Snapshots

Marie likes dandelions. What a coincidence, we just happen to have a plantation.... funny how the neighbors don't seem to find it as pretty as we do.




It's a hard life, but somebody has to live it...

Mothers' Day

It was a gorgeous, sunny day, as my nose and cheeks could attest. We prepared the table outside. No bugs, no sweater needed, perfect temperature.



Notice, unlike my dear sister-in-law's table, no tenderly cooked dish. We don't cook! As Vince well knows.



The Christmas tree gave us such beauty and joy during the holidays. Saved for the purpose, it now ended its mission in a blaze of glory, giving us a lively, crackling and fragrant fire.



Meanwhile, Yann practiced for male teenagerhood: note the lounging position, the no effort attitude, and the provided-by-a-helpful-female bowl of popcorn to be eaten at leisure. I think he'll be a natural.

Frolicking

Luritja cools off ...



...while Loukhi roams by Bondi's grave.





And they weren't overexposed before I posted them, dammit.

A Tale of Two Kitties

Dust To Dust

Cats are dainty creatures who can spend hours washing their fur meticulously.

Then came Loukhi.






Never as happy as when she is perfectly filthy. The photos truly don't do her justice.

The Alternate Realm

Books, said my brother. Aaaah, books. Yes they take a lot of room. Not everyone can afford a basement to line the walls with bookshelves. I might not have that luxury much longer.


Ze Library

At supper time, our house is probably the only house where you can find 3 generations eating in perfect silence, each engrossed in its own book. And perfectly happy, I might add.

My son, who is not yet eleven has so far devoured: All the Harry Potters; All the Chronicles of Narnia; The complete Lord of the Rings; Philip Pullman's His Dark Material, Watership Down, and the classic A.S. Neil, Le nuage vert.

Not bad. Next I'm getting him The Neverending Story.

Meanwhile, the snow is finally GONE! Flowers bravely open up, leading the way for the rest of the flora.


Brave New World

As always in the Spring, Love is in the air. For everyone but me.

Till death do us part

Finally, this is what happens when you're fat: you overflow.

Let's be serious

Things are serious and we, at home, take them seriously indeed.

We take ourselves seriously.



The cats are serious.



Circé takes her watchcat role seriously.



So does Luritja.

The Ludlum Pattern

The title is easy. Take "the". Add a name. Add a noun. There you have it.
The Icarus Agenda
The Bourne Identity
The Aquitaine Progression
etc
The hero's name varies but the hero himself doesn't. He's tall, handsome. He's knowledgeable, skilled, experienced, cunning. His instinct is simply infallible. Bad guys are after him. Deception, betrayal, tight situations. In the end, he always prevails.
That's the advantage of Robert Ludlum. Unlike a box of chocolate, when you pick one of his books, you know exactly what you're going to get. In that sense, it's a safe bet.
This is why, when I ran out of things to read yesterday, I saw a Ludlum at the drugstore and I thought: "Why not?"
However, there is a very real problem with Ludlum. His titles, plots and heroes are interchangeable. So how do you remember which book you've read and which you haven't?
Man. It's a real puzzle. An extreme difficulty. I wish Jason Bourne a.k.a. Joel Converse a.k.a. Hal Ambler a.k.a. Todd Belknap was here. His instinct would tell him for sure. Mine is not so efficient, so I took a chance. It was my lucky day: upon verification, I did not already own the Ludlum I got yesterday. So far it's really exciting. The hero is tall and handsome. Bad guys are after him but he's not sure why...

Now shall I tell you about Dick Francis?

And....Action!

Well, that's it! Enough is enough! After being sick for 6 weeks, doing nothing but lounging on my bed, reading and stuffing myself, my physical envelope has enlarged. I don't like my physical envelope enlarged, nor do I like my pants fitting too tightly. Consequently, it's DIET time!!! On the menu: stop eating anything at any hour. Slow way down on sugar and white flour. Increase physical output. Hum. Sounds so simple.
(Spits in her hands, rolls her sleeves up, takes a deep breath.)

Janica

I know the world is never short of tragedies. Yesterday, my heart went out to an abandoned cat in New York.
Today, as a crying woman blurted a tragic story, I struggled for composure.

In the small city where I work, Janica, a healthy, vibrant 26 years old, gave birth a month ago to twin girls. She, her boyfriend and family were ecstatic.

A month later, she was diagnosed with being riddled with cancer, in the brain, the liver, the lungs, and given two months to live. The doctors in Quebec refused to give her any treatment, saying that it wouldn't help and she was a lost cause.

Janica was a fitness instructor, who doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, eats healthy. They were flabbergasted. Her whole family gathered behind her and refused to accept the death sentence, and Janica went to Florida, where some doctors are willing to treat her with radiation. That's where she is right now. It was a hard decision to leave her baby girls. But Janica is a fighter. She's fighting.

Her grand-mother set up a web page to keep people updated, to receive words or encouragement and donations.
It is only in French however.

