Ten Things...A Summer Retrospective

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the first ever edition of "Ten Things". This is going to be a new weekly feature on my blog. Every weekend I am going to post a list of ten blog posts. Sometimes, like this week, they will be on a theme. Sometimes they will be the top ten posts of the week from my blog. Sometimes it might even be ten posts from other blogs that inspire me. Since summer is coming to a rapid close here in Edmonton (both weather-wise and school-wise) I figured that this weekend I would share ten of my favorite summery pictures and the posts that go along with them:

1. Daydreams of Sunshine
2. Gorgeous
3. Sun-Bleached
4. Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
5. Live with Abandon
6. All You Need Is Cheese
7. Bright Lights of Summer
8. Carpets of Flowers Remind Me of Summer
9. Brilliant
10. Sunshine on my Shoulders

PS: Sorry for the hiatus over the past few days. I was moving which pretty much consumed all the energy and time I had.

The Old Stones Whisper

For some reason when I sat down to put this post together I had a hankering to look at old architecture. So I headed straight for the photos from my Europe trip, in particular the ones from St. Patrick's Cathedral. This picture is definitely one of my favourites from that trip. I like how the window is lit up and just jumps out at you. There is something amazing about really old buildings. Think about it. All of the stone work was done by hand. Isn't that crazy? There were probably people who worked on some of these structures who died before they ever got to see the completed product. And they are just so impressive. Old buildings have a certain ambiance about them. They are hushed and reverent and alive with the past. It is almost as if the buildings themselves are alive. I know that sounds weird, but I can't think of another way to explain it. It is as if every person who worked on the construction of the building and each person who has valued it since has left a mark. New buildings don't have that same sense. They haven't been lived in enough to have a really history in them, and the sense of craftsmanship just isn't there. That's not to say that a building has to be hundreds of years old to have that sort of breathing life, but I think it does have to have a past. It's like memories accumulate in the cracks in the walls and the corners of rooms. You don't know what the memories are, but you know they are there. They make the place come alive. I really wish there were more old buildings around here for me to wander through. I find them very peaceful and restful and relaxing.

Glockenspiels make me happy

Summer is apparently taking one last kick at the can. I thought it had given up on us, but the past couple days have actually been quite lovely. I was walking back from the bus stop this afternoon and one of the new songs on my ipod came on. It's by a group called Pearl and the Beard, who I had never heard of until a week or so ago. One of my favourite websites to visit and fantasy shop on is Modcloth (note that this is only fantasy shopping at the moment because I have no money, when I'm back in the cash I will definitely be getting some stuff from there) and so I subscribe to their weekly email newsletter. Well recently they teamed up with indie label Family Records to release a free playlist of summer songs to all of their newsletter subscribers. This is where I first discovered Pearl and the Beard since two of their songs are on the playlist. The one that came on my ipod today was "Voice In My Throat" and I had to put it on repeat because I loved it so much. It makes me break into huge uncontrolable smiles and puts a bounce in my step. Seriously. An upright bass, a bouncy guitar line and a glockenspiel...what more could you ask for? It was perfect for walking down the street on a sunny day. However, the genius effect of two overlapping songs and the impecable match of their voices make it equally suited to those grey days where you want nothing more than to wear an oversized sweater, curl up in a chair, and read a good book.

Sadly, I do not have any pictures of glockenspiels. I am sorry if the title misled you and you got all excited. Actually, for a musical person I have an appalling lack of pictures relating to music. I may have to spend some time tomorrow photographing my piano and my dad's guitar. This is the best I could come up with. It does also connect to the idea of summer giving it one last go though. I took this particular picture at Capital Ex a couple of years ago, so for me it evokes the feeling of summer nights spent with friends. Plus it is just such a great line. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do.

