the end

It's officially the end of my 2nd anniversary of NaBloPoMo- a.k.a National Blog Posting Month where I posted everyday for November. You can peruse the posts of 2006 here. In honor of this accomplishment, I am celebrating with one of my favorite episodes of Sesame street featuring Bip Bippadotta* (the counterpart to Mahna Mahna from yesterday's post video).

*incidentally- I'd like to point out that there is "Muppet Wiki"- a fraction of Wikipedia dedicated to The Muppet's. How bizarre.

in honor of Catherine receiving her Master's Degree in Education.

Congratulations, Catherine. You've come along way.

interesting fact

I am made with the sauce of awesomeness according some of my customers at work.

say it loud and say it proud..

...and put it on a hoodie (or a tshirt or a pair of panties or a bag or..)

Neighbourhoodies is one of my favorite companies EVER. Once, I even suggested a work exchange. I would trade a year at my current situation to live in Brooklyn and sew letters on hoodies. They will literally put anything you want, in a huge array of fonts, letters embroidered or stitched or glued. A rainbow of colors and styles to choose, even babies can have a neighborhoodie (Bess- I can hear the wheels cranking already). The possibilities are endless and even better.. the chances of running into someone with the same thing is slim to NONE.

Don't know what to get me for Christmas?? Here's a hint.

The boring "I don't know what to post so I'll post this shot" post.

reflections, originally uploaded by jill y.

better reminders

A response to 'reminders' was brought to my attention by Elevated Umbrella.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

for my mom

Hi Mom- It was great to have you see my apartment, seeing that the last time you were here I was just moving in. Now you had a chance to see that I live in a little tiny sanctuary next to a lake. But, I forgot to show you this- the only reason why I have this little hedgehog is because it reminds me of being at home with you.

Lots of love,
Jill



edit for Bess: the little hedge hog is something my mom has on the edge of a bowl in her kitchen. The neighbors had a garage sale this pass summer and were selling the exact same one for $1. I couldn't resist because I always identified with it being in my mom's kitchen.

reminders

-Do not strive for greatness, but for goodness - greatness lies in all things good.
-If you can be fair, then choose fairness.
-If you can be calm, choose calmness.
-Sadness will bring you closer to God. Happiness can be trivial and frivolous if only sought for one's self.
-See the world and never stop trying to understand other cultures.
-If you are afraid of dying, you will not live a true life.
-Time will heal all things. Being idle solves nothing.
-The only thing that eases grief is grieving; let it take you over if you want to survive it. Keeping it at bay will cause internal unrest.
-Never judge others for you will only be judging yourself.
-Be outside as much as possible. Walk whenever you can.
-Be responsible for your thoughts; they are powerful entities that will design your future.
-Help others whenever possible.
-Giving your time will always be bigger than giving from your wallet.
-Depression is an underestimated tool. It can be Nature’s way of turning you around to face the light.
-Companionship is the greatest of all things, without it we are inhuman.
-To want to know others will bring you life's greatest joy. Friendships are golden.
-Laugh at yourself.
-Stand up in the face of disaster.
-Walk towards the sunrise rather than the sunset; you'll enjoy fuller days.
-Never abandon your own heart.
-Be easy with yourself; be kind with your soul.
-Change everything on a whim, if you want to.
-Cause no pain to others. Be tolerant, always.

grabbed from a friend's photo page

ruby gets a new toy

I bought Ruby a new toy. A ball of felted wool with a center of cat nip. Naturally she chose to attack it.

the door to my heart

Why don't we make these things anymore?

knocking at heaven's door

No words. I just think Art Nouveau is the most beautiful period of art, hands down.

green door

"Midnight, one more night without sleepin'
Watchin' till the mornin' comes creepin'
Green door, what's that secret you're keepin'

There's an old piano
And they play it hot behind the green door
Don't know what they're doin'
But they laugh a lot behind the green door
Wish they'd let me in
So I could find out what's behind the green door"

the doors of perception

I stumbled upon this gem in the near the Ixelles Ponds in Brussels. It was built in 1904 by architect Ernest Delune.


