Quakes and stuff

You know you are in California when, at the tail end of a meeting as one team member is earnestly explaining the end of the day routine, the room begins to shake and the most anyone does is mutter earthquake and then continues to listen to the explanation in progress.
**
There is so much stuff in the class room. So. Much. Stuff. I thought I tossed a lot in preparation for moving state. Deja vu. In fact I'm thinking of emptying out some rooms that seem to have materials in them only because they can be there, and changing the rooms into physical movement areas (yoga, dance etc) and reading areas.
***
Two new yoga books:

Shadow Yoga, Shandor Remete

Yoga: It's History,Philosophy and Tradition, Georg Fueurstein

***CV

love

Today was the last public class I will be able to take with the person who is leading the teacher training. It is not that I cannot take his public classes only the studio where he had been holding them is no longer aailable and he is relocating to a place that is (for me) financially unamanageable.

He's an interesting person and this training will prove challenging on many levels. One is that in current society (though this may be true for other societal times as well) it is very hard to accept genuine caring and consideration. People who approach life with goodness always seem a little suspect (or is that just me?) It's not that I don't want to believe and to also view others and interact with others in such a nonromantic loving manner only there is always that fear of being hurt, either emotionally, physically or socially.

This particular instructor is not perfect. Yet he genuinely is open and caring and interested in everyone (and not in that RY* way).
**
I saw the golden pair again today. I think that those of you who thought that they were goldfiches were right. The pictures I have seen of warblers are too round for this slim pair. While reading in the garden today (Myth and Meaning, Claude Levi-Strauss) a humming bird decided to hover in front of me for a while. Literally. Before zooming off to join his mate.

I started Anne of the Island tonight. And Jerry Spinelli has a sequal to Stargirl out called Love***CV

A brief interruption

I have been tagged in the scattegories meme: Little does the tagger suspect that I have many names Ahahahahah! Ahem. 'Scuse me while I decide which name (s) I will use.....

Here are the rules:

1. Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the questions.They must be real places, names, things ... nothing made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it.

2. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

3. If your name happens to start with the same letter as mine, sorry, but you can't use my answers!

My name: (That would be telling. I have intelligent readers. You can figure it out :)

1. Famous Singer: Nancy Sinatra

2. Four letter word: Ahah

3. Street: Northrup

4. Color: Cream

5. Gifts/Presents: Yes! (see number 13)

6. Vehicle: Norfolk wherry

7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Adverts

8. Boy Name: Neil

9. Girl Name: Candice

10. Movie Title: yellow submarine

11. Drink: Nuclear Rainbow (one can only imagine...)

12. Occupation: Adjunct

13. Celebrity: Neil Gaiman (see number 5)

14. Magazine: Cosmopolitan

15. U.S. City: Yreka

16. Pro Sports: Nope

17. Fruit: Avacado/alligator pear

18. Reason for Being Late for Work: (I need a reason?)

19. Something You Throw Away: Nasty stuff

20. Things You Shout: Cool!

21. Cartoon Character: Yogi Bear

I find that last slightly ironic****CV

Faith for the future.....

I'm realising that I won't be able to practie here as I did in Portland. No local studios offer early morning classes and I am not at a point where I can do late in the day practices. Thus I find myself facing the (very) early morning choice of "Just five more minutes listening to NPR" or rolling out of bed and hitting the mat. So far the mat has been winning and It feels great.

I must remember that feeling.
**
Late night tonight. This is the first day we have actually had to work in our classrooms. Most of the week has been in procedural or workshop situations; which is all good but it leaves little room to check, clean and get the lesson planning done. I have four other team members and I'm used to working pretty much on my own. So anyway I left late with one of my team mates and caught a bus thinking "Hmmm ,maybe I'll actually get a seat on the second train" Yes it takes a bus and two trains to get back home. Yesterday, as usual, no seat was available on the second train and standing room was at a premium, and I wanted to knit. I did a surf and knit. Y'know, where you're satnding in the aisle, not holding on, and just going with the motion of the train? Pretty fun; until I snapped a needle.

Not good. I mean I only have so many 5inch #2s and I have no idea where to get them around here or even if they are available. Still, I did get a seat today so I got to continue my electric green socks.

A point: so far I have seen only one other woman knitting on my commute. And I've ony seen her once and she kinda looked like she'd just come back from visiting with the grandkids but I have had several people make comments (yesterday it was the BART clean up patrol who actually made a point of coming over twice to ask if the socks were for them). Anyway tonight it was a woman who was really impressed by the stitich (Why yes it is stockingnette) and started a conversation with another passenger about it.

I have hopes for more yarn sightings soon :)***CV

Dizzy Bee

There are things we all dislike doing. Tasks which we will invemt other things to do rather than face, but ultimately we realise that avoidance must be stopped and we do whatever it is that must be done. For me this often ends up with a "Well that really wasn't all that bad and look at all the freedom I have now it's done! Wheeee!"

So I wonder if the former teacher has that whee feeling right now? I suspect not. Aaaargh. Record keeping is not a choice . It is a task that Must. Be. Done.

*sigh* I hope the children don't mind getting the same lessons all over again as I won't know if they have had them before or not.
**
So another afternoon out in the garden reading and knitting. I saw a pair of birds that were absolutely gorgeous. Both had yellow bodies with brown/black/white speckled wings and black rimmed eyes. The male was a deep lemon yellow and the female was a pale dusty yellow. They made the prettiest purring chirrups.

There are two kinds of humming birds here as well. I only recognised the ruby throated one. As I was reading (Arsene Lupin, LeBlanc) one of the flowers from a tree fell onto my blanket. It was a very pretty flame orange colored blossom popular among the unidentified hummingbird species. I was about to pick it up but it started squirming.

Who should come out but a honeybee. The bee spun around on its legs and continued spinning until it dizzily fell off my blanket and then flew away. So funny. ***CV

Sabado

I would not recommend doing salabasana when feeling nauseous. Not a pleasant sensation regardless of the success at only feeling the senastion.
**
I meant to work on student records, really I did. But the bookstore was calling and then the garden was calling and I had a sock whose heel was begging to be turned so....

I spent a lovely two hours ouside watching the hummingbirds, listening to the jay, reading my yoga magazine and my cupcake book (Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, Isa Moskowitz) and turning that heel.

I still have the files for tomorrow. I suppose it is a good thing that they are not up to date or even filled in at all for some children. Now I can really know* what they have been presented***CV

*know in the sense, Well, the weekly sheet says it was given to them on that day so I guess it was. Which just means lots of assessing the first week or two.

Don't You Knock?!

One should be careful of what one speaks. I mentioned more frequent animal visitors and who should I surprise in the house staring at Chai but Lola*. To say Chai was chagrinned would be a bit of an understatement. Ah well.
**
My plans for the park did not occur but I was good and did student study at a cafe and I am now up to date with those children I have records for. This would not be the 11 new ones but 18 is better than none.
***
Last night I printed out some sock patterns. I'm looking forward to starting them :) They were all from MagKnits, which seems to be having fewer and fewer patterns lately. I copied Snicket, Snowflake lace ... and, oops, sorry only two; the other was from a sockalong. Pardon me. ****CV

* Lola is a tuxedo kitty like Chai only slimmer and with more black. I didn't realise thatuntil tonight.

A Bit of a Sticky Thicket

I was thinking about the bin situation and it occurred to me that maybe the housemates are so used to debris in the driveway (there is a beautiful purple flowering tree that sheds more than a persian cat during a heatwave) and so they simply didn't realise that the debris in this case was a carefully made pile.

It's possible.

Tonight I smell like an herbal grill: all lemon and rosemary. Comes from pruning the snakelike lemon balm and gathering apples while immersed in the rosemary. There are worse scents I suppose.

I think the animals in the neighborhood are becoming more frequent visitors. At least the squirrels. I saw one hopping around the central garden area this afternoon. It started towards a black bucket I've been filling with windfall apples but then it saw me and decided not to go there and instead shimmied up the lemon tree. While weeding yeserday I found two small pears. I don't know where they came from. The only new tree I discovered was a holly tree (beware the holly leaf it bears mighty points), and possibly a quince. But we do have jasmine and so. many. fushias. oy! (I loooooove fushias by the way)

If anyone knows how to train fushias to be a tree I'd love your input.

