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Debbie Ridpath Ohi reads, writes and illustrates for young people.

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Saturday
Jun242006

Flatmouse affection, ceramics, and male underwear



The photo above was taken by Jeff on Ray's camera at brunch at Easy restaurant (I think that's what it was called) a few weeks ago. You can see some of Ray's other photos here.

Yesterday, I spoke of Jeff's beloved Flatmouse and Flatmouse's impending fame. In response, I received the following photo and letter by e-mail:



"Dear Flatmouse,

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was when I saw you photograph on the internet this morning! As I was browsing journals over my coffee this morning. I saw you!

I am also a mouse of a flattish persuasion. I've attached my picture. I simply wanted to tell you that it does my heart good to know there are more flat mice in the world!

Sincerely,

Mousie
Vancouver, British Columbia"

:-)

Jean-Pierre Larocque clay sculpture


Last night after dinner, Craig and I went to check out the newly revamped Gardiner Ceramics Museum (111 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON Canada M5S 2C7, 416-586-8080), which re-opened to the public yesterday. The renovations are still in progress, but I still enjoyed snooping around as well as browsing the Jean-Pierre Larocque clay sculpture and painting exhibit. The museum even has an open clay studio on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. I am soooo tempted to take a pottery class but am resisting. There are only so many things I can fit into my life, after all. :-)

It's been a while since I've been to the Bloor/Bay area of Toronto, so Craig took me for a mini-tour of some of the Royal Ontario Museum renovations since I last visited the ROM. Interesting to see the external renovations in progress, as well.

Bay's Men's Underwear Fashion Show


Around 8 pm, we went to the Bay on Bloor Street for the Bay's Male Underwear Fashion Show. As I expected, it was pretty fun. :-) I'm not really a male model ogling type (really! honest!); I was more interested in the people-watching aspect. I was also fascinated by the idea of a traditionally conservative department store like The Bay being involved in Pride activities, especially a very public Male Underwear Fashion Show.

Bay's Men's Underwear Fashion Show


Craig and I arrived about ten minutes before the fashion show. A pretty woman was doing a dance routine on stage, flirting a bit with one of the policemen; he let her take his hat and wear it during her performance. It was a fun, energetic routine, and I turned to Craig and commented that she was good.

"Um...I don't think she's a 'she'," he told me.

"Really?!"

Then the fashion show began. There were a couple hundred people gathered, from toddlers to seniors.

The male models were also interesting to watch in terms of their differing personalities. The most experienced was Francisco Randez, who is apparently "the face behind the Jean Paul Gautier ad campaign"...in the line-up above, he's the one at the far left. I have no idea what the Jean Paul Gautier ad campaign was. There were also one or two who seemed inexperienced, looked awkward and a bit nervous. And then there was this fellow, who the most fun to watch because he definitely had the over-the-top "brooding male model" attitude down pat. I assumed at the time it was tongue-in-cheek, but now I'm wondering.

Bay's Men's Underwear Fashion Show


Most of the show was remarkably conservative (for a male underwear fashion show, that is), though some the models began having a bit more fun partway through the show, flirting with the audience with mildly risqué gestures, such as the creative use of a small Pride flag. I kept watching the reactions of the two policemen, but they just smiled and didn't seem at all bothered; I guess the Rules are somewhat more relaxed during Pride activities? The policemen didn't even flinch when on the of the models (the guy with the attitude) pulled down the back of his underwear while walking away from the audience (!).

Everyone seemed to have fun, though I do admit to feeling a bit squeamy when a mother encouraged her toddler girl to undo the ties on one of the model's bathrobes as the announcer kept emphasizing how this was "a family event." Another woman volunteer was told she had to undo a model's bathrobe without using her hands. Both were given goody bags from The Bay afterward.

