Thank you very much to The Sneaky Magpie for tagging me to post 7 things that I love… I have been thinking for the few days now about exactly *which* 7 of all the things that I love I would pick. They needed to be reasonably specific (although there are certainly broad categories which I love pretty much all of – I give you: FOOD, knitting, books, cycling….) and I am not including any people in my list. So anyway, here is my list. I love….

1. Breakfast. It is absolutely and undeniably my favourite meal of the day. I can count on one hand the number of times I have missed breakfast over the past ten years or so and all of them involved illness. I have never, ever, ever not had time to have something to eat before I go out of the door. I love all (vegetarian) breakfast foods but my very favourite thing at the moment is porridge, made with proper rolled oats and water, and served with fruit and something (apple and sultana; banana and peanut butter; blueberry and maple syrup if I’m lucky….). But I also love toast and marmalade, and grilled mushrooms, and bagels, and pancakes, and granola… and I very much love more or less anything you can make from an egg. I love variety packs of cereal, and… I nearly forgot… I love Poptarts! Going out for breakfast is also a favourite thing of mine to do. I have had breakfast for lunch many times, and breakfast for dinner on several occasions too. There is simply no better meal.

2. Candles. Scented candles, tealights, candlesticks… I love them all. I love the pretty, comforting glow that they give to a room, and I love the way that they smell (even the unscented ones)… they make me very happy. I would love to be able to buy my candles from Diptyque andJo Malone, but I make do very happily with Muji, L’Occitane and the White Company amongst others, and with various pretty things to put tealights in. I also intend upon making some of these lovely teacup candles once I have had the chance to gather some supplies.

3. Train travel. I especially love long distance journeys where you can settle down into your seat (by the window, of course) and enjoy the ride. There is something very romantic and peaceful about it. I enjoy the fact that I can read as I go and I love the way it always feels slightly historic. True, we’re not hopping onto lovely old steam trains any more, and a lot of the trains are actually objectively quite horrible, but I don’t mind! I always end up paying the exorbitant price for a truly awful cup of tea which is somehow just what’s called for, and I enjoy watching the landscape change before my eyes as I approach my destination. My favourite trainline, beyond any doubt, is the London to Edinburgh line which I used to take up to university and back every term. The sleeper train was best of all, of course… I loved the fact that you can have hot chocolate in the restaurant car before retiring to your tiny, tiny cabin to sleep in your tiny, tiny bunk. The next morning you are woken by the guard knocking on your door to deliver you your dinky little breakfast tray. So much fun! I also love the trains on the continent – they are very much more efficient than ours, and cheaper too. In Switzerland they have trains with two storeys and in Italy you can get proper, good espresso at the espresso bar you will find on the longer-distance trains. Trains make for good stories, too – the Railway Children was one of my favourite books and films as a child, and I recently very much enjoyed the Darjeeling Limited.

4. Early mornings. My friends who are not morning people always struggle to understand this one and laugh at me for being such an early riser, even when I don’t have any particular reason to be awake. But I absolutely love getting up early and if there is no reason to do so, all the better – then you can enjoy the early morning! I love heading outside and enjoying London whilst it is still quiet. I love staying in and spending two hours drinking coffee and listening to the radio whilst pottering about the flat before I have to go anywhere. I love going for a run when the city is still empty. I just love being up before the rest of the world, it’s really very nice.

5. Spanish. I really love the Spanish language. It sounds beautiful, it looks beautiful, and some of my favourite books and films are in Spanish. Spain itself is lovely too – I have only been to one small part of it really, San Sebastian in the Basque Country, but I had such a wonderful time and it surpassed all of my expectations. I was surprised by how green it was, and by the almost perfect climate – warm, but not too hot. I would very much like to go back and explore more of Spain one day, and to see South America too.

House in the hills outside San Sebastian

6. Liberty’s. This is one of my very favourite shops in all the world. I think I would love wandering around Liberty even if the shelves were bare – the building itself is quite wonderful with its creaking floorboards, nooks and crannies, and wide, winding staircases. As a knitter, I feel I should be telling you that the yarn department in Liberty’s is the highlight of the store. Well, it’s certainly nice to see all of the beautiful Rowan yarns and colours in one place, and the ladies who work there are *very* kind and helpful. I go there quite often. But I think my two favourite bits of Liberty are instead, first, the haberdashery – miles and miles of Liberty print are displayed on elegant wooden shelves, along with silks, velvets and a whole lot more. It is a very luxurious place. There are drawers filled with sewing patterns inspiring me to learn how to follow one, and enormous old tables where the assistant will measure your fabric out once you have made up your mind. My other favourite part of Liberty’s is the perfume hall, which stocks all kinds of lovely things I have never seen elsewhere at all, let alone all in one place. You can find Creed, Frederic Malle, Diptyque, Miller Harris (including Rose en Noir which is unique to Liberty, and, I think, very nice) amongst very many other things. I like perfume because it takes two seconds to put on and (for me, at least) it can really change my mood and boost the way I feel, and they have some really interesting and unusual fragrances in Liberty’s. I have never actually bought anything there, but the people who work at the counters are always very happy to give you samples and let you try things and just to talk to you about the things that they sell. It’s fun! Liberty also sells beautiful and very well-chosen clothing, and they have a lovely tea room.