Oh give me a home, where the [bison] roam

Sorry, that song is going to be stuck in your head all day now. If it is any comfort it is going to be stuck in mine as well, and I am almost ready for bed so it will be playing on an endless loop as I try to fall asleep. Wow. I just realized how much mental pain I inflicted upon myself with that title. Anyway. I worked today and one of the stories was about a herd of bison that broke free from their farm in the Camrose area. This prompted the great "are they bison or buffalo?" debate in the office. (They are bison.) It also led to the inevitable use of the phrase "where the buffalo roam" over and over again. I thought that in light of this it was appropriate to share some of my own pictures of bison. One of my roommates comes from a family that has a bison farm in southern Alberta. I've spent a couple of Easter breaks down there. The first time we were out there her dad took us out to the fields to get up close and personal with the bison. Let me tell you, they are big. It was pretty cool though. I do think that my spectacular inability to climb over the gate demonstrates that I am NOT "home on the range" though. Oh well. I got a good story out of it. And some good photos. I like the first one here because it also shows a bit of the vastness of the prairie as well as the bison. It seems to fit the song.

Is Anybody Listening?

Hold My Heart

Sara Bareilles

I never meant to be the one to let you down

If anything I thought I saw myself going first

I didn't know how to stick around

How to see anybody but me be getting hurt

I keep remembering the summer night

The conversation breaking up the mood

I didn't want to tell you you were right

Like a season changing, oh, I felt it too

Does anybody know how to hold my heart

How to hold my heart?

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark

How to hold my heart

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you

I'm not the kind to try to tell you lies

But the truth is you've been hiding from it too

I see the end sneaking in behind your eyes

Saying things no words could ever do

Does anybody know how to hold my heart

How to hold my heart?

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon.

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark

How to hold my heart

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you.

Is anybody listening?

'Cause I'm crying out

Is anybody listening?

Does anybody know how to hold my heart

How to hold my heart?

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark

How to hold my heart

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you

Does anybody know how to hold my heart

How to hold my heart?

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark

How to hold my heart

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go

Don't want to let go, let go of you

I don't want to let go

I adore Sara Bareilles and am so excited for the release of her second album, Kaleidoscope Heart, on September 7. Her first single from the album is called "King of Anything" and I am absolutely obsessed with it. Both the song and the music video are absolutely incredible. I love the originality of the video, particularly the cutlery that is arranged to look like piano keys at the beginning. So brilliant. "Hold My Heart" is a second song off the upcoming album. Sara teamed up with Whole Foods to release the song on their blog. I get facebook updates about Sara so that is how I found out about this today. I have probably listened to it 20 times already. So in love with it. Not only does she have and incredible voice, but the instrumentation on her songs is absolutely brilliant. This song is certainly no exception. The opening bars won me over the first time I heard them. The lyrics are beautiful, as per usual. That is another thing I love about her music. Her lyrics are wonderfully poetic. If you have never heard her stuff then I suggest clicking on the links above, but also check out her debut album, Little Voice.

Anyway, I love the bridge in this song and it seemed appropriate to pair it with an image of the iconic British payphone boxes. Taken in Stratford-upon-Avon.

I call you mystery

I call you mystery

Josh Noble

    

          I adore to tiptoe around

Your mystery.

                                  In quiet, pastoral moments,

                             just the two of us,

                       inhabiting our Ikea kitchen.

                             Superbly planned, laid out and arranged

                                  tidy and spotless, with the warm glow,

of energy efficient bulbs

                       reflected off a varnished oak table.

            The reassuring hum of the two-door refrigerator.

                             Cascade emanates from the silent,

                  running dishwasher and permeates

                         the room with familiarity.

And there you are, domestically swishing a cloth over and over

           the counter - wild as a tiger.

                      You are Emily Dickinson

                        and my Sylvia Plath.

           You are the Cat's Eye Nebula,

                                 Niagara Falls, baby,

                         and Christ's empty tomb

You brush past me, with a kiss on my cheek

           and you sit down in a covered arm chair, picking

                      up a book.  And I

           shake with delight, tiptoeing around your mystery.

It is my dear friend's first wedding anniversary today. Happy anniversary Steph and Tyler! I'm so happy for you guys.

