Song of the Spindle

The whale that I painted during the G8 - guarding the oceans and waters of the world.  Steward of the waters.

Which makes me love the connection here with this whale video.  The odd thing is, today *Mila* and I walked home talking about the brain size relative to body size of an animal.  I used a whale as an example of a large brain, then we got hung up on the pea brain variety of birds (and humans).  Fast forward 2 hours and I run across this video.  It starts off talking about brain size of animals.  The singing connection between human and the whale is so unusual.  It haunts me.  I love whales and I remember why. It was that flippy, floppy paper-like record, that arrived in the National Geographic magazine in the early 1980s, proving that whales too made music.  My grandparents went to Hawaii and more whale songs soon arrived on vinyl.  We all pretended to enjoy their deep dark songs from the ocean realm.  Honestly, their songs were sad, morose and told a story.

This is their story.  Enjoy the film.





Song Of the Spindle from Drew Christie on Vimeo.



signed, the willow

Now, When I go to Webster's Falls...

Now, when I go to Webster's Falls I am going to be feeling rather under-dressed.

signed, the willow

Swim in to RIFF

At the Reykjavik International Film Festival, audience members were able to swim up to watch the movies.
Imagine?  You'd be as shriveled as a prune by the end of the movie.  And then they'd try to slip you into the vinaterta!  Sorry, little Icelandic joke there.


Swim-in cinema Never Ending Story from RIFF Festival TV on Vimeo.



signed, the willow

fly away

Air France - L'Envol from Air France on Vimeo.

Don't quote me on that

So there I was being interviewed on tv when all of a sudden, I was misquoted.  I didn't say I was worried that businesses would be losing $100s of thousands of dollars due to the shortened G8.  How can we ever gauge that?  I'm about 22 seconds in and again at 4 minutes in on the video clip for Monday March 22nd.  Enjoy my 15 seconds of fame!

Will Big Cook make Little Cook STOP???

*Mila* and I are spending some relaxing time in front of the tv this morning.  The insane British show that I picked this morning was "Big Cook Little Cook".  It went something like this:


signed, the willow

My Water Friends

In case you were wondering if your summer could get any more depressing, I'm here to tell you that "YES IT CAN~!"

Here is the reason why. It's a documentary called "The Cove" and the dolphins need your help. Please sign this petition endorsed by 'Heroes' Hayden Panettiere. She certainly proves to be a role model, if not a hero. A part of me doesn't want to witness this film. While the other part of me says that this is my passion: saving marine life. I don't know why I didn't study marine biology. I suppose attending a University on the Canadian Prairies played a major role in that decision. Anyhow, so what the filmmakers want you to know is that there is hunt on dolphins. These mammals are slaughtered in a cruel manner and sent to grocery markets in Japan and labeled as whale meat (like that's any better). What can you do? I don't know what we can do, but I can guarantee, we will do something.







If you need a reason to be a vegetarian, this just might be yours. *Steve* sent me this link and I sent him this in return. We reciprocate a lot in our marriage. "Sharkwater" is another film with a similar message. It involves the human 'need' for shark finning. Much the same as removing the tusks of an elephant. Senseless and inhumane.

With a box of tissues near by I can't bear the anger and frustration that this damage causes to our fellow living members of our planet. Please, please, please sign a petition. Write a letter. Do something. One action to save one living thing. The power of the e-signature can be mightier than the spear.

signed, the willow

The Earthly Shade of Blue

When you look at the globe, an atlas, or a map of the world, what colour do you see? Yeah. Blue. Yesterday was Earth Day and I did promise another post but things happen, like papier maché. *Mila* picked out her outfit the night before and decided that since it was Earth Day she would wear an entirely blue outfit (in case you just tuned in, that is not her in the picture). Now, being a grown-up I would associate the colour green with Earth Day. Now, wait a minute, she did have a point. Sky blue. Ocean blue. Periwinkle blue. All shades of blue found in nature on our planet. After all, why do we use a BLUE box to be kind to our planet? Maybe we really should listen to children. These kids in *Mila's* class really felt that yesterday was the Earth's Birthday and we should celebrate that. They had to guess how old the earth is and *Mila* told me that her teacher said she gave the right answer when she said it was 105 years old. Wonder where that 115 year old lady was living before she came to the blue planet?


While on the dangling thought of oceans, on my PVR is the Cousteau "Call of the Killer Whale" episode from PBS yesterday.

Now, go do some good for your planet, would ya?

signed, the willow

Chances are if you have to tell people it is funny....

Chances are if you have to tell people it is funny, it probably isn't funny.

We are knee deep in outdoor projects this weekend, so my eco-Saturday is not too green this weekend. See, we rented a concrete saw that was powered by the most ancient of fossil fuels. And when *Steve* flooded it, he had to drive across to Rona again to find out how to start it. Then he proceeded to cut the driveway with it. Don't ask me why. I don't ask dumb questions anymore. I just put up with it. Welcome to Suburbia.

Oh, and let's not forget that when we had our wood delivered, for our lower level deck, to the wrong house. So, that would mean the driver was now driving around aimlessly looking for our lost wood. Then picking up the lost wood and re-delivering it to our house, the correct house.