We met up with Craig's friend Waimin after the show and went to the Pride street fair on Church Street. Lots of different types of couples walking about, including women with women, men with men, men as women, etc. and a wide range of ages as well. What I liked the seeing the most: the fun everyone was having, wandering around with friends and loved ones, and the Pride rainbow colours everywhere...in shop windows, in glittering banners across restaurants, on t-shirts, painted on people's cheeks. At Lo'la, I had chocolate and banana martinis with Maltesers floating in them (Craig & Waimin each both kindly treated me) which were very good.

Looking forward to the Pride parade on Sunday!


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Friday
Jun232006

Pride Toronto, Flatmouse, and the end of my reign as BBQ Queen

How NOT to get published


Above: How NOT to get published...

During a chat with my friend Craig yesterday, I discovered that Pride Toronto is this weekend. Jeff and I have always been away on Pride Toronto weekends, so this will be my first chance to see the Pride Parade. I'm having dinner tonight with Craig, and then we're going to check out some of the Pride events downtown.

Walter came over to help Jeff hunt for the hole the squirrels used to get into the house. The only hole they could find was a very small one near the kitchen, so they've plugged this up. Hopefully this will prevent a a tragedy like the one earlier this week from happening again!

BBQ Queen no more


I am no longer BBQ Queen, sadly; Jeff and Walter have informed me that I have been cleaning the bbq incorrectly all this time. I've been using a wire bristle brush on the grid while the grid warming up because that was what All The Newbie Grill Instruction Books seemed to indicate, but apparently this is a bad thing. Wire bristles have been falling out of my brush and collecting at the bottom of our bbq. Apparently I'm supposed to clean the grill while it's cold, not warm, but I'm finding this tougher on my arm tendons; as much as I like our new bbq, I'd rather not have a tendinitis setback because of it. :-( J & W also told me that I've also been putting on too much oil, which has been accumulating in a grunge-like fashion (as in dirt, not the rock music) along with the wire bristles. This was also a result of my research: I've been brushing a bit of oil on the grid each time before I start cooking but apparently this isn't really necessary either.

One good thing that has come out of all of this: Jeff has kindly agreed to do the bbq cleaning from now on. :-)

But I'm still curious, because of the misinformation in various books I've seen: if you're a bbq owner, how do YOU clean your grill? Every time you cook? If so, while the grill cold or warm?

Finished another book last night:




The People of SparksThe People of Sparks by Jeanne Dupreau. This is the sequel to The City of Ember. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. Dupreau takes a familiar setting (post-Holocaust) but gives it her own unique twist. I'm very much looking forward to third book in the series, The Prophet of Yonwood.


And finally, some exciting news...

Flatmouse


I occasionally mention Flatmouse, an old childhood toy of Jeff's. Flatmouse is, as his name indicates, a flat mouse. Jeff isn't sure how he got so flat. He does look as if he was meant to somewhat flat, but has gotten flatter over the years.

Anyway, the exciting news is that my author/illustrator sister Ruth is going to be featuring Flatmouse is one of her upcoming books! Flatmouse has been spending the past few months working with Ruth in her office as a model and source of inspiration. After all the attention he's been getting at my sister's place, I suspect he's a tad disappointed to be coming back home, but I'm sure his spirits will pick up once he sees himself in print.

:-)

Speaking of Ruth, Today's Parent magazine recently posted a review of Ruth's book, Clara and the Bossy: ""Clara loves triangles, tuna and the colour purple. She also loves the idea of her new best friend, Madison, until she finds herself swapping triangles for stars, tuna for ham, and purple for yellow...because Madison said so. At first intimidated by Madison's bossiness, Clara soon realizes that the only way to be happy is to be herself. Ohi's warm illustrative style invites readers to share Clara's victory."

I have such a cool sister. :-)



Have a great weekend, everyone!


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Wednesday
Jun212006

Cartoons, a sad squirrel tale and Will Write For Chocolate

Punctuation for sale


In last Friday's Blathering, I posted a list of the top 100 search terms that people use to find my Web sites. One was "cheap liposuction." I was highly amused by hsifyppah's artistic comment, which she has given me permission to post here:



:-D
Releasing the squirrel


Speaking of squirrels, I have a sad squirrel update: After not hearing squirrel sounds for the past couple of days, we started noticing an unpleasant odour on the main floor of the house. Hm. Worried that a squirrel might have gotten trapped and died behind the wall, Jeff decided to cut away part of the drywall near a spot where much of the squirrel sounds had taken place, and found a dead female red squirrel with three dead offspring, each the size of the juvenile squirrel we captured and released last week.

