Dancing Queens and Kings

Okay, so I feel like I need to be put in traction. My ladies club/poker group had a surprise belated birthday party for me last night. The theme was "80s disco". We danced and we danced hard and now I'm crippled. It happens, especially when one's head is weighed down by several pounds of hairspray and mousse.

It was very good fun and gave us the opportunity to try our own mass Thriller dance. I've been watching a lot of those lately.



The jumpsuits add a certain something to this one...



As the tuxes and wedding dress does to this. I always like to see a bride take the backseat at the dance party.



And Texas style! Notice how there's always a guy at the front who is really good?

Oh well, if I'm ever going to participate in even the saddest of mass dances, I'm going to need some help in the form of one of the many instructional videos available on Youtube.



This one is my favourite. I think it will be your favourite too.

And since I'm all about the links today, here's a facebook page I found fascinating, partly because I'm always interested in what image of themselves people want to present. The title of the group -- Facebook's Hottest Teens -- will make me seem like an old letch, but it's really kind of great. Sure, some of the pictures are beefcake/booty. But a lot of them are funny and interesting and creative and in many cases, quite touching. Check it out: facebook's hottest teens

Okay, I have to go find the Ibuprofen and then get back to work learning my Thriller moves.

Reasons I Barely Blog

1. Blogger keeps coming up with different ways to access my account. Now I have to log in via my never-used Google account. I can barely remember my bank PIN, never mind a million random, ever-changing passwords.

2. It's gardening season. And yes, I am going to make you look at pictures.



Here's the "pond", also known as The Big Bowl Filled with Rocks and Water with Lizards on the Side.



The peony is being all high maintenance this year. She doesn't approve of the container theme, which is Lots of Grasses that Frank Enjoys Eating.



The strawberry plant has produced three berries and I must patrol the area fourteen times per day to be sure that no birds interfere with them. They are so small I'm sure no bird could see them, unless that bird travels with a magnifying glass at the ready.



The scented geranium with weirdo daisy-like flower that I'm always trying to get Frank to sit next to in order to mask his unique Dog Who Enjoys Swimming odour.



Fancy grasses that the peony objects to on the grounds of "boringness" and that Frank treats like his own personal salad bar.



Raised Bed #1, also known as the most expensive, labour-intensive sustainability measure ever implemented. (It is located behind our house on a sort of cliff. Very convenient!) Contains scarlet runner beans, green beans, garlic, peppers, eggplant, radishes, carrots and quite a bit of dirt. Sponsors of this raised bed are James (carpenter/labourer) and Stephanie (dirt carrying cheerleader and forewoman).





Raised Bed #2. Containing a full range of lettuces, swiss chard, Italian parsley and spinach. A showpiece and source of excess self-esteem. Hence the close up...



The wee greenhouse that wobbles uncertainly on our hillside and that I stand in for long moments at a time because it makes me feel like a real gardener.



And finally, we are proud to introduce the newest member of our household, Chanticleer, Watch Chicken Extraordinaire! (See Canterbury Tales for more information.)

Now, back to our list of non-blogging excuses.

3. Francis had to have surgery for a lump on his leg last week. He's made a tremendous recovery but feels that extra decorative grass consumption is needed to speed his healing. He doesn't care that the grass in question costs $12 per pot. He just wants you to know that.



4. Am finishing up the editing on my non-fiction that will be out next spring. I'll write about that soon.

5. In a fabulous piece of news, my first novel for adults has just found a great home. Will also write about that when the time is right.

xox

Best wishes!

To everyone attending the Arthur Ellis Awards tonight in Ottawa! I will be there in spirit, if not in person.

The blog has been quite silent of late. I'm preparing course readings and outlines for the fall, finishing up the memoir/non-fiction and have FINALLY submitted my first novel for adults to my agent. Gulp. It was so much fun to write that I find I miss it.

I'll be teaching a one-week intensive course on writing for children and young adults through UBC's Writing Centre in July and this fall will be teaching writing for young adults through UBC optional residence MFA program in creative writing, as well as couple of courses through Vancouver Island University. I'm breathless at the thought of it! Good thing I'm well schooled in the art of writing in the early morning.

But for now, it's just revisions and picking slugs out of the raised beds.

Now you see why I'm hardly blogging? Imagine daily updates like this! The horror. If you'd like to keep in touch, I'm a bit more active on facebook.