, how do you get that job???





13) The coolest non-fiction book I’ve ever read is _anything by David Sedaris_. Every time I flip through it, it makes me want to _hire him to narrate life, it would make every situation into a quirky little vignette_.

Get to know me

One of the few forwards I actually participated in : ) I thought I would post it here too.

Welcome to the new 2009 edition of getting to know your family and friends. Here is what you are supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun.

[edit: I don't really like the word "lame" in there... if you don't feel like replying it doesn't make you lame! : ) ]

Change all the answers so that they apply to you.. Then send this to a bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person who sent it to you. Some of you may get this several times; that means you have lots of friends. The easiest way to do it is to hit 'forward' so you can change the answers or copy and paste. Have fun and be truthful!

I want to see your answers!!

1. What is your occupation right now?
Part time at a desk, doing office-y things (ok) and part time in a little library doing bookish things (very nice!)

2. What color are your socks right now?
Grey

3. What are you listening to right now?
Nothing (I'm at the desk job right now)... but I have my ipod and am debating between Harry Potter on audiobook and the soundtrack to Amelie

4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Breakfast of toast with almond butter & blueberry jam, and a bowl of yogurt, muesli, fresh strawberries and cinnamon. Right now I am drinking a soy mocha.

5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes!

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone
My brother Terry

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Very much : )

8. How old are you today?
32

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Sport? TV?

10. What is your favorite drink?
Um... totally depends. Fresh juice from my juicer (apple, carrot, beet, ginger) or a latte/mocha.... sometimes tea... somtimes a mojito... I like variety!

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes but.... too much work to maintain so not for a long time.

12. Favorite food?
Kind of seasonal... right now I love strawberries, and salads full of fresh stuff, maybe with some kind of fish on top... I eat a lot of avocados all year though... and everything is better with cheese. In the fall/winter butternut squash soup becomes a staple. I love custard tarts, pumpkin pie, mincemeat tarts... gingerbread. I would not kick an almond croissant out of bed. Hard to choose one favorite. I do enjoy eating though, that's for sure.

13. What is the last movie you watched?
"Up" on Friday, "The Wrestler" on Saturday.

14. Favorite day of the year?
Unpredictable.
(I'm stealing Elizabeth's answer. Who can know that ahead of time?)

15. How do you vent anger?
With tears, usually.
(again, stealing Elizabeth's answer)

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Um.... nothing stands out.. I always loved to read and draw. I did play with dolls, but mostly I liked designing houses and towns for them to live in. Oh! Lego.

17. What is your favorite season?
Autumn

18. Cherries or Blueberries?
Do I have to choose? Whichever one is in season.

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back/respond with their own answers?
Yes please!!!

20. Who is the most likely to respond?
Andie... or Jackie...

21. Who is least likely to respond?
Cindy :)

(Ok, so now Elizabeth and I are ganging up on Cindy. But then maybe she will reply just to teach us a lesson!)

22. Living arrangements?
Lower-floor apartment (small, but cozy) with Adrien (the boy) and Griffin (the cat)

23. When was the last time you cried?
Friday ("Up" is SAD)

24. What is on the floor of your closet?
Shoes. Dust. Spiders, probably. Cat hair, definitely.

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
Well, Leanne has been my cousin/friend since I was two weeks old, so probably her. Although Jackie (and my mom, for that matter) knew me BEFORE I was born. But if we aren't counting family, then Megan and Alissa.

26. What did you do last night?
Talked to my brother, cleaned out my fridge then put away the groceries, made a little supper and did laundry while watching Carnivale (we are in Season One).

27. What are you most afraid of?
Loss of independence (ex paralysis)

28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Cindy's mustard-bean burgers (with cheese) (and avocado) (yum)

29. What is your favorite kind of dog?
big, friendly ones

30. Favorite day of the week?
Saturday.... sometimes Sunday... and the days I work at the library are pretty good too

31. How many Provinces have you lived in?
3

32. Diamonds or pearls?

Moonstones

33. What is your favorite flower?
Sweet Peas... but I also like tulips, chocolate cosmos (actually smells like chocoalte), lilacs, hydrengias, lavender, any little wildflowers, especially purple or blue ones

34. Favourite holiday destination?
A seaside (or lakeside, in a pinch) cottage, with a pile of books. Or else a new and interesting city, like Paris, New York, Lima, Venice or Tokyo.

*Photos from Google searches found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Mosaic

This mosaic questionnaire is circulating right now and it looked like fun so I decided to play along...

Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search, using only the first page, choose your favorite image, copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows).
The questions:
1. What is your first name? (Christine)
2. What is your favorite food? (Raspberries)
3. What high school did you attend? (Mission)
4. What is your favorite color? (Purple)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Johnny Depp)
6. Favorite drink? (Latte)
7. Dream vacation? (England - actually the whole of the UK but the photos for just "England" were prettier)
8. Favorite dessert? (Tarts)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (Librarian)
10.What do you love most in life? (Mystery)
11. One word to describe you. (Changeling)
12. Your Flickr name. (chaitea - which is cheating a bit because it is actually christine.bluemoon but I didn't like those options and chaitea is part of my yahoo email... )


Flickr photo credits:


1. Day Two: Christine Visits Christine Falls, 2. Full-size Raspberry Beret Cupcake, 3. Mission Gate, 4. purple sea snails, 5. Johnny Depp. Need I say more?, 6. 拉花 Latte Art, 7. Bibury, England, 8. The Librarian, 9. Mother of mystery, 10. apple tarts, 11. Changeling, 12. chai 7153.jpg

100 things (this list didn't take as long as I thought it would...)

1. When I was little, my favorite colour was Purple
2. 2 is my favorite number... I also rather like 9
3. I think I am part snail because I like to move slowly, eat slowly, live slowly and hide away in cozy little nooks (hence Spiral Bound)
4. That said, it is totally annoying when there are slow people blocking the sidewalk
5. I have (so far) attended 5 post-secondary institutions (2 colleges and 3 universities) in 3 provinces
6. Having my hair brushed, washed or played with is pure pleasure
7. It makes me happy to read or watch holiday-themed stories/shows at Christmas, Halloween, mid-summer etc... even if they are really cheesy
8. I try to remember to celebrate (or notice/aknowledge/observe) 8 festivals throughout the year: Yule (Winter Solstice), Imbolc, Eostara (Spring Equinox), Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lammas, Mabon (Autumn Equinox) and Hallowe'en/Samhain
9. I was a vegetarian for about 9 years
10. I still don't eat much meat... and I think it best if it is local, free range or wild
11. I am one of those people who dislikes cilantro (I know, but I can't help it, it's in my genes)
12. I have lived in 12 different Canadian cities/towns
13. I love the rain, and I miss living in rainy south-western BC
14. I love biology (especially zoology) and sometimes wonder why I didn't just study that
15. When she invited me to, I almost moved to Borneo to study Orangutans with Biruté Galdikas... maybe I will still do that one day
16. I have ridden on a camel, more than one elephant and several horses
17. I have touched (and fed) a dolphin
18. I love farmer's markets
19. I love to get gooey cheese, home-made red pepper jelly and fresh bread at farmer's markets
20. Sweet, firm red apples are my favorite (royal gala) but I like the tart green ones too
21. Raspberries are my favorite fruit
22. Fruit in general seems like a kind of miraculous gift to me when I think about it
23. I am open to trying almost any kind of food at least once
24. I have moved 24 times in my life (that I can remember), the first 5 times were with my family but the rest have been since I moved out
25. I have never been to the maritime provinces but I would love to go
26. Same goes for northern Canada
27. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut
28. I still kind of do
29. The first food I remember really liking is black olives
30. I've been to Morocco but just for a day
31. I have one tattoo, on the back of my neck
32. Lip Balm. Not sure why, but I am obsessed
33. I love all things coconut
34. In fact I adore lots of nutty things, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, pinenuts, and even peanuts
35. Nut butters are great too... smooth or crunchy but all natural, no icing sugar
36. Ok, sometimes the gross icing-sugar peanut butter is good too (but just as a treat)
37. I hate baby-talk
38. I also dislike msn-isms like: how r u or cu l8r
39. I don't mind abbreviations like lol or brb though
40. I procrastinate a lot (um... yes that is what I am doing right now actually)
41. I am a bit of a geek (see next)
42. I know what 42 means
43. I have a tendency towards perfectionism (maybe related to the procrastination thing?)
44. I am right-handed but always wished I was a lefty (I always want to be what is "different")
45. I cry easily and often
46. This can be frustrating, especially if I am in a situation where I would dearly like to remain composed
47. I have started to say "frak" in place of other swear words
48. I have a crush on Jeanette Winterson
49. Cloves are my favorite spice (for smell) and I think if I ever have a daughter I would like to call her Clove
50. I have been present for the birth of more than 50 human beings
51. I have never been present for the death of a human being
52. I like that when people find out I'm from BC they assume I am a granola person
53. Actually, I like to think that Adrien and I are a bit like Dharma & Greg
54. I think I am pretty evenly spilt right brain and left brain... I love both arts/creativity and logic/science
55. I would like to become a better gardner (or be a gardner at all)
56. I love the smell of sawdust, it reminds me of my grandpa
57. I like the word "steampunk"
58. I am hard on myself, but not all the time
59. I dream big, and am often disappointed that my grand plans don't work out
60. However, I still find that I am frequently really enchanted with the small, everyday twists and quirks of life
61. I am a good mediator/peace-maker (for others)
62. I can be stubborn, argumentative and very defensive when I feel vulnerable (which is a lot)
63. I get terrible pangs of jealousy (often)
64. I am a good listener
65. I sometimes find that the opinions I argue for (or against) in the fiercest way are the ones I understand the least
66. I used to be a barista and I sometimes miss making foamy cappuccinos with those lovely, shiny steamy machines
67. I can play the flute, the trumpet and the euphonium (although it has been years since I touched any of them)
68. I am a pretty good cook and a decent baker
69. I wish I had a bigger place so I could have people over and cook for them more often
70. Pot luck dinners rock
71. I love getting & sending letters in the mail (thank you Alissa!)
72. I speak English (obviously), French and a miniscule smattering of Spanish
73. I once tried to teach myself Russian (Zdravstvuite, menia zovut Christine!) and would love to learn a zillion languages
74. I really like hands, they are usually one of the first things I notice about people (not a big fan of long or painted nails although painted toes are cute)
75. Adrien has great hands : )
76. I am mostly English, but also French and Dutch (and Canadian and American)
77. Perhaps that is why I have a fondness for all things British... especially British TV (Doctor Who, River Cottage, The Good Life, Vicar of Dibley)
78. I would love to spend some time living in the UK
79. I would love to spend some time traveling, and/or living just about anywhere on the planet
80. I enjoy a witty, sarcastic sense of humour
81. I can be a brat
82. I am a bit of a sugar-aholic and I would like to do something about it... but I am also kind of ok with it : )
83. Surprisingly though, I am not as big a fan of ice cream as one might think
84. I have a little obsessive compulsive side that I don't think many people know about
85. I used to love math, but now find it a little mind-boggling... I wonder what happened there
86. I have only one serious regret, and I have already been forgiven for it
87. I want to believe in magical things (and I sort of do) but my skeptical side often steps in to warn me not to be gullible or silly
88. I am an athiest
89. I am also pagan; kind of witchy; interested in religion/spirituality, especially Shintoism, Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism; in awe of Life, The Universe And Everything (see 42); open, curious, confused, and certain only that no has all the answers yet
90. I read a lot of children's/young adult literature (His Dark Materials is one of my favorites)
91. I read a lot of everything
92. I am (trying to... in the process of) writing a novel. Well a series of 4 actually. It is slow going, but really enjoyable.
93. Cigarette smoke makes me feel nauseous, cranky and gives me a terrible headache
94. Pipes and some cigars though smell kind of nice
95. I sometimes have great difficulty remembering my exact age
96. Even though I now think that it is an evil, evil empire, I have fond memories of eating at McDonald's as a kid (I always had the filet-o-fish and a strawberry or vanilla milkshake)
97. I will always save big bug-creatures (spiders, centipedes, beetles) but I kill itsy-bitsy ones like fruit flies and mosquitoes
98. I don't like it when people call me "shy" even though I sometimes am
99. I am thinking of becoming a librarian
100. My favorite colour is still Purple

