k. bannerman

The Last Big Move

2011-10-30T23:37:00.002Z

Now that Fox&Bee is up&running, it made the most sense for me to go over there and blog.... so if you visit www.kbannerman.com, it will take you there automatically. BUT, if you use the blogspot address above, you will come here, and find very few new posts.

So do, please, come and visit me at Fox&Bee. I PROMISE (hand on heart) that I will not be moving again. No more nomadic wandering across cyberspace, like some sort of wordy intertoob version of Captain Mal. I shall settle, put down roots, and remain firmly fixed in the cosmos.

And you have a standing invitation to visit my new bloggy home, whenever you wish. :)

BOO!

2011-10-26T03:16:00.004+01:00

***These were sitting in Rocky Mountain chocolates, taunting me. Don't you just love the disgustingly delicious selection of sweets that appear, this time of year? Mmm!

The Joy of Zombies, and Another Use for Bears.

2011-10-19T20:08:00.004+01:00

We filmed the zombie short for Shawn's 52 Week project last week -- go see it, immediatly, before you read another word here! I'd hate to let slip any spoilers!

~~~

Are you back? Excellent! Holy crow, it was SO MUCH FUN to do, and I hope the fun we had comes across in the film. There was lots of laughs, silliness, groans from Jeff (who makes a most excellent zombie) and sticky fake blood.

A wee little story about the blood...

There are a lot of recipes for fake blood, involving things like corn syrup, food dye, cornstarch, oat powder, and chocolate syrup. We played around with lots of recipes, and Jen measured and mixed like an alchemist, trying to acheive the perfect consistancy.

At last, we had a bottle of sticky, gooey, deep ruby red liquid. Perfect.

The scene where I walk past the car required dramatic smears of handprints on the hood. We parked on the village main street and Jeff poured out a generous pool of blood, then slapped his hands around in it, thereby creating a hint of violence on my Toyota Echo. Then, off we went to film.

Our shooting took us far from the car. I half expected to come back after filming, three hours later, to discover police tape around my vehicle.

Luckily, though, no one noticed or cared, and we drove home, happy with our footage. Cast and crew went out for dinner, there was much toasting and hurrahs, the hour grew late and the sun went down. I figured we'd clean the blood off the car in the morning.

But when Shawn went out with cloth and hot water on Sunday, the front of our car was mysteriously.... very, very clean. Not a spot of blood remained.

Some large claw marks in the dirt at the front of our bumper was the only hint of who, perhaps, enjoyed a midnight dessert of sugary, red-tinted chocolate sauce. If ever I wondered, now I know: bears like chocolate syrup, and don't really care what colour it is. Plus, they're very, very good at cleaning cars.

'Tis the Season, right?

2011-10-17T06:43:00.003+01:00

We filmed "52 Weeks - Week 5" on Saturday.

It had zombies.

Frankly, it was amazing.

For four hours, we ran willy-nilly around this small town -- I haven't run so far, so fast in many a long year. The event proved to be excellent exercise: for example, multiple takes meant running up the same hill five times in a row, with the director saying things like, "That was good, now faster!"

(Maybe I made that up. By the end, I was pretty light-headed and, until cast and crew sat down to a yummy Chinese buffet at the Panda Restaurant, it was all a blur.)

"52 Weeks - Week 5" will be released on Wednesday at Shawn's blog. I'll talk more about it after its release because I don't want to inadvertently cause any spoilers, but it was one of those sunny afternoons that will long live in my memory as laughter-filled, giddy, gleeful, and soaked in sugary fake blood.

Always Be Prepared!

2011-10-15T06:46:00.003+01:00

Ripped business suit - check
Tattered shoes - check
Purple eyeshadow (for under eyes and cheekbones) - check
Corn syrup tinted with red food colouring - check
Battered briefcase - check

I'm either ready to play a zombie in tomorrow's film, or ready to march with the Occupy protesters as a corporate zombie. It's good to be prepared for all outcomes that may come to pass on a Saturday.

