One Million Words

Is your Pandemic Reading organised?

Have you wondered yet, Dear Reader, how much reading you will get done during the Great Pandemic? While one vast chunk of humanity fully intend to be gainfully employed in catching up on the telly in their pyjamas, (a noble pastime of which we, too, shall be dipping into), there is another vast chunk endeavouring to tackle those book piles we all seem to have about the place. If we were to play Guess-The-Word-Count of the barrow o' books our satisfied gent above is carting*, would you be surprised if I was to tell you, with Authority, that there is well over one million words therein?

It is not because I have an extraordinary talent for counting marbles in a jar, it is because I know how many words I have read that were penned from my husband's own hand. Mr P., you see, once wrote a book and I volunteered as his proof-reader. His scholarly work stands at around 130,000 words, including the bibliography and index. In order to smooth out all the wrinkles along its gestational evolution, I read each chapter around ten times. While a degree in Pure Mathematics was not actually required for such arithmetical guesstimating, I can confidently say I've read one million of my husband's words. And, may I say, did deserve the greatly appreciated dedication in its front matter!


* Or karotsi-ing, if you prefer the Greek.

Image credit: Library of Congress

My Time Has Come

Do not try this at home
Keep your distance, ladies!

I've never been one for Mingling with a crowd nor having a gang of girlfriends to hang about with. From even an early age, I was more of a one-on-one sort of friend. But everything has its day, and I find that my style of friendship has become rather more respectable in this new age of Social Distancing. My advice to you, Dear Reader, is to treat your friends like treasures; keep them in little boxes and do not let them mix!

A treasury of friends
 Georg Hainz, 1664

I was reminded of this a couple of days ago when I found sitting in my email inbox an invitation to participate in a sort of morale-boosting, chain letter for women. It was asked that the participant send an inspiring quote or verse (presumably by a woman - Virginia Woolf, whose hairdo I'd been loosely sporting of late, was my obvious selection) to only one person named on the email but then link the chain with a further twenty women that I admire. Well, it really did have me stumped. For a start, do I even know that many women?

"No need to hurry. No need to sparkle.
No need to be anybody but oneself."

From memory, the chain letters of old required you to post to seven people you knew, and necessitated the thrilling use of carbon paper to prevent writer's cramp. Alongside an address book and the purchase of stamps, it was a rather considerate undertaking and I'm quite sure it only ever occupied me once in my childhood. But in this age of bigger, better, faster, it seems that even one's circle of friends must be a rather grand affair, and all accessible at the click of a button. If the internet was to switch off, however, in these Interesting Times, that old-school, bound address book which has never really gone out of fashion for me, may come in rather handy.

Correct use of Social Distancing for Spooks
During a dead letter drop

Image credits: 1: mindcircle.com 2, 3: Wikimedia Commons 4: Sotheby's

Fresh Fields

Autumn Chrysanthemums
Shen Zhongqiang, 1949

It's feeling a little autumnal around these parts, so always a good time for some change and a redress of the routine. I've given up my calisthenics classes in favour of something different, Dear Reader, and I'm hoping this so-called Kale of Exercise is going to do me some good. 

So far, some long underused muscles have been re-engaged and some new neural pathways have been furiously laid. It's a challenge, for sure, but rather good fun already. You see, I've taken up dancing again and have been trundling off regularly to some adult classes at the rehearsal studios of the Sydney Dance Company. I'm trying something old and something new.

The something old is ballet. So far, so predictable of me. But the something new is tap dancing! Eleanor Powell and Ann Miller et al. are such excellent role models for my new pastime. I do hope the neighbours aren't going to mind. ...

Image credits: 1: ArtNet 2: Pinterest