Baby Hazel

Beeb Hazel is almost two months, she'll be two months in 11 days. CRAZINESS!!!
You may have already seen this photo but hey, she's a cute baby. We threw her baby shower last weekend. We all agree that baby showers should be when the beeb is here cause hey, BEEB!

Here are the happy parents. Jason walked the beeb over in her stroller from far away and had someone yell out 'Hello Hazel!' at them. Baby Hazel brings great notoriety in Vancouver.

The theme of the shower was Books and Bums.
Books galore! I lost my mind and if it wasn't my niece's shower I would have stolen many of them.

Mom and Dad came and family friends who have known Julia since her birth.
It was a super nice time. Lots of great people, good food, and such an awesome baby. Jess hosted the event in her lovely place and made all the food and drinks. I decorated with baby clothing.
And the last photo is of the six prizes (hazelnut chocolate bars (the good kind)) for the game. We had two activities, one was writing messages for Hazel that she gets to open on different birthdays, and the other was a book game. Basically we concluded that the elementary teacher shouldn't make book games. I managed to narrow down a selection of my favorite children/young adult books to ten and wrote down a quote from each one. I read out the quote and people had to guess the title of the book and the author. The highest score was 11/20 and the lowest was 0.

So basically I'm going to put the quotes here and you can see how many you answer without cheating! Pencil and paper and note down the author and the title. I'll put the answers tomorrow though when you are done you can google them if you can't wait. 2 points possible per questions, one for author one for title.

Cheers!

1. Please do not go. We'll eat you up. We love you so.

2. And she loved a boy very, very much- even more than she loved herself.

3. Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.

4. Elizabeth was a beautiful princess. She lived in a castle and had expensive princess clothes. She was going to marry a prince named Ronald.

5. 'Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you.'

6. It do not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live

7. It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you can ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.

8. Things may happen and often do to people as brainsy and footsy as you

9. It was up to him to pay back to the world in beauty and caring what Leslie had loaned him in vision and strength.

10. But the eye is blind. One must look with the heart.

aaahhhh... February

What is it about the first few days of every month being insane? Do we remember January? If so, congratulations because I barely do. Anyhoo...

not to say it's been bad. It's just been... a doozy.

Firstly, my new phone? I barely know how to work it and today found out it's really important to make sure you press the correct button when answering a phone call from work. If you just winced and though... 'oh, I hope she didn't do what I think she did' I'm afraid you are overly optimistic about my ability to pick up phones. I totally rejected a call from work. HAHAHA!!! What can we learn from this? Be more careful, calm down, think before you press, and maybe put a sticker over the good button so you can differentiate (there really isn't much difference between the two at all unless you look really close and squint).

Secondly, I think the reason I'm so calm about this epic fail (and about other things going on right now) is because of the book I read last month. A Stroke of Insight~ I'd highly highly recommend it. If you don't feel like reading it then I'd recommend giving some of your time to listen to her speak (and her website is cool too but it makes a lot more sense if you know what it's all about). I really honestly feel like this book has made a difference in how I view others and myself. It's quite awesome. It really sucked when I rejected the call but staying upset and angry about it won't help. And also it's all cool meditation stuff but based in science. My kind of lady. I'd go into it more but I'm tired and wouldn't be able to give the book the credit it deserves. Please go read it. I'll lend you mine once I get it back from another friend.

Thirdly, this article is so awesome. Well, not awesome that this happened in the first place but awesome that it's being shown for the sham it was. It's an article about how the Lancet journal has offered a full retraction of a study showing a link between vaccines and autism. They did it just for publicity. Disgusting. My favorite part was when the doctor was said to have 'callous disregard' for the welfare of children because frankly, that is my opinion as well when it comes to this issue. It shouldn't even be an issue.

Fourthly, OMG I bought a bike! Soooooooo excited!

Fifthly, a poem.

Chapter I from Eunoia by Christian Bok

Writing in inhibiting. Sighing, I sit, scribbling in ink
this pidgin script. I sing with nihilistic witticism,
discipling signs with trifling gimmicks - iimpish
hijinks which highlight stick sigils. Isn't it glib?
Isn't it chic? I fit childish insights within rigid limitsm
writing shtick which might instill priggish misgiv-
ings in critics blind with hindsight. I dismiss nit -
picking criticism which flirts with philistinism. I
bitch; I kibitz - griping whilst criticizing dimwits,
smiping whilst indicting nitwits, dismissing simplis -
tic thinking, in which philippic wit is still illicit.

Sixthly, Spike.


eta: I just reread after publishing and realized I started on one arch and then dissolved said arch into a weird rambling of all sorts. You're use to that right?

