Pictorial Websters - The Making of a Book

John Carerra discovered his grandfather's old tattered copy of the Webster's Pictorial Dictionary under a chair and decided to reprint it. See what this fascinating ten year labour of love involved.
Pictorial Websters-Inspiration to Completion Video

The Leather & Deluxe Leather Bound 100 edition books run between $3500.00 and $4600.00 US dollars at the creators website, Quercus Press. Fortunately for us mortals there is a more realistic Trade Edition that is on sale for $26.33 on Amazon.ca . I also saw these last week at one of our favorite haunts, a fabulous little store on West Broadway called Stepback; although since they were closed I don't have any clue as to the price.

Salynne ©2010

Spring Cleaning - A Dream Come True

Over the past couple of weeks we have been busy doing some of the physical spring cleaning that needs to be done. Last year when we thought we would be moving I started packing up boxes of items that we wanted to keep but didn't need for home staging. Now it's a year later, we're not going anywhere and we have had to decide what we're going to do with these packed treasures.

To get myself in the mood I watched part of the "Hoarders" marathon last weekend--it's that show that tells the stories of people who have serious collecting issues, to the point that their children will be taken away or they'll be evicted from their homes. My family hates when I watch these shows because they know that as soon as its over I go into "Super Susan" cleaning mode; I throw things out and simplify anything my eye lights on and that usually means that I want them to go through their spaces too. Fortunately, the spring cleaning bug has hit them too because they actually watched several shows with me and didn't roll their eyes when I said that we needed to get busy!

After the shows we turned our attention to the myriad of boxes that have been sitting for the better part of a year. Now it is true that some of the things that have sentimental value I have missed, but to tell the truth, probably 80% of what I thought was important was not. If I can live without seeing something for a year chances are it wasn't that valuable in the first place. Ten years ago I read about this technique for people who have trouble getting rid of things and they use it on Hoarders too--you place items into a box, tape it shut and put a date six months in the future. If you haven't gone into the box to retrieve something during that time and the date arrives, you take the box, lock, stock and barrel to charity. I have practiced this in the past but had gotten out of the habit because I thought I was good at getting rid of things. Wrong. The number of boxes of "stuff" that I packed was much bigger than I thought and now that I've been going through them it's surprising that there is so little that really means anything to me. Over the weekend we filled several large boxes and bags with items that someone else should be able to use. We quite obviously will not miss them.

What's been most interesting about this process however is the type of items that I found I really do treasure. There is the odd trinket from someone special or that I picked up in a special place; what I missed the most was my books. Getting back my Cadfael series, a number of self-help books that made an impact over the years on my life and favorite novels was like having a visit with long-lost friends. These are the books that I have and will read over and over again.

The second part of this yearly springtime ritual has been facing some of the storage issues we didn't deal with when we renovated with a view to selling the house. Everything was a quick fix and the reality of getting it ready for show versus living in it means we are reviewing the space we have and making it more practical and useful for our needs. We have taken stock of our boxes of books, culled whatever was not that necessary and have now created an entire library for our spiritual resources in the basement. We also put a bookshelf in our guest room to house less-read but favorite books and its our hope visitors will thank us for having something to read. Near future plans include increasing shelving in our office space for business items but I'm most looking forward to another upcoming project on our list. We're going to start by painting and installing more shelving in our boudoir/closet area and then it will be searching for that just-right, comfy lounge chair. Having my dream of a luxurious and private reading nook where we can curl up and devour our literary treasures come true, is probably going to be one of the best end products of spring cleaning that I'll ever receive!


Salynne©2010

Setting Up a Blog - Tips

One month from now I'm going to be celebrating the one year annivarsary of writing Wilde Tide. I haven't always been as consistent as I would've liked, I've jumped all over the place as far as topics but I have truly enjoyed the discipline of writing that this blog has brought into my life.


Along the way I've learned a few things about blogging, although most have been learned the hard way, through trial and error. For example, I just recently realized the power and ease of writing a large number of postings and scheduling them in advance. This is just one of the many great tips that Elizabeth Spann Craig, author of the blog, Mystery Writing is Murder advises in her posting:


Mystery Writing is Murder: Setting Up a Blog


Salynne ©2010

A Woman of a Certain Age

For over a year I have subscribed to a blog, Paris Breakfasts , by photographer & water colour artist Carol Gillot, that caters to my love of both France and New York. She lives in the Big Apple but stalks the streets of Paris three or four times a year; her trips are usually related to food and her love of french macarons. Carol's photography and artwork gives us a glimpse of the everyday, somewhat quirky things that make up the rich culture of the romantic city of lights. Yesterday her posting focused on Older French Women (OFW) or those elegant "Women of a Certain Age". Très bon!

