Winter Already?

So Mother Nature seems to be eager for a repeat of last years almost record breaking snow fall, and has decided to start early! We had a wicked winter storm blow in on Monday night, dumping 11 cm (about 4") of snow on us in about 12 hours. And the wind!! One would almost think that we had our own little Canadian Hurricane.

Yesterday it started melting a little bit, and today a little bit more. And it's supposed to get up to 13C tomorrow, so the Trick-or-Treaters should be nice and warm. But I wanted to get some picture before it all went away to show some people who are away in warm places (Colleen this means you!!) what we went through without them. I took these this morning in a little park just behind my research building.



I really like winter and snow. Fresh snow makes everything look so delicate and clean! And the sound of falling snow is just so soothing. Winter aslo means things like skating and snowball fights, getting to use our fireplace more, and finally wearing those newly knit sweaters (once I finish them). I know, some people would call me crazy, but still. As long as it's snowing, I'll be content in my insanity.

We've got a chipmunk that lives under our shed in our back yard. When it started snowing my first thought was of concern! He's so cute and little, does he have enough food to survive the winter? Has he had enough time to get ready? But, Andre reminds me, he has emptied our birdfeeder twice. I'm sure he'll be fine.

So back to the research for now, but tonight, I forcast sweater seeming, fireplace enjoying, and wine.

Comes Ignorance, drunk on the seventh

I'm a huge fan of classic literature, especially 1800's writing. Don't ask me why, I just am. While I will profess an undying love for certain French authors (Dumas and Hugo in particular), I am finding a surprising amount of fun in reading some of the English as well. I finished D.H. Lawerence's "Sons and Lovers" a few months ago, and I'm working my way though George Eliot's "Daniel Deronda".

Along with loving books, I also tend to develop affinities for words in general. I love quotes by people (famous or not), and tend to collect them in my mind. Whenever I find something new, I have this overpowering urge to share it with people. My new favouritest quote came from a chapter heading in Daniel Deronda:

Knowledge, instructing the sense, refining and multiplying needs, transforms itself into skill and makes life various with a new six days' work; comes Ignorance drunk on the seventh, with a firkin of oil and a match and an easy 'Let there not be' - and the many-coloured creation is shrivelled up in blackness.

Not only is the sentence beautifully constructed, the subject is near and dear to my heart. Teaching is a passion of mine, and it's the ignorant opinions out there that can cause so much damage. Ignorance drives me insane. It's perfectly ok to not know something. I'll be the first to say that I'm an opinionated person, but I like to believe that I form educated opinions. Other people not so much. It's a pet peeve of mine.

So if you're interested, I've posted the whole excerpt from the chapter heading (Daniel Deronda, Chapter XXI) below. The whole book is good reading, I recommend it highly, but only if you have the patience for classic styles of writing. Otherwise, stay away, you'll bore yourself to tears. Happy reading!

It is a common sentence that Knowledge is power; but who hath duly considered or set forth the power of Ignorance? Knowledge slowly builds up what Ignorance in an hour pulls down. Knowledge, through patient and frugal centuries, enlarges discovery and makes record of it; Ignorance, wanting its day's dinner, lights a fire with the record, and gives a flavour to its one roast with the burnt souls of many generations. Knowledge, instructing the sense, refining and multiplying needs, transforms itself into skill and makes life various with a new six days' work; comes Ignorance drunk on the seventh, with a firkin of oil and a match and an easy 'Let there not be' - and the many-coloured creation is shrivelled up in blackness. Of a truth, Knowledge is power, but it is a power reined by scruple, having a conscience of what must be and what may be; whereas Ignorance is a blind giant who, let him but wax unbound, would make it a sport to seize the pillars that hold up the long-wrought fabric of human good, and turn all the places of joy dark as a buried Babylon. And looking at life parcel-wise, in the growth of a single lot, who having a practised vision may not see that ignorance of the true bond between events, and false conceit of means whereby sequences may be compelled - like that falsity of eyesight which overlooks the gradations of distance, seeing that which is afar off as if it were within a step or a grasp - precipitates the mistaken soul on destruction? -- George Eliot, Daniel Deronda Chapter XXI

