Home Again

I enjoyed my visits to the libraries in White Rock, Langley, Port Coquitlam and Mission. A special thanks to the librarians who organized everything and the students and other assorted people who attended. A special thanks to those intrepid souls (you know who you are) who trekked from the Terry Fox library to the school when the class that was scheduled wasn't able to attend.

Below is a picture of some of the excellent audience from Mission. I think many of these exceedingly photogenic peeps are part of that library's book club, which is arranged by the library's awesome children's librarian.



Anyway, thanks everyone who came out.

And now that I'm home for a few months I can really focus on the art class James and I are taking. It's an Acrylics for Beginners course and I'm thinking that I may have some serious talent lurking in me somewhere.

My experimentation with colour this week was quite outstanding. In addition to creating over thirty shades of "mud" I did get a sort of dull green. Which I accidentally turned to mud. My main concern at this point is that one of the gallery owners will spot one of my paintings as I exit after class and pressure me into doing a one-woman show before I'm ready. One has to consider all the possibilities. Also, there is now the concern that our house will soon be a target for art thieves, what with our amazing paintings just lying around without any individualized alarms protecting them or anything. Perhaps I should increase our house insurance. But how can you put a price on genius? Sigh.

Perhaps I'll post some photos of my efforts here. If you insist on sending in wildly extravagent bids, I will completely understand.

To fug

or not to fug. There is no question.


http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/go_fug_yourself/2005/11/

Thanks to Michelle Jaffe for sending me that link. Look for Michelle's new book, Bad Kitty, in bookstores in February! (Please note the dressage reference. Dressage is so hip! So now! No wonder I decided to write a book about it.)

http://www.michelejaffe.com/badkitty/badkitty_black/index.html

In other news: A huge bouquet to the cast and crew of Alice, I Think. The television show finished filming last week and now everyone will get some much needed rest. Keep checking in to find out when the show will air on CTV and the Comedy Network. I've seen a rough cut of one episode and it was awesome. And yes, I'd say that even if it wasn't based on my books.

Also, if you're in the mood to come to a reading and you live in White Rock, Langley, Port Coquitlam or Mission (see the sidebar of this blog for times and locations) come on down this Wednesday or Thursday!

Halloween

In keeping with my rather slack approach to holidays and other festive events, here is my Halloween blog.

At approximately 5:30 Halloween night, I realized that I'd forgotten to lay in any supplies. We had no candy on hand whatsoever. No mini chocolate bars, no peanut butter cups. Not even a breath mint. If anyone came to the door, I was going to have to give them a can of mushroom soup or maybe that tin of mysterious Mexican peppers that appeared in the pantry one day, apparently having crossed the border by itself before making its way to our house.

I didn't forget on purpose, but Halloween, which used to be one of my favourite holidays, has joined the ranks of the holidays I resent.

How can I dislike a holiday that involves cute kids staggering around the streets wearing wings and tails, completely jacked up on sugar and excitement? (I admit, I love that part.)

The problem is firecrackers. More specifically, the problem is Frank's phobia about firecrackers. He's developed a sensitivity to loud noises and is now a cringing, trembling mess for the entire month of October.

The week before Halloween a firecracker went off early in the day and Frank bolted. We got a call from a Mrs. Bugsby, who found our wayward dog on the porch of her trailer. In the mobile home park where she lives. Many miles from where the firecracker went off. Thanks to firecrackers, our dog has to be on house arrest (a.k.a his leash) for the entire month. Drat.

I'm thinking of fitting Frank with some big-ass headphones, similar to the pair that my friend Abbie bought to go with her IPOD. Then I could take him trick-or-treating. I'd tell people he was dressed as "dialed in dog" and we would only go to dark houses, like ours. And when the owners open up and say they don't have anything for us, I'll just volunteer to take any extra cans of mushroom soup off their hands.

I'll have to get down to Future Shop and ask them about it. In the meantime, Mr. Bugsby, which is what we now call Frank, is looking forward to Christmas. He's considering what element of that holiday he should get phobic about. Maybe the sound of wrapping paper. Or the sight of Christmas lights. I'll keep you posted.

One more reason to subscribe...

to Salon.com
http://salon.com/news/feature/2005/11/04/heroes/

Salon: consistently covering climate change issues since its inception.