Sidenote: I really want to make some of these Liberty swatch portraits….

Swatch Portraits by the Purl Bee

7. The BBC. Obviously the BBC is a national institution and I don’t really see how anybody can not find *something* to like about it. So I suppose this is rather cheating. But I do love it and all that it stands for. I like the BBC news, I like the fact that they are still making really good documentaries and drama programs. I like Radio 4, and I really, really like the fact that you can pick up the World Service…well… anywhere in the world. I love the shipping forecast (it’s on now!!!!). The BBC has brought us all kinds of good things including excellent productions of Pride and Prejudice and the Narnia books, and more recently Ballet Shoes and The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. It has been involved in some very good films, including Truly Madly Deeply (which I love!) and I Capture the Castle… and on a slightly different note, State of Play and Spooks, both of which I think are great. I think in the UK it is very easy to take the BBC for granted. I spent some time living in Canada a few years ago and I was so so excited when a very good production of the Woman in White came onto the television one evening. I enjoyed it hugely and it made me realise quite how much I had missed the BBC whilst I had been away!

Now I would like to tag the following people to play along (if you would like to, of course!). Looking forward to finding out which 7 things you love!

- Philippa
- Kara
- Giulia
- Shannon
- Lara
- Amelia
- and Amy

Grafica a pixel: ce l’ho.

Musica stile 16 bit: ce l’ho.

Semplicità del gioco: ce l’ho.

Giocabilità: ce l’ho.

Potenzialità di incastro: ce l’ho (a pacchi).

Canabalt.

(Andrea Gadaldi, ti odio!)

La cosa che immagino è che, cacciati dal villaggio, gli stranieri sbattuti fuori di casa andranno a dormire in una stalla e faranno nascere i loro clandestini bambini in qualche mangiatoia.

Alessandro Portelli, sul manifesto e sul suo blog.

Il tempo è poco, e il blog latita. Perciò vi metto giusto un paio di link degni di nota. Appena ho un attimo di tempo in più, vi parlerò di Helvetica e Objetcified, i due documentari di Gary Hustwit che ho visto recentemente (e che – ve lo anticipo – dovreste vedere anche voi).

Nel frattempo accontentatevi di Makkox su Macchianera, che la dice giusta come sempre.

E accontentatevi anche degli U2, live on Youtube.

Ci sie risente presto. Fate i bravi.

Scopro con immenso piacere del sempre valido Inkiostro che a Gennaio prossimo uscirà il nuovo album di Laura Veirs.

Ora, ormai compro pochissimi dischi l’anno, e ancora meno sono quelli che voglio appena usciti. Ma Laura ha questo (discutibile, forse) privilegio – insieme a gente come Springsteen e gli U2, per capirci. E le ragioni le trovate nel video qui sopra.

Che ci vuole per scrivere una bella canzone?

Una chitarra acustica e un bel testo.

Ah, sì. E poi essere Eddie Vedder.

(Grazie, Micol)

Rebecca Alitsi, a student at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Kibera, Kenya, is a courageous and resourceful lady. Some time ago I bought a kikoy from her – a most beautiful piece of woven cotton -  because I wanted to support her project ‘School for the Girls’. I encourage you all to do the same, you will not regret it. Have a look here please.

Today I am catching up with the latest updates of some of my international friends in blogosphere. I feel sorry for neglecting them since I started blogging in Dutch a year ago on Vrijspraak, but it was also nice to get connected with fellow Christian bloggers in my own language area. From now on I will try to strike a balance between my national and international blog activities! I really enjoy the fellowship and friendship within and across borders.

Back to Rebecca in Kenya. She quotes 2004 Nobel prize winner Wangari Maathai in her most recent posting: “If you destroy nature, nature will destroy you.” Her words about the pollution of the environment and the  depletion and exhaustion of nature’s resources, strike a chord with me. And the words of Wangari Mathai reminded me of a great piece of graffiti on a wall in Exeter, Devon (see picture above): “Man did not weave the web of life, what he does to the web, he does to himself.” So true.

