Webmistress

Vianne, auburn hair, hazel eyes, 5'7", creative, shy, quiet, self critical, great sense of humour, aspiring Homeopath, pacifist, New Democrat, pro-choice, pro gun control, proud Canadian, Jane Austen fanatic, Shakespeare freak, general literature addict, classical music enthusiast, Dylan devotee, opera slave, art groupie, singer, guitarist, perpetual student, autodidact, designer, graphic artist, font whore, Monty Python fan, proud TFL Stage Shows staffer (*weep*), CFS, nature buff, health nut, hiker, Yogi, rower, landscaper, dog owner, animal lover, child sponsor, Amnesty member, INFP, worth: $ 2,829,926.00 (I wish!).

She takes just like a woman, yes, she does She makes love just like a woman, yes, she does And she aches just like a woman But she breaks just like a little girl.

A Few Unrelated Random Factoids:

» Elephants are my favourite animal and I collect them (or, rather, depictions thereof). Covet them, really. I've got just about every imaginable type of elephant depiction (except kitsch, thanks), from mud paintings to carved jade, Kisii stone, various woods... Standing elephants, walking elephants, trunks up (yay!), trunks down (oy!), even wearable elephants (silver ring, sarong, &c.) and practical elephants (wallet, knapsack, piggy - er - elephanty bank, &c.). Some earn their keep by holding my incense sticks/cones/chunks, candles or plants, others (like my elephant blanket) keep me warm. Oscar, my Reiner's Original elephant, serves as Yoga prop, ottoman, backrest and general friend in need. I am happy to say that almost the entire collection hails from Ten Thousand Villages. Raah for fair trade!

» I hold a minor, unofficial record on the North Bruce Trail, having hiked the distance from Land's End to the Grotto and back in 8½ hours. The locals claim to know of no one who has ever done that stretch (roughly 38km over frequently rocky and steep terrain) in a single day, let alone in that time. Got me some rockets for legs, methinks. It shocked a few tough, rugged camper types, I'll tell you! Not only was I camping completely alone (a woman?!?!?!?), but then to go and do that! Sheesh, the idea! Hehe.

» As stated in my short profile above, I am obsessed with Bob Dylan and Jane Austen.
I grew up listening to Dylan, and started saving my allowance at age five, to buy used Dylan LPs (remember vinyl?). I own them all, plus CDs, DVDs, his texts, biographies, you name it. Mom tells me I actually began to sing along to Dylan songs at age three. I honestly can't remember that, but I know that the very first songs I picked out on the guitar were, predictably, "Blowin' In The Wind" and "North Country Blues". Dylan is an icon, my guiding light.

The Austen addiction commenced some years later, with the reading of "Emma" at age 13. Although my favourite Austen novel is doubtlessly "Persuasion", I adore all six major novels, including the often neglected "Northanger Abbey". It is a wonderful parody of the Gothic novel. I also enjoy Austen's Juvenilia, as well as her letters. In fact, there isn't a published word of Austen that I have not read ... multiply. Then there's the secondary literature, biographies, &c. Of the latter, I think Tomalin is probably the most accurate, Halperin, IMNSHO, is gobble-de-gook, and I very much enjoyed Shields. Did I mention I'm Austen obsessed? I even have an Austen screen cap site (which I must finally move to this domain one of these days). Then there's the "Austen Oeuf", but we won't go there...

» Although I rarely sing these days, I am a reasonably accomplished vocalist and hold an Hons. Mus. degree in voice performance. My goal at the time was opera, but with age, infirmity (gout and decrepitude? ) and hopefully a little wisdom, I have come to prefer chamber music, Schubert Lieder in particular. Not that my fondness for opera has waned.

» Being the daughter of a journalist and an artist, I have fallen into both roles almost by osmosis (although I studied both Literature and Fine Arts at one point). I write a great deal (of nonsense ), occasionally even for little publications, and I earn most of my meagre income from artistic pursuits, including teaching of painting and sculpture techniques, graphics, logos and brochure design, &c.

» I've dug and built several ponds, the largest of which is roughly 15' x 22' x 4½' and has naturalized completely. This past spring's maintenance revealed lily rhizomes the size of tree trunks. Frogs, toads, skimmers, dragon flies and various water insects have moved in from the great beyond, and have made themselves quite at home. In early summer, the yard is literally hopping with baby frogs.

» I'm an avid hobby photographer, and worked in a professional lab while I was a student. I quit, because there are only so many weddings you can photograph before you crack.

» I've lost count, but I own approximately 6000 books. Much of it is standard literary fare (the "Greats"), with a slight emphasis on late 18^th and early 19^th century BritLit (see under "Austen"), but I also have notable collections of music scores and art books (obviously), atlases, nature and landscape volumes, health and nutrition texts and, yes, cookbooks.

» As witnessed by my large number of cookbooks (see above), I enjoy cooking, and I'm told I'm a kick-ass cook. My own particular "cuisine" (ahem) falls into the fusion category. I also love to make sushi. No KD for me, thanks.

» I drink a lot of tea. Green tea, black tea, white tea, red tea, herbal tea. Chinese, Japanese, Indian, African (rooibos - raah!). Anything, so long as it's tea. No milk, no sugar. Just the tea, please.

» I have an absolute devotion to incense, Indian Amber being my favourite, closely followed by myrrh and frankincense.

» When I was 7, my mom decided that Yoga would be good for her children. Darn it all, she was right! I've been practicing Hatha Yoga ever since.

» I'm extremely lactose-intolerant, sensitive to wheat and allergic to mushrooms, and I absolutely refuse to eat red meat or pork. Sorry. I'll have the fish, please.

» I have 3 grey hairs. Watch this number. It will inevitably and unfortunately increase over time.

» Although I don't have a "favourite" colour, I'm muchly into earth tones, and for some reason possess no less than six olive green sweaters. Don't ask.

» I dote on Asterix. It is the only comic I ever really got into, but I own the entire collection of Goscinny/Uderzo volumes. Of Uderzo's solo efforts I possess two, but the story lines are simply not what they were while Goscinny penned them.

» If there were such a thing as fontaholics anonymous, I'd have to join. I'm addicted. Not only have I made a few fonts, but I've got legions installed on my two systems. Exact numbers elude me, but judging by the length of the boot processes and the alarming churning sounds, reminiscent of a grandfather clock in the throes of labour, which emanate from within these computers, it may be time to curb the addiction. Right after I install that great grunge font I've just downloaded...

» I love IPB-style smilies. Really. I create them, I hoard them, I collect them, I over-use them. I know, I know; I'm, pathetic. So sue me.