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Monthly Archives: December 2008
The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews (book review)
Hattie has always had to take care of her sister Min to some degree. So when Min falls of the deep end of depression again and is checked into a physciatric ward, Hattie returns to Winnipeg, Manitoba to take care of her neice and nephew, Thebes and Logan. While Min is in the hospital, Hattie takes the kids on a roadtrip to find their father who Min chased away years ago. Logan is only 15 and has just been expelled from school for his dark and defiant attitude. Thebes is 11 and the most talkative child, but while Thebes seems cheerful and bubbly, her teachers say that she makes comments like “I wish I’d never been born” This book is all about the characters and the family in it. It definitely was a different style than I was used to. None of the the dialogue had quotes in it, and it was all told from the first-person-narrative of Hattie. It’s more of a he-said, she-said diary of discovery. Hattie has never truly understood her older sister Min, and due to living in Paris with her now-ex-boyfriend Marc, she hasn’t spent as much time with the kids as she’d have liked. When she takes the kids on a roadtrip down into the United States to find their father, Cherkis, she begins to understand herself, the kids, and her sister much better. Whenever Thebes asks for a story, Hattie tells her something about growing up with Min, and we begin to further [...]
Posted in Books, Reviews Tagged book review, canadian author, canadian book, family, family vacation, miriam toews, roadtrip, the flying troutmans Comments closed
Christmas Meme
Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper with ribbons and bows! Unless it’s a really awkward shape like… a bottle of wine! Real tree or Artificial? I love the smell of a real tree, but it’s a lot of hassle, and I feel bad that they cut down so many… and they cost a lot too. I’m leaning towards artificial choices (I don’t have my own tree) but I love fibreoptics… and those can go on artificial trees… When do you put up the tree? My parents, sister, and I used to get the tree whenever it was convenient to all go down and argue about which one to buy. We’d then decorate it also, whenever we found the time. I think the first couple weeks in December is a good time to start putting up decorations. When do you take the tree down? HA! Whenever it started dying in the living room. I’d say the first or second week in January would be a good time… but that’s being optimistic. Do you like eggnog? Yes, it’s like nutmeggy, cinnimonny milk! Favorite gift received as a child? NO idea. Um but there was one Christmas where mom and dad took us to a parkade on Christmas morning… to let us ride new bikes! Hardest person to buy for? It’s actually so difficult choosing WHO to buy for… do I really need to get a gift for all of my friends…? Probably not. Do I feel like I should? Yea… Easiest [...]
Pip Pip Cheerio
**NOTE: This post is stickied!** Okay… so I’ve never heard a real person in England say that… but I’m off today! My flight is this evening. I’m not taking my laptop, but I’ve scheduled a bunch of blog posts, so hopefully those who have their laptops (*cries*) will be visiting the blog. I’ll be able to check my email but my feed reader isn’t online (it’s on the laptop… *sigh*) so I don’t know how much blog-surfing I’ll get to do. If you want to chat — please send me an email! If I don’t see you until later, have a fantastic holidays and see you in the New Year!
Festival of Lights at VanDusen Gardens
Earlier in December, when VanDusen Garden’s Festival of Lights had recently started, my mom and I went to go stroll in the garden and look at the lights. Because the actual botanical part of the garden isn’t very spectacular this time of year (what? rain? winter? nawwww) they have the annual Festival of Lights. It’s been some years since we’ve gone and they’ve certainly stepped it up! It used to be just mediocre before, and I don’t remember it being so expensive (but according to mom it has). Anyway, it was spectacular!! Here are some photos AND a video of the dancing lights show that occurs every half hour on the island in the middle of the gardens. An overview of the Westernmost side of the park (it’s huge!) The Candy Cane Tree! They were brilliant, just paper tubing that would be used for some sort of air duct. One of the decorative water spaces. It is directly below the area where the choir is and the regular entrance. This serves as a meeting area when large groups (such as Elementary Schools like we did) visit the Gardens. The holly berry tree! It’s brilliant when you’re standing far back from it. Totally looks like a holly bush. Also, look close up front, those “flowers” or “tulips” are actually chopped up water bottles! They look fantastic with just a bulb on a stick. Afterwards we walked through several areas and I started noticing how much recycled materials were a part of [...]
Posted in Out & About, Photos / Videos Tagged christmas, festival of lights, vancouver, vandusen gardens Comments closed
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