Zombies Needed

2011-10-08T19:48:00.010+01:00

On Saturday, October 15, we're filming the next instalment of the 52 Weeks projects, and we need ZOMBIE EXTRAS! Want to come and help?

Filming will start around 1pm in Cumberland, BC. We'll film for the afternoon, and possibly into the evening, if we need more footage and some moody, spooky lighting. If you want to participate, send me an email at kim@kbannerman.com, and I can tell you where we'll be meeting.

Please come in costume -- gory is good, bloody is better, filthy is fantastic. There will be snacks (brains?) to keep up your undead energy. :)

*Photo is borrowed from the Sydney Zombie Lurch, which looks like a most lively group of undead!

Wanted to share this with you.

2011-10-08T06:41:00.001+01:00

Practical Tips on Writing Books from 23 Brilliant Authors

Good article, full of helpful hints and good reasons to keep writing. :)

The Face of Your Muse

2011-10-05T05:13:00.004+01:00

I've been asked to write a 500-word essay about something -- a film, a book, a play, a person -- that inspired me when I was younger, and I'm struggling with the assignment. Not because I can't think of anything. Quite the opposite. I keep remembering awesome, awesome things that I loved as a child, and I want to share so many of them... how do I cram it all into 500 measly words?!?!?

(Don't worry, beloved editor, I won't be sending you a tome. I promise to rein it in and be good and keep to our agreed word count!)

But there's so many wonderful books and stories that I loved when I was little, and in the darkest hours of night, I've been waking up with technicolor memories flashing through my brain. Littlest Hobo! Dune! The Dukes of Hazzard! ElfQuest! Isn't it weird, what inspires us? Isn't it wonderful when you find other people who were similarly inspired? I mentioned to a friend of mine that I read ElfQuest as a kid, and she literally leapt up and said, "Me too!!!!"

Zap! A connection, cast years ago, unknown to both of us. No wonder we get along so well... it's kinda cool.

Writing this blog post has given me some ideas, and helped me hone my topic down to one book; thanks for listening to me ramble. I'm off to go write my assignment and turn it in, but while I'm gone, please share: what books, television shows or films inspired you?

With Stars In My Eyes

2011-10-03T05:56:00.009+01:00

I walked into London Drugs to pick up cough medicine. I walked out with a telescope. Yep, it was one of those days.

We had decided to wander through the camera section, and when the salesman asked if we needed any help, I asked out of curiosity if they carried any telescopes. I've been watching BBC's 'Wonders of the Solar System' and was suitably inspired to price out the equipment, but as I currently have a telescope in two pieces under my bed, I wasn't looking to buy anything. Ideally I just wanted to know if this place had options -- there aren't a lot of specialty science-themed stores in this area.

The salesman looked sad, almost rueful. "No," he confided with a shake of the head, "We don't. Maybe closer to Christmas we might get something in but.... No." Then, with an apologetic shrug, he added, "We do have one, but it's really a children's toy, really...."

I followed, but I was being a bit snobby and inwardly scoffing that he'd show me a TOY when I'd asked for a telescope! By the final frontier, man, this is SCIENCE!

He led me to a shelf (not a glass cabinet, but a shelf!) and a small, watermelon-sized cardboard box (a box!) and said, "This is it. Last one left." The price was $25. I thanked him (because even though I was internally scoffing, I try to be externally polite) and he returned to the front of the store.

A measly 25 buck kid's toy, probably made of plastic, too weak to view the moon, too wimpy to -- wait a second.

Under the price tag was a second price tag, for $89.99.

I picked up the box, looked it over, then opened it up and glanced at the telescope inside. It's a Celestron FirstScope, designed to be portable and durable, and charged with the noble goal of introducing children to astronomy.

