Time to Take the Tree Down?

Holy canoli. Just saw this on boingboing. Thanks to Xeni for posting!




Video was put up by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology.


~kc

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

from Seamus,

and Silas Ermineskin

and me (the only one of the three of us who can actually type.)

May your every wish come true.

~kc

Firefly Christmas Eve...

For my buddy James, whom I hope makes it safely to Winnipeg on this snowy day, and for any and all of you Firefly lovers out there ... a little Serenity for you on Christmas Eve!




[Great job Alanna Torres, whoever you might be!]

~kc

Books -- Not Just for Giving....and a pictoral of a Canadian Winter Day

Reading through Defining Canada, (the Dundurn blog), I found these remarkable sculptures , done by the incredibly talented paper artist Su Blackwell. If you click through the other stories, you can see a plethora of Other Things To Do With Books, presumably AFTER reading them...

We have had a couple of astonishingly beautiful days here on the normally gloomy West Coast, so for the remainder of this post, I will let the pictures tell the story...






We took the dogs up into the woods, and Seamus stopped to make a snow angel.

Step One: Find a nice deep drift and wallow in.


Step 2: Ensure Face and Body suitably snow-covered.




Step 3: Pause to show noble profile, before bounding off to follow dog brother.


The result. Can you see the snow-dog angel?

Look really hard....



More snow tonight.

According to climatologists, this will be the first coast-to-coast-to coast Canadian white Christmas since 1971. I think that may have been the year I was born...

~kc

Solstice!

Spent the day snowbound in a house with fire roaring, candles glowing and a tree gleaming with light in celebration of winter solstice, which officially took place on our planet today at 12:04 pm this year. (If you'd like to read a very funny take on the subject of the solstice and solar ping-pong, check out Jo Bourne's blog HERE.)

I was supposed to attend a BC Boys Choir Christmas concert this evening, and we made it about 5 km down the highway before turning back. I'm so sorry to miss hearing the boys -- they always create a magical atmosphere with their music. I can't embed this piece, but you can have a taste of their beautiful voices HERE.

Long day planned for tomorrow, teaching with the lovely CWC (Creative Writing for Children) group, this time in Port Coquitlam, BC. I have a great World of Warcraft-themed quest story in the works, involving lots of gold, swashbuckling, adventure and copious amounts of holiday sugar. I'm hoping it's a big hit. Will post pix here with an update.

Until then, happy solstice to all and Happy Chanukah to those celebrating their own special Festival of Light!

~kc

We have a Winner!

...of the draw for an autographed copy of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK.

and the winner is: Nina B.

Nina -- just drop me a quick email with your mailing address to contact@kcdyer.com and I'll get the book off to you asap.

Thanks to everyone who added their thoughts and comments to the blog this month. Hope you enjoyed the selection of seasonal suggestions!

The snow is falling soft and heavy outside and I am celebrating, because Winter Solstice is finally here -- the longest night of the year. Look for a special celebratory post tomorrow.

~kc

Final Seasonal Suggestion -- Courtesy of Miss 604

*


Miss 604, aka Rebecca Bollwitt, is a local blogger of long-standing renown. I read her posts daily to keep up on all things going on in and around the lower mainland -- or I have done since my buddy (and guru in all things internet-al) Dale McGladdery pointed me in her direction.



Today, in the spirit of the Advent Conspiracy, I was delighted to find a great selection of intangible gift suggestions for the season on Miss 604's blog. She's got a link to the BC SPCA (though you may have seen it here first!) but also a terrific list of choices, from adopting baby herons and whales -- to helping out human babies -- and more. Check out Miss 604's blog HERE.

So, here we are at last , in the final hectic week before Christmas. Much is happening in the literary world in and around this strange, frozen land we used to know as Vancouver, and the holidays beckon with twinkly lights and snowdrifts. As I type this, an injudiciously parked pick-up truck is deeply, and currently irretrievably, embedded in a snowbank at the bottom of my driveway.

(Perhaps a quick peek at said driveway is in order, to clarify why parking at the bottom under current weather conditions is not optional. This shot is of the bottom half, prior to the hairpin turn leading to the top half. BEFORE the snow.)

My guess is that truck recovery will require daylight, a bit of sturdy rope and some patience.

Truck adventures aside, this entry marks the last of my seasonal suggestions for the year. If you have any final ideas to add, make sure you pop your thoughts into the comments section below, in order to win a shot in the long-anticipated draw for an autographed copy of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK. All comments from the month of December will be eligible, until the moment of the draw tomorrow -- after which all bets are off.

Back tomorrow with news of the truck -- and the name of the lucky winner.

~kc

*Socks, wearing her most festive expression, and clearly wishing joy to all.