Please visit Rebecca’s blog and get in touch with her too. She will most certainly appreciate it!

Div2 Women’s Epee went well for me, overall! I was seeded 40th (out of 113) initially, the last of the “C” rated fencers in the event, as I had the oldest C (a C05). My C will expire at the end of July, and turn into a D09. *sniff* I earned it right before I started my grad program at Texas State, so I didn’t compete for 2+ years. Ah well.

I went 4-and-2/+6 in pools, which put me seeded at 34th. Top 80% after pools went up to the DE round, so 39 people got byes into the round of 64. It took FOREVER for DEs to start; I think it was over two hours between my pool ending and when I got to fence my first DE bout. I won my bout in the round of 64 easily, and then lost 15-11 in the round of 32 to the #2 seed. I didn’t think her fencing was all that special – she was a “one-trick pony” her her circle-6-fleche-to-the-body – but I couldn’t move my feet fast enough to deal with it. Did I mention she’s half my age? Yeah… oh well. She lost in the next round to a fellow Texas fencer who had been in my pool.

I got a little revenge, too – remember when I lost at sectionals 15-14 to a beginner, and therefore didn’t qualify for Div1-A? She was in my pool. She lost 5-1. /snark off

One of my online quilting friends came up to see me and DH fence on Saturday! I was really surprised that she wanted to drive that far (about an hour) to come watch. It was really nice of her. My HS French teacher and her husband also came, and stayed for the entire tournament. I can only think of a handful of tournaments that I had a personal cheering squad.

DH fenced Div3 Men’s Epee. He did AWESOME in pools – won all six bouts and was seeded 3rd after pools. He won his first DE but lost the second one in the round of 32. He was a little annoyed, as both fencers he fenced were weird and erratic, which is hard to fence against.

I recieved an adorable little quiltlet from Kate today. She hostesses the ALQS miniature quilt swaps. My first time to participate resulted in the mail losing the quilt sent to me, but Kate was generous enough to make me a replacement one. I love it! It’s bright and cheerful, and in one of my favorite colorways. I think I’m going to hang this one either in my sewing room or near my computer desk so I can admire it frequently.

Hi people!

I’m catsitting somewhere, keeping the kitties company while I enjoy a beer. Beer always works much better before supper, much more efficient. And I’m convinced that hops or malt or something is good for me, because I’m always happier after having a beer than after having a scotch or a liqueur or any of that crap. Wine’s okay too, but it’s for Sundays. Or lamb. Or company.

Never mind. Back to business. “Time Team” is on tonight, so I’ll want to have today’s blog entry published well before that.

Today’s business is, Good Things for a Monday.

At the top of the list, Gina’s husband Cliff has a new job, after — what — two weeks of unemployment? Wow! If you’ve got any leftover good luck dust, Cliff, would you mind blowing it E.g.’s way? Thanks.

Next, E.g. has found another job to which to apply! That makes three jobs in less than three months! Well okay, put that way, the stats don’t sound all that great, but on the other hand, a fresh injection of encouragement is a good thing. I think. Anyway.

Third thing, Turtle has been given two more awards! Both from Dennis the Vizsla Dog. I think one of these days he and I will run away to Budapest together. It should be a snap, really; I can count to ten in Hungarian, and can also say “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, “brethren”, and “forever” in that amazing non-Indo-European tongue. What more do we need?

Anyway, the awards:

1. The Perfect Blend of Friendship award.

The award sez “Trust, Kindness, Honesty, Caring.”  Now you all KNOW that my blogroll contains only blogs with these characteristics, but I am to choose only five recipients. Lessee:

1. Gina — that was obvious! When I die and go to heaven, I hope her mansion will be next door to mine;
2. Alyson – always there for me, when she isn’t busy dislocating appendages;
3. Livingisdetail — she’s all that; her warmth shines through her words;
4. Julie – she cares for the earth and her family, and is honest about the failures in her suburban garden;
5. The Aged Cat — heartbreakingly honest, meltingly kind writing; a lo-ot of us miss her.

Then there’s the Kreativ Blogger award. It comes with rules. Here they are, in Dennis’s handwriting:

• list six things wot mayk yoo happy
• pass the award on to six bloggers wot yoo consider to be kreativ
• link to the blogger wot gayv yoo the award
• link to the blogs reseeving the award
• notify the resipients

Um, all right, Six things that make me happy:

1. Beer.
2. Watching “Time Team”.
3. Birdwatching.
4. Hiking.
5. Singing.
6. Cuddling on the sofa with E.g. and the dogs, sipping a beer, and singing along to the opening credits of “Time Team” after a weekend spent hiking and birdwatching.

