Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
I can’t count the number of books I’ve read about libraries and the librarians who work there.
Being a librarian seems like an amazing job to me, especially if I could work behind the scenes repairing and preserving books and other manuscripts for future generations to enjoy.
I was once fortunate enough to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the book repair offices at a Toronto library. it’s amazing to see what the folks there are capable of doing for books whose bindings are coming loose or whose pages have grown fragile with age. They have so many tricks up their sleeves not only to repair current damage but to help prevent it in the future.
If the job market for this profession were better, I’d be quite interested in going back to school for it.
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
My answer to this prompt certainly isn’t what I was expecting it to be when I first saw it about eleven months ago, but I’m sure you all can say the same thing.
Most of my time is spent at home or outdoors.
I’m lucky to live in a walkable, safe neighbourhood. Practically all of errands I need to run can be accomplished without using public transit, a cab, or a private vehicle. My biggest hurdle there is only buying what I can comfortably carry.
I add things to my shopping list before they run out, and I consolidate trips as much as possible. If paper towels are on sale and I know I’ll need them next week, I’ll pick up a package of them during a normal grocery store run. For heavy items, I buy what I can and try to remember I’m not superwoman.
This has been a good way to develop my muscles! My arms do a lot of lugging stuff around for my household, and I’m grateful for my ability to act like a human pack mule when necessary.
Much of my time at home is spent typing up blog posts and stories. The gentle clicks of a keyboard is one of the most common sounds you’ll hear here. it’s so common that sometimes I dream about it.
Someday I’ll be this flexible!
Home workouts are another way I pass the time. Lately, I’ve been doing lots of yoga while a knee injury heals and trying not laugh too much when my spouse tries to distract me during the most pretzel-like moves. He likes to poke gentle fun at the instructor.
This is the beginning of the coldest months in Ontario. When the weather allows for it, I love going for long walks at the park and seeing the first signs of winter and the last signs of autumn in the land.
On freezing days, I stay home and watch television instead. I enjoy sitcoms like Kim’s Convenience, science fiction like Star Trek: Discovery, and nonfiction science/history shows like Cosmos.
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
Honestly, it’s been years since I read a book that included actual recipes in it, But I do love stories that describe food, especially when they goes in great detail about it.
All of these dishes seem simple enough to reverse engineer recipes for, so I figured that’s close enough for this week’s prompt. 🙂
Tarts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland:
In the next moment, her eyes fell on the White Rabbit that was serving the court as a herald and was reading the accusation that the Knave of Hearts had stolen the Queen’s tarts. In the middle of the court, a large platter of tarts was on display.”
(In my imagination, they’re strawberry tarts!)
Roasted potatoes from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett:
“Dickon made the stimulating discovery […] there was a deep little hollow where you could build a sort of tiny oven with stones and roast potatoes and eggs in it. […] Very hot potatoes with salt and fresh butter in them were fit for a woodland king—besides being deliciously satisfying.”
Blueberry Pie from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White:
“The children ran for the kitchen. ‘Just in time for a piece of blueberry pie,’ said Mrs. Zuckerman.”
Clam Chowder from Moby-Dick:
“However, a warm savory steam from the kitchen served to belie the apparently cheerless prospect before us. But when that smoking chowder came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh, sweet friends! hearken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuit, and salted pork cut up into little flakes; the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt.”
This entire amazing meal from Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg:
“Idgie and Ruth had set a place for him at a table. He sat down to a plate of fried chicken, black-eyed peas, turnip greens, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, and iced tea.”
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
I can’t wait to read everyone else’s stories! This is one of those WWBC topics I’ve been looking forward to all year long.
Story #1
My extended family is interracial and multiracial. Various versions of this conversation have happened multiple times over the years, and I hope I always see the amusing side of them.
(Yes, I do share relevant details with medical professionals or friends. I simply choose not to explain the intricacies of my family tree to every nosy stranger in the world).
Them: Who’s that person?
Me: They’re my <cousin, etc.>
Them: But they’re Black! <Cuban, etc.>
Me: They sure are.
Them: Okay, I get it. You’re biracial.
Me: No, I’m Caucasian.
Them: Are you sure about that? I mean, you do have curly hair.
Me: Yes, white people have curly hair, too.
Them: So are they biracial then?
Me: Nope. (Well, not in most cases).
Them: I’m confused. Are they your real <cousin, etc.>?
Me: Yep.
(repeat ad infinitum).
Story #2
This happened at the end of an exhausting holiday shift right before Christmas at a retail job I had years ago. Normally, I would have been much more responsive, but my brain was fried from the long hours, rotating shift work that made it impossible to get enough sleep, and frantic workflow for retail workers in the weeks and months leading up to Christmas. This customer had been inspecting our pans for a few minutes before she waved me over.
