things that go kaboom in the sky

^ sadly i can't take credit for this picture. image from chromasia.

i went with justin and some friends to see the fireworks at the unionville festival yesterday. as per usual, the fireworks were big, bright, and beautiful - and worth all the mosquito bites. there was just something so heartening about the scene as a whole, standing there beside my favourite person in front of toogood pond watching explosions of light illuminate the sky while hearing the sound of laughter, oohs, and ahhs escape from the crowd around me.

it's all about enjoying the small moments in life. :)

so slothy

so far, today has been one of those days - lazy, unproductive, and slothy. i've been trying to get working on my case study, but i've had such a hard time focusing. motivation is at an all-time low, which is unfortunate seeing as i really need to get this bloody accreditation file done so i can move on to bigger and better things in life. sid the sloth may be cute (in a really ugly and demented sort of way), but slothiness is nothing but fugly to its core. must get past this hurdle and out of this hole.

ronald weasley and the youtube video about the vortex

so randomly funny i just had to share it. :)

william fitzsimmons

i'm going to the brooke fraser concert in july and this guy, william fitzsimmons, is gonna be opening for her. i don't really know him, but i like him already. he puts my weak and sucky guitar skills to complete shame. (note to self: must get better. and soon.) like i needed another reason to be excited for this concert, but i got one anyway. can't wait!

book nook: tuesdays with morrie

tuesdays with morrie
mitch albom

i've been wanting to read this book for a while now so when i saw it hiding on a shelf at my local library, i snatched it up right away. i'm so glad i found it.

this book is a memoir outlining the journey/relationship between a professor and his former student as the professor's health declines. through the professor's philosophical tidbits and outlook on life despite his failing condition, the student is reminded of what is really important in life and what is truly needed to live.

i appreciate the fact that albom's writing made the heavy content in this book digestible and the fact that he threw in snippets of the past to put things into context. i literally soaked this book up in a couple of hours and couldn't put it down until i was finished. even though the book itself is small and thin, don't let it fool you - there's a lot of depth and wisdom in its pages.

all in all it was great book which i thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend. just be sure to have some tissue around.

book nook: in my mother's house

in my mother's house
margaret mcmullan

so in my attempt to get back into reading books other harry potter or artemis fowl, i've decided to write a little blurb on the books i read whenever i finish them and get around to doing so. i'm fully aware that i am no book critic and for all i know everything i write might be complete crap, but at least i try. haha. keep in mind these are my own personal thoughts so read them with a grain of salt if you need or want to. ok, here we go.

this book was actually the first non-harry potter book i've picked up and finished in...well let's just say it's been a long time. :P unfortunately although i didn't dislike it i didn't necessarily like it much either - actually, the only reason why i ended up finishing it at all was because i was determined to see it to the end. while the subject matter was touching and concept of the book was interesting, it didn't really capture or keep my attention long enough to make me want to keep reading.

i personally didn't feel like i really connected with any of the characters which probably made the book seem longer than it actually was. i also found it a little confusing to follow at times since it switched between the perspectives of the mother and the daughter every chapter and there were quite a few jumps in time. then again, maybe i just didn't get it.

i did end up finishing this book in less than a week so the writing itself must have been ok, but that kind of sums up my thoughts on this book: it's an ok read. not great (despite multiple 5-star ratings over at amazon.com), just ok.

sometimes you just need to rant

dear mr. neighbour,

kindly tell your kids to stay off our property (which means no more flying kites, running around or playing catch in our yard), please stay off our property yourself (which means no more playing catch in our yard for you either), stop using our water supply and hose to clean out your own eavestrough, and stop being the biggest jerk to ever live beside us.

thanks ever so much,
sharon

from funk to pop

i'm not an avid concert go-er, but i ended up going to two concerts this month: victor wooten & sara bareilles. both great entertainers, both great musicians, both great concerts. the victor wooten concert was nothing short of amazing. all the videos of him playing are sick, but they're nothing compared to seeing his fingers flying and the sweat dripping down his face live in concert. it was a long concert (can't believe they played for pretty much 2.5 hours non-stop), but it was worth every minute of standing and the ache in my legs. haha. sara bareilles was an entirely different type of concert, but it was amazing all the same. i've always liked her and her stuff, but she was even better live! the only low-lights were being stuck behind the tallest couple ever (aghh, when she put her head on his shoulder i couldn't see a bloody thing) and the fact that my knees were killing by the end of the night, but that's ok. the music made it worth it.

two nights of listening to incredibly talent musicians (one of the guitarists had john mayer-esque solos - so good!) was really refreshing, although hard on my ears. (i swear after the sara concert i thought i was going deaf, no joke.) anyway, i fully recommend going to see these artists in concert. just make sure to bring earplugs.

a touch of green

^ photo taken somewhere near the opera house

the days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and neighbourhoods all over are becoming spotted with little green flecks. spring has arrived - and not a moment too soon.

brooke fraser | a l b e r t i n e

...like a breath of fresh air, this is music to my ears. and heart.