My first Meme

I found this meme over at Boho girl's site, but it seems to have originated here at Colors on my mind.




Have you taken any dance classes in the past year that you loved?
I took ballet when I was little (hardly even remember it, although I do remember the five foot positions) and I signed up for belly dancing with a friend once but sadly we never ended up going. Like yoga, dance is one of the few forms of exercise that by body does not flat out reject. I enjoy dancing when I am home alone and sometimes I make Griffin (the cat) join in. Adrien is one of those people who has a panic attack if he is forced to dance in public, but we are working on it.

What is your favorite tea and where do you get it?
Right now my two favorite teas are green tea with jasmine and herbal orange spice. I am not that picky, I get my tea from the little market where I buy groceries or the yucky bigger stores when we end up there instead.

What is your favorite podcast? What do you love about it?
I have only ever listened to one podcast and that was to do with the last Harry Potter book this summer. Meh. Wasn't all that great, but it did help with my feverish need to hear what other HP geeks thought of the book.

What food did you love when you were a kid, that when you eat it as an adult it brings you back-carries so much more than just the flavor-but memories. And would you share a recipe?
Well... let's see. Barbecue salmon is one. Dad used to fish for salmon in the rivers near where I grew up (sometimes I would go too) and so we often had fresh salmon on the bbq. Snickerdoodles are another. And how could I ever eat chocolate without thinking of my mom? : )

What was the last thing you bought yourself?
As you can imagine, I haven't been doing a whole lot of consumer therapy lately. I think probably the last thing I bought myself that wasn't at least kind of a necessity was a book from a second-hand store. This book was a delightful serendipitous find, I had never heard of Carrie Mac before but now I am eager to read the rest of her stuff. Oh and some soft purple socks. I couldn't resist.
I am thinking of getting a digital camera once all of my student loans/bursaries are settled. I am quite jealous of all those gorgeous photo-filled blogs out there and I want to start posting my own photography too!