Seasonal Suggestions -- December 17

Snowed in today. I need to get my oil changed and new snow tires on my car -- but I couldn't make it more than a couple of blocks from home. (When one lives on the side of a mountain, one has to travel some distance in a downwards direction before one comes to level ground...)

I spun out right by the school, missed the sign pole, and slid into a clump of ivy.

Ahh. Soft landing.

Turned around and went home.

SNOW DAY!


My very good friend Ingrid sent me this little piece of video today.

Regardless of your stance on Christianity, I think the ideas behind this little organization are worth exploring. Advent Conspiracy was started by five American pastors just two years ago.




What do YOU think?

Happy Holidays!

~kc

Pssst....

My new book went to the printers yesterday...want to see the cover?



I was hoping to post the cover front and back, but I can't seem to get the file to load, so front it is for the moment.

I've got all kinds of plans for Darby -- you may get to meet her even before the book arrives! Stay tuned for more details...

~kc

(Seasonal suggestions will return tomorrow....)

Seasonal Suggestions -- SIX Superlative Stocking Stuffers

1. SAARA'S PASSAGE -- by Karen Autio, new out this fall.
2. SISTER WIFE -- by Shelley Hrdlitschka, also new and hot.
3. SEEDS OF TIME -- haven't read it yet? Why not? Time travel, plague & adventure await!
4. SECRET OF LIFE -- Leonardo D as a 15 year old boy -- like you've never seen him before.
5. SHADES OF RED -- Murder & mayhem in Reformation Europe & England.
6. Steven Galloway's CELLIST OF SARAJEVO -- because I just read and loved it last week...

Happy holidays!

~kc

Winter, Huckleberries and a Quick Seasonal Suggestion

It's a cold day here....winter has settled in and contrary to the usual coastal norm, it looks like it might stay awhile.













Dig those whitecaps on Howe Sound.

Bowyer Island, being battered.







But I spent most of the day in the warm embrace of my friends (and fellow scribes), James McCann and Lee Edward Fodi as we did a Holiday Book Event at Once Upon a Huckleberry Bush.

Warm thanks to Portia, Michelle and the rest of the crew made us feel at home and welcome. And best thanks also to Callie, Meg, Don, Oliver and all of our friends who braved the snow to join us in our candy cane celebration.

I love the picture Meg took 0f the tremendous crowds enjoying the antics of the strangely-hatted authors on parade!



And, after a long day, to finish with a quick Seasonal Suggestion, may I suggest that you add the Chronicles of Kendra Kandlestar to your gift basket?

These books, written and illustrated by my buddy Lee, (aka Mr. Wiz, the guy in the middle in the picture above) are a magical glimpse into different worlds, led by a tiny girl with many braids and a brave heart. Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger, and Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers are currently available, and Lee is preparing for a new Kendra title to launch early in 2009.

What better way to take the chill out of the season?

~kc

Seasonal Suggestions for Teens -- December 13

I am a liar. A prevaricator. A provocateur.

I am not a shopper.

Been shopping all day.

V. dead, as Bridget Jones might be wont to say, if she was tired from shopping, though, I seem to recall she was pretty fond of the whole thing, actually.

Anyway -- my Seasonal Suggestion today comes from blogger, moderator and all things extraordinary Monique Trottier. Monique -- just minutes ago -- blogged about her experience opening her collector's edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by JK Rowling. (You can also find the standard edition, HERE.)

Now, it just so happens that I saw a copy of this very book today, whilst on my exhaustive travels. And if this is not on your list to buy for anyone as yet, allow me to suggest you add it. Jo Rowling is donating all net proceeds of the book (which, for the uninitiated, means all the money that would go to her after everyone else has been paid) to Children's High Level Group charity in the UK. A very cool act by one very cool writer.

Pee Ess

Should anyone ask, the collector's edition is also on MY list....

Happy Holidays!

~kc

Seasonal Suggestions for Teens -- December 12

Here we are -- an even dozen suggestions (tho' actually many more) on the list, and 12 more days until it's Really Too Late for Christmas, Definitely Too Late for Chanukah, and Almost Beyond Hope for Kwanzaa.

So today, I'm going to direct you HERE to the CWILL BC blog, where Adrienne Mason has listed a whole sleighful of Holiday Book Pairings -- books that you can pair with something appropriate and delightful, as suggested by the authors.

You'll note my books aren't listed. This is because sending in my entry to Adrienne somehow landed on the List of Things To Forget that I seem to be compiling with alarming regularity.

Alas...

I will note, however, that if you do choose to give one or more books from the Eagle Glen Trilogy, they go down very nicely with a bag of peppermints, (or even a candy cane) to help assuage Time Sickness*.