It would take a miracle. She's a young, brand new mother of twins, determined to live. It will take a miracle. Please join me in prayers for Janica and her family.

Atonement

Movies rushing from theatres to DVD faster and faster, I rented Atonement last night a mere two months after it was last on the big screen.. Here's my take on it.

The cinematography was exquisite, as was the cast, with one exception, which I will complain about further down.

James McAvoy: I discovered him in "The Last King of Scotland" and could never understand that Forrest Whitaker was nominated for an Oscar while McAvoy was not even acknowledged. McAvoy was wonderful in Last King, as he is in Atonement. I proclaim him the best actor of his generation, conveying an array of emotions without even opening his mouth in a way famous stars like Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise can only dream about. McAvoy, I salute you.



Keira Knightley: I saw her in "Pirates", and enjoyed her in the delightful "Sense and Sensibility". In Atonement, I must admit that my attention was totally distracted away from her acting by her absence of breasts. The lady is flat. She's like a walking advertisement for double mastectomy. As delightful as she was in her long, flowing, glamorous green dress, the minute she turned sideways, something didn't look right. Since I am a heterosexual woman, when I'm completely distracted by the absence of breasts of an individual, it gives you an idea about how blatant it is. Don't get me wrong, I am GLAD that British movies do not feel they have to adhere to American standards of every lead actress being physically perfect… and totally stereotyped. But but but… ask me how was Knightley in that movie, that will be my only answer: flat!



As for Briony, ah ha, Briony! She's played by two actresses, one when she is thirteen, the other when she is eighteen. The thirteen year-old is all ethereal, marvellous elfin grace, with long brittle limbs and a ravishing pointed face, emphasised by only dressing in white. She's delightful to watch, even when we can't like what she's doing.




The eighteen year-old, however, is where casting suddenly took a bad turn. The elfin pixie suddenly metamorphoses into a graceless blonde with marked features and a sullen expression. You vainly look for the magic that was in the younger girl. The older Brionny has no charm, no beauty, no expression, not much at all, really, except round blue eyes. It's like going from sips of Ambrosia to a prosaic plate of hamburger and fries. A dull awakening.

Overall, Wright's movie exudes once again an old fashion charm that I can't resist. The photography alone is worth seeing. I enjoyed it very much.

Like the flowers need the rain...

Movies don't agree with me these days. I've just watched "Enchanted" because I had read good reviews and thought it would be funny. I won't be able to eat sugar for about two weeks it was so sweet. Sirupy sweet. Nauseatingly sweet. I am NOT in the mood for fairy tales. My bad. The only sweet thing I can handle right now is the sight of my cat sleeping.

Put a picture here of my cat sleeping.

Blogger won't let me. I'll do it later.


There is tension and disagreement in my home. They are unavoidable in life. Will they bring not only winds of change but storms of changes? It's too early to tell. But for the first time since I moved in this house, and loved it passionately, I face the possibility of leaving it. Nothing is constant but change.

Whatever.

Will your lights be out tonight between 8 and 9 PM? Mine will. How often can you show solidarity with the whole planet?
(solidarity to? solidarity with?...????)

I went on Amazon yesterday and splurged on four Dickens. That will get my mind off of things for a while.

Caught!

So with this new toy of mine, here I am minding my own business and suddenly, paf! It takes a picture of me.
It has a camera! It can even film me!
HAL? Is that you HAL?

My New Toy

Being comfortable with my masculine side, I sometimes thoroughly enjoy a new toy.
Look at that! The size, the lines, the design.
<<<<<<<<<<< happy sigh >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Striving For Perfection

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."
~ Samuel Beckett

Oh my cats! My babies!

Horrible dream this morning. I finally get back home after an absence of a month and a half and I'm terrified of the state I'm gonna find my cats in, as they have been locked there the whole time. All the cats I ever had were there plus a great many others. The sight is horrific. While Circé, Koba and a few others great me feebly, bone skinny, others are already dead or dying, there are cat parts all over the place from those who died or were eaten. Here an eyeball, there a head. My emotional state is beyond description. I find many molded edible things that they haven't touched. I tear up a bag of food and worry that I won't have enough for all, whereas the survivors need to eat right away if they're to last another day. Oh the pity, the angst, the guilt, the sorrow, the horror!

After that I wake up and go have an ordinary day at the office.

Weather Report

Y'all have seen what the snow looked like before Christmas around here. I saw a big snowplow in a shopping center shooting up snow onto a snow wall three stories high. Quite a sight. Then it snowed again and we went from raising our arms in dismay to dropping them in resignation.

But things change quickly here. Yesterday January 10, at the heart of winter, all that snow was gone after a mere week of rain and temperatures in the 10 Celcius. Melted. You could see the brown grass in lawns. Sidewalks were perfectly clean and dry. More astonishing yet, the Richelieu River is completely thawed. Entirely. Not even floating ice. The whole region looked to be about Mid-March. At the heart of winter.

