Category Archives: Reading & Writing
Thursday Thirteen #24, Phrasing
* Header Graphic by Mandy- Yes.
- Thank you.
- Please.
- That was kind/thoughtful/sweet.
- I missed you.
- I like you.
- I respect you.
- I love you.
- No.
- No, that doesn’t fit into my plans right now.
- No, I don’t see me changing my mind about that.
- I need to consider that for a while before giving you an answer.
- That’s not something I discuss with strangers.
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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In The Now
I’ve had this quote posted next to my computer for a week or so as a reminder to be present.
It’s been difficult – the world I live in pretty much demands multitasking & forecasting, to the point that when I focus on only what’s at hand, all the other things waiting in the wings start waving their arms wildly, trying to get my attention. There are times when ignoring them all can be just as exhausting as trying to deal with them all.
Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I like my solitary activities, and get quite zealous when someone tries to cajole me into spending my leisure time on something that mimicks my work time. There are a lot of folks out there who won’t take no for an answer, who have no issue with demanding explication, and even worse, feel free to judge and weigh in with their opinions if I do provide one. For the most part I’ve manged to stay polite – opting for a simple “No, that doesn’t fit into my plans right now.”
Recently someone got rather confrontational, (I believe the exact phrase was “what have you got going on that’s so important that you can’t do this?”) and I was so shocked I just stood and stared. It was tough to tell whether they were saying it in jest or not – it didn’t come across like they were joking – and the expectant silence afterwards indicated that they really were expecting me to explain.
How to get out of that gracefully? I don’t think I managed it well – I gave myself time by taking a sip of my tea, tilted my head and said “I’ve got too much going on, what with family and all.”
So – your turn – how would you handle such a situation?
Thursday Thirteen #23: The Armchair Traveler
(Header created by me, just because I felt like it..)
Thirteen Places On My Dream Travel List
- Machu Picchu, Peru – The fact that it wasn’t discovered until 1911 stirs the Indy in my blood. It’s been at the top of my list forever.
- Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Re-discovered in the 1850’s by French archaeologists, Angkor Wat has figured in movies such as Tomb Raider (the first one) and in Phil Cousineau’s travel recollections.
- Cairo, Egypt – I blame this one on the kind adult who gifted me with a colour-catalogue style book on Tutankhamen when I was a pre-teen. For a while there I had a serious crush on Howard Carter…
Nikko, Japan – According to what I’ve read, it was established in the eighth century and became a training center for Buddhist priests. The Tosho-gu Shrine,Rinno-ji Temple, and Kegon Falls are just some of the places I’d like to see for myself. - Borabudur, Java – Rediscovered and rejuvenated by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in the early 1800’s. Where to begin explaining the strength behind the image of its two thousand carvings? Check out The Lost Temple of Java by Phil Grabsky. The photos are extraordinary.
- Glastonbury, England – I was lucky enough to spend the day there a few years ago, and the strange, strong energy was palpable. Chalice Well, Glastonbury Tor, the Lady Chapel at Glastonbury Abbey? I could spend weeks there.
- Queen Charlotte Islands, BC, Canada – Probably the most accessible of the bunch, the Charlottes were Emily Carr’s lifelong obsession, and probably one of the earliest links I had to native history here in BC. The only things I’ve ever seen of this culture are in museums, and while I appreciate that, it’s a little isolating.
- Paris, France – Like you couldn’t see that coming from
mileskilometers away! All that history laid out in the arrondissements, the Louvre, Versailles…. - Jerusalem, The Holy Land – the desire to see this for myself has been with me for as long as I can remember, and when I read “Digging for God and Country, Explorations, Archaeology and the Secret Struggle for the Holy Land, 1799 – 1917” by Neil Asher Silberman a few years ago, I knew it was a place I needed to go.
- Marrakesh, Morocco – In 1917 the Saadian Tombs were discovered and restored by the Beaux Arts Service. When I go, this is where I want to stay.
- Granada, Spain – Specifically, Al Andalus. The name most of us know it by is Alhambra. a poetic sounding moniker that, depending on who you read, is translated as ‘The Red” or “The Red Fort”in Arabic. It became famous in North America when Washington Irving had his Tales of the Alhambra published in 1831.
- Petra, Jordan – Yes, it too figured in an Indiana Jones movie. But long before I sat in the dark and watched Indy put himself through the paces in order to save his father, a friend of the family showed me photographs of this desert city, and I knew I wanted, someday, to touch the delicately carved stone for myself.
- Santiago, Chile – Born there. My family’s history lies there – that’s enough of a reason to go, don’t you think?
- Chichen Itza, Mexico – well, really that’s just one of the sites I want to see in Mexico. Add to that Teotihuacán,Tulum, and Palenque and…
Looks to me like I could probably do a second list and perhaps, next week, I will. I’ve neglected whole continents!
