el bee baby

The magic of the interweb and Canada's hinterland

Aren't these the cutest things? 
I almost want to eat them.  If I were a squirrel.

I just got this skirt in the mail.  I am in love with it.  So tidily made.  Such attention to detail. 

Stuff like this and this on youtube almost makes me cry.  The earnest-ness (the earnesty?  doesn't that sound like a good word?) of it is so amazing/heartwrenching/inspiring/helpful.  I'd never be working at the guitar without the wonders of youtube.  Which incidentally turned 5 recently.   As did someone else.  Doesn't she look like your eccentric great aunt?  Five... who can believe it? 
 


  

I went on a fieldtrip with Poppy's class yesterday.  We went to a classic interpretive nature centre.  I remember this kind of thing from being a kid.  When I think of these types of experiences, I hear the soundtrack from "Canada hinterland's who's who".  Framed in brown picnic table paint. 

Anyways, the 5 and 6 year olds in P's class were all sitting in a circle, focusing raptly on the guide who was displaying a moose skull for all to see. 
Guide:  "Does anyone know what this is?" 
Zack:  "It's a TRex!"
Guide:  "Uhhh no.... It's eats grass and it's very big."
Keegan: "A bear!"
Guide:  "Uhhhh no..... Here's another hint.  It's got antlers."
Ben:  "A cub!"
Guide gives up. 
This kind of Q and A went on all morning and I could hardly contain my laughter.  I just love that age group. I love that in their minds, absolutely anything is possible.  There is no such thing as a leap of logic.  The same age group skips merrily along the woodland path holding hands, looking into puddles and yelling out "That stick in the bottom of that puddle is SO.... BEAUTIFUL!" 

Honestly, my heart almost exploded with the sweetness of it. 

Hobbyist

I'm tormenting my family with the guitar. 

I asked for a guitar the Christmas that I was 23?  Somewhere around there.  I probably had visions of floating through wheat fields playing mournful songs that made people cry.  Maybe wearing a gauzy dress?  Actually this was the 90s so I probably more likely imagined wearing motorcycle boots and some kind of tough, too tight t shirt.  In which case I would have been clomping through the field.  Singing deeply ironic songs.

Anyways... I never got beyond "Go tell Aunt Rhodie"  (the old grey goose is dead)
Since then the guitar has lurked in various basements and closets, throwing silent and dusty recriminations at me every time I catch a glimpse. 

Somehow it got picked up again about a month ago and I'm hacking away at it.  Hard going.   But it's so much fun to do something new and not care (particularly) how bad I am or how ludicrous I might sound.  So I play stuff like 'house of the rising sun"  (I'm not kidding) and feel hilariously cheesy (and mournful). 

Finn said to me "Um Mum?  I'm feeling kind of dubious about your singing." 

Mmmmhmmmm.  He's not alone in that sentiment.  But I soldier on.  Soon I'll make my way through 'Four Strong Winds" and won't the house be hoppin' then. 

I know I keep peppering you with song links.   Here's another one.  There's no real video for this song but it's such a good one, I just have to link to it.  This is a fanvideo that someone put together of the area of BC that Ootischenia is in.  Dave and I used to live (and plant trees) in the Kootenays before we had kids.  Such a magical place.