A.M. Offenwanger's Blog, page 39

Free Books, or: Bookworm’s Pleasures on the Internet

[image error]I got a new Kobo for my birthday, as the one I’d bought myself six years ago is in the process of giving up its electronic ghost. You can read all about that one here – it’s one of those older (brand-new released at the time) non-touch-screen ones that don’t really do anything but display books. My new one doesn’t do much else either, it just does it faster and with a built-in sidelight. Actually, pardon me – one thing it does do that the old one didn’t is make it possible to borrow ebooks st...

Wordless Wednesday: A Wish Fulfilled

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Filed under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged: art of story, Christmas, Harry Potter, Illustrated Harry Potter, illustration, presents, wish list, wishes, Wordless Wednesday

Happy Christmas!

Filed under: life, this and that Tagged: bird feeder, candles, Christmas, Christmas baking, Christmas Eve, Cleo the Cat, cookies, gifts, snow, Steve

Favourite Mugs

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Here is Steve, mugging for the camera. Well, he’s guarding my new favourite Christmas mug, which I got for all of 35¢ at the thrift shop the other day.

I already had a collection of Christmas mugs (most of them hand-me-downs), so I really didn’t need another one. As a rule I avoid buying knick-knacky things – they’re fun to get as presents, but I’m not going to spend money on them; I’m trying to have less “stuff” in my house, not more. But there was something that struck my fancy about this...

Wordless Wednesday: Just Three More Days

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Filed under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged: Christmas, Christmas baking, German Christmas customs, Midwinter, Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: Chillin’ in the Winter Sun

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Filed under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged: Canada Place, I love BC, snow, sub-zero, Vancouver, winter, winter sunshine

Dashing Through the Snow

[image error]I had some errands to do in the big city. Well, one errand really – getting my German passport renewed, which requires going to the German Consulate in Vancouver – but of course, it’s also the perfect opportunity for a Christmas visit with family & friends.

But this is winter. In Canada. Vancouver, from where I live, is on the other side of a mountain range – nothing on the order of the Rockies, but still, mountains; the highest pass is at 1728 m. And while I quite enjoy that drive in the sum...

Wordless Wednesday: Winter Morning Tea

Filed under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged: photography, rooibos, Stövchen, tea, tea light, teaist, winter, Wordless Wednesday

Marbleous Monday: Source of Greatness

THE SOURCE OF GREATNESS

For one fleeting moment
This icy cold morning
The marble casts a shadow
Much longer than itself

Blue fire sparks in its depths
A comet
Blazing a trail
Across the orange peel of kitchen counter

Then the winter sunrise
Is swallowed up by clouds

And once again
There is but
A small ball of glass.

5.12.2016

Filed under: this and that Tagged: blue marble, perspective, photography, poetry, random, winter, winter sunrise

This, That, and NaNoWriMo’s Over

I was going to write an erudite and contemplative post for you today. It was going to be all about why I do NaNoWriMo, even though every year I just about lose my marbles with the stress of trying to finish. Or maybe about some more editorial pontifications on Point of View and Tense (first or third? past or present?). Or about the wonders of community (which actually ties right in with point #1).

But I tried to write, and it just wasn’t coming out right – I was sounding way too preachy, or,...