grow your own · 12 hours ago
Well, I hear from Mary in the US that it takes 5 – 6 months to grow a liver so that’s good to know and puts a time frame on things. I am inclined to agree with Joyce in Scotland, though, that growing a new brain might be a priority for us all. I’m losing the noggin cells at an alarming rate and regularly have to jettison information because I need to recycle the few working bits that I have still under my control to use for new info. It didn’t help that one of the characters in my next book, MISSING YOU ALREADY, has Alzheimer’s because I know far too much about it now and am convinced I have a bit of it – more some days but that could also be put down to a tad too much wine from time to time. Anyhow, a new brain would be grand but I have the feeling it’s not as simple as just deciding to grow one – I’m going to need a clutch of scientists and a laboratory, probably, and with the length of time it’s taking to do the house up I don’t think I’ll be building anything more for quite some time. It looks like I may just have to put up with what I have, physically and mentally, for another while…
The scaffolding came off the front today and the house looks like itself again…from the outside, that is. Inside is still a mysterious mess. And, while I’m at it, I’d always heard that water gets into everything and ‘will always find a way’ – can I suggest something that would give water a run for its money? DUST! Dust gets EVERYWHERE! Dust, I tells yez, it’s the new water.
genetics · 2 days ago
I’m wondering if I should start growing my organs. I base this on the story that a woman has had a bronchial tube fitted that was made from stem cells taken from her bone marrow. What bothers me is that no time frame was given, and so I don’t know if the tube took a while to get ready, so that’s why I think it might be time to get a few things started for the inevitable decrepitude that must take its toll. To be honest I’m keen on having a lot less of myself rather than more, but it would be handy to have a range of the bits that ‘go’ first ready and waiting. I don’t think I’ll grown anything like legs or arms as I don’t want more of the same there – I want slimmer ones and that even if I used them when they were tiny like those heartstring-tugging baby vegetables in the shops I suspect they’d just continue growing and end up no better than I was.
Another great story today is about an Estonian spy who infiltrated NATO and worked away there for decades. He is now under arrest and charged with treason – it seems such an old-fashioned crime these days, doesn’t it? And an almost romantic one. I suppose I always think there’s nothing so secret that it would be dangerous or worth knowing anymore, seeing as we are supposed to live in times of relative peace in Europe at least but of course countries have security systems and I think in the case of this chap he may have passed on details of a proposed US defence shield in Europe to ‘the other side’. All very much the stuff of thrillers.
I can’t believe John Sargent has left STRICTLY COME DANCING. I had no problem with him making it through each week, as you all know, and I think his dancing would have encouraged a lot of people to have a go – there can’t be much wrong with that. I’ll miss him, for one.
The COSTA boo award short lists are out. I am a judge in the novel category along with Matthew Sweet and Dan Fenton. Our list is
The Sacred Scripture by Sebastian Barry.
A Partisan’s Daughter by Louis de Bernieres.
The Other Hand by Chris Cleave.
Trauma by Patrick McGrath.
I recommend them all, clearly. The category winner will be announced in early January and will go forward for Book of the Year which is decided on 27th January 2009.
loughlin · 3 days ago
Years ago, when myself and my 2 brothers were at our various schools, my Mum decided to go to study art full time in the newly opened Regional Technical College in Galway, where we lived. It was great for all of us. We were all out of the house during the day and although us kids were first back, usually, we had jobs to keep us going in the short time before the Mammy got back. Jobs for which we were paid! She’d store all of this up and we’d get our earnings at Christmas or Summer Holiday time, when the money counted most. I think she’s always a bit worried when I tell people this, as if it’ll look like we were Home Alone. Mostly what it did for us was grant an independence that we might have taken longer to acquire – that goes for Herself too! Anyhow, because she was studying art she always had extremely colourful friends home – we’d always had a house full of strays, till then made up of family and friend of my parents from Sligo their home town. One of the types brought home by the Mammy during the arty years was a sculptor and teacher called Loughlin Hoare – he was an extraordinary red-head who had studied and qualified in London and live the requisite life there in the 60s and was always dapper and couldn’t quite pronounce his Rs and was always declaring that you ‘must confront your image’. He was fantastic and a huge feature of ours lives for many of the formative teenage years. He was married and had 3 lovely daughters, who I never met but my Mum did and she says they are divine, but he lived, of necessity, away from home (his family was based in Roscommon and he didn’t see them during the working week because of the commute so ours was more often that not his chosen ‘home’). My brothers grew used to waking up to Loughlin’s snores and to find him in a bunkbed nearby. Now comes the news that he has shuffled off and the world, I can assure you, is a less colourful place as a result. He did get to meet his grandson and that’s great to know. I can only hope the little chap is a chip off the old sculptural block and, genetics being what they are, I think that’s most certainly the case.
Watched Munster versus the All Blacks tonight and haven’t a nail left on my hands (it’s a while since I’ve had such a cull but there was no avoiding it with the excitement and tension tonight). Munster were magnificent out and out but sadly not QUITE enough to beat the New Zealanders. They deserved the win though and were a credit to the great tradition of that fine club. There is an isle…
grammar · 4 days ago
Which of us really knows anything about grammar any more – I think I may even be misspelling it right now. Anyhow, reason I bring it up is that I am being given homework by my Russian teacher that asks me to go through short paragraphs in English and show where the subject, object, predicate etc are – AND I CAN’T – I have forgotten the technical language for such things. It’s subsumed and has been mistreated and mauled for so long that I can’t even now trust myself to give the correct answer even when I am not bending the rules for my own purposes. Nightmare. How can I understand another language if I can’t even analyse my own?