And there are roses everywhere through out the space. I may just count them to know how many. A guess would be 15 to 20 individuals. Some are slender stemmed and some have inch to inch and a half diameter stalks. Everything is virtually braided together so it is only when I reach to pull a weed that I realise, Ouch! another rose! Some appear sick though. Leaves are either dirty lace covered, or eaten, or yellow. Not all but enough that I really wish I knew someone who knew plants could come and look at them with me.
***
I purchased the rest of the Anne series today. At two bucks each I figured it was a deal. I started volume two tonight. I may go to a nearby park tomorrow afternoon to read***CV

Whose pile up is it?

Last night was a late night catching up with blogs and searching the net for Going Out ideas and so it was that when Chai started doing the cat thing, looking at nothing very alertly and carefully sneaking up on invisibles, and then I heard scratching and scraping at the side of the house then the back of the house followed by snuffling at the other side of the house, combined with scuttling and urgent digging of said invisibles, well, I beame a tad unnerved.

Clearly we survived but I can't speak to this night.
***
I decided to do some work on the side garden this afternoon. I really wonder how much of the garden's condition is due to inaccurate pruning and how much to just plain neglect. It seems to me that even with consistant weeding and deadheading the garden ahould be in much better shape than it is. I filled one waste bin with my ivy that I pulled a couple of weeks ago. I made another huge pile with the stuff I pulled from the side garden today. And so I face a dilemma.

After I weeded the picket area on Sunday I put as much as I possibly could squeeze into the waste bins then made small piles of what was left and swept the area. Now the bins have been emptied (by the collectors) and parked (by the housemates) on top of said piles. I am confused. If they didn't want to pick up the piles okay but why park the containers on the piles so no one else can do so?

The side garden is contractually the housemate's area. I weeded just cause I couldn't stand not too. I cleared and made a huge pile to the side of the back deck out of the way of stairs and such (instead of leaving the trimmings scattered where they might fall as did the landlords). So do I pack up the waste refuse or do I leave a note stating what I did and let the housemates take care of it?

The pile is positioned so I don't have to look at it. It might be an interesting experiment to see (if I do not write a note) how long it takes the housemates - if at all - to become aware of it.

All this is reminding me why I do not do the roommate thing.
***
I finshed Anne of Green Gables today and picked up a copy of Anne of Avonlea yesterday. Anne reminds me very much of one of my former students.

One of the reasons I picked up the series was that there was supposed to be a fair amount of textile work in it. There was mention of knitting cotton quilts, a fancy crochet stitch and sewing a diamond patchwork. I expected more. Perhaps later in the series?***CV

Scones rule

I made my scones tonight! Yummy. They're the basic scone recipe from Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Moskowitz. I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I don't have soy cream so I just upped the soy milk, and I have corn oil not vegetable oil. Too, I don't have a cookie sheet so I used a cupcake pan and made two more then the recipe called for. These would be fabulous shortcake cakes. Maybe I'll make that for the kirtan.

She has another book out, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, (or something to that effect). And she has another book coming out in October called, Veganomicon. I am so very tempted to just preorder it from Powell's now.
**
So after practice this morning I was feeling crabby. I still don't know why. I didn't snap at anyone but just felt generally discontent. So after sitting in a cafe and reading Anne of GreenGables I went to Pendragon and browsed. Still crabby and I really wanted to say something to the woman who put her soda can on one pile of books as she looked at another: But I didn't (I just didn't get out of her way when she wanted to go by me for a really long time: passive aggressive much?)

I thought about picking up a CD holder. The estate place has unfinished book cases and CD holders, but I didn't. Instead, after grocery shopping I came home and decided to attack the weeds around the white picket fence up front. So it was that I got to actually spend some time talking with the main house tenants. Apparently one of them wants to throw a garden work party (dude? You could just pull weeds without the party, but I see how it could be fun......) and another one said if I told him what to do he would. (Y'know that sounds a bit risque doesn't it? oh boy take these clippers and...never mind. It's just me).

There is another kitty living here. Her name is Lola and she is a very petite black kitty with a tiny white bib. ***CV

olive or onion

The roof got sealed, or I should say screened, today. There was quite a bit of action on the squirrel highway as son #2 drilled and hammered and hung precariously from the roof. So far there has been none of the gnawing I usually associate with this time of day. We shall see.
**
I read Carmen, the first in the collected works of Merimee (see I looked up his name). It is nothing like the Carmen of Bizet except that Carmencita plays the field. Makes sense though. Apparently the opera is based upon the short story and goodness knows there is enough evidence out there for what based upon the work of - means for one not to be surpised when the original is nothing like the film, opera, play, what have you.
***
There is a shop in the neighborhood that sells refiished furniture picked up from estate sales. Mostly 1920's to 40's stuff. They have the most wonderful painted cabinets and China boards, the kind you see in '20's pictures with swirling dragons, lotus flowers and such. *sigh* I would so have a 1920's tiffanyed home if I could. Oh F. Scott ? Mr Charles put down that manuscript/police memo for a moment hon' and help me with this martini shaker.
****
I just found out my favorite teacher is doing a workshop in the city next month and I cannot go because I am in the teacher training, Argh. She will be holdiong a kirtan though and so long as I don't mind not sleeping that weekend (which is the first weekend of the first week of school) and training is 8-6 Saturday and Sunday, I should be fine.

All together now:

We are living in a fantasy world

Are living

in a fantasy world.....***CV

Br'er rabbit meets Bambi

I have the cutest landlords (though I suspect they could be real tough cookies when they had to). This morning I was at practice when my phone rang (It NEVER rings. No one EVER calls. I NEVER have to turn on the silencer. *sigh*) Anyway, it turned out to be one of the sons checking on what son #2 had done yesterday and letting me know that he, son#1, might be stopping by today but not to worry it was outside stuff so I didn't have to be there unless I wanted to be. So then I called in to work checking whether ot not today would be a good day to come in. Turned out Monday would be better: Ooo Friday off :)

Five minutes later my landlady calls to tell me she and her husband were coming this afternoon to do some gardening and since I had expressed an interest in learning how to prune, if I wanted, she would show me then. Yay!

So I wandered two bookstores in search of Anne. I found Anne, and Emily too. Then, after picking up a bagel to go I went back home to read and await my gardening lesson. I waited and waited. Finished Julie and Julia, surfed the net, made a shopping list for baking scones, watched a mourning dove eat the finch seed remains I had tossed yesterday, watched a squirrel head towards a dish of fresh picked apples and thought I heard him crunching them. Turns out it was my landlady seriously clipping the roses. Apparently she and her husband had been present for the past hour or so *sigh* Turns out the front garden needed so much work (and it's true it does still) that they will come back next weekend to work in the center area.

Anyway as Mrs. Landlady and I are chatting I hear my doorbell and it turns out to be Mr. Landlord who I practically have to pull inside with a rope he is so respectful of my property. Even then he wouldn't move past the laundry area. Then I hear Mrs. Landlady calling me because while her husband and I were chatting she had gone up front to fetch him to answer my question about watering the garden. So I say "Come on in! We're both inside!" and she doesn't and he won't come in any farther....It was hilarious.

So after they were gone I whacked the rosemary, de Repunzeled the Chinese Jade, found the prettiest pink rose hiding behind the jade and listened to my back fence as it was homerunned by the little league next door. Then I cleaned up and went shopping for dinner and scone stuff (Okay the organic prices have got to be seriously over done and that is all I will say about it. C and H? Mortons? Here I come)

As I returned home I met one more bit of wildlife: Flower, who was a little worried when I said hello so he arched his back and tail at me...ummm Flower? You are a skunk. Like I'm going to mess with you? I think ever so not***CV

Something must have died....

Turns out the flies are not house flies as I had thought. I did notice that they seemed rather large but when the handy person came by to look at some stuff around the house and saw them he asked if anything had died recently. Apparently these black buzzing things are from larva which... well let's just say I was real happy to hear they will all die very soon.

