tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-288191212011-07-07T17:49:48.539-04:00The mad ramblings and wicked reviews of a wannabe adventurer and dreamer.Jennnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-82647018965951379652009-01-10T20:42:00.002-05:002009-01-10T20:46:07.853-05:00

Over the past while I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the piratic leanings on my blog. Pirates in their Treasure Island and Pirates of the Caribbean glory are all well and good, but there is absolutely nothing entertaining about pirates in reality. The horrors currently being committed by real life pirates cannot be too harshly condemned.With that in mind, I have a new domain for

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-11377241624143847542008-12-15T23:28:00.001-05:002008-12-15T23:40:17.838-05:00

I'm getting ready for my book chat meeting this week. We'll be sharing our favourite new books of 2008 with each other. I'm having a lot of trouble picking. There've been a few new entries in ongoing mystery series that I've quite enjoyed.Devil Bones, by Kathy Reichs was a gripping entry into the Temperance Brennan series. It was sadly lacking in Andrew Ryan activity, but otherwise lived up to

Jennnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-76243025186024295812008-12-04T11:50:00.001-05:002008-12-04T11:52:05.466-05:00

After writing the previous post Governor General Michaelle Jean brought down her decision. I am saddened to say that she agreed to a prorogation. I can't write more now, but the Globe and Mail has coverage here.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-81515137579181504812008-12-04T10:34:00.002-05:002008-12-04T11:49:27.220-05:00

It was just pointed out to me that I have made no comment on the current shenanigans taking front and centre in Ottawa during a time when, perhaps, those duly elected to represent the best interests of all Canadians ought to be playing nicely together for the sake of seeing us through the economic storm that is wailing away on our doorsteps. I apologize. I also apologize to those who will be

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-72825062948890903522008-11-17T21:33:00.004-05:002008-11-18T00:02:24.455-05:00

Little Brother, by Cory Doctorowhttp://craphound.com/http://boingboing.net/Marcus is your average seventeen year-old computer savvy gamer living in San Francisco. As the story begins, he and his ARG (Alternate Reality Game) team are living relatively carefree lives, using their hacking skills to sneak out of school in order to play. Marcus's world is turned upside down when there is a terrorist

Jennnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-84219463308143577972008-11-16T21:54:00.014-05:002008-11-16T23:49:24.078-05:00

I've been trying out a new church downtown for the past couple weeks. Why you ask? Well, I really like the sense of community that comes from belonging to a group of like-minded individuals. I enjoy the ritual of attending church and partaking of a group act of spirituality. I like to have my mind opened a little through intellectually stimulating sermons and discussions about the state of

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-55838661647986366622008-11-15T12:06:00.003-05:002008-11-16T00:35:22.968-05:00

The Saver, by Edeet Ravelhttp://www.edeet.com/YA/Realistic/CanadianFern arrives home from school one day to find that her mother has been rushed to the hospital. Arriving at the hospital she learns that her mother is dead, and that she is completely alone in the world. At age seventeen, Fern is face with quitting school, finding work, and supporting herself. To start, she takes over cleaning

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-6904768718104601012008-11-10T23:32:00.003-05:002008-11-11T00:39:47.310-05:00

I’ve been feeling a little stressed and overwhelmed with life lately, for one reason and another that I’m not going to get into. In times like this I tend to turn to old friends. Old friends in paper format that is. This month, I’ve been rereading the Anne of Green Gables series. As coincidence would have it, I made it to the eighth and final book today. Rilla of Ingleside is the only book

Jennnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-70357694847298817252008-11-01T08:54:00.000-04:002008-11-02T11:02:42.102-05:00

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-87098568866745745502008-10-13T21:58:00.006-04:002008-10-20T21:39:51.308-04:00

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-30520550767474742162008-10-08T12:06:00.002-04:002008-10-20T21:40:03.363-04:00

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-31953432714553668962008-10-06T22:42:00.003-04:002008-10-20T21:39:34.370-04:00

So I've been turned into an ABC voter, without even having to think about it. I'm actually rather disappointed.First off, ABC voter? That would be Anything But Conservative.How did I become an ABC person?Simple. My riding started off with four candidates, one from each of Conservative, Liberal, NDP, and Green.The Green candidate has dropped out because of "family reasons". Unfortunate.The NDP

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-64960309220671136782008-10-02T22:28:00.003-04:002008-10-20T21:39:34.370-04:00

Some interesting sites that have cropped up this election time (bearing in mind that I'm definitely not a Conservative, and these are things I find interesting):Vote For Environmenthttp://www.voteforenvironment.ca/For those interested in ABC (Anything But Conservative) the creators of this site have been analyzing each riding, and offer up to the minute suggestions of how to vote to ensure that

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-19320691608742595062008-09-29T21:28:00.003-04:002008-10-20T21:40:15.736-04:00

J'adore l'automne!

