choosing a BOOK

I am always very tense to the point of being frightened at the dentist and usually there is nothing I can do to distract myself from that. But one day, trembling in the waiting room chair I forced myself to  look at a newspaper, left on the chair beside me and folded open to a page of book reviews.  The lead article was about the 'humble little book' that had taken New York book stores by surprise. 

And that's how I discovered the  No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, by Alexander McCall Smith. I was able to get the first two books in the series then, and we are now up to No.13.  I buy them all and have a special book shelf for them.  I love the stories of Precious Ramotswe in Botswana,  and I love the story telling style that is sweet and simple, often seeming to state the obvious by our 'sophisticated' standards, but in the search for understanding why people do the things they do, it is just right. Alexander McCall Smith is a philosopher and that is the approach he takes to writing. And yes, there is a TV series now, and while it's a little different to the books, it follows the same stories and is lovely to watch.  These books show a simple world, like going back to the 1950's, and create a place to visit, escape to and hide. 

Alexander McCall Smith writes several series of episodic novels, though I've only ventured into two of them. The Isabel Dalhousie books, Sunday Philosophy Club, is one series, and 44 Scotland Street is the other. 

I like the Scotland Street stories which follow the lives of a group of people who all lived in the same building, at 44 Scotland Street, Edinburgh, in the first book, and though several have since moved out they still appear.  Bertie, the six year old saxophone player with an eccentric mother, and Cyril, the dog of an artist whose best friend lives at number 44, are my favourite characters but I won't spoil it further for those who would like to read the books.  My only complaint is that these books are too short, can be read in a weekend and then I have to wait a year or so for the next one.

Some book discoveries remain very clear in my mind. One winter morning back in 1967, I was on my way through Taylor Square in Darlinghurst, Sydney - to catch a bus to the city. On the corner, where the Bird Cage Nightclub used to be was a news stand. A man set it up in the very early hours of the morning, with folding tables and stands, and took it down before the night life began. On this particular morning he had new books on display and I reached for an interesting title and bought it.  He asked me to let him know if it was any good. I'd never heard of it before but it turned out I'd chosen a book that is often cited as one of the great literary works of the twentieth century.  It was Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.  Yes, it's been made into a movie, but I think it's easier to follow the movie if you've read the book first.

Two other favourite books came from reviews in the Women's Weekly. The Life of Pi was one. I had heard of it before, then after reading the review I bought it - I prefer to buy books rather than borrow them, probably so I can keep the ones that are really special.  I know it's unfair to the author, as they only earn from sales of new books, but many of mine are second hand. I kept Life of Pi.  

The other one was called Started Early, Took My Dog.  Again, I liked the title. The book cover says it's Kate Atkinson's best work to date!  Well, I'm sold.  It was hard going to start with but  once I was in tune with her writing style I found I really enjoyed the story, the characters, the little asides, the sudden switches from one scene/person to the next. I soon discovered this was the last book in a series of four, so I went online and ordered the first three, from different sellers and they didn't arrive in order so I had to wait until I had number one.  But, what a luxury!  I had four books in a series I really enjoyed and I got to read them like one very long novel. Though, the fourth title later became a disappointment because the dog who gets to start early with Jackson Brodie, described as an unlikely but utterly addictive detective and I agree,  is not actually his dog.  I soon went into Kate's other novels, also good, but the Jackson Brodie books are the best. 

Another source of recommendations is TV, in particular The First Tuesday Book Club, hosted by Jennifer Byrne - renamed 'Book Club' for 2013 - I suppose so it doesn't limit them to Tuesday.  As well as new books I've been encouraged to revisit ones I've read before and older books I might never have thought to read.  I have a list from the Book Club that I want to read one day.  The Light Between Oceans by M.L.Stedman is one of those, as is Gilgamesh by Joan London.  I'll wait until I find preloved copies at a good price. In the meantime I have revisited Catcher in the Rye and The Selfish Giant and have discovered new books, and some I've enjoyed a lot, like The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak, which I was put off reading until this cover came out - and just last month,  Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally. He writes about two sisters, from a dairy farm in NSW, who trained as nurses and went overseas during WWI, to nurse the wounded at Gallipoli and in France. Two of my grandmother's sisters, my Great Auntie Ada and Great Auntie Claire, from a dairy farm in NSW, went to France as nurses during WWI - one drove an ambulance.  Not the same story, of course, but details of their lives and events are a little more real to me now.