"Rue du Lac n° 6
Architect: Ernest Delune. 1904

This façade with stylised forms is one of the most original elements of the Art Nouveau heritage in Brussels. The geometric motif is declined in full moon, half moon and quarter moon. A very beautiful glass roof sheds light on the staircase. The last floor is composed of a large bow window in wood that housed the painter’s studio."


It was definitely one of my favorite's and I went back to it twice. I was lingering around outside when the neighbours came out and, you know, I said I was Canadian and loved the house and "wow, you live next door?" The woman said that the man who lived in the house was not very nice. So I left him a note that read something like this:

"Hello. I am a fan of Art Nouveau and I found the lovely example you live in. I met your neighbours today. They said you are not a very nice man, but I am in disbelief that the sheer act of walking through this door everyday would not bring immense joy to one's life. I think you are very lucky."

I left my web page address and slipped it through the letterbox and walked away feeling like a smart-alec. But godamn it. I want to live in that house!!

door #2

10 things you didn't know about Art Nouveau

1. Name borrowed from the name of a Paris gallery, Maison de l'Art Nouveau. If it still exists- I couldn't find it.

2. Different from other design styles, it was possible to live an Art Nouveau lifestyle in an art nouveau house with art nouveau furniture, silverware, jewellery, pottery, poster arts, textiles and of course door knobs.

3.Most known for flourishing between 1892-1902.

4.Was a response to the industrial revolution and a desire for the "everyday man" to live stylishly.

5. Paris- Hector Guimard- famous for his wrought iron and glass Metro stations that still exist today.

6. Prague- Alphonse Mucha- famous for his poster arts in contribution to the Paris art scene, particularly this one.

7. Brussels- Victor Horta- famous for his architectural contributions to the style, The Hotel Tassel, his most famous. It's a private building and I sat outside for about 40 minutes wondering if I should try and talk my way inside. I didn't

8. Spain- Antoni Gaudi- famous for Parc Guell and Casa Mila, which clearly emphasizes the curvaceous and sinuous nature of the style. I was too busy eating strawberries to take note when I walked past it.


9. USA- Louis Comfort Tiffany- famous for Tiffany lamps and of course- Tiffany & Co.

10. Natural, organic shapes often of leaves, insects, grasses etc..with flowing waves, curves, and "the whiplash line" are characteristic of the Art Nouveau style.

through the door way of time

This was found through one of my "walking tours" of Brussels. I had a map of significant area of Art Nouveau. There were 5 different tours and each day i set out in effort to walk the whole tour. The biggest one I did was 26 k according to my pedometer. I have no idea where in Brussels I snapped this but easily concluded that who ever gets to walk through this door everyday is one lucky bird.

Keep checking back while I pick my favorite doorways and post them this week.

mirror mirror

mirror mirror, originally uploaded by jill y.

look down

look down, originally uploaded by jill y.

My favorite people photo I have ever snapped.

double take

That's my phot on the top, and their's on the bottom

art nouveau, brussels

This is a detail from the railing in the Belgian Center For Comic Strips in Brussels. It was a public building and I just walked on in and just about gasped out loud by the beautiful ornate ironwork decorating the inside of the building.

By the way did you know that Brussels, is also know for being the birth pace of the Smurfs?.

and the winner is....

BESS. She was the one who correctly picked the statement that was not true in the Speak No Lies post. Congratulations Bess.

And so to recap:

1. I can tell you a little bit about 100 different cheeses.

Yes, this is true. I once worked in a cheese deli where I found I had an uncanny passion for cheese. I am drawn to the details and stories like celery to cheeze wizz. It's been a while but put me in a cheese shop and it will come flooding back.

2. My right arm is tattooed with an art nouveau design of wheat and rosebuds.

Yes, this is true. Need I say more.

3. I meditate every day.

My friend Sonia said she wanted to pick this one but was afraid of offending me if it was true. She said- what if it was something I did in secret and never said anything. Maybe it was too personal a choice and that's what stumped everyone. Bess got it. I have no idea why my mother and sister would think this was true. I mean, I can't even get to Yoga class.

4. I can not drive a standard transmission vehicle in traffic.

Up and down a deserted road- sure. In traffic? Hello no. I panic and stall the vehicle. I do not have excellent foot/eye/hand co-ordination.