:-(

We're still confused as why they got trapped in this particular spot, which is only one of many we heard them running through. Jeff is going to take another look around the house today after work, in hopes of finding (and blocking) the spot that the squirrels used. We really don't want this to happen again.

I've been reading a lot more lately. I've decided to only list books that I've finished than books I'm in the midst of reading; the latter would be too long. Like many others, I've found it's often far easier to buy a book and put it on a "to read" pile than to find/make the time to actually read it. :-)

So here are some of my recent (and completed) reads, all books for young people:





Septimus Heap Magyk - by Angie SageSeptimus Heap is the first book in the Magyk series by Angie Sage. A fun read with some engaging characters, though I found all the highlighted Magyk words a tad irritating. I'm looking forward to the second book, though I will probably wait until it comes out in paperback.
The Gravesavers - by Sheree FitchThe Gravesavers by Sheree Fitch was recommended to me by my sister and one of my nieces. LOVED this book. I enjoyed Fitch's original imagery and style of writing. Loved the interesting way she chose to tell this story -- two stories, actually, that eventually intertwine: one in the past, one in the present. Fitch has written many picture books, but this is her first novel. I'm very much looking forward to seeing more!
The Tale of Despereaux - by kate DiCamilloI picked up The Tale Of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo because I enjoyed her "Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" so much. I'm usually not a big fan of talking animal books, but DiCamillo manages to make her talking creatures three-dimensional and interesting; you can't help but care about them. I also loved the illustrations by Timothy Basil Ering. I didn't find Despereaux nearly as moving as Tulane, but still thoroughly enjoyed this book.


And last but not least, Will Write For Chocolate has been updated!

Will Write For Chocolate Updated







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Tuesday
Jun202006

Plot for sale

Plot For Sale


A power outage yesterday had me packing up my laptop in search of juice. Yes, I have a laptop, but the batteries are so worn out that they only hold a charge for about 10-15 minutes these days. Thanks to my sister for letting me plug in!

Toronto's been sweltering these days, reminding me of the Big Blackout of 2003. I think I'm going to stock up on flashlight batteries, just in case...

Writing and illustrating are still going well. Since coming back from Italy, I've started keeping a detailed daily work log, recording how I spend my time. At the top of each page I write my work goals and non-work goals. Below that, I keep track of how much time I spend in work activities vs non-work activities. I quickly discovered how easy it is to be "way busy" without really being productive! The daily log also keeps me focused on longterm goals as well as daily goals. I've started updating Inkygirl again, for those interested.

Anyway, since starting a daily written work log, my actual productivity has shot way up. I also don't feel as guilty when I do take a break because I know that I deserve it. :-)

Speaking of which, I need to get back to work...

The Scholar


Above: Doodle in Corel Painter 9.5, using the Croquil Pen and Digital Watercolour tools.

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Sunday
Jun182006

Why I love travel

Mystery bug


Above photo: taken in Fonte de' Medici, Italy; mystery bug on a stalk of lavender. Anyone happen to know what type of insect it is? Update: Thanks to Christine for identifying this as a Rosemary beetle (Chrysolina americana).


Modified 5:53 pm EST.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to you dads out, especially my own dad!

I was delighted to receive an e-mail from my agent at Curtis Brown to say she had just finished reading the mss I had sent her; she really likes it and is excited about sending it out, yay! She caught some typos and one or two small plot inconsistencies, though, so I'm going to fix those first. I've written nearly one-third of my next novel (my goal: to have it finished by August), am in the planning stages for the novel after that, and also got another paid illustration inquiry because of my Flickr pics. I love my work, and I am so SO glad that my tendinitis has healed to the point where I can work normally again.

