Notes from a sunny spot (blink and you’ll miss it)

Check out that sun – yes, we got some sun. It confused me with its lovely warm brightness and I was momentarily stunned and sat on the back deck saying “gahhhh!”. It only lasted a day or so and now we’re back into the reassuringly consistant rain, but boy, it was good while it lasted.

I planted vegetables, I finished a quilt etc. If I’d cooked some kind of bread or boiled my own soup stock I would have completed the trifecta of domestic awesomeness.

Other things of the non-domestic awesome variety:

– Waxy.org turns 10 – Happy blog birthday Andy! I love his thoughts on blogging in a world of microblogging. Encouraging and inspiring, as always.

– Jordan’s kickstarter page which is mind BLOWING (I’ve been hitting refresh every… oh, let’s say…minute?). The wonderful response to the campaign has been incredible – and yet again I am reassured that the old saying “do what you love and good things will follow” (or whatever it is) has some truth in it.

Speaking of female leads in the fantasy genre:

– Game of Thrones – which I watch from the very edge of the couch. There is the story and the art direction and the whole fantasy genre which I have always loved – but also worth noting is the fact that in this second season there are so many fantastic, often cliche-busting, kick-ass female main characters. You won’t find any token females playing elves looking ethereal and beautiful in a magical forest, but instead at least a dozen interesting three dimensional characters. The sexual violence, while still apparent, is toned down this season – sexual politics is still a main focus but the unexpected twists and turns are part of what makes the show interesting. I am waiting for Sansa to start kicking it – I hope she does. Some of my friends say “girl, it’s so violent, how can you bear it?” but I just can. And I will. And I love it. The story surprises me.

Back closer to home:

Salt Spring Island’s Saturday Market – is back for the warm season and is bubbling away with homemade soaps, goats cheese, heirloom carrots and fresh baked treats. Don’t expect to escape without spending any money. Just try to resist.

Music – I’ve been clumsily figuring out a couple of songs on the ukulele (Lumineers! Damien Jurado! Oh and this one! So good! Watch out folk scene – I am totally hot on your heels) and then singing them badly over and over to the point where even the smallest members of the household are groaning “NOT AGAIN! SPARE US, PLEASE!”. Regardless, trust me on this: when you turn 40, buy yourself a musical instrument. It’s the healthy part of the whole mid-life crisis thing.