These are a couple of my favorite pictures from their wedding last summer. There is something magical about the first dance, so I was glad to get some good shots of it. The top image was actually published in my school's annual student art publication last spring and the poem is the piece it was paired with on the facing page. I was actually really excited to find out that my photo was being paired with one of Josh's poems. I really adore his work. It is the kind of poetry that I can get lost in, the word choice is impecable and he excels at adopting the voices of different people and conveying an incredible depth of emotion. Plus, I just love the lines "You are my Emily Dickinson / And my Sylvia Plath". I thought this poem just fit these pictures so well that I had to put them up together today.

New Beginnings

I know spring is supposed to be the time of new beginnings, but for me fall always holds more promise than spring. Maybe it is because I still operate on an academic year (and probably will for at least several more years), but September brings way more new things than April. This year in particular I am relishing many of these changes. New job, new school year, new perspectives on life. And smaller things too, like new clothes, new school supplies and a new haircut. I will admit that I don't always like change. This time around though I am enjoying every moment of it.

So in honour of these new beginnings, I bring you a picture of the new berries on the mountain ash in my parents' backyard. This tree is right outside my window, so I often mark the changing of the season by the changes in this tree. This picture is a few weeks old, but one of the things I like about the mountain ash is that it holds on to that promise of newness longer than most trees. It flowers around the same time as everything else but the berries keep looking new long after everything else has reached full summer blooms. It, like me, waits for fall before it changes itself.

The Power of Suggestion

Several days ago I read an article in the Travel section of the newspaper about driving the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island. Ever since then I have been longing to go back there. Every time I look for pictures to post on here I start with the pictures from the last trip we took to Nova Scotia. There is something about Nova Scotia that draws me in. There are very few places that I typically get longings to visit again. Nova Scotia (especially Cape Breton), Toronto, Ireland, and Budapest, that's about it. I've been other places that I loved, but those are the places that I want to visit again and again.

Anyway, I took this picture the last time I was in Nova Scotia. Specifically this is taken in Baddeck which is right on the Bras d'Or. We were there early enough in the summer that it was typical Maritime weather: windy and rainy. It made for some spectacular pictures though. Sigh. I will go back one day.

I'm a nerd, and proud of it!

Very few things in this world excite me as much as new school supplies. Yes I know that this is the opposite of most people, but I seriously love back to school shopping because I get to buy new notebooks and agendas and pens and post it notes. My dad, who is the person responsible for this odd love of stationary, took me school supply shopping tonight and now I have a lovely stack of new things sitting in my room and I am itching to use them.

I've actually had a rather nerdy week, but it has also been one of the best weeks of the summer. I went to the Fringe earlier in the week, had conversations with friends on topics like philosophy and religion, spent a day wandering through the art gallery and considering art and the Canadian identity (plus, in the gift store I found textbook type books that I really want to buy), finally got to look at my textbook list for this semester (and am now itching to go and buy the books), and went school supply shopping. Yup, I'm a nerd, but I love it so much. Besides, someone has to enjoy these things. Just like someone who is not me needs to enjoy sports or video games. Thankfully I also have friends who are willing to put up with these activities. I even have friends with whom I can discuss the newly released textbook list. So I am secure in my nerdiness, in fact, I relish it.

Framed

One of my favorite things to do when editing photos is incredibly simple: cropping. It always amazes me how much cropping an image can change it. It brings completely new elements into focus. It's also just as much about what you leave out as what you leave in. Sometimes I have a hard time deciding exactly what it is about a particular shot that I want to focus in on. So today I decided to demonstrate the power of cropping. The first image is the original picture I took. It's a couple years old and I took it at a farmers' market in Halifax on a delightfully grey, Nova Scotia-y day. It's a fine picture of a lovely flower, but nothing particularly spectacular. However, crop it in a few different ways and voila, you have some truly special images. Personally, I am a big fan of the first cropped version. I like that you can still kind of see that it is in a tray of pots and not in the ground. It retains that market feel and yet is focused on the beauty of the flower. The second one draws the attention to the details of the flower, which is something I love to do. When I look at nature and often when I am composing pictures I focus in on the details, the tiny things. That's just what tends to grab my attention. By cropping the photo, the details become all there is to see and therefore that much more important and captivating. The third photo is a pretty standard way that I tend to shoot flowers or crop existing shots. For some reason I really like the composition of just part of a flower in the frame of the image against a non-descript background. It brings the attention to the flower without being your standard, central focal point. The last image is a bit blurred because of the part of the original that I cropped it out of, but I kind of like that about it. It is not a specific flower that is depicted. I love the intensity of the green too. And that just distinguishable bud curled into the bottom of the frame is great.

