Lineanongrata

Greece - The morning after

For those of you who are not European and maybe don't follow the political and financial drama that unfolds around us as closely as we do: Greece, broke if it were not for money coming from the European Union, voted last weekend. Understandably people are unhappy with their economic situation and the heavy budget cuts imposed by the rest of Europe. Both the extreme left- and the extreme right-wing parties profited from the situation, the ultra-right 'Golden Dawn' party gaining 6,97 % of votes.

If it weren't so sad I'd find the name pretty for a political party.

The way things stand I'm curious to see where things are headed, both for Greece and the rest of Europe.

Jorinde and Joringel

Do you know the fairytale 'Jorinde and Joringel'? Or I guess in English it would be 'Jorinda and Jorindel'. If you don't, you can find it over at the Gutenberg Project.

When we were little our adopted Grandmother would read it to us sometimes in the evenings, just before we went to bed. I still remember the illustrations in her edition and I also still remember how it felt to sit with her in her small apartment (right above the place where we lived), feel the warm sun of early summer evenings slowly fade into dusk and let the excitements of another day wane.

I rather wish it were summer already, don't you?

 

the magic hat

'The magic hat' is a fairytale I found recently, neither author nor country of origin was indicated. This is a very short version:

The hunter Kejan finds a beautiful fox in one of his traps one day. The fox pleads with him, saying that if Kejan would only let him live, he, the fox, would give him a present that will always protect the hunter.

After some thought, Kejan the hunter lets the fox go. Just before he disappears, he gives Kejan a tiny hat.

'This is supposed to be this great gift that shall protect me forever more? The fox has tricked me!' thinks Kejan. He puts the hat on his head to prove that it is really good for nothing. But low and behold! The hat grows until it is just the right size for his head!

'Well, well', thinks Kejan and puts it back in his pocket, absentmindedly. 'It surely is a magic hat after all.'

On his hunt Kejan suddenly finds himself in a bad storm and thinks he must freeze to death, so icy are the gusts of wind. But when he puts on the magic hat for a bit of warmth it suddenly grows larger and larger, until it is like a tent around the hunter, protecting him from the storm and keeping him warm.

Another time Kejan goes on a seal hunt with his brother. All of a sudden Kejan's canoe is dragged underwater and beneath the drifting ice. His brother does his best to pull him out but the ice is heavy and large and it takes him minutes to pull his brother from underneath it. He thinks that his brother must be dead. But no, Kejan has put the hat on just in time and, like a bubble, it has caught enough air beneath it so that Kejan could breathe and is still alive.

I tell you, the two brothers were really grateful for that magic hat!

 

 

 

...because every dog is different

 

This is an idea for a dog food and dog supplies company. My sister has already told me I'm not funny. - But then we never were of one opinion.

Shoo

Gorilla Marketing

I missed saying Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. And I'm very sorry about that. It all went under in a flood of family (who knew there were so many of them?!) and friends.

For Christmas it's rather late but I can still wish all of you a very happy and successfull new year!

For me it will be a year of marketing and self-promotion. Many new things to learn and do, keep your fingers crossed for me, will you?

 

Herb (the advent calendar giveaway, day 20)

(Herb's dandruff problem was seriously getting in the way of his social relationships)

About a month ago I've started one of Agency Acess's Campaign Manager programms. It's been very instructive and interesting so far and I'm very happy I took that step.

Along many other things they asked me to consider a more commercial use for my illustrations. How would I illustrate an add campaign for a product, for example?

Interesting question. I think they might have overestimated my propensity for seriousness. But really - I would absolutely buy an anti-dandruff shampoo with that add!

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Kristy, you won yesterday's gift! Yay! Would you please send me a message with your address?

For everyone who's new to the Lineanongrata blog: We have an ongoing celebration of Advent until the 24th of December. Every day one of you readers wins a small gift. If you'd like to participate, just leave a comment on each post until the 24th of December and you'll automatically enter the draw.

