Weird and Wonderful
Yesterday was Halloween (Samhain) and today and tomorrow I will be in the midst of El Día de los Muertos. This time of year I reflect and honour the goth within. You may have noticed this from last week’s post. I’m continuing the theme this week as I participate in two different memes today and answer them both in a roundabout way!
The memes are from Art on the Darkside and Weekly Geeks.
First off, w
e have a fall, harvest, halloweeny picture for you. He looks a bit bored, don’t you think. I don’t know how many Trick or Treaters he saw but I had none. This is one of the perils of living in a downtown apartment. Most people with children are in the suburbs! I didn’t put him up. I just took his picture and cropped it for my own pleasure.
It seems strange to have Halloween on a Saturday. I don’t remember weekend Halloweens as a child. I don’t even remember Trick or Treating in the light. In my memories Halloween is always dark. I remember rushing home from school, grabbing a pillowcase (that was our treat bag – it was a small town and we planned on hitting every house) and going out with my friends and my younger brother and his friends. The next day was spent in a sugar hangover from all the treats we didn’t normally have.
I have a bit of a sugar hangover today. I saw coloured popcorn at the Farmer’s Market yesterday and just had to have some. 
Grandma Katie (she wasn’t related to us, she lived next door until we moved when I was thirteen) always made coloured popcorn for special occasions. It’s what she gave out for Halloween. Her house was always our first stop. Every child in town got a small lunch bag full of popcorn; the bags were probably six inches tall. She must have made popcorn all October so that she would have enough. It’s a shame that Treats are no longer homemade! So, the popcorn I bought yesterday was way too sweet – Grandma Katie’s popcorn wasn’t sugar flavoured, just coloured. 
El Día de los Muertos is a new tradition. I discovered it when I was in Montreal. I’ve always been a bit on the goth side. My best friend and I use to hang out in Graveyards and I still love a quiet afternoon in an old graveyard. I think it’s important that we remember who came before us and that some day we will be gone. Then all that our loved ones will have will be memories or stories or the odd picture (I hate having my picture taken – always have).
I love the fact that you can buy skeleton paraphernalia that depict your dead friends and relatives. I want to make a skeleton reading a book, hiding in the corner, surrounded by her cat and dog. This would be me; this is how I would want to be remembered even though the image is old. That was me over forty years ago though, on second thought, it’s me now too minus the cat and dog. Though I wish I could have a cat here in my apartment. Oh, how I ramble on!
So, Weekly Geeks asks are things getting a little more weird and creepy than usual. My answer would be no. My life has always been weird and creepy. I was a child in the sixties when trolls were a popular childhood toy, a teen in the seventies when Stephen King started writing horror but then again I’ve always been drawn to the Gothic. Never had the money for the wardrobe but horror is something I read widely in. And I covet the clothes.
Right now, I’m listening to Wicked and I must say my sympathies lie with Elphaba.
This weekend remember all of us are only here for a moment and can only hope that someone will remember us as we really were. Me, I’m weird and goth and like to hang out in graveyards.
Jodi’s Meme: My Life According to Blue Rodeo…
The line for the ice cream place, on the corner, is stretching out the door. The leaves are changing colour. Thunder storms are imminent. Summer is almost over.
I am in the mood for a meme.
Memes are school assignments for grown-ups.
This time of the year I want to go back to school. Not High School, perhaps Elementary school and most definitely University. If I had money, I would still be in University, taking classes just for fun and enlightenment. Strolling the campus on cool Fall days, watching the Maple Leaves turn crimson and enjoying long, drawn out debates about everything and nothing.
I’ve been staying out of big box stores because the school displays make me yearn for long afternoons spent in class and hours spent browsing the library. It’s very heard to bypass the colourful new binders, rows of pens and crisp, clean file folders. Oh, okay, I did give in to temptation. I bought two new file folders – a bright plastic yellow one and one with a glittery butterfly on it. The butterfly holds blog ideas – I still think best with pen and paper so the file is full of tiny notes written willy nilly here and there.
So, Class, today’s assignment…sorry, I mean meme…is from Sunday Stealing. The instructions are to use only song names from ONE ARTIST, and to cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. Happy learning (playing) everyone. 
