Yarnbombing and the knit graffiti saga continues

Yesterday I happened to be home from work by accident and heard an interview with Leanne and Mandy on CBC talking about their upcoming book, Yarnbombing.
It was cool to hear, and has got me started on making yet another branch of this original blaaaahg.

Please, do check out the Yarnbombing site, and the newest member of my blog family, Strathcozies.

get yer craft on people!!!!!

dear Israel...

we interrupt this blog to talk about skincare....

I'm not just talking regular skincare, but delicious, wonderfully organic skincare products that you deserve and will want if "quality" is what you are looking for.The company is called Bioéthique, the products are made in Provence, and they are having a boxing day sale now, so it is a perfect oppourtunity for you to check out their wares.

We all have skin, and we need to take care of it.
I used to be a strictly "soap and water" girl. I couldn't stand the feeling of anything on my face after I had washed it, and because I rarely wear any sort of makeup....this is something that I have always adhered to.
If I'm cleaning my face, I don't need any greasy, waxy, so called moisturizing products smeared or caked on my face. Bioéthique, is one of the first lines that has left me feeling clean and moisturized without that ugh waxy feel that is usually left behind.

One of the first things you will notice about these products is their very different texture and consistency. Compared to many main stream products which are artificially thickened, these products are quite thin or light by comparison. It certainly doesn't diminish their performance ability, and in my opinion, enhances it. There is no excess to absorb and it all disappears into the porous sponge that is your skin.
Their unique texture does require a mental shift when you are extracting them from their containers however, as I have lost great globs of shampoo by simply spacing out and not paying attention. Be aware!! These are quality products that need to be used sparingly, and with great relish.

Another consideration for making the switch to organic products like Bioéthique is the use of animal products in many 'brand name'products. If you wish to avoid these potentially harmful and generally disgusting animal products and other toxins you might want to think about it.
Longevity is key. So the time to start looking after your skin is now.

These products are delicious smelling, with subtle fragrances of orange, and rose and other essential plant oils. They are fresh, and work best that way. They leave my skin feeling great, and my body smelling delicious.Of course, only time will tell, but if I'm smiling because my skin feels so good, then how can this be a bad thing?

I strongly encourage you to check them out.
Their sale runs until January 1'st. You will be as hooked as I am. Guaranteed!

my favourites include:

the cleansing milk
the exfoliating scrub
the eye cream
the wonderful anti-oxidant serum
the delicious smelling body moisturizer
the day cream-nice and light
the moisture mask....because I work outdoors and need a little extra tlc sometimes

where have all the birches gone?

Down at Gore and Union there has been a vacant lot for some time. It has also been a hot spot for arson and vandalism from the haters of gentrification.
They had placed some orange fencing around some of the larger trees there. I understood this fence to mean that they would be saved.There were about 4 birches initially.Some were larger than others.

I had seen some spectacular wildlife there from time to time as well. If you can call inner city wildlife spectacular, and I believe you can.
Giant 'coons sunning themselves on the roofs of the now burned out homes.
A big Buteo looking for lunch.
It was a familiar corner. One that has been changing ever so slowly.
The fenced in trees started to become a receptacle for garbage and starbucks cups. Clothing. Other flotsam of the downtown eastside.


The other day, I noticed that the very last tree had been cut down.
They had been disappearing over time, broken off, snapped in half.
This one was more obvious.
Someone actually tramped down the orange fence and cut it down.
There was no evidence left behind except a stump.

I started to wonder about some of the other Birches in the neighbourhood.
Three on the south side of Strathcona school field. Three at the park house on Keefer and Heatley.It is a bummer to see so many disappear. Leaving stumps.

14 gone but not forgotten

Genevieve Bergeron.

Nathalie Croteau.

Anne-Marie Edward.

Maryse Laganiere.

Anne-Marie Lemay.

Michele Richard.

Annie Turcotte.

Helene Colgan.

Barbara Daigneault.

Maud Haviernick.

Maryse LeClair.

Sonia Pelletier.

Annie St-Arneault.

Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz.


Remembering the Montreal Massacre.

I'm not sure we've come a long way in the last 19 years.
The news is still full of stories of women murdered by their spouses, family members, and total strangers. It is disgusting.
Women are still disposable in our society.

Overheard at work...

"So some Haitian is gonna decide who runs the country?!?!!"

I know I shouldn't laugh.......

...but this is the face of a scared little boy about to pee in his pants.