So, yes. Our outdoor project has been hard on the ecosystem. I'm sorry environment. We walked 10 km on Thursday to run our errands. I promise I'll make it up to you. As *Steve* is now gasping for air.

signed, the willow

She willl not be getting married to Jarhead

I know what you are thinking, she's such an awful mother that she hasn't even explained to her child that this is Jesus and not Crazy Haired Dude. But, don't you also find it alarming that she thinks Jake Gyllenhaal is Jarhead and it's 4 pm and she's in her jammies (still). Never mind, she put on her Belle dress at 4:45 pm and locked the dog in her bedroom with her, a Peter Pan movie and 200 stuffed animals. I don't want to go in there. Please don't make me go in there.

Today's recipe:

Apple and Cheese Sandwiches for Tea

I won't take the credit for these. In fact, I haven't tried them yet. But they sound interesting.

6 slices Raisin Bread

1-2 tbsp honey

1-2 tbsp Dijon

1-2 tbsp mayo

2 Granny Smith Apples

9-10 thin slices extra old white cheddar

Mix honey, mayo & mustard together. Spread mixture on bread slices. Thinly slice apples. Top bread with apple and cheese slices. Serve with a nice hot cup of tea.

signed, the willow

2nd Video

Video for Great Gramma

signed, the willow

A hideaway

This morning *Mila* and were looking for something in the basement: a crawlspace. Yeah, we don't have a crawlspace and *Mila* is obsessed with them. She wants one and *Steve* rationally tried to explain to her that we have a walkout basement and cannot lift the house to make her a crawlspace. So we decided to take the area under the stairs to the basement and convert it into her own little nest/hideaway/crawlspace. We went to IKEA, I bought her a clip on table for a deck from their summer collection. Check it out here. The picture on their website doesn't do it justice. It's got these cute little flower cut outs stamped in it.

On another note, this is what happens to people when they have crazy relatives. I think we have a few relatives in my family that could cause this to happen to someone.

And my animal pick for the month has to be this. I love this dolphin. Makes me want to join Greenpeace.

signed, the willow

My head is made from glue and I have coconuts in my closet

Just what I needed. A coconut bra for my daughter and a grass skirt. There are remains from this hay skirt from Hawaii (made in Indonesia) all over the house. My head is made from glue due to another germ infestation.

Here is what I'd wish for today: A cozy warm blanket to curl up under while I watched a sappy movie with Brad Pitt, a warm dog by my feet, a husband who was home to take his little girl out for some afternoon fun, all this while I drank a hot steamy cup of tea.

Instead, this is the reality: my blanket shrunk in the wash and doesn't cover my feet, my dog has a gimpy leg and is curled up with *Mila* and not me, my tea is luke warm and the movie *Mila* chose for us this afternoon is 'Hercules' and sadly, there is no Brad Pitt in it (although they did mention Achilles).

signed, the willow

She said she doesn't like your girlfriend

We have the winter blahs and so to beat off the sensation to curl up like a cat and sleep in the sunshine, we held our own Hawaiian party. *Mila* sent out some invitations to Elly the purple elephant and Jack the puppy that lives in a cage. Note: the vacuum is on the couch again to keep the dog off. What I love is how *Mila* is pretending to be Avril Lavigne so enthusiastically, then snaps out of it and gives her bracelet a quick snap. "That's it and we're back in the room."

signed, the willow

My pick of the week

This appeals to my generation. We grew up on all that was good about "Super Friends" and later we tried to emulate our love lifes to be like that of Rachel and Ross or Rachel and Joey. Personally, I feel like Rachel and I ended up with ugly naked guy???? Nah, I mean Joey!

Friends meet Super Friends

signed, the willow

Global "Warning"

When I am asked to explain something to *Mila*, I don't hesitate to consult my higher sources. These would be Google and my University textbooks that are botany collections and entomology experiments all rolled into one. Just because they've been hanging around so long that the spiders have moved in. Oh, never mind.

Today the question was "What is Global Warming?" Okay. Lucky for me, I spent 7 years at University trying to get a 3 year degree. I can rhyme two processes off my tongue pretty well still. One is photosynthesis and the other is, ahem, global warming. Remember, I am a dinosaur and studied global warming before it was actually happening. Or at least before they admitted it was happening. Where we are with our planet right now, textbooks, computer models and University professors did not anticipate this current stage until around 2030 or so. Like Mr. Gore tells us, this whole global warming thing is accelerating, rapido!

What's funny is how a 4 year-old can get other things involved into the whole scenario. Take for example the main culprit of global warming, my brother's beloved dog. I guess the whole idea came to her when we talked about cows contributing to global warming with their release of methane. I had to make it funny for her. Sunny has a bit of a reputation for stinking up a room. Don't worry, her tree solution will solve it.

signed, the willow

Is this your coat?

Wasn't that a line from a Peter Sellers' movie? "Your coat! Your coat!" "Yes, it is my coat." I wonder why *Mila* thought I wrapped up my coat for her?

Christmas morning was a success and I think next year we'll cut off the presents at around 74, since that's where *Mila* said "Um, this pink dress does not surprise me in the least."

Now we have about 4 hours of playing Barbies followed by 6 hours of kitchen play with plastic food. Oh, and apparently (this is what *Mila* tells us) "Christmas is about singing, eating, playing and lying around being lazy watching movies." That just about sums it up.

signed, the willow

The Princess & The Pea

Turn up the volume for *Mila's* production of "The Princess and The Pea".

signed, the willow

Bravo! Encore!!

There is so much to be said about this outfit.
#1 Summer dress. Check!
#2 V-Neck Sweater. Check!
#3 Striped brown & pink pants. Check!
#4 Googoo goggles with duckies on them. Check!
#5 Striped orange and teal knee high socks. Check!

signed, the willow