I went to see the latest round of exhibits at the AGA today and it was fantastic. The one I was most excited to see was "Reframing a Nation", which is a collection of works by Canadian artists. I should warn you now that this is likely to turn into a nerdy ramble. I will not be offended should you decide to stop reading right now. In fact, I won't even know. Anyway, I was excited for this exhibit because I am fascinated by the concept of national identity and how it is formed, particularly when it comes to Canada. Do we even have a national identity? Or do we simply define ourselves in negatives (we are not American, for example)? And it really fascinates me how literature and art play into the development and reinforcement of the Canadian identity. So much can be seen in these paintings, but one of the important things to consider is what has been intentionally included and what has been intentionally excluded. In Canadian art the landscape is what is depcited most often; typically the harsh, barren land is shown while hints of civilization are completely ignored or played down. This is the bush myth at its finest. This is how Canadians define themselves. We are a people beset by Mother Nature, who must struggle for our very survival. It is us against the land and although the land is beautiful, we have to protect ourselves from it. We take pride in the conditions we face. What Canadian has never bragged about surviving a winter where the windchill made it feel like -50*C? How many of us love hiking and climbing mountains? (Not me, but I appreciate the views and admire those who do participate in these activities.) I know that this isn't limited to Canada, but there is something unique about the Canadian relationship with nature and it is definitely part of our national identity. I just find it so fascinating how much you can learn about our national identity by looking at what we include and exclude in our art. This is actually what I want to study at grad school, how Canadian literature and art construct, reveal, and reinforce the Canadian identity. I will now stop rambling because I could talk about this endlessly. If you are ever so inclined to have a discussion about Canadian identity, art, or just national identity in general let me know, I would love to hear other people's views on the subject.

Pygmy Puff

Have you seen Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? If you have, think about the beginning of the movie when they are on the train to Hogwarts. There is a scene where Luna comes up to Ginny in the corridor and gives her a quibbler and Ginny has a pink pygmy puff on her shoulder. That is what this flower makes me think of. Yes, my mind works is mysterious ways. Although if you've read this blog before you probably already know that.

This is a picture from the Muttart Conservatory last Family Day. I have no idea what kind of flower this is. I can tell you that it was in the tropical pyramid and that it looks super cool. That's about it. Reason enough to take a photo of it though.

When is this hoodoo going to end?

hoodoo (noun)

1 [mass noun] voodoo or witchcraft • [count noun] a run of bad luck associated with a person or activity: when is this hoodoo going to end? • [count noun] a person or thing that brings or causes bad luck

2 [chiefly N. Amer.] a column or pinnacle of weathered rock

("hoodoo" Oxford English Dictionary)

A hoodoo (also called a tent rock, fairy chimney, and earth pyramid) is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. Hoodoos consist of soft sedimentary rock topped by harder, less easily-eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. ("Hoodoo (geology)" Wikipedia)

I took these pictures on my Easter break in 2009. A couple of my friends and I spent one of the days that weekend exploring Drumheller and the surrounding area. So of course we wanted to see the hoodoos. These weren't the particular ones that we thought we were going to see, the ones we remembered were a lot bigger, but they were sufficient for that particular outing. I thought it was interesting that the word "hoodoo" is also a synonym for "voodoo". Some of the structures really do seem to stay standing only through magic of some kind. Yes, I know it is actually science and there are probably lots of you who could explain said science to me, but magic is just so much more fun in my mind. Gives me less of a headache in the end too. I also like the fact that they can also be called "fairy chimneys". "Hoodoo" is a fun word to say, but "fairy chimney" sounds so much prettier.

