#chaseduffy

You probably think my blog has been turned into an ode to Alice in Wonderland since I’ve used the quote “curiouser and curiouser” two weeks in a row. Well, it IS one of my favourite books EVER—but today is actually Curiosity Day.

And really, is there anyone more famously curious than Alice?

In Alice in Wonderland, Alice’s curiosity leads her to a great adventure—which is pretty much the reason we should ALL be curious.    Curious people not only have more active minds (according to my teacher, Mrs. Kratky) but they have more fun learning, they’re never bored, and they have awesome imaginations. Which is good for me, since I love to write. Speaking of writing, that’s how I plan to spend my Thanksgiving weekend. Aside from eating all of the fantastic food and spending time with relatives, of course. (Pumpkin pie!) I have a new story I’m working on. How about you? What are you doing this weekend? How are you celebrating Thanksgiving? Answer in the comments—I’m really CURIOUS to know. Gotta jet! Have a Happy Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble. 

You know what book (or movie) that quote is from, right? 

Come on… Curiouser, and curiouser? Drink Me? I’m late! I’m late! 

Yep, you guessed it. Those are all quotes from one of my favourite books, Alice in Wonderland. There’s a reason that story has stood the test of time—Lewis Carroll’s classic celebrates its 150th anniversary this year!—it’s just SO imaginative. 

I mean, there are talking animals (rabbits and caterpillars!), a Queen that chops off people’s heads and PAINTS her roses red, and a crazy tea party with the coolest character of them all—the Mad Hatter. Did you know that Oct. 6 is actually Mad Hatter Day? Cool, right?

Not surprising, Alice in Wonderland is also one of the most re-told stories in all of children’s literature. Don’t believe me? Check out this cool list!  Looks like I have some (more) reading to do!   

If I were to write an Alice in Wonderland re-telling, it would focus on the Mad Hatter, of course. What about you? Who is your favourite character?

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend.   

Sometimes it’s hard to think of my grandparents as “elderly”—they’re both so active, not just on the farm with daily chores, but also in the community. Plus, they look super young!

So, imagine my shock when my parents and I were talking the other day, and Dad referred to Grandma and Grandpa as senior citizens. Gasp! Obviously they are…I mean, they’re my GRANDPARENTS. I just never think of them that way.

But today is Senior Citizen’s Day, a day when we’re supposed to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions the “elderly” have made to society—and give something back to them. For starters, I’m going to use my allowance to buy Grandma her favourite royal blue roses. And I’m sure Grandpa could use some extra help on the farm this weekend.

Who are the senior citizens in your life? How will you celebrate them today? Here are three easy ways to acknowledge the elderly:

1.   Talk with them.  Whether it’s a neighbor, someone you meet who is walking their dog, or a relative you visit regularly—the vast majority of seniors love to chat.

2.   Play Games. My grandma LOVES Trivial Pursuit. I’m not very good at it, but I’m going to suggest playing this weekend.

3.   Take on chores. This is a no-brainer for me (I’m always helping out on my grandparent’s canola farm) but maybe there are some things you can do to help out too.

Gotta jet!

August 18 is NATIONAL BAD POETRY DAY and for some reason, it got me thinking about art in general—if art is subjective (ie: based on personal opinion), what makes it “bad”?

I love reading, and my tastes are about as eclectic as it gets—everything from comics to horror novels, and everything in-between. But I don’t read romance, for instance. That doesn’t mean it’s BAD. It’s just not a genre I’m interested in.

So, back to thinking about Bad Poetry Day. I don’t understand all poetry, and I’m not very good at writing anything more than a haiku, but unless it’s riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, I wouldn’t label ANY poem (or art of any kind) BAD.

Instead of Bad Poetry Day, we should call it, NOT RIGHT FOR ME POETRY DAY—don’t you think?

Gotta jet!

— Chase Superman Duffy

No, really…it is!

I looked it up, and according to research, reading is a more effective stress reliever than listening to music or even going for a walk.

Not that I’m stressed—it’s summer! But this Sunday is National Book Lover’s Day, and Monday is International Lazy Day, so I’m combining them this weekend for a full day of catching up on the books I talked about last week on the blog.  

I don’t know about you, but after a full day of reading, I sleep better too. Plus, it keeps my mind sharp, which is important because school starts in less than a month.

The good thing is, I read fast, so I’m not worried about meeting my goal. My mom showed me a blog about a lady who read A BOOK A DAY for a whole year and wrote about them. I’m not THAT fast, but I’m determined to get through the five books on my summer reading list. I’ll probably finish at least one on Sunday!

I can’t think of a better way to spend National Book Lover’s Day, can you? What are you reading this weekend?

Gotta jet!

This is one of my favourite weekends of the summer because traditionally, as many of  the family as possible gathers for a lunch to celebrate Cousins’ Day (today!) and Aunts / Uncles Day (Sunday). Sometimes we cram as many as 50 relatives at my grandparents' farm! And this year, it’s even more important than ever to celebrate family. It’s been super hot this summer (so hot, I’ve been doing my running practice EARLY in the morning or later in the evening) with very little rain—which means crops, like my Grandpa’s canola field—are struggling. Maybe you’ve noticed the fields aren’t as bright nor as full as previous years? I know farmers have good years and bad years—like the one time we had so much rain Grandpa’s field actually flooded (not to mention our basement!) But I also know my grandparents are worried about their crop, as well as those of their fellow farmers. This weekend, they could use a little family support. So, Mom and I have decided to take some of the pressure off Grandma this year by doing a lot of the cooking for the family BBQ ourselves. I’m in charge of the salad. I plan to use up some of those fresh strawberries from the market, along with spinach, kale and other yummy vegetables. Here’s my recipe for the dressing: Strawberry Salad Dressing