Lo and behold, my birthday is in just over two weeks. So here’s my – what is it – fourth annual Hchom birthday list? Who can keep track, they all look more or less the same.
1. I’ll be away from home again this year, dogsitting my aunt and uncle’s two enormous golden retrievers. With borrowed dogs come borrowed cars (ancient proverb), so maybe clear weather isn’t so necessary. But on the other hand it’s traditional, so I’d better ask for it anyway.
2. Coffee and muffins of at least reasonable quality are crucial to the success of any birthday. This year my birthday is on Father’s day, so the cafes will likely be swamped, but I have no compunctions about battling the patriarchy to secure my share of pastries.
3. When was the last time I made a want list without a shiny? I’m not sure if it’s ever happened, or ever will.
4. So there’s this newish pie place of excellent repute within walking distance of my apartment, and I haven’t tried it yet. That’s what I would do, if I could – I’d order an entire pie; maybe, like, a raspberry rhubarb? But since I can’t, and good pies are hard to find, I’d accept a nice, fluffy cake. I’d accept it pretty graciously, and with a surprising minimum of petulance.
5. Every list must have at least one really boring thing. It’s like the flaw that proves its perfection, or something. So, I need some white t-shirts. T-shirts! The simplest thing! Why are they so troublesome?
6. I’ve been wanting some shiny shoes for a while now – I’ve been watching silver oxfords come and go, without seeing any that I could afford (or that had the right sort of shape), and now I also reckon I could use some sparkly converse. At some point I’ll grow desperate enough to try making them for myself.
7. My current gaming laptop is getting a little long in the tooth, and if I had some kind of unexpected windfall – like, if previously unknown aunt Martha died and left me her moderate savings – I’d get myself a really fancy new computer.
8. Ok, this one doesn’t count, because I actually found myself a dude’s black jean jacket on sale earlier today, and decided to order it. Also, it’s sort of a letdown after a gaming laptop. Oh well, it fills the space.
9. My sister is getting married this July, and in an ideal world I’d be wearing a full, tailored suit. Someday it will happen, though, and I will look SO HANDSOME (in my head).
10. We need at least one deeply unreasonable thing, so I’d like to have a magical Howl’s Moving Castle style doorway in my apartment. At first I put it at the back of my closet, but then I was really annoyed about how all my sweaters and jackets would get scuffed with constant elbowing, so now it’s beside my bed. I’m imagining a little sort of postcard slot, into which you insert an image of your destination. Here we have some forest ruins, a crystal temple, and a fantasy village with fantasy bakeries.
marianchurchland.com 
You, ma’am, are one gifted painter. So beautiful!
Have yourself an awesome birthday, Marian! “Beast” remains my most favourite graphic novel and for years I continue to read it once a month for inspiration. Its lyrical storytelling and artwork continue to move me in such a way that only a magical medium enriched with a living soul of its own can do.