This is Calm

This is Calm

Christopher Dallman

So this is calm.

Should I feel optimistic?

Should I greet the sun with a smile?

‘Cause as it is

I roll to my side

And I lay there for a good long while.

So this is calm.

Should I feel okay?

And should this okay set my inspiration reeling?

Should I feel like I am pulled in all directions?

I feel no pull.

I feel nothing.

I ride the train from Queens to Morningside.

I keep my eyes straight ahead,

Keep my face dignified.

But is this linear or a downward slide?

This is calm.

This is calm.

When I asked you to leave

You threw your wine at the wall

And it bled down

Red on white.

My stomach did not turn,

And I could not match your tears.

I just stood there thinking,

“What a beautiful sight.”

I ride the train from Queens to Morningside.

I keep my eyes straight ahead,

Keep my face dignified.

But is this linear or a downward slide?

This is calm.

I guess I should feel like I can do anything,

But I can’t do anything at all.

I can’t do anything but fall down on my knees

At the whims of my dreams.

I can not do this to myself anymore,

Stay so strong.

Still, this is my voice.

I wonder why I can’t feel this.

I wonder why I can’t feel this.

I wonder why I can’t feel these questions in my throat.

I don’t know how,

I don’t know how to live,

But I will learn to live,

To stand,

To breathe,

To taste,

To love.

I will move on.

I ride the train from Queens to Morningside.

I keep my eyes straight ahead,

Keep my face dignified.

But is this linear or a downward slide?

I felt very calm all day today. While I enjoy being calm, there is always a part of me that finds it odd. I'm naturally a relatively high-strung person, so I spend a lot of my time stressed out and running on overdrive. For some reason though I was completely calm today despite being at work. It was kind of interesting. I love this song by Christopher Dallman. He has genuinely gorgeous songs, this particular one is from his "Race the Light" CD. If you've never heard his stuff you should definitely check it out. The lyrics of every song are poignant and beautiful and the instrumental arrangements are fabulous. I like that this song captures the strangeness of feeling calm. It's like you've forgotten something and you aren't quite sure whether it is a good thing that you are so calm.

I took this picture in Victoria last summer. Despite living in a landlocked city and not being someone with a fondness for beaches or swimming, I love being on the coast. There is something about the feeling of salty ocean air as the sun sets and the temperature drops that just can't be replicated anywhere else. I am always at my most content at sunset and twilight. I don't know why, but the world just seems to pause and take a giant, calming breath as the sun sets. Things melt away and the promise of a new day begins to creep in. I love that sensation. So, a picture of a sunset over the ocean seemed to capture the serenity I'm feeling right now.

Pretty in Pink

It has been cool and rainy for the past couple days, and even though I am enjoying the cooler temperatures and the opportunity to wear sweaters again it is kind of bumming me out. Actually, it is mostly making me really tired. And making my knee hurt. Yeah, I'm only 21, but my one knee likes to inform me of dramatic weather changes by aching, sending shooting pains down my shin, and occasionally swelling up to twice its normal size. Anyway, even though I've been longing for fall to arrive, I still am not quite ready to let the dreamy days of summer slip away. That is why I chose this picture today. I took this at that Muttart Conservaory here in Edmonton last summer. The soft pink color and the fuzzy texture are distinctly spring-like in my mind. And the wheat-like shape combined with this makes me think of the first precious days of summer vacation in May and June when I start daydreaming about skipping through fields while wearing lovely summer dresses. Not that this ever happens in real life, but it is a nice daydream. Particularly on blah days like today.

