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WANTED: One Funky New Neighbour

9/24/2013

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Okay, before my neighbours read this & start heading over with shotguns & looking like this:
PictureSource: www.priscillapwood.com
...let me preface this blog by saying:


I LOVE my neighbours & 
I LOVE my street!!!


Last week, however, I left our little oasis (ON A LAKE!! just outside Halifax) & headed downtown to watch films at the film festival. Later in the week, an old neighbour, Eric, from Spring Garden Road came for a visit.


We dreamt up scenarios for movies based on mathematical structures.

Eric used to drop by my old bohemian flat & while I'd write, he'd paint. Some days, he'd ask me to describe aspects of my story and he'd illustrate them. 

Below is an example of Eric's work. I was writing a story about 5 women & each woman was like a flower. This particular woman was a snapdragon:

PictureSource: Eric Morais
Always thirsty for art & culture & diversity, I like my perspective of the world to be challenged constantly. Other artists, activists and folks that challenge me seem harder to find outside the city. 


So, back to my mission.
WANTED: One Funky New Neighbour


There are 3 houses for sale on my tiny street (all fronting a pristine lake).


I naturally gravitate towards artists, and people from other countries, cultures and lifestyles, or just about anyone who challenges the status quo, as well as my perspectives.


So, here's my wish to the universe (I'm told if you put it out there, the universe may answer you....)

Dear Universe, please send me a funky new neighbour.


Here's how I imagine I'd recognize this funky new neighbour:


Picture
S/he might hammer a sign like this on a tree in their yard

Picture
Or s/he might have a caravan like this in the yard where they plan to drink absinthe and contemplate the universe.

Picture
In an ideal universe, s/he would own this vehicle (and let me roam freely with its contents:)

I suppose I should warn you that, as a writer, these aspects of my personality shouldn't surprise you:
Picture

  • I look like this in the morning

Picture
  • I look like this in the morning when interrupted (i.e. never EVER interrupt me during my writing/alone time unless you're dripping blood or have one damn good story to tell me)

PictureSource: www.empowernetwork.com
  • plagued by mood swings is perhaps a better term


PictureArtwork: Edward Munch Source: www.independent.co.uk
  • I'm also angst-ridden, constantly craving intellectual stimulation & obsessed with whatever happens to be on my mind at any given second



HOWEVER, having said all that, if you come visit when I'm not plagued be the above, I'm sure you'll find that I'm stimulating, mentally flamboyant, exuberant, generous & generally fun to be around:)


Can't wait to meet ya!!!
Dina


P.S. if you're trying to decide whether or not moving outside the city is for you here's  my links to top 5 things I love out here and top 5 things I miss.

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"Swinging between Extremes"

9/16/2013

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PictureSource: www.thestar.com
Right. So yesterday, I thought I had it all figured out. 


Then, I went to see Spring and Arnaud today, a poetic gem of a documentary about the shared love and acclaimed work of Canadian artists Spring Hurlbut and Arnaud Maggs.


Cinematically gorgeous & masterfully edited.


In 1986, Spring came to Arnaud's 60th birthday, uninvited. He checked her out and found her kind of cute. She was 25 years younger. They went on a date. He thought things were going swell, until the second date when she told him it was all off. Hiding his dismay, he interrupted with a request.

“OK,” he said, “but let’s have a goodbye kiss.”



She agreed.


“I put everything I had ever learned into that kiss,” he says.


PictureSource: scotiabankcontactphoto.com
“We are both ‘me, me, me’ people," Spring says, "so we cancel each other out. It’s understood that we live for our work.”

I ask myself why any artist would inflict our peculiar brands of madness on anyone else.



Arnaud died in November 2012 during the filming. I wept.


I told the filmmakers that I wanted to believe in reincarnation so that they could reunite in another life.

Now, I'm right back where I started -- as Spring observes in the film: “swinging between the two extremes of how life comes into the world and how we exit the world.”
Why must life be so ironic?
But enough about my angst. 



Watch this film if you ever get a chance! 


I'll close with one of Arnaud's photographs, a self-portrait of himself as Pierrot

(So worth seeing these on a large screen):

Picture
Source: www.artoronto.ca
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Love SHOULD BE a Verb!

9/15/2013

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PictureImage by Fahad Ali Source: https://www.facebook.com/popchassid





Tonight after reading two equally compelling blogs I decided to share the more positive message as opposed to the one about racism. The world needs more positive messages of hope...and, I need more positive messages of hope.


[I maintain the right, however, to rant about that other story at some point in the future]


For now, the positive:


If you haven't heard of Pop Chassid yet, you're likely not a social media troll.


On September 3rd, Elad Nehorai, author of Pop Chassid posted a blog called:

I Didn't Love My Wife When We Got Married


Link to his inspiring story here



I agree that love's an active choice - rather than a straightforward feeling. Feelings are fickle.  Sure, we have the better, the worse, etc., but through all of it, we have to chose to love and to cherish. 


Or not.

Everyday we have the power of choice -  to love our spouse or not. Some days I do a better job than others, but ultimately my decision shouldn't be based on how well my spouse loves me.

As John Mayer sings: "when you show me love, I don't need your words...love ain't a thing - love is a verb."

Link to the song here


Thanks again to Elad Nehorai, author of Pop Chassid, for sharing his experience.


Here's to a hopeful week to all,
Dina
(aka TartanFrog) 

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In case you missed the meat in yesterday's sandwich?

9/3/2013

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PictureTitle: The Cat's Pajamas Source: www.thegoosesroost.com















I won an editorial critique on Twitter this summer.  


Yayyy!!! 


My two favourite sentences in the critique of my novel, Papillon:

"The family histories, which span generations, have an inherently epic feel reminiscent of 100 YEARS OF SOLITUDE."

"I’m certain if and when you sell it, there will be a readership just clamoring to get their hands on it!"

What Rhoda Belleza, the editor who provided the critique, didn't know is that 100 Years of Solitude is possibly my favourite novel of all time. No doubt Garcia Marquez has hugely influenced my writing, but reminiscent...well, that's just the cat's pajamas! 


Picture
Her full critique was so inspiring & spot on in the areas that required a nudge.


Belleza also posted a great article on
THE PROCESS OF PLOTTING
which I heartily recommend to fellow writers.

#amwriting
#amrewriting
Dina


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Summer Highlights: Crazy-fun times, winning an editorial critique of my 2nd novel + A BOOK LAUNCH!!

9/2/2013

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"Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests. I'll dig with it." 
 Seamus Heaney, 1939-2013

PictureSource: rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com










Back from where?

Ah yes, the blog break...


Click to read blog

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    Welcome to my Blog!

    My name is Dina 
    (aka TartanFrog)
    I'm a writer & educator.


    More about me

    More about the book I just finished

    Why blog? Why write?
    My dream: To see all children grow up with dignity, self-esteem and a passion for their dreams.

    I've met many children and adults whose dreams and innocence were stolen. 


    I write for them; I write as one of them.


    I try to blog weekly. 
    Blog topics:
    Writing & publishing-related tips for my writerly friends;
     social justice issues that touch children, adults, trees or threaten our world of future wholesome communities; my experiences navigating the process of living & writing. 

    Spoiler Alert:
    Some days, these may be rants:)

    Why TartanFrog?  
    TartanFrog--a celebratory tip of the hat to the interweaving of my French Acadian roots with the Celtic culture  of Cape Breton. 


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