So now, presenting the resipients of…

2. The Kreativ Blogger award.

1. Almostgotit, for her humorous writing style and wonderful mixed bag of blog entry topics;
2. Tom K, creator of the delightfully imaginative “Checkers’ World” (btw, we miss you) ;
3. Eyegillian, for her original poems and photographs;
4. Bobbie, because anyone who can write about Commerson’s Frogfish with a straight face has got to have a deep sense of humour;
5. She, for her poetic moonstruck prose; and
6. The Orange Phoenix, for her poetry and white-knuckle tales of imperfect dates.

And it’s “Time Team” in 15 minutes! Gotta go. See you tomorrow!

…our words go ’round the world and back again…

Down in the States today, it’s Thanksgiving. It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever noticed it. The only holiday for Canadians this month is Remembrance Day, wherein the soggy fallen maple leaves and chill drizzle of November create the perfect pathetic-fallacy setting to the laying of poppy wreaths at the foot of grey monuments. Europe couldn’t have picked a better day for a ceasefire.

But back to today. It’s Thanksgiving Day down in the States. A reverent, indoor hush has slowly stolen in since yesterday, a quiet, tingling anticipation of the one thing that unites all humankind: the joy of a shared meal.

And why have I noticed this for the first time ever? Because over half of my blogfriends are talking turkey today. From New York City to Memphis to San Diego to Kona, and a few other states in between, you’re tucking away your laptops and tucking into the table. I’ve been watching the computer screens dimming since yesterday.

So today, I thought I would show my thanks for having youse guys in my klatsch. First, I’ll introduce the final three new members of my blogroll, one of whom lives in the States. Then I’ll mention a little blog admin I did yesterday.

Okay, in alphabetical order, introducing:

1. Almostgotit. I found myself enjoying Almostgotit’s comments on Dennis’s blog, and went to check her out. She lives in Tennessee, has a degree in English, writes real good, and has been looking for employment that would (a) make proper use of her talents and education and (b) honour her with an appropriate financial reward. She’s been looking for a while now. Stop by and visit if you need a dose of humour, a glimpse of her cats and woodstove, an encouraging quotation by someone already famous, or an eye-rolling tale of her latest job interview. She looks the Hiring Demons in the face, and giggles over their tie selection.

2. Celtic Memory Yarns. I discovered Jo’s blog on Livingisdetail’s blogroll. Jo’s blog entries, posted about twice or thrice a month, are a treat for the eyes and the subvocalizing ears. She writes about her wool work: not just knitting it, but spinning and dyeing it as well. You’ll meet her little dogs, her friends, the local Standing Stones, and other attractions of the ancient Irish hillsides where she lives. Her blog title is well chosen, as her entries are beautifully-spun tales, always imbued with a hint of magic.

3. Huckleberry Days. A few months ago, Themarvelousinnature pointed to Huckleberry as an excellent new nature blogger. Huckleberry lives in the Vancouver area of British Columbia. Each post focuses on one ecological detail, usually of the Fraser River Delta. It may be a plant, a species of animal, or an aspect of the natural environment. Topics for the month of November include Teasel, Western Bunchberry, and glassworts; Western Red-backed Salamanders, Rock Doves, and cockles; and rainbows, drainage ditches, and bogs. Huckleberry posts daily; she keeps her entries a manageable length, and keeps ‘em coming.

***Applause***

Okay, now for the little admin thingy I did yesterday. If you scroll over my sidebar, you’ll find little highlighted tags for each of your blogs.

Thank you for being blogfriends.

Good morning, everyone!

With yesterday’s blog entry/wine-and-cheese running to 700 words, I decided to leave the admin details till this morning. Here are the rules and regulations accompanying each award that was handed out yesterday, along with the lists of recipients repeated for your convenience.

Oh, and by the way, those “musts” and “have tos” in the regulations apply only if you decide to hang your award on your blogden wall; I have no intention of giving you all chain letters!