Sorry I'm not home right now, I'm walking into spiderwebs

Walking into spiderwebs, both literally and figuratively, is horrible. Literally walking into a spiderweb sucks because once it is stuck to you, particularly your face, it just seems impossible to get off. Which is guess is kind of the point since they would be rather ineffectual if things didn't get caught in them. Still, it is unpleasant. But what is even worse than that is getting caught in a figurative spiderweb, those situations where all of sudden you realize you are stuck with no possible way out of what is usually a messy, awkward, unpleasant circumstance. Try as you might, you just can't seem to get out of it. The only way out is usually something that will be embarassing and potentially injurious to other people. I've had a few of those this summer. Bleh.

I thought this flower which was all encased in a spiderweb was pretty cool though. Just because I have no desire to be trapped in a spiderweb it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate how they look.

Sun-bleached

I'm in love with the sun-bleached quality of this photo. I think that this has quickly become one of my favorite things about summer. Even though shooting in direct sunlight is a huge pain, sometimes it works out and the result is this gorgeous sun-drenched image.

Bleach makes me think of platinum blonde hair, fresh white laundry, and clean surfaces. It is a cleansing agent, leaving things pristine and uncontaminated. I think that art, be it literary or visual or musical, serves a very similar purpose. John F. Kennedy once said that "When power narrows the areas of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existance. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses." I think this is incredibly true. Art has restorative power. It has healing power. There is no doubt about this in my mind.

Sometimes a little bit of bleaching is a good thing.

Jonesing for Fall

In the past week or two a lot of the fashion blogs I read have had a post about how they are starting to look forward to fall. It's that point in the summer where you begin to feel like you have worn everything in your closet a million times already and you just want something new. I always have a hard time investing in summer clothing. The summer is just so short here that it seems pointless to by a bunch of adorable summer dresses (no matter how much I want them) when I'm only going to be able to wear them for maybe a couple of months. So when you add that to my budgetary concerns this summer, I really have run out of interesting summer outfits. Plus, it is getting to the point where (at least for me) I am getting tired of the heat. What can I say, I'm a winter baby? Although, I don't really like the dead cold of winter either. Anyway, I too am starting to long for the cooler days of fall. Jackets, cardigans, scarves, boots, hats...there are just so many exciting things in fashion for cooler weather.

For me the dawning of fall also means the beginning of school. It's my senior year at college and I'm excited. I'm one of those weird people who actually love school. Seriously. I get excited pretty much every year. I am currently eagerly and impatiently anticipating the release of the fall textbook lists so that I can find out what I'm going to be reading this semester. I can't wait to spend a ridiculous amount of money on new books. The weight of a stack of textbooks, the way new books look and smell...ah, heaven! I could do without the hefty price tag though. And then there is the excitement of starting new classes. Those precious weeks at the beginning of the semester before the first round of papers is due when learning is still exciting and not stressful fill me with excitement. I'm also happy because this year I'm in senior level classes that are pretty small so I'm hoping we will be able to have some good discussions. And before any of that happens there is my favorite part of back-to-school...school supply shopping! Yes, that's right, I LOVE school supply shopping. Picking notebooks and pens and highlighters and date books is one of my favorite things about this time of year. You know that Staples ad that they run every year at this time where the dad is skipping through the aisles while pulling his grouchy kids on a couch and "It's the most wonderful time of the year" plays as the soundtrack? I think those ads are brilliant, and obviously they have proven effective since they've been running in one form or another since I was in elementary school, but I'm like the dad, not the kids. I get this love of stationary supplies from my father, like many of my other odd and charming qualities.

Fall is definitely my favorite season. Fashion, school, stationary...and the colors and weather! We Albertans kind of get the short end of the stick when it comes to fall. It's not very long and there really aren't that many trees around to change to pretty colors. One of the reasons I want to move east for grad school is because they get a genuine fall with the leaves changing color and the perfect weather that is sunny and yet crisp. Man I love everything about fall.

