Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte. image via janeausteninvermont


Oh Jane Eyre. You constantly try to pull me away from my motherly responsibilities. You keep me from going to bed at a decent hour, just so I can get one more page in. You constantly distract Oliver from nursing as I am always trying to hold him and the book and turn pages.

Oh Jane Eyre. I am nervous that things just aren't going to work out for you!

Did I mention this is the first time I am reading this book? I can't believe it has taken me this long. It is INCREDIBLE and ABSORBING and ENCHANTING and FRUSTRATING. I can't remember reading a book where I actually got so excited when I read a conversation, that I immediately went back and read it again, but s.l.o.w.e.r. My enjoyment is enhanced ten fold by the fact that the copy I am reading is a small leather bound, originally a gift to Matthew's Mom in 1931. Shriek! I love it!

Can't wait to finish and see what that rascal Mr. Rochester has in store for our Jane.

Little Britain

We've been watching a lot of Little Britain around these parts. I am not sure if you are familiar with this show or not, but it is sketch comedy from France. No. I am kidding. It's British. And it's bloody hilarious. (Our personal favourites are Lou and Andy.)

Literal Videos

My soon-to-be-brother-in-law, sent me this link. Wow. Matt and I sat here laughing so hard. Literal videos. Amazing idea, and this one is done so well. Judge for yourselves....Thanks G.

Moms

It was just my Mom's 60th Birthday on the 26th! My sister planned an awesome surprise birthday party for her at my cousin Sarah's house. She says she will remember it forever. Seeing as I live allllll the way over here, and we couldn't make it, I sent a little care package with pictures and a card. I also wrote a little something for my sister to read out at at the party...Moms are great....:

Mom,

First off let me say how disappointed we are that we could not be there to celebrate this awesome day with you! For years you have been telling us to throw you a 'surprise' party for your 60th. And now while I am not sure how telling people to throw you a surprise party constitutes a surprise, Teri and Gratton have achieved this ( i hope) and kept you in the dark!

I wanted to take this opportunity to take a trip down a 31 year lane. Well, more like 30 as I really don't have the most vivid recollections from my first year here-I do hope you'll understand.

A lot of my memories from being a little girl in Boissevain are filled in or at least verified by the amazing photos we have. One in particular that is near and dear to me is the one of me on that silly plastic rocking horse. you have a stylin' afro and have your hands up in the air as if to catch me. I look like I am having the time of my life. So thank you for providing simple joys even at the tender age of 1.

Looking at still more photos I remember you made the most amazing cakes for my birthday each and every year. One in particular that stands out is the year that you made each guest at my party a GIANT rice krispie cake molded into the shape of their first initial.I got an email last year from a friend who was at that birthday party and still remembers how cool that was. You always made each birthday for Teri and I so special. Breakfast in bed, pool parties, special dinners, balloons everywhere and wonderful, thoughtful gifts.

Your decision to stay home until I started Kindergarten is also one that now I am a mother I recognize as a big sacrifice. Your job was me. And I thank you for that. I remember those little plastic Tupperware dishes filled with raisins and marshmallows. And I remember sticking said raisins and marshmallows in my nose while watching sesame street. HA! Bet you didn't know that....

The opportunities that you and Dad provided for both Ter and I are countless and no doubt contributed to the fine women we have turned out to be . hahaha. Band, voice lessons, piano lessons, gymnastics, ringette, baseball, camp, festival..the list goes on and on, and looking back I know how lucky we were to have those opportunities. The thing is you not only provided us with opportunities, but the freedom to explore them in our own way. At baseball I remember playing the outfield, and doing handstands while waiting for the batters to hit the ball. I would still somehow manage to catch it if it came my way though. Thanks for letting me express myself...upside down.

Now that I have Sir Oliver, I look back at my childhood and realize what an incredibly important role a mother plays. You not only give life, but sustain it. You not only hold us up but let us go, While I know the times where you let go I didn't always choose the path that you would have chosen for me, I do hope that regardless of the way I got here, you know I got here because you gave me the tools to one day find my way.

Happy 60th Birthday Mom and Grammy. Can't wait to see you in September...

Lisa

Happy Birthday Mom!

Pete Yo and Scar Jo

I really dig this song. The female vocalist? Scarlett Johansson. Wha??? I know! She actually has a fantasticly smokey old-school vibe and the duet with Pete Yorn is just lovely. I wonder what the rest of the album will sound like?

Here is a tiny sample, but you can see the whole video here.

Babies are becoming more and more talented with each generation. I could only do this at 2. Evolution baby.

I want a chicken.

painting by Mauro Malang Santos via Komikero Comics Journal

I stumbled across Omelet, and now really want a chicken. Fresh eggs?! Yum! Except for Matthew gets sick when he eats eggs. So maybe I won't get a chicken.

Hurricane Bill

image via cbc news

Matt and Oli ran to the store to fetch a pail of water...Seriously though, I know that hurricanes are dangerous and scary, but I am a teeny bit excited for gale force winds and torrential rains tomorrow. Something about storms....We have our survival kits ready with water, propane, candles, cash, avocados for Oliver, beer for Dad and wine for Mom.

As soon as I heard about waves that will swell to 2 meters in the storm surge, I thought...let's go to the harbour and watch. LOL! I blame my prairie upbringing for my lack of common sense concerning ocean-related activities....

I do want to mention that I am somewhat disappointed that my first hurricane is named Bill. Really? Bill? Is that all you could come up with? How bout Bartholomew, or Beelzebub, or Boris, the angry Russian hurricane. I don't know who is in charge of naming storms, but I'd like to get myself on that payroll...

*UPDATE: Found a link to a live webcam at Peggy's cove so you can watch too! (It's mostly fog today though...still beautiful.)
http://www.peggyscovewebcam.ca/live/

BEST EVER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD EVER EVER EVER

This is perhaps the best most wonderful video. Gosh babies are awesome.

2 Scores in 1 Day!

Ok. Guess who's the proud new owner of a Dwell Studios Weekender Bag? Oh that's right...Sir Oliver the Small. Boo yah.

Annnnnddddd, 5 minutes after purchasing this awesome travel bag, I got a package from my Mom containing a Marimekko onesie! Holy crap! Love it!

As seen on their website:
"Marimekko’s vision is to be the most acclaimed print designer in the world and one of the most appealing design-based consumer brands. "

Yay Wednesdays!

Farewell John Hughes

(image courtesy NY Times)

Molly Ringwald, John Hughes, Anthony Michael Hall. These are names I grew up with. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink. These are movies I loved.

It is strange how you can feel such sadness for a person you have never met. Although since the passing of my father, I feel a strange quiet sadness whenever I hear of anyone passing.

Speaking with a friend yesterday, the talented Mr. Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch, I discovered that there would be an article published in the NY Times written by Molly Ringwald about John Hughes' death. Max had been approached to illustrate said article. Poor fella had a raging fever, but managed to turn it out.

I awoke this morning very excited to see that he had indeed turned it out. The underlying theme for Ringwald's article was that John was like Peter Pan, in that he created a Neverland for the actors in his films. Her writing was just what I had expected it to be. Thoughtful, intimate, sentimental.

The picture that accompanied it was a charming example of MLHH's oeuvre. His signature characters are created with such a childlike passion: I can't imagine a more suitable artist to illustrate the words chosen to mourn the passing of a true cinematic great.