And if you considered popping Ms. Zephyr's Notebook into some deserving reader's stocking, a gift certificate for a visit to the local planetarium would Not Be Looked Upon Askance.

Mere idle conjecture, of course.

~kc



*Time Sickness -- The state, something akin to motion sickness, that accompanies time travel. Resolvable only with peppermints, administered internally.

Seasonal Suggestions for Teens -- December 11th

So, here we are...two weeks until Christmas. Chanukah runs December 22 -29th this year. December 22 is also winter solstice (scene of much pagan celebration around these parts this year, I can tell you...). Kwanzaa begins December 26th.

All wonderful reasons to celebrate in a world filled with empty stockings. If part of your gift-giving ritual, whatever it may be, includes sharing with someone else, may I point you to boing boing, where Cory Doctorow has put up an excellent compendium of charitable organizations who need your help.

And don't forget the SPCA -- we've talked about them before.

Reminder of a couple of upcoming events -- my buddy CC Humphreys is doing a reading downtown in the Alma Van Dusen room of the Vancouver Public Library (main branch) this Friday, December 12th at 7:30 pm. And...

Lee Edward Fodi, James McCann and I are doing a Holiday Book Signing at Once Upon a Huckleberry Bush (4387 Main Street, Vancouver) this Sunday, December 14th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Then next week, I'll be off to CWC WinterCamp, 2008, where I have a mammoth role-playing-game set up for a little holiday fun in my classes. See you there, guys!

Uh...and at some point, I'd better turn my mind to Christmas shopping... anybody have any Seasonal Suggestions for me? If you do, post 'em in the comments. I'm collecting up all the names of December commenters and putting 'em in a draw for a signed copy of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK. I think I'll do the draw on December 22nd, in honour of all things solstice. So get your name in there -- and help me with my shopping!




~kc

Seasonal Suggestions -- December 10th, plus a little pagan sun-worship...

A pagan pause to enjoy a recent mid-day sunset in Lions Bay. (Okay, it only felt like mid-day, but it WAS before 4:30, for goodness' sake!)

Still, the fire in the sky was worth every moment. My camera battery died after I squeezed off just a couple of shots, but these pictures are straight-out-of-the-camera -- not a touch-up in sight.

I plan to do Winter Solstice up right this year, with candles and fire and anything else I can come up with to appease the Sun, and encourage his return. The dark days are so long right now....

Now, back to a few festive thoughts to chase away the dark. Time for:




Okay, so my friend artist and illustrator Kirsti Wakelin told me about this very fun, FREE program a few months back -- maybe a year ago. I didn't try it for ages, and then started messing around with it one day when I was procrastinating some piece of work that _really_ needed to get done.

The result was I got hooked. When I realized I was using the program nearly every day to adjust, goo-ify or in some way play with the pictures I was using on this blog (and the others I contribute to), I signed up for the premium package.

The program is called Picnik, and if you are a photography lover -- nay, even a PhotoShop user, I defy you to try this program and not have a blast. It's fun, it's free -- and if you like it, spend the whopping $25 a year it'll cost you to go to the premium package. Support these people -- they put a whole lot of the fun into blogging (for me, at least) and if you have anyone near as nerdish as I am in your life, a premium package of Picnik would make a great gift. See the Christmas tree, above? Picniked.

(Disclaimer....the Picnik people don't even know I exist, beyond taking my money for their product. I've no reason to endorse them beyond sharing a good thing with you, dear reader. Now click that link and give Picnik a try!)

A quick final note -- author Chris Humphreys (you may know him as CC Humphreys) is doing a reading of his recent novel new novel: 'Vlad, The Last Confession' at the VPL, Central Library downtown, Alma van Dusen Room, on December 12th at 7.30. Guaranteed to add a little bite to your season!

~kc

Seasonal Suggestions for Teens -- December 9th

This one is a gift to you... Straight No Chaser, from Indiana University, courtesy of my dear friend, journalist and SiWC Board member Ursula Maxwell.

This is actually 10 years old, but still very funny. A little multi-denominational holiday cheer....




~kc

Seasonal Suggestions for Teens -- December 7 & 8

Yikes! Can't miss a day on this whirlwind tour of the holiday season. Sunday turned out to be too full to blog, so today, gentle readers, you get a twofer.

To begin, I'd like to give a shout-out to Books on the Nightstand who have been blogging luscious gift ideas for readers of all stripes for some time now. They posted a few non-literary gifts for bookish readers today. [I love these guys. You must check out their site if you have a minute...]

A favourite suggestion is this clock:




Which can be found HERE for a Very Reasonable Price. They also supply a version in all black book covers, for the more sophisticated (or monochrome) reader.