Now, to the picture. It may seem odd (because everything else in this post was perfectly normal...), but when I think of fall one of the first things that comes to mind is plaid. I love plaid. For some reason I associate it with warmth and comfort and cooler weather. So, to accompany my rhapsodizing about the many wonderful elements of fall, here is a photo of the McCurdy plaid. At least, both my father and I think it is the McCurdy plaid. We could be wrong. If anyone knows better, feel free to fill me in. Anyway. This is the fabric that was on the chairs at McCurdy's Restaurant at the Silver Dart Lodge in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. I loved Baddeck. I really just loved all of Cape Breton, but Baddeck is where we spent most of our time. There's family history there since my paternal grandmother's maiden name is McCurdy (yes, the ones that the restaurant is named after). One day I would like to own a kilt in the family plaid. Until then I will have to satisfy myself with several plaid items from the stores this fall.

By Any Other Name

[Romeo comes forward, Juliet entering above]

Romeo
He jests at scars that never felt a wound -
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off.
It is my lady, O it is my love,
O that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold; 'tis not to me she spaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if here eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars
As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it wer not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might tough that cheek!

Juliet                                   Ay me.

Romeo (aside)                                 She speaks.
O speak again, bright angel, for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,
As is a wingèd messenger of heaven
Unto the white upturnèd wond'ring eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.

Juliet
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo (aside)
Shall I hear more or shall I speak at this?

Juliet
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,
Nor arm nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.

Romeo             I take thee at thy word.
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized:
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

Juliet
What man art thou that, thus bescreened in hight,
So stumblest on my counsel?

Romeo                               By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am.
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee.
Had I it written, I would tear the word. (2.1.44-100)

So, I am not really a fan of Romeo and Juliet. I know it is this well-known, tragic love story, but it mostly just annoys me. I can't stand the fact that there is no real villian. I think this is particularly unfortunate because Shakespeare writes some incredible villians. In the end it is really timing, or luck, or cosmic alignment that ruins everything, and that just isn't satisfying enough for me. Plus, Romeo and Juliet are really just incredibly whiny teenagers. And they make idiotic decisions. And they complain all the time. I don't think that my view of this play is helped by the Baz Lurhman film adaptation either. I know that I have friends who may disown me over this statement, but I actually really dislike that movie. This is due partly to the fact that I have a major bias against Leonardo DiCaprio, but is also because I find Romeo and Juliet even more annoying and whiny in the film than in the play. And the film totally changes the ending so that Juliet is waking up as Romeo is killing himself and so he knows that she wasn't actually dead. I mean, come on, that just makes everything that much worse. Now he knows how stupid he was. Really? Anyway. Moving on. Despite my dislike of this particular play I will admit that the iconic balcony scene is exceptionally romantic. I mean, they speak in spontaneous sonnets that are shared between them. And the imagery is incredible. So, as cheesy and overused as some of these lines are, they really are beautiful.

I really love this picture of one of my mom's roses in the garden. She bought this bush this summer and the roses are a gorgeous coral-pink. I'm not the biggest fan of roses in general, but I will admit that they make for great photographs. But would it really be as lovely if it was called something else?

Character

Not too much to say lately, thus the lack of posts in the past few days. Actually, I keep thinking of things to post, but can't seem to find any pictures to go with said ideas. I think this is a sign that I need to find somewhere new and exciting to wander around taking photos. Anyone have any ideas? Anyway, I thought I should put something up on here. I really like this image a lot actually. I've talked about the really old dictionary that I have before. Well it isn't exactly in mint condition, but since I love it for the very fact that it is a dictionary and not for any potential monetary value this doesn't bother me. In fact I kind of like that a bunch of the pages are all curled up. It gives the book character. This seems to be a recurring theme in my posts: the idea that imperfections and strange details are what make things interesting and beautiful. I certianly think life would be more boring if everything and everybody was perfect all the time (as lovely as that may sound some times).

