Well, this is going on my list. I have never actually read the oft-discussed Pamela Dean book, somehow, but Janet McNaughton's An Earthly Knight (which uses Tam Lin AND Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight as source material) was fucking formative in establishing my love of retold ballads and folk and fairytales. It is possibly out of print/was maybe Canada-only, but it's wonderful.
This thread is dead and buried, whatever, but thank you so much for reminding me about the Sandwriter books and Monica Hughes. I'd all but forgotten and those books were wonderful. The Seven Magpies, another one of hers, is the reason my superstitious self still greets magpies on the street (to ward off bad luck, natch.)
I live in Edmonton (the "but it's a DRY cold!" capital of the world) and can confirm that Norwegian formula is the best thing for winter hands. I usually really hate hand cream, but the quick-absorbing one is the only thing I can tolerate on the regular.
Oh, that is a really lovely idea! We've floated it a few times (fiance is a photographer) but it's never come to pass.
My dad is the kind of dad who drinks hard liquor pretty well only when my parents have guests, and he's super cut his beer consumption now that he's diabetic. This would have been a great gift once!
(This is, however, a great gift for my fiance!)
My dad is a hockey fan! Unfortunately, our home team is the Oilers, so, um...his merch won't need replacing for a while. (Also, I have never seen my dad wear a t-shirt except to work out!)
We got my dad a FitBit last year and he looooves it! His favourite thing is to tell us how far he's walked or how many flights of stairs he's climbed that day, ha. Also, I don't think the syncing was too hard to figure out? My brother set it up for him.
What are you getting your dad for Christmas? Specifically, what do you buy the dad who is in the habit of just getting himself whatever he needs?
Edmonton toasties exist? (I'm not around much so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but HI.)
Oh man, I looooooved the Royal Diaries and Dear Canada books as a kid, and I maintain that they were what got me interested in history and especially women's history. And it also didn't hurt that so many of them were written by my favourite authors.
I just looked on my library's website and a bunch of them are available on Overdrive (including Christmas stories!) so I guess I have plans for winter break.
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