A to Z Blog Challenge -- G is for Glass Sculpture

Welcome to Day 7 of this year's A to Z Blog Challenge.

Many of us have a wish list, a hopes-and-dreams list which these days has become known as a Bucket List.

As in --

Things I Want to Do Before I Kick the Bucket

My mom had "see Dale Chihuly's work" on her list, so last year she and I took an art-emergency trip to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. For us --  

  

G is for Glass Sculpture

Since Dale Chihuly is a West Coast artist based in the US, discovering that his pieces were on exhibit much closer to our East Coast home here in Canada made our weekend jaunt to Montreal last September a no-brainer.

We were so excited when our cab driver rounded the corner to reveal The Sun installed in front of the museum, he laughed because it was like seeing a rock star for us.

Here are a few highlights from that magical exhibit we were so thrilled to see with our own eyes.

A to Z Blog Challenge -- F is for Free Comic Book Day

Welcome to Day 6 of this year's A to Z Blog Challenge.

Do you love those scenes at Stuart's comic shop on The Big Bang Theory?

Have you already seen The Winter Soldier or have plans to see it as soon as possible?

When you have to reach for your flashlight, is it a Pirates of the Caribbean flashlight, or did you get it at Canadian Tire?

If you easily said yes to all three questions, then you already know that --   
  

F is for Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day takes place on the first Saturday of May, so this year's event rolls around on May 3rd.

It's been running for 12 years now, and my husband and I look forward to it as a highlight of our year. It works exectly as it sounds -- you go to your local comic book store, line up with the other graphic-novel-and-collectible-loving fans and help yourself to free comic books, designed to launch new lines to the public.

Stores often run sale promotions as well, and that's where I got my completely cool Harry Potter quidditch jersey last year.

Here are a few shots of my husband and me enjoying ourselves at several Free Comic Book Days over the years. My aunt and uncle joined us at one stop, as well!

Here in Halifax, we'll make sure to drop in to Giant Robot Comics, Quantum Frontier, Strange Adventures and Monster Comic Lounge.

A to Z Blog Challenge -- E is for Author Event

Welcome to Day 5 of this year's A to Z Blog Challenge.

Today you'll find me at the Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax, taking part in the Halifax Author Event. 
  

E is for Author Event

I'll be signing copies of my Dark Ages vampire novel, Vampires, Saints and Lovers as well as my dark YA fantasy Bound by Dragonsfyre.

I'm a big fan of taking part in author events. I love meeting readers and chatting with you at in person book signings or presenting an author panel at conventions like Hal-Con.

I also like to meet up with the other writers and artists at events like these. It's very nourishing for my creative soul.

If you're a reader, do you like attending book fairs or going to book signings? What do you like best about them?

A to Z Blog Challenge -- 5 on Friday -- Set 217 -- D is for Dance Club / House Music

Welcome to Day 4 of this year's A to Z Blog Challenge.

Fridays at A Piece of My Mind are all about music. So for today's challenge --   

D is for Dance Club or House Music

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

It's April, and time for my monthly 5 on Friday feature -- The Hit Makers.

Once a month I'm going to feature the songs that launched careers. I'll be looking at different musical styles and the groups or singers from those styles who I love the best.

If you caught my Day 1 post, you'll know that I'm a passionate ballet fan. But I also love all forms of dance, including the everyman variety known as social dance. These days, the music for that is known as Dance Club or House Music. Why 'house' music?

It could refer to a specific Chicago club called The Warehouse where the early forms of house music were created by innovative DJs. It could refer to the term 'house' as the performance venue, which is what all theatres are called. It also could refer to urban slang for 'party'.

Here are five tunes that brought these artists to the forefront of public attention. Some of the artists were actually well-known in their underground niche for years before breaking through to wider public discovery. Some of them were already established in pop dance, and were pushing the boundaries by bringing house music to a wider audience.

  

1 - Vogue -- Madonna -- 1990

2 - Poker Face -- Lady Gaga -- 2008

3 - In Your Eyes -- Kylie Minogue -- 2002

4 - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) -- Spiller -- 2000

5 - Save the World -- Swedish House Mafia -- 2011

A to Z Blog Challenge -- I'm blogging at The Popculturedivas

Join me at The Popculturedivas for C is for Connie.

