Thursday Thirteen - 166 - 13 Blogger Spotlights

A few Thursday Thirteen's ago, my fellow Weekend Writer's Retreat blogger Alice Audrey (who writes the serialized story Suzie's House) showcased thirteen bloggers she likes to visit - which I thought was a marvey idea.

So I'm stealing - er, running with that bit of inspiration - and here are thirteen bloggers from my blogroll.

These are all bloggers which draw me back again and again. Some of them I've been blogging with for years. Some are brand new to me. All are delightful.





1 - Apprentice Writer

Maya Missani is a budding comedy writer marking milestones on the road to dropping the 'apprentice' portion of her name. Posting from the Toronto area, she writes book reviews which include comments on the cover art, posts in-depth author interviews and shares hilarious visual humor in the name of mental health.








2 - Around the Island

Robin blogs from just outside Tel Aviv in Israel, the originator of the Sunday photography meme, Summer Stock Sunday. She sells her fine art photography on Etsy, and shares incredible glimpses of life in a country that shimmers with the energies of today and its ancient yesterdays.





3 - Art Predator

Gwendolyn Alley is a published poet from California and an exhibiting artist. She's a returning participant of the Burning Man festival, and is an environmental and social activist.





4 - Elephant Small

Stan Ski has a poetry blog, which I found through Poetry Train Monday. He posted new work without fail for the month of April (National Poetry Writing Month challenge.) He began life in England but now has a family in Thailand, and shares some of his everyday moments along with his highly-accomplished poetry.





5 - Everything and Nothing

Akelamalu blogs from Lancashire, England, where depending on her mood, she may tell us everything, or she may tell us nothing. She travels widely and always takes us along, and is an expert at crafting short, twisty tales.










6 - In The Midst of This Season

Toni is a homeschooling mom of four who blogs from Indiana. Her liquids-spurting-through-nose-inducing humour portrays the anything-but-ordinary lives of herself and her family. She remains ever watchful for those daily blessings that help her to view her cup as half full.







7 - Ire...

Nikita Banerjee blogs from Mumbai in India, posting photography, short fiction and lately the path leading to her upcoming wedding. Keep in mind - Nocturnal Mire. You Mess With Her. You Perish In Her Ire.




8 - Janet's Journal

Janet Corcoran is a new addition to my writer's group here in Nova Scotia. A Real Life friend as well as a Blog Buddy! She posts serialized humorous romantic suspense for the Weekend Writer's Retreat, shares the highs and lows of the writing life and calls us People of Blogland.








9 - Ma Vie Folle

Sheila's Crazy Life chronicles family shenanigans with a wry sense of that’s okay because that’s what life is all about…and if you can’t laugh at yourself then you’re in trouble!






10 - Romance Bandits

The Romance Bandits are a collection of 20 romance writers who turn every blog post into a party once it hits the comments section.





11 - Sans Pantaloons

Andy blogs from Aulde Scotia where he works on new sources of income and hopes someday to grow up and become a useful adult. A self-described curmudgeon, his irreverent humour appears as remarkable photoshopped jokes. I've followed his development as a graphic artist with admiration, especially his obsession with the rose imagery of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.









12 - The Gathering Nest

Debby blogs from Ontario, where she creates incredible collage art, both 3-D and digital versions. She posts photos of all the vintage material she gathers to make her creations, as well as the pieces she swaps with other art bloggers.






13 - Trav's Thoughts

So here's the thing, Travis' blog header says. I have thoughts and I'm sharing them. Travis' previous header reminded everyone that Diversity need not be divisive. The originator of the 5 on Friday music meme, he also writes passionately from the Pacific Northwest about dance shows, shares outstanding poetry, composes moving tributes to those who pass to the Other Side, and fills us in on military history with a sense of immediacy and always with humanity.

Colleen says I'll be sure to check out a few. Thanks!

Kim Richardson says Thanks for sharing these, Julia! They sound really interesting!

Jehara says I can see why you read all these blogs regularly. They all sound lovely. I am off to check them out now.

Tagged - I'm It! - 32

Nikita tagged me for this 40 Things Meme. And what would a Friday be without a meme at A Piece of My Mind?

1. Height? 5'1" - I'm from a French background. We're all shorties.

2. Have you ever done heroin? If you mean heroine - as in the main female character of a novel work-in-progress - then I've done five of them.











3. Do you own a gun? No - I'm much more of sword person, anyway. I'd love to own some reproduction swords someday.

4. (for some reason, there was no question 4 - so I added one of my own) Did you have a favorite babysitter as a child? When we were kids, my sister and I went over to my aunt's when our parents went out, and vice versa. Definitely Auntie Noel was my favorite babysitter! She's a second mom to me.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? When I was a kid, the car ride to the doctor's might as well have been the walk to the gallows. I'm totally serious. I had massive dread. Now I'm cool. I can remember the exact moment I found my courage. I had a very long, hot wait in the waiting room for an allergy shot, and by the time I got it I was too exhausted to get worked up about it. I was seven.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I love broiled or barbequed hot dogs best - a little crispy on the outside. In a bun with ketchup, mustard and lots of relish. But I always need way more bun and condiments than hot dog. Not a big meat eater, me.


7. What's your favorite Christmas song? The Christmas Waltz by Frank Sinatra.









8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Strong coffee, with one sugar, one milk. Dark European roast, mmm.

9. Is your bathroom clean? Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha - the How Clean is Your House ladies would faint dead away if they ever dropped by.

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?(or accessory) The diamond cluster ring left to me by my Aunt Sheila.