Authentic Inspiration

So last night I started reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexei. Page thirteen and I had to put it down because I was sobbing (another reason I don't read in public); however, it was the good cry in the was that it's like, your heart is being ripped out and at the same time it makes you so motivated to appreciate all the opportunities you've had in life. I also couldn't read for a bit. I had to distract myself. So I decided to work on my painting again and not only was I going to work on it, I was going to paint her face, the part I've been avoiding because I'm scared I'll mess it up.

Now this is where this book is different from inspirational cards or mass email forwards, because I did mess up the face. Big time. I had no idea what I was doing and it showed. But you know what? I don't care. I mean, I'm going to fix it but I wasn't upset. I was just still so touched by the words from this book that I was just happy that I was able to have the time to sit down and spend an evening painting. And I messed it up but I still have the time and resources to work on it again. Thirteen pages and I've never been so humble or so thankful for what I had and what I've been given.

I'd show you picture but somehow her lips are like, under her right eye. It's weird. And the rest of the painting flows but her face is rather... muddy. It's not a good thing.

Go out, buy this book, and read it. Like, right now.

Last Minute Xmas Shopping For ME!!!

1) Never Not Knitting Calendar by Stephanie Pearl McPhee

2) Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns by Carol Sulcoski

3) Wrapped in Crochet by Kristin Omdahl

4) Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush

5) It Itches by Franklin Habit

6) Inspired to Knit by Michelle Rose Orne

7) Spider Man Sticker Collection (Glow in the Dark)

My Angst is your Angst

I'm so emotional when I'm premenstral. I cried last night worried that my friend who likes to mountain bike and cross raging rivers will hurt herself even though she's safely trapped in the city teaching right now; I became insanely emotional when I heard about the aid workers in Afghanistan (which is a very valid reason to be upset) and could not stop sobbing in front of my computer; I got rather upset with my messy kitchen and crashed pots into my sink like a spoiled child(possibly scaring my neighbour in the apartment next to me (our kitchen windows face each other)) and then kicked some cupboards and hurt my foot; and I keep on getting worked up over my knitting because I am paralyzed in wretched selfish doubt that I won't finish my shawl in time before the end of the olympics.

So I decided to start reading Angela's Ashes.

Yeah, so if my neighbours weren't worried about me before the heaving sobs coming from my apartment would make them so. I honestly don't know how people survive such grief. Once I got over that I went into the bathroom to wash my face and cried some more. So I decided to eat a peanut butter and jam sandwich. Despite the sadness, I am very engrossed in the book and will continue to read it only tonight I need to go work on my knitting some more if I am to finish before the end of the Olympics. It's not like anything I've read before.

And in a happy note? Drunken Monkey is putting out a clothing line! Woooo!

Wait... what day is it?

It's Thursday. Not Friday. So I cannot stay up until 1am doing whatever. I must remember that.

Not knitting a whole lot, started a new phiaro scarf... Could it be any prettier? Have finished the first soaker, need to cast on for the next one, cause you know... Jenn's just getting more and more pregnant. Doing some bigger projects that I haven't taken photos of yet, so that's about it for right now.

I need to clean this week. I'm thinking of getting a new CD on Friday to inspire me to clean. I was suppose to clean last week. Instead I bought a book on Friday night, Sunshine by Robin McKinley and finished it Saturday night (second time I've read it). Seriously, best book ever. And I learned don't go online to try to find out if there is a sequel coming- you will just run across the most inane review of the book ever. This person was criticizing the book for things like... how the librarian didn't spend enough time at school, or that Johnny Appleseed isn't a myth- and you are like... IT'S AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE!!!!! Augh! My only criticism in that the mother was so important, but so silent- I don't know if she spoke more than once throughout the book. That's why I want to know if there is a sequel or something- the character is so built up but never explored. Awesome book. I may read it again soon. PS- did find the info about the sequel- no ideas yet :( but hey... new book!

School is good. Teaching is just awesome. I'm learning a lot in my practicum, not only about how to teach! I have learned so much about fractions and probability in these past two weeks! At one point I was on the phone with Jenn going 'how do tree fractions work again?' and going a little bit mad. But it's okay- I got it and the lessons went really well! I used my collection of shoes I have at school as an example (if I am wearing my turquoise shoes on Wednesday, what are the chances I'll be wearing them on Thursday and Friday if I have two other pairs of shoes at school and randomly grab them?) Today as a closure for the week I did a read aloud (I read out loud) of a picture book called Math Curse. It was great! And they totally got the math connections in the book. I also teach science (with my team teacher) and team teach with all the teachers for gym. We are going to be starting language arts next week, doing a mini poetry blitz for April 17th Nat. Poem in your Pocket Day, and then French and Art in the following weeks. It'll be busy but I'm looking forward to it.

Okay- I'm off to clean or write lesson plans or knit or something. Probably not clean. I'm predictable like that.

