1 small can sliced peaches (in light syrup or own juices) or about 1 1/2 cup frozen
1 cup mango chunks (frozen or fresh)
2 cups orange juice (not from concentrate)
if not using frozen fruit, 6-10 icecubes.

Add all ingredients to blender. Use Liquefy or Smoothie setting to blend until all ingredients are mixed. Makes 3-4 servings.

This smoothie came from having no power for 24 hours. My fridge's freezer thawed to the point that popsicles were puddles and veggies were squishy, but the bags of fruit were okay. I'll be making a cheesecake later that will be topped with the thawed berry mix. Not as healthy as the smoothie of course.

1. Started your own blog.

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band.

4. Visited Hawaii.

5. Watched a meteor shower.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain (Drove over many)

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped.

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train.

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.

24. Built a snow fort.

25. Held a lamb (I have held a piglet though)

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a marathon.

28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Hit a home run.

32. Been on a cruise.

33. Seen Niagra Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community. (Mennonites and Hudderites, no Amish in Canada, though)

36. Taught yourself a new language.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.

39. Gone Rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo's David in person.

41. Sung Karaoke.

42. Seen Old Faithful erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance. (not me though, with Greg)

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in France

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling.

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive in theatre (went to the one in the valley for flea market but never for the movie)

55. Been in a movie.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies. Girl Guides, actually

62. Gone whale watching

63. Gotten flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood.

65. Gone sky diving.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a cheque.

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar.

72. Pieced a quilt. (working on that right now, actually)

73. Stood in Times Square.

74. Toured the Everglades.

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London

77. Broken a bone.

75. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. (never made it there on our trip across the states)

80. Published a book.

81. Visited the Vatican. (I want to see the library )

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

85. Read the entire Bible.

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. (does a trout count?)

88. Had chickenpox.

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury.

91. Met someone famous.

92. Joined a book club.

93. Lost a loved one.

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person.

96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit.

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee.

(1) What author do you own the most books by?

Laura Ingalls Wilder... I can't help it, I've read them all about 100 times.

(2) What book do you own the most copies of?

Pride and Prejudice- only 2 copies though.

(3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?

No, that's something I always do!

(4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

Dexter Morgan....Eric Northman....Ronald Weasley...I think I'm in love with more than a few fictional characters. Ron has to be at the top though...I'm so Hermione.

(5) What book have you read the most times in your life?

All of the Little House books. I read them at least once every year.

(6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?

Again, the Little House books. Or Babysitters Club.

(7) What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?

Obsessed. But that's because I didn't read any Twilight books.

(8) What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies :)

(9) If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?

Dewey, by Vicki Myron. It's such a sweet book about a little oarnge cat who lived at a library in Iowa. You'll cry, but it's such a sweet story.

(10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?

No clue.

(11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

Wow...hmm, that's a tough one. So many books I love have been made into a movie already. Friday Night Knitting Club, just so that I could see knitting on the big screen :)

(12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk. The imagery is really disturbing in some spots. I don't want to vomit in the theatre.

(13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.

I vaguely remember a dream about Edward from Twilight, but I can't remember what. Nothing mushy romantic or anything...and I've had dreams about Ron and Hermione finally confessing their love.

(14) What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?

Kill Your Friends by John Niven. Not lowbrow, just graphic depictions of sex and drug use.

(15) What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

The book I never wanted to read, and I was in no way interested in paying attention to the characters, was Bleak House by Charles Dickens. I know, hate me for dissing Dickens, but that is a DRY book.

(16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?

The only one I've actually seen was Hamlet, back in first year.

(17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?

Um, neither?

(18) Roth or Updike?

Can't say I know either

(19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?

Nope, dunno

(20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?

All have their merits. I've read Paradise Lost, Cantebury Tales and several Shakespeare plays and sonnets, and I've taken something from all of them. I'd have to say Shakespeare, though.

(21) Austen or Eliot?

Austen, definately. Eliot is okay...but I've never reread anything of hers.

(22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?

well, considering I couldn't answer questions 18 and 19, I might need to be embarrassed about that, but I think it's sad that I haven't read some great novels like Life of Pi, Slaughterhouse Five, Jane Ayre, and the list goes on and on.

(23) What is your favorite novel?

I can't pick just one...

(24) Play?

Arsenic and Old Lace, only because it was the only play I've acted in that wasn't in school.