By the rings of Saturn, this is one amazing little telescope! We brought it home, set it up in seconds (it comes assembled, bonus!) and spent the evening admiring the moons of Jupiter. It came with two lenses: 15x and 75x, which offered a perfect introduction to the universe for Little Z, and it also took the lenses of our other telescope, giving us a little flexibility. All in all, the FirstScope is just as crisp, clear and powerful as my larger telescope, but it has the distinct advantage of being a snap to use, carry and store. We've already decided to take this telescope with us on our next holiday -- that's how amazingly portable it is. In fact, it's lighter than my purse.

Ignore the people in the promo pictures; I wouldn't trust a group who looks so deliriously happy about peering through a telescope when it is so obviously daytime. However, with clear midnight skies above us, we were all thrilled by the FirstScope. It was a spectacular purchase, and if you live near a London Drugs that happens to have one on sale, I would highly, highly recommend you rush out and snap it up before it's gone.

Bricks & Mortar & Light & Sound

2011-09-29T06:24:00.004+01:00

(1) Bucket of Blood is now available in a actual, honest-to-goodness, shelves-and-chairs sort of bookstores. You can find a copy at the following locations:

Laughing Oyster Books
Blue Heron Books
StillWater Books
Cumberland Museum
Courtenay Museum

(2) Shawn has started 'The 52 Weeks Project', in which he will make a video a week for the next year. My reading ended up falling on the day he wanted to start -- it was fall equinox, a most auspicious day -- so he filmed me and decided to make it Week 1. However, because he didn't want to make me nervous, he didn't tell me he was filming me, so the sound quality was really dodgy.

Unsatisfied with the results (and hesitant to start the whole project with a video that was difficult to hear), we went to the lake on a rainy twilight and I read the prologue while he filmed me. Much happier with these results, Shawn used that for his first week.

I don't like seeing myself on video (I move weirdly!) so I haven't really watched either. But I thought I'd share them. If you weren't able to make it to the book launch, feel free to watch the first. If you'd rather just hear the prologue, then skip right on through to the second. I hope you enjoy 'em!

Book Launch for Bucket of Blood
52 Weeks: Week 1

(3) Shawn then went ahead and filmed Week 2. I did the photography with a toddler strapped to my back -- do other cameramen work under these conditions? Despite the challenge of little hands trying to rip out my earrings while lining up shots, it was much fun. The next 50 weeks are promising to be busy but a heck of a lot of fun. :)

52 Weeks: Week 2

That's a lot of links for one little post! Right, it's off to bed for me then. Chat soon!

Nocturne

2011-09-25T04:48:00.004+01:00

the night is crushingly dark
it scampers through the alleyways
it flows into serpentine shadows
and chats with the cunning cats

Join us for Write Here. Write Now.

2011-09-23T17:59:00.003+01:00

A long long time ago, I thought I might be a teacher.

Both my parents were teachers, all their friends were teachers, and many of my friends were teachers' kids -- if you are a teacher's kid, you will recognize that this is a state of mind, more than just your parent's occupation. You have been exposed to testing from a young age; if you're anything like me, you probably looked forward to those tests, when you filled in little circles with an HB pencil and, afterwards, were told your reading level. Many teachers' kids move easily into the career of teaching.

I began my Bachelors of Education degree, but was seduced by the siren call of Anthropology & Archaeology. So, while I never became an elementary teacher, I still love teaching, and it can feel a lot like coming home.

So, understandably, I'm pretty excited to be teaching again this fall.

Starting October 5, I'm going to be teaching a course at college, and if you live nearby and nurture an interested in writing, I hope you'll join us. We'll discuss the craft of writing short stories and novellas, examine a few short stories by established authors, and then get to the bones of writing our own. Students will receive critical feedback on their work, plus, they'll have the opportunity to read and discuss their tales. Best of all, you'll meet other like-minded writers who can support you and encourage you on your writing journey.

I hope you'll join us!

GENI-2336 Write Here. Write Now. Creative Writing I
Oct 5 to Nov 23, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Register online or contact North Island College at 1-800-715-0914.

Such Larks

2011-09-23T07:50:00.003+01:00

Last night was the launch for Bucket of Blood.

