September 23, 2011
The rest of the West Coast world audaciously announced yesterday as the last day of summer, whereas here at Literature et Folie the Autumn season is already four days underway.
A CBC report (what-do-they-know-wha?) declared the summer passed a “bummer summer”. What a ludicrous assertion, on what basis? On the basis of assumption. The assumption of what summer must be. It was certainly not a “bummer summer” rather it was a moody summer season with pronounced independent thinking and bouts of non conformity and an impressive last minute “up do”. The only mildly inconvenient aspect of it was the late start to the growing season, but my garden was suffering from drowning by peat so I think my peat flooding was more of a problem than the lack of sun.
I have to check the winter forecasts, the last time I looked they were predicting colder than normal temperatures for the Wesssst and warmer than normal elsewhere.
I am heartened by the arrival of our atmospheric rains. They are so temperate thus far. I am awaiting the first fog eagerly.
September 22, 2011
I was a little premature in my last post there. The system landed. The first Rainfall Warning this season. I was out running in it, until I realized that I am not Murakami and better get home before I perish. A woman smoking a ciggarette let out a yelp in Spanish as she passed me under a tree that was probably not complimentary.
*
In woodwork reports. I completed my first bookshelf. Not without its challenges namely I accidentally gave it a waistline and had to go back and cut every single shelf I’d attached about 2cm less. One of the shelves was v distressed by my accidental waistlining and A Line Skirt approach to book shelves. I forgot that top part was 3 cm or so bigger on account of the sides and made all the shelves identical.
Fear not this woodwork pirate will not make that mistake again!
Unfortunately my left forearm went into a complete muscular freefall after screwing in 10 + screws, unscrewing them all and rescrewing them all. My eyelid is also unhappy at my treating it like a knee and not covering it amidst the rising sawdust. And the saw bounced off the chair and inserted itself into my finger decoratively enough. But you have to take your wounds when engaged in off the wall spruce enterprises.
But they are now complete and very handsome. Even if there are still a few dubious qualities to their construction.
September 21, 2011
Today, Wednesday, is our gloomiest day of the Autumnal season. A storm system has been moving down the North West coast, but there does not seem to be any sign of it striking us here. However, in some kind of distant empathy, the clouds have certainly kept the curtains still and closed on us today.
The season is becoming cosy and atmospheric in the delightfully melancholic and miserable manner it can muster. Although it gave way only a day or two again to a rare blast of sunshine. The temperatures have no dipped yet tho’, so it’s still a warm hangover situation. The dreaded 10 and below will join us soon enough, along with the thermals.
Weather is becoming its own literature here.
September 19, 2011
Day 2 of the autumnal shift in our weather. Made my first hot water bottle and am so tempted to turn on the heat, but will hold out for the October traditional switching on at the fuse box.
I have nearly finished my first free standing bookshelf. I did most of the attaching while listening to a lively podcast of Jenny Diski being interviewed about her up and coming New Yorker piece on shoplifting. (recommend both the podcast and the piece, links to follow)
I am certain the invocation of Zola helped guide the number six sized wood screws.
September 18, 2011
First Autumn (Fall) rain event. Not to be confused with numerous August rain events. This one includes a temperature drop and at 3pm a growl of grey light around us that suggested evening.
Did I just see lightning? I think so.
*
6 more cans of peaches canned, processing was briefly interrupted to go and get a tattoo. I sat knitting waiting for the tattooist to arrive and listened to the stories floating about the parlour. One involved a peculiar tale of midget phobia. The tattoo was an enjoyable process, not nearly as painful as I’d envisioned. (Thanks also to Mr Alexander Chee’s reassuring words) Scratchy and pitches of intermittent pain for certain. I am very happy with it and it with me. Some cherry blossoms might join it someday or those fantastic weather symbols of this morning. I like the idea of carrying my own skin-bound forecast.
September 17, 2011
Saturday morning treat: Weather symbols of Japan.
My favourite is fog
Heavy thunderstorm has a solid charm about it too
September 17, 2011
I was just thinking about the devaluation of labour and the devaluation of being a reader and wondering whether or where the two intersect or not.
A friend recently shared the analogy that previously there were authors/authorship and now the entire world’s an author. This makes sense because I firmly believe that technology will focus more and more on finding our way through and around information (and possibly out from). An international, transglobal virtual sorting office.
*
The City of Vancouver have introduced these VIVA seating areas * named parallel parking seating. They are made of lovely lumber and are places for the public to plop down and sit. At first I thought they were bicycle parking zones because of the word parallel parking, but on closer inspection and sitting they are benches with small coffee tables.
I’ve only seen one, it was placed right outside a coffee shop and seemed situated to serve the coffee shop dwellers more than random pedestrians. However it was dark and we were the only people sitting on it. It will be interesting to see where they pop up. I think they’re quite an inviting idea. Especially if they’d rolled them out months ago when you weren’t going to risk goose pimples and drenching to sit on them. But generally they indicate positive use of public spaces, encouraging people to sit and natter or rest and read. Plus the lumber smells nice.
* I since learned it’s only one and it’s called a “modular deck”..
September 17, 2011
Yesterday we had the first bruise of a temperature drop. I felt it on my knees.
At exactly 5.55pm today we had absolute confirmation of a seasonal shift, a gale blew around my legs and I remarked on this with two other chilly looking women at the traffic lights.
The seasonal change was abrupt. It took place in a very noticeable 60 minutes and the duration of a cup of tea with Ita. Ita’s tea was undrinkable, mine wasn’t too bad. The distance between two teabags and two seasons felt keenly there.
It is now very dark outside. Autumn is with us. I am taking out the hot water bottles and thinking of hot cider recipes.
*
I have read so much this week on renal ultrasounds and renal function that I could participate in a quiz show on the topic. Did you know for example that your right kidney is lower than your left kidney? And on to duplex, duplicates, duplicity. Renal aaah.
September 15, 2011
A newspaper story yesterday detailed the changing shape of the IKEA bookshelf, as testament to the matter that our lives are increasingly devoid of books. Au contraire! What’s actually happening is people are embracing the Japanese handsaw and waking up the fact IKEA shelves are God awful creations. Bockety and bulky.
Last week I turned left to go onto a highway and was surprised to find myself in a car park, none other than the IKEA car park. Peckish, I went in for a plate of chicken and Swedish chocolates. The furniture seems so ugly in IKEA once you’ve gotten up close with planks of wood and a handsaw. Even a basic spruce back yard plank has more appeal. But it’s so quick and easy people will protest. It’s not quick though — it’s a beeping nightmare! There’s always some dowel that doesn’t quite fit or you place the stuff back to front. Whereas making simple custom sized bookshelves, …well I’ll let you know once I’ve made a free-standing set.
I’ve made many that hang on the walls and I just custom made a very small free standing set that are dandy. It was not at all difficult and I have no aptitude for such things.
I was also noticing how unpioneering IKEA have been in the area of washing lines — most lacking. In the area of literature they publish a catalogue and nearly all their instructions have no words included. Hmmm.