Oh and it turns out that the handy person is actually a son of the landlords. He found it funny that I had no idea. This is what comes of casual first name usage and the modern lack of proper introductions.
**
I'm on a real cook boook jag now. Today I picked up a copy of The Tassajara Recipe Book. I was alos going to get a copy of Anne of Green Gables, which I have never read, but the store was sold out. The counter person offered to order a copy but I said no 'cause it was more fun to wander stores looking and maybe finding***CV

Mr. Squirrel

The squirrel is back. So I guess he comes only at certain times and I have been missing his visits. The flies have apparently moved to the laundry room, which is near the front door so let's all hope that they are on their way out said door very very soon. The handy person is suppose to come by tomorow to look at some other things and I'll show him the Fly zone then.
**
Fingerprinting today and it was done the inkless way. Very nice. One of the workers asked if I did a lot of work with my hands and I replied that I knit, and practice yoga (all those many downward dogs in which one is reminded to press the fingertips down). Then I thought to ask why she wanted to know. She said it was because many of the lines that they try to record were very faint which was because my hand work was wearing the whorls away. Wow. I wonder if Lupin would like a confederate *g*
***
Picked up a copy of Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (630pp) yesterday and finished it today. No comments as many who read it may still be doing so and I wouldn't want to be a spoiler. I will say though that I found this one an improvement over the last installment. The concluding book is supposed to be just that, a conclusion, which will be good. I really prefer a series that stops with the want for more than the question: when will it end?
****
Today I purchased a copy of Julie and Julia by Julie Powell and yesterday I bought a collection of short stories by the author of Carmen. I'm too lazy to go get it out of my bag right now to add the author's name. I think it begins with an M. Speaking of the bag. After class I went to a local bakery for breakfast and as all the tables were full I found a convenient bench, set up and began to eat and reaad. Two ladies walking by asked where I got my bag from. They are not the only ones to ask. It's the symbol on teh bagwhich raises the curiousity. Many, many years ago (before the Gap bought them out) Banana Republic was a small operation that sold stuff found in Banana Republics, and surplus gear. My bag is a surplus Israeli paratroopers bag: dude, 20 years old. It's great for lugging stuff in. Not what BR sells now at all. So far I've had a desert soldier, various public transit riders and now thes ladies inquire. And they all have that "You know what the symbol means?" look.
*****
Got my acceptance for the teacher training. Now I need to find out if public tranis toperates at 7am Sunday mornings.****CV

Neighbor mine

My new place is a studio cottage which means there is a kitchen, a bathroom a mainroom and in this instance a breezeway. I have made the main room my sleeping area. There are three window in each of the exterior walls of this main roomand right now I can see a black kitty that is in the neighbors yard being heckled by a scrubjay. Earlier this afternoon there was a hummingbird outside another window. My third window is the one from which I used to see Jay and squirrel but as I mentioned earlier I think squirrel is pissed at me for tearing down the ivy road.

The black kitty and I had quite the one sided conversation last night. Mostly me talking and him?her? looking appalled that someone could actually see him? her? but then the kitty was out ther when i got up so maybe kitty is okay with a new neighbor.
**
I went on to the shool today. It seems that the other guide may not be here until January so the person I thought would be my assistant will instead be filling in until the new guide arrives. Ah school. I don't think any of us as students really knew how loosely held together the whole daily routine was.***CV

buzzing along

I so feel like I'm on the set of the Exorcist. Instead of locusts it's black flies. Guess that makes me what?Lady of the Flies? I have no idea where they are coming from: none. I do not leave food out. I clean the kitty box regularly (like Chai barely has time to finish, y'know). I do not leave doors open. Bah. I got some of that horrid yellow glue tape and this morning: no flies. This evening: population explosion. Ick.
**
Found a third bookstore on College: Mrs. Dalloways and so I picked up a new cookbook. Vegan with a Vengance. Yesterday while I was in SF I got a copy of Coyote Road, an anthology of Trickster tales.
***
So I do not have enough to do what with a new school, new children etc. I applied for a yoga teacher training (100 hours in five weekends). Well it's only an aplication. Not like I've been accepted.***CV

Tidings

The two bookstores I found are Pendragon books and Diesel. Pendragon is primarily used books but they do have new releases and magazines, too.
**
The new place is lovely, lots of sunshine. I feel like I am in a small boat when I shut the door. I couldn't exactly say why. Perhaps it is the compactness after living in a one bedroom. It might also be the fact that I am surrounded by greenery. There is a red tail squirrel and a (possibly two) scrubjay(s) that appear to be regulars. This may change now that I've hacked most of the ivy down. The squirrel used the ivy road as a means of accessing a huge plum tree in the garden. Unfortuntaely the ivy which twines that giant already killed a smaller version of the same tree. (In fact it completely hollowed out the poor thing).

My wish for a commute may have been granted. It looks like it will take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour to get to my new position from home. I make my first attempt next week.
***
Last night I finally got around to unpacking all 26 boxes of books. Well, actually I only unpacked 12 of them. I desperately need to get some more bookcases.***CV

Made It!

And it only took four days to get a landline installed so that I could actually get on the internet again. Goodness.
**
Well the English ivy that once ruled this garden has met the new sherriff in town.Got me some clippers today.Too bad I already filled up both garden waste cans that other day or the ivy would be filling it now.
***
I managed to find both local bookstores the first day here and yes I already have six new books. but one is a cook book so......Oh and I managed to injure my shoulder in a yoga class the other day. Oy. When it happened all I could think was Noooooo I will not give up my practice for this. I refuse to be injured. *sigh* ***CV

Farewell

Portland

I will miss your many bridges-and I will not see the Burnside one reonstructed. I will miss Powell's - one last sale today. I will miss all the friends I have made here and your small pocket size neighborhoods. I will miss the friendliness and amazing trust which permeates all the areas I've explored.
**
I was doing so well until one friend walked in with a flower for me from her garden.....one last bit of rain***CV

packing packing packing

As I've been packing up I've been weeding through my possessions and many things have been either donated or gone to Powell's. In fact, I managed to halve my pile of unreads and now am at a mere 100. So today I finally bought a set of banker's boxes and began the packing of the books. I got a deal I think on the boxes too. Got a ten pak for less then fifteen dollars.

All ten boxes are full and mostly labelled. I'll purchase another ten pack tomorow. Meanwhile someone might nicely explain to me how I could sell approximately 200 books and still need more than ten boxes to pack the remainder? (Oh and my teaching books? They are already in three+ crates.)
**
I got The Women's War by Dumas today! (Hmmmm maybe that explains that box issue....)
***
Meanwhile I manged to snap three needles working on a pair of baby sox. Three! I realised on the third snap that I would not be going to Kareoke tonight, nor would I be attending Noah Levine's talk at Powell's. All the time I was siting and knitting I was trying to think of time frames: lessee I have two nights to complete my packing so if I leave at (x) time and get to the bookstore then I'll be there for (b) length of talk and can knit for so long then I'll leave at (y) time to get to kareoke and I'll sit and knit for about (c) length of singing which means I'll get home at (z) and I can pack for *snap* Maybe if I only go for half the bookstore time(1/2 b) and work only a third of the(1/3 c) *snap* So then if i only got to kareoke then I would have (a) amount of time before *snap*

That third snap told me I needed to get back to packing ASAP rather then spending time elsewhere. I'm glad I did.

I still have stuff to pack, including two dresser drawers worth of clothes and a bunch of kitchen stuff given to me three years ago that I haven't used because, that's right, I never called the gas company to turn on my stove :) But at least half my books are away and I've mostly gathered my odds and ends and just need to wrap and pack.

No stove.......Good Golly. No wonder I have so much tea unused***CV

Sage sagas

Anahita's Woven Riddle, Meghan Nuttall Sayres (350pp) Set in Persia during the late 19th century this story could still, albeit without the evil Russian army, be a modern story. Anahita is a member of a nomadic tribe. Her father has decided that she be married and is ready to engage her to the local kahn. Anahita loves riddles. In fact it is a game that both she and her father regularly play with each other. Anahita is also a forward thinker, much to the dismay of other tribe members who are quite contenet with tradition thank you very much. Included in this Cinderella like tale are snippets of Rumi, of traditional dyeing (though the cochineal did puzzle me; would not kermes or another indigeous species be more likely?) as well as appreciation for a culture we so recently seem to view too shallowly.
**
The Black Tulip, Alexandre Dumas (238pp) Once past the elaborate first chapter intro (and a very gory demise ala the French Revolution) the story settles into a menage a trois romance with requisite jealousy, envy, true love and intrigue. And to think the woman these two men are passionate over is a Black Tulip. Well one of them does realise after a bit of a struggle that maybe the jailor's daughter is a bit of all right. More so when she so lovingly takes care of his off set.
***
After class today a very angry woman was atthe bus stop collecting discarded bits of willammette weekly. Fine. I need to catch my bus here and I know that the woman you're (you being said very vocal angry woman) talking about could not be me so okay I'll just knit. (She did have a pretty singing voice when she chose to sing I must say). Then in the cafe two people remarked on the knitting whilst reading: I hasten to add it's stockingnette, I'm looking at it whenever I reach a corner, I drop stitches and then have to pick them up.
****
Started reading Eigil's Saga. You know how sometimes people can feel a bit overwhelmed with the many choices in baby names nowadays when a baby is expected? Apparently the vikings had no such problem. I've met at least five Thorolfs and two Gunhilds as well as inumerable Thorolds, not to mention Thorirs. And talk about plot jumps.