= = = = =

First, for the Arte y Pico award:

1. PICK FIVE BLOGS THAT YOU CONSIDER DESERVE THIS AWARD FOR CREATIVITY, DESIGN, AND
2. INTERESTING MATERIAL AND ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BLOGGER COMMUNITY REGARDLESS OF LANGUAGE.
3. EACH AWARD HAS TO HAVE THE NAME OF THE AUTHOR AND A LINK TO HIS/HER BLOG TO BE VISITED.
4. EACH AWARD WINNER HAS TO SHOW THE AWARD AND PUT THE NAME AND LINK TO THE BLOG THAT HAS GIVEN HIM/HER THE AWARD ITSELF.
5. AWARD WINNERS AND THE ONE WHO HAS GIVEN THE PRIZE HAVE TO SHOW THE LINK OF THE ARTE-Y-PICO BLOG (HTTP://ARTEYPICO.BLOGSPOT.COM) SO EVERYONE WILL KNOW THE ORIGIN OF THE AWARD.
6. IN COMPLIANCE WITH SAID RULES, THE AWARD WINNER MUST SHOW THESE RULES.

The Arte y Pico recipients are:

= = = = =

Second, the Superior Scribbler award:

1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

4. Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit This Post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

The Superior Scribbler recipients are:

= = = = =

And third, the I Heart Your Blog award:

Apparently, the rules for this one are lost in antiquity. Accept the award, refuse it, covet it, pass it on to whomever you will. Just keep it away from the teacher’s eyes.

The I Heart Your Blog recipients are:

Have a good weekend, everybody!

How’s that for a catchy title?

Welcome, blogroll members! This is a Friday Festival of Blogfriends, with doorprizes for most of you and nice words for all of you.

I’ve been given some awards lately. One of them is not mine to pass on, although it is yours for the taking if you enjoy the underwater explorations of The Right Blue as much as I do. I was specifically named as a Friend of the Right Blue, I think, because I suggested John Denver’s “Calypso” as a theme song for Bobbie and Jerry’s blog. Please go visit their blog if you haven’t, and learn about their “Right Blue” badge in their November 9th post.

Another award, the Arte y Pico,  was given me all the way back in August by Elizabeth, Wearing Stilettos and Living on a Farm. She must have wondered why I never posted it or passed it on, but the reason is this: On checking its raison-d’être, I found it was originally intended for creative people — specifically, for handicraft workers. This award’s purpose is to acknowledge “creativity, design, and contribution to the blogging community.” Okay, I can stretch the definition a bit to include creative writing or photography; but in August, I felt that I hadn’t yet proven myself. Now, however, with just over six dozen bits of creative writing or camera pointing on tap, I graciously and humbly accept the award, Elizabeth. Thank you for your encouragement!

On November 16th, Dennis the Lovable Vizsla gave me an I Heart Your Blog award — for the second time! (Dogs truly are the gifts that keep on giving. ) The first time, in early October, I wimped out and unofficially handed it off to everyone, so I think I should more properly award ten bloggers today.

As you can see, most of my blog awards emphasize my — er — soft skills. Generally, I think, my writing makes people want to smile and give me a little scritch behind the ears. Sometimes the entries are funny; occasionally they’re fierce; always they come from the heart. Like many of you, though, I harbour a secret, insane fantasy life in which I fancy myself a writer. It was with great pleasure, then, that on November 19th I found myself the recipient of the Superior Scribbler Award, handed out by Alyson at Laugh in the Sun.

So. This is the last time I’m ever gonna be able to pull this off, but — there’s an award for each of you. Sort of. Dennis and Livingisdetail, because you were co-recipients with me (Dennis from Elizabeth, and Livingisdetail from Alyson), and because of the categories I see you in, you’re gonna hafta carry those awards around tonight, as you make your way between the ale and the Oka.

Here we go:

I. The Arte y Pico award is for the Creators, the spinners of yarns, the wielders of cameras, the designers of comics and the mythifiers of the moon. You are:

• Celtic Memory Yarns
• Checkers’ World
• Dog Daily Photo
• We Three, Ginger Cats’ Tales   and
• Wondering Eye;

(and the sixth Creator is Dennis’s Diary of Destruction ) .

II. The Superior Scribbler award is for the Observers, the examiners of Nature or of Human Nature, the reporters of secrets, histories, small parts and large trends. You are:

• Huckleberry Days
• The Marvelous in Nature
• The Right Blue
• The Unwound Road  and
• Urban Observation;

(and the sixth Observer is One Little Detail ).

III. The I Heart Your Blog Award is for the Lovers, of which there are many types: the passionate and the compassionate, the advocates and the next-door neighbours, the pet people, the people people, and the plant people. You are twice five:

• Almost Got It
• Cody Bear’s Friends
• Gina’s Public Diary
• Laugh in the Sun
• Pennycat’s Weblog
• The Aged Cat
• The Chawed Rosin
• Towards Sustainability
• Wearing Stilettos   and
• Yasashiikuma.

Enjoy the party, everyone! In a separate entry, I’ll post the award icons and the rules that go with each.