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-40979160027246447272008-09-28T21:36:00.006-04:002008-10-20T21:40:25.625-04:00

I got home from work today to find that the local Conservative candidate (or more likely volunteers canvassing on his behalf) had actually gotten into my building, and because I wasn't in, had shoved several oversized and glossy pieces of right wing propaganda into my door jam. Lovely. A treat. Something pleasing to read as I prepared dinner.And what gloriously imaginative reading! See below

Jennnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-57190732982856528712008-09-22T20:51:00.003-04:002008-09-22T21:37:29.748-04:00

The Storyteller and Other Tales, by K. V. Johansenhttp://www.sybertooth.com/kvj/Canadian/Late YA and Adult/short story collection/historic fantasyThe Storyteller and Other Tales is a collection of four beautifully told tales, in the truest sense of storytelling. That is, while reading them, I felt transported. I might have been experiencing them as told by a true teller of tales, round a fire,

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-40108201654221111002008-09-19T14:55:00.008-04:002008-09-19T16:44:15.455-04:00

By the powers! Ahoy all ye Landlubbers and Bilge Rats! 'Tis International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Today we go on the account. Raise yer grog if ye be a gentleman of fortune, tonight we be swashbucklin' and takin' a swaggy wi' a wannion! Yo ho ho me hearties!Some bits o'fun:Drink like a pirate!- Recipes for a pirate drinks galore - both alcoholic and non.If yer a Facebook user - scroll to the

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-42109070835634895042008-09-15T23:41:00.001-04:002008-09-15T23:42:37.259-04:00

I didn't watch SNL on Saturday, but this is pretty funny.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-19561314886803922152008-09-15T12:12:00.010-04:002008-10-26T18:15:22.153-04:00

My VCR broke about a year ago. I put all the VHS tapes in a box. In a closet. I'm thinking it is about time to move them out of the closet and on to a new home. Anyone who still has a VCR can put in their bids for these VHS tapes. They are free to the first bidder.In the order of removal from the box:Bye Bye BirdieThe Parent Trap (Lindsay Lohan when she was cute version)Snow White and the

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-42936939324441359192008-09-13T17:17:00.003-04:002008-09-15T09:11:25.283-04:00

I'm sitting here, amongst piles of papers that are being sorted and crafting supplies that are finding new homes, having the strongest sense of childhood familiarity. Strange, it would seem, in an apartment I've lived in for only just over three years, looking at materials that never saw the inside of Burlington. But, there are other factors going on here that make the whole experience so

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-62694474531849402742008-09-11T11:19:00.003-04:002008-09-11T11:40:09.656-04:00

Labour Day weekend my family (extended) participated in a group Resonance Repatterning session, in which we dealt with a family challenge - hanging on to clutter. Stuff clutter. Emotional clutter. Mental clutter. Every kind of clutter you can imagine. Resonance repatterning sessions involve talking about what your issue is that you want to deal with, finding statements of positive changes,

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-22574585422744184942008-09-10T22:38:00.003-04:002008-09-10T22:56:19.923-04:00

I was poking around, looking at blogs linked through other friends' blogs the other day, and came across this book meme on Etc.This is a list of the top 106 books most often marked “unread” by LibraryThing users. The rules: bold the ones you’ve read, underline the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish.Jonathan Strange & Mr NorrellAnna KareninaCrime and

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-70532248673182583712008-09-07T22:13:00.005-04:002008-09-07T22:24:48.359-04:00

So, being the nerd I am, I do tend to check in on OfficeTally, the #1 fan blog/news aggregator for my favourite television program, The Office. Tanster, the blogger, has been running a Wordle contest for the last little while. What's Wordle you ask? I was wondering too.Turns out, Wordle is a somewhat addictive, online word art creator. I did this one by capturing words from my blog's feed.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-35218962370069577822008-09-07T19:39:00.003-04:002008-09-07T20:04:16.061-04:00

Back in July I rambled on a bit about The Globe and Mail's 50 Greatest Books feature. I figure it is now about time for an update, especially given that they failed to put the Books section in print for much of August, forcing us online for a weekly fix of the best seller list and 50 Greatest Books.So, in the Mad Tales discussion, we left off after #28 Moby Dick.Here's what's happened since:29th

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-10251517117736177052008-09-07T16:39:00.012-04:002008-09-07T17:36:56.988-04:00

The Binder Twine Festival is this fun little fall fair that takes place in the village of Kleinburg every year. For the past few months I've been working at trying to get some element of involvement for our library, and it finally came about that we would have a booth in the children's area, and we would do some storytelling. I decided we'd do it in period appropriate costume, as costume plays

Jennnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-76596870426696580392008-09-04T09:59:00.003-04:002008-09-04T10:07:44.640-04:00

This was on the side of an outhouse at a crafty pottery enclave. The sign made the children's librarians present giggle a bit.This was for sale at a craft shop, distinguishable for having one of the largest conglomerations of truly horrifying schlock ever seen on sale in one place. It is on a post, which you are meant to drive into your lawn so as to have this on display in your front yard.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-14826663739294425432008-09-03T09:28:00.003-04:002008-09-03T10:16:52.549-04:00