(Photo by Carol Gillot-Paris Breakfasts Blog)

The discussion of older french women reminds me of the comments of Anne Barone in her book (one of my favorite "how to live french" books), Chic & Slim Encore-More About How French Women Dress Chic Stay Slim-and How You Can too. The subheading Women of a Certain Age (page 106) provides an interesting perspective which is very different from our youth obsessed Canadian and American societies. "In France, they don't say a middle-aged woman; they say a "femme d'un certain age," a woman of a certain age. No one need be too certain precisely what that age is. The French are not so youth focused as the Americans......The French are comfortable with obvious signs of age." "The French revere fine old wines....In France, la femme mure, the "ripe" mature woman too is revered." French culture is certainly different in its view of older women and it is clear these women themselves have a certain grace that older North American women do not have.

(photo by Carol Gillot-Paris Breakfasts Blog)

I agree with Anne's further comments that it is perhaps that French women have better role models in this age group than we do; in looking into my history I know this is certainly the case. My grandparents on my father's side were immigrants so my Grandmother was a farm wife with no more than one or two practical cotton dresses in her closet. Spending time on herself was relegated to washing her hair once a week in rain water. My maternal grandmother was Métis and living below the poverty line, so as a single parent, just getting any hand-me-down clothes on the backs of her children was a challenge. She continued to work until she was past sixty-five and during her retirement years she would buy new things for her children & grandchildren but felt that any type of thrift store clothing was good enough for her. Once my mom left home she worked to leave the first nation stigma and poverty behind and "passed for white". From the time she dated my father until after my brother and I were born, photos show she followed in the style footsteps of Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn & Chanel. I rather doubt though that she did anything to really take care of herself or establish regular beauty routines. Unfortunately she got very sick around the time I was eight or nine so all I really knew was a mother who spent the rest of the majority of her life in a housecoat in a house with the curtains drawn.

During my tween years my mom’s best friend entered into our lives and Angele became my second mom. Her grandmother and mother raised her in what I would consider more of a French or at least European style and she had opportunity to learn from them, especially as they became women of a certain age. Angele was the one who took me to the store to buy perfume for the first time and discussed the idea of having a signature fragrance. She continued helping me in the early years of my marriage by teaching me how to iron properly, how to wash fine china & crystal, and how to spend more money on fewer, but quality clothes. My life then got derailed during the eight years that my daughter was alive; she needed 24 hour care so it was difficult to get more than 4 hours of sleep at night, style had no place in my washable, stretchy pants wardrobe, ironing anything went out the window & there was absolutely no time for anything personal.

When we took our first trip to France in 1999 I learned about the mysterious personal style & elegance that these women seem to come by so naturally and I’ve been working since then to adopt ever more French sensibilities, culture and style. Old habits die hard though, especially eating habits, but I am continually searching to find the originality and chic style that the women in Carol’s photos have. If as the poster above indicates, older French women are forty years old and up, then that means I’m already in this age group and I still have a lot of work to do. Perhaps by the time I’m in my eighties, like Carol’s OFW, cousine second, I’ll have the self-knowledge and acceptance that I see so clearly in her beautiful aged and lined face. For those of us who don't have French mom's as mentors it was very refreshing yesterday to have some guidance and a vision of what my future can hold; above all else it reinforced for me all that I want to pass on to my own daughter.

(Photo by Carol Gillot-Paris Breakfasts Blog)

Thanks to Carol for the use of her photos today!

Salynne ©2010

4 Line Poetry - Volcano

Marc's Daily Writing Practice - 4 Line Poetry

The exercise:
It's four line poem day once again. This time around your topic is: the volcano.

Score another one for Mother Nature.
Marc:

They feel safe, it's been so long
Since I have woken;
But they've forgotten - I sleep
With one eye open.

Mine:
Mother nature & Human nature-not so different.....

Deep inside my belly, my core
Rumblings of red hot anger ascend;
I erupt, spewing molten words of bitterness
And subside into the gloom and darkness of guilt

Salynne ©2010

An Eye Opening Email

"Have I got a TV show for you!" That was the opening line to an email sent by a friend recently. It was also an eye opener into an aspect of my life that I hadn't really considered before. My friend said that she loves all things British and suspected that we had "a similar leaning too......*wink." A "Love of all things British", whatever could've given her that idea? And was it true?

