moving day
I have thought long and hard, and finally determined that persisting in keeping several different blogs to write about my various interests would accomplish nothing more than scattering my energies (in addition to my not-too-plentiful braincells).
And so, effective immediately, you’ll find my photos, book comments, rants, obsessions and imaginings at the following address:
It will be my very great pleasure to welcome you for a cup of tea, a plateful of freshly-baked scones and a cosy chat in my new home. Just make sure you don’t brush against the mouldings, I’m afraid the paint is still wet.
Please be warned: due to my hopelessly mercurial nature (and to the extensive free customization possible on Blogger), the wallpaper may undergo frequent changes and the furniture may be moved at any time. I may also sometimes post in French, if the occasion warrants it.
In spite of the bitter wind and stinging snow, I went out early this morning
and walked down to the river’s edge, just a few minutes from my apartment.
I took very few photos, but couldn’t resist capturing the birch branches wrapped with lights.
It must look absolutely magical at night!
(The real reason for venturing forth was to get a baguette from the nearby bakery.)
This morning I went through my photo archives
and uploaded a few things to my Flickr page.
(The photo of RD was taken recently with my new camera;
he looks very annoyed because I accidentally woke him up…)
There’s something funny about winter weather:
when the sun comes out, temperatures plumet!
In other words, you have to deal with either dreary but reasonably cold days
or bright but horrendously cold days.
Today was one of the former, and RD could barely hide his surprise
at the reappearance of that shiny object in the sky.
(I think he was made most happy by the fact that he could chase his shadow again.)
In celebration, I donned my trusty apron and made a batch
of Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles
(doesn’t that name alone cheer you up?)
which bring together the flavours of chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne
in a mouth-watering, body-warming chewy/crispy cookie.
Just what’s needed on a chilly day, with a cup of tea or coffee or a glass of almond milk.
Should you wish to try them for yourself, you’ll find the very easy recipe here.
I’m having a relaxed weekend, spent for the most part in reading and writing.
My downstairs neighbours have been absent since yesterday afternoon,
so I’m enjoying the silence while it lasts…
I’m not certain whether the Holiday season is to blame
or if the winter is hitting me particularly hard,
but I’m finding it very difficult to shaking off
this dark mood that’s hanging over me.
I suspect that the prolonged absence of the sun may be a factor.
But it appears that there are small glimpses of hope to be found everywhere;
this morning I unexpectedly came upon this delicate flower as I rather energetically worked
to clear my balcony of its hard-packed accumulation of frozen matter.
It was carefully rescued it from its fate and brought inside to rest on a bookshelf,
where it now sits in the distinguished company of Agatha Christie and Colin Dexter.
(The balcony, alas, remains partially covered in alternating layers of ice and snow
from which only an ice-pick could free it.)
The sun may not have made an appearance in what feels like aeons,
but something yellow certainly brightened up my day when I collected today’s post:
a large envelope containing this most adorable of photos by Castle Cat Studio.
Merci beaucoup Nathalie et Tim, je l’adore!
(I love cat toes — they’re my one weakness!)
After returning photography books to the library at lunch time,
I decided to treat myself by browsing my favourite section, at the very back of the second floor.
From what I can deduce, it consists of the original contents of the municipal library,
onto which later acquisitions were simply grafted, leaving it intact,
an incongruous and mostly neglected appendage attached to a much larger body.
A very basic classification system seems to reign here:
all books in a given division have a point in common, but otherwise there seems to be no coherent order.
For example, on the shelves dedicated to French literature, obviously the best stocked,
the more than casual observer will notice some authors’ names repeated here and there for no apparent reason.
It is above all this cahotic aspect that attracts me and keeps me coming back.
wish
It seems to be all the rage these days…
IN 2010,
I’ll watch television less frequently, and not whenever I’m bored.
Instead, I’ll read more, particularly French classics, which I’ve neglected for far too long,
and write at least some of the stories going ’round in my head.