And, ohmygoodness, it was FUN! Even though the night was stormy and dismal, a sizeable audience showed up to drink wine, eat cheese, socialize and discuss Canadian history. Then they filed into the auditorium to listen to me read as photos of Cumberland's earliest days played on the movie screen. I had a great time. And the best part was this: the audience gasped in ALL the right places!

(Audio-visual proof of the fun is coming soon!)

Launch, Class, Duende, The Fire Song Review

2011-09-19T05:46:00.002+01:00

Confession: I’m supposedly watching ‘Xmen: First Class’ but Lordy Lordy, just when I start to suspend any disbelief and enjoy it, BAM the cheesiness rises up and I can’t take it seriously. Okay, Wolverine’s appearance made me grin, but there’s no surprise there… So I’m typing with one finger on an iPad, trying to appear interested, but scoffing openly when the dialogue reaches disastrous levels of insincerity.

I’m writing this post because I’ve been quite negligent in my bloggery of late; I’ve been remarkably busy for the last few weeks, and looking into the near future, I don’t see many free days, either! That’s why I feel guilty watching a bad movie, when I ought to be doing so many other things.

So here are a few snippets of what I’ve been up to:

(1) I’m releasing my novel ‘Bucket of Blood’ on September 21 at North Island College, and if you’re in the vicinity, I hope you’ll come by the Stan Hagen Theatre at 7pm for wine, cheese, and words.

(2) I’m also teaching a course at the college this autumn, starting at the beginning of October; it promises to be a friendly workshop where we’ll discuss literature and write short stories. I’m looking forward to it!

(3) I’ve been involved in a number of new writing projects that span the globe, from the UK to Nigeria to Amsterdam. I’ll talk more about them as they’re released, but I’ve been fortunate to work with some really amazing editors and artists lately — talented people who have inspired me to reach farther and challenge myself.

(4) The Spanish concept of ‘duende’ has popped up a few times in conversation and readings over the last few days, and I wonder if the cosmos is trying to say something. Passion, vitality, artistic excellence… I’ve been told there’s no equivalent word in the English language, so perhaps I do not grasp the fullness of ‘duende’s’ definition. If I’ve got it wrong, send me a tweet and let me know.

(5) That sassy, sexy Biblio Babe Cara has reviewed 'The Fire Song', and huzzah! She enjoyed it! *squeeeee!* Check out it!

Oh, this movie is HORRIBLE! *groan* I don’t think I can stomach any more of this cliched dialogue and histrionic hand-clenching…. Does this make me any less a sci-fi fan? Bah!

Oh, the Humanity!!!!

2011-09-18T18:48:00.002+01:00

I've been fighting, struggling, wrestling, grappling with other forms of blogs, but GLORY BE I miss the simplicity and non-spammery of this one, so I'm coming back to Blogger. I've found my desire to write online leaking away, and that's just NOT good, considering how important social media has become to the success of artists, writers and creative folk.

So here I am. TA-DA! *jazz hands*

Blogs are supposed to reflect our personal lives, so I'll share with you this: I've spent the last week learning lots -- and in a very personal way -- about poison ivy. Did you know that the oil of poison ivy can stay on items for weeks, and cause burns and water blisters long after the item has rubbed against the original plant? For example, if a t-shirt rubs against a plant, then you decide to wear that t-shirt a week later, you'll get really a horrible reaction that looks like a burn, and you won't have a single clue where it came from, because you're miles from any sort of wilderness. Did you know that?

Yeah, I didn't know that either. But I do now. :P

I'm going to spend this lovely Sunday fixing the blog and the website and my twitter feed, and tomorrow I'm going to a Social Media Workshop Camp -- kind of like Band Camp for the nerdiest of all. (I'm so excited! *squee*)

And I'm staying OUT of the nasty, brutish wilderness, and far far far from any plants that want to kill me.

Attention, dear readers!

2011-03-13T18:53:00.003Z

I've moved out of Blogger and into my own place.

Come visit me at www.kbannerman.com.

No excuse.