(25) Poem?

Hope is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson. I had to memorize it in junior high, and I still love it.

(26) Essay?

I don't think I have one.

(27) Short story?

Hemingway or Poe have some good ones...can't pick just one.

(28) Work of nonfiction?

The Diary of Anne Frank

(29) Who is your favorite writer?

J. K. Rowling....she better write more novels!!!!

(30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?

Stephanie Meyer. She has taught a generation of impressionable young girls that it's okay to put up with an abusive, patronizing boyfriend, that if the boyfriend leaves you, suicide is the answer, and when all else fails, lie to your parents and run away with the boyfriend- all in the name of LOVE. PUUUUULLEEEEEASE.

(31) What is your desert island book?

Ugh, I'd need a series if I'm on an island. Can I make up a "Complete works of J K Rowling" by taping all the books together?

(32) And… what are you reading right now?

Spadework by Timothy Findley...going very slowly.

1. Explain what ended your last relationship?

I was in grade 8- the boy was immature and broke up with me in a note. LAME.

2. When was the last time you shaved?

Yesterday.

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.

Either sleeping or telling the cats to shut up, then falling back to sleep.

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?

Watching Two and a Half Men and knitting a cover for my laptop.

5. Some things you are excited about?

Getting more shifts at work, Canada day, new yarn, the new Harry Potter movie, even though it's sooo far away, Greg and I's three year anniversary (july 21st!)

6. What is your favorite flavor of JELL-O?

Green Apple, though they don't sell it anywhere....boo. It's awesome with vodka :)

7. Your prom night, what do you remember about it?

Wearing a tiara and a pretty blue dress, randomly buying a gingerbread cookie for Jay's birthday afterwards.

8. Do you have any famous ancestors?

No idea, though who knows, Jack Lemmon or Cindy Crawford could be relations.

9. Last thing received in the mail?

My latest issue of Chatelaine.

10. How many different beverages have you had today?

3- Koolaid, diet Pepsi and passionfruit pop

11. Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?

Not very often... unless I really need them to get back to me. I wish my parents had one!

12. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?

No, I go there to find beach glass :)

13. Any plans for Friday night?

Not really, Greg works at 6am on Saturday.

14. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?

I haven't been in the ocean for a while...I would assume it would make my hair nice and wavy though.

15. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?

Years ago...I should pick one up this Christmas.

16. Do you re-use towels after you shower?

Yes, I'm clean when I come out of the shower!

17. Describe your keychain(s)?

I have a couple on my purse- a fuzzy kitten with a paw over his eye, and a plastic keychain that reads "I didn't like him until I saw his woody!" with a picture of a station wagon.

18. Where do you keep your change?

Lately, in a change counter so I can roll the change- I'll eventually have to cash the rolls in for pocket money, I have over $20 in pennies, dimes and nickles.

19. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?

My group presentation back in April- I got 100% in that class!

20. What kind of winter coat do you own?

A black down filled one- I want another wool one, though.

So, I've been thinking about selling my knitted goods for years now. I've made many gifts for people, and I have closets full of things I've made for myself. I've been stockpiling some mittens and baby booties to sell. I really wanted to set up an account on Etsy, but the thought of the crazy prices for shipping really hinders things. It would probably double the cost of the item just to send it in Nova Scotia, and I don't want to lower my prices to compensate. There are craft shows and flea markets around here, but you need to buy a table and I'd need to have a lot of items made and  sell a lot to make it worthwhile. SO, the only thing I can think of right now is to put out some feelers on Facebook. See if anyone wants to buy the stuff I have knitted, and see if anyone would like me to do commissions. Then if that works out, maybe the other options would make more sense. Plus I need pocket money to buy more yarn :)

Here's some of my knitting I want to sell, just in case any ljers want some!

( Wooly Goodness )

I'll be posting this all on facebook soon. Hopefully someone will buy!

My Thoughts: When Findley wrote this novel in the early nineties, he would never have guessed the plague he dreamed up, called sturnusemia, would be so true to reality. A disease spread by birds that terrorizes Toronto. SARS and bird flu combined. That's not the whole plot, just a side story. The whole novel is a series of intertwined stories of psychiatrists, mentally unstable people, wealthy people, and any combination of the three. Findley reveals the dark world of mental institutions and the upper crust of Toronto's society. Interspersed throught the stories are references to literary characters, some of which have been pulled from the pages of their works by Lila Kemp, an ex-librarian. Kurtz and Marlow are the main focus, escaped from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. There is also a Doctor Shelley, a research scientist, James Gatz, a wealthy man living in a green-marbled mansion, and even Findley himself appears in the pages as a patient.