In case you haven't been listening, or are not a Canadian interested in federal affairs, our country is in a Constitutional Crisis. By dabbling in the ideologies that make up the identity of what it means to be a "Canadian", Prime Minister Steven Harper has blown it. This coupled with the fact that we JUST had a national election? People are annoyed. His old stomping grounds of Calgary might not accept the direness of the situation, but he's managed to unite all of the opposition parties against him. I believe this includes the Bloc Québécois.

What is especially delicious about this possibility of taking power from an ineffectual government, is the fact that Michaelle Jean, the Governor General, will be the one to decide how it will all go down, if it happens.
She is seen as a waste of money by most Conservatives, and they attack her travel expenses from time to time, but she is a representative of our country, and needs to exist.
As if we would want some totally backwards, uncultured, hater of the arts, right wing hill billy to represent us to the rest of the worldly universe. She puts up with a great deal of heat, and this seems like karmic payback for being maligned continuously.

I hope it goes through. I'm tired of all the cozying up to all the wrong people. I'd better end there, as I'm no political writer, and it's like Beavis and Butthead talking about the Mona Lisa in here, or something.

Let us all laugh aloud now, shall we?

On Wall Street

Anangel Solidarity

Sammi Aurora

Joy Sea

Hane Pearl

Anthi P

Siskin Arrow

Silver Yu

Rubin Forest

Skaubryn

come sail your ships around me....

Stop the Violence

Lately there has been a great deal of violence in my neighbourhood.
It's been a hot spot for awhile what with the rapid gentrification and housing market the way it is. It's been written on sidewalks, poles and on the sides of homes. Class Warfare!!!!




It has been particularly hard on the house at 708 Hawkes Ave, which has been the victim of shocking violence and destruction. Too much really.
It started when the house was sold. A huge, gorgeous communal place that had seen it's share of inhabitants over the years. Called the fish bowl for a reason, the preferred name for me was the "dirty fish bowl". Maybe it was the flip tone of, "hey, wanna buy a house?" that was posted in the window of the place, but whatever it was, it set off the vandals in a big way.
I guess the anger is mostly directed at the guy who bought and gutted the place for re-sale.
Everybody hates a flipper, but a guy has to make a living somehow. Is he any worse than a person who makes their living owning apartment buildings ahd renting out suites?

I have always had empathy for inanimate objects. I feel badly at the amount of damage that's occurred to this house, especially considering what kind vibes it's had throughout the years.

I've heard the rumours circulating of who it might be. Ranging from the ridiculous to the probable, including the rumour that a soccer ball was found inside, and I can't say that I know for sure who it is, but I do know that they're misdirecting their anger in a lame, adolescent way.
Like the night I had far too many drinks at the Anza club and upon leaving decided to act out some reckless, destructive rage on the antennae of some poor bastards car. I didn't choose the most expensive car on the block, to make it some 'credible' act against the man a la "eat the rich", oh no...
I chose some poor bugger, who was probably at the same show, and it was either a crappy Escort, or a Civic, or whatever from the 80's. Whatever it was, my behaviour was stupid, and juvenile, and didn't accomplish anything of value.
Sorry buddy.

I hope the senseless shit in the hood stops soon.
Take the anger to the big developers, or Gordon Campbell's house, or wherever.
Let the house return to it's good vibe self. It's already been gutted and eviscerated for all to see. I feel poorly for the house....and the new owner who is in the process of purchasing and is no doubt nervous about moving in there.It is sad.

Save the Heatley Block from Demolition

Save the Heatley Block

Long Hot Summer of Bad Drugs?

The Police and Ambulance services have been out 3 times already this morning to assist two tweaking half dressed girls on the street in front of my place. No one has been able to help them so far. Not that they are even willing to accept help....but their party posse had some infighting and abandoned them with their jerks and grunts and groans. It is extremely disturbing to witness.
Thankfully the kids didn't see any of it.

I saw some public sex in the park on my dog walk. The local park has become a camp ground.
Last night I heard blood curdling screams coming from the vicinity of Hastings.

Yes, summer is in full swing.
The trip to Oliphant seems like a distant memory.

If people could just stick to beer.....

Waves: Chinatown

I met a couple of fine ladies for coffee tonight at Waves Coffee in Chinatown.
It's a 24 hour establishment at the corner of Pender and Main Streets, just one block from the infamous "Hastings and Main".
Yadda Yadda.

It felt weird going in there because I'd been to the old place several times which was jam packed full of Chinese curios and every type of thing imaginable.