So this one landholder recieves a group of men and settles them in an out building where their clothes can dry and then he brings them some food apologising because it is all he has (sour curds, sour whey, maybe some bread) That's okay, his guests say, something is better than nothing and they eat what he provides. Then the host offers them lots of nice straw to sleep on. Meanwhile the King and his Queen are on the same property in another building with a full on banquet. The king asks where the host is and is told he is attending some guests. So the King says, well, let the guests join us. And so they do and they all sit down to drink.

(No one says aword about the fact there is a feast in one building and refuse buffet in another.)

Well not true. Eigil starts making up insulting poetry about not treating people in a hostly way, but apparently everyone is clueless. Then the Queen along with the host/landholder decide to poison Eigil's cup (whoa 'scuse me where did that come from? What does the Queen have against Eigil? Was he going to use up all her sleeping straw??) And then Eigil cuts himself and recites something -a rune? before taking the cup and the cup shatters which apparently is an insult (!) to the host (personally I think a dead poisoned guest is a lot more insulting not to say tacky). Anyway it's decided that the men from the refuse buffet are a bit drunk and it's time they leave. So the host and Eigil leave along with Eigil's very drunk captain and Eigil offs the host. Then runs away.

I did not leave any pertinent details out. I should probaly add that while this is Eigil's saga as in he is the hero, Eigil has some anger management problems. The least of which is,when as a child, attacking another child with a battle axe after Eigil lost a game to him. Oh and then when it is realised that he did this, after a full out axe and swords battle between all the adults, being told he will make a fine Viking.......Makes me want to know who invented the first time out chair. Don't think it was a viking. Uh uh.***CV

the Night after.....

Where have all the readers gone?

Out with Harry

When will they e'er return?

When will they e-'er return?

**
Meanwhile I am completing a delightful YA book called Anahita's Woven Riddle having finished the Black Tulip yesterday afternoon. Which means I am out of Dumas. Shoudl I wait until Cody's or should I stick with Powell's ahile I can? Decisions decisions.
***
One pair of scarlett knee highs complete. Actually, I have to frog the foot of one as the heel is too deep. Otherwise it's done and I have 1 1/2 amber kneehighs done as well. I did start the Indigo koigus but on 2.5's and I'm not sure that I like it. Funny that the koigu label says 3mm or US 3 when in fact a 2.5 not a 3 is a 3mm. Odd that.****CV

In which the Adventure goes on after the accustomed Manner

The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas (720pp) I really don't need to comment about this book do I? Everyone knows who the three musketeers are right? Should be enough to say I read this in three days...whoa eerie coincidence. Let me meditate on that for a while. Oh wait, I know what I can say. The movie I saw of this book I think was a well done translation of the story itself. Yes, stuff was left out. Yes, scenes were edited for cinematic blah blah; and yes at least one person died differently in the book then in the novel (but then in the novel one character changed from a brunnette to a blonde wihtout one writer's blush), other than that? Well done you screen authors.
**
Currently reading;

The Black Tulip, Alexandre Dumas

The Time Before History, Colin Tudge

****
Recently purchased:

The Female Quixote, Charlotte Lennox (and yes it is a work of fiction written around 1752)

Have a quote from the main character to her maid who has apparently been delivered some letters addressed to her mistress:

" You are a simple Wench, said Arabella smiling: You may depend upon it, all Letters directed to me, must contain Matters of Love and Gallantry; and those I am not permitted to receive. Take them away then immediately. But stay, pursued she, seeing she was about to obey her, one of them, you say, was deliver'd to you as a Letter of Consequence; perhaps it is so: Indeed it may contain an Advertisement of some Design to carry me away. How do I know, but Mr. Selvin, incited by his Love and Despair, may intend to make such an Attempt. Give me that letter, Lucy, I am resolved to open it. As for the other - yet who knows that other may also bring me a Warning of the same Danger from another Quarter. The pains Mr. Tinsel took to conceal his Passion, nay, almost as I think, to deny it, amounts to a Proof that he is meditating some Way to make sure of me. 'Tis ceratinly so: Give me that Letter, Lucy; I should be accessary to their intended Violence, if I neglected this timely Discovery."

I love the capitals sprinkled throughout, the fact that Arabella is a French novel reading over the top melodrama queen (ould it not be aht Mr. TInsel is really not interested in her?), the tons of punctuation sans quotation marks to indicate speech (perhaps this is why the proper names are italicised?) and it is an 18th century book. ***CV

We (may) have cottage!

Knock on wood. Deposits and such still need to be made.
**
Hmmm do you think I should order my madder, indigo, some weld and marigold now? This is because, if the cottage comes through then, there is a private garden that is attached and I could you know try and grow stuff in it. I know I want lavender. And I would love to grow dye plants. Instead of, you know, growing dying plants (I so do not have a green thumb, but I think if it was my plot and I was the one learning from it it would be okay. I was responsible for a garden that was in the back of my former Primary and, ummmm, the lavender did real well as did the poppies; not so much everything else.)
***
I am a third of the way through The Three Musketeers. D'artagnan had a much bigger part than I remembered. Perhaps this is because Athos, Porthos and Aramis were played by such good character actors they seemed more main characterish then they actually were.
****
I almost have the leg of my second scarlett sock complete (reading and stst are a good combination) and I finished one of the amber knee highs last night*****CV

NB Good thing I didn't mention woad. Apparently it's a noxious weed in CA, as is the wild marigold.

mordi!

La Reine Margot, Alexandre Dumas (468pp) Well. Dumas certainly doesn't believe in cluttering up a story with too many details does he? Really though it's the fighting, the wooing, and the conspiring we read Dumas for right? In some ways I am grateful I saw the old three musketeers on the silver screen (by old I mean the 70's versions) before reading any of the original works. It is also helpful to know that Dumas wrote for the theater. This way I did not get hung up on sudden shifts in plot and what not. Why are Coconnas and Mole at Catherine's perfumer? Why is he making a wax doll? Why is he shaking the heasdsman's hand at this moment?... oh, it's a plot twist *thwack* silly me.

I am now eagerly looking forward to reading the Three Musketeers and The Knight of the Maison Rouge.
**
It occurred to me today that a fun way to read French Literature might be to start out with Balzac and then read Dumas and see the similarities as well as differences. Balzac writes romances with lots of detail in setting, politics and what not. Dumas writes romances. Period. On the one hand lots of bric-abrac on the other streamlined efficiency.

Then one could seperate the remaining authors of the period into Balzacian and Dumasian camps. I think Hugo would go into the Balzac column as would Flaubert and Huysmans.But who would be with Dumas?***CV

step 2

Step two of the well educated reader's process is to

(look away now if writing in your books, dog-earing corners, underlining and highlighting bound texts makes you queasy)

go back and re read all those notations you made during your first read through. Notations can be as mininmal as punctuation marks beside certain phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc; comments written as above; key words circled and/or underlined/highlighted, etc. One could also keep a juournal which actually one is supposed to do for writing down thoughts both during the inital reading and for teh second go through where one is analysing the text. There is a certain list of questions which is provide as a guide through this journal process and the list of questions depends upon whether the work is fiction, non fiction, historical or biographical.

Now in my mind this all sounds extremely cool and I can imagine all sorts of journals and various ways they would look (typed, cursive, calligraphy, Indiana Jones style bundles) but the practice? Not so much. I tend to get distracted. I start out all on top of it: writing out quotes I like or wish to rethink and then I get caught up in the tale and want to know what is on the next page and "I'll get back to that quote", "I'll remember where it was" .... Later "Was that page 302? or 203? or 12? or, Oh wait I think it was 19 years later when x did......so that means it was before the horses....."

**
In other news I finished one scarlet knee high and started the second today***CV

So 102, and you?