Customer: Excuse me, do you sell adamantium* pans?
Me: Sorry, we don’t sell them.
Customer: Do you know where I can adamantium pans?
Me: I honestly have no idea!
*That is to say, the fictional metal alloy used to coat Wolverine’s skeleton and claws in Marvel comic books. (And I still have no idea what she meant or why anyone would want to make baking pans from that material if it really existed).
Story #3
The most recent story of them all. A few years ago, I noticed a weird-looking mole slowly growing bigger on my body and decided to ask my dermatologist to take a look at it.
The dermatologist asked me a few questions about the history of the mole and then brought out some specialized tools to peer more closely at it.
He was silent for a moment and then exclaimed, “your mole is bland!” It looked a little odd, but it wasn’t cancerous like I’d feared it might be.
I still chuckle at this memory ever so often. My name is Lydia, bearer of bland moles. Ha!
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
I have three answers for this week’s prompt.
Several other WWBC participants are also fans of Lord of the Rings, so I might horrify some of you a little by admitting that I think the films based on them that came out in the early 2000s were better than the books.
J.R.R. Tolkien was a wonderful storyteller, but he could be longwinded at times. This was especially true when it came to his descriptions of settings. I’d much rather see a windswept hill or an ornate hall in a castle than read pages of descriptions about every little detail of them.
As much as I liked the original novella version of The Shawshank Redemption, the details and character development added to it when it became a feature length film made it even better. Stephen King had the opposite problem that Tolkien did here. He didn’t spend enough time describing things in this novella for my tastes.
Honestly, I want to lock King and Tolkien into a room together and have them rub off on each other a bit.
My final answer is Children of Men by P.D. James. The novel spent a lot of time focusing on the psychological burden faced by all humans on Earth once we stopped being able to have babies.
It worked well for the original form, but this story became even more compelling to me once the thriller elements were added. I’m saying that as someone who generally enjoys introspective fiction! There does come a time when characters need to step away from their ruminations and spend more time directly dealing with their problems.
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
Were we supposed to share our favourite songs of all time or our favourite contemporary songs? I decided to do a little of both since I wasn’t sure how everyone else would interpret this prompt.
The links below will play these songs for you. Some of them are also the official music videos for them.
My father really enjoyed this band when he was growing up, so we heard their music throughout our childhoods. I always liked this particular song of theirs.
I saved up my allowance for weeks to buy her albums as they came out! (My parents were pastors. We didn’t listen to much secular music for the first decade or so of my life, so she made a big impression on me).
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
Figuring out what to read next is pretty simple for me.
The Toronto Public Library allows patrons to place holds on up to 30 ebooks at a time.
Their hold limit used to be capped at 20, but I wrote them a friendly email and they soon changed that policy. This might be a story future generations tell about me to explain what Aunt Lydia was like. Ha!
I don’t always digitally queue up for that many books, but I almost always have holds placed on at least a dozen or two of them.
Some books are more popular than others, especially if they’re new releases, and therefore have much longer waitlists. I might wait a few days for one title but a few months or longer for something highly anticipated that just came out.
I keep track of roughly when books should arrive and request new ones to fill the holes when I notice that a future month looks like it won’t have a lot of arriving ebooks for me. Let’s just say that my to-read list is a long one.
This system has been especially helpful this year when socializing in person and going to my favourite places hasn’t always been advisable or even possible.
What I read depends on which books have arrived lately. Everything I request is something I’m looking forward to reading, so their order of arrival doesn’t matter too much in most cases.
Occasionally, I buy ebooks as well. There are some authors and stories that I’m too excited to possibly wait months for!
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
I’d forgotten this, but it turns out that WWBC had this same prompt last year! I talked about eating apples that were still attached to the apple tree in our front yard then, so I’ll talk about our tire swing this time.
Baby Lydia in a tire swing.
If you’re unfamiliar with this sort of toy, know that they’re made from old tires that are no longer fit for traditional things like driving. My thrifty, environmentally-conscious uncle made the one you’ll see in these photographs!
A tire swing meant for young children is cut open lengthwise to create a safe pouch for little ones to sit in.
If you’re small enough to fit into it, you may still need a grownup or older child to push you.
I have such happy memories of gently being pushed back and forth as I sat in it. The specific adults in question are hazy but always warm and attentive. Sometimes my parents no doubt did it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if other relatives took turns as well.
I was the first grandchild on one side of the family, so there were lots of older kids and grownups around who relished playing with a little one again.
Swinging by myself like a big kid.
Those early experiences gave me a lifelong love of swings. There’s nothing like the sensation of riding in one. It almost feels like you’re flying if you go fast and high enough!
This memory probably formed when I was a tad older than the age I was when I took tiny bites out of apples that I couldn’t quite manage to pull off of the tree.
