a peek inside the fishbowl

It’s the last week before Christmas,
And all through the town,
All the mothers and fathers,
Were wearing a frown.

Overwhelmed by the holiday,
and the whole Christmas season,
It was time to get serious,
And appeal to some reason.

–

Poem over.

I don’t know where I was going with that, but can I ask for your help? We all know that BOOKS are one of the best gifts to give and to receive. But many of us don’t have a clue which ones are good right now. What’s hot? What’s big? What are people enjoying?

Can you help? Please share your favourite books in the comments below, and/or your children’s faves too. Help out those of us who still have shopping to do! (Eek!)

Please include title and author info as well as the age of the child enjoying it. Links are good too!

i.e. We’re reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix right now by J.K. Rowling. It’s been most interesting to two girls 8 and 10 as well as their parents. :)

I’ll throw in some of my own suggestions too.

Over to you!

First of all, THANK YOU again for your comments (and lovely emails). I’m feeling better. Really. I think I was just feeling really overwhelmed. We just got new windows (I LOVE THEM). Work has been nutty crazy busy (that’s GOOD) and I’m getting better at SAYING NO to some things and SAYING YES to others. Speaking of which I’ve picked up a very exciting writing contract that is ICING ON THE CAREER CAKE. I’m not sure how much I should be talking about it at this point, but there it is. Phew.

Now it’s just Christmas that’s freaking me out.

—

I’m highly affected by certain words. I love finding the perfectly descriptive word when I’m writing, it is enormously satisfying. By the same token, there are a few words or phrases in the English language that make me cringe because they sound utterly disgusting and make me feel ill just thinking about them.

Some examples (say them out loud for added effect!):

• moist
• urinal
• phlegm
• afterbirth
• pus

And – are you ready for this? –  nasal drip.

Oh my gosh, that last one makes me want to curl up into a little ball, yet that IS KIND OF WHAT THIS POST IS ABOUT.

Turn away my friends. Leave while you can.

Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks for your kind comments and emails re: yesterday’s funk.

I sat down in the morning and hit a wall. I felt like (and still do, a little) that my blog looks a little too much like this:

Blah blah blah, blah blah blah ME ME LOOKIT ME.
Blah blah blah, blah blah blah ME ME LOOKIT ME.
Blah blah blah, blah blah blah ME ME LOOKIT ME.

I had a wave of WHO GIVES A CRAP ABOUT ALL OF THIS?

It’s still bugging me, but it shouldn’t … because this is what defines a personal blog, right? It’s a journal. And this is my journal. It’s a space I use to sort out my thoughts and ideas and ultimately, I am writing for myself. I also know you’re out there and keep coming back … many many of you … GAH! I don’t know where I’m going with this exactly, so I will just leave it at that. I need more coffee!

Bloggers, do you know what I am getting at?

–

We’re getting new windows today, most of the ones on the main floor of our house are being replaced so it’s kind of crazy around here at the moment. Suffice it to say that I won’t be getting much work done.

This house was built in 1942/43 and the windows are original. Charming, yes, but they’ve hit the end of their lifespan and they’ve been very hard to maintain. Some of them haven’t been opened in years. I am sad to see them go, but I also can’t wait for them to be done.

The old windows were terrible. There was always frost and condensation on the inside. And if you stood in front of them you could feel the draft. New windows will make a huge difference.

–

I had the pleasure of tooling around Dow’s Lake with a bunch of local photographers on Saturday morning. BeachMama was there, and many people I hadn’t met before. It was a great group and I’m so glad I went.

I don’t have a lot of opportunities to shoot some quiet winter scenes without THERE ACTUALLY BEING children in them, so this was a welcome change!

Here are a few pics I came home with:

 
Check out what some of the other peeps shot at the Ottawalk Flickr group.