I got a Latte, of course, and I should have had some food, but I was feeling stunned and not thinking clearly. What I saw looked good. Possibly even vegan.

It's huge, with comfy seats. Open air in the front and back. Free wifi. Plus, just having an alternative to Starbucks™ is a plus.

The only drawback was that the "Beavertail" guy came to our table, and as deferential and polite as he was....I could not give him any money. I hope this does not make me a Yuppie object of scorn.

What a maroon!!

W.O.W.
That was some hiatus.
I saw this and thought it was post worthy.....hahahahahaa

My favourite Palace Brothers song

I can't say which incarnation of Will Oldham I prefer, but this song is one of my best ever all time pick me ups.
Something about the great harmonies, the loose drums and laid back singing style. It's all good.
It's about as close as I'll inch to country music, and is up there with Freakwater for best indie old timey country ever.

And might I just say the "Flying Burrito Brothers are NOT country fusion Les!".
thank you.

Give a listen!!!

This is making it hard to get started this morning.

So much tragedy in the world.
So much suffering.
Makes me worry for the future.
Again.

Lemme Guess...

It must be the day after welfare wednesday, 'cause I've seen the fire truck go by about 4 times today.
Also, I saw an old acquaintance working out on our corner last night.

I wanted to make her a plate of chicken curry to go, but she took off down the street before I could get it together.

le sigh.

Somebody's knocking at the door....

Somebody's ringin' the bell.

You know the tune, and what with the Private Natural Gas Vendors and the Missionaries on the march, it's the song I've been singing lately.
The Jehovah's Witnesses were by the other day.
I must have been out, or occupied, because my husband saw them from afar and was trying to call and warn me.
Also, the bloody BC Liberals shoved something through my door.
As if......

But even weirder, was the God Graffiti I found directly out front of my door today.
I must say that this is a first, and I was initially creeped out, but now I am amused.
I don't think it was the woman I've dubbed "the witch", whom I have a photo of, but would rather not post.....but I doubt that she would get down on the ground to scrawl that.
She usually just walks up to my front door, looks up towards the rickity roof of my porch and stares. It is most unusual. But in a neighbourhood where some of the patrons wear aluminum foil helmets, there really isn't much that surprises me.

I did a google search on "limb of God" as if that might offer up some clues, but mostly all I found were sites devoted to talking about why God never heals missing limbs etc. Interesting, but not something I have time to explore at present.

I wonder if google will produce anything on "Limbo of God"? Sounds more fun definitely.

Honesty at what cost?

Yesterday, the ladies went downtown to do some shopping.
Springtime means a new lipgloss, you know, girl stuff.
We had lunch out and got on the bus with our parcels.

The bus stop at Abbott and Hastings was particularly grim, as per usual. I saw a guy buy dope and then his scabby girl came up and promptly punched him in the arm and started arguing with the dealer. These were 2 people dressed like any other 20 somethings, except they were covered in scabs, emaciated, and without much control of their muscles, jerking back and forth etc. It was tough to take.

Of course my 4 year old asks, "why is that person punching that other person"?
What can I say except, "those are crazy people honey".

I fear for the future. I wonder how Vancouver will clean up this heinous mess by the Olympics. Maybe finally things will change. I also worry about how desensitized we have all become.
These are human beings.

What a long strange day it's been....

I cannot believe the craziness that I just witnessed on the street.
I had been nauseated earlier by the sight of two street urchins making out between two parked cars. Imagine emaciated, drawn, skeletal, love and then mix in the crazies. It was disturbing.

Then, as if out of some movie.....3 big guys wearing Puffy jackets and one donning some kind of Rasta hat come cruising down the sidewalk. It's only extra bizarre because they were obviously not familiar faces from the 'hood....cause usually people start to look familiar round these parts. Plus, this was a group of about 6 or 7 guys, so it was really obvious.

Next thing I know, I see one of the guys doing the kicking, stomping thing on a guy on the ground.



That is some scary stuff. I got all spooked calling the cops then realized the futility of it all.
I guess they can rack it up as statistics, but as far as enforcing people to not be violent towards each other, I dunno. It did break up the nice little crack party that had been forming though.

gonna banish all negative thoughts now.

ohmmmmmmm

Nothing to Report

Oxford Comma

So my baby likes Vampire Weekend really a lot!
I knew that he would have his dad's penchant for the preppy.
Also he is a sucker for African guitars.

Check it out if you dare. The dude even wears 'deck shoes' as if that is some revolutionary fashion statement.

everything old is new again.