Hasn’t helped that this week my brain has been a ball of mush (VERY poor concentration) and I can’t retain any useful info at all let alone a new challenge.
Holes in many walls of the house now – am hoping this is the final ‘worse before it gets better’ phase…
million · 5 days ago
I like to tune in to Antiques Roadshow on a Sunday evening and Richard has finally given into that too. These last 3 weeks I’ve watched BREMNER, BIRD AND FORTUNE first, so there’s only 15 minutes left of AR but it’s always great. (Next week there’s a Dinner PArty in the BB&F show, which is the final of the series – enjoy). This week we were in a fever in the house cos Himself had seen something on the news about the Roadshow uncovering its first million pound gem. I was expecting an old dear with a newspaper-wrapped trinklet or ceramic pot or a tiny oil painting, perhaps, so I felt ENTIRELY cheated when a Gateshead counsellor turned up with a small steel version of the Angel of the North which they have on public display anyhow and which is lovely but totally unexciting (so much so that I hardly paid attention to that item and was half reading the paper at the same time) – I wanted something utterly anicent that hadn’t seen the light of day for hundreds or thousands of years and I bet everyone else in these isles felt the same way.
Speaking of which, I love STRICTLY COME DANCING too and I wish people would stop going on about John Sargent getting through each week as if it was a total travesty. Here’s the thing – the man IS dancing at the top of his capacity/game AND he is entertaining the public and THAT is surely what it’s all about. I can’t see him winning, mind you…though you never know…
bendy · 6 days ago
I was way too bendy last night to do a report – can’t remember leaving the doo or getting home = eek! As a result I am suffering today (well deserved) but also haven’t much to say as was TOO BENDY and recall little enough of the whole event. I will say some fabulous women were honoured and Anne Enright, writer and person extraordinaire, won both the literature prize and overall Woman of the Year – huzzah!
More anon as it returns to me (already am filled with dread as I know the day will be full of memories that make me say aloud ‘oh NO I said/did that, didn’t I?!’
I think I ‘bought’ a necklace off a woman whose card is in my handbag (though I have to go into her shop and pay for it and claim the loveliness – hope it’s not wildly expensive!!!)
I blagged a teddybear for a Russian friend and have a man who does make-up’s card also so must contact him and find out what bind I’ve got myself into there.
Right, let the apology tour begin…
mmm · 8 days ago
perhaps Daily COOK’S Challenge? – that might also have made more sense of my name point…mmmm…
lots but... · 8 days ago
Did quite a lot today – filmed me as a judge/participant in DAILY COOL’S CHALLENGE and it was so busy that I forgot to point out that my married name is Cook… Also, because the dishes are to be tasted and then you move on I got a lovely mouthful of about 6 delicious things and was sent home RAVENOUS and fussy about what I wanted to eat!
Had the toppest catch-up afternoon sleep in the afternoon – needed it as am sleeping so badly at nights cos of stress (book – no news yet on those quotes and permissions) and mad hours (building work in Dublin). It. Was. FANTASTIC: 90 minutes of purely indulgent happiness – didn’t want to get out of the cot.
Went out to visit the lovely Stockwellians this evening and we watched a programme about two girls living close by in South London from very different backgrounds. All I’ll say is that I don’t think the ‘poor’ girl got the worst start in life…very eye-opening and scary, really, on a lot of levels.
Women of the Year Awards in Dublin tomorrow night – looking forward to brushing shoulders with the best…will report all when I know it.
Comedy awards · 9 days ago
Today, I took part in a tribute being out together for the British Comedy Awards to honour Geoffrey Perkins the Wonder Producer killed in a road traffic accident earlier this year while SO young (mid 50s). It was great to be able to talk about and remember this utterly charming and utterly talented man. I did say at one point that he was super for a bit of gossip, though I must stress he wasn’t A Gossip – rather he knew lots and was always quite candid. I’ve also found that a good question will usually yield dividends and he was a great person to ask a question of.
Madly, at the recording, I learned a bonkers but totally logical fact – Australia has washable money…absolutely NOTHING to do with the job in hand.
And no, I asked (of COURSE), there’s no word on who will present this year’s awards now that Jonathan Ross has stepped down. I did point out that I am free then…AVAILABLE…
equilibrium? · 10 days ago
I am trying to calm down over the book stuff (hard cos it is SO important) and I am sleeping so badly it’s unreal HOWEVER there are moments of equilibrium in all lives, eh?Ttoday, I caught up with a few things I have been meaning to do for ages. One was SO prosaic – washing the 3 china light fittings that will go back up in the old kitchen/dining area – FILTHY , greasy, now sparkling and safe in the attic…I hope.
One of the other things I had meant to do for ages was this -I was asked to do an intro to a book of irish blogs which will be all but self published and in aid of the homeless (ultimately) in Ireland – Focus Ireland is the charity (brilliant work, no question about it) – THRILLED to be asked and nothing but my own dotage was holding me back till today – tis now done and despatched (my bit, that is) and I believe the book HOMEPAGES will be out dec 8 and is a great gift for anyone – have read some of the entries and they are varied and very moving in all kinds of ways – hey, dats BLOGGIN’!
The windows have started to arrive and are majestic and wonderful and because they mirror what was first in the house I have to ask WHY DID ANYONE CHANGE the sash windows in the first place??(AGH!)
Herself’s snuffles only seem to be in evidence these days when she is sniffing in the chicken or actual MEAT her tablet is hidden in and are a sign of TOTAL pleasure – what have I DONE?!