Silent Poetry Reading

So this is from Oak's annual silent poetry reading and last year I did Adrienne Rich and this year um... don't know yet- going to go look through my poetry books.

Okay, I'm still not sure. This is hard. Okay, I know now.

-4-

TO TAKE APART THE TREE BARK BY BARK AND BURN IT UP
top to keep the skin spread open to the air that
moves through the world-tree message seems
unnoticeable capable to the area over which
limbs cover all those upright configurations for
the connection between branches and roots
likewise any surface to depth genetics provides
unmentionable because invisible soundings
taken quickly re the mouthings of the trembling
body another language like French might place
elsewhere simple as tongue there is after all the
reaching for the water, reaching for the sun

-Fred Wah Music at the Heart of Thinking

You Make My Day!!!!

So darling drunk monkey Brooke (who knits) gave me a 'you make my day' award!!! She's a sweetie that one. I should probably mail her Christmas present to her soon. Now I get to pass it on to my fave ten blogs! Whee!

1. Preludes and Nocturnes: Bias you say because she's my sister and is carrying my first niece/nephew? Let me point out this post, and this one, and this one (I could go on). Basically, Jenn is freaking ass funny and too cool (she's also smart which is hard for a little sister to admit).

2. Made in Bangladesh: Another bias you say? First of all... who are you? Why are you reading my blog and being so snooty? Sheesh. Second of all- Julia works for MSF!!! She's been fighting to make a difference in the world since she was three!!! She's AMAZING!!!! And she makes my day.

3. It's a Bear's Life: The Bears are seriously the coolest Bears you'll ever know. They have been really busy helping Jim and Jenn and Chuck move, and then with a new kitten to take care, and getting ready for a flesh-n-bloo baby?!?! They are busy busy Bears! Their blog always makes me happy.

4. The Yarn Harlot: so like... Stephanie is probably getting about, oh, a kabillion of these, but it doesn't mean my reading of her blog is any less enjoyable. I adore her.

5. January One: Cara is so cool and her knitting powress is kick ass (is powress a word? I think it is). And like my sister she's growing a human inside of her as well! Her blog is very insightful and she's a wonderful photographer to boot!

6. So Now What?: Tammy spontaneously knits sweaters. If that doesn't make my day I don't know what does.

7. Gracious, child! How you gobble!: Jess is uber cool. And when you get to hear the stories behind all the photographs? Awesome.

8. Wendy Knits: Another famous online knitter who I don't know but like to pretend we would be the best of friends if we lived in the same city. The most productive knitter ever!!! She knits more socks in a month than I can knit in a year. And her lovely kitty, Lucy, is so darling.

9. Suburban Bliss: Birth Control Via the Written Word: Melissa is so funny I often laugh out loud which is hard to make me do through a computer. Seriously.

10. Podgy's Ponderings: Her kitties and my kitties go way back. This blog is very supportive, funny, and kind!

I've had to rush through the last five because my computer is starting to freak out on me but yeah, all these blogs rock! Okay, leaving you with a shot of my latest project (oh and Mom? FO means finished object....)



ETA: Turns out you can nominate the person who nominated you- I thought that was against the rules. I TOTALLY add Drunken Monkey onto my You Make My Day award list. Just for giving me the award alone she gets yes, and for everything else- the funniness, the kindness, the crazy unique Sheldon knitting, she should get an exclusive Holy Moly You Make my Day Award.
Oh- that's the one.

blogger keeps on crashing me so....

short post, mostly copied from facebook, and Jenn and Podgy have already commented but here's my sketch of a reading list for this summer and suggestions are greatly appreciated.


The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Mists of Avalon by Zimmer Bradley
Naked by Sedaris
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
Misery by Stephen King (done)
Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
Punished by Rewards by Kohn
Anasi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Cunt: A Declaration of Indepedence by Inga Muscio
Wicked by Gregory McGuire
The Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
The Keeper of the Isis Light by Huges
What Would Buffy Do by Jana Reiss

barf barf barf & a poem

ugh, I'm about to go to a poetry reading for my creative writing class. I'm sure it will be fine but my artsy friend is in Boston (giving a paper on the simpsons, how cool is she?) so I'm not alone, I'll know a lot of people there, but I'm not going with someone who I can fall back on so meh. And I get really nervous before readings. I'm reading a poem I just wrote two days ago but it's my favorite by far. Barf barf barf.