2011-03-09T07:38:00.005Z

How can you tell the people you love how much you love them? Sometimes, words aren't big enough. I need to go hug someone. Right now.

*** What's going on here? I'm feeling maudlin and moody and full of gratitude, and I haven't even touched a glass of wine.

Busy bodies.

2011-02-28T23:51:00.003Z

I've had my head down, working on a new project with S. Don't worry, our kids are fed, clothed, and cared for, but thank goodness for creative children who like to be involved in the madcap antics of their artsy-fartsy parents. It's going so well that we've barely coming up for air. What, is it Monday already? Last time I looked, it was some time in early February....

After sorting through submissions, I'm so impressed by the level of skill shown by everyone involved. At last count, we had over twenty people participating; I can't wait to release this project on the world and proudly show off the talents of my friends. I'm used to working on things solo, and I didn't know what to expect with this, but have to admit, I love the energy of working with a crowd.

Must get back to work. There are maps to draw, stories to edit, and games to design. Estimated time of release: end of March. I look forward to announcing the release date here.

Artists, Bikes & Cats

2011-02-23T01:55:00.006Z

(1) I have been enjoying the photographs and artistic vision of K over at Fog&Swell, and hope to direct your attention in her direction. I was the lucky recipient of a bookmark which she made; it now hangs beautifully in my kitchen. I adore artwork directly from the artist. Too often in this world, the creator is segregated from the creation.

Do you know who designed or built the chair you're sitting on right now? Me neither. But someone dreamt it, drew it, carved it, hew it, moulded it, or upholstered it. Kudos to those anonymous artists, all around us.

(2) For a week or two, we've enjoyed lovely snowy days sandwiched between lovely sunny days. Epiphany! I could get used to living in a climate that doesn't suffer from endless days of grey rain.

(3) Is it weird that I've posted photographs of my neighbors' cats on my Facebook page, alongside photos of my own family, friends and pets? In my heart, I think I've adopted them. I don't feed them, they never come inside, they aren't mine at all. But they loiter outside my office window and, and WhiteCat visits me if I'm sitting on the front step without any dog or child nearby.

Oh, WhiteCat and BlackCat. You aren't mine, but I'm yours.

(Well, as much as I can be, given the allergies.)

POST SCRIPT: Shawn has been working on the following video for North Island College; he did the editing and created the music. Today, the video was released upon the world, and the building opens on Friday. Watch, enjoy, share!

Did a duck fly into a pole somewhere?

2011-02-15T04:18:00.003Z

Apparently a mysterious "widespread incident" is affecting the services of my email/website hosting service -- the conspiracy-theorist part of me is currently shouting, "BUT IT ISN'T 2012 YET!!!!".

I'm waiting for a bevy of important emails. None of them will get through until the incident is cleared up. Who knows how long THAT will take.... no one seems to know what even happened.

I used to handle outages with more shoulder-shrugging, less teeth-gnashing. I'm forced to believe that, if society crumbles around us in a fiery apocalypse, I'll now greet it with less enthusiasm than I previously assumed. I might even rue it.

On the House

2011-02-12T01:20:00.001Z

The latest edition of 'Lies With Occasional Truth: The World's Greatest Fiction Magazine" came out today. My short story, 'On the House', is included. I squee with delight! :)

Hit the Orange Button, if you dare!

2011-02-08T17:15:00.003Z

The Fire Song is now available in convenient, hold-in-your-hand, read-on-the-beach-or-bus-stop book form! Would you like one for yourself? Believe me: once they see you reading it, all the cool kids will adore you.

All you need to do is hit the little orange button that now appears in the right column, and you will find yourself whisked away to Lulu where you can order a copy for yourself. Imagine your delight when, in a very reasonable amount of time, it arrives in your mailbox! You shall squeal with joy so loudly that the postmistress will think the zombie bats have returned, and she will faint with fright.

Today, I tackle the iBook market and attempt to submit The Fire Song to them for future distribution. Wish me luck. I'll let you know when the book appears on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, too -- these forms are all coming in the near future, but the maze of commerce is a long, tricky & twisty one.