Your turn – where would you go? Not sure? Here’s a jumping off point.
1. Caylynn
2. Sweetkitty
3. Sanni
(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
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Thursday Thirteen #22: Live Through This
* Header by Goofy Girl of Goofy Girl Designs
- Starting over in a new country (and I didn’t even speak the language!)
- Being forced (as a newly-minted teen) to move away from my friends in the city to live in the ‘burbs.
- Death of a beloved childhood pet.
- Parents’ divorce.
- Multiple break-ups with my first love.
- Death of a family member.
- Amway.
- Finally marrying my true love.
- Losing good friends because they didn’t agree with how we got married.
- Being downsized due to restructuring.
- Firings (doing and being).
- Scary bosses, nasty coworkers, and other corporate evils.
- The late 80’s and early 90’s (although the jury is still out on whether I’ll ever manage to not flinch when seeing ‘vintage’ fashions of that era).
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
Thursday Thirteen #21: This Week’s Storms
- Public garbage cans became nothing more than umbrella graveyards.
- The evening news casts gave a huge portion of their time to rain-related news, and in one case used it as another opportunity to talk about climate change and Canada’s role.
- There was much less mockery at the sight of dogs with raincoats and booties. Also saw several dogs in those coats and booties being carefully tucked inside coats or carried in blankets so they wouldn’t get wet or cold. Aww.
- Myriad of folks wore garbage bags as a layer of protection between them and the elements.
- Puddle jumping became an extreme sport.
- Walking home was a battle between human and nature, and felt like a grade school math problem (If Ms. Cin is walking home at X kilometers per hour but the wind is whipping past her at Y kilometers per hour, how much longer will it take her to get home?)
- All but the most intrepid tourists went shopping or otherwise stayed indoors.
- Had coworkers whose families had to be evacuated from their homes in West Van and Chilliwack.
- Found myself calling family and friends in outlying areas to make sure they and their homes were ok.
- Noticed that the major department stores are carrying more of the full-sized English-style umbrellas than ever before. Smart move – they stand up to wind and heavy rain much better. Bonus – they’re great for mock sword fights, which I saw a few of this week.
- It rained so hard even the die-hard hot dog vendor outside of London Drugs at Robson and W. Georgia stayed home.
- Several stores smelled like wet woolies. And wet dog.
- Human kindness showed its face; several kind-hearted people helped their older or less-abled counterparts maneuver the flooded street corners and giant puddles. In one case, I even saw a gentleman give his umbrella to an older lady whose umbrella had just broken.
UPDATE: Well, now it looks like our water quality has been affected. Check out the media release from the GVRD… Filtered water anyone?
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Tug
2. Lindsey
3. Julie
4. Starrlight
5. Elisa
6. Tvaddictgurl
7. Sweet Kitty
8. Caylynn
9. Ruth
10. KuanYin
11. Chelle Y
12. K T Cat
13. Yellow Rose’s Garden
14. ancsweetnsassygal
15. Leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
Thursday Thirteen #20: 13 for the 11th
Thirteen Things I Look Forward To
1. In two weeks time I will have completed two more classes towards my certificate at Emily Carr, which actually puts me ahead of schedule. This would be me doing a snoopy jig of joy.
2. Once the classes are over I’ll be able to focus on my list of wishful christmas projects.
3. I’ll also have the time & energy to make my bacon and cheese quiche. Made from scratch, it’s making and baking usually takes me through a couple of Band of Brothers episodes. Yes, I know I’m a geek.
4. Our wedding anniversary will arrive in less than 2 weeks, close to the peak of the craziness that is Lunchtruck’s last class. For those of you keeping count, that’s … um… 8 years married + 10 years together = 18 years of crazy. I fully expect this relationship to become legendary amongst our families and friends, simply because we’re volatile and emotional and squirelly and completely, utterly devoted to each other.
5. World Peace Day (November 17). I know, yet another day designated for something specific because we don’t give it enough time during the course of our daily lives. Yes, with everything else that’s happening in the world, sometimes it’s hard to care. Trust me, I know. It would be easy to pile into that pit of despair and have a big ole pity party. But this year I’m going to try something different, and give the question of world peace (and for that matter, personal peace) the time it deserves. Who knows, maybe the changes I make in my life and the way I deal will have an impact in some small way.
6. The Langley Weavers & Spinners Guild Artisan Sale (November 4th & 5th). I added weaving to my ‘wanna learn’ list some time ago, but don’t really think I’ll be able to give it a go until late next year. Will that stop me from going and drooling at the work local artists are creating? Nope. I’ve been looking forward to this for months!