The Late Mr. Shakespeare may be very late as in, I do not think I will finish reading it and instead see if Powell's will buy it back. I am sure it is a delightful book, if one is alrady familiar with all of Shakespeare's writings and the biographies of said bard and the gossip and the Stratford countryside and the polit- perhaps you see my point. It is a very clever book and I feel as if it is written in alanguge which has been (for me) hidden and dead and buried and well Atlanteanised.

Perhaps if I read the bard as more than a teller of tales I would enjoy this book more. However when I have to rationalise persevering through one book in denial of another, enough! Out it goes.

I was talkng with a friend while she went through my latest sell offs, about various books and she came across a G.G. Marquez and when I mentione 100 years of Solitude she sort of gritted her teeth and said, "Oh don't mention that book. It is so confusing with who is relaled to who and I have to keep rereading to understand-"

I recently picked up a copy of A Well-Educated Mind and the author proposes a two step approach to reading classical or classic books. The first part is to read the book for its story.

Huh.

Think I got that part down.

So I mentioned this to my friend about how when I read a book for its story, at a cetain point I don't really worry about how the characters are intmately related and what they symbolically are meant to represent. I figure if the author thinks it important than the author will repeat the important bits in a variety of ways so as a reader I will know they are important. If the author expects me to work at understanding his agenda (Dude! It says fiction not metaphysical digressions. See? Here it is clearly labeled f-i-c-t-i-o-n on your book) well that is an expectation I most likely won't meet. (Unless the book is labeled metaphysical digression. Then I was fairly warned, wasn't I?)

Clearly I need to work on the second read through skill if I am to be well-educated;)***

Is that the time?

Got a phone call this morning from the property management wondering when they could bring people in to show the apartment. As I looked around noting boxes sealed and unsealed, books stacked in scattered heaps: to keep, to sell, to give away; a kitchen half packed and dust bunnies (some scurrying for cover and others blatantly prancing around the floor) I had to ask myself: Do they want to rent this apartment?
***
In other news a cottage was looked at for me today and I have just sent off a generic application for it. Any good thoughts you can spare I appreciate.
****

Books I have bought after selling thirty:

La Reine Margot, Alexandre Dumas

The Late Mr. Shakespeare, Robert Nye

Understood Betsy, Dorothy Canfield Fisher

****CV

Displays of......

Regarding my last post. I just read a disturbing entry a friend of mine put up. Last night a drummer in a local band went to watch fireworks at a local park. Other persons were not there to watch but to participate. Said participation involved the throwing of a firework known as an M60.

(What does it say about a society which names its tools of "fun" after other tools of "not fun"?)

So the local drummer? She will not be drumming any more. Some other work yes. Playing an instrument: no.
**
I myself went out last night after some very hot and sticky hours of sorting through way too much paper stuff. Yowza. And there is more waitng me tonight. Ick. (I'm gonna wash those lesson plans right outta my hair. Gonna watch those records disappear in thin air. LaLaLaLa) And I walked to a local cafe. Yup. People were sitting out watching the sunset while their neighbors set up little firework displays for the kiddies. On my return I saw roman candles being set up and off; and, for whatever reason, walked blocks out of my way to avoid them.

I like to watch. Or I did. ***CV

julius display

The White Castle, Orhan Pamuk

The New Life, Orhan Pamuk

***
I am still somewhat disoriented by the fact that it is possible to buy fireworks and firecrackers at the grocery store. Perhaps one can tell where someone else has grown up by the reaction they have to the buying of fireworks. Where I grew up it was a clandestine risk to buy firecrackers. The only kind I ever had to light were the ones I found the day after the Fourth of July (no lectures please). They were mostly duds and the few that went off, well, they were few.

But to buy them meant a trip to Chinatown and a long wait at a school playground and maybe the seller wouldn't show up. Very secret agentish, which probaly makes it "fun" if illegal. However here is is legal. The only caveat seems to be that you must be 16 or older.

Uhhuh.

I guess this is what comes of living in a state where the rain percentage is so much higher. A friend of mine from AZ shared my surpsrise at the ease of access. Of course we both have animals in our charge so maybe this also makes us just that much more aware of the fun versus consequences of setting off explosives.

I do like Roman Candles though :)***CV

Beginning to count down

Yesterday, after practice, I went to return some much overdue library books. Then I wandered the sections looking for something to read. I finally settled on AS Byatt's, Little Black Book of Stories.

Then I had to search for a place to sit.

Most of the long tables at this particular branch are taken up by computers. I finally found a place, after passing people hunched at walls and sitting in aisles, at the end of a table which was neatly divided into two sections: one computer with printer section and one for readers.

I proceeded to read and knit for three hours. Very nice. Well, except for the part when I realized I had done 7 inches on a sock leg but four inches back was another one of those barely holding on knit stitches *sigh* I put the book back and then went to a cafe where I ripped four inches back and started again. This is my second pair of to the knee (no I have not finished the first pair) in Shuibui. The color is Amber.
***
Today, after a tear filled morning of, Omg** I'm really leaving this place where I've made friends and going somewhere to start all over again!, I cleaned some floors moaned the lack of boxes for my books, booked a Uhaul (let us not go into the price of said vehicle okay), tried to contact my friend who is driving said Uhaul so I could get his ticket back to Portland, put all my CDs into 2 boxes; then went to the cafe where I read a little bit of Bryson's, Mother Tongue while working on the amber leg before going to a book store and finally getting a copy of Good Omens, Gaiman and Pratchett. Oh, and I also found a book I've been looking for for a while, Last Child in the Woods. It was on the store's sale shelf but not marked sale. So I took it to the clerk and after he swallowed what he was eating asked him if the book was on sale. Much computer clicking later :

"No."
"I didn't think so. Here, you probably know better than I where it should go."

And I went back to browsing. Three minutes later I hear a mutter:

"It is on sale? But it's not marked..."
Silence, then:
"Ma'am? It is on sale."

So I got it for sale and an dditional 40% off. It's such an agenda book but since I agree with its particular agenda that's okay with me ;)*****CV

Film at 10

Got the pics today. Wow. I think Portland has kind of spoiled me, or at least the section I live in. The new city is Urban with a capital "U". But that's okay. There is a movie house only a block away and groceries (if not the organinc kind) are three blocks over.

So unless something comes up real sudden and jumps in my lap it looks like this will be the place***CV

O casa mio

Thank you everyone who responded to my SOS. I did contact the owners and they are going to put together some pics today and tomorrow and send them to me. I'm really looking forward to seeing them.
**
In other news: Hope I went and got the second in that series you sent me. Bad Hope. ;) I've also been picking up a few, no really, a FEW other reads:

Difficult Loves, Italo Calvino (short stories)

Inferno, Dante

The Rainbow Beneath My Feet, A. Bessette (mushroom dyeing)

Cast in Courtlight, Michele Sagaro

***

The Hester/Wills I'm working on are a pair of to-the-knee scarlet socks. I actualy turned the heel on one today but didn't like the heel and then I noticed in the leg that a stitch had split when knit. It was barely hanging on. So I ripped back about 6 inches and I'm now to the heel flap again. The yarn is Shibui, Chinese Red. It looks like scarlet velvet :) ***CV

oh help please

What do I do?

I just got accepted for an apartment. This makes me feel good. According to the person who looked at it for me it is bright, spacious just really nice. It has hardwood, is on the top floor and the landlords live on the property. One half of the couple who are moving out walked everywhere, even though they both had a car; she felt really felt comfortable doing that. Transportation is reasonable, the public kind. The rent is in budget. The place will be available within my time frame. The landlords have been the most forthcoming and informative of all my contacts (accept the place I just missed getting) so far.

But:

The friend who saw it was not happy with the neighborhood. The house next door, on the corner, is for sale and its interior is trashed (according to one of the property's owners). Another friend who offered to look at it did not stop because of the diversity.

Help. I so want a place and everything so far is either nice but next to a freeway or in a good location and is a box. And really when my fiend who looked at it described it, oh wow.

I should really answer him at the latest early tomorrow am (as he has also apparently left a voice mail and the email is a follow up).

What would you do?
***CV

one ringy dingy ...

While browsing Powell's today my phone rang:
Me: "Hello"
Voice: Hi CV. This is Mother F.
Me: Oh hi!
Mother F.: I was wondering of you had settled on a job yet?
Me: Why yes I have!
Mother F.: (Pause) Oh, I see
Me: ...... (see?see what?what is this about?)
Mother F.: Well congratulations
Me: Thank you.
Mother F.: Bye.
Me: Bye.