I took a quick survey of my bookshelves which tended to reveal a love of British authors like Jane Austen, Ellis Peters, PJ Wodehouse, & Agatha Christie. It was also interesting to see that my love seems to extend from historical times; Cadfael in the 1300's, Anne Elliot's early nineteenth century, Amelia Peabody in the enlightened Victorian age, Poirot's mystery cases in the 1920's & 1930's, on to Juliet Ashton's letters written just after the second world war and ending finally with the cases of Inspector Morse, Lynley and Barnaby of the 1980's, 90's and present day.

My DVD cupboard tells the same story with theatrical renditions of my favorite books: Cadfael, Jeeves & Wooster, House of Elliot, Poirot, and Midsomer Murders. On a side note-although I so obviously love England & the countryside I really would not want to live in the (fictional) county of Midsomer-its not a safe place, just too many murders!

Next I wandered over to my tea cupboard and there were no big surprises there either; Twinings Earl Grey, Harrods loose leaf Rose Petal Tea, and Whittard of Chelsea Chocolate Chai. Tea is generally the drink of choice next to water in this household, we hold after school tea time sacred and frequent the very English, Secret Garden Tea Company at least once a month.

(The Jane Austen Tea we held last summer)

Then in one of those AH HA moments, it occurred to me that, next to Victoria, I live in one of THE most British cities in all of Canada. New Westminster, "The Royal City" is oldest city in Western Canada, established of course by the very English Royal City Engineers and personally named by Queen Victoria herself. I live on and walk through my neighbourhood on streets that are all named in honor of English towns and areas. The biggest celebration of the year, held since 1870 is Queen Victoria's birthday combined with May Day celebrations. The primary schools here spend several months and a final two weeks in preparing their children to dance around the Maypole; which I certainly do not think is a good way to spend their time especially when you consider Beltane & Walpurgis Night, the original celebrations it's based on & the May pole dance which was enacted generally to ensure fertility for humans, animals and crops. However, as the city's website states "Our community isn’t just another suburb of a larger city – New Westminster’s heritage, traditions and character sets us apart with a unique identity." I have to admit that the "small town" feel is one of the reasons why we moved back here. I've often bragged that it is one of the only areas in the lower mainland that is considered a small town in the a big city wherein the front page of the local newspaper will feature the fiftieth anniversary of well-known couple who've more than likely lived their entire life here.

Last but not least I looked at my own signature. My married name "Greig" comes from the Scottish McGregor Clan; my husband's mother was a "Little", definitely an English/Scottish name and to cement the fact, her family participates in the yearly provincial Scottish games. We even blessed both our daughter's with Irish Gaelic names- Keeley and Brenna Colleen! So, despite the fact that I have an extreme love affair with France, as also evidenced by my bookshelves, DVD's, decor and food in my cupboard & fridge, I'm surrounded by all things British.

So in the spirit of recognizing this new found truth I want to share with you what my friend shared with me: The BCC television shows called "The Supersizers Go......" and "The Supersizers eat....". As I have learned on doing research, the shows are based on the concept of the documentary "Supersize Me" wherein the filmmaker documents his 30 days of eating only McDonalds. In the TV shows, British restaurant critic, Giles Coran and broadcaster & comedian Sue Perkins "eat" and enjoy a typical lifestyle thru various ages of British history. Before each week of eating and living for whichever time period has been chosen they visit a doctor and return later to find out the effects the diet had on their bodies.

Via Youtube I have already watched all of the "parts" of the Supersizers go Victorian and the food channel featured The Supersizers Go Restoration last Saturday morning. I'm already a confirmed fan and have set up my PVR to record other episodes on the Food Channel. Besides getting a glimpse into British history it's completely entertaining to see this modern day couples reaction to some of the horrendous foods and items that were eaten and the sometimes ridiculous lifestyles that were consider de rigueur during those days. Be sure to check them out!

Salynne ©2010

4 Line Prose - The Best Medicine

Marc's Daily Writing Practice - Friday, April 16, 2010

The Topic for your 4 Line Prose this week is: the best medicine.

Marc's:

Good afternoon everyone, and thank you for making time in your busy schedules to join us.

We here at Jester Laboratories have some very exciting news to share with you today. What you are about to see is the culmination of twenty years of lab testing, field research, divorces, great leaps forward, and soul destroying setbacks.