A couple months ago I noted that I'd finally read the first three books in the Twilight Saga, and found myself firmly entrenched on the Stephenie Meyer bandwagon. Then, I took the 20 CD audiobook of The Host out of the library. For those not in the know, The Host is Stephenie Meyer's first adult novel. It inhabits a separate universe from the Twilight books. It is also incredibly long.Like

Jennnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-62085744320399453522008-09-02T20:57:00.007-04:002008-09-03T22:41:27.017-04:00

Many of you know that my grandmother died in March 2007. This weekend my aunts, mother, cousins, and I spread all of her jewelry out on the table at the cottage and chose who got to keep what. Sort of. My aunts had chosen some particular items for themselves, and a specific item for my mother. The rest, we got to share, based on our memories of my grandmother wearing the jewelry, or personal

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-49742081529255390712008-08-20T21:48:00.004-04:002008-08-20T23:12:57.483-04:00

Tragic Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince news. It has been delayed! Now we won't get to see it until next July 17, 2009.But what about my Christmas holiday Harry Potter watching needs????Silly movie companies and their money grubbing ways!Edited (later that same night) to add:From the WB press release:In making the announcement, Mr. Horn stated, “Our reasons for shifting ‘Half-Blood Prince

Jennnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-48065773334098026992008-08-17T21:49:00.006-04:002008-08-21T11:26:32.828-04:00

While we get better Olympic coverage, the Americans get better ads during their Olympics. Oh Dwight, how I love thee...And this one:and this one:I have lots of updating to do, but no energy at the moment. Give me a few days and there ought to be a flurry!P.S. If you haven't already, and you are in any way a fan of the Office and/or the people who perform in it, go here now: http://

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-5762947907388315842008-08-06T17:43:00.004-04:002008-08-06T17:53:55.860-04:00

I'm busy making dinner, housecleaning, and doing all those other things one does upon returning from a vacation, but I couldn't go for long without sharing this, the most ridiculous thing of all time!Yes! GTB now has her very own leash so that she can go for walks (hops? scampers?) in the great outdoors. Being an indoor bunny she found the dirt in her feet someone offensive, and needed to stop

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-47617464491760888292008-08-06T17:08:00.001-04:002008-08-06T17:09:47.628-04:00

Potentially the best "first dance" EVER! Yay cousins!You have to wait for about 50 seconds for the funny to start. And then you really don't need to watch the last 3 minutes or so. BUT, the middle is totally worth the wait.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-7136348085644109482008-07-30T12:39:00.001-04:002008-07-30T12:41:41.465-04:00

A very cool new trailer. November 21st! So excited.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-57660105222747159562008-07-28T23:42:00.006-04:002008-11-12T22:14:49.355-05:00

Our family cottage is located near a bloated town that seems poised to gobble up every bit of green space left in its path to the lake. People ask why we choose to holiday there, and the only answer left is that we choose to be there because we have been there since long before the town set its beady eyes on the space, and we aren't quite ready to give up multiple generations of family history

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-87495672600608436132008-07-21T22:26:00.004-04:002008-07-23T00:13:22.134-04:00

The Globe and Mail Books section has been doing an interesting, ongoing, feature that I've been following, but have failed to blog about to date. The feature is called 50 Greatest Books. Each week they reveal a new book on the list.This article gives you the shtick. Read that for an explanation of criteria.Basically, their position on what makes a great book is as follows:"Our view is that a

Jennnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-24099540724470836132008-07-18T21:27:00.002-04:002008-07-18T21:30:04.085-04:00

I got totally sick of this song when it was in the iPod(?), iPhone(?), apple____ commercials, but how cute is this?

Jennnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-58736697008658582082008-07-06T18:52:00.005-04:002008-11-12T22:14:49.672-05:00

I've been a little among the missing lately, and for that I do apologize. It has been a bit of a weird few weeks.First. A sad bit of a family update. You may remember, back in May, that I wrote about a Great Uncle passing away. Sadly his wife died this past week. Her funeral is tomorrow. It is so strange how often it happens that the surviving spouse lives for a very short time after the

Jennnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-17878074504165611792008-07-06T18:12:00.006-04:002008-11-12T22:14:50.125-05:00

For months (years?) we've been experiencing a phenomenon of unprecedented dimensions in library world. A teen novel. A romance. A vampire romance, has captured the imagination of teen female readers, and more exceptionally teen male readers, in incredible masses. We need to keep ordering more copies of the books. All three have huge waiting lists. The kids are asking for more of the same,

Jennnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-77617310622491308512008-06-18T22:39:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:50.248-05:00

The Law of Three, by Caroline Renni PattisonSequel to The Whole, Entire, Complete Truth, or, book to in the Sarah Martin Mystery series.Canadian/YA/MysteryI was quite hard on The Whole, Entire, Complete Truth when it came out. I stand by that appraisal, but I am also going to say that the author has improved on that shaky start to the series with this, the second entry.The Law of Three sees