ATTENTION: FIRE SONG READERS

2011-02-04T02:32:00.003Z

Only the Epilogue of The Fire Song remains to be posted, and it'll be up later tonight.

Then, I'll leave the whole novel on the site for three days.

On Monday, the manuscript will be pulled down and released as an iBook. Then, later this month, an extended version will be published for interactive use on iPads & iPhones -- it will contain games, illustrations, music, and little technical doohickies for people to play with while they read.

You have been my beta audience, and you've been great! I love the feedback I've received, and if you haven't sent me any feedback, please do so! I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading 'The Fire Song'.... this has been a fun experiment in writing, reading, and publishing. I'm grateful that you took part and helped me out!

This Really Bothers Me.

2011-01-24T18:21:00.002Z

I hate cartoons where some of the animals are anthropomorphized, and some are not.

Example: Goofy and Pluto. Why does Goofy wear clothes and talk and drive a car, while Pluto wears a collar and walks on four legs and is chained to a life of servitude to Mickey? What other self-respecting dog would let a mouse boss him around?

Especially a mouse with such poor fashion sense. Let's extrapolate, shall we? If you took Mickey and made him real, he'd be a big, beer-bellied guy walking around without a shirt on, rocking a pair of sassy brass buttons.

But that's a whole other blog post, right there.

What I'm up to.

2011-01-21T18:41:00.004Z

Stephan King once wrote that, when writing a story, he keeps one person in mind -- a friend, his wife, whomever he wishes. This solitary person becomes his audience.

I've tried this trick and it makes it easier, somehow, to write a manuscript. I write to entertain only one person. As long as I know they'll understand what I'm trying to say (and hopefully laugh at my jokes), I've succeeded.

This morning, I think I've figured out for whom I'm writing The Fire Song. They don't know who they are, but that's okay. I don't know if I'll ever tell them. However, knowing that they're reading it is keeping my standards high. So far, they're enjoying the book -- I cross my fingers, double-check my writing, and hope my dreadful spelling doesn't disappoint them.

My plan for The Fire Song is this: I'm posting the whole thing online, one chapter at a time. I'm throwing in links to things that inspire me, things I've referenced in the book, and music that's acting as my soundtrack while writing it. I want feedback; email me if you have questions, if there's things you like or don't like, and point out anything that doesn't make sense to you. And when I've finally finished The Fire Song, I'll pull it from the web, do one more quick edit to ensure I'm happy with all the words I've chosen, and then I'll publish it into both an ebook and a paper-and-ink book.

That's the plan, anyways. I have faith that it'll all come together in the end.

The Fire Song

Four-Year-Old World

2011-01-15T02:17:00.004Z

Give a four-year old a camera, this is what you get.

The back of a restaurant.....

Botany....

Surf boards.....

Elephant poo....

And, of course, a hundred self-portraits....

And every self-portrait was a smiley one. :)

For a Girl Who's Bad at Math.....

2011-01-10T00:46:00.003Z

How much do I love looking at statistics? Waaaaaay too much.

Maybe not so far. Maybe as close as my heart.

2011-01-07T05:36:00.003Z

When Dad died, a friend of mine knocked on my door. Her father had died the same way, many years before: his death had also been unforeseen, instant, and shocking, there-one-day-and-gone-the-next. My friend took me by the hand and said to me, in a gentle and loving voice,

"It will never get better. You will never get over this."

Contrary to what you might think, it was the best advice anyone gave to me. I have never looked longingly forward to the day when I'm "over this", because that day will never come. I'm still sad. It just hurts less, but it's still there.

But each death is special in its own way. Today's death was not wholly unforeseen, but it was also not wholly expected. I am sad, but not stricken. I feel grief, but I feel grateful, too, that you were a part of my life.

The last time I saw you, face-to-face, was Dad's funeral. We embraced and you gave me words of comfort and then you were gone, back home, far away.

Today, you are gone, who knows where.

