We took a walk and overheard a conversation...

"Winter!" cried the Wind.

"Spring," whispered the Sun.

 And I have the coolest wellies, ever.  See?

 

They're neoprene and rubber, all cozy and seamless, so my feet stay warm and dry.  Perfect for the Maritimes in the spring.  (psst: Canucks - I got 'em at Canadian Tire and they were $40+tax....not a lot to pay for your own little piece of magic!)

Also, some randomness:

• I started a tray of seeds this weekend, to see if I can grow some greens indoors.  I also bought some alfalfa seeds to try out a sprouting method my health food store owners told me about.  I will keep you posted.
• As I predicted, I have to re-hem by new brown pinstriped wool pants.  When will I learn to pre-wash my fabrics?
• My husband is clearing out some of the woods behind our house, to let in a bit more sunshine and help dry things out in the summer.  I can hear the chainsaw starting and stopping, starting and stopping.  It makes me a *little* bit nervous, given his past history of clumsiness.
• I made some awesome progress on my sweater, this weekend:

 

• I went back and dropped every third sleeve stitch (one at a time) and re-knit them with a crochet hook, to create 2x1 ribbing.  It snugged up the sleeves quite nicely and added a bit of zazz to them.
• I'm now 3/4 done one sleeve and still have to pick up and knit the second.
• I can see the end of the tunnel.
• The best part is that I will have no seaming, when I'm done that sleeve.  Just blocking and drying.  Yippeeee!
• I am making lasagna for supper tonight (with brown rice noodles).  It is going to rock.
• I rented "The Time Traveler's Wife" and I really liked it.  Eric Bana sounds a little stilted, sometimes (I think it's because of his accent), but I really loved the sets and the cinematography.  You know that red blanket she uses for her little picnic, when they first meet?  I have that blanket!  It's a Hudson's Bay blanket and it is wool.  I found it abandoned in the laundry room of my last apartment.  No-one in the building wanted it, so we kept it.  My hubbie and I fight over who gets to use it. 
• Daylight Savings kicks my arse every time it comes around (see mention of insomnia in previous post), so I'm not looking forward to waking up this week.  It's a good thing I know where to get some caffeine.

What about you guys?  Did you do anything nice over the weekend?

Confessions

1. I hate hockey.  I know, you didn't think there was such a thing as a hockey-hating Canadian, did you?  Well, I do hate it.  With a passion, the likes of which you have never seen before.
2. I also hate coffee.  I have never had an entire cup, because the first sip always makes me gag.  Therefore, I don't care for Tim Horton's.  (That won't mean anything to anyone who isn't Canadian.  And to the Canadians, it will make me seem *almost* as un-patriotic as my aversion to hockey.)
3. I don't like to do bad things - the thought makes me queasy.  I have never stolen a thing in my life.  Never.  Not even a candy bar.
4. I can sit down and eat an entire bag (I'm talking economy-sized) of potato chips without help.  The whole bag, guilt-free.  Not that I'm proud of it...it's more of a morbid fascination with my blatant gluttony.
5. If I could change one thing about myself (physically), it would be to grow taller.  I am short and I hate it.  Everything else, I can live with.  Even my big feet.
6. I'm not very good with money.
7. I can speed read and I am incapable of putting a book down, once I've started.  That means I can't start a book mid-week, or else I won't go to sleep until it's done.
8. I struggle with insomnia.  As a result, I sleep alone, in my own bed.  This arrangement has saved my flailing-and-snoring husband's life, many times over.  Not to mention our marriage.
9. I don't wear a wedding band.  Or any rings, for that matter.  I used to retain a LOT of water at night, and when I wore rings, they would cut off the circulation to my fingers (purple fingers are scary, in the morning).  Instead of messing about with putting on/removing of them, I just forgo the whole thing.  (Incidentally, my feel also swell so much overnight that my shoes are *much* tighter in the morning than at the end of the day.)
10. As a result of #8, I sometimes get questions along the lines of "why isn't a lovely thing like you married?", but always from geriatric men.  In fact, I have never been flirted with by men my own age - always men old enough to be my father (or thereabouts).  I've never understood it and as a teenager, it really creeped me out.
11. I'm a prude, body-wise.  I can't imagine a more uncomfortable place to be than the locker room (ladies' or men's) of a gym.  I have two step-sisters my age and I've never seen either one naked.  Or even topless.  They've never seen me, either.  It would be a seriously traumatizing experience for all parties involved.  Trish, I'm sure you can back me up on that one.
12. I hate makeup.  When I wear a tuque, I look like a boy.
13. If you dropped me off in the middle of Winnipeg (where I spent most of my childhood), I would probably not be able to find my way out.  I learned to drive there, but I have completely forgotten how to navigate the city.
14. I am French Canadian, but I haven't read a French book in at least 10 years (OH FOR SHAME!!!).
15. I have never personally owned a TV.
16. I didn't think "Gangs of New York" was all that violent.  And I didn't really like it, though I would trade my left arm for a chance to meet Daniel Day-Lewis (he's dreamy)(and old enough to be my father...).