Sometimes it's fun to read books with other people.  My mother in law borrows 40 books at a time from the library. We've both enjoyed all the Jennifer Chiaverini novels in the Elm Creek Quilts series and they have given us something to day dream about. My favourite is The Runaway Quilt which dips into history, touching on the use of quilts and quilt patterns as signals for runaway slaves.  Then my niece had an Amish period and we shared and swopped Amish novels, mostly in series of three and mostly love stories.  They were relaxing to read and fun to talk about.  I was inspired to read The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas, after watching the min-series.  It was disappointing that the book is so different in several areas and I think the screen writers did a wonderful job on the story, making it much more interesting.   

Finding books can be an adventure in itself.  Recently my lovely friend Mel, who lived with us as a school girl back in 1989, mentioned she was reading a book called Der Hals der Giraffe. I translated that as The Neck of the Giraffe and found the title, written by Francis Hitching, about missing links in the theories of Charles Darwin, that is transitional links between supposedly evolved species.  As we'd been discussing exactly this subject at home that week I ordered a copy. It was actually out of print, but plenty of second hands available.  Excitedly I emailed Mel in Germany and said, 'We are reading the same book'.  Mel replied, saying she didn't realise Judith Schalansky's novel had been translated into English. Hmmmm. I looked again and this time translating a whole web page, instead of just the title, found that Judith Schalansky wrote a book called The Giraffe's Neck about a biology teacher fighting to adhere to the laws of nature, straining her neck while eating forbidden fruit and eventually losing faith in her personal God, Darwin.  Hmmmm.  Maybe not exactly the same book.  Babel Fish strikes again!  

Second hand shops and fete stalls are great places to find books and the most exciting as you can often get lots and lots of books for a few dollars.  I get carried away and end up with books we never look at and which we donate to the next fundraiser.  Last year I packed up a box of books for a school stall, including The Living Planet by David Attenborough.  On the night of the fete I was with my son and his girlfriend, also Mel. She browsed through the book stall, picked out a few to buy and held one out to show me.  "I wonder if this is real", she said holding the book open at the title page. There was a signature -  David Attenborough, it said.  I looked at the cover and it was the book I'd donated, that I'd bought second hand and had been on our shelf at home for at least five years!  Of course we paid the 50c for it. Mel has it on her book shelf now and she recorded the event with a photo layout.

Famous people are often asked what books sit on their bedside table.  As I don't read in bed I can't answer that except to say I think I have a book on patchwork and quilting there, but my husband, Rory, has some favourites that come and go -  a variety of Bill Bryson and Lee Strobel books, plus Sherlock Holmes, Red Dwarf and a huge book on creation. Rory reads books that are given to him or recommended by friends, so doesn't often choose a book unless he is following a particular author or series. He has collected the James Bond novels and books by Wilbur Smith.

My book pile is in the dining room and on the top is How can I use Herbs in my Daily Life? by Isabell Shipard, who lives locally. I am no expert on herbs which is why this book it always on the top. I'm actually more interested in the medicinal qualities of herbs than how to grow them but that should come, I hope.  I my pile to read is Frank McCourt's Teacher Man, Dubliners by James Joyce (I love short stories and my son lived in Dublin last year so...), a P.G. Wodehouse novel, The Girl in Blue, various books on writing and the English language like Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue,  plus patchwork magazines, cross word puzzles and I've just started In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - because I've never read it. 

We were both introduced to reading by our mothers who bought books and read to us at an early age. The Color Kittens was my favourite and I think sparked my enjoyment of interesting book covers.  I joined the local library when I was 10 years old and devoured their entire stock of children's books in two years including the whole series by Lucy Fitch Perkins on twins around the world.  Two old ladies ran the library in a room behind a shop and their book numbers were limited.

 As the closest Council library was out of my reach I attacked the book shelves at home. Dad read classics and war stories and Mum read Readers Digest condensed novels and whatever was popular. I found her books in a suitcase under the bed and read The Carpetbaggers, Mila 18 and Exodus.

I have not, so far, ventured into digital books. I think my hard copy pile-in-waiting will keep me busy for a while yet and then I have stories of my own to write and edit - digital may be the way to go when I am ready - and it will be interesting to see how we choose books from a digital range.

using OILS AT HOME

I'm happy to say I've enjoyed a very busy life. I've always had plenty of interests and hobbies, work I enjoyed and self improvement study. And there was house work, organising the family, health issues, friends, extended family and associated problems plus the children with all their interests including pets, homework, sport and other activities.  So, along the way I've had to decide that some things did not fit into whatever space I had left. Understanding how a car works was one thing I did not have room for and physical exercise was another.  One person cannot do everything.

