12.28.08
Search Term Saturday: Dragon
My daughter is obsessed with dragons. I mean, completely beside herself with love for them. When discussing our dream home the other day she said hers included a cave for a real firebreathing dragon. That’ll scare the burglars away to be sure!
She collects these MegaBlox “Dragons” that you get in pieces inside big plastic eggs. Because you have to construct them they are a little flimsy and we’ve noticed the heads fall off easily. Here’s what’s amazing though: MegaBlox replaces parts for free if they break. So we just write into the site and in 6 weeks or something a new head comes for the dragon. Ironscales’ head has broken twice and they’ve replaced it both times. Which is a good thing because Ironscales is possibly the most treasured dragon in the bunch. She was the first and for that has pride of place in the collection.
The prevalence of dragons in my little girl’s world is in direct contrast to the rapidly increasing population of unicorns in the youngest’s. They reproduce at an alarming rate and show no signs of stopping. I have images of a unicorn cull a la the Last Unicorn. Send them all to the sea.
I do however have the thought that the poor reader who accidentally arrived at this shambles of a blog may have been looking for information about dragon boat races. Here on the southwest coast you can get this information from Dragon Boat West at http://www.dragonboatwest.net/, the Dragon Boat Association at http://www.dragonboatassociation.ca/, or at the actual site for the Vancouver Dragon Boat races: http://dragonboatbc.ca/ … and no, I’m not into dragon boating. I looked it up for you.
12.22.08
Happy Solstice
The snow continues to fall around us. Amazing to see great white flakes floating down, endlessly from the sky. Makes me feel like a child again, full of vim, ready to take on anything.
So I took the kids to the store by sled as Ye Olde Vann is unable to navigate snow like this. We dropped by some friends on the way home, pulling our sledful of vittles. Very nice, a great way to spend three hours of daylight on a snowy solstice day.
We did a very small ritual this year – the guests who would have come were prudent and remained in the safety of their own homes. And given the moods of children and husband, I chose a very light, fun ritual. Here’s what we did:
The kids turned off all the lights in the house and we sat around the kitchen table with our Yule Candle lit and four tea lights and four slices of apple pie. Each person in turn lit their candle from the Yule Candle saying the phrase “This is the longest night. Soon there will be light.” When the candle were lit, we took them through the house and turned on every single light in a frenzy of excitement. Then we opened every cuboard and drawer and doorway to let light in for the new year. We returned to the table, blew out our candles and ate our apple pie.
Later I’ll draw a labyrinth in the snow, when all is quiet and still on this long winter night.
12.08.08
Search Term Saturday
On STS it’s time to reflect on a search term that brought someone to the blog today. Clearly someone wanted to know about Yoko Yaya 123 as there’s three entries in the Top Searches pane.
Yoko Yaya 123 is a great little dollar store in the “International VIllage” right by Stadium skytrain station – you know, the mall that has the Tinseltown movie theatres. It is essentially like a small Daiso, full of Bento, housewares and wierdly translated japanese stationery. Hardly anything there costs more than 5$, they have adorable coloring books for kids and a great collection (currently) of christmas-themed wrapping paper.
For those of you who so desperately need their phone number, it is: 604-682-8650.
Go to Yokoyaya 123 while you’re waiting to see a movie or after eating that awesome curry at India’s Flavour.
12.04.08
Neighborhood Associations
I continue to explore this community/civic involvement notion. First I read the pamphlet from the city and get all riled up. Then I went to the city-run open house and talked to every single city representative about my issues and thoughts, listened to what they had to say and went off to think about it all. A lot less riled up. THEN tonight I went to the neighbor’s group meeting to talk about it all with a bunch of folk who I thought would be all riled up but actually were quite reasonable.
Here’s the story: the neighbours feel that change is good and necessary but have real concerns about issues of traffic, parking, and amenities. The city has a plan to make change in these lower density shopping districts. The common refrain is that the neighbours feel that meetings, consultation sessions, and working groups happen behind closed doors and in secret, that there is inadequate information being shared and that little weight is placed on opinions counter to city plans.
I think there’s real opportunity for positive change, and that we as a coalition of neighbours can have an impact, can get more amenities in the area and make this a better place to live.
12.03.08
The Angel
When I first met you I was captivated. You have wolf eyes and feet that dance on the stars. Your warmth held us. A smile sustains me for a year, maybe two since the last time. We ran into each other at JJ Bean and smiled, hugged, promises, cursory mentions of life’s ups and downs.
When we were in high school you wrote me notes about the boys you loved and I wrote back to you as a writer, invented them for you. We wove a fortune in these words. We were witches. You showed me how the ley lines move. You sat back with a lazy smile and your wonderful wide mouth and tanned skin and blonde curls and your own home and you were beautiful.
You belonged with the stars. When we met you told me I was an old soul like you. That neither of us had been on earth for a long time. I love you as if I have known you since we were babies. I have always thought I would know you my whole life. After all, for people like us time doesn’t really exist. I have always known I would see you again.
You have one moon cycle left here, maybe more, maybe less. I wish I could be at peace like you, I wish I had the wisdom to see beyond these mortal emotions. You are taking off, back to that distant planet from whence you came. I am standing below you, waving. I have tears on my cheeks and a smile on my lips. Good luck on this adventure. I know I’ll see you again.
12.02.08
Breakfast on the TV
Thick fog fills our street this morning. Jennifer – the tall, skinny redheaded one – has come up with her arms full to the foggy greenspace between the alley and the street. The other two share a seat on the abandoned old cathode ray tv set, fidgeting.
Amanda keeps looking over her shoulder, back and forth, like she sees something out of the corner of her eye. Jennifer is talking to them, excited, explaining, her stick body just a hanger for her long shiny black trackpants. It’s cold. They were out all night working and are lucky to have survived the night. They’ve got a camaraderie like construction workers on lunch. She’s eating a muffin, showing it to them, nodding her head, gesturing around herself. They are jostling each other, Amanda and the other one. Clutching their purses, platform heels swinging on crossed legs. Their bodies fold and swing for warmth. I don’t know her name, the older one with short hair.
Jennifer hands them each something. For a second it’s like a birthday or christmas. The two tear into the wrapping, inspect the contents, and eat. It’s not christmas, it’s just breakfast. They eat, talk, look over their shoulders. It feels like forever but they have only a few minutes here in this impromptu living room. The fog gives the illusion of privacy.
A cell phone – the older one answers. Jennifer takes Amanda, gives her a talking-to, halfway down the block, then back again. The older one, sliding beside parked cars, talks on the phone. They have full purses, loose jackets, all kinds of flapping things as they walk away. The older one takes Amanda, talks to her now as Jennifer moves on ahead. They disappear as the fog lifts.