Then, two minutes later, as I was getting distracted by a book about the history of astronomy:

Ring!
Me: Hello, this is CV
Mother F.: Hi CV. This is Mother F. again. I was just talking with Sister K. and she wondered if you were happy.
Me: (pause) Happy?
Mother F.:Yes she was wondering if you would rather stay in Portland.
Me: ........
Mother F.:.........
Me: Well I signed the contract and they're helping me look for a place now.
Mother F.: So you're happy?
Me: Yes.
Mother F.: Okay then. Bye.
Me: Bye.
**
Ten minutes later I get a call from one of the people helping me look for a place. Still looking.
***
I spent the afternoon working on my Hester/Will socks. 14inches so far. Think I'll start the heel in another two***CV

jingle jangle jingle

Went to practice then to a cafe where I had lunch. Then I came home and decided to do laundry. Got the stuff. Put coins in my pocket. Went out the door. Had to give it two good slams before it decided to actually shut: that was my chance. Went down to the laundry room. Took out my wallet for the coins.....wha- Oh, maybe they're in my pock- %*&!

Of course they're in my pocket. Hear the jingle? That's certainly not a key jingle: it's most definitely a coin jingle.

Fortunately the property management is down the street and they made an exception to let me back in my apartment. If they hadn't I would have had to call a locksmith.

***
Thank you Hope for my swap package! I don't think I would have chosen the book on my own and it looks like so much fun! It's just the type of reading I'm looking for right now :) Jasmine tea and two regia balls perfect to make baby socks with! Thank you so much****CV

Idle Flow

If On A Winter's Night a Traveller..... Italo Calvino (259pp) A book about a reader who meets another reader reading a book that the author is narrating about the readers reading books which never are completed because the translator of the book which was misbound as a Calvino novel which the reader thought he had purchased, may or may not have been crediting author(s) who in fact did not author the book he has translated. Hmmmm. H.Murakami anyone?
***
Seven Nights by Borges I just started this one the other day. It consists of seven lectures Borges gave one year. The first is about reading Dante. (Oh lookie. Someone else who doesn't speak Italian yet has read books written in the original Italian without really noticing anything was amiss! )
****
Did I mention I was invited to give a presentation about natural dyes next summer? ***CV

If ifs and ands.....

Cicero: On The Good Life

Cicero: Murder Trials

Under the Jaguar Sun*, Italo Calvino

If On A Winter's Night A Traveller .... , Italo Calvino

A Weaver's Garden, Rita Buchanan

Lichen Dyes*, Karen Diadick Casselman

****CV

*read

Midsummer

Happy Summer Solstice

****cv

Sometimes taoism........

I just heard back from one of the places I was really interested in, and who was really interested in me. It was rented to someone else. There was an apparent miscommunication and when the landlady didn't hear from me right away she decided I wasn't interested and I just didn't know how to tell her. *sigh*

To say I'm a bit disappointed would be an understatement.

I'm trying to emmulate taoist thought and accept that what is, is; what will be is what will or will not be.

Bleh. ***CV

fin semana

I finally got around to visiting the bookshop across the street. I thought it was a local division of a specific publisher. But as I was on my way to grocery shop I decided to just pop in and at least see the place before I left. Imagine my surpise to find it to be a new and used (primarily used) collectors book shop. It's somewhat hidden behind a local bakery and in fact is filled with the yeasty scent of freshbaked bread. The shop itself is called Daedalus Books, named I presume, after the greek guy who tried to fly to the sun when his wings were only attached by wax. Now there's someone who needed a lesson on the three states of matter.

I picked up a copy of Fielding's Shamela and Joseph Andrews as well as a Penguin edition of Menicus.
**
Before going there though I attended a workshop given by Paul Grilley, the main instructor of Yin yoga. I was fortunate to attend a mini-workshop of his years ago so this time I only attended the part about meridians and chakras. (The other parts are excellant. Only I had already participated and did not feel like spending critical moving funds on a repeat performance.)
***
Meanwhile I have a pair of socks promised to a friend (a promise I made last year) so I cast on for those last Friday and have 4 more inhes to do before I reach the heel. And I saw the new Knitty and the unmentionables are so cute I want to knit a pair in black for my date night. Hmmmm. ***CV

Oh Baby!

I have a date with this man* in San Francisco.
So what if there'll be a bajillion other people there? He's all I'll see.***CV

*It's a rare pic of him smiling. So you may not guess who he is ;)

Merci

I have some of the nicest friends. Thank you***CV

Stir crazy

Goin' courtin', goin' courtin'
Oh it sets your senses in a whirl.
Goin' courtin', going courtin'
Duding up to go and see a .... flat? crib? squat? dig? hut? cave? squirrel?

Guess that doesn't work.

Where are Rogers &Hammerstein, or Gilbert & Sullivan; heck, good ole Noel when you need 'em?
**
Turned in my school keys today.
***
Threw away almost three years of lesson plans last night. Yikes. I'm afeared to look in the back room. Who knows what school related stuff lurks in the dark of the den.***CV

When I First Came to Town

As I said before it's frustrating trying to find a place when one can't actually go there and look. It must be hard for the landlords too though *sigh* I was this close to havng a place in my old neighborhood, but I didn't go for it. I keep reminding myself that the manager wanted to let it this week and that there is no realistic way I could have done it that quickly.

My goal is July 1st.

I also received a call from a lovely person in the same area the school is, or at least the same town. The place sounds wonderful. No, wonderful, as in perfect for the pedestrian who needs to be in a diverse community of souls person that I am. It also has everything I want: light, hardwood, top floor, seperate rooms, affordable, pet friendly. I've sent what information I could but I do not know if it is enough.
**
I went to Powell's to cheer myself up. Apparently someone had the complete works of Balzac, hardbound, and sold it recently because there they were all teh volumes sitting in a row today where they had not been yesterday. I didn't get any. They were very used copies. But it was interesting to see included in the fiction were some early plays Honore had written.
***
Then I went to a music shop and I picked up some CDs with the gift certificate the families had thoughtfully given me: Kirsten Hirsch, Lisa Germano, Peter Murphy and the Abattoir Blues DVD/CD tour. If I can't see Nick when he comes this year I will at least find someone with a DVD player so I can see him that way *g* ****CV

Munincipal Musings

Ah the joys of apartment hunting when one can't actually see the place before putting down a deposit. Trust. Yes. This is what we are developing here.

After my last move or two I've decided I would rather not ship everything; I would prefer to pack a truck and drive down. This is leading to all sorts of questions such as: is the price quoted to rent a truck per day or for the entire trip? do I have to buy all the packing supplies reccomended? and, just what distinguishes an apartment sized vehicle from a 1-2 bedroom truck? Dimensions not withstanding. I'm presuming from the images provided that "apartment" is a euphemism for studio or small dark cramped-space which even the Wild Child would have considered a bit of a tight fit.

I think, though, that I would qualify for the larger size hence my query as to whether the fee be per day, or, however long it takes.

In the housing area I just saw a cottage for rent within my budget, about 15 minutes from where I would be working. Hah! Did I go: Oh boy! Oh boy!?

I did not.

See. I know me. I know if I could walk to work, I would. Not just during the work week but on the weekends, at night, during holidays. In other words: work would be my home. So I want a place which is commuting distance. One which requires a knit project and a book to tide me over to and fro.

*Sigh* It was cute though***CV

tit-willow tit-willow tit-willow

Yesterday was the last day. As usual, we only had class in the morning and then those families that could came and we spent the rest of the afternoon in a nearby park. Very fun. One of the children said, as they were leaving, "Bye. See you next fall." He looked puzzled when his mom said, "No you won't. She's moving to California." Funny, no matter how many times you say something, in a group with everyone present and everyone saying I understand; some still don't realise how true what you're telling them is.
**
Last night the Yarn Harlot was in town and I got to Powell's more than an hour and a half ahead of time. I looked through pattern books as I had just aquired a brand new skein of yarn and was looking for something to work on. I found a pattern for Peacock Plumes which is really fun to make.

Some friends showed up about an hour later and we sat and chatted until Stephanie arrived. How fun she is. One lady in front of me was actually writing Stephanie's talk as she was giving it. I would imagine that over an hour of stenography could prove more painful to hands than the equivalent time spent knitting.