Kambucha tea

I've always had an interest in health and natural remedies.  For years I talked to people and read what I could on naturopathy and herbal medicines, then using what I had learnt, diagnose and treat my family and myself (naughty girl). I did start some naturopathic study once but life got in the way. I am not a person to take things at face value though. I like to know what I am getting into so if something was recommended I would investigate ... things such as bark therapy (not for me), acupuncture (not for me), fasting (maybe occasionally), kambucha tea (eerrkk) reiki massage (seems a bit airy-fairy), aromatherapy (expensive and vague area), homeopathy (I don't understand it) and chiropractic (first experience was a bad one) were some areas I touched and then put aside.  Until recently. My wonderful physio therapist found a different job and I was desperate to find one who could treat the ongoing problems with my damaged neck and shoulder and ended up at the chiropractor.  It seems chiropractic has come a long way in the past 25 years and my shoulder and neck are being treated very well - as long as I take breaks from the computer.

However, I digress - and that's not like me at all!  Lets wind back to aromatherapy.  I don't know what I thought it was but I ignored it because I just didn't have the time. Then my sister emailed me about success she was having with some 'new' oils she was using for chronic bronchitis, so I read about it and found that using essential oils can be called aromatherapy - .  It never occurred to me that I already practiced a type of this therapy, many of us do when we massage Vicks Vapour rub or eucalyptus into chests and make menthol packs for colds and flu or burn scented candles. That's basically what it is.    

Avoiding the airy-fairy feel-good attachments to many alternative remedies, this area of alternative medicine uses essential oils distilled from herbs and flowers to improve personal comfort and health and to heal - just like my mother and grandmother did. My mother used eucalyptus or Vicks, rubbed onto the chest for infections like bronchitis, or spots of the oil on the pillow case for sinusitis. She massaged it into our feet and put us to bed in cotton socks for colds and flu. I always loved her honey and lemon juice sipped from a spoon, in the middle of the night, for a sore throat or the misery of a cold (but that, apparently, is naturopathy). As I suffered chronic sinusitis I learnt, at the age of eight, how to prepare an inhalation and everyone understood that a menthol lozenge would to 'ease the throat and clear the head'.

The essence of the oil is absorbed through the skin or inhaled - but let's keep it away from eyes and sensitive areas.  The brain is stimulated and muscles relax so you can rest or sleep. Blocked sinus passages can be cleared and mucous membranes strengthened. But beware, commercial oils can be very concentrated and some are poisonous so care is needed when handling them.  And, if you are allergic to any food or herbs, you could be allergic to the oils too. 

Lavender

Oils can be antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial, such as Tea Tree.  Brochures available at health food shops list a wide variety of oils available and what to use them for.  I look down the list and always want to buy the lot, but I've learnt the hard way, they are expensive - some over $30 a bottle, and they have use by dates. You could use very little of some oils and end up throwing the bottle away. Apparently it's much cheaper to make your own oils and there are instructions about that here - 

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Essential-Oils

As the oils are very concentrated they are usually mixed with a 'carrier' oil before applying to the skin in massage.  Carrier oils are made from nuts and seeds which can cause allergies in sensitive people so the use of these essential oils must be tailored to the person being treated. You can substitute a light tasting/smelling olive oil for the expensive carrier oils. And if it's all too messy and too fussy, just use a blob of plain, low fragrance, hand cream in your palm, add one or two drops of the oil and mix together before applying to feet, chest, back etc.

I have never used oils with babies, in my family, apart from a little eucalyptus somewhere in the room, so I'm not sure what oils can be used with little ones - maybe consult a professional first. When one of my children needed it I used a steamer in the room, without oil. When I say children I mean from about age two and up. And take care they don't rub oils into their eyes.

So, oils can be used three ways.

Topical application - the oil is applied directly to the skin by massage or soaking in a foot bath or a whole body bath.

Aerial diffusion - the oil evaporates into the air disinfecting the room and treating the patient.  This can be done through a commercial diffuser, or in an oil burner. A hot scented heat pack, usually lavender, can bring comfort too.

Direct inhalation - the oil is inhaled to treat respiratory infection or decongestion. Boiled water is poured into a bowl and a few drops of the oil added. The patient holds their face over the bowl breathing in the steam, and the oil.  When I was young my grandmother insisted I have a towel over my head to avoid wasting the steam, but it is stifling inside that hot 'tent' for child and could possibly lead to burns, so I never do that now. You could make a larger tented area with a sheet if needed. Oils in the bath can be inhaled too but the bath needs a really good clean out afterwards and I got sick of scrubbing away greasy eucalyptus tide marks. In fact all oils are inhaled to a degree, from massage or spots on clothing or candles.