Having fun with our new barbecue


I'm a grilling demon, barbecuing anything I can get my hands on. (Those squirrels better look out!) Yesterday I barbecued portobello mushrooms for lunch along with some sliced eggplant. So far I've avoided using sauces and marinades because I'm more interested in the taste of plain grilled foods, only brushing on some olive oil flavoured with fresh-picked herbs like thyme. I'm sure I'll start experimenting with fancier prep methods soon.

Speaking of thyme, I picked some lemon thyme from our garden (thanks to Allison for the tip) to use in my tea yesterday, also added some mint leaves, poured boiling water over top. Yummmm....mint lemon thyme tea! I think I'll try brewing up a pitcher next time and stick it in the fridge for some iced tea.

And now to the final installment of my trip report...

My trip report instalments:

Part 1 (Paris)
Part 2 (more Paris)
Part 3 (Fonte de' Medici)
Part 4 (Montalcino and Montefiridolfi)
Part 5 (La Petraia)
Part 6 (Florence)
Part 7 (more Florence)
Part 8 (Cinque Terre)
Part 9 (Pisa, Fiesole and Volpaia)
Part 10 (Lost in Siena)
Part 11 (Siena)
Part 12 (Rome)

Cappucino


Why I Love Traveling



Not everyone wants to travel. Because of the time and expense involved, not everyone can. I've loved traveling ever since I was a child, when my family used to go on a trailer camping trip in different parts of Canada and the U.S., from the Canadian Rockies down to Key West in Florida. Years later, I found out that my Dad had to take out a small loan each summer to enable my family to do this traveling; he paid it off in the fall when he began teaching again. It made me appreciate those trips we had that much more, not only because it gave me a love of travel and exploration, but also because of the sacrifices that Dad and Mom made for us kids.

Here are just a few reasons why I love traveling:

The journey.



Walking to Montefiridolfi


I may not be as enamoured of flying as I used to be, but I still love the idea of the journey. From Love of Travel (an excellent piece about the love of travel): "Most of us are descended from wanderers, nomads, and travelers. Indeed, every culture I can think of - and many more that I can't - count among their most hallowed and defining myths and legends, stories of heroic journeys and epic traverses and travels that both capture a sense of greatness and possibility, as well as signal the requirement we all face to journey to find meaning, purpose, identity, divinity, and ultimately eternity. Journeying is in our blood, in our genes, and I'm at least partially convinced that you can learn a lot about a person by how he or she deals with the whole idea of picking up and going someplace just to see what's there, or as Joseph Campbell describes it, of '...bumping into experience and people while you're wandering.'"

Waiting for wives


I especially love that last bit. :-)

Some of our trips have required more physical effort than others. The toughest (and still my favourite trip) was our canoe trip on the Nahanni River. In Italy, we did a lot of walking, often on hilly terrain. I would far rather walk around to explore an area than sit on an air-conditioned tour bus looking through glass.

The people.



I find that I never truly feel as if I'm in another country or place until I interact with the people living there. The language is an obvious difference, of course, but sometimes an accent or even just seeing how differently other people view things can be enlightening. It helps keep me from getting in a rut in my own way of thinking and blindly accepting the way things are done.

Conversely, I'm also reminded of all the things we have in common, making me more cautious about how much weight I should put on the differences.

The history.



Michelangelo's tomb


This was a biggie for me this trip. Many of the places we visited during our trip really brought history alive for me, turning what was a usually dull subject (for me) in school into something new and exciting. I've heard of Michelangelo, but to see some of his creations in real life was amazing, and to see the actual tomb where he was buried. Looking at pictures of Roman ruins is a far different experience than walking through them yourself, the remnants of ancient buildings rising up all around you; nothing like the dust of Rome in your shoes and hair to make you feel part of history. I found it to be an immensely humbling yet inspiring experience.

This happened over and over again during the trip, especially in cities like Paris, Florence and Rome. Sometimes it seemed as if everywhere I looked, there were stories to be told, connections with historical figures and events that had seemed so dry and distant on the printed page.