I choose to use songs from Blue Rodeo because we all are Canadian. Go us!
-Are you a male or female?
“Girl In Green”
-Describe yourself
“Bad Timing”
-How do you feel right now?
“The Seeker”
-If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
“Montreal”
-Your favorite form of transportation
“Moon & Tree” ; “Walk Like You Don’t Mind”
-Describe Your Morning Routine
“Are You Ready”
-Your best friend is
“Rebel”
-What’s the weather like
“Frogs’ Lullaby”
-Pet Peeve?
“Rose-Coloured Glasses”
-If your life was a TV show, what would it be called
“Bulletproof” or “Graveyard”
-Your relationship
“House of Dreams”
-Your Fear
“What Am I Doing Here”
-What is the best advice you have to give?
“Trust Yourself”
-If you could change your name, you would change it to
“Rena”
-What do you say when you are frustrated?
“Try”
-Thought for the day
“So Far Away”
-How you would like to die
“Rain Down On Me”
-Your soul’s present condition
“Fallen From Grace”
-Your motto
“Know Where You Go”
That was fun. Thankfully, Blue Rodeo had lots of songs for me to choose from. I’m going to have to go read everyone else’s now! See you next week.
Sunday Stealing: The “I’ve Come to Realize” Meme
The following meme is stolen from here:
1. I’ve come to realize that my chest-size. . . has always been too big. If I were a Amazonian warrior I would cut them both off!
2. I’ve come to realize that my job. . . is not where I want to be.
3. I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving. . . I need to be more attentive.
4. I’ve come to realize that I need. . . raspberries & chocolate & more touch in my life.
5. I’ve come that realize that I have lost. . . my sense of joy.
6. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when. . . I have to work weekends.
7. I’ve come to realize that if I’m drunk. . .
8. I’ve come to realize that money… should be used as a tool not a bribe.
9. I’ve come to realize that certain people. . . are not my friends.
10. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always. . . be afraid.
11. I’ve come to realize that my sibling(s). . . have no idea of what my life is like.
12. I’ve come to realize that my mom…
13. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone. . . is non-existent.
14. I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning. . . I didn’t know how perfect this Sunday would be.
15. I’ve come to realize that last night before I went to sleep. . . I wished for a storm and not just the rain we got.
16. I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking. . . I have no life (sigh). 
17. I’ve come to realize that my dad. . .
18. I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook. . . I’m learning how to be a spy.
19. I’ve come to realize that today. . . is not less then yesterday or more then tomorrow.
20. I’ve come to realize that tonight. . . I plan to dream of starbutterflies & you & me & darkness.
21. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow. . . is endless.
22. I’ve come to realize that I really want to. . . see London & San Francisco & New York & & &!
23. I’ve come to realize that the person mostly likely to repost this is. . .
24. I’ve come to realize that life. . . is what you make it.
25. I’ve come to realize that this weekend. . . will have to end.
26. I’ve realized the best music to listen to when I am upset. . . is Leonard Cohen, Blue Rodeo & the song he wrote about me.
27. I’ve come to realize that my friends. . . are mostly imaginary.
28. I’ve come to realize that this year. . . will be another new beginning.
29. I’ve come to realize that me exes. . . don’t mostly live in Texas (LOL).
30. I’ve come to realize that maybe I should. . .
31. I’ve come to realize that I love. . . words, words, words!!
32. I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand. . . men or women or relationships.
33. I’ve come to realize my past. . . is past.
34. I’ve come to realize that parties. . . are something other people go to.
35. I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified. . . of not ever again being loved.
36. I’ve come to realize that my life. . . will be long and as meaningful as I am willing to make it.
Cheers to all us thieves!
ABCs of Me
I’m Blocked; so you’re getting A Meme! Enjoy…
A is for age: Almost fifty. Old enough that I had wooden blocks that looked exactly like these.
B is for Beer: Don’t drink any. It aggravates my migraines.
C is for Career: I’m on my second. I was in Child Care, I’m now a Librarian and I’m in the process of searching for my next career. I’m anticipating a change in the next year or so!
D is for my Dog’s Name: Don’t have a dog. Coco is my mom’s boyfriend’s dog; Jake is my sister’s lab. I have walking rights whenever I see them.