Hopefully, this will lead to my wasting less time on the internet
looking at things that are neither informative nor improving.
My new camera should help me improve my photographic “skills”, such as they are.
I’ve thought about looking for a new (larger and quieter) place to live,
and if I do encounter this rare creature, I’ll move this year.
In the meantime, I’ll make my current apartment feel like home
by completing some projects and by purchasing art.
(Tidying up at regular intervals should help, too.)
I’ll return to the frugal living habits I adopted in 1999, when my income was so uncertain.
And although progress seems painfully slow, I’ll continue to work
on gaining independence of thought and speech
and becoming an adult.
anew
My little heart
harbours a secret wish,
deeply hidden and unspoken —
one that becomes dearer and dearer
with every passing year…
May 2010 bring you
whatever your heart desires!
I have been toying around with my new camera
(the very one I mentioned before and bought for myself),
taking photos of some favourite things.
(Hmmm, I seem to have a fondness for the colour orange.)
After happy years of familiarity with my old friends
Nelson (a second-hand analog Canon T70 almost as old as I,
with a battery compartment that requires a few elastics to keep it shut)
and Aubrey (another Canon, this time a PowerShot S2 IS
that was my introduction into the digital world),
this recent purchase is at once thrilling and intimidating.
Aubrey will soon find a home with a new owner,
and I have yet to decide on a name for his successor…
Perhaps Wilkie?
Today I have been…
…missing my old cat P, adopted on Christmas eve 20 years ago, who used to love burrowing under the mound of wrapping paper
…watching recent Miss Marple adaptations and picnicking in front of the television with a tomato sandwich, spice cookies, and a handful of the pistachios my sister included with her wonderful presents
…buzzing with story ideas about mazes that hide terrible things in their midst, libraries where a desperately needed volume repeatedly disappears at the most inconvenient times, a cat that is the key to everything
…putting all manners of accumulated papers, clippings, cardboard, pens, pencils, paintbrushes, etc. into some semblance of order, each in a neat pile or box
…scolding RD for once again climbing to the top of the bookcases when he knows firsthand (paw?) how hazardous that gap in the corner can be
…wondering whether my meagre coding skills are equal to customizing a blog (here or elsewhere)
…worrying about a strange smell in my apartment, which I later realized was coming from my downstairs neighbours’ dinner.
What has kept you busy today?
23 décembre
As the Holidays approach, and I’m surrounded
by cheerful faces and happy voices,
my heart feels heavier than usual.
No glitters or decorations grace my home.
Festive music sounds hollow to my ear.
There is, however, one song
that succeeds in lifting my spirits for just a few minutes;
perhaps its note of melancholy suits my mood.
It’s called “23 décembre” by Beau Dommage,
a wonderful band that still holds a special place
in many people’s hearts.
(Not really a video, but you can sing along to the lyrics
and perhaps learn a few words of Québécois French…)
It’s dreadfully cold here at the moment,
and the rare glimpses I’ve had of the outside world
(being fortunate enough to work from home)
have convinced me that everything has turned to ice cristals,
only to thaw out with the first rays of the spring sun.
What better occasion than the anniversary of a dear old friend‘s birth
to inaugurate my beautiful new teapot and bake some delicious scones?
a dream Christmas list
Over the past few days, in between bouts of nauseating headache and fever, I’ve been visiting blogs and webshops in search of present-wrapping inspiration. Here are a few of the items that had me (quietly) exclaiming: “Oh, how wonderful it would be to find this under the tree!”