But we are all in agreement that it was worth every sleepless night to reach this moment when we are finally able to say: Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present to you… Laughter in a BottleTM

Mine:

Curled up in a big comfy chair with a hot cup of tea sitting on a side table.
Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice sits open on my lap.
My eyes see words but my mind takes me into a world of refinement, beauty, and simpler times.
The very best medicine for a stressful life.

Salynne ©2010

The Home Library - More than Decoration

Years ago I read a book called Decorating Rich: How to Achieve a Monied Look Without Spending a Fortune. The authors show how to get the feeling of opulence through a collection of items that you would expect to see in a wealthy persons home; an animal print chair cover, a paisley shawl and the ever regal and organized floor to ceiling library.

For book lovers like myself having a library is not about decorating but about surrounding yourself with the things that you love. Sometimes its the words written inside a book, the way the lines and verse speak to your soul; other times it's the publication itself, the quality and feel of the paper or the vibrancy of its illustrations. Holbrook Jackson said it well, "Your Library is Your Portrait".


Now there's even more reason to fill your shelves with books; research shows that having a library gives school children a decided advantage over their peers. The article "Home Libraries Provide Huge Education Advantages" explains that researcher M.D.R. Evans has compiled data to show that a home library is a "reflection of a family’s “scholarly culture,” or a “way of life in homes where books are numerous, esteemed, read and enjoyed." If children are used to reading and find enjoyment in books while growing up the chances they will enjoy and do better in school is that much higher.

The writer of the article Tom Jacobs concludes that "mom and dad don’t have to be scholars themselves; they just have to read and respect books, and pass that love of reading down to their children." I cannot think of a better reason to have a library.

Salynne

My husbands parents will soon be celebrating their 50th anniversary. During a family meeting to discuss plans for their anniversary party we bantered ideas back and forth about what to get them for a gift.

Our first thought was a gift of experience, specifically a trip somewhere or a stay at a bed & breakfast. The idea of an Alaskan cruise came up but that would be a repeat vacation for them plus they don't have passports and don't seem in any way to be inclined to get them. Next we considered a Rocky Mountain Rail Tour which starts in Vancouver and ends in Calgary but then there is the hassle of getting them home. Neither of his parents like flying so we would have to get the round trip train route making the gift about double what our budget is. We finally decided after talking for an hour and getting nowhere to shelve talking or thinking about a gift for a time in the hopes that the ideal "something" would pop up.

We started discussing our relationship with his parents and we all concurred that it was too bad that they weren't Internet connected because it would be so much easier to keep in touch with email. I exclaimed how sad it was that Bruce's mom did not have access to either of our blogs or facebook as a way of knowing what was going on in our lives. I recounted how last fall I had explained to Bruce's mom that I was writing a blog and although she was not at all familiar with the idea she was very interested especially when I explained that it was a great way to keep connected to friends and to share things like writing and poetry. Suddenly Bruce's face lit up and he said he knew what to get his parents for their anniversary! A new Internet able computer and a one year subscription for the Internet.

It's makes perfect sense, at least to us. There is so much of our life that is now related to computers. Like the many grandparents who keep in touch with their children via facebook and email I hope his parents will be ushered in a new type of relationship with their laptop, mp3, Internet-savy granddaughter. Bruce's mom has already taken several computer courses and the world-wide web may still seem a rather scary place for her but I don't think it will be long before she will be comfortable with it. What freedom it will give these two seniors! No longer will they complain that we don't send photos because they'll be able to go to one of our photo storage sites, upload and print any picture of their granddaughter that they want to stick up on their fridge. We'll be able to share poetry and maybe I'll be able to help "Momma" set up her own poetry blog to showcase some of the wonderful things she's written.

The anniversary party is coming up at the end of the month and we're looking into what we have to do to get their gift in place. It's true, the gift is for them, to give them a better connection to our life and to our world, but I have to say that I'm feeling a little guilty and a little selfish in this choice. This gift is for us too. It will mean that we get to see Bruce's parents in a new light, get to know more about their daily lives and what is important to them. We'll simply be getting "more" of them. I absolutely cannot wait to send Bruce's mom one of those "Get to know Your Friends" emails that ask all of those questions: What are you wearing on your feet right now? What three things did you eat last night? or what is your favorite color? The answers to those questions might be mundane but I'm really looking forward to getting to know another side of the mother and father-in-law whom I so dearly love.

Salynne ©2010