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-84883218295487189172008-06-18T21:55:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:50.387-05:00

Gotcha!, by Shelley Hrdlitschkahttp://www.shelleyhrdlitschka.com/(hasn't been updated recently)Canadian/YA/RealisticKatie is a senior in high school. She's on the grad committee. She has plans. But her life is getting a little complicated as her parents are splitting up. Worse. It is Bead Season at Slippery Rock High.Every year the graduating class plays a game called "Gotcha!". To play

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-79266870389162482702008-06-16T22:34:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:50.613-05:00

Treason in Eswy, by K.V. Johansenhttp://www.pippin.ca/kvj/Sequel to Nightwalker Canadian/Fantasy/Young YATreason in Eswy picks up some few years after the conclusion of Nightwalker. The characters we last saw as young teens just learning of their destinies are now coming into their own. However, they are not our main focus in this entry to the series. As the title would indicate, this episode

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-32157230485911831022008-06-16T21:38:00.002-04:002008-11-12T22:14:50.749-05:00

This weekend was Book Expo Canada! What's that? Why it is Canada's largest book and publishing industry trade show. Librarians get into the trade show part for cheap. Like really cheap. We get to see all the new books that are coming out. Better yet, we get to meet some of our favourite authors, and get copies of their books signed. On top of that there are piles of other books, some of

Jennnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-62685560541355478512008-06-08T10:34:00.002-04:002008-06-08T10:55:14.092-04:00

You may remember me talking about my neighbour, Crazy Maureen. Yesterday I had a LOT of reading to do. Very boring reading. Very long, largely poorly written reading for a contest I am helping to judge. It was just way too hot in my apartment to face that for longer than the first three of the twelve documents I need to read. So I headed to Starbucks for a few, and then, when it hit late

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-2780959320254392772008-06-05T22:51:00.001-04:002008-06-05T23:10:14.666-04:00

Well, I have to say that Mr. FW has some nerve! He doesn't post for months at a time and then comes back and tags a girl for a meme! Glad you're back though, I've been wondering what's up in the exciting life of the W family! After a tough winter, I hope that you are all having rejuvenating and pleasant spring.I am not one to turn down a challenge, so here we go. This is the standard FIVE

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-86228883483373489052008-06-04T23:09:00.003-04:002008-06-04T23:29:48.398-04:00

Why is it that one can get through any number of novels during a three week library borrowing period, but can never finish even the most interesting non-fiction book in the allotted time? Even when one has been waiting and there is a waiting list which one will now have to sit through again before resuming the read?Why do all the customers you've been waiting to have a chance to chat with about

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-11534895824500266652008-06-02T23:07:00.005-04:002008-11-12T22:14:51.051-05:00

Throughout all the lead up to Sex and the City: The Movie I felt fairly blasé. I blithely told people that I was kind of over the show. That a movie now seemed either too soon, or too late. That it wouldn't hold up in theatres, and that maybe, just maybe, I'd watch it once it came out on DVD. In the end, I couldn't hold out. Or I didn't want to. The thought of 2.5 hours with my favourite

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-40235722698996995442008-06-01T19:37:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:51.366-05:00

First - Happy first of the month! A very merry rabbits to you!And, perhaps more importantly, happy 34th anniversary to M and D! Hope you had a lovely day!

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-66906183994602730122008-05-25T09:22:00.004-04:002008-11-12T22:14:51.683-05:00

I've been a bit of a cranky pants lately. It is true. I can admit it. I'm lethargic and sneezy. Headachy and prone to ignore completely the fact that people are talking to me. Slightly disgusting to be around, with a bright red nose, eyes that look like I haven't stopped crying for months, and a tissue almost always at hand. And why???? Not because I am depressed, or stressed out, or sick.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-44101373508290321412008-05-20T21:42:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:52.405-05:00

You may remember me mentioning, last autumn, that the property next to my cottage had been purchased, and the beautiful forest clearcut. The devastation continues, as a monsterific home of ridiculous proportions has gone up in its place. The building is approximately 3 times the size of my parents' 4 bedroom, comfortably sizable house in the city. That's in square footage. AND, the

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-6463740686796294762008-05-18T13:02:00.006-04:002008-11-12T22:14:52.956-05:00

It is a bit of a puddleglummy day, which seems to be the way of it for the Victoria Day weekend almost every year. Why is that? In April we had June-like weather, but on the May long weekend there are frost warnings and reports of blowing snow?Weather notwithstanding, I decided to take a wee walk. Spring rain seems particularly well suited to walking somehow. And, I've been experimenting with

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-18669174961772346692008-05-12T15:56:00.002-04:002008-05-12T16:03:06.258-04:00

Hi Everyone,Your friendly neighbourhood frat boy here to give you the following public service announcement!From May 17 - May 23 Michael's will be holding a 50% off the purchase of any one regular priced item sale. Yes! Anything! Well. Almost anything. No custom arrangements, custom framing, or Cricut products. But anything else. So, if there is some big crafting item or tool you've been