What color is your bedroom? Is it the nicest room in the house?
I don't have one! lol. We live in what is known by Montrealers as a two-and-a-half. Which is a large bachelor suite to most other folks. It is pretty big for what it is, we have a large living room/bedroom, a long hallway full of closets, a large kitchen (with room for a washer/dryer and a small table by the window) and a bathroom. Our "bedroom" consists of our bed (which Adrien designed and made by hand for us - so that is awe*fully neat) and a small black fabric room divider to separate it from the rest of the room. I guess you could say we have a bed-nook. As it is part of the living room, and that is the room I have spent the most time making cozy with wooden bookshelves and richly coloured throw pillows, yes it is the nicest.

Are you a better cook or baker?
I would have to say that I am a better cook, though I yearn to be an excellent baker. I think it is in the attitude. I see cooking as a necessary daily activity (we've all got to eat) and so I think of it as being "easy" to throw tasty meals together. I like eating and that makes it feel like creating good food should be intuitive (I know it isn't always). I rarely ever follow recipes, if only for the fact that I don't always have all the ingredients on hand. I do have a shelf full of luscious cook-books for inspiration though.
As for baking... I adore baked good. Especially cookies. And pie. And cake's not so bad either. Chocolate croissants... oooh and pudding! Ok, anyway. I love it, but you have to be a bit more precise about it for it to work properly. I improvise too much and sometimes that ends in disaster.
I adore reading good food blogs like Foodbeam (I am looking forward to trying out these coconut balls soon) and watching food-based tv like River Cottage, which is especially nice to watch because it is about his transformation from London Chef to Dorset small-holder.

What time do you go to bed usually and when do you wake up?
It depends, but generally during the week we go to bed around 11 and we get up around 7 or 8. On weekends we stay out a bit later so don't make to bed until around 1 or 2 and sleep in until 9 or 10. Sometimes Griffin objects and dances on our heads until we get up to wring his neck. Which of course we can never do because he is far too cute.

What sign are you? Do you know your rising and moon? When is your birthday?

I am a January 28 Aquarius, with my moon in Taurus. I have an Aquarian brain and a Taurean heart. So I am spacy, smart, imaginative and quirky but I am also stubborn, sensitive, defensive and kind. What was the last thing you said no to that felt like you were taking good care of yourself?

Well.... I had to say "no" to visiting my dear chum Andrea next week, mainly due to on-going money obstacles. Which doesn't quite feel like it qualifies, but I suppose in the sense that I am taking care of my finances it does. I also said "no" to doing my library volunteer work for the past two weeks in order to free up some time to get my school work done. That totally counts.

What is your happy place you go to in your mind when you need to close your eyes and take a moment for peace and calm?
The one that pops into my mind is what I think of when I am feeling car-sick. I think about the fizzy fireworks over-top of a freshly poured glass of 7up/sprite. I actually NEVER drink pop (except for a bit of ginger ale or ginger beer when I am sick) but the idea of that popping and sparkling from clear lemony soda seems to calm my tummy.
Otherwise, when I am picturing peacefulness and calm I imagine the coastal rainforests back home, and the sound of rain dripping from the deep green outstretched fingers of cedar giants onto a forest floor alive with moss and mushroom villages.

What is the thing that you are most interested in learning about right now?

You would think that, as a student, the last thing I want to do over the holidays is try to put something else in my already overflowing brain. But I do! I have been wanting for a while to learn the history of the British Isles. Sort of learning about my own ancestral history I suppose... and I know how much stuff gets left out of the history books, and how much is written from the perspective of the conquerors and all... but still. I would like to know a bit more about people like Empress Matilda and of course good Queen Bess and who doesn't want to know about Mary Queen of Scots. I'd like to know more about my family tree, and I'd like to learn about pre-historic Britain too.



So now I invite anyone who so desires to fill out this meme on their blog. The rule is that you have to add one question at the end, of your own invention. Of course I know that the majority of my readers don't actually have blogs and they don't even leave comments to let me know they are there! : P So if you don't have a blog but want to answer any or all of the questions above, please feel free to leave a comment with your juicy responses. (You don't have to have a blog to leave comments by the way.)

Photos: Snow falling on Christmas trees from Getty; Snickerdoodles by Redglassfire; Aquarius and Taurus by Susan Seddon Boulet; Camelot in winter by Bill Bell.