And we’re all a little older. Wiser, not so much really

So, it’s official. I am no longer the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Which is a fancy-ish way of saying I turned 43 yesterday. I think that officially puts me past my ‘early’ forties and directly into my ‘middle’ forties. Ah well, what can you do, yeah?

In other far more interesting news, I did some stuff. First, husband and I went to a barbecue competition out in Chilliwack. Had a lovely time. Weather was amazing, barbecue was **amazing**!

These guys? Truly, the best brisket I’ve ever tasted in my life. Oh yeah!

It was a lot of fun. Mind you, Mr. B and I both overindulged and then had tummy aches all night. And we would and will do so again.

Spring is officially making itself known around here.

Everything smells so very alive suddenly. The yard is just exploding with growing things. And, a lot of birds doing what birds do in the spring time. If you know what I mean.

One day last week I saw this from the bus. The next day I went back and got off a stop early just so I could take a picture. It kind of makes me feel a bit like crying, but I really love it too.

Isn’t it wonderful and sort of poignant? I think we all feel like Mr. Cardigan, up there some times. Just moving through life but forgetting what it’s like to be alive. It’s nice to know that there are people and things around us that force us to remember the other, more enjoyable parts of life. My google-fu led me to the artist Matt Bowen.

Last, but not least, okay – two things actually. But they are both in one picture.

1. For my birthday bestest husband in the world got me a new teeny tiny notebook computer to replace my slowly dying netbook. I’ll miss you Alice, but WOW is Florence ever a lot faster!*
2. My book club this month is reading a book that is near and dear to me. When I went to pull my copy off the shelf I realized I must have lent it out and not gotten it back because it ain’t there. Thankfully Pulp Fiction had a copy. Unfortunately it’s part of a trilogy and they only had the omnibus edition. I now have a book big enough that I could conceivably beat someone to death with it.

See, twofer! Tiny computer, HUGE book. Carrying this on the bus is going to suck! LOL

Happy Tuesday.

*What? You don’t name your electronic devices? How odd.

I spend a lot of time…

On transit:

I don’t drive so me and the bus/train/neighbourhood bus, we’re pretty close. I’m also crazy nosy and get bored easily. Like most 5 year olds you see out and about unattended. So, to stop me from mumbling and wandering off I try to find things to take pictures of. It’s like having an electronic pacifier for when I’m out in public. Today’s roundup:

Willing to bet this one is a little bit different from the one in Harry Potter. Probably a fair bit more vomit & people yelling, “No man! I love you!”

Reading:

As evidence, I offer this photo:

I went to pick up one book that I had pre-ordered. It was even prepaid. There was absolutely no reason for the additional 4 books that leapt into my bag. Sigh.

Knitting:

This is my next big project. Still in string form, obviously:

Top down cardigan starting with the lightest and moving to the black. So excited!

Being distracted:

Bus bench engraved graffiti

The Fraser River and a rather unsettled bit of weather for the commute home.

Now, I’m going to have grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup for dinner, look at my books, and hopefully not get greasy fingerprints on the pages.

Happy Thursday.

Tuesday, and still no Joe

Two morning commutes and no Joe. I’ll be honest, this makes me inordinately happy. Having to be all strong and stuff at 6:15 am in the daylight savings time week just seems a bit ridiculous. Thanks for all your ideas & suggestions. You guys are most creative.

This morning, this person who I thought was a woman, (turned out to be a man) standing with me at the bus stop was farting up a right storm. Keep in mind, we were the only two people there. They weren’t going to lose their place in line if they happened to wander off a few feet to drop those air biscuits. Sigh. My hopes for this neighbourhood are being ground down and down and down.

But then, the same farty person shared my entire commute with me. One bus, then a train, then another bus, then a stop at the coffee shop. As far as I’m concerned, they were just messing with me at that point.

On the ride home today, cheek by jowl with all the other poor transit souls I looked up and saw this:

Isn’t that great? It’s from the book Inward to the Bones: Georgia O’Keeffe’s Journey with Emily Carr. Go ahead, click the link. Some very cool stuff. It’s all a part of the Poetry in Transit. Look! Another link. I’ll wait.

And, I just got a message that the book I ordered on Friday is already in at Pulp Fiction Books. Almost magic! Perhaps I’ll see if they have any of Kate Braid’s books in stock while I’m there tomorrow.

Happy Wednesday.

How do you feel about pictures?

Excellent, ’cause I got a tonne of them for you today. Let’s get this party started, yeah?

First up, I don’t wanna freak you out but I saw these this morning on the way to work.

RED LEAVES!!!!!!

Interbenchion was up early this morning to make a little something for the back to school transit commuters.

The Bench, alone in a crowd

Seriously, where else can you see a caged bus stop bench being forced to confront some of its deepest darkest inner fears?

The sun was so bright and white today it made the sky seem to glow blue. Even the underside of Skytrain looked nice.