E is for Essential Item I Use Everyday: Books, books and more books. I’d use them every day even if I wasn’t a Librarian.
F is for Favorite T.V. Show: The last, couldn’t ever miss favourite, was Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
G is for Favorite Game: Monopoly or maybe Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy!
H is for Hometown: Small town Saskatchewan.
I is for Instruments I Play: None, but I’d love to learn the Flute someday.
J is for Favorite Juice: Grape.
K is for Whose Butt I’d Like To Kick: In a good, competitive way or in a you annoy me way?
L is for the Last Place I Ate: McD’s…I should have packed a lunch. All I enjoyed was the Cinnamon Melts.
M is for Marriage: Nope, divorced & never again!
N is for my Name: gigi; okay, that’s a nom de plume, aka pen name.
O is for Overnight Hospital Stays: One, no two. Tonsils at age seven or so and pneumonia at age Sixteen.
P is for People I was With Today: My co-worker and my boss – we have a small staff on mondays.
Q is for Quote: The second line to Curiosity Killed the Cat. Look it up!
R is for Biggest Regret: It used to be B (post upcoming someday).
S is for Sport: If I have to pick one it would be Badminton.
T is for Time I Woke Up Today: 7:00 am, they were vacuuming outside my apartment. I still had forty minutes according to my alarm. This keeps happening and making me grumpy!
U is for Underwater: I’d like to explore underwater caves but there’s this fear of drowning phobia lurking inside me. (See future post about B!)
V is for Vegetable You Love: Peas - fresh, frozen and creamed.
W is for Worst Habit: I spend too much money on Junk food.
X is for X-rays I Have Had: Teeth and lungs.
Y is for Yummy Food You Ate Today: Homemade Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. Made it myself. Here’s a tip, if you want the best taste – don’t buy the cheap cream cheese!
Z is for Zodiac: Aries. 1st sign of the Zodiac and a Metal Rat which is supposed to attract money. (I’m still waiting).
Ravishing “R”
Chartroose over at Bloody Hell, It’s a Book Barrage! tagged me with a meme. The rules are simple: choose 10 favorite things beginning with a single letter of the alphabet and explain why you like them. The only catch is that the letter is assigned to you by the person who wrote the post you’ve just read. On February 9, 2009, Chartroose assigned me the letter “R”.
So, as promised last week, here are ten things I like beginning with the ravishing letter “R”.
1) The colour red. Vibrant, brass, and deep. Blood red and fire engine red and auburn red (hair). So full of life and brightness and vitality.
Hair the red of feisty, feminist Pippi Longstocking. I found the best sketch of Pippi here, at Sarah’s Sketches. Go see it!
2) Raspberries, which can also be red. The best ones are red: a deep, lush red. They are best mixed in a tub of chocolate ice cream and eaten on a sunny summer’s eve
3)Root Beer. It has to be A & W Root Beer. In a classic frosty mug, of course.
4) Rocks:
Pet Rocks;
River Rocks;
Emeralds;
Jade &
Ebony.
5) Royalty in Movies:
Princess Giselle in Enchanted;
Ever After…etc, etc, etc.
(Bonus points to anyone who can tell me the movie reference.)
6) The Russian Revolution. Anything written about it, that is. I’ve read everything I can find on Anastasia. Honestly, I just find the history of women in Russia to be intriguing. Especially Anastasia and Catherine the Great. It has to do, I suppose, with the fact that such a rich lifestyle is foreign to anything I have ever experienced. I hope some day to visit St. Petersburg, but honestly I’d rather time travel so that I could see it as it was.
7) Remembrance. Things lost. Nostalgia. Memoir. I live within the curse of an examined life. Forever, examining and re-examining my past, my present, my history – the history of everything.
(I wish I could draw an image to invoke the remembrance of time and history).
8_) Renovation Shows. I live in an apartment. I covet the the freedom home owners have to invent and reinvent their spaces. I want a man like Mike Holmes in my life
I could so Neaten up anyone’s house. I’m a natural neat freak.
And then there is the British import – How Clean is Your House. These are my guilty pleasures. The shows that cheer me up because I know my space will NEVER ever get that messy or dirty.
