From Wikipdeia: Ephemera is transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters, pamphlets, postcards, posters, prospectuses, stock certificates, tickets and zines.

If I try to think of specific things not meant to last more than a day the mind draws a blank. It's so far from my own experience and view of the world. But I think of insects, even though they are not printed matter, some only live a day or a week.

What others things only last a day (or really short time) and why is that idea kind of romanticized?

The Ephemera Society, UK.

Flickr: Printed Ephemera

Ning: The Ephemera Network

I wish I had time post keep posting here as well as the other blogs I keep going. Most nights I am online until 3:00 AM just trying to keep up. It doesn't work all that well. I'm tired almost all the time. I'm not writing as well as I could. Overall I just feel I'm not accomplishing anything that matters so I keep trying to do more, taking on too many things. It's kind of crazy.

Anyway, I have created a main page on my ThatGrrl.ca domain. Twitter me @thatgrrl if you want something more interactive.

Inspired by a post on Confident Writing: Write 4 postcards to be sent to the 4 corners of the word. Pick countries, look them up in an atlas and choose a town to write to. What do you already know about that area? Do you know enough to write about a character being there?

Write to 4 imaginary people in each of those 4 towns. What do you say about yourself and what do you ask about themselves. Make each postcard different.

My nephew, Zack, says Hi. He was looking over my shoulder a few minutes ago. Likes to see his name come up on my blog and has been known to count how many times he gets mentioned.

Zack is all of 13 now. Zack is getting a few zits, I bug him to wash his face more. Today Zack helped me cook dinner. Zack played a hockey computer game with Simon, who lives in the apartment downstairs. Zack helped us unload his Grandmother's concrete bricks from the trunk of her Honda Accord which my brother Graham says is her pick-up truck because she treats it like one.

Zack is having vegetable soup now. His half-way to midnight snack. Zack has been going through a hungry stage this weekend. I've checked for gnawing on the furniture but so far we have had enough food to keep him away from the wood. We are going out for breakfast with Zack tomorrow and will pick up more groceries then too.

If you are thinking Zack is like a mutant hampster to be gnawing on wood... you are wrong. He is far too big to ever be confused with a hampster or guinea pig or other such pet rodent. Right now Zack is probably trying to get Maple Story to load again. It has been freezing and stalling the whole weekend but he keeps trying. I think Zack has more patience than I do, at least when it comes to a computer game.

Good night Zack. It's 10:30 now, shouldn't you be getting your shower and going to bed?

How do you react when someone compliments you? Do you make a joke out of it? Do you blush and stammer and feel awkward? Do you thank them? Or do you just feel they are telling you what you want to hear to get something out of you? It’s getting harder to give a sincere compliment. Not because there are not good things to compliment people about. But, I feel people will not believe I am sincere or they will be embarrassed. It’s a shame.

Have you heard of Operation Beautiful? It’s random acts of kindness based where you leave a note for any stranger just saying something positive. Especially geared to making women feel good about themselves. You can join the Facebook group, or better yet write out some notes and leave them to be found around wherever you will be today.