Cinque Terre


Many of you who live in Europe are somewhat jaded about this, I'm sure. :-) As Scott S. once said, some of your graffiti is older than our whole country!

The scenery.



Travel not only gives you the opportunity to see different scenery but sometimes also GORGEOUS scenery, like the Tuscan countryside or amazing seaside views.

I also always enjoy checking out how different the plants and animals are, and how the locals interact with them. Like the red fox that came by the Fonte de' Medici restaurant most nights, looking for a handout:

Wild fox visits restaurant


And the green lizards we kept seeing everywhere, sunning themselves on fences and stones:

Green lizard


The food.



Stuffed zucchini flowers


Trying the food in a different country has always been part of why I enjoy travelling. I'll try pretty much anything as long as I'm not allergic to it and it's not moving. I love trying new taste sensations, and while travelling would rather pick randomly from a menu than have something I've had many times before.

Sure, I may not like it, but at least I've tried something new. :-) I love food, as many of you know. There are very few foods I don't like. I used to dislike more foods, but made it a point to try each of these at least once every year, to see if I still didn't like them. As a result, I now like kiwi and sea urchin, both foods I couldn't stand before.

Antipasto Toscano dish


I'll often come back from a trip with new inspiration to try cooking a different type of cuisine and new ways of preparing familiar foods. I'm aware that at least part of the reason I enjoyed the food on this past trip so much was because of my surroundings. My recent enthusiasm for trying Italian cooking is a way of bringing part of my trip enjoyment home, revisiting the experience.

When I came back from Didgeri-Douze in England, I remember experimenting more with different kinds of teas and tisanes as well as being inspired by Talis Kimberley's "tea library." That whole experience had a lasting effect and whenever I go to my own tea library, I remember that wonderful trip. I've also enjoyed sampling and bringing home teas from other trips as well, such as my "1001 Nights" tea from Frankfurt (first sampled at Juliane's house) and my Blood Orange Tea (first sampled at a friend's place in Austria, then Katy bought some more for me in Germany). And now, of course, I have my Paris tea. :-)

Personal growth.



Traveling helps keep me from getting in a rut.

In Montalcino


Traveling puts me in situations where I have less control of my surroundings than at home. There's a certain risk to traveling that goes beyond just getting lost or losing your wallet. You're no longer on home turf...people deal with this in different ways, I find.

Some people insist on sticking with their usual mindset, expecting the people and places around them to adapt rather than the other way around. This type of traveler does a lot of complaining, constantly (and often loudly) pointing out ways the foreign place isn't as good as back home.

I try very hard NOT to be this kind of traveler, to focus on appreciating what the new place has rather than what it hasn't. They may have different ways of doing things which may seem confusing and sometimes frustrating to a tourist, but I see that more of a benefit to the whole travel experience rather than a negative....what would be the point of traveling if the place you're traveling to is exactly the same as back home, after all?!?

Sometime the differences help me appreciate what I have that much more. Sometimes I end up taking home new ways of thinking about or doing things, integrating what I've learned into my own day-to-day routines.

Ultimately, I find travel helps me learn as much about myself as I do about the rest of the world.

Mystery bug
Any ideas about what kind of bug this is? Like the rosemary beetle,
it was also on a stalk of lavender.


The wonder.



This is the main reason I love traveling.

When I'm in a place I've never been before, I find that my senses are all heightened. I notice my surroundings more, am more aware of what's going on around me. From time to time it can get a little scary or overwhelming but y'know, I think that sometimes we all need that.

I find that traveling helps remind me how important it is not to let life slide by, to get as much as you can from the experience. You're much more aware that you may never come back to a particular place again and how important single moments can be.

You don't have to travel to know this, of course, but it's one of the aspects of travel that enhances the experience for me.

Me, in Italy


If you've read through these reports, you will already have guessed that Jeff and I had a wonderful time. Thanks so much to Ginny for making this trip possible!

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