But, best of all today. The new Whalley branch of the Surrey Library opened. Squee! It’s gorgeous! I’ve been walking and riding the train past them building it for so long I was just so excited to be able to go inside. It’s really lovely and a terrific start to the new city centre concept starting to happen here in Surrey. Wanna see it? Sure you do!

Weird squishy seating?? thing

Cool green pod seats

And check this out, I’m 42 and I finally got a boy to carry my books!

Now, the sad part. Here is the back of the old library. Poor little thing, having to just sit there and watch everyone go inside its shiny new HUGE replacement. That’s gotta hurt, right?

This is where I got my first library card and where I took out my first books. It was magic! All those books and you could just read them for free.

Oh, and I realize that I didn’t take any pictures of books, just of architecture & stuff. There are tonnes of new books in the branch. TONNES. Matter of fact, I’m going to go get a glass of iced tea and have a look at the two I brought home today.

Oh, wait! One more thing. Stella would like you to know that there is nothing better in life than a nice chewy hockey ball.

Wednesday’s child is full of woe

Poor Wednesday, right?  What a burden to drag around.  I have to admit though, this week?  Wednesday is feeling a bit woey.  Probably not a word but that’s okay.  It is now. 

I’ve been feeling a little sporadic and in need of some pretty intensive nesting.  In the name of sporadic I give you the following:

Yarnpiggy, the Mr. and I had a little post new year’s cheesefest.

There were no fewer than 5 kinds of cheese at this soirée.   And faux champagne.  Very tasty stuff.

I also would appear to have a full fledged Wollmeise addiction problem as evidenced by this rather disgusting display:

Good thing I’m on a yarn diet for 2010.  Oy vey.

Last but not least, when I was unrolling toilet paper this morning I heard a sort of ‘ting’ kind of noise.  There on the floor was a perfect little clear plastic button.

It was trapped in the roll.  You could see the impression of it on the sheets.  Weird, right?  I wonder what else is inside that roll?  Will I end up with a whole set of buttons?  Maybe a buckle or two?

Finally, I read 42 books last year.  Definitely getting back to normal on the reading front.  I’m hoping to hit 45 this year.

 

Right, that’s Christmas out of the way,

let’s talk about books!

I’m reading the Canada Reads books again this year.  Last year was my first time in and I really enjoyed it.  Huge thank yous to monnibo for getting me involved.  You may recall that last year my favourite book ended up being Good to a Fault by Mariana Endicott.  Gorgeous book that taught me an awful lot about what charity really is and how it’s perceived from a Canadian standpoint.  It made me think a bit differently and notice things I’d not noticed before.

So, this year I again managed to acquire all five books for the 2011 edition of Canada Reads.  I’ve finished two of them and both have been very good.  The first one just funny and enjoyable and brilliantly Canadian, the second one very methodical and introverted and again, changed the way I think.

Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis was my first of this year’s books.  Funny and very much poking the crazy that is Canadian politics.  I really enjoyed this book, in particular I really enjoyed how well created and diverse the characters were.  Also, I’m a sucker for a Scotsman.  most any Scotsman really. 

Today I finished Unless by Carol Shields.  This was Shield’s last book before her death in 2003 and it is really an amazing story.  It is seemingly simplistic story that at first feels very self indulgent and grindingly depressing.  But then, about half-way through the book I finally started to get a feel for what Shields was trying to impart.  Now, here’s the ridiculous self-centred bit, feel free to skip ahead and avoid.

I’m almost 42, I’m somewhat educated, I believe that my destiny is mine to control, and I’m female.  The female bit has never been a very important bit, just one bit.  I know that I can do anything I put my mind to.  This is the sort of annoying bull-headed human I’ve always been.  Of course it’s all total crap.  I can’t be an astronaut or the Commissioner of the RCMP or the leader of the UN.  Inside, I know this, but because I’ve never wanted to be any of those things it’s not mattered.  But I have always firmly believed that if someone, anyone, wanted to achieve something, they were more than halfway there.  It’s the wanting, that’s always been the key in my mind. You gotta wanna.

This story sort of showed me that although I may believe that, there are other forces at work in the world who do not agree with that.  Some of them for no reason other than I am of the female persuasion.  They may not even be actively trying to keep a woman down (sorry, couldn’t resist), but they just automatically/on default/without thought put those things done by women on a secondary list.  The primary list is male.  All male.  Be it authors, discoverers, inventors, scientists, whatever.  The male list will always be longer (or exclusively male), and the female list will always be an ‘also ran’.

Not sure I’m going to sleep all that well tonight with my new realization of the world.  I was so sure I had it right.  Snort.

Is it hot in here…or is it just me?

No, it’s freaking hot in here!  Sorry, delicate snowflake that I am, I don’t handle the heat well.  That is why I knit & crochet.  I can make clothes that will keep me warm.  I can’t knit anything that will keep me cool.  Right now I’m bordering on wandering around the house naked in search of any small breeze.  Not pretty folks, not pretty.