Things to do Before I Die
~by Leone (me)

memorize Necropsy of Love by Al Purdy which I wrote on my ceiling in lipstick when I was 17 going to high school living in my parent's basement with no older sisters my father painted over it when I left so he could turn the room into a train-room

read every book by Robin McKinley or just read Sunshine over and over again because vampires and dessert turned out to be the best book subject ever

sometimes I think I want to get my masters, in fine arts, in creative writing, in psychology, in education, but then I try to write a paper then I try to stay conscious during my class with the professor who likes to tell us what those feminists think then I try to study for a class where the only motivation is my GPA which I've never really fancied then I try to wake up at 6am to catch a bus that takes 45 minutes so this one isn't a concrete item

at least six more tattoos but no repeats, no dragons, stars, watercolour flowers, easy swirls, or skulls well maybe one more skull but definitely no more dragons

have some kids at one point I guess

walk into a classroom in excellent shoes and my unruly hair totally prepared for the year ahead with colour on the walls and a package of new unbroken rainbow chalk clean chalkboards and textbooks with spines not yet snapped in two and a crown with a name for each student on their desk before the bell rings

knit myself a sweater that doesn't itch or make me sneeze out of yarn that I dyed myself in my kitchen without poisoning anybody or permantly dying my counters pink and the yarn was spun in my living room on a wheel but I'm totally fine with someone else shaving the sheep and processing the fleece because sheep smell like crap

Paganni wrote 24 caprices for the violin and I just want to be able to play the last one, number 24, the hardest one, the most breath catching piece written for the violin and this one may take me the longest to complete but it also makes me cry

sing lullabies to children and hot have them place their hands over my mouth and say 'shhhh'

no more piercings because dammit those things just hurt then either my body rejects them or I never use them and they heal over, I mean, anything that heals over should you really be getting it so anyways no, no more piercings for me

always own a cat not just to embrace the spinster stereotype but also because when it's night and I have to go into the basement I know it's safe if the cats go down the stairs with me

what is that clique again? dance like no one is watching well I already dance while no one's watching so it doesn't apply to this list. I'd rather dance with the ones I love in the room dancing with me or eating cheese and bringing me homemade jars of raspberry jelly and books with dogeared pages

one of these days the entire day spend it in a tree in a treehouse with a kettle for tea and possibly hot chocolate depending on the season or the location and books that haven't been read just yet and are waiting for me shade from leaves even if there is no sun just leaves for the feeling of secrecy from the astronauts -shifty bunch- and of course a perfect skein of yarn and all my grandmother's needles and no pattern just the stitches my fingers have already memorized and maybe music drifting in and out because the windows of my house are open

paint a wall in any house in any paint paint faces bodies paint line of flesh and stroke of colour

never stop writing never put down my pen or my pencil or stop typing even if nobody else reads it even if nobody else likes it even if it is never published and I'm known as the knitting tattooed teacher with the cats who writes poetry that nobody wants to read never stop writing

Silent Poetry Reading

So this is from this. And I thought Adrienne Rich would be best due to all my ravings. I would highly recommend reading this poem, even if you don't care for poetry (I know you know who you are- punks) and even though this is silent on my end, I would also recommend reading it outloud. Who knows, the other people in the computer lab may actually appreciate the break from textbook jargon. Yes Jodi, I am talking to you.

Integrity

the quality or state of being complete; unbroken condition; entirety -Webster

A wild patience has taken me this far

as if I had to bring to shore
a boat with a spasmodic outboard motor
old sweaters, nets, spray-mottled books
tossed in the prow
some kind of sun burning my shoulder blades.
Splashing the oarlocks. Burning through.
Your fore-arms can get scaled, licked with pain
in a sun blotted like unspoken anger
behind a casual mist.

The length of daylight
this far north, in this
forty-ninth year of my life
is critical.

Th light is critical: of me, of this
long-dreamed, involuntary landing
on the arm of an inland sea.
The glitter of the shoal
depleting into shadow
I recognize: the stand of pines
violet-black really, greeen in the old postcard
but really I have nothing but myself
to go by; nothing
stands in the realm of pure necessity
except what my hands can hold.

Nothing but myself? . . . My selves.
After so long, this answer.
As if I had always known
I steer the boat in, simply.
The motor dying on the pebbles
cicadas taking up the hum
dropped in silence.

Anger and tenderness: my selves.
And now I can believe they breate in me
as angels, not polarities.
Anger and tenderness: the spider's genius
to spin and weave in the same action
from her own body, anywhere-
even from a broken web.

The cabin in the stand of pines
is still for sale. I know this. Know the print
of the last foot, the hand that slammed and locked that door,
then stopped to wreathe the rain-smashed clematis
back on the trellis
for no one's sake except its own.
I know the chart nailed to the wallboards
the icy kettle squatting on the burner.
The hands that hammered in those nails
emptied the kettle one last time
are these two hands
and they have caught the baby leaping
from between trembling legs
and they have worked the vacuum aspirator
and stroked the sweated temples
and steered the boat here through this hot
misblotted sunlight, critical light
imperceptibly scalding
the skin these hands will also salve.

-1978