11. Do you like painkillers? Like 'em? I live on them.

12. Do you have A.D.D.? [Attention Deficit Disorder] I don't, but I'm very sure my mom has undiagnosed ADD issues. How do I come to this conclusion?

- Mom's mantra - 'Focus, Paulette, focus, focus.'
- "Tendency to tune out or drift away in the middle of a page or conversation.
- Tendency to say what comes to mind without necessarily considering the timing or appropriateness of the remark.
- An intolerance of boredom.
- Impatient. Low tolerance of frustration.
- Changing plans, enacting new schemes.
- Physical or cognitive restlessness.
- Impulsive, either verbally or in action, as in impulsive spending of money.
- A sense of underachievement, of not meeting one’s goals (regardless of how much one has actually accomplished.)
- Many projects going simultaneously. Trouble with follow through.
- Often creative, intuitive, highly intelligent.
- Mood swings.
- A tendency toward addictive behavior.
- Family history of ADHD or manic depressive illness or depression or substance abuse or other disorders of impulse control or mood." (Wikipedia)

13. What's your name? If you don't know that by now... Oh, alright, it's Julia.

14. Middle name? I'm from a French background, so we had to be named for the Holy Family or a saint's name. I was named for Mother Mary, so it's Marie.


15. Favorite singer of all time? I do love Elvis. He's been a lifelong favorite. Since my 20's I've really, really admired Frank Sinatra, as well.

Here's my favorite Elvis gospel recording.




16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: Coffee. Green tea. Water.

17. Current worry? Getting a submission ready (cue nail-biting...)

18. Current hate? Stephen Harper. (See top of sidebar.)

Please, people.

Get out there in droves and remove this horror from Parliament. Every dangerous ruler builds up his army and criminalizes artists. Stephen Harper has increased military spending by $30 billion, cut $45 million in arts funding and buried censorship legislation in a tax reform bill called Bill C-10.

19. Favorite place to be? On the couch, curled up with my dog Xena and my husband. It's our Pack time. Because let's face it - to Xena we're her Alpha Male and Alpha Female.

20. How did you bring in the New Year? After a day spent at Toronto General Hospital with Brad's dad, Brad and I and his mom sipped New Year's drinks, nibbled on New Year's nibblies, watched The Royal Canadian Air Farce New Year's special on TV - then kissed and hugged the new year in.

21. Where would you like to go? To the ballet, of course - luckily I'm going to see Don Quixote tomorrow at Park Lane.

22. Do you own slippers? Yes - they're a soft plum color, and they're comfy and I love them.


23. What shirt are you wearing? I've got a baby blue button-up blouse on, which I wore to work. In fact, it's this one.




24. Favorite color(s)? Reds, pinks and golds are my favorites.



25. Would you be a pirate? No - I'm too much of a square to want to be terribly piratical. I do love the Pirates of the Caribbean films, though, and The Pirates of Penzance is one of my favorite musicals. I know it's technically an operetta...

26. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever I wake up hearing in my head. I have an all-Julia music channel playing in my head, 24/7. It might be the music my choir is working on, Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, a Smiths song, a Kate Bush song, Lenny Kravitz, The Doors, Muse, a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack or the music from The Fountain.

27. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? I had a lot of unnamed dread at bedtime when I was a kid. Basically, I think it was anxiety. We tend to have anxiety problems in my family. Now I fall asleep before my head hits the pillow.





28. Best bed sheets as a child? My generation pre-dates the pop culture sheets phenomenon. But when I was in junior high, I got a book of Star Wars transfers for Christmas. I ironed Luke Skywalker onto a golden pillowcase and was absolutely thrilled.

Yes, that very Luke Skywalker on the bottom right corner there.

29. Worst injury you've ever had? Tripping over a homeless guy in Toronto and landing on my knee has had major consequences. Fifteen years later, I've had surgery on it, I'm going to physiotherapy for a new injury to it and take daily painkiller for it.

30. How many TVs do you have in your house? One for myself and my husband. Upstairs, my mom has one in the living room, one in the kitchen and one in the studio. She likes having the chatter of the TV in the background.

31. Who is your loudest friend? My old roommate, Dave is probably the loudest.


32. Who is your most silent friend? My dog, Xena. She's my furry chum. She hardly makes a peep.


33. Does someone have a crush on you? My husband does... (tee hee)

34. Do you wish on shooting stars? Definitely.

35. What is your favorite book? That's an impossible question. Sorry. A few stand-outs:

Devilish by Jo Beverley
Blood Games by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

36. What is your favorite candy? Chocolate. Especially chocolate and coconut. Chocolate raisins. Chocolate almonds.

37. What song do/did you want played at your wedding? For my walk down the aisle, I had The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. I had to change a few lyrics: 'The first time ever I lay with you' became 'The first time ever I knew your love'. I couldn't consult with the lyricist, but I felt my change kept the integrity of the original lyric. It's sung here by the amazing Roberta Flack.



For our first dance, we had Pretty World by Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66. We even took ballroom dancing beforehand so we could samba.



38. What song do you want played at your funeral? Because I'm Catholic, there's not a lot of room in designing a personalized funeral. It's the funeral mass - period. Having said that, one of my favorite hymns is the St. Francis of Assisi prayer, sung here by Sinead O'Connor. It sums up everything about me, and I love the gentle melody.



39. What were you doing @ 12 AM last night? I was finishing up tightening my submissions for a few writing projects.

40. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? I felt quite horrible (it was 4:00 am) - my head was giving me trouble, so I took my migraine medication and got back down to sleep. Even made it into work today.

And now - a-tagging I will go, a-tagging I will go...

Akelamalu
Amy
Darla
Jill
Shelley
Thomma Lyn