I came upon this poem at the kick-off party for the second annual People’s Poetry Festival here in Calgary. One of the poets featured that evening shared this; all the poets had been asked to share a piece of poetry that had inspired them. This one stuck to me like glue, and afterwards the man that shared it gave me the copy he had read from. It’s been with me ever since, sitting on my bedside table, inviting pensive turns. I hope you like it as much as I do.
I know I have too many body type ingredients. Too many oils, butters, essential oils, powders, clays, and everything else. Oh well. I’m ok with it. And lucky for you, since I have too much, I can tell you what’s worth buying and spare you the same fate. These are my favourite butters:
Cupuacu ButterThis butter was a total revelation for me. Most butters are really quite greasy. There’s a wide range of greasiness, but you usually end up being pretty slippery/sticky for a while regardless of how sparingly you apply it. But not cupuacu butter (USA / Canada). No. It’s amazing. (more…)
Being the list-obsessed weirdo I am, I keep track of all of the flights I’ve ever been on. As of this writing I’m between flights #162 and #163. I’m exactly George Clooney in Up in the Air, but I happen to think that’s a pretty impressive all things considered. Anyhow, here’s what I’ve learned from my 162 flights, hopefully some of these tips can be of use to you, and feel free to contribute your own in the comments!
Calgary from the sky on a WestJet flight this summer.
Pack your computer’s extension cord in your carry-on
The only outlets in most terminals are not conveniently placed near the seats as you would hope, and I’ve seen plenty of people sitting on the floor so their short little charge cord can reach the wall. You can fix this problem by packing your longer cord in your computer bag so you can sit on a chair.
The sensation of being all snuggled under warm covers in an otherwise chilly room. There’s something just wonderful about knowing that just outside that duvet, those three quilts, and that sleeping bag, there’s a whole lot of air that’s 5° (or maybe less). Knowing that if you wanted to, you could stick your big toe out from under the covers and it would be enough to cool off your entire body in an instant. Or you could try sticking your leg out into that yet-untouched corner of the mattress, which will be wonderfully cool, just like the other side of the pillow. And sure, your face is a bit cold, but you’ve wriggled down as far as you can go without suffocating yourself, and it’s all just fine.
Finding an exact copy of something you own in a thrift shop. Not a mass-produced shirt from the GAP, that’s too easy. I’m talking something your Grandmother gave you—maybe the dress she wore to the prom—or perhaps your Dad’s favourite pair of paisley bellbottom jeans from the 1970’s. Something that, up until this point, you had thought to be completely unique, and now you’re forced to realize that someone else in the world has the same fantastic preference for paisley trousers as your father.
I love summer. It is, without fail, and in every single way, my favourite season. I will tolerate fall only because I know it to be better than the inevitable winter. Winter is six months of hell; a time to day dream about moving to Australia, where you can impress all of the Australians with your macho-ness for enduring -40° temperatures for so much of your life. Spring is a tease, but obviously I’m happy to see it after the misery of winter. And then there’s summer; pure, wonderful, warm summer. I miss you already.
I love to read, but rarely have time for it. Cliché, I know, but there you have it. This entry started out as a Spring 2012 reading list, but as spring trotted along I realized I hadn’t read nearly enough to make an entry out of it unless I wanted to include a selection of Reddit threads and Cracked articles to round it out. When I visited our family cottage in Manitoba I devoured six books—enough to write this entry and present you with some books I think you should read. And here they are.
Make it Up: The Essential Guide to DIY Makeup and Skin Care is now available at booksellers all over the world!
