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Entry tags:
- brust,
- japan,
- reading,
- reading_12,
- rl_12
Various
1. Orca is one of the better Vlad books, partly because Vlad doesn't spend half the book saying how much he really really needs to kill someone, or that he just has to kill someone, or if someone looks at him like that again he will kill them, or whatever. This is good, because Jhegaala was painful and Athyra not much better, third person or no third person. But Orca has a nice twisty plot and Kiera, which is excellent.
2. The last three weeks in May were warmer than average and then downright HOT, and the two week forecast said this trend of 25C days and 18C nights would continue into June. So in last weekend's tidying for Potential Roommate I switched the heavy terrycloth bathrobe for the summer yukata, put away the comfy blanket I swaddle myself in when sitting on the couch, and swapped the winter long sleeve tops for the summer t-shirts: though in fact I'd already gone to singlet and hapi coat because t-shirts are too hot in 30C weather. Saturday I walked to the library and back, and as I came in heard a roaring in the house that made me think first of burst pipes. No. The furnace had turned on, because the thermostat was still set to heating and told to kick in at 13C, and that's what it was. And I of course am cold sitting on the couch, but I will not unbag the blanket because that will bring the heat back.
3. My s-i-l bought lettuce plants and planted them in the wading pool, so now we have lettuce. Their neighbour gave me two tiny cherry tomato plants which I tucked into the pool and then transplanted a week later when they'd doubled in size, and must transplant again because two is one too many for the planter. I look forward to many salads this summer. Am thinking of planting lavender on the bald patch in my front garden where the gas company dug last summer. They resodded people with lawns, but I have ground ivy and periwinkle and violets. none of which have shown any intention of reclaiming their territory. It's also the only bit that gets sun (two trees, and why I have two trees in that tiny space is another story) and the only place I can put sun-loving plants.
4. Was down on Bloor St in my Koreaville area when I heard someone growling UHR UHR UHR in a loud, deep, and above all repetitive voice. Assumed a Tourette's sufferer or something. Crossed over to Doug Miller books and there was a little Korean girl, two at a guess, pointing to the poster of Tintin and Snowy in the window and making her version of dog sounds. While her parents snapped pictures, of course.
5. Walking about the neighbourhood I note nostalgic glimpses of horticultural Japan-- the two places that have wistaria, the irises (over now-- this year is so early), and the hydrangeas (still associated with the grey mug of the rainy season, and thus not a plant I ever want anything to do with.) Also the local stuff-- peonies and great flaming poppies. But mostly we run to stinky bushes-- mock orange, spirea-- and really messy trees that clog the sewer grates.
6. I am trying to read Walter Pater's The Renaissance because I never have. My brain has gone mushy with old age because it's making no sense to me whatsoever. Then again, I recall books read in uni that also made no sense in exactly the same way. It may be that I'm partly an audio reader after all, because as printed words on the page there's no sense to them but as spoken words in my head I can kind of figure what he's saying. This might be why I subvocalize so much; also why I don't have to subvocalize nearly as much with fiction.
2. The last three weeks in May were warmer than average and then downright HOT, and the two week forecast said this trend of 25C days and 18C nights would continue into June. So in last weekend's tidying for Potential Roommate I switched the heavy terrycloth bathrobe for the summer yukata, put away the comfy blanket I swaddle myself in when sitting on the couch, and swapped the winter long sleeve tops for the summer t-shirts: though in fact I'd already gone to singlet and hapi coat because t-shirts are too hot in 30C weather. Saturday I walked to the library and back, and as I came in heard a roaring in the house that made me think first of burst pipes. No. The furnace had turned on, because the thermostat was still set to heating and told to kick in at 13C, and that's what it was. And I of course am cold sitting on the couch, but I will not unbag the blanket because that will bring the heat back.
3. My s-i-l bought lettuce plants and planted them in the wading pool, so now we have lettuce. Their neighbour gave me two tiny cherry tomato plants which I tucked into the pool and then transplanted a week later when they'd doubled in size, and must transplant again because two is one too many for the planter. I look forward to many salads this summer. Am thinking of planting lavender on the bald patch in my front garden where the gas company dug last summer. They resodded people with lawns, but I have ground ivy and periwinkle and violets. none of which have shown any intention of reclaiming their territory. It's also the only bit that gets sun (two trees, and why I have two trees in that tiny space is another story) and the only place I can put sun-loving plants.
4. Was down on Bloor St in my Koreaville area when I heard someone growling UHR UHR UHR in a loud, deep, and above all repetitive voice. Assumed a Tourette's sufferer or something. Crossed over to Doug Miller books and there was a little Korean girl, two at a guess, pointing to the poster of Tintin and Snowy in the window and making her version of dog sounds. While her parents snapped pictures, of course.
5. Walking about the neighbourhood I note nostalgic glimpses of horticultural Japan-- the two places that have wistaria, the irises (over now-- this year is so early), and the hydrangeas (still associated with the grey mug of the rainy season, and thus not a plant I ever want anything to do with.) Also the local stuff-- peonies and great flaming poppies. But mostly we run to stinky bushes-- mock orange, spirea-- and really messy trees that clog the sewer grates.
6. I am trying to read Walter Pater's The Renaissance because I never have. My brain has gone mushy with old age because it's making no sense to me whatsoever. Then again, I recall books read in uni that also made no sense in exactly the same way. It may be that I'm partly an audio reader after all, because as printed words on the page there's no sense to them but as spoken words in my head I can kind of figure what he's saying. This might be why I subvocalize so much; also why I don't have to subvocalize nearly as much with fiction.
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Courgette are *supposed* to run wild and provide in great abundance. Mine don't, for some reason. Alas.
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And I would offer to send you some of my parents' courgettes, but, well, travel time. :)