Black & White

2011-01-06T17:49:00.002Z

Two cats live next door. One is white, and the other is black, so they have come to be known with great affection as "White Cat" and "Black Cat". I don't know what their real names are. Doubtlessly their owner has give them titles that are more creative than ours -- this, coming from a girl who once named her goldfish 'Paralus' and Salaminia', after two ships in the Athenian combat fleet. (history geek!)

But there is a charming simplicity to the names "White Cat" and "Black Cat" that mirrors the charming simplicity of the actual animals. Both cats have a stunned look about them; they stare wide-eyed at you when you come to the window, cocking their heads to the side in a manner that can only be described as 'ditzy'.

I say the cats live next door, but really, they spend almost all of their time outside. Even when the temperature dips way below freezing and drifts of snow pile up around the car, Black Cat and White Cat can be seen in the yard, huddling in Little Z's playhouse. We want to bring them inside where they will be warm and safe, but two things conspire against this: (1) both cats run away from people, and (2) Loki barks madly at them whenever he sees them.

However, White Cat is starting to lose his fear of us. If we are quiet, and move slowly (and if Loki is inside), White Cat will come close enough to let us pat his head. I nurture the hope that White Cat will adopt us. Is it wrong, for me to hope that the neighbors move away and leave their cats with us?

Are you in Victoria?

2011-01-05T18:31:00.004Z

Are you looking for a copy of 'The Tattooed Wolf' to call your own? Or would you like a copy of Shawn's CD, 'Are You Waiting'?

Finally, and most importantly, are you interested in helping out a family who is, currently, in great need of emotional and financial support?

If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, then read on....

Baby Molly is fighting Leukemia with all the strength in her one-month-old body. I can not tell her story as well as those who love her & cherish her, so I encourage you to read her story at her website, 'Baby Molly'. However, I can tell you this: a whole army of artists, musicians, writers and entrepreneurs have come together to provide items for a 10-day silent auction, with the proceeds going to Molly's family.

So my request to you is very simple. Please visit the silent auction, make a bid, and help a family.

Where: Koffi House
1441 Haultain Street, Victoria, BC

When: Wednesday, January 5th to Sunday, January 16th.

All funds will be donated directly to the Molly Campbell Trust at Canadian Western Bank. For more information about this event, visit www.molly-campbell.com .

*This song, "All the Good", is on 'Are You Waiting'. Shawn wrote it about, and dedicated it to, a friend of ours who had been diagnosed with cancer. It seemed very, very fitting to post it here...

Garden Gnomes & Manuscripts

2011-01-05T02:10:00.004Z

I don't know what's going on with me -- I can't sleep, I'm so filled with inspiration. I just want to MAKE stuff. This poses a great dilemma, as I have a wee little house. I can't make too many things, unless they're virtual (like a manuscript) or designed to handle inclement weather (like garden gnomes).

(a) "A Truth & A Lie" has garnered quite a bit of interest, and it's only been a few days. I'm thinking I might take this farther than just a blog... compiling the pictures and words into a traveling exhibit and, then gathering it all together into a book. I've only posted a few, but do go check it out at http://1truth1lie.blogspot.com, and if you're interested, please get involved... the more, the merrier! :D

(b) I've written the bare bones for another video project, along the same lines as 'The Professionals'. I'm eager to get filming again. The snow is falling outside, but we certainly haven't let that stop us before. Case in point: our little video "Upsot", which we filmed BECAUSE it was snowing.

(c) I've been editing "The Fire Song" today, and I'm filled with that hands-clasping, eyes-squinting squeeee-inducing sort of joy one feels when one is tickled pink by what one has created. I want to put up the chapters faster and be done with it by February because I have grand, exciting plans for the finished manuscript. Therefore, you can expect another chapter to be posted later tonight at http://kbannerman.blogspot.com/.

(d) I may need a goat for my next art project. Where does one rent a goat?

Lie to me...

2011-01-04T02:42:00.002Z

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." ~ Anais Nin.