Thrown Overboard

Every fall I tell myself that I'm going to be better this year (the eternal student believes that the new year is the first monday after labour day when classes start, not this half-way through the year January thing that the rest of the world thinks is so important). This year was sort of different and sort of not. Undergrad years I had to be organized just to meet deadlines and study for midterms. Last year, as a grad student FINALLY I had to freak out about Committee Meetings, my PhD Qualifying Exam, and most importantly The Wedding. This year? Nothing crazy pressing except one class and some research that will just never work.

Just as I think, 'hey this fall is going to be awesome! I can really have a good go at this year!' life decides to get involved again. My life is still pretty good. The research is slooooowwwwllly progressing, and the home scene is (messy) but amazing. Except that we're so busy that we're really behind on some important things. Like finishing our wedding thankyou cards. And organizing our trip to Toronto in a few weeks. And general house cleaning. And knitting and woodworking.

On the outer fronts, family (on both sides), and another friend are doing major home reno's, so there is frequent (often unannounced) visits to borrow the washing machine or internet, or just to sit in a house rather than a hotel, and let us not forget the unending trips to Home Depot. Andre's running ragged trying to help out everywhere! Our dear Brian (Jasmin's darling boyfriend) finally had his surgury (see his blog, very cool), but unfortunately he's not allowed to drive, and they're a fair distance out of town, so we've inherited Jaz and Katie for the next little while. It's a little crowded but we're getting along just great! Oh, and their water heater exploded over the weekend. Its fixed now, but that was an exciting afternoon for sure.

So now it just feels like I've been thrown overboard, and I'm busy trying to keep my head above water as I watch the boat drift away without me. I know that it's not nearly as bad as it could be. We all still have our health ('cept a bruised ankle -- trying to stop a Home Depot cart loaded with concrete and framing lumber by sticking out my foot, not so bright!), the bills are getting paid (on time now too!! horray for grant money), and the busy is (mostly) good, productive work. It's just that there's a lot of it, and I'm constantly running out of hours in the day to finish any of it!

On a final note before I sign off for the day, Andre and I took a quick break from the hectic life to visit the Signature's Ottawa Craft Show this weekend. It was actually kinda disappointing. Unlike the fair we went to last year (which I suspect was the Christmas craft show, slated for the first weekend in December) where there were more artisans with handcrafted wares that would interest the knitter/woodworker/mid-twenties adult, this show was mostly designer-type clothing, posh jewelery, and the such like. Andre's mom was in heaven. Andre and I, not so much. We did stock up on some handmade fudge, garlic spreads, and some small Christmas gifts, but it wasn't as much fun as we thought it might be. The last show had someone from the Ottawa Spinner's and Weaver's guild, and some other vendors with yarn and knit goods, but not this time. Oh well, we'll try the Christmas show too, and if that's the same kinda stock, then I doubt we'll come again.

Oh, and I am doing some knitting. I picked up some Lion Brand Thick and Quick Chunky yarn (seriously, knit on size 15 needles!!) for a sweater pattern (in the Fall 2008 Vogue Knitting, really cute v-neck cabled hoodie), but I realized when I got home that I got the wrong yarn!!! What I should have got was just Lion Brand Thick and Quick, NOT Chunky. Oops. But, on the bright side, the stuff I did buy (in a really nice forest green) is the perfect size for an oversized cable pullover from another Vogue Knitting from a few years ago!!! I've thus far managed to knit front/back/sleeves, so it's seaming time. Not my favourite thing in the world, but I can't wait till its done so I can show it off!! Pictures soon, promise!

I know that it's been over a month since my last post, and I'm really sorry. I'm going to try to get back on this thing more often. It's kinda therapeutic -- nice to get to talk to the world in general and pretend like someone's listening. So I really hope I'll get back into this, and it won't be another month! Really really.