Free gift tags (Advent calendar giveaway, day 12)

If you would like a printable version of these gift tags, click on this link:

Download ChristmasTags_lineanongrata

Happy tagging everyone. And a very good start into this new week.

 

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Ikkinlala won Advent gift number 9, Martina won number 10 and Jenn won number 11. Will you all write me an email and tell me your addresses, please?

For all of you who are new to the Advent Calendar giveaway: If you'd like to participate, just leave a comment on each daily post until the 24th of December and you'll automatically enter the draw.

Who are you? (Third day of the advent giveaway)

This photo was taken at ten am today and I had already been up for hours. On a Saturday (and I am tempted to spell this in capitals only, just to convey the weight it deserves)! It's Christmas market time and sleep, oh sleep... I've heard of that. Highly overrated I'm told.

Without a solid eight hours sleep I'm not really good. - Understatement of the century.

Last night I worked until about 3 am. Today I had to get up at 7 am. My future family is lucky they're not yet living with me or are not yet born - remind them not to let me do the markets when the time comes.

The alarm shrilled, I sat upright in bed, my brain was struggling to wake up... and I honestly asked myself 'Ok. Who are you? - right: Julia. What do you do in life? Do you have a job you need to go to?'

I find the answer to be a bit complex. I'm Julia, that's for sure. Yes, I have a job. No, I don't usually have to go anywhere to do my job. But yes, today I had to get up to go to do my job.

How on earth is anyone supposed to cope with all that at 7 am?!

 

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Jane T. you won yesterday's advent gift! Will you write me an email to let me know your address, please?

To all of you who are new here and would like to participate in the Advent giveaway: Leave a comment daily and you'll automatically enter the draw.

A happy and peaceful Second Advent Sunday to all of you.

The advent calendar giveaway 2012

('Dad, I'm too old to believe in Rudolph anymore!')

And there we are again: It's the first of December and thus the beginning of the Advent calendar giveaway 2012. I am amazed at how fast time goes once you've entered your thirties. Wasn't it so much longer and slower when we were little?

Today, while walking through the streets of Berlin in a grey drizzle, but marveling at all the decorations (more or less tasteful) and lights in every window, on the balconies, in the shops... even in the pharmacy, I thought that only the very young and the very old enjoy the Advent time as it should be enjoyed: With a lot of time and leisure at their hands.

I remember that when I was a small child I had hours (or so it felt) to look at and read books about Christmas. I dreamed of gifts I would receive and give, we would bake cookies, sing Christmas songs on Sundays... and every morning we would open another little door in our advent calendars, finding a piece of very bad but oh-so-sweet chocolate behind it.

I only opened one little door each day but I know that my brother had opening them up, eating all the chocolate and closing them again so that nobody would see down to an art. ...It's a matter of style. And of patience, I guess.

 

('The maternity clothing is beautiful this season. Don't you think?')

 

Now that we're all grown up it seems there's never enough time in a day, especially before Christmas, so many things to be done, to be organized, to be talked about... so many places to go, people to remember...

And one thing I do remember, every year, is the advent calendar giveaway here on the Lineanongrata blog.

Over the next 24 days (we Germans celebrate Christmas on Holy Night, on the 24th of December) there will be 24 posts here. Something unprecedented in about two years, I know. I'll be talking about my 'change it' list for 2012 later this month.

Every day for 24 days I'll be giving away a gift to one of you. All you have to do is leave a comment every day and you'll automatically enter the giveaway. Every day I'll draw one name, ask one of you for your address and send something your way. Via 'Real snail mail'. Because Advent is about looking forward to something, even though most of us don't have a lot of time to be calm and contemplative during the coming days and weeks.

(...The illustrations are the last two of the calendar that you haven't already seen. Or at least the December drawing you hadn't seen before. I changed the chicks since last I showed them to you so I thought you might want to see the final version.)