A fun game

I thought I’d ease my way back into The Land of Blogging with something totally silly and random.

The idea is a pass-along from Happy Zombie’s blog.

The Game:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Ann-Margret
2. What is your favorite food? Salad
3. What high school did you go to? Outremont
4. What is your favorite color? Red
5. Who is your celebrity crush? George Eads *swoon*
6. Favorite drink? Diet Pepsi
7. Dream vacation? Jane Austen’s England
8. Favorite dessert? Key Lime Pie
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Wise
10. What do you love most in life? Knowing God
11. One Word to describe you. Likable
12. Your flickr name: Ann-Margret Hovsepian  — NOTHING!

For bonus points… put “sign” behind your answer.

1. Ann-Margret sign, 2. Salad sign, 3. Outremont sign, 4. Red sign, 5. George Eads sign, 6. Diet Pepsi sign, 7. Jane Austen’s England sign, 8. Key Lime Pie sign, 9. Wise sign, 10. Knowing God sign, 11. Likable sign, 12. Ann-Margret Hovsepian sign

Now your turn!

Actually, a friend tagged me for another meme a few weeks ago, so I’ll try to do that soon, too, as well as catch you up on the life of Ann-Margret (the slightly-less-famous one) (no, not her, ME!)

Sorry for the long absences

I’m so busy!

I hope things will quiet down a little in July but, I don’t know… I have to finish designing a 40-page conference brochure/magazine by July 11, the same day I have an article due. I have a big article due July 2, and a lot of writing/editing to do for another magazine client in the next week and a half (not to mention my church newsletter and MY BOOK PROPOSAL, which keeps getting pushed aside for other work). Oh, and a big BBQ to plan for July 12. Sigh.

Thankfully, I will have a mini-vacation way out in the country, July 4-7. I am soooooo looking forward to that. I wonder if I can take the week of the 14th off, too… I’d love to do nothing but sew, do some much-needed painting and cleaning and organizing in the house, read and read and read, explore my city and take photos… and maybe blog a little.

Ya know what? I’m going to try to make it happen! WOOHOO! (I’ll keep you posted.)

Okay, gotta go prepare questions for an interview I have in about two hours! Byeeeeeeee for now!

P.S. Just so this post isn’t a total waste of your time…

The Little Yellow Notebook - a really neat idea for moms with young daughters (I wish I could do this!!)

Confusing Words - Do you struggle with the difference between affect and effect? You’ll love this site!

After being away on business, Tim thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift. “How about some perfume?” he asked the cosmetics clerk.She showed him a bottle costing $50.

“That’s a bit much,” said Tim, so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30.

“That’s still quite a bit,” Tim complained.

Growing annoyed, the clerk brought out a tiny $15 bottle.

“What I mean,” said Tim, “is I’d like to see something really cheap.”

The clerk handed him a mirror.

 

I am Al Fresco…

According to the Color Sense Game at Pittsburgh Paints, I am…

and my Secondary Harmony Family is…

Considering my favourite colours are red, white and apple green (particularly for a home)… the results are interesting! (And look at my blog… it’s mostly white with green accents.) And I can deal with “fresh and balanced”.

What about you?

Where I Live

A guy named Christopher Dewolf has an amazing photo set of Park Avenue, Montreal, where I live — from about a block north of my home all the way toward downtown (about 4km), but mostly right in my neighbourhood. I discovered him through a link on my sister’s new blog and was just fascinated by the hundreds of shots of places I know so well after living on this street for 36 years. Out of 300+ photos, I probably can’t locate five… How cool is that? And there are photos of specific events I remember or people I recognize, too.

The funny thing is, I don’t know the photographer, but based on one photo taken from inside looking out, I figure he lives across the street and down several buildings from me. Interesting!

And I was really tickled when I came across photo #80:

That’s where I live! (I probably shouldn’t be more specific than that on the Internet, though I don’t mind letting you know privately if you’re dying to know which space I fill.) Whaddya think??

If you’re interested in seeing my neighbourhood, check it out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherdewolf/sets/72157600010637955/show/

You’ll see people and landscapes and architecture that you won’t find in most typical American or even Canadian cities. Seriously. You may even want to come and visit one day!