That's all I can think of, today.  What about you?  Any confessions you just *have* to get off your chest?

Blerg

Here's the scoop, Internet.  I need a favour from you.  I have just had what is most likely the second-most craptastic day in the history of days. 

{I say "second-most" because, if pressed, I'm sure I could come up with a slightly more crappy scenario than the one I lived through today...and I don't want to tempt the Universe into delivering it to me just to prove that I've gone too far with my penchant for exaggeration, this time.}

As a result, I really need to hear some nice things.  Tell me some nice things, will ya?  I don't care WHAT you say, just make it nice.  Please.  I'm begging you.  Nice and pretty and nice.  And nice. 

For example: you could say "spring is coming".  {Albeit, not where I live (we still have another month or so of snow to contend with), but in some places in the world, it's getting springy}.  Another example: "the sun was shining today and I got to spend time with a good friend".  See?  So nice. 

If you promise me that you will say nice things, I will give you a treat.  Like an update on my sweater.  How about it?  You promise?  Ok, here you go:

(FYI: if you're annoyed at how long it's taking you to finish a knitting project, I highly recommend getting sick and lying around for 4 days...works like a charm)

The sleeves are turning out to be a *little* big, but I'm thinking I'm going to make them ribbed, so they snug up a bit.  Still pondering that one...

Flapped open, so you can see the ribbing at the hem and up the side "seam".

 

And...an artsy shot, just for the heck of it.

I'm still not clear on how it will close, but I'll figure that out later.  Told you I was flying by the seat of my pants.

So, lay some nice thoughts on me, will ya?

Under the weather, which is not saying much

Feelin' a little "under the weather" today.  And it seems that the weather is feeling a little "under the weather", too.  So, I stayed home to rest (took a four-hour nap...oops) and spent the rest of the time curled up, drinking peppermint tea with honey and cutting out little flower photos to fill up the new scrapbook my hubs got me for garden inspiration (thanks, schmoopsiepoo!  yes, I really do call him that - he's 6'-2" and weighs 220 pounds - he can handle it).

And I'll bet you're curious about that barn in the corner - the one that stole my heart and made me shiver when I first saw it in my Canadian Gardening magazine - aren't you?

Go here and you'll find it under "Amenities & Services".  Click on "Organic Farm" and prepare to fall in love, my dears.  A development with it's own, built-in CSA?  Yes, please.  Of course, the property prices are ridiculous and it all smells somewhat of elitism, but still.  Yes, please.  And I'll take two servings of that there barn, please.  With whipped cream on top.

Completely unrelated, I was just now wandering completely off-track in the wilderness that is the Interwebs, and fell upon this little jewel.  Go and watch the video.  I'm not a hip-hop fan, but this just about knocked me out of my chair.  Me likey good art.

Boooyah!

Alright. So you know a few weeks ago when I said I was working on a few projects and I was too busy to post proper blog entries? Well, I wasn't lying! And one of those projects is finally ready to reveal!

Behold:

(PS: Does anyone know where the heck I'm supposed to paste the code for this little doodad into my sidebar? I know just enough about HTML to get myself INTO trouble.)  Never mind, I figured it out.  Nothing like taking your blog's life into your own hands to make you feel alive!


I've honoured to announce that I'm a....drumroll, please....STAFF CONTRIBUTOR on the brand-spankin'-new Creative Humans magazine!!! My contribution was not fancy or even very big, this time around, but I've already almost polished off my second assignment (I got a little ahead of myself, I think...) and I'm stoked! I don't have my paws on an actual copy of the magazine yet, but the previews look pretty wicked (OH THE PHOTOGRAPHY!!!). Leah (leahpeah.com) sent out a call for contributions, oh about a month ago, and I figured why the heck not give it a shot?  I had a great time putting it together and I'm so excited to see what comes of this little pilot project.  I think all the contributors are bloggers and many are people I've never met or even heard of.  I can't wait to read it through and go exploring to see what the others are up to!

YAY!

Don't try this at home, kids.

Some people are born with all the courage.

Me?  I had trouble watching it and not hurling in abject terror.

Why? Because I'm a dummy.

I did a stupid thing, yesterday.  I did a very stupid thing.

I started looking through the Vesey's catalogue.

Now, I realize that looking through a plant and seed catalog doesn't seem like a dumb thing to do, but I beg to differ.  I offer this to you as proof:

This was taken a week and a half ago.  It has snowed since then.

And this?

This photo was taken in 2007.  IN APRIL.  Do you see any leaves (green ones on the trees, I mean)?  No?  That's because we still have snow in April (see that white stuff in the ditch over there, to the right of our driveway???)!!!

Is this proof enough of my utter ridiculousness?  I have at LEAST 2 1/2 more months to wait until I can even THINK of gardening.  But I'm reading the catalogs now.  Because I am a sucker for punishment.

I was totally fine with winter.  I was even marveling at how mild and enjoyable it has been.  I've gone skiing at least four times in the past month.  I've been happy to see the sun and enjoy my dogs' reactions to the new snow. 

But that has all changed.  I opened the catalog and my new-found acceptance of this season has flown out the window.

I want this.  Now.