A to Z Blog Challenge -- B is for Blood Donor

Welcome to Day 2 of this year's A to Z Blog Challenge.

As a vampire author, I've spent a great deal of time thinking about blood.

For my vampire characters, blood takes on a whole new significance. Certainly, all living creatures need blood in order to operate our biomachines. Yet unless we've sprung a leak, blood doesn't get our attention in quite the same way as the other two driving forces -- hunger for food, and our sexual drive.

Of course, for a vampire, blood takes the place of both food and sex, as blood is their one and only form of sustenance, while it's the vampire's bite that turns a person into a new vampire. I found that as I wrote from the vampire's perspective, my admiration for blood as the essence of life led to my becoming a blood donor.   

B is for Blood Donor

My day job participates in a program called Partners For Life through Canadian Blood Services.

As a donor in this program, I was delighted to represent my corporation at a luncheon this past February, along with Jim, one of my co-workers (in fact, the person who signed our office up for Partners For Life.)

A woman addressed the crowd, telling us about the the 86 units of blood she had received when she'd faced a significant health crisis.

It was very moving to hear her story. I was so impressed with her willingness to share such a very distressing time in her life. She even stood with each team as we received our certificate for participating in the Partners For Life Program.

But what stayed with me was Cindy's personal challenge to sign up 86 new donors, inspired by the 86 units of blood she'd received when her life depended on them.

As of today, with just 4 new donors Cindy will have reached her goal.

For the A to Z Blog Challenge, I'd like to ask all vampire fans out there to consider donating blood in honor of your favorite vampire character.

I became a donor because of my 6th century Welsh warrior-turned-vampire, Peredur.

Who will inspire you?

A to Z Blog Challenge -- A is for Adagio

Welcome Everyone to this year's A to Z Blog Challenge.

I joined this challenge for the first time in 2011. I've managed to meet several bloggers during this challenge who have become very dear online friends, and so I give much thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this challenge in 2010.

As of preparing this post on the evening of March 31st, there were 1992 participants signed up for the challenge. Amazing! Good luck to all. See you at the finish line on April 30th.

 I'm a longtime blogger who launched A Piece of My Mind in February of 2007 as an arts blog. You can sample some of my archived posts through the top menu bar or here:

Poetry 

My Weekly Look at the Arts

Arts Industry Interviews

Art Gallery

My Reviews of Great Reads

A writer myself, I had to significantly pull back my blogging schedule in order to release the two titles I currently have out, as well as serve for two years on the executive of my writers' group.

These days I post once or twice a week, focusing generally on the writing life and music.

For this year's A to Z Blog Challenge, I'll be returning to my original arts format, beginning with my great obsession -- ballet.

A is for Adagio

An adagio is a section of a ballet where the movements are slow and graceful, recalling the Italian root of the term which is at ease.

American Ballet Theatre's site describes adagios as "the opening section of the classical pas de deux [or dance for two,] in which the ballerina assisted by her male partner, performs the slow movements...in which the danseur [male dancer] lifts, supports and carries the danseuse [female dancer.] The danseuse thus supported exhibits her grace, line and perfect balance while executing developees, pirouettes, arabesques and so on, and achieves combinations of steps and poses which would be impossible without the aid of her partner."

The great paradox of the ballerina's art is the fact that all of her apparently floaty, ethereal movements are only accomplished through extreme control and strength. The Rose Adagio from the Sleeping Beauty ballet is the perfect example of her art and athleticism.

Principal dancer Heather Ogden describes the Rose Adagio in the video clip below. Keep in mind that she's in rehearsal and is not holding onto her balances in the same way as she would if she were on stage.

However, the rehearsal wobbles are a good indicator as to the degree of difficulty for this piece of choreography.   

Here is the Rose Adagio as performed by the Bolshoi's Svetlana Zakharova, who danced in the War and Peace segment of the Sochi Olympics opening ceremonies.

I've never seen such balances. This Rose Adagio is a masterpiece performance.