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Archive of ‘english’ category

english, scrabble, SIDES | 0 comment

Literary Soup

I take English Lit 12 through SIDES, our local distance education school. It is a very exciting course…I had been looking forward to taking Lit 12 at GNS with one of my favorite teachers since grade 9. He read for us passages from Chaucers’ “Canterbury Tales” in the traditional old English, and “Beowulf” in the Anglo-Saxon tongue. I was inspired and enthralled that something someone hundreds of years ago had spoken and written had survived, and that I could still connect to the characters, and laugh at the follies of the pilgrimages and their fascinating glimpse of 14th century life, and cry on the beach as Beowulf lay, dying, but triumphant against his last fire-breathing foe. I had been hooked on reading ever since I got past the first big hurdle of actually learning to read. I was against the idea, determined to never read, but instead work at a gas station or McDonalds. Times have changed.

I am currently working my way through the “Canterbury Tales”, which I spent the greater part of today working on. I have a wonderful audio-book version of the poem, which saves me the headache of wading through the soup of old-English’s abundance of odd vowels and consonants, whose sound has evolved over the years.
To complete a ‘literary-ily’ perfect day, I scored big points with the rare word qiviut, coming to us from the Inuktitut word ᕿᕕᐅᖅ. I feel like such a fibre nerd. I am slowly picking up drops of energy, but am trying to rest up for whatever excitements of life await me this week!

Qiviut: the wool of the musk-ox
english, GNS, hubber needle, spinning | 0 comment

Fall

Fallen leaves scattered over the pavement is a rare sight in Victoria. Often the winters are so mild that the deciduous leaves are still on the trees in February, and once dropped, are quickly replaced by buds. Most of the leafy trees in the area are bare, because we have had quite a lot of fierce rain and wind, roughly knocking and shaking them off the tree, as if the elements are playing some sort of childish game.

Before my needle change today, we went to school to pick up my yearbook. I’m only a 1/3 of a year late, but no matter. I was very excited to see our grad and baby pictures, read the comments and laugh over the inside jokes and nicknames and memories. I have read many years of grad comments, but without really knowing the people all that well. It means more when you’ve known the people for 7 years. A big change. I said hello to the lovely lovely office staff, and our headmaster briefly. The office is a very busy center, situated between the library, main corridor and the freedom of the outdoors. It is strange that my friends baby brothers and sisters are now seniors, sweating through their full IB work, and are taller than me, or their siblings! I miss them all very much. 🙁

Had my port needle changed, which was jolly good fun *rolls eyes*. Unfortunately, it has to be done every week which is irritating. I scar and bruise very easily, because I am so ‘fair skinned’ and because of the Lyme. There are nice little lumps of scar tissue over the port, which are quite uncomfortable when a fresh needle is poked through them. Doing IV twice a day doesn’t exactly help to alleviate the discomfort. I wouldn’t mind doing it quite as much if it didn’t taste bad and was very caustic going in. But then, if it wasn’t doing much good, there would be no point of doing it. NO one likes doing medication. Obviously. I like the kind of infection that can be cleared up with a few days to a weeks worth of antibiotics. Alas. I am very tired now.

Plying

I have been continuing to spin with the drop spindle which is so much fun. I have just finished my first few meters 2 ply wool in a nice heather gray color, which is about as thick as a water-sodden shishkebab stick.

It was very hard work, and I had to take several break while spinning, but listening to the epic Beowulf definitely spurred me on. Its one of my personal favorite, and every time I read it or listen to it, I can scarcely believe that is was written so long ago, and isn’t just a modern poem/short-story. I especially enjoy the epic battle with Grendel, and how he’s all…”well, Grendel doesn’t use weapons, so neither will I! I am just that tough! I have the strength of 30 men in my grip. Rawr!”. Total epic. All the power to you, Mr B-Wulf.

I think that Grendel is a good, solid name for a fat cat, don’t you?

english, tired | 2 Comments

Gosh

OMG I haven’t written in forever? Where does the time go? How do all the hours get filled up with all the little things we do in a minute? I feels impossible that more than a month has gone by in such a short stretch of time.

To all those who thought I couldn’t graduate in June, I’d like to say a premature ‘I-told-you-so’. I only have to finish 1/2 of an English 12 and Math 11 courses, a socials, and some electives which need loose ends tied. Pretty darn rockin’, hunh? I just finished some very disjointed essays to complete by Earth Science course and a Spanish exam (90%!), so that’s a few more knocked off the list. I’m pretty stoked to start a short story unit, which they are changing so I can study F. Scott Fitzgerald stories, which if you haven’t read any- or haven’t for awhile- I would recommend checking out any of them. They are kind of his ‘under appreciated’ works, after The Great Gatsby and all. I think they are pretty darn good though.

I’ve been exhausted the last few days. I feel like there a lead pipes in my bones, that weigh me down when I try to move, and rattle-shake when I shift position. The fatigue feels more in my mind though; a giant slug has taken up residence there and has eaten my brain. I think today will be plentifully unproductive, and I’m fine by that.

I’m going to get my Huber needle changed today. Wahoo, I know, but kind of important. It is SO itchy…skin wasn’t meant to stay under plastic wrap for so long. The needle is staying out for a few days, as I’m supposed to be off drugs. We even have an appointment to get the needle removed, which makes a nice change from ER. I will have to review my notes in more detail without the slug-brain in order to tell you how this came to pass. More later.

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