Exuberance is beauty

William Blake once said that "exuberance is beauty". I think this is often true in nature, particularly flowers. As much as I love tiny, little, simple flowers, my favorite flowers are inevitably ones that have a bit of exuberance about them. I love peonies and mums, both flowers best known for their incredible number of petals. This peony is from the peony gardens at Fort Edmonton which is probably one of my favorite features of the park. Peonies are just amazing because as they bloom they slowly reveal more and more layers of petals. They look different every single day because of this. Yup, definitely a favorite of mine.

Inspiration in a Teacup

You must know that you can swim through every change of tide.

Okay, technically this inspirational quote comes courtesy of my teabag rather than my teacup, but "Inspiration in a Teabag" just sounds weird. One of my favorite teas is Egyptian Licorice by Yogi Tea. Seriously delicious. For some reason a lot of tea companies feel the need to put inspirational quotes somewhere on their packaging and Yogi is no exception. I guess it's part of that whole tea as part of a wholistic healthy living experience. Anyway, Yogi tea has quotes on the little paper part on the end of the teabag string. I've been drinking the stuff for long enough now that I was beginning to believe that I had read them all. Well, either I've missed some or they have started putting new ones on the packaging, but either way, I rather enjoyed the one that I got today. Even though life is pretty smooth sailing for me at the moment (at least in comparison to the past few months) I think it's an important thing to remind oneself that you can make it through anything. I think this is especially true in the good times. Now, don't get me wrong, I think that this is going to become a bit of a motto for my life when things get rough, but sometimes I find things like this end up sounding trite and empty when I'm in the midst of whatever it is life has thrown at me. It becomes more of a case of gritting my teeth and hanging on for dear life than really believing deep down that I'm going to make it through alive. I think that when things are good is the time to really ingrain these kinds of things into my brain. That way when the going gets tough hopefully it will be easier to keep believing it.

This picture is from the grounds of Blarney Castle in Ireland. It was a grey, rainy, windy day (hey, it was spring in Ireland, what did you expect?) and right as we were approaching the castle we passed this river/creek and it was so swollen from the rain and the water was just rushing by. I'm me so I took a picture. It seemed appropriate for this quote.

Black and White and Read All Over

Here's the big news of my week. On Monday I was offered a job! FINALLY! I am now officially working as a proofreader at an Edmonton paper. It's actually a really awesome arrangement because I can keep it when I am back in school. It is literally across the street from the campus, is part time, and pays well. Score. I worked at the same paper in a different position during my second year, so I know it means I'll probably lack a social life of any variety, but it is definitely doable. I was so excited when I got the phone call that after I hung up I started jumping up and down screaming "I got the job! I got the job!". This would have been a perfectly fine reaction and I barely even noticed until I realized that I was stading in the entryway of Chapters in West Edmonton Mall. People looked at me kind of funny. It was mildly embarrassing. Oh well.

A God-cursed scream, and strain of catastrophe

So the title today clearly has nothing to do with today's images. It was a stressful day. First solo day at my new job, and let me tell you, it is far easier when there are two people. I spent the entire shift feeling like I was just not moving fast enough. If you know me you have probably seen me at my jumpy-stressed-out stage. Seriously. It is like I'm hopped up on caffiene even if I'm not. I feel like my brain is firing a zillion times a second and I just can't move fast enough to keep up with it. Maybe it isn't as noticable to everyone else as I think it is, but to me it feels like I suddenly become super intense and over excited. Anyway. After 7 hours of that I am a bit spent. For some reason this line from Beowulf popped into my head as I was leaving the office tonight. Thus I bring you my blog title. It's a tad overdramatic, but captures the sentiment of my feeling so well. I think that willingly quoting Beowulf is a definite sign that I am an English nerd. I am okay with that. In fact I proudly own that title. I should get a shirt or something.

Since I'm feeling a bit fried today, I just went back to the shoot I was doing in my back yard a couple of days ago and picked out a couple of pretty flower pictures. I love these flowers that grow in the chainlink fence between our neighbours and us. I've shared a picture of one of them before, here. One of the great things about them is that their color changes quite a bit based on lighting conditions. I took the ones here while it was super shady in the particular part of the yard. I love the richness of the color that was produced.