January 7, 2012
Malarky! Most Anticipated!
Thank you to Canadian Bookshelf who have selected my novel Malarky (due out in March) as one of the most anticipated titles of the season.
January 6, 2012
Up the Islensku cardigan
Magnificent Icelandic cardigan patterns here.
You might need to spake Icelandic knitting terms to fathom them.
January 6, 2012
Enter the boot
The most incredible set of boots have entered my life.
They arrived today in a box from England and were purchased by a dear friend here as a surprise.
They are the Mick Jagger/Marc Bolan of short women’s boots. Seriously rock star boots.
I may have to build a shrine for them to live in when they are not on my feet.
This is the only time in my life that a pair of boots have rung my doorbell.
January 4, 2012
Grey & greyer
The rain how she has tumbled latter days.
Yesterday we went for an urban rain wander and long boarding mission.
The light was incredible in its own way. Like a set of steamed up fog lamps. I loved the mixture of grey and greyer by the water. I was startled there was no wind whatsoever. Usually it’s the bass to the rain’s treble.
People out in the rain intentionally also seem to be possessed of more humour and repartee.
*
If you’re rightly sleeping I can report a barrage of sirens over the past quarter of an hour and surprsingly no current rainfall. This should be noted in the provincial records as a fifteen minute pause in the drip. I am certain it will recommence any second. The trees are glistening still from the days of deluge.
January 1, 2012
Happy New Year to all.
I am in a snowy spot where it is -3 and am anthropologically taking in and processing ski-culture. This non-skier has her head down working, but my eyes are bright at the sight of these lovely trees with their snowy sleeves all the way down their bodies.
I am not au fait with the traffic rules between pedestrians and skiers on the hill (or the brief path they share). The snowboards growl out a warning as they arrive, but they seem to land on their arses more frequently than their poled companions.
The weather gets top billing in ski-land. This is pleasing.
I hope 2012 will be full of Malarky.
December 30, 2011
During a visit to the hospital the other day I was accidentally mistagged as Mrs Underhill, age 93.
It was 4 hours before I noticed. And it was the Dr’s name on my wrist that I found strange, not my date of birth.
I wonder whether Mrs Underhill noticed.
I enjoyed being her, it rather cheered me up considering the circumstances.
December 27, 2011
Texas Alexander 1928
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlLkuEpWsxs&w=420&h=240]
December 27, 2011
I was surprised to read doing some research that the statistics for suicide are not necessarily higher during Christmas. I had surmised they likely peaked during that time. I was also surprised to see that Ireland had the lowest suicide rates until the 1950’s. That’s no longer the case, this year the numbers are high with one Offaly coroner describing suicide as “rampant” in rural Ireland. (RTE Jan 2011) By April this year Ireland’s suicide rate was described by Minister of State for Health Kathleen Lynch as “the highest in its history” (Source: Irish Times April 8, 2011). A letter to the Irish Times last week cited that “…from 2003 to 2011, Ireland lost 4,408 young men and women to suicide.”
How are we to reach people and persuade or convince them otherwise? How can the stigma of mental illness be overcome? How can problems that seem insurmountable appear otherwise? Is our general inarticulateness around death also contributing? Why do we continue to understand so little about the brain?
December 25, 2011
Week 47 flu strains
Here’s the flu report for week 47 (this week): the Perth flu strain is whipping it this week. (Why are the strains thus named I wonder?)
Since the start of the season, the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) has antigenically characterized 12 influenza viruses (seven A/H3N2 and five B). All seven A/H3N2 viruses (from BC, AB & ON) are antigenically related to A/Perth/16/2009. Three of the influenza B viruses characterized (from AB & QC) are antigenically related to the vaccine strain B/Brisbane/60/2008 (Victoria lineage). The other two influenza B viruses (from BC) are antigenically related to the reference virus B/Wisconsin/01/2010-like, which belongs to the Yamagata lineage
source: Flu Watch