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-38762506173984503142008-05-05T21:12:00.004-04:002008-05-05T21:26:17.843-04:00

Today was both a very sad, and somehow also a pleasant day. This morning, together with assorted family members, I went to Midland for the funeral of my Great Uncle F. He was a great man, an all around wonderful human being. He's been fading for a good longtime. Almost blind. Mostly immobile. But fading, and gone are such different things. And he's been such a fixture, that the thought of a

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-5981382912676133822008-04-30T21:33:00.009-04:002008-11-12T22:14:53.692-05:00

How cool would it be to live in a big cosmopolitan city, and to be able to take the subway to the beach?! Yes! The beach! A big, beautiful, sandy, movie-gorgeous beach.When Deranged Squirrel and I went into Boston for our day in the big city, we drove from our hotel to Revere Beach, where we parked, and took the subway into the city centre. It was great! We didn't have to fight the scary

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-61419404536308516722008-04-29T09:42:00.002-04:002008-11-12T22:14:54.169-05:00

Concord, Massachusetts, is home to the memories of Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the Alcott family. Everything in town seems to have something to do with one of these people. Even the antique stores. What is not to love about punny antiques?!?!Sadly this is not a matchmaking service for money grubbers and/or seekers of sugar daddies. But it would be so

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-8438253803860500312008-04-28T23:05:00.005-04:002008-11-12T22:14:54.868-05:00

Children's librarians all know Make Way for Ducklings. We learn about it in children's literature courses. We have to keep repurchasing it for our collections. We see it on the lists of Caldecott winners (it won in 1942). I have a soft spot for it. Even though I know that every time I read it I find it a little too long. And even though it is very much of its 1940s time. There is something

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-61587292733137350782008-04-27T14:55:00.005-04:002008-11-12T22:14:55.432-05:00

What do people do in a small town when they've seen everything they could possibly want to see, including every used and new bookstore known to man, but have a couple hours to put in before they can realistically eat dinner? Why they go to the next town over to visit the Yankee Candle Company of course!The tagline is "Come for the Candles. Stay for the Fun!" And we sure did.I failed to take a

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-2978252211730134602008-04-26T20:18:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:56.219-05:00

The glorious, wonderfully scintillating, thing about staying in hotels of the cheaper variety is that they often pride themselves on offering the latest in 30 years out of date technology. Case in point: our keys in Amherst Massachusetts!A photo essay, explaining, in the words of the hotel reception clerk, how to use the chicest of keys:Take the "key"Push it into the slotfirmlythen turn the

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-86468098321701309732008-04-24T11:50:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:56.679-05:00

Well, it has been nearly an age since I posted, but I have an excuse! I swear! I've been on vacation! And before that I was being very very busy and important. But back to the vacation. The Deranged Squirrel and I both had some holiday time to use up, and a burning desire to see the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. So, we took a wee road trip to Massachusetts and took in a number of

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-12882108609871400392008-04-07T11:37:00.008-04:002008-11-12T22:14:57.272-05:00

There are strange, strange things happening in the world. Could it be a sign that the apocalypse is nigh?Sign #1NKOTB - That's Right! The New Kids on the Block! They are back.Not only do they get their very own Spice Girlesque reunion tour, the boys are also putting out a new album. Oh my!I'm not so sure the boys should still be referring to themselves as kids, or indeed, as new kids on the

Jennnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-75743237186274168952008-04-02T12:00:00.005-04:002008-11-12T22:14:57.474-05:00

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, by Syrie Jameshttp://www.syriejames.com/The premise of this book is that, in renovating an Austen family home, memoirs written by Jane Austen in the last years of her life are discovered, and that one set of them is published in this book. Of course no such memoirs have, as yet, been discovered. We know very little of the author's personal life outside of a

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-15682669438861439432008-04-01T20:38:00.002-04:002008-11-12T22:14:57.589-05:00

GTB Disapproves mightily.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-42038425236082806812008-03-30T23:10:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:57.741-05:00

Last night, March 29, was Earth Hour. We were having a small birthday bash for blogless J. So, we turned off the lights, had a few candles, and played some party games for the hour. I think it was actually one of the funnier birthday parties we've had - librarians seem to lose some of their inhibitions in the dark!But that's not what I wanted to talk about. Today I've been seeing comparative

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-69017069542028631252008-03-30T16:25:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:58.326-05:00

Last night, late in the evening as I was getting set for a long trek home, it was brought to my attention (thanks False Prophet) that my passenger side headlight had blown out. Dang. It was much too late to do anything about it then, so I drove home by well lit routes, and dealt with the problem today. The only other time I have had a light go out on this car it was the driver's side, and

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-19420435746834380282008-03-27T23:01:00.003-04:002008-03-27T23:48:08.788-04:00

This Monday I went to see Katherine Barber, the Katherine Barber, Canada's Word Lady, speak. It was awesome! For you philistines who aren't already devotees, she is the editor-in-chief of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. That weighty tome, that longtime bestseller, that source of all things verbose - as well as all of the other dictionary products: paperback, concise, etc. She's also the

Jennnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-43013889392028043172008-03-23T22:53:00.001-04:002008-11-12T22:14:58.489-05:00

Happy Easter!From GTB and Me!