Oh, oh, oh! Check out this photo, too. There’s an old lady who walks around here and whenever I see her, I want to just stop and stare. I don’t know how old she is but she’s all wrinkly and grey, but she is SO elegant! She walks gracefully with this je-ne-sais-quoi air that makes me wonder if she was a model or actress or something in her youth. She is always perfectly dressed and coifed and, I dunno… she just makes me smile! I’m pretty sure this is her (we can’t possibly have two of them on the same street, can we?) Isn’t she wonderful?

Okay, I was only planning to post a link and now I’ve been here for way too long. I have work to do!

Bye for now!

Daily Thought Wallpaper

Real Simple has some lovely desktop wallpapers you can download for free here. I chose the third one on the third page. The quote reads:

If a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you… rejoice, for your soul is alive. — Eleonora Duse, Actress

Enjoy!

Surrounded by noise

Hi everyone,

I think it will be a while longer until I’m really able to post regularly, and that frustrates me. Right now, besides all the work I need to do, I’ve got construction noise at the back of our house (we’re doing some renovating) and at the front (Hydro Quebec is installing new pipes or cables or something so they’ve been drilling and digging and generally causing a lot of commotion (including shouting at each other in loud and sometimes rude French), and of course it had to be directly in front of our house and not down the street a little). This has been going on since last week. I think I may be forced to become a morning person (the ruckus begins around 7 a.m. and I don’t usually get up until 8:30). I’m so glad I’m getting my portable A/C unit on Thursday morning so that (assuming it works well) I’ll at least be able to shut my windows and block out a bit of the noise.

Anyway, I thought I should at least pop my head in and thank you all for your wonderful and warm birthday wishes. It means a lot to me. Any spare time I do have for creative pursuits in the next couple of weeks will be dedicated to completing my three Pay It Forward gifts that I promised last July! I also have to work on my new book proposal and just haven’t been able to get to that, which is also frustrating.

So, thanks for still visiting sometimes… I miss everyone!

Oh, before I go… I’ve been wanting to share this for some time (and the photo feature is working today!) A while back, someone sent me an e-mail full of photos of amazing cakes made in Russia (I think). Naturally, this one caught my eye. WOWEE! Enjoy!

36 years gone… ? to go!

Today’s my birthday. I’m starting my 37th year.

Woo.

Hoo.

According to my calendar, it’s also “Queen’s Birthday” in New Zealand. I wonder if she’s as excited as I am.

Thanks to those who have sent me greetings and goodies! Knowing so many people care makes the day a lot less gloomy (it’s overcast and chilly in Montreal… kind of like October weather).

Another busy week ahead but I’m starting to manage my time better so hopefully I’ll get into a regular posting routine again soon.

Love y’all!

Mini update #1

Since I can’t do a major one — too much other stuff on my to-do list (and WordPress is giving me a hard time when I try to post photos so sometimes I just don’t want to bother) – I thought I should at least share with you the goodies that Teresa sent me in our colour swap. (Not “share” in the literal sense… it’s mine, ALL MINE!!!)

The first glimpse…

An adorable scarf Teresa herself knitted pour moi…

A dear vintage table runner…

And another great vintage book (LeeAnn included one in her package)…

There were lots of other goodies in the box. I still haven’t sorted it all out! Thanks again, Teresa!

I really have to figure out this photo-posting problem (I snuck the ones above in a round-about way that was not very practical and ended up making the photos small) so that I can start posting more regularly again (most of the stuff I want to post about involves photos!) Thanks for your patience!

Bye for now!

Please welcome Heather to Bloggyland!

My dear friend Heather — someone I met several years ago through a professional writers’ organization, did some work for, and quickly became friends with — has bravely launched her first blog and I really think you should drop in.

She’s got some great poetry and photography but I especially love the anecdote she shares in her latest post. If you’re a mom, you’ll appreciate it. If you’re a freelancer, you’ll appreciate it. If you’re anyone at all, you’ll appreciate it!

Oh yeah, here’s the link! Where the Butterflies Go (named after her recently published poetry book).

Enjoy!

10,000 views!

What are the chances of checking your blog statistics just when the counter shows this…?

 

Hee! Okay, now scroll down a bit for a bit of an update…