7. I don’t do a lot for Christmas in the way of shopping – I’m lucky enough that friends and family are more interested in spending time together than getting loot. Having said that, there is some loot that needs buying, and I’d like to get that done this month so I can avoid the mall in December. Cause really, who wants to stress out in a mall with all the other stressed out people in December?
8. For those playing at home, you’ve probably figured out that November & December are my prime cocooning months, so I’ll be cuddling up with my housmates (all 3) and digging into a few good books. I still have a copy of The Creators I’ve not yet cracked, and Gail Sher’s Intuitive Writer has been singing it’s siren song for weeks.
9. Along with books come movies. I think it’s about time for another Pride and Prejudice fest. Maybe I’ll finally know who made the better Elizabeth Bennet – Keira Knightley or Jennifer Ehle.
10. Yes, of course there’s knitting. And visits to the LYS. I’m not talking about that though – possible Christmas presents are involved.
11. I’ll finally get to a kniting meet up. Why? Because the idea of getting together with a bunch of like-minded ladies to knit and talk and drink coffee is very appealing.
12. More time with family and friends. Cause I’ve been neglecting everyone lately.
13. And finally, and on a much more serious note, I plan to attend the Remembrance Day service at Victory Square this year. There are a lot of reasons to be thankful right now.
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
Thursday Thirteen #19: Scaaarry!
13 Movies that made the dark unfriendly
1. The House on Haunted Hill (1958) – Many people of my generation only knew of Vincent Price because of his stint on Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but I know him as the creepy guy who scared the dickens out of me when I was a young kid, watching movies with my grandmother. To this day this movie creeps me out.
2. Psycho (1960) – When I was a morbid pre-goth kid, a kindred spirit gave me a collection of Alfred Hitchcock short stories. Deliciously disturbing; I recall one story centred on moldering furs in an unused closet and someone scaring themselves to death… Then I got introduced to his movies, starting with Psycho. Brilliant.
3. The Birds (1963) – I saw this in grade-school. Really. I had a teacher who was a film buff, and he would occasionally run classic movies for the class. One of the best ways to scare the silly out of you when you’re in the 4th grade.
4. The Changeling (1980) – Start with one moldering mansion. Add George C. Scott, despair, and a murdered child. This scared the snot out of me, mostly because of the atmosphere. Added bonus – many scenes were filmed in Vancouver and other parts round BC.
5. The Others (2001) – I saw this again last night, and even though I knew the plot twists, I still felt that same horrified sensation as the main character is slowly handed the pieces of the puzzle. I’m not usually awed by Nicole Kidman’s talent, but in this film she’s perfect, her rigid body language echoing her narrow world view. Her character’s repression is palpable. Caution! the link to this movie does contain spoilers…
6. Sleepy Hollow (1999) – Johnny Depp. Christina Ricci. Dead people. All directed by Tim Burton. The fog and overcast skies in this film should have been listed in the cast list. A tad cheesy, but good fun nonetheless.
7. From Hell (2001) – Another Johnny Depp scarefest, based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore. This movie fascinated me, partly because of the subject matter (Jack The Ripper), partly because of the way they developed the theory, and partly because of the visuals. More gore than any other JD movie I’ve seen, yet I thought it was wholy appropriate. Still, Lunchtruck won’t watch it. He finds it disturbing.
8. Repulsion (1965) – Catherine Denueve in a non-sex-kitten role. Squirmed my way through this one in an abnormal psyc class, and can’t bring myself to watch it again.
9. Shawn of the Dead (2001) – I love me a good zombie flick. Yes, this one’s played for laughs and the soundtrack is fun, but it’s also very smart, and gives props to the classic zombie movies that have come before, particularly those of George Romero.
10. The Wicker Man (1973) – NOT the recent remake. This was my first taste of odd English folkiness, and Christopher Lee. Talk about a double whammy. I know there’s a remake with Nicholas Cage, but honestly, why? The original is a classic, and it’s fascinating to see how much interest it still spawns.
11. Child of Glass (1978) – As an adult I would probably find this movie charming & gothic at best, diabetes-inducing at worst. But when I was a child watching my Disney movies on a soggy Autumn afternoon, the idea of some dead little creole girl haunting another child because she needed help in order to rest was.. well… haunting.
12. The Shining (1980)- OK, I’ve yet to be able to watch the whole thing. Sad, no? But the truth is, something has always got in the way. When I was a teen it plain old scared me and I felt really stupid for having tried to watch it at home by myself when it was cold and dark and stormy outside. What little I have seen creeps me out and fascinates me at the same time. This year, I will watch the whole thing.
13. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1958) – I know. It’s a Disney cartoon. Would you mock a child of single-digit age? I thought not.
