Kristin Cashore's Blog, page 24

Scenes from the Aquarium

One day this past week, I sat on the ledge of the footbridge while the sun was setting, with my feet hanging over the water. There was a little old lady watching the sunset next to me (she was not on the ledge), and I thought to myself, Oh, that's the kind of little old lady I want to be someday, the kind who comes out to watch the sunset. I was wearing a long blue dress and tall black boots. Suddenly she came over and told me that if I were to fall in, my boots would present a serious problem. I laughed and said, "That's a good point," but then I looked at her closer and realized she was Not Joking. She was a very sour person and she seemed certain that I was going to fall into the river and my boots would drag me straight down to the bottom and I would drown while she stood above me triumphantly yelling, "I told you so!" We had a brief conversation (*cough* argument), during which I remained pleasant, even though she was essentially telling me I was a young fool. Then she said, "Well, you be careful!" and stomped away. Be careful? Why is it necessary to be careful? Never once in my life have I fallen off the seat I'm sitting on. People don't do that, they don't just fall out of their seats. I'm not going to fall in!! When I told my friend Jess this story, she said she would've been worried that the old lady was going to push her in. This is, in fact, one of the few scenarios in which I can imagine falling in. Someone pushes me in; I lose consciousness and topple in; I lose my sanity and jump in; or, the ledge of the footbridge itself breaks off, falls in, and I fall in with it. I am willing to risk all of these unlikely possibilities. And anyway, that little old lady couldn't have pushed me in. I would've beaned her. Yes, you heard it here, I would knock a little old lady on the head, if she were trying to push me into the river.

I… didn't actually mean to tell that story, I just meant to post some videos from a recent trip to the New England Aquarium down at the wharf in Boston. If you hear the occasional screech, that would be a penguin.

If you can't see the videos, please visit my Blog Actual.

A few seconds of jellyfish. Did you know that jellyfish have lived in our seas for hundreds of millions of years?



More jellies --  these are called umbrella jellyfish.



Sea turtle!



This little cuttlefish was my favorite thing ever.



He had intense powers of concentration.



And can you see the way he is (electrically!) changing the color of his skin?

Finally, a few more jellies.

Sonya Tayeh and Christopher Scott, Happy Sigh

Tui and I are in agreement that this group routine, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh (who calls her style of choreography "combat jazz") and Christopher Scott (hip-hop/animation/popping), made what was an otherwise meh SYTYCD season worthwhile. Danced by this season's Top Ten and ten All-Stars. As usual, sorry about the screaming. I also find the spoken message to be CORNY, and as long as I'm listing complaints, the first 1:15 is a continuous shot and the music and the dancing are out of sync by the merest fraction of a beat. ARGH! It's probably unkind of me to point that out to you, actually, but it does a disservice to the dancers, especially the breakdancers (Dominic Sandoval and Emilio Dosal, left to right) and Will Wingfield (the guy with the dreads who goes crazy around 1:00).



Incidentally, the prominence of Marko Germar in this routine (the guy in the blue shirt who's at the center around 1:50) reminds me that in case you're wondering what his old dance partner Melanie Moore is up to – or what Thayne Jasperson is up to – they are both currently being fabulous in Finding Neverland here at the A.R.T. in Cambridge. :o)

Cheerios Can Bite Me

Today's rant comes to you from my Cheerios box, where I've just noticed that General Mills has trademarked this phrase: "More grains. Less you!"

The good news about this is that since it's a registered trademark, no one else is allowed to use it. Therefore, we won't see this unbelievably obnoxious message anywhere other than on our General Mills cereal boxes, which, frankly, we can stop buying. General Mills? What exactly is better about less me? Why would I buy a cereal that implies something is better about LESS ME? Have you failed to notice that I AM AWESOME? I want a cereal that gives me MORE me! But let's forget about me for a minute. Do you understand that your cereal boxes are sitting on millions upon millions of breakfast tables across the world, and there are kids and teenagers at those tables, bleary-eyed and grumpy about being awake, reading their cereal boxes while they eat? Which means that you are teaching them from a very young age that they and their bodies should be taking up less space in the world. That they should contain themselves, keep themselves small. That they should hate their fat, which is a part of themselves. That they should aspire to be less visible. Why would you trademark a phrase that creates shame? It's just despicable. These are the moments when I wish I didn't have a No F-bomb policy on my blog.

Here is a link to HAES, the Heath at Every Size movement.

Etsy and the Goblin Market

I've started writing the post that lists resources about girl and woman superheroes. It's a bit of a massive organizational project, so I'm not done with it yet, but I promise it's in the works!

My revision is so structurally challenging at the moment that it's funny the things I decide to do instead, because they're easier. Like, make major life decisions. Currently easier than my revision. I've finally got some revision momentum, though – this time around, it's been a long time coming – which reminds me that there's another post I'd like to write before too long. For the past few months and until rather recently, I was trying to do creative writing work while beset by extreme personal distraction. It was so, so difficult to focus. At some point, when I have the energy, I would like to share some of the techniques I used, borrowed from wise friends or invented myself, to work when I could barely keep my mind on my work. One of the techniques I used at a certain point was to recognize that I'd reached the point of diminishing returns and STOP working. I'd like to say more about that, too – about giving yourself permission not to work, when work is hurting matters more than it's helping.