5. I have driven a combine.

True. My uncle Ken drove me across the fields at my grandmother's farm while they were harvesting a crop. I got to sit in the cab and all of a sudden the farmer said- OK you drive. It's actually quite easy as it won't go any faster than 10 miles per hour.

6. Even though I ride 12km to commute to work, I do not know how to fix a flat tire on my bike.

Sad but true. I think about it every day I ride to work. "What if I get a flat?" Must work on that.

7. I know just about everything one could know about Janis Joplin.

Yes. Ask me anything.
Room she died in-105 Landmark Hotel, Hollywood.
DOB Jan 19, 1943.
Died Oct 4 1970 of an accidental overdose. She was 27
Middle name Lyn
Last know address, 380 W Baltimore Avenue, Larkspur California- It's currently for sale but I did once talk my way inside.
Grew up in Port Arthur, Texas- I drove there from Calgary to see where she went to high school
Studied art at the University of Texas in Austin, voted Ugliest man on Campus by her classmates. I went to Austin too to go to Threadgill's- the bar she started singing in.
She didn't like acid or pot, preferred to drink.
Voracious reader and a secret intellectual
Mother was a registrar, father worked for Texaco.
2 younger siblings- Michael and Laura- they now run the corporation she started before she died- Fantality Corporation (combination of 2 words- Fantasy and Reality)
2 tattoos- a small red heart over her left breast and an ornate bracelet on her right wrist.
She once smashed a bottle over Jim Morrison's head. They didn't get along.
Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix all died within 6 weeks of one another, they were all 27 and their first names start with J and all with 5 letters (Jim and Jimi were short for James).

8. I am scared of heights so I jumped out of a plane at 3000 feet. My chute got tangled.

Most frightening thing I have ever done in my entire life except for #9 and getting to Paris at 11 o'clock at night without a clue or a bed to sleep in. I could barely get out the door of the plane. You step out onto a little step over the wheel and grab a hold of the airplane strut. I couldn't let go. My "jump master" almost had to pry my fingers off and finally I just straightened my fingers and thought I would die. When my chute deployed, I looked up and the lines were twisted. You have to reach up, grab hold of the lines and pull outwards to get them to untwist. I still have no idea how I had the presence of mind to do that as I was completely paralyzed with fear. But then the chute opens, you get yanked upwards by a current of air and then you spend 10 minutes drifting back to earth. 3000 feet above the planet, alone in the sky with the birds. It was incredible and I highly recommend you do not go through life without experiencing jumping from a plane.

9. I shared a cab with 2 strippers from Calgary to Edmonton.

Yes, this is true. Long story. We missed the Greyhound. It was cheaper than flying.

10. Once, I went to Mexico for lunch.

Remember when I said I drove to Port Arthur Texas to see where Janis Joplin grew up and went it hight school? Ya- so on the way back, and being in Texas, I crossed the border into Mexico and had lunch, walked around, and went back to Texas. I've never been back to Mexico since.

So there you have it. Thank for all of you who took a guess. Was it fun?

Harry and the NY souvenir

I used to have this friend- Nancy.

Nancy had this cool apartment with the wall between her living room and kitchen knocked out showing only the exposed framing. I loved it. She had a couch and chairs and things. I was living sparse at the time with everything I owned able to be packed into a 1969 Plymouth Valiant (that actually looked alot like this except for green). Anyway- Nancy had a painting on her wall and I vowed that I too would one day have paintings.

I would have art.

Jump ahead a few years.

I'm in NYC. My sister is with me and we are visiting the Chelsea Flee Market*. I pass some guy smoking a joint and shendangle myself a few hoots. Suddenly, I feel quite high. I walk by some paintings and suddenly my old urge to own art springs forth violently. I must have this one painting. I ask the nearest person,

Who's selling these. I point to the painting

In thick Brooklyn accent, yelling: Harry, somebody wants to buy your mother's pictures.

Harry comes over and gives me the once over. Suddenly I am full of bravado and feeling very New Yorkerish.

Your mother's paintings? I roll my eyes.

Ya, that's right. Harry gruffs.

Well, what do you want for this one. And don't tell me it's a family heirloom.

50 bucks.

Nah. I'll give you 5 tops. (I'm feeling cocky. Harry is an oogler and I'm a little stoned and hey, this is NYC!!)