[Please note I don't know the folks that run this website -- I just like the look of the clock!]



[Speaking of clocks, I picked up this little number -- at last -- from artist Sandra Bilewich this weekend. I had originally bought the clock when I stumbled into Sandra's packed house whilst on the East Side Culture Crawl, and spied it with my squinted eye.



It's now sitting on my dining room table until I can find it a proper home, but it is my favourite purchase of the year -- next to the MacBook, of course. A steampunk cuckoo clock, a collection of found welded steel bits, rocks, springs...and a clock running backwards. My idea of clockish perfection.]



Okay -- clocks galore for the comfort of the resonant tock-ticks while reading. An ideal seventh seasonal suggestion.



And now on to suggestion #8!




Suggestion #8 is an ENTIRE bookstore full of ideas that you can pick up at a special event this weekend:

James McCann, Lee Edward Fodi and myself will be appearing for a reading and general candy-cane gorge-a-thon at the new bookshop in Vancouver called Once Upon A Huckleberry.

You can see the poster on James' blog HERE or read the details in an earlier post of mine HERE.



Store details:

Once Upon a Huckleberry Bush
4387 Main Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V5V 3R1

Phone: (604)876–4010
portia@huckleberrychildrensbooks.com

Triple Author Event runs from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, Sunday December 14th.

Don't forget the free candy canes -- we promise to ruin your dinner AND sign any books you buy for free!

~kc

Seasonal Suggestions for Teens -- December 6

Here we are..less than 20 days to Christmas. I still haven't started my shopping...have you?

My disorganized life aside, here's a seasonal suggestion for the writer in your life -- and it's linked to the post I made earlier today.






I have a bit of an issue about 'stuff' -- the conspicuous consumption with which we unthinking types fill our lives. I much prefer to share an experience with my friends and family -- and if you share that thought, than why not give the gift of writing...and reading?









Christianne's Lyceum is an amazing place. Run by the Energizer Bunny known to her loved ones as Christianne Hayward, the Lyceum is ground zero in Vancouver for reading, writing and love of books.


If you click through to her website, you'll find page after page of exciting options for book lovers and writers of all ages. Writers' workshops, Adult Meet-the-Author sessions, kids book clubs, open mic events -- if it has to do with the Arts in Vancouver, you can bet you'll be able to experience it at the Lyceum.

Last night Christianne was telling me about a new group for serious writers who are learning about Manga and graphic storytelling from the ground up. Just one of the myriad of choices open to you. What could be better than the gift of a workshop or event at the Lyceum?







I know it's on MY list!







~kc

Seasonal Suggestion Interruptus

Last night I went to a really fun open mic event at Christianne's Lyceum. These events run every couple of weeks (they'll start up again mid-January) and are a great opportunity to have a peek at some of the remarkable artistry floating around this neck o' the city.






There was slam-style and experimental poetry, story-telling, singing and Christianne herself finished the evening with the scariest true-to-life ghost story I've ever heard. (We were all checking the backseats of our cars the whole way home...)

Anyway, it was great fun and I was blown away by the talents of the participants, many of whom were students at Emily Carr, and others who just came to share.


A couple of links:

Poet and singer Michael Lagace blogs here and Katie Yurychuk (who _said_ she was sick, but still had the richest and most beautiful voice I have heard in person for a LONG time) can be found on YouTube.



Here's a shot of Katie singing to a totally rapt audience.













As a matter of fact, I think you deserve to have a little taste. This is Katie's cover of MIA's Paper Planes, but her own songs are even better -- the one she played for us last night had no name, but it was gorgeous...





See what I mean?


So, if you'd like to hear some of these remarkable talents in person, hie yourself over to Christianne's website and mark the dates for the next open mic. You might even see me there!

~kc

Seasonal Suggestions for Teens -- December 5

Dashing out to do an Open Mike event at Christianne's Lyceum, so this will be a quickie.



A DASHER, if you will....









In keeping with yesterday's SPCA suggestion, I'd like to recommend Diane Haynes' WILDLIFE RESCUE series -- starring the inimitable Jane Ray. Diane's latest novel has just hit the shelves. I was quite broken-hearted to miss her book launch, because Diane is one ORGANIZED person, and her launches are EVENTS! But I was still in Surrey for SiWC, so let's celebrate here, instead!






The latest book in the series, GAIA WILD, joins FIGHT OR FLIGHT and CROW MEDICINE, all fabulous stories for anyone interested in wildlife conservation.

A great addition to our list of seasonal suggestions.









And remember -- if you add a comment to any of the posts this month, your name will be put in a draw for an autographed copy of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK, just in time for holiday giving.

~kc