There was quite a turnout which was to be expected: the audience not only filled all the preset seating (which was twice as much as had been put out the last time Stephanie came to town: Burnside edition) but the aisles and the foyer as well.
***
I found out yesterday that one of the children's parents is performing as part of a Ruddigore production. I've only ever seen two Gilbert and Sullivan musicals: the Mikado and Pirates of Penzance. Here's another one :) ***CV

And the winner is....

Out of 15 resumes sent I had about six (?) phonecall interviews and received three offers.

So Carrie better watch out. I'm headed her way :)

Um....supposing I can find an affordable place to live there of course***CV

the envelope please

Tomorrow night there will be an answer (unless something goes terribly awry)***CV

Simple Saturday Afternoon

Cain Saga #5, Kaori Yuki

(in which an ever so helpful Powell's employee must climb a ladder in order to obtain CV's fix)

The Nonexistant Knight and The Cloven Viscount, Italo Calvino

Nux Vomica, the Veils ***CV

Moving Right Along

Okay I was wondering when it was to be this year: June 9th is KIP day. And the night before that the Yarn Harlot will be at Powell's. Appropo, no?
**
Yesterday when I took in my allotment to sell the buyer said, "I see you've been bringing in a lot of books. Are you selling your own?"

Perhaps it is better not to take care of ones books so that they look as if they have never been read? Admittedly almost every YA was a hardcover first edition with the paper covers completely in tact. Still.
***
I have finished reading After Dark by Murakami and if you like resolutions to mysteries stay far, far away from this book 'cause resoloution there ain't. Still it's Murakami so why would you read it if you wanted something that made sense? Wasteland, by FLB, is definitely a retelling of a fairy tale. One of those brother sister ones where all is not what it appears on the surface. And Girl Goddess #9 is a very sweet collection of fey Valley tales.

I'm currently reading A Harlot High and Low by Balzac****CV

If wishes were horses....

****CV

Ain't no Mountain High Enough

Girl Goddess #9, Franesca Lia Block

The Blck Sheep, Honore de Balzac

The Wasteland, Francesca Lia Block

**
10 textile books sold and three new lit.s bought. Not bad. I'm taking in quite a few Young Adult books tomorrow.
***
Asking advice of people is really interesting. One person advises directness and action. Call now!The other person (after you have acted upon the first persons advice because it made so much sense) says the direct approach in the given situation can do more harm than good. Furthermore, an offer is not an offer until it's on paper. Oh? Really? Does this mean I can say to one potential employer "Well even though you told me a starting salary I need to see all the stuff in writing before making up my mind?" A verbal is not enough?***CV

So where is that cave in the mountains I can retreat to?****CV

After Dark

There's a new Haruki Murakami out and I got me one! After Dark, Haruki Murakami, publ. May 2007.

At least this will keep me occupied and perhaps not biting my nails as I wait for a (hopefully) positive response. So I thought the admin. there wanted to call my admin. here after my interview before saying anything but they have apparently talked twice already.
***
This weekend was very productive in the:

Oh My G*** CV what a big wardrobe you have!
All the better to out goth you my dear.

But seriously, there are only so many black silk shirts, velvet coats, lace skirts and blouses one can own before Johnny Depp comes a knocking. Hence the major goodwill shift. I also realized that while one may have a brown bag hoarde to outlast the coming apocalypse, still, there be an end to the brown bags eventually.***CV

bokes solde y boughte

More selling of books today. Before I went to Powell's though I went to practice where a fellow bookaholic had a look through the bag. She ended up with a copy of Bird by Bird by Annie Lamott. The buyer at Powell's actually bought all I brought in today, inluding a twice rejected novel. I guess not everyone is a Malraux fan.
**
For a whole week I have been good and not bought a single book. Today I fell off the wagon and got Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon. Aaaah practical and erudite. Just what I need.
***
In spite of my "Don't jinx something you want by thinking too much about it" philosophy, I cannot help but wonder what would be good plants for a drought stricken desert garden?***CV

Repris

I am back. I liked what I saw. I will hopefully not jinx things any further ;)
**
Having finished The Doomsday Book (*sniff* that poor, poor cow) I am deciding whether to curl up with Ganesh Gaitonde or Lucien, hmmmm.***CV

Happy Birthday Gautma

All this week I've been taking in small bags of books to Powell's to sell. So far it has been a good experience. Online the site says to be aware that each buyer, while looking for similar quality and condition books, is also a unique person and so not all buyers will accept the same books. Fair enough. So on the first go round when 20 were bought and six rejected I went home and the next day brought those same six back plus about 14 more and all but two were bought. I did the same again the next day and all except one, which I had brought for the first time, were sold.

I guess the site knows of what it speaks.

Today I brought in books from the unread/semiread piles; One of which was The Doomsday Book. Now before you shriek Nooooo! hear me out. On the bus I wanted something to read other than the Thich Nach Hahn and the Montessori so I thought I'd browse the Willis volume before saying good-bye to it. Next thing I knew I was on Chapter Two and at work. So, no, it was not sold today: but it was very close. ***CV

two out of three so far

Interview 2. As I had thought, it was one of those, "Well let's see what the person is like even though we do not have any openings right now." That's not quite true. I was told that while all the guides had already signed contracts the school didn't suppose I was interested in any of the assistant positions.

Funny. If I wasn't where I am now in my career and in a self supporting role I wouldn't have minded. I see nothing bad or negative about being an assistant.

I will be flying out for one more interview this weekend. Unless something dramatically unexpected occurs I will be moving out of state this summer.
**
I've started reading Sacred Games again. Probably not the best book choice to bring on an airplane, huh?
*CV

Signorina meet Monsiuer

I've started re-reading Montessori's books. It's amazing , though not neccessarily surprising, how much more I can relate to what she says now then when I first started teaching almost ten years ago. At this point I can see where she is actually givng directions in to what to present to what children and and the reasons why. It really is very inspiring.
**
One interview has been done, one is coming midweek and I am arranging flight schedules for a third this weekend. Interesting how different schools are in their approaches. One school will take care of everything while another one insists that there is a joint responsibility. Hmmm and yet the latter charges a high end tuition and the former relies on state monies. What to think? or should I?

One school give much responsibility as in not only supervision of lessons but of four other adults as well and one says children and an assistant are enough.
***
Last night I went to a demonstration of acro-yoga which was accompanied by live music. I have experienced acro-yoga personally before, being supported in a backbend, off the ground, by a partner who is lifting me with just their feet. Partners have to have complete trust in each other and this adds I think to the beauty of it all.
****
(As an aside my reading is now fluctuating between Montessori and Balzac. perhaps there is some meaning in that)***CV

NB

I started Sugar and Other Stories a few days ago. I had forgotten how detailed, almost minaturist like, AS Byatt can be. Currently I am reading the fourth story, called Dried Witch.
**
I'm back home. I recieved a call from another school this afternoon and may be flying out next week, I'm not sure yet. Much to think about and not all that much time to do so in.***CV

One more for the road

Primavera, Francesca Lia Block (196pp) This is a definitely dark version of the rites of Spring or the rise of Proserpina. While not graphic in the sense of being explicit, it would take a very innocent/ or oblivious person to not understand what happens to our heroine and other characters. Ms. Block is very much about the equality and rights of people to exist in a world of care and beauty, regardless of preference: doesn't the love of one being for another preclude the physical aspect of either party? I was struck most by the very feminist aspect of this tale. It is told , as Ecstasia was, with poems interspersed among the narratve chapters.
**
I will not be seeing Pink Martini tomorrow night as I am flying out to an interview instead. I have a phone interview hopefully tomorrow morning (it would have been today except my co guide's child was sick) and an in person next Wednesday.

I am so leery of getting my hopes up.

One day at a time***CV

Two today

Ectasia, Francesca Lia Block (196pp) A melding of the Peresephone mythos including Orpheus, the Furies who are the hangers on of the Doctor (death I presume), Dionysus,Calliope; gathered and set in a land called Elysia -and yes it did take me half the book to get that particular symbol, where the inhabitants feast upon candy, cake, pastries and champagne; circuses and carnivals run all day and night and when you are no longer young you head Underground. Interspersed with the narrative are poems and songs. The sequal is called Primavera.
**
The Veils are not so much a Nick Cave like band (I do wonder what age the reviewer was who made that comparison) so much as they resemble the Cult meets that Mission UK with a bit of a Bauhaus bow. Too polished for pure cult, '80s enough for UK and one nice eerie intro to qualify for a Peter comparison. But NOT Nick.***CV

And the list goes on....