Look sweetheart, this is fine art. I'll let you (looks me up and down) have it for 30.

Look Harry, I'm not some little shit tourist looking for a keepsake (actually I am). I'll give you 10.

Harry-15

Me- 12

Harry-Sold

M- Thanks Harry.

Can I have your number?

No- I have issues with hair. Sorry. You're name is Harry. It will never work.

And I walked away.

Then I walk up to my sister, painting in hand, and say:

Look what I bought.

Then I dragged the damn thing all over Gotham all day and managed to ship it home. It perfectly represented the "quick, now, urgent, tap, tap, tap" pace of NY and I have loved it since the moment I saw it. Stoned or not. (sorry Mom- but this is my blog and you are fully aware of my past marijuana consumption anyway)


*keep in mind the Chelsea Flea Market is this weird kind of place full of junk and treasures where most vendors refuse to barter because Anna Sui is their "best customer".

identifying marks

It's mostly all healed and lacking the Frankenstein stitch marks that gave a truly gruesome quality. I call it my character developing scar.

Do you like it?

By the way- Catherine- I just wanted to let you know that this was taken with my Mac book that takes a MIRROR IMAGE photo and thus- this scar is located on my right side- same as my wheat tattoo.

lost in translation

Truly kooky

any more takers??

For guessing the answer to this post?

So far- I am printing only one photo and it's NOT for my mother.

who needs a measured recipe

-take a large soup pot.
-season 2 chicken breasts with S&P, turmeric and curry or whatever; brown
-saute some onion/ garlic in olive oil.
-add chopped celery
-on the side make some stock with Better Than Bouillon- Vegetable Base*
-add stock to sauteed onions/ garlic/ celery/ and chicken
-add chopped carrots
-add quartered baby potatoes, yams, turnips, squash etc
-add chopped ginger and 1 cup of red lentils
-bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 15- 20 minutes
-add a can of chopped tomatoes and a very small teaspoon of honey.
-fish out the chicken and chop into smaller pieces, add back to soup.

-Presto! Soup.

*Better than Bouillon Vegetable is all veggie baby- no meat. It rocks my socks.

if your naughty or nice

a year ago today

I found myself in a quaint hotel in Dallas, Texas with a rental car. What took me to Dallas was an unusual twist of events that went something like this:

A man walked into a store and says to the girl behind the counter; "My wife loves your products and I would like to propose to her. Could I get the message put inside one of your products?"

The store called me. I work where the products are made.

I called the man.

A shipment was arranged with one of the products with the message inside.

I wished him luck.

A blue envelope arrived one day in the mail.

The happy couple invited me to their wedding reception and I went.

I went to their wedding reception and mingled with their friends and family in a gorgeous loft warehouse apartment owned by a Dallas Photographer and his wife. I was nervous and felt somewhat out of place seeing that I had never met the lovely couple. I have never had such a lovely time with a room full of strangers as I did at the wedding reception of Christine and Michael Cluff.

It was an incredible experience for me to be invited to share in their incredible day, all because of a little phone call.

Today is their 1 year anniversary. Happy One Year Michael and Christine!!

..but..that's not..all

Because I didn't stay in town- I didn't attend the wedding of my friend Charlotte to Kevin. I spent the days prior talking with Charlotte as she carefully cut the silken pieces to her wedding dress. We sat and chatted while I embroidered a pillow case (which later became a gift to them). I made the wedding registry book and had offered to take the pictures, but the trip to Dallas came up.

Happy One Year Anniversary to you too Charlotte and Kevin!!

One of these days I will embroider the other pillow case. It's 500 french knots that are holding me back.

Lots of love to both of the couples I know that made it official today- one year ago.

on the road

Michael and I are braving the border crossing to take our inflated Canadian queens over to the other side in search of retail therapy.

Also- not sure if you all know this but Blaine Washington is where Loretta Lyn got her start when she was "discovered" singing in a local bar.

a ripple in time

August 1940. Little girl at the Reitz farm near Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, washing eggs to be sold at Tri-County Farmers Co-op Market at Du Bois. 3¼ inch safety negative by Jack Delano, Farm Security Administration.