This post is neither of those posts. This post is a series of links to some of my most favorite things that I will not be buying on Etsy. :o)

First, however, a warning. BE CAREFUL STEPPING OVER THE ETSY THRESHHOLD. Once you've entered, it is hard to leave. Such infinite temptation, such beauty and so many promises. My friend Becca sent me an email the other day with the subject line, "lost in Etsy." The message read, "have eaten their food and given my name" "send help"

You know not to eat the food or give your name, right? Are you ready to be strong?

I will not be buying this gorgeous blue-green and gold silk 1950s vintage gown on Etsy. But looking at it makes me SWOON. (By the way, if, by the time you click on the link, the dress has sold, and you get a message that says "Sorry, this item has sold," simply scroll down. Pictures of the dress should appear lower on the page, below the other stuff. This applies to all these links.)

Nor will I be buying this gorgeous blue-gray 1950s vintage cocktail dress with rhinestone buttons, but looking at it makes me want to DIE. Die, I tell you.

I will especially not be buying the best TARDIS dress on all of Etsy (yes, I have looked at them all). But if you have $499 rattling around in your pockets, go for it.

I have, in fact, purchased these sea salt caramels from time to time (both original sea salt and bacon sea salt), and they are divine.  Hopefully this shop,
I will not be buying this angler fish necklace, which might not be to everyone's taste (some people might find it... ugly and terrifying? Hm) but I think it's just great. As is this gold snake necklace, this cowfish, this rhinoceros beetle, this rocket ship, this squid attacking a nautilus submarine, and this shark.  Incidentally, with the exception of the rocket ship, these are all animals that you yourself might turn into, one after the other, while in the arms of your lover, who has just pulled your down from your horse in an attempt to rescue you from the clutches of Etsy.

(That was a clever reference to the fairy story Tam Lin. The idea is that Tam Lin is captured by the Queen of the Fairies and his lover rescues him by holding on tight to him while he undergoes all forms of transformation. I recommend the Pamela Dean version (called Tam Lin), which takes place on a fictional college campus in Minnesota in the 1970s. Also, The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope. Also, referenced in my title: "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti.)

This has been my browserwindowshopping for the day. Thanks for joining me, and good luck getting out.

Guess Where I Am?

Actually, I got back last week, but I still want to play the game. Here are a few pictures to transport you to where I was…

 The trees are out of this world.
 Stuff grows everywhere, it can't help itself.
 If you leave your car sitting overnight, it grows fungus.
 Or turns into a pig!
 In this place, it is possible to look through the windows and watch people making cheese
 or Russian pastries.
 Follow the arrow…


 Look closely and use your knowledge of corporate America.

 Look closely and use your knowledge of recent American politics.

 (This picture doesn't nail anything down, but it makes me happy…)
 In this place, the seagulls are very organized.
 Recognize those mountains at all? No? Don't worry, I wouldn't either.
  What about that thing we're driving toward? Look closely…
Once you notice it, it kind of takes over the landscape.
La la la la la....
LA LA LA...
Beautiful Seattle...
ILU.This post is for TLR and N. ILU, too :o)

Wow

I swear that one of these days I'm going to write a substantive post with, like, words and stuff. Until then… If my fairy godmother shows up one day, she had better be aware that I expect no less than this dress. Have you seen this dress? It's made of recycled and discarded Golden Books. Look at this dress. After you do that, look at more pictures of this dress, designed by Ryan Jude Novelline. WOW.

Thanks, Jess :o)

Herve Tullet Introduces His New Picture Book, Mix It Up!

This 50-second video is charming.



I've had a chance to see an early copy of Mix It Up! (out in September), and I would go so far as to say it's my favorite Herve Tullet yet.

Resurrecting My Birthday Poll

It's birthday month on the blog! I'm sending birthday wishes all over the place and keeping some for myself. Happy birthday, Leos! Please vote in my important birthday poll, everyone!


What would make the best birthday present?
As always, if you can't see the poll, go to my Blog Actual.

Sweet Songs and Dancing

This SYTYCD Top 14 dance, choreographed by Travis Wall and performed by Jessica Richens and Casey Askew, is so lovely and sweet, but every time I watch it, I'm utterly puzzled by the last few seconds. I feel like something must've gone wrong there. Surely it's not supposed to look so much like he's suddenly trying to look up her dress? As always, sorry about the screaming. There was one season (5?) where the producers made the wonderful decision either to make the crowd shut up or to screen out the screams for the television viewing audience, and it was SO nice, but apparently someone has since decided that screeches add to our experience. Blech.



(BTW, if you want more Travis Wall, here's his routine choreographed for the top 7 guys.)

It can be a bit painful to watch a SYTYCD dance if you're familiar with the music, attached to it, and find it uncomfortable to hear it chopped up and reassembled. The song in this number, "Like Real People Do" by Hozier, has the sweetest, strangest lyrics:

I had a thought, dear
However scary
About that night
The bugs and the dirt
Why were you digging?
What did you bury
Before those hands pulled me
From the earth?
I will not ask you where you came from
I will not ask you and neither should you
Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips
We should just kiss like real people do

Here it is in its entirety, if you'd like to listen.



As always, if you can't see the videos, go to my Blog Actual.

More on Being Small

A friend who read my blog post yesterday sent me this lovely video of Peter Mulvey performing "Vlad the Astrophysicist". Melancholy, sweet, centering, and exactly what I needed. Thank you, Rosa.