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-22566789646928594572008-03-19T21:55:00.005-04:002008-11-12T22:14:58.603-05:00

This is what happens when you leave me at home all day with the task of housecleaning and with no one to talk at. I get very verbose. Actually, I always have a lot to say, there are just usually more outlets for the verbosity.Generals Die In Bed, by Charles Yale HarrisonA couple weeks ago a coworker and I were discussing my predilection for YA fiction, and said coworker claimed not to have

Jennnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-7832647973663856872008-03-19T17:50:00.002-04:002008-03-19T18:49:04.646-04:00

With all this template changing extravaganza action over here I've been also playing with my stat counters to make sure everything is reinstalled and working away. Sometime around mid-April last year the basic hit counter I'd been using crashed. That is, the site that hosted the hit counter crashed, and was down for several days. So I decided to upgrade to something a little more stat-filled.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-77059388763447402572008-03-19T13:54:00.006-04:002008-11-12T22:14:59.128-05:00

So for awhile now I've had people mentioning intermittently that Battlestar Galactica is an awesome show, or a great show, or a show that you need to watch on DVD so you can experience the whole thing at once.I've been reluctant. I'm not really a sci-fi, shoot-em-up kind of a gal. Sure, I like Star Wars, but who doesn't enjoy watching Han Solo running around in his tight pants making really bad

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-87932703703388428182008-03-19T13:44:00.001-04:002008-03-19T13:46:05.720-04:00

Ok. I think I've got this template to the point where it works the way it is supposed to work, and isn't the completely hideous boringness of a standard blogger template. I'm still not completely satisfied with the aesthetics of the thing, so I'll still tinker, but I think we're up and running. If you come across anything that isn't working or is missing, etc., please do let me know!

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-33525726947751256922008-03-17T12:18:00.001-04:002008-03-17T12:20:05.222-04:00

Apologies for the chaos going on in my template. The template I've been using is from Old Blogger and it doesn't let me do some of the things New Blogger allows. So I'm upgrading. But I'm not good enough at upgrading that this can be done in the blink of an eye. Hence the uuuugly.We hope to be back to a beautiful, seasonally inappropriate, set-up asap.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-83956158598302501952008-03-15T23:35:00.003-04:002008-11-12T22:14:59.399-05:00

Sunshine, by Robin McKinleyhttp://www.robinmckinley.com/Adult (shocking, I know!)/Horrorish/Fantasy/VampiresRobin McKinley, one of my own personal goddesses for her fabulous fairy tale retellings and, need I even mention it, affiliation with all things Sherwood, branched out into the world of we're-definitely-not-in-the-children's-section-anymore writing with Sunshine way back in 2004, and it

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-30633807705484855042008-03-11T22:30:00.007-04:002008-11-12T22:15:00.764-05:00

Usually when we think about war movies we picture big battle scenes, sweeping shots of armies approaching each other, and lots of blood and gore.I love war movies. But not that kind of war movie. The ones I like are of the human drama variety. Stories of people in London during the Blitz, hiding out in Casablanca while awaiting travel visas, or acting as members of the resistance in France or

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-9058016418906711562008-03-09T21:01:00.007-04:002008-11-12T22:15:01.407-05:00

We live in a crazy world. The weather is so crazily affected by the damage we've wrought on our environment that we can go from a year of almost no snow like last year, to a year of intense storm after intense storm. Yesterday when I was waiting for a bus at about 4:00 p.m. I couldn't actually see if there was a bus coming until it was almost at the stop because the snow was coming horizontally

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-8838120091394636002008-03-09T00:40:00.004-05:002008-11-12T22:15:01.601-05:00

Everything was a little naked at the ballet tonight. And I mean that literally. There was very little clothing in evidence for the first third of the evening.This week the National Ballet is doing a mixed bill of three short pieces. See more about them on the NBOC website.The first piece is 24 Preludes by Chopin, by Canadian choreographer Marie Chouinard. The preludes are played on the piano,

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-27750680387425540232008-03-08T10:00:00.003-05:002008-03-08T14:17:03.777-05:00

March 8 is International Women's Day.International Women's Day WebsiteIt began in 1908, when 15,000 women in New York City marched in a protest to demand shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights. By 1910, at a Socialist International meeting in Copenhagen, International Women's Day was proposed, as a way to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women. It was a meeting of 100 women from

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-81993811841376023492008-03-06T23:30:00.001-05:002008-03-06T23:30:51.912-05:00

I realize that it has been an absolute age since I posted a book review. The supposed purpose of the blog, yes. But the blog has been hijacked by household woes of late.So, what have I been reading.Ever so much!First, I just finished listening to Book of the Dead, Patricia Cornwell's newest Kay Scarpetta book.http://www.patriciacornwell.com/It was very scary, and one of the best Scarpetta books

