101 Reasons

36. Read 5 classics (3/5)

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”

“I don’t much care where –”

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”

-Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

It’s probably a bit odd, as a children’s librarian that I had never read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Actually it’s probably more surprising that I, as me, lover of things whimsical and strange hadn’t read it. Now that problem is fixed.

It was every bit as nonsensical and delightful as I had hoped for. More, really, than I had hoped for. I actually started reading it one night as I was between books and wanted something young-ish to read. Project Gutenberg came through for me (you can read all about Alice there for free) and then I got an illustrated text from the library since I do love illustrations so much.

I was sure all of my classics were going to be grown up books and that I wasn’t going to enjoy them very much. So far I’ve enjoyed all of them (although one is a children’s book, which I’m more inclined to enjoy anyway) so this has been a good experience.

99. Watch a parade

Today was the Santa Clause Parade in Toronto. I stupidly, naively, didn’t realize what a huuuge event it is. Good god! Trying to even catch a subway was ridiculous, let alone finding a spot to actually watch the parade. We ended up at Dundas Square which wasn’t too bad, even if there was a big tall guy in front of me for most of it. It got really squishy and partway through we decided that as much as we liked being squished and not able to see anything, we would rather go for coffee. So we did.

Above is the Lego float which was sort of my favourite. There was a Lego pirate! (And Lego cleavage which is sort of hilar).

Although it was fun being downtown in the midst of things, I think next year I’ll watch it from home on my tv with some hot chocolate and a cat in my lap.

79. See the Top 100 Greatest Films (http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0760906.html) (37/100)

While waiting for my fabric to come out of the dryer for my apron, I watched Singing in the Rain, which had been recommended to me a number of times. I really enjoyed the choreography and how seemingly effortlessly the actors carry it out and of course the storyline is interesting (the appearance of movies with sound or “talkies” as they were called at the time) and reminds me of when we talked about that in my music in film class. Costumes were gorgeous too, especially during the Broadway number. Totally want a flapper dress.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. I’m over a third through the list, both of movies and my overall list which is encouraging. I should watch something sad and serious now so that I’m not left with all the epic angst-filled dramas at the end. I still have some light ones though like Sound of Music & Some Like It Hot but I also have a lot of heavy things like The Godfather I & II. I should really just have a Godfather marathon. Anyone want to watch with me?

20. Sew an apron

I sewed an apron tonight. I used a pattern found here for a reversible half-apron. It took a couple hours but I’m severely out of practice. I’m sure an experienced sewer (seamstress? Is that really how sewer is spelled, like the drainage system?) could have done it in half the time. The reverse is the same pattern as my tie, but in brown.

I was originally going to use a pattern from Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing book but her half-apron isn’t reversible and I’m not confident enough to adapt her pattern. Luckily though it was an easy google search to find something that worked for me.

I still need to work on sewing straight and cutting fabric straight but overall I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I am now sort of wishing it wasn’t so pertty. As if I’m ever going to actually use it and risk it getting all mucked up!

15. Send 30 postcards/cards/letters (25/30)

These are a couple of the postcards on their way to the mailbox once I find one. There’s no mailbox near my home so I always carry my mail around with me on the off-chance that I find one. I have a feeling that I’ve sent more than 25 things but I keep forgetting to keep track.

I love the thought of sending love out into the world in the form of mail. I love that moment when you open your mailbox and find something unexpected, that feeling of knowing that someone out there was thinking about you, that they cared enough to write the card, look up your address, buy postage, affix it, and mail it. That’s a lot of work for such a small thing, but definitely worth it.

16. Attend a charity event and 87. Go to the top of the CN Tower

This year I participated in the Enbridge CN Tower Climb for United Way. The picture above is of my finish time, 44 minutes and 23 seconds after I started. It was tiring and long but not as bad as I thought it would be. And then the view! Amazing and beautiful and so worth the climb. I wish they had let us bring cameras and phones up. Instead you’ll have to settle for my proof of climb. I feel really proud that I did this, even though it was only 44 minutes out of my day. That 44 minutes will help organizations that need it and I feel really good about that.

In Progress…

• Bought tickets for the The Academy Is… show in Toronto (above) (#76)
• Sending out thank you postcards to those who have donated to my stair climb efforts (which I suppose is both a nod to #15 & #16)
• Been climbing stairs in prep for my stair climb up the CN Tower. I’ve reached my donation goal which is amazing (thanks to all that have helped!) If you’d still like to donate, you can still do so! Click here for info.
• Also been working on filling up a journal (#22). The journal is basically a paper tumblr full of my favourite decorating ideas. It was my tumblr before I had a tumblr, I suppose. It’s coming along quite nicely.
• Aaand my ivy that I bought back in the summer is still alive! (#40). I’ve taken some pics of it, sitting pretty on my counter. I might consider that goal tentatively reached.
• And of course continually watching classic films, some of which I’ve posted. Some of which I’ve forgotten to.

I’m sort of impressed that I’m still doing the list. I tend to be a ‘start things and never finish them’ sort of girl (which is why the quilt goal sort of terrifies me). I’ve still got lots to do, but I’m about a third of the way there. Not too shabby!

(sorry for those who are getting this twice. Posted to the wrong tumblr)

79. See the Top 100 Greatest Films (http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0760906.html) (36/100)

Watched It Happened One Night with Clark Gable tonight. I found it quite delightful, especially the last scene. I loved his character and his witticisms very much and I liked the female protagonist as well (which is almost a first. Often the women in these films seem quite two-dimensional at best and sort of manipulative/evil at worse, or maybe that should be reversed..). I actually bought them as a couple which helped. Recommended!

(scene from when our female protagonist accidentally falls asleep on our male protagonist and he can’t quite bring himself to rouse her, even when they stop for breakfast)

64. Grow herbs

So I did actually do this this summer, and I forgot to take pictures because I’m like that. BUT! You can see what they looked like at the beginning, above. They turned out okay in the end. I went away to Cuba for a week and my house sitter forgot to water them so the basil and rosemary died but the chives and parsley didn’t do too badly. The thing is though, I don’t really use parsley in anything. Next year I think I’ll just go with basil. I think I like the idea of an herb garden more than the reality, I think. I do have little glass spice containers with dried herbs in them now though, and that was sort of the point so the reality isn’t so bad.