miscellany

There are a handful of knick-knacks I wanted to share with you that are too small to merit an entire post, and too random to be grafted into any other topic. So I've cobbled them together and now dump it on the table for your perusal.

Blog updates

I've been meaning to pretty up this little corner of the internet for a couple months now. Nothing massive, no huge overhaul. Just a few little odds and ends to make this place a bit more solid and a bit nicer to look at. I can't say when I'll get around to it (one thing in particular is a proper about me page, and a proper about me page needs a proper photo . . . so I'm waiting for an opportune time to snag the skills of a photographer friend), but it is coming. Just so you know.

Canadian winter

Some of you who read my Christmas tag mentioned snow (and how you hadn't had any for five years or were jealous of the bit you could see through my window), and Emily in particular wanted to see what a Canadian winter looks like. So while this season still has us wrapped in its icy clutches, I thought I'd show you my backyard.

I accidentally left my flash on and look! I captured snowflakes!

Randomness (because I am acutely feeling the leanness of this post and want to throw some stuff at you)

-A few months ago, an online friend introduced me to a YouTube channel called Studio C, and now I am addicted. They have tons of clean comedy sketches, like this one. (Watch it, and there is no going back. If you spend an hour of your time clicking on video after video and laughing maniacally at your screen, I refuse to apologize.)

-This week, I suddenly remembered the movie Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, and now very badly want to watch it again.

-I am in the midst of reading an atrocious book. I can't reach the final page fast enough. More later, in this month's Subplots and Storylines.

-My brother is reading Hamlet for school, which led to him reading quotable lines to me, which led to us looking up Shakespeare quotes online, which led to a weird desire to pick up a Shakespeare play and . . . actually read it?

Posts I'm loving lately

There have been so many wonderful blog posts recently, so I'm spreading the love.

• What if? - Annie lists some thought-provoking questions daring to ask, "What would life look like if I was brave?"
• 7 Reasons Why Every Aspiring Writer Should Work in a Bookstore - Cassia makes me intrigued (and maybe jealous) about the valuable experience of working in a bookstore. I would love a job like that.
• One Day at a Time - Sarah offers a great perspective on worrying less while still reaching for your goals.
• //coffee and connections - Mirriam presents the staggeringly simple power of just connecting with people.
• Dear You - Christine basically wrote a hug personified in her post reminding us of our beauty and worth.
• Writing vs. Editing: The Different Mindsets - Tori compares the drafting to the gruelling process of editing, and explains how one must take a different approach to the different stages of writing.
• The Nature of Goodness - Mary just started a blog! Eeep! In this post she writes about the goodness of God . . . how needed, and how very great, it is.

Stay tuned . . .

Because of today's brevity, I aim to join a link-up this week, a rather new one that looks like scrumptious fun. (Figuratively scrumptious, I mean. Nothing to do with food. Everything to do with Words and Story, but some of us devour those very much the way we scarf down strawberry cheesecake, am I right?)


P.S. I apologize for the lateness-in-the-day of this post. I meant to have it up by mid-afternoon, and then my shift got extended. At least it's still Saturday! Or it is in my part of the world, anyway.