This morning, when I woke up, the world was white again. How plants and wild animals can adapt to such erratic conditions, I've no idea. It's all so strange.

Jour d'une vie où l'aube se lève...

Comme un enfant aux yeux de lumière
Qui voit passer au loin les oiseaux
Comme l'oiseau bleu survolant la terre
Vois comme le monde, le monde est beau

Beau le bateau, dansant sur les vagues
Ivre de vie, d'amour et de vent
Belle la chanson naissante des vagues
Abandonnée au sable blanc

Blanc l'innocent, le sang du poète
Qui en chantant, invente l'amour
Pour que la vie s'habille de fête
Et que la nuit se change en jour

Jour d'une vie où l'aube se lève
Pour réveiller la ville aux yeux lourds
Où les matins effeuillent les rêves
Pour nous donner un monde d'amour

L'amour c'est toi, l'amour c'est moi
L'oiseau c'est toi, l'enfant c'est moi

Moi qui ne suis qu'une fille de l'ombre
Qui voit briller l'étoile du soir
Toi mon étoile qui tisse ma ronde
Viens allumer mon soleil noir

Noire la misère, les hommes et la guerre
Qui croient tenir les rênes du temps
Pays d'amour n'a pas de frontière
Pour ceux qui ont un cœur d'enfant

Comme un enfant aux yeux de lumière
Qui voit passer au loin les oiseaux
Comme l'oiseau bleu survolant la terre
Nous trouverons ce monde d'amour
L'amour c'est toi, l'enfant c'est moi
L'oiseau c'est toi, l'enfant c'est moi

After The Storm

Lots of snow.

Looooots of snow.

Did I mention a little snow? The trench to go out the door goes up to my hips.


Rare, recent, candid picture of the Papou who's otherwise at the wonderful stage of making horrible faces any time he sees a camera pointed his way.


"What do you mean 'dignity'?" asks Luritja.

Sunday Snow Storm

Luritja is conserving energy.


When photographed, first look composed.



We're in the middle of a snowstorm. There's something very cosy about a snowstorm when you're warm and safe inside.

I got Yannick's two main Christmas presents on Ebay. It was on Nov. 11 and 13. I received notice of shipment yesterday, Dec. 15.

This means the presents won't be there on time for Christmas morning.

All I got were vague and lousy excuses. The M*** F*** of a seller (subsequentely refered to as MFS) offered a partial refund on the price of shipping, which has yet to materialize so I don't really believe it. And when confronted by email with the fact that I would have no presents for my boy under the tree, he suddenly went MIA.

I am so spitting mad at MFS that I could do him bodily harm. Rage, when without an outlet, is corrosive. Powerlessness only makes it worse. I am so angry it feels like molted iron.

On His Door

" No trespassing to all cookie eaters except me"

Restless

Pull my chin, stroke my hair, scratch my nose, hug my knees
Try drink, food, cigarette, tension will not ease
I tap my fingers, fold my arms, breathe in deep, cross my legs
Shrug my shoulders, stretch my back - but nothing seems
to please

I need contact
I need contact
Nothing seems to please
I need contact

O Tannenbaum

In my house, we believe in tiny, understated Christmas decorations.


Nothing huge.


Like this small Christmas tree...

My Other Birthday Bouquet

And oh, sooooo fragrant it is...

A. R. F. N. F.

My birthday bouquet.

Renovations

My mother's quarters and stairs used to be covered in an ugly beige carpet.



Our wonderful handyman changed that for oak. Much nicer.

Daily Cats

Luritja keeps watch over the potatoes.
(Yes, my cats are finally coming out of the closet and their real names shall be used from now on.)



Male bonding.
(As intelectual as male bonding usually is.)



Luritja tries to deal with his hectic life.




Circe pouts.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm going to post a few that are far from technical or artistic feats, but that are snapshots of my life, and revealing as such.



This, one would think, is an ordinary bathroom. WRONG! This is the spatious, gorgeous bathroom that has replaced the little dark hole that was there before, with an sinister unfinished ceiling, a square shower so tiny I couldn't even wash my hair and about a square foot of space to change. So this, in my eyes, beats the most luxurious, vast and expensive bathroom there can be.




Painted a sober and serene desert shade called Shiatsu, it's a pleasure to step in every time.

Une belle et grande... famille

When a black cat tells you it's time to update your blog... you just shut up and do it.

Yesterday, I learned of an interesting fact during an otherwise boring training session.
In Quebec, the current percentage of households composed of a father, a mother and two children (born of those two parents), in other words the traditional family model in Western societies is:

7 %


Do you see how meaningful that is? It means we continue to operate on a model of family and society that simply no longer reflects the reality, that has in fact become the exception! All the values, the traditions, the instruction, the economic factors should be reviewed to adapt to the new reality. I should stop feeling like a failure for not providing my son with the traditional model, I'm the norm!!! (Ok, I say this tongue in cheek)
But on a socio-economic level, and many others, I find that a very significant statictic.