December 10, 2006
Bring on the Carols
It’s been a wonderful weekend, as our houseguests turned out to be brilliant fun, and Christmas plans are well underway. Saffrina and Stu went to university together, and she rolled into town Thursday night with her fantastic boyfriend Ivan, en route to England after two and a half years in New Zealand. They are coming to Canada next, they’ve decided, and they’re touring the country now to choose a city. I think we sold Toronto well, though the city sort of sold itself. We had a lovely time together, out for dinner in Little Italy, and cooking dinner at our place the other two nights. They kept themselves busy in the day while Stuart worked and I did my work at home. Yesterday I’d already scheduled a day off the toil, and so we all partook in fun (and Curtis came too). Sleeping late, and then out for lunch in Chinatown. Saff and Ivan set off for the afternoon, and we came home to buy our Christmas tree and start the Christmas baking. All of us decorated the tree together later, and I baked a pie for Stuart’s potluck at work, made a tray of nanaimo bars, and a big batch of dough for Christmas cookies which all of us made together. Dinner was started at this point, and our house was completely chaos, but the carols were going on, and we were deep into glasses of wine and Baileys. Leaves stuck in the table and we all sat down for supper, and it was a splendid splendid night that went on well into morning. Our houseguests left this morning and we were so sad to see them go.
November 11, 2006
Loy Kratong
It was two years ago right now in Thailand that Stuart and I had the pleasure of befriending Carolyn (and here we are the morning after, at the airport in Chiang Mai). With great pleasure, last night we went out with Carolyn to Thai Basil to celebrate Loy Kratong for the third year in a row. An absolutely perfect meal and company just as good. Loy Kratong celebrations will continue on a more subdued level for the rest of the weekend, however, as I have so much work to do (and a Scrabble tourney tomorrow night!). Today’s exertion will involve a DVD rental at the most, I suppose. Oh, and The Emperor’s Children has of late become unputdownable.
November 8, 2006
Kicking legs and stop the presses!
I have developed an uncontrollable urge to go see The Radio City Christmas Spectacular at The Hummingbird Centre. To be confirmed, but still, how exciting! I haven’t seen a Christmas show since the Nottingham Panto in 2003 (starring Leslie Grantham, but I didn’t know who he was then).
The Gillers tonight! I still think I have a chance of winning this year. Controversy surrounding proofreading has been interesting. The Digested Read of Posh Spice’s latest book is funny. A new publisher at Walrus.
And Holy Shit! Stop the presses because Britney has filed for divorce!
November 1, 2006
Trick or Treat?
Trick-or-treating was a smash! Highlights were various princesses and tigers who were too little to walk, and the boy in the noose who was “an emo kid”. Lowlights were the various boys in baggy pants who were “rappers”, and me asking another boy in baggy pants (an old biddy voice), “Are you a rapper too?” except he was a soccer player.
October 27, 2006
Fun Without Prairie Fiction
We had a grand old time last night at the echolocation Halloween Party, and we were truly humbled by the amazing costumes assembled there. We didn’t dress up. We are lame. I did, however, give my secret party trick the light of day (or night?) and composed two spontaneous folk songs- one about the Filthy Federlines and the other about robotic dogs (naturally). They were received warmly and I did so enjoy the night out. On the walk there, my mind was shouting to the beats of my feet, “Need drink. Need drink. etc.” Drink was had. Delicious.
In my previous entry, when I mentioned that The Diviners was one of “those books”, I meant that it is a book I intend to be revisiting as long as visiting hours are open. What I had neglected to realize, of course, is that it is also one of “those books” in the sense of the dreaded Prairie Fiction. Remember how Prairie Fiction nearly drove me to defenestration one month ago? Now, it is distinctly possible that my Prairie Fiction issues are linked to my menstrual cycle, but I think there is something further than that. I learned recently about certain types of fiction that cause post-traumatic stress disorder in readers, and I really think Prairie Fiction does that for me. I am not being completely dramatic. Books do tend to make their impressions upon me (ie when I read Fight Club and became psychotic?) I loved The Diviners, but it stirred something up in me that needs to be left alone in order me to be functional. I become overwrought. Sarah Harmer wrote “I’m a Mountain’; I’d love to hear “I’m a Prairie” and find out what it has to say, and then maybe I could get to the root of the problem.
I am now reading Laurie Colwin’s Goodbye Without Leaving which should calm me down a bit.
Two fabulous acquisitions in our house: Atwood’s The Penelopiad (which I read last winter and loved) and a pastry marble!
October 17, 2006
The Great Pumpkin Shortage
I am the worst wife. Last night I heard a teaser from the CTV eleven o’clock news about a pumpkin shortage, and well, naturally I panicked. I told Stuart to get out to the shops first thing this morning and secure us a pumpkin; that there would probably be mass hysteria and he’d have to fight for his gourd. Brave noble man that he is, he set out this morning in the pouring rain to fetch us our punkin. However it seems that The Great Pumpkin Shortage is actually the plight of our American friends and Canadian patches are fine. I feel bad for sending Stu into the rain for nowt, and I will never trust Lloyd Robertson again.
October 9, 2006
Autumnally Brazen
We’ve had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Peterborough. We baked three apple pies, ate too much turkey, saw friends oldest and bestest, drank too much wine, felt sick, went for a drive, went for a walk, enjoyed the sunshine, enjoyed my mom, and spent a weekend that isn’t even finished yet.