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-27754114672003304972008-03-03T19:01:00.003-05:002008-11-12T22:15:01.721-05:00

My building. An old building. A four story walk-up which houses singletons, pairs, and families, has only 2 washing machines, and 2 driers. Yes. You read that right. Just two of each. It seems inane. Crazy even. A month or two ago the laundry room was closed for most of a week for renovations. I was in high hopes that this meant more machines. Alas, it just meant painting the floor a

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-1494828691434572722008-02-24T13:05:00.006-05:002008-11-12T22:15:02.440-05:00

A few days ago we had a discussion about comfort foods in the lunch room at work. For most people, it seems, comfort foods are reminiscent of childhood. It might be something their mother or grandmother cooked, or something they remember eating in a special place, or on special occasions.So, that got me to thinking about my comfort foods, the foods I turn to when I'm a little down, or tired, or

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-87937617778558719512008-02-24T09:26:00.003-05:002008-02-24T09:51:52.198-05:00

I've decided that we've had just about enough of winter, and have played bloggergod and made it early September on Mad Jenny Flint's Mad Tales. What a beautiful day we're having on the blog now! A lovely sun-cloud mix. Wheat blowing gently in the field. How wonderfully relaxing!Looking out my window, the parking lot is full of brownish piled snow. Fully two parking spots in my tiny lot have

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-79816544025724029352008-02-21T11:44:00.002-05:002008-02-21T12:15:29.912-05:00

Mad Jenny's Mad Oscar Poll - 2008 Edition!We're late starting the poll this year, as the presence of an actual awards show was in question because of the Writers' Strike. As the strike is now happily, and I hope successfully, over, we get our show. Jon Stewart is set to host again, and presenters include all of last year's big winners, and a few people with movies to promote.Here's what you do.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-4668533056460585642008-02-18T00:34:00.001-05:002008-02-18T00:37:28.550-05:00

Check out this awesome video of my cousin with his Diablo. So cool!

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-71953780466051486922008-02-17T10:03:00.007-05:002008-11-12T22:15:02.587-05:00

Yes folks, this is my 300th post!300 posts in which we have learned the following:I read a lot of YAThere is a lot of good YAI have a slightly disturbing fixation with bunniesI have an even more disturbing fascination with feet, particularly with filming themI like to take pictures of flowers, and torture you all with giant posts of themPirates aaaaaaare funSo are signs that say silly

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-70476515048777896502008-02-15T22:26:00.002-05:002008-11-12T22:15:02.666-05:00

the third eye, by mahtab narsimhanhttp://www.mahtabnarsimhan.com/http://mahtabnarsimhan.blogspot.com/Middle Grade/early YA/Canadian/Indian mythologyTara, and her younger brother Suraj, have been living a terrible life for the last year, ever since the night when their mother and grandfather disappeared from the village. Their new stepmother is cruel, and enslaves the two children, forcing them

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-19773992027772677192008-02-14T22:38:00.004-05:002008-02-14T23:06:23.702-05:00

I don't like Valentine's Day. You might think it is because I'm single. And maybe that is partly the case. Sure I'm bitter and alone and all those other things you could accuse me of in my unreasonable hatred for this day. But it also has to do with the fact that I'm enough of a romantic that the concept of commercializing romance distresses me a bit. The tackiness of everything that goes

Jennnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-78525486684131323852008-02-04T14:07:00.000-05:002008-02-04T14:25:50.431-05:00

As some of you know, I've been a little obsessed with Snow White for some years now. In my undergraduate degree I took a few classes that helped to build this obsession, when combined with my already brightly burning love of all things fairy tale and magic. Why Snow White, when there are so many other stories? Because I also love Luce Irigaray, and her theories on sexual difference. Now, what

Jennnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-77670396636074874122008-02-03T10:56:00.000-05:002008-02-03T17:51:25.361-05:00

I haven't posted for a week, but that has been because I've been very very busy and important! This week was the annual Ontario Library Association SuperConference. Held, luckily, in Toronto. There, I took part in a little of this, and also a lot of sitting listening to people, and a lot of droning on for myself. SuperConference is exhausting! And I only went to two of the four possible

Jennnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-79713414627309751752008-02-03T09:30:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:02.972-05:00

This one comes to us in a forward of silly religious signage sent by The Little! This may apply to that particular church, but I actually also like it on a librarian level!Way to go finding a funny but also true sign!