I love old photos. I love to see how people cut their hair, the clothes they wore, the shoes they walked in, the cras they drove and the things they did. One of these days i'll have to get scanned the photos of my mother as a 4-5 year old sitting on the running board of an old Ford truck. It's priceless.

Instead, i pop in to Shorpy, the 100 year old photo blog, which, is where I grabbed the above photo. I highly reccomend it as a daily look-see as i have a link up over to the left under "stray kisses".

By the way- according to the site, the name Shorpy comes from "Shorpy Higginbotham, a boy who worked in an Alabama coal mine near the turn of the century."

the most amazing invention

If you are not aware YET or the amazing versatility of tofu, I have to wonder in what forgotten village have you been living in.

I have discovered the most amazing thing since kicking myself off all dairy products (yes, including cheese as well)

Tofutti's "Better than Cream Cheese" is my new best friend.

And for those of you who want to whip my non dairy ass back into reality with comparisons to non hydrolyzed margarine (Hi Michael.) Not today, I'm self medicating with carrot sticks.

speak no lies?

This lovely photo could be yours if you can spot the one untrue statement in the 10 below. should you catch me out, I will print this lovely shot of a vintage mannequin snapped in Prague as a 8x10, sign the back and send it to you, if all goes well with the printer. If there are issues, we can chat about it then. Winners will be announced on Thursday Nov 15th.

Good Luck


1. I can tell you a little bit about 100 different cheeses.

2. My right arm is tattooed with an art nouveau design of wheat and rosebuds.

3. I meditate every day.

4. I can not drive a standard transmission vehicle in traffic.

5. I have driven a combine.

6. Even though I ride 12km to commute to work, I do not know how to fix a flat tire on my bike.

7. I know just about everything one could know about Janis Joplin.

8. I am scared of heights so I jumped out of a plane at 3000 feet. My chute got tangled.

9. I shared a cab with 2 strippers from Calgary to Edmonton.

10. Once, I went to Mexico for lunch.

hello- my name is jack

hello- my name is jack, originally uploaded by jill y.

regime

Take a large container suitable for a hand mixer to use a blender.

Add 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal
Add various amounts of:
pecans
walnuts
almonds
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
flax seeds

Cover with water plus 1/2 more, cover with a plate and soak over night.

In the morning, blend nut and seed mixture with:
1 banana
1/4 cup of berries
2 tbsp of fish oil or my favorite: Udo's Oil
a handful of raw spinach

Blend the shit out of it.

Drink it all or share it.

IT ROCKS MY WORLD

I've got a smile for every one I meet.

I rode to work yesterday. I thought it would stay sunny and warm all day. I wore fleece pants and a hoodie, gloves and headed off to work. Somewhere through the day the sunny skies turned grey and quickly ugly with impending Vancouver showers. I knew the ride home would be difficult, dark and filled with traffic.

Keep on. Keep on. Just push that peddle down. You can do this.

"Middle of the road is trying to find me. I'm standing in the middle of the road..."

The Pretenders, "Middle of the Road" , tune kicks in to the ear buds just I'm cresting the top of the 20 block climb.

"Come on baby. Get in the road. Come on now..in the middle of the road now..yeah."

Just what I needed. A good does of Chrissie Hynde pumping through my Ipod, to get me through the rest of the ride. Vancouver is blessed with a mild climate and rarely any snow. We get a lot of rain though. Nevertheless, we have a large community of cyclists and thankfully bike routes the snake through the city. I keep to these as much as possible. Safety in numbers.

"In the middle of the road, you see the darnest things."

Coming down Ontario Street on the other side of the hill I have climbed, I join the pack of blinking lights. About 30 cyclists are making their way down the road, navigating through and alongside the park cars, the ones in motion, and the piles of leaves that have been pummeled to a soggy bran flake consistency.

Bright steady headlights blinding. Small blinking little lights reassuring. Proud to be one of the fleet of tiny lights of self propelled power, I followed the gliding stream infront of me through the dark and rain until safely home.