It went from a lovely 22 – 24 degrees Celsius to a whopping 32 degrees Celsius in about 18 hours.  Even the garden looks a little shocky and wilty.  I also found out why I’ve had no zucchinis in almost a week.  Yeah, that would be Stella the wonder dog.  She jumps from the deck into the squash garden and just eats and eats and eats.  Dog is crazy.  Now I have to figure out some sort of Stella gate to keep her out so I can use my new slicer on some fresh zucchinis.

Mr. B’s back is still all tweaked.  We did manage to get to the grocery store and the library today though.  Friday book day!

I was sure that I had already read this Michael Pollan book, but nope.  I must have been confusing it with a different one.  I haven’t had a chance to look through Sew What!  Skirt yet.  I’m hoping it will be inspiring.  Skirts are cooler than pants, right?  I also picked up this little gem at Lee Valley yesterday:

The Truth About Garden Remedies. I can’t wait.  All kinds of gardening urban legends and old wives tales.  Oh, and a Gardens West magazine.  Why?  Um, the article entitled War on Weeds.  Oh yeah buttercups and morning-glory!  I’m looking at you.  I was also smitten with those pretty chairs on the cover and was hoping the Mr. B might be inspired to make a couple once he’s feeling better.

I even cast on a new project. Damselfly had a lovely little handspun scarflette/kerchief on her blog the other day and I sort of stole the idea, tweaked it a bit, and finally dragged out some of my handspun to knit.

Okay, that’s all I got.  It’s hot and I’m melting.  Keep cool everyone.

Friday, back to the library.

This week’s reserved book sort of goes to show the level to which I’m getting obsessed with the veggie garden.

This was one of the books recommended in the back of The $64 Tomato.   Looks very interesting.  Coupling recipes with gardening in one book is pretty much guaranteed to get my undivided attention.  I briefly scanned through it and saw something about shallot & garlic butter sauce.  Mmmmmm.

I also started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo today on the way to work.   I’m only about 50 pages in so I don’t have much of an opinion yet.

Happy Friday everyone.

Reading

I just finished The Book Thief, maybe ten minutes ago.  Now I’m sitting here with my eyes so red and swollen from crying that I can hardly see to type this. It was amazing.  It’s given me a tilt in my perspective on a subject that I thought I had a very firm handle on.  I now realize how narrow my perceptions had been and how blown open it is by this novel.  I’d only been looking at the situation from a single direction.  Never a good thing.

Really, it’s a tremendous book.  I think I’ll add it to my Christmas wish list so that I can have a copy to re-read a dozen times.  I also know now why I had to wait behind 28 other borrowers in the hold queue of the library to get it and there are already another 15 people behind me who’ve reserved it.  And  this is after it’s been out since 2006.

I do find it interesting that it was published as an adult book in Australia but as a young adult book in North America.  Odd, no?

So this is your book entry for this week.  I have no books on order from the library so there won’t be any pictures of new books tomorrow.  I’m trying to decide if I want to read Storm Front or The Black Powder War next.  Or, I could read the book of Ibsen plays I got at the used book store today.  Hmmmmmm.

Oh, and last but not least, I have not tried the sautéed radishes yet.  Sorry, I made a radish salad with the last batch!  Soon my pretties, soon!

Friday in the Twilight Zone

First up, let’s get to today’s book, shall we?  Just the one this week.  I’m still reading The Book Thief and probably won’t start this until next week.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher.  Sounded like fun and sometimes, we as readers, just need a little fun and distraction.

Now, what could I possibly need distraction from?  Have a seat, grab a bevie and let me tell you about the ride home today.

Met the husband at the library, then over to Safeway to pick up the ingredients to make this little number.  It’s simmering as we speak and smells amazing!  Anyway, after Safeway we were going to hit the liquor store and then home.  Decided to take the back route to avoid all the Friday afternoon traffic.  Keep in mind, the last time we went through that neighbourhood a 60+ year old prostitute in a peek a boo blouse….I’ll give you a minute to process that one….was trying to wave us over to her for a ‘party’.

Okay, so we’re all on the same page re: this area?  Right.  Great.  Today as we’re driving we stop at a stop sign about to make a left.  There is a prostitute on the far corner crossing the street.  A scary methy kind of prostitue.  Husband starts the turn and then almost squeals in horror.

‘Did you see that?????  Did you see that??????

Nope, didn’t see anything. I was looking the other way reading a sign.

”That chick!  She just flashed me!  She lifted her top and showed me all her rolls and her boobs!!!’

The pure abject terror in his voice was really quite spectacular.  He was so stupefied that he almost stopped the truck, sort of forgot that he was driving, I think.

He’s still feeling a bit shocky, poor thing.  And he keeps asking is we have any eye bleach.  Happy Friday everyone!