I've started a new little project for 2011. Wanna participate?

I was thinking about mythology, and how people perceive themselves, and how we fashion a persona for ourselves that isn't always rooted in truth... and yet, the truth about our lives can be so much more interesting than the fictions we've devised.

Shawn mentioned that, as a kid, he used to play a game where the participants would share one truth and one lie about themselves, and the other players were challenged to see if they could determine which was the fact and which was pure malarky.

So I've started a little blog, called 'a truth & a lie', and I invite you to send along one truth about yourself and one lie, along with a small self-portrait of yourself -- photograph, drawing, collage, whatever medium you wish, attached to the email as a jpeg. How do you portray yourself? What story would you chose to share with the universe? And how big of a lie about yourself can you create?

Send it along to 1truth1lie(at)kbannerman(dot)com and I'll post it on the blog, anonymously if you wish. Who knows where it will lead from there?

Four Things

2010-12-24T18:45:00.002Z

NUMBER ONE: I've just posted another chapter at The Fire Song... hope you enjoy it!

NUMBER TWO: I married the Pancake Master. When I eat his pancakes, I hear flights of angels sing. This post is written quickly and in point style because he's making pancakes right now, and when they're finished, I don't want to wait a single minute to eat them.

NUMBER THREE: The neighbors put a giant inflatable snowman on their upper deck. We have a wicked wind storm here today, and the tempest keeps catching the snowman and blowing his limbs and head around -- madly! It looks like he's either been possessed by demons or he's suffering a violent case of vertigo. I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting for him to finally tumble off the deck.

Pancakes are ready! So let me get to my last comment...

NUMBER FOUR: May your holiday be full of family, love, and lots of good food!

The Fire Song

2010-12-22T04:36:00.004Z

Tis the season for giving, right?

Well, I found the bones of an old story, and decided to give it away, one chapter at a time. I was impressed by the novel that Get Off My Lawn had on his blog, and I felt a blog might be the right sort of arena to let my own tale loose in the universe. So...... (drum roll, please)..... you'll find it here:

The Fire Song

I don't have a schedule set out yet for the chapters -- I originally thought I'd post a new one each day. Great, in theory, but in reality, that seems ambitious. So at this point, I'm shooting for every three days.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've been enjoying writing it.

On Stage

2010-12-18T07:20:00.003Z

Can I just say, I love watching my husband play music onstage? He makes me swoon and smile and yes, even giggle. That's probably a good sign, after fourteen years. :D

He was performing for the Food Shelter Music event, which brought together twelve local musicians to raise donations for the food bank and an emergency shelter. And man, did he play! He ROCKED OUT. I took the photograph of him as a woman leaned over to me.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"Shawn Pigott." I replied.

"He's excellent," she said, "His was the only name on the poster that I didn't know -- I wanted to hear him." She nodded at my camera. "You must like him."

I felt like saying, "Yes, I'm his stalker. But don't tell anyone. The restraining order, you know."

:D

Good-bye, last of the Ikea shelves.

2010-12-16T03:31:00.003Z

There it goes, out the door. Cheap chipboard covered in white plastic, with wee little shelves held not-so-firmly in place with plastic clips. When we were first setting up our house in our early twenties, we bought five of them. We unpacked the flat boxes and, together, constructed the shelving units with allen keys, determination, and lots of foul cursing.

We sold two, and we gave two away. Now, a decade later, there goes the last of them. It's the end of an era.

Happy 2011! May our future together contain only solid wood furniture!

Back in the Saddle

2010-12-15T04:53:00.003Z

I miss blogging. I miss using my outside voice. I think I ought to come back.

So... Hi!

So, what have I been up to, during my time away from the blog.... well, I wrote a script and Shawn & I filmed it with the help of our friends & family. I thought you might like to see it, if you haven't already.

(And I got to do a little voice acting, too!)

Blog Holiday... or, Blogiday.

2010-09-22T01:26:00.002+01:00

~The Edge of the Sea, by Gustave Courbet