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Ali
2. Beck
3. Interstellar Lass
4. Brony
5. Tracie
6. Sparky
7. The_Yecart
(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
Thursday Thirteen: Bad Ratings
My Life would Make A Lousy Reality Show
2. Received new software.
3. Installed new software.
4. Played with new software. Realized I’d have to reprogram my brain.
5. Stuck nose back into Photoshop books I borrowed from the library last week. Considered costs of buying the ones I’ve found most useful so far; checked Chapters and Amazon.ca, reeled in shock.
6. Worked on my drawing homework. Can it be called homework if you’re enjoying the process? The point is, the drawing is getting done, and it seems to be getting better…
7. Watched TV, but only as a break from sitting in front of the computer, and because Her Highness was getting sulky about the minimal amount of lap time she’s had lately. Apparently she’s a fan of Band of Brothers and Anne of Green Gables. Who knew?
8. Went back to the computer to process more digital photos. Decided my organizational system isn’t working. Put “reorganize photos” on my list of things to do. Laughed.
9. Attempted to curb my messy ways so that the beloved spouse would not do his (ought to be) patented eye-sweep of the creativity in action, deep sigh, followed by THE LOOK. The jury is still out on whether or not I’ve been successful.
10. Napped when I ought to have been working diligently on some project or other. I blame it on the cats and their wily sleep-inducing compound. Yes, I’ve written about that before.
11. Obsessed over finding the perfect pattern for my first attempt at mittens. (Message to the Darling Sister: Breathe free V – I will NOT be gifting you with my inaugural attempt).
12. Stole a few minutes here and there to work on the scary boucle sweater. It’ll be so cozy when it’s done, and I really am looking forward to it, but how can I have put in this much time into it and still not have the ruddy thing done? Maybe I upset the knitting gods…
1. Scrapbookmomof3
2. Faerylandmom
3. Amy
4. Mama Duck
5. PinkJeweledCat
6. Chelle Y.
7. Christina
Leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen ParticipantsThursday Thirteen: Excuses
Thirteen Excuses From Ms Cin
1. I’ve been absolutely terrible about blogging lately. Every time I tell myself it’s time to sit at the computer and write something, I suddenly find something else to do. The thought of sitting in front of a terminal after a hard day in front of a terminal makes me go running (ok, meandering) off to do something, anything else…
2. I still haven’t uploaded the photos I took with that smashing canon lens I rented. And since then I’ve also tried another absolutely fabulous lens, and no, I haven’t finished with those photos either. See aforementioned aversion to computer.
3. I did a major photo shoot this past weekend, of which I’m terribly proud. I have almost 5 gigs of photos to sort through but I can only sit and do it for an hour or so before I get all antsy. [It’s not as bad as it sounds – I recorded the data simultaneously in both raw and jpg format, so a few hours of effort will allow me to finish sooner rather than later.]
4. Things keep disappearing… First it was the hood from a lens, followed by a lens brush. Then my favourite nose stud and an earring. This morning it was the USB cable for my baby Nikon. I have shots of The Bay’s Christmas Street on there! I wanna share the photographic evidence, but without the cable, y’all are just going to have to wait.
5. I’ve been drawing. Badly. But still, I can see the improvement, and that cheers me a little. The class I’m taking at ECIAD is gently nudging me past my usual bounds, and I’ve discovered I procrastinate, not out of laziness, but out of fear that it’ll be no good.
6. I’ve been indulging in a little junk tv. I’m sorry to say that America’s Next Top Model is avidly watched by all the humans in the house.
7. We’ve been having a little stress with the Yowler. He’s been very needy lately, and cross. I’ve decided he’s the border collie of cats – going slowly insane and taking us on the ride with him.
8. His stress is causing him health issues. I’m hoping that more time with us at home might help ease all that.
9. We’re considering daily doses of nip to help ease the stress. And a generous glass of port for me. Lunchtruck? I like the idea of him sitting at the computer and getting his aggression out in BF2.
10. The other option we’ve been considering is a feline diffuser. The vets suggested it as an option, as it apparently works wonders in helping cats relax. Has anyone else tried these?
11. Lunchtruck and I are taking all next week off from work. Together. YEAH! We’re already planning out some of the day trip we want to do, and I am truly looking forward to it.
12. There’s been knitting. I stopped working on the DS’s sweater for a while in order to get on with the blue boucle one that mom gave me all the bits for, but the yarn I’m using is driving me mad. The alpaca, camel hair and silks I’ve been playing with have spoiled me.
13. The sun has been getting up after me. Like, way after. No one should have to go to work in time to see the sun rise. It’s just not right…
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Tug
2. Chaotic Mom
3. Mrs. Darling
4. Brony
5. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
Nota Bene 