These are my gossip shows… these are my famous people and their problems that I gloat over!
9) R & R; Rest and Relaxation. I learnt the value of a good nap early and still practice the art of napping every chance I get. I had a nap today. I plan on a nap tomorrow!
10)A revolting, refreshing sense of the absurd. I don’t know if I am macabre or goth. I do know I have a weird, eerie sense of humour.
Here are some of my favourite things:
- Graveyards;
- Halloween;
- Queen Mab & all things fey;
- Oscar the Grouch;
- Gingerdead;
- Para Abnormal;
- the Loch Ness monster.
And, in conclusion,
Yeah, he’s good, like an angel is good. But we ain’t made t’mess wit angels, girl. Angels draw up to all the evil and all the hurt in the world. They watch babies dyin’, that’s what they do. They take all the pain and shout it out. Angels livin’ with evil and with death. That’s their stock in trade. Murderers and thieves and times so hard that you could cry blood. That’s where you find angels. … I’d kill myself before I’d break bread with an angel.
(p. 238 - RL’s Dream by Walter Mosley)
Anyone who is interested in doing this meme can leave me a comment and I’ll give you a letter to explore.
Thank you Chartroose for letting me explore myself within this meme.
An Early Solstice Post
I am watching the Grinch; the orginal, the best, and will answer the following Christmas meme from Words from a Bohemian Mom at http://bohemiansinglemom.blogspot.com. The clipart is also from her site.
1. Do you celebrate Christmas? Yule? Winter’s Solstice? Hanukkah? All of them?
I primarily celebrate the Solstice. I celebrate Christmas with my biological family to honour their traditions. I celebrate the Orthodox Christmas in January because of where I work.
2. Name your favourite X-mas movie.
My favorite holiday movie is The Nightmare before Christmas and I always watch parts of It’s A Wonderful Life when I catch it on TV.
3. Your best X-mas present ever?
My baby doll. Her name is Marie (which is my middle name). I was around three when I got her. I don’t remember that Christmas but I have a picture and the look on that little girl’s face says it all. She got exactly what she needed. Marie sleeps in my living room, in the cradle my grandfather (my mom’s dad) made for her, and she stills has the two outfits she came with. My nephew had fun dressing and undressing her this summer when he spent a day at my (mostly) toy-free home.
4. Do you bake cookies? Or buy them?
The Grinch is stealing the last can of who hash and lying to little Cyndi Lou Who, who is not more than two – which is why the recent movie didn’t work for me. Cyndi Lou Who was too old!
I bake cookies. Mostly from scratch, but also from a tube. I bought frozen tubes of cookie dough when a co-worker was doing a fundraiser. When I am at my mom’s next week, I will bake about four batches of chocolate chip cookies, six dozen each. I will freeze them so that she has a steady supply of cookies and this will get the cookie making urge out of my system until Easter.
5. How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa?
I’m not sure I ever really believed. I don’t remember writing letters to Santa though there were presents from him under our tree. We were poor; I think I knew I couldn’t ever ask for what I really wanted. Especially if it were expensive. (I want someone to give me books, or the library like the one the Beast gave to Belle).
6. Your favourite X-mas food?
Mashed potatoes and gravy. I can’t make gravy. If I could I would have it every day!
7. Your favourite holiday tradition?
Watching the Grinch. Which I own on VHS, so I could watch it anytime but I like to wait until it is on CBC. This year I couldn’t wait so I watched my tape on Saturday, followed by The Nightmare Before Christmas, and now tonight the Grinch is on CBC. So twice in three days. Yeah!
8. Giving gifts or getting them?
I don’t really do either. I don’t need anything and all my sibling restrict their gift giving to immediate family. I stopped buying presents, except for my parents, years ago. I do send my youngest nephew something small, by snail mail, about every month and if I see something I think the bigger ones, including my siblings, would like I send it, when I find it, during the year, if I have the money.
I tag….anyone who would like to participate. Leave me or the Boho Mom a link in our comments.
Thanks. I may or may not blog next week, it depends if I can get internet. If not, I’ll blog around the 28th or 29th. Happy Holidays whatever you may celebrate.
