vital functions

[kaberett]

Celebrating. The life of David Lumsdaine.

Reading. What Happened to You? (Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey): I definitely got some things out of this that I didn't get out of The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog; I think that's "here's how the neurosequential model developed, with illustrative case studies" and this one is more along the lines of "let me explain the neurosequential model in conversation". They've done a very nice thing with the conceit of the book, which is more-or-less Oprah interviewing Perry in a clearly very intentional way, with lengthier anecdotes as the framing for each chapter. I wound up taking lots of notes and am still chewing it over. Definitely recommend.

Subsequent to this I picked up The Body Keeps the Score (Bessel van der Kolk) for a reread. Very much enjoying fitting it all together with Perry's work (lateralisation of brain function being something Perry has definitely moved away from!), and also wincing at all the same bits I did last time through.

The Notebook, Roland Allen. Finished the free sample available via Libby (my library doesn't have the actual book) and I thiiink I'm not actually going to spend money on this one? But glad to have tried it.

Vicious, VE Schwab. Very engaging writing, and easy to read, but I basically didn't care enough about any of the characters to even consider reading the rest of the trilogy... until the last ten pages. Which is very irritating (affectionate) of it! I turn out to have some of her other stuff in my Pile Of Physical Books To Work Through, so I will read that as well and then work out if I want to source the rest of the main ExtraOrdinary triology (some but not all of which the library has...)

Listening. First episode of The Hidden Almanac! More to follow, probably.

Playing. Octodad: Dadliest Catch. Now finished, including the bonuses, again via looking up lots of tie locations. But it is DONE.

Cooking. Pumpkin soufflés!

Eating. We visited Yemen Heaven in York -- I was not expecting to be served fool (bean) tagine in a container indistinguishable from a dolsot, and it was delightful. Everything was quite salty for my tastes, but also delicious.

Exploring. Middlethorpe Hall, a National Trust hotel just outside York. Amazing sunset, lovely grounds incl. excellent snowdrops, very pretty. Relatedly, we also spent a bit of time poking around a short stretch of the York city walls.

Public art in Barking: the constellation Cetus set into the pavement in the middle of a small stand of trees.

Making & mending. I have Just This Last Half Hour Or So actually ripped out the failed patch from the cherry stocking (which I stalled on ... some ... time ago). Next trick: work out how to sensibly hem the netting I'm using as patches. :|

Growing. Bonus softneck garlic (plus some other seeds) arrived! So this week coming it is definitely Time To Start Sowing.

Observing. From a bus, in London: a heron, lurking in a pond. In Barking Park: one almost-grown-up cygnet having an enthusiastic bath, and another resting its chin contemplatively on the edge of the path along the lake vacuuming up scattered birdseed...