This book is very dark and twisted. I had a hard time keeping the storylines straight. Findley is brilliant, and he keeps the reader on their toes. The imagery can be disturbing at times. I almost wanted to add horror as a second genre for this book, as some of the storylines fall in the realm of supernatural, though we know they are really just the imaginings of the mentally disturbed.

I really enjoyed this novel, and may read it again after I get through Heart of Darkness sometime in the future. I know I'm missing a slew of references.

I've been extremely distracted throughout this book review, I've been watching Half-Blood Prince at the same time.

My next book is another Findley

FIC
FIN

245 00 $aSpadework/ $cTimothy Findley.

I just bought this book at the NSCC CLA book sale last term. Another big one, so I'll be posting in two weeks. Before then, though, I'll have something on my knitting pursuits as of late.

Til next time, keep fit and have fun, and don't point out my grammar and spelling errors. Harry Potter was on!

My Thoughts: Finishing up a second novel by Jane Austen makes me truly glad I do not live in her time. Marrying for love was such a rarity- it was all about marrying to improve your fortune. Thinking about what I've heard about my family back in England, I would imagine they were one of the well off families at this time. My great-grandmother was a bit of a black sheep for marrying a Canadian after the first world war and moving to Sydney Mines, but from what I gathered from my mother, they were "old money". I would have married some ugly man with lots of money that may have been my cousin. Or I may have been lucky enough to fall in love with a Mr Darcy or Edward. Luck would have been very hard to come by, though.

The only photo I could find of this book was from Amazon, which does not do the book justice. The light part of the cover is just a cardboard over-wrap. The whole outside cover is black with embossed leaves on the front and metallic script lettering. I'm as much in love with the design of this book as I am with its contents. The inside covers have pastoral illustations, and the page opposite the t.p. recto has an illustration of a young man cutting a lock of hair from a young lady's tresses.

Comparing the book to the 1996 film (which, as a terrible excuse for an English Major, I watched first), you notice much more depth in the storyline. Many characters, including Mrs Ferrars, are wiped out, and we never get an explaination of Willoughby's actions. Marianne's illness is not as dramatic in the film as it is in the novel, but there is a greater emphasis on Col. Brandon's earnest worries for her in the film.

What I have found in both film and book is the lack of intrest Marianne shows towards poor Col. Brandon. Though she marries him in the end, we never feel that she truly loves him. It is an ironic twist that Elinor's sense leads her into a happy, love-filled marriage, and Marianne's sensibilities bring her a marriage where the love is present, but very much imbalanced.

This book took me longer to read as I was in training all last week at my new job as a library clerk. It's hard work, but enjoyable, and as my supervisor assured me, I have been wanting to bring home a lot more books. One of which is Jane Bites Back, by Michael Thomas Ford. Jane Austen is still alive- and she's a vampire. I'll probably bring it home after all of the summer reading list is finished.

As for that, the next stop in my reading adventure is....

FIC
FIN

245 00 $aHeadhunter/ $cTimothy Findley.

This book has been started two or three times since I bought it a while back from Buy the Book out on the Bedford Highway. Findley is a quirky, dark, bizarre writer from Canada that I discovered in my Literary Landmarks class at Dal. If you haven't read The Wars, I highly reccommend it. I've read Not Wanted on the Voyage as well, a strange reimagining of Noah's ark, and I also have Spadework to read, his final novel before his death in 2002. Headhunter, however, is a perfect book for me. It's about a schizophrenic ex-libraian who brings literary characters to life, which is why she was fired- on of the charcaters burned down the library. As this book weighs in at over 600 pages, I'll say two weeks for this book instead of the usual one I've been aiming for with the last three novels. Crazy librarians, away!

Things to know when starting as a library clerk:
-don't wear a sweater- you will sweat like crazy
-bring a bottle of water- mostly to do with the sweating
-wear comfortable shoes
-learn a better way to sit/squat/bend that doesn't leave your back feeling like a pretzel
-tolerate the children. or get that area of shelving done AS FAST AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
-Actually pay attention to things on the floor, you have to pick them up.

Tomorrow's another day...will probably learn more!