"yeah.."

now you know my ABC's

A- Diane Arbus is an inspiration to me on being fearless with a camera.
B-Thanks Bess for buying me black radishes.
C-Cheese baby- I may be dairy free right now but bring my my applewood smoked cheddar.
D-I snatched this idea from Daisies.
E-My home town is Edmonton.
F-I make decisions based mostly on how I feel.
G-Want to know a secret- I LOVE giraffes. No one knows this except you.
H- I don't like it when the weather is hot. I like Spring and Fall the best when the air is cooler.
I- The devil makes work for idle hands.
J- One of my favorite names is Jack because it's a great old school, 1930's farm boy kind of name. It would be impossible to date a Jack though. Too bad.
K-I once won a kite flying contest in Grade 3. I kept the laminated "certificate" for a long time.
L-I no longer have a lipoma.
M- My favorite cheeses are Manchego & Mimolette
N-NaBloPoMo, all the way.
O-I ate Octopus once when I was about 15 and never ever, ever did it again. No, it did not taste like chicken
P- I love the prairies.
Q- My grandmother on my father's side, before she passed away, gave me spoons commemorating the Dionne Quintuplets. I still have them. I cherish them.
R- I have tattooed rosebuds on my right arm.
S-My mother's side of the family is from Scotland. I changed my last name to my mother's maiden name after visiting Scotland with my mother and her mother when I was 23. I went back 3 years later and lived in Edinburgh for a while.
T- I collect spools of thread. Sometimes I will buy thread for some "project" in the future and can spend a long time carefully matching thread to swaths of fabric. I keep them all in a giant glass apple on a shelf in my kitchen.
U- Uculet on Vancouver Island is a very boring place. I went there once when Michael and I went to Long Beach. We were in Uculet for maybe an hour, but only because there was a kooky antique shop with a boat out front. I took this photo.
V- I will probably never own another vehicle but the one I did have was a 1969 Plymouth valiant that I named Rose.
W- Another favorite photographer is Weegee. He was a crime scene photographer in NYC in the 30's. Named Weegee for "Ouija" as he seemed to get to events before anybody else. Really- he had a police radio in his car. He received fame for his habit of photographing the crowd response to the crime scene or involving it somehow. When I was in NY, I happened to see an exhibit of over 300 of his original photographs. I almost shit.
X- I have x-rays of my teeth. I wish I could have a whole body x-ray emailed to me in pieces.
Y-I wish I practiced Yoga. I used to and then I stopped. Sometimes I miss it.
Z- When I ride my bike to work, 1/2 the commute is downhill. I ZOOM.

when looking to catch a fish- throw a really big net.

See.. just when you thought the Internet was a waste of time and full of seemingly irrelevant and inaccurate facts.. you forgive yourself for ever thinking so. For, when one day someone uses it as a giant "Looking for you ad."

So sweet.

I called Patrick to say good luck and if you find her make sure to let the Internet know. You should call him too.

Because the boy in blue said so.

IMGP6804.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

Found this gem walking around the neighborhood today. had to walk onto someone's porch to "take a closer look".

5 things

1. I like to crotchet, sew and embroider.
2. I have a small collection of small birds like my grandmother.
3. I like photography because I can't draw or paint.
4. I would like to have a garden but I'm afraid I'd neglect it and it would die.
5. The nutmeg grater my mother gave me if my favorite kitchen tool.

on a rainy night coming down Victoria Drive

on a rainy night comming down Victoria Drive, originally uploaded by jill y.

black radishes

black radishes, originally uploaded by jill y.

so funny I laughed out loud

via Jenguin

saving daylight

Some say it is good. It gives us longer summer hours and longer days of light in the winter. Some say bollocks and point their pointy fingers at the increase in auto accidents as people adjust to time changes. Other's pity and plight for the ones with sleeping disorders who face serious upset to their already precarious routines. The rest of us either relish in the "extra hr to sleep in" though or mildly grip about "having to get up one hr earlier".

In any case...don't forget to put your clocks back 1 hr sometimes between midnight tonight and 3 am tonight.

Things you can do when you bored or otherwise known as blogging is taking over my life.

I just found a curious little website called X365- Basically it's to write 40 words (no more, no less) every day for a year, about a different person who touched your life. But it can't be just anyone, it has to be someone you've actually met in person, AND someone whose name you still remember. Is this even possible. What if you suck at remembering names? I do. I have been know to walk up to people I have known for years and completely gaped on their names. You know and thinking about this- I'd have to possibly make up those names and pull up random experiences and "called them touching".

I mean- there wa