Read:

Angel Sanctuary vol.19, Kaori Yuki

Castle of Crossed Destinies, Italo Calvino

Museum of Horror vol.1, Junji Ito

Creating:

A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, Barbara Walker

Music:

The Runaway Found, the Veils

Grinderman, Nick Cave,Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos

***

And I just found out that Pink Martini is doing an in shop promotion next week!***CV

Listing listing listing

Finished:

Violet and Claire, Francesca Lia Block

I Was a Teenage Fairy, Francesca Lia Block

Purchased:

Sugar and Other Stories, A.S. Byatt

Babel Tower, A.S. Byatt

Angel Sanctuary 19, Kaori Yuki

Ecstasia, Francesca Lia Block

Primavera, Francesca Lia Block

**

I apologise for not actually reviewing but I find that I am not really capable of it at the moment. Hopefully these lists will enable me to do so at a later date.****CV

Prom

Everyone's memory of prom is different. For some it is one of the most wonderful experiences they have had, for others there is the heartfelt desire to erase this particular memory from off the face of the earth. Others may think of it as "Meh, I went but it wasn't all that big of a deal". And so on.

Me? I loved the Winterball but the Prom was "Meh." Perhaps it was a case of live-band versus dueling DJs. Perhaps it was a dress of my choice versus what mom could willingly afford. Whatever, at least I'll always have the Winterball.
**
Prom II with the vegetarian vampire lovers: Let us just say that older is not only wiser but a heck of a lot more tolerant regarding fashion statements and self acceptance. Experience also means no outrageous expectations of what the night will bring, which was good. A reading, a signing, a souvenier shirt and a photo opportunity with models representing the main male love interests; really what more could a fan of fiction want? (Imagine a hunk from a Hamilton novel being at the ready to pose with you for a photo op? Got it? So did I :)

Phoenix was cool, weather wise, and so walking up and down the streets was a pleasure rather than a struggle through waves of oppressive heat (as I remember it from my last trip there). I even stopped into a local purveyor of printed matter and picked up a CD copy of Stardust read by Mr. Gaiman himself before the Prom. Yes, I too am amazed that I didn't spend the rest of my time in the hotel with Neil.

Let's say I was saving myself, 'K?

After prom I took myself out to Mill Ave., braving what I had been told would be fierce crowds of Cinco de Mayo drinkers. Oh? Really? Perhaps the topless girl next to the two legged costumed donkey standing out side of S******s had frightened them away; or perhaps they were all at the local baseball game. Wherever they were it wasn't on Mill.
***
A very strange aspect of an otherwise lovely hotel experience was the orange light attached to my room's ceiling. It looked as if it had been plucked from a police car roof and inserted, next to the sprinklers, right above the hotel bed. What was that about?

And why is it that everytime I stay at a hotel the only movies playing are Blade and the Matrix?***CV

stressstressstress

So apparently my daemon is now a Bengal Tiger. Huh.
**
Latest reads (sans reviews):

Last Call, Tim Powers

Ruby, Franesca Lia Block and Carmen Staton

Godchild 5, Kaori Yuki

The Hanged Man, Franesca lia Block

The Light-Bearer's Daughter, OR Melling

The Castle of Crossed Destinies, Italo Calvinio

***
Next:

Violet and Claire, Francesca lia Block

I was a Teenage Fairy, Francesca lia Block

The Museum of Terror, Junji Ito

****CV

Diodium

Moving on out

Now to the packing. I have three new books:

Last Call, Tim Powers
The Castle of Crossed Destinies, Italo Calvino
The Hanged Man, Francesca Lia Block

Ziplock bags for my fluids (that does sound a bit nasty doesn't it?) Do you think one can get water bottles filled on planes and that is why empty ones are okay to take on but not pre-filled ones? A list of stuff clothing wise to be packed, loose tea (I loooove in room coffeemakers :) Nick will be with me as will the Elfman and Mr. Das

Oh, and Dangerous Angels to reread.

Hey It's a weekend, by plane. I don't want to risk not having something to read.

I finished The Light-Bearer's Daughter today and will post a review when I return. I should start packing the stuff for real now***CV

As Foretold

Ironside, Holly Black (323pp) This story can be read seperately from Tithe and Valiant though it continues the story of Kaye and Roiben. Becoming King of the Unseelie or Night Court can be something of a challenge in spite of one's Melnibonean resemblance and Roiben is not having fun. Kaye on the other hand is suffering from a severe lack of self confidence while Corny still seeks love in all the wrong places. Enter the Queen of the Seelie Court who would be more than happy to help them, or would she? Ms. Black succeeds in another volume of truly dark and gritfilled urban fey. I love the coffee shop that Kaye and Corny end up in. I wonder if anyone will copywrite it? (And yes, the ogre and his girl make a brief appearance along with other characters from Valiant).
**
Wonder Tales: Six French Stories of Enchantment, ed. Marina Warner (239pp). Moving right along from the above modern to more traditional, the stories in this wonderful collection are: The White Cat, The Subtle Princss, Bearskin, The Counterfeit Marquise, Starlight and the Great Green Worm; each of which are retold but not too retold versions. What struck me most is that the heros are all women in these tales. Not overtly so, simply undeniably so. Very refreshing if one has grown up on the disneyified tales.
***
Echo, Franesca Lia Block (215pp) Ms. Block has a way of modernising myths and fairy tales that still manages to retain the poetry and simplicity of the original folk telling. While stories created in the Salons of Fance can be wonderfully ornate, there are times when simplicity is more powerful. In this set of tales, which weaves in and around one character while embracing those who are essential to her, we meet an Echo who is part Psyche in search of somone to adore and be adored by; and yet those she meets become Narcissus whom she can only reflect towards. (This is Ms. Block please do not expect a coherant review.)
****
Necklace of Kisses, Francesca Lia Block (227pp) Weetzie has just turned 40 and her Secret Agent Lover Man has changed. Weetzie has to decide whether she will stay or go and so is off to the Pink Hotel with her Emilia where Mermaids are trapped in penthouses, Bus boys are a bit Satyric, Elf children are stalked by their fathers and playing spin the bottle can be more surprising then one thinks. ***CV

a wink and a promise

So, we are back and I am feeling a wee bit tuckered. However, here is another book to add to my next review update:

Necklace of Kisses (aka the return of Weetzie Bat), Francesca Lia Block.

**

Tonight I hope to start The Light-Bearer's Daughter and I recently heard that Cold Comfort Farm is delightful.

***

Thank you Chris for the Veils ;) ****CV

Inbetween

I'm getting ready for an overnight with the class so I'm just posting the titles of my most recent reads and will fill in the details later.

Wonder tales: Six French Tales of Enchantment, ed. Marina Warner
Ironside, Holly Black
Echo, Francesca Lia Block

Synchronicity

Today after practice I entered a discussion in which the phrase "Ladder of abstraction" came up. As I understand it an abstraction is when a person generalizes from a specific experience in such a way that the specific situation no longer has to be dealt with. For example: "Today (x) yelled at me" becomes abstracted to, "Nobody likes me." A ladder is comprised of all the steps one takes from the specifc event to the generalization. The ladder idea is nice because it froms a path that one can follow back to the specific.

In a somewhat related situation I was browsing the local new age/ spiritual shop and as I was perusing the Thich Nach Hahn shelves I came across a slim volume related to Sangha building.

I found both of these situations insightful as in my particular line of work abstractions are continually being formed by the individuals in my care; beings who are not only learning how to become a community among themselves but developing the skills to create community no matter where they go.

(Not to mention the couple who asked one of the shop attendents what Ganesa represented. "Hmmm? Oh, most ommonly he is known as The Remover of Obstacles.) ***CV

A Query

What to say about a person who goes into a shop for one thing:

Wonder Tales: Six French Stories of Enchantment, Marina Warner

walks out with the above, and:

Ironside, a Modern Fairy Tale, Holly Black

Necklace of Kisses, Francesca Lia Block

Echo, Francesca Lia Block

The Light-Bearer's Daughter, O.R.Melling

after putting back:

New Moon: the Special Edition, Stephenie Meyer

Ruby, Francisca Lia Block

?

***CV