- this print and this cushion cover by Roddy & Ginger
- this photographic print by Castle Cats Studio
- this poster by Sandra Juto
- The Suitcase Series Volume 1: Camilla Engman published by Uppercase
- a subscription to Uppercase Magazine
- this calendar by Lena Corwin and Caitlin Mociun
- these wall stickers and this pack of 4 journals by Studio Violet
- this camera bag by Kelly Moore Clarke
- this square knot journal by Hammer & Daisy (sadly sold out)
- this necklace by Elephantine (sadly already sold)
Tell me, did you see anything online that set your heart aflutter?
something to cheer you up
Have you ever listened to BBC Radio 4? There are so many great, intelligent programmes, and most of them are available as podcasts – including my favourites Open Book, Natural History, Great Lives and Thinking Allowed.
My horrible week ended on an unexpectedly cheerful note thanks to an episode of Chain Reaction in which the ever impish David Tennant interviews Richard Wilson. Charming, witty and funny, just what I needed! (Not a podcast, but you can listen online for the next 6 days.)
temporary problems
I’m having serious computer problems at the moment, so the next few days will be spent trying to get things back to normal… I’ll see you in a little while!
The snow has arrived as announced, coinciding with a worsening of my symptoms.
My head now feels heavy, and throbs at the smallest effort.
I am keeping my body warm and nourished with bowls of comforting oat bran
from a recipe kindly provided by Valeda on her lovely blog Double Ginger.
Staying hydrated, however, is proving a challenge;
despite copious cups of tea and glasses of water,
my lips remain painfully cracked and my tongue still resembles sandpaper.
I think this fever has me hallucinating, because I could swear
I’d found the teapot of my dreams…
20 to 30 centimetres of snow are expected in the area over the next two days,
so I went out to purchase groceries and cold medicine
to see me through in comfort.
I’m already ancipating the pleasure of watching The Name of the Rose,
one of my wintertime favourites, which I always reserve for occasions such as this.
I just managed to get a photo of this magestic trees – one of a few I love -
before my camera batteries went dead
(notice the ominous clouds in the background!).
Oh, and Lisen has a new blog here: Lisen och Stina!
The sun made two brief appearances today – in the morning as I prepared RD’s breakfast,
then near the middle of the afternoon.
In spite of an aching body, I dragged myself to the post office,
then returned home yearning for an early tea.
The weather was so strange this afternoon!
There was an unexpected snowfall, then it stopped as suddenly as it started
and the sun poked its nose from behind the clouds.
I’ve been tired and irritable lately,
letting the smallest of obstacles overwhelm me utterly.
This bad habit of disregarding the signs of overstrain
is taking its slow toll on my being.
The need for rest is becoming increasingly pressing…
But on a more cheerful note, I’m simply astonished at the number of visitors
who have made their way here ever since Sandra‘s post about the tea swap.
Thank you for visiting, you’re very welcome!
(I’m also happy to see that the most popular element about this blog
is my ever-expanding list of links, which completely justifies
the time I spent – and still spend – compiling it.)
My “Christmas present” book arrived quite early this morning
(I welcomed the deliveryman wearing my brightest smile and my tattiest pyjamas).
As I left for the library, I noticed an envelope peeking from my mailbox:
lovely things from Gracia & Louise were within.
And tonight I discovered a new constellation…
There was a snow-covered tangle of wires outside my window this morning.
I made sushi last night and had leftovers for lunch.
The bird print I ordered from Lizzy Stewart arrived — I can’t wait to frame it!
I always buy books for myself as a Christmas present.
This year, it will be Lena Corwin‘s
Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing
with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens.
Today on her blog, Sandra posted some of the teas she received
as part of her swap; it was strange and humbling to see mine
among the beautifully packaged ones,
along with one of my oldest photos…
giveaway!!!
Veja Cecilia is having a Moleskine giveaway on her blog.
Go! NOW!
[proof of my immoderate love of Moleskines...]
I finally started my Holiday shopping today,
and at the thrift shop I found a cheerful tray
that will put some colour into the upcoming winter.
I finished assembling and moving furniture this afternoon,
and the chaos in my apartment is now almost under control.
Exhausted, I curled up on the sofa this rainy evening.
In spite of the big changes, it already feels cosy.