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-12060125090213519862008-01-27T19:06:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:03.061-05:00

Rebel's Tag, by K.L. DenmanAn Orca Currents Hi/LoYou may have noticed that I've been picking up the pace of the book reviews lately. This may, or may not, be a clue to you that I've been prepping things to say about certain books that may, or may not, be on a list that I may, or may not, be presenting at OLA next week. I guess you can take from the speed of the review posting the idea that I'm

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-75839817910978514882008-01-27T17:58:00.000-05:002008-01-27T18:19:09.511-05:00

I don't know if everyone else suffers the same fate as me, but I seem to be a magnet for the crazies and the lonely hearts. They can't get enough of me. They find me on the subway, in the grocery store, when I'm sitting alone and vulnerable at the reference desk, and, sadly, in my own apartment building. They tell me their life stories. They call me deary. They ask me home for a cuppa. They

Jennnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-35489463041873007122008-01-27T14:43:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:03.217-05:00

The Warrior's Daughter, by Holly BennettCanadian/YA/Fantasy/Mythic retelling In The Warrior's Daughter, Holly Bennett takes Irish mythology, and creates a strong young female character who has to deal with the happenings and characters of the myths. Luaine tells her own story.Luaine is the daughter of Ireland's greatest warrior, Cuchulain. She and her mother, Emer, begin the tale in awaiting

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-77648225931483649412008-01-26T11:16:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:03.303-05:00

...Damn fewand they're a' deid! I just realized that yesterday was Rabbie Burns Day, and somehow I forgot to crack out my terrible Scottish accent, and slightly inappropriate Scottish toasts!The above means - Here's to us, who's like us (or, who's as good as us)? Damn few, and they're all dead.Ha! I love it.As a good girl of mostly Scottish descent (though really,

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-28370094979234532512008-01-23T09:52:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:03.371-05:00

Oh Turkey, how I love your road signs.From Kidlet's Mum, another sign of glory:And because I can't explain it any better than she did, a direct quote: "Presumably it's suggesting that drivers not honk their horns, but it looks like young musicians are being told not to play their trombones!"Snort.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-58148708767038987192008-01-21T18:35:00.000-05:002008-01-23T09:52:17.545-05:00

We've had a submission of an online street sign via flickr. Thank you to Miss H. McF. for digging up this amazing treasurePlease follow this link to the flickr image which I cannot upload as it is not mine.Awesome!

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-19226415883809931452008-01-20T22:55:00.000-05:002008-01-20T23:11:04.054-05:00

Back when Blogger first added tags, I started to tag my posts. But I had changed the template, and I couldn't figure out how to get my tags to be listed so that people could actually use them. I have now figured it out.And, in my ongoing quest for online procrastination tools, I have been back-tagging posts. And, I have a list of tags. My one rule for tags: they must be words that begin with

Jennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-49420343001647553952008-01-19T23:03:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:03.623-05:00

I actually worked for about an hour and a half, at which point my brain went to mush. While awaiting a second wind, it occurred to me that I hadn't posted this yet! Another fabulous sign from that intrepid sign hunter Kidlet's (and Little Farts! Congratulations again!) Mum!Ha. So it isn't a sign so much as a box. But that doesn't take away from the spectacularness of the thing. All it means

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-73704061271858530682008-01-19T20:29:00.000-05:002008-01-19T23:51:01.286-05:00

I'm feeling a little deja vu this evening, here in my apartment, on a Saturday night in the winter. Decked out in PJ pants and a hoodie. Hair twisted up in a clip. Glasses perched on the nose. Sex and the City on TV. And homework that I am avoiding at all costs. How is it that the moment I take up a little bit of school I fall into my old poor study habits? How is it that a show I wasted

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-18410543895233317502008-01-17T23:02:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:03.687-05:00

Mistik Lake, by Martha BrooksYA/Canadian/RealisticOdella's world begins to fall apart as her parents grow apart and are divorced, and as her mother subsequently dies. Trying to cope with these tragedies, and with being the older sister and necessary nurturer to her two younger sisters, Odella also finds herself needing to explore the causes of her mother's sorrows.Not everything is bleak though.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-9160825482001483052008-01-17T22:42:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:04.156-05:00

Apart, by R.P. MacIntyre and Wendy MacIntyrehttp://macrdd.sasktelwebsite.net/homepage.htmlWhen Jessica's father takes off, she places an advertisement in the Globe and Mail asking for any information about his whereabouts. The ad is answered by Sween. And thus begins an impassioned correspondence between two teens whose lives are difficult, and who find a lifeline in writing to each other.

Jennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-15710175241784028742008-01-14T22:47:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:04.447-05:00

Out of Order, by Robin Stevensonhttp://www.robinstevenson.com/wordpress/Out of Order tells the story of a girl in grade ten, who has just moved from Ontario to BC, and who is determined that her life and her image will be radically different in her new school. Back in Georgetown, Ontario, she was bullied constantly, and told she was fat. Over the summer, she managed not to eat much, and is now

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28819121.post-83813179623647852952008-01-14T22:12:00.000-05:002008-11-12T22:15:04.558-05:00

The Secret Journey of Pauline Siddhartha, by Edeet Ravelhttp://www.edeet.com/index.htmlYA/Canadian/Girl discovering herself humourslyThis is the third book in a trilogy, for which I have not read the first two. These are called The Thrilling Life of Pauline de Lammermoor and The Mysterious Adventures of Pauline Bovary. Pauline is our heroine, and also our first person narrator. The premise is

Jennnoreply@blogger.com0