Stripe the Star!

Above: My nieces' guinea pig, Stripe, proudly poses beside my sister's latest picture book; Stripe was the model for the guinea pigs in the story. Thanks to Ruth for the photo, which she is going to be using in her school presentations. Clara and the Bossy is scheduled to be released next month! I just finished updating my sister's Web site; feel free to check it out. Stripe also appeared in a recent episode of TVO's This Is Daniel Cook, along with my sister.

I never had a guinea pig when I was a child, though we did have hermit crabs, zebra finches, a dog and a gerbil. My favourite pet was the dog, a slightly neurotic Australian terrier we named Trudi. My parents said no when my brother, sister and I first asked for a dog. Dogs were too big, noisy, aggressive, they said. Unwilling to give up, the three of us went into intense research mode, combing library resources as well as dog magazines, looking for a breed that WASN'T big, noisy or aggressive.

After weeks of research, Jim, Ruth and I presented a binder of information and photocopied pictures that was basically focussed on "Why We Should Get A Dog And Here's The Dog We Should Get."

My parents said yes. :-)

Here's a painting of Trudi that Ruth did when she was in high school:



Finished Bloody Jack and loved it. I've definitely got to read the next two in the series. I was pleased to see the main character learn to play the penny whistle, especially when she started playing tunes that I know!

Now reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini and Chords & Harmony: Music Theory for Real-World Musicians by Jim Aikin.

Listening to Carbon Leaf: 5 Alive!, part of my Christmas gift from my sister and her family. Thanks to Erin for telling me about this CD. For those of you not familiar with this group, Carbon Leaf's music is a sort of Celtic-folk-rock hybrid. I love the high energy and "feel good" vibe of their music, especially great for when I'm feeling somewhat down. I hope to see them perform live someday!

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