My family moved away from that house when I was about four, so this was a very early memory no matter which one technically formed first.
I’ll end this post with one final tire swing photo so that you will all know there was a time when my first brother and I were small enough to fit into a tire swing together. (Someday I’ll gush about my other sibling and other relatives in their own special posts, too. Everyone is equally loved in our family. 🙂 )
Tire swing cuddles
This sibling of mine is about six feel tall now and has his own kids to chase around! It’s a joy to see him make his wife and kids laugh. He can find the humour in anything.
He also gives the biggest, nicest bearhugs you can possibly imagine.
Looking at this photo makes me yearn for the day when I can hug him and everyone else in the family again. Someday the U.S. and Canadian borders will reopen and that will happen.
I’ll leave it up to him to reveal his identity or remain anonymous depending on what he prefers.
But look at those little munchkins. What a sweet moment in time.
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
Yes, I changed the topic a little this week because I’m firmly on the side of rereading books.
Rereading books is something I tend to do in spurts. I’ll either do a lot of it or not much at all, and my reasons for doing that are simple.
Reason #1: There’s something deeply comforting about stepping into a story when you already know what’s going to happen to it. This is even more true when life is uncertain or when I’m feeling worried or sad about something.
Reason #2: Sometimes I pick up on things I didn’t remember about the characters or plot before, especially if its been a long time since I read that particular story. It’s such a warm feeling to realize that you either missed out or forgot about a small part of the storyline that makes the whole thing feel even better.
Reason #3: Rereading is like visiting an old friend and reminiscing about the adventures you had years ago. The familiarity of taking that trip down memory lane makes me smile.
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
Here are three Canadian recipes you all might like to try.
I’ve had dairy-free versions of the first two, and they were amazing! Someday I want to try pemmican as well.
Nanaimo bars. Photo credit: Sheri Terris
Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter
5 Tbsp (75 mL) cocoa powder
¼ cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 ¾ cups (425 mL) graham wafer crumbs
1 cup (250 mL) shredded coconut
½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped almonds
Middle Layer
½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp + 2 tsp (40 mL) whipping or heavy cream
2 Tbsp (30 mL) vanilla custard powder
2 cups (500 mL) icing sugar
Topping
4 oz (115 g) semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter
Instructions
Bottom Layer
1. Pour 2 cups of water into the bottom of double boiler. Place on stove over medium heat and bring water to simmer.
2. In top of double boiler; combine butter, cocoa and sugar; place over simmering water. Heat while stirring until the butter has melted and mixture is smooth.
3. Add beaten egg and stir until thick. Remove top of double boiler from heat. Stir in graham wafer crumbs, coconut and almonds.
4. Scrape into parchment paper-lined 8-inch (2 L) square baking dish. Press firmly to create even bottom layer.
5. If you don’t have a double boiler, half-fill a saucepan with water and heat over medium heat until water begins to simmer. Place a metal or glass bowl over the simmering water and proceed as directed.
Middle Layer
1. Cream together butter, cream and custard powder into a bowl. Gradually add icing sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Scrape over bottom layer, smoothing top with spatula.
Topping
1. Melt chocolate and butter together in a clean double boiler. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. When cool, but still liquid, pour over custard layer.
2. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
Poutine. Photo credit: Yuri Long
Poutine
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). While the oil is heating, begin to warm up the gravy in a saucepan on another element of your stove.
2. Place the fries into the hot oil, and cook until light brown. This should take about 5 minutes. Make the fries in batches if necessary to allow them room to move a little in the oil. Drain the fries on a paper towel lined plate for a minute or two.
3. Put the fries on a serving platter and sprinkle the cheese over them. Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese. Serve immediately.
A pemmican ball. Photo credit: oaktree_b
Pemmican
Pemmican was a type of food traditionally made and eaten by several different Native American/First Nations tribes in North America, from the Cree to the Metis.
The specific ingredients for it do vary depending on who is making it and what ingredients they have on hand. They might look something like this:
1 1/2 lbs of lean, grass-fed shoulder roast,
Salt and pepper
Fresh or frozen wild blueberries
Grass-fed bison or beef kidney fat, leaf fat, suet, or tallow
This post will give you the full list of instructions on how to make pemmican, complete with pictures of every step of the process. Since I’ve never made this dish, I wanted to ensure that you were all getting the right instructions for it.
If you’ve made or eaten pemmican, tell us what you think of it!
I can’t count the number of books I’ve read about libraries and the librarians who work there.
Tarts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland:
Blueberry Pie from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White:
I can’t wait to read everyone else’s stories! This is one of those WWBC topics I’ve been looking forward to all year long.
I have three answers for this week’s prompt.
“
Figuring out what to read next is pretty simple for me.
Yes, I changed the topic a little this week because I’m firmly on the side of rereading books.
