Not a lot happened this week. I have felt a little bit poorly. All forms of sympathy welcome. Rest is something I find hard to take without feeling immensely guilty but sometimes you don’t have the choice. So I’ve been going slow, whether I actually want to or not.
Last week I was between contenders for my next read, in favour of a non-fiction after a long stint reading only fiction. I went for the option of “how trauma affects the development of brain, mind, and body awareness” aka The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It’s been a truly fascinating, and at times difficult, read so far. Experiences can shape us physically and mentally much more than I realised.
Other (Halloween themed) reads this week:
Why witches became “green-skinned, broomstick-riding hags”
Why leaves change colour
Why I hate Halloween - Michaella Parkes
Why we need Halloween - Katherine May
I have been stocking up on lemon Lemsip for the winter this week. There’s something about cold and flu medicine in the form of a warm hot drink which is so comforting. An extra little drop of honey in there and you’re onto a winner. My autumn scrapbook has become a bit of a Northstar. I am fixated on enjoying the warmth of holding bowls of hearty food. It also translates well to mugs. Particularly mugs of Lemsip with extra honey when you’re feeling unwell.
It’s nearly Guy Fawkes Night. As a child, I found sparklers captivating. Like a real life magic wand. I always loved how the evening would engage all the senses. The sounds and smells of a roaring bonfire, the crackles and blasts of light from fireworks in the sky. I remember one particular time being small and having a bonfire with family, us kids sitting on a bench watching from afar after lighting Catherine wheels and eating jacket potatoes. I’ve always hated the feeling of hot air on my face and so I kept asking everyone to move the bench back further and further away to the point it became so funny that we all couldn’t stop laughing.
I feel as though there is so much I could say about Saoirse Ronan’s now iconic shut down on The Graham Norton show. But so many people have already written such incredible things about it that I don’t feel the need. You can start here if you want to read more and if you haven’t seen it already, I urge you to watch the clip too.
I’ve been taking it pretty easy this week and spent a lot of time sneezing and blowing my nose cosied up on the sofa. A lot of TV has been watched but I have to say, the worst of them all has been Love is Blind. We’re on season 8 and nothing has been able to match the chaos of Giannina’s wedding day for me to the point I find it tedious. This season in particular felt like such a let down. 7 couples got engaged, 1 were cut because the production can only stretch to a certain number of couples and only 2 couples made it to the altar. Probably the worst turn out across the show. Love is not blind. Maybe it was a bit in 2019 when Amber and Barnett met having just announced their pregnancy. But I think the show has run its course.
Another TV show I've been watching is Disclaimer. Cate Blanchette is incredible as always. It’s strange to see Sacha Baron Cohen as a normie and not some over-exaggerated imagined stereotype of a character. I’m actually enjoying the overall production of it, despite the fact it’s been absolutely slated by every review I’ve seen. I digress. One of the characters mentions and then recites a poem by Mark Twain I hadn’t heard before and was immediately taken with.
Warm Summer Sun
By Mark Twain
Warm summer sun,
Shine kindly here,Warm southern wind,
Blow softly here.
Green sod above,
Lie light, lie light.Good night, dear heart,
Good night, good night.
Thank you for sharing my hatred for Halloween with your subscribers! I love that the article underneath offers the total opposite opinion. I read it and enjoyed! Can see the other side of the coin ❤️