Some useful oils to have on hand would be,

Eucalyptus  - This is the first bottle I reach for when I I have a cold or flu. It clears blocked airways and. I feel, can help to prevent the infection spreading from head to chest. Eucalyptus does not need a carrier oil before applying to the skin for adults, but maybe you should dilute it with young children. And we all know eucalyptus comes from Australia.

Lavender  -   I've found to be an aid to relaxation.  Massaged into neck and temples it can give relief from some headaches. It is also used as an antiseptic and pain reliever for minor cuts, burns and insect bites. It can be used in massage for muscle pain or in chest rubs. Some people add Lavender oil to a hair rinse to treat head lice. It is a traditional 'old lady' perfume, used in soap and talc.  Lavender originated in Europe and now grows widely across the world.

Sandalwood - I love the smell of sandalwood and use it as a comforting chest rub or foot rub.  I find it helps me sleep when I'm not feeling well. Sandalwood originates in India and is used in cosmetics and as a perfume.

Tea tree - I use it for its disinfectant and antiseptic properties - very handy for insect bites and apparently it can be used as a mouth wash.  During WWII Australian soldiers carried Tea Tree oil in their first aid kits. It's a little strong to be a perfume but you do get used to it.

Cloves - I use the oil in damp weather to discourage mould. The bottle I have is extremely concentrated and a stray drop can be smelled on the skin all day, and I don't like the smell.  Apparently is it a topical analgesic, or painkiller and I know it was traditionally used for toothache. My grandmother didn't use oil, she would just put a whole clove in her mouth and bite down!  It can also help with nausea but I'm not sure how.  Apparently cloves are native to Indonesia and can be used as a tea.  I'll have to look into that as I'm becoming in interested in teas lately.

Citronella - This oil is a great insect repellent. Used in soap, candles and incense to repel insects it is sometimes called the mosquito plant.  It grows in pots and is handy to have in outdoor living areas.  Apparently it is also good to calm barking dogs. I think they put it into those spray collars, but I've never used one.

And that's the news on good oils.

in the TECHNOLOGICAL AGE

I do enjoy this information technology, as we called it in the 1990's. The terminology is difficult to keep up with, but there are websites like Webopedia, netlingo or Matisse, to help you understand the latest. Today's internet word of the day is critical mass - a term originating in nuclear physics and adopted into business-speak.  

Different words pop up with each new development AND instead of making up new words we  reuse old ones as brand names or technical terms - Apple, bit, bandwidth, Blackberry, bluetooth, Cloud, dropbox,  Java, mouse, software and tag  - with more added daily.  It's a patchwork of old and new.

When I check my facebook I find as many updates from Art, Medicine, Engineering, Poetry, Writing, Nature, Herb and Craft groups I've 'liked' as I see from my friends.  It's so exciting.  Some days it's a smorgasbord and others it's a feast of information and creativity I can hardly contain. 

But if I get tired of all this I pop over to YouTube and watch Jenny from the Missouri Star Quilt Company make darling little baby covers from Jelly Rolls or Layer Cakes - the lingo is there too, but this is a much nicer world of patches.

As recently as last year I was irritated when visitors dropped at least one phone each onto the dinner table and 'played' with them throughout the visit. But now that an iphone has taken up residence in our house I can see what a wonderful toy it is. When you hold in your hand a device that can check the weather and email, look up the TV program, find an address with a map as well as taking photos, making calls and sending text messages, we know we have completely overtaken Dick Tracy and all that was imagined in the 1950s.

And Dick didn't even get to acronyms!  I can't give in to everything so if you find yourself ROFLYourAO or tgif-ing  .... well, I've just lost interest.  Acronyms started with phone texting and now with keyboards on every i thing acronyms are no longer necessary.  Come on, you can spell great without using 8, and to is just as easy as 2, lets not destroy the written language - but I am glad to see that someone has found a way to make money out of trying to oversee cyber space and redesign these toys or it really would be a big pigs breakfast.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, older people (that is over 65) are less likely to use the internet - well duh!  I know of 5 people in their 70's who use email and search engines daily, and now that I look at the page, the good old bureau of stats only publishes information up to 2010 anyway,  so what do they know about today?

I'm sure older people who use the internet at work also use it at home and will continue to use it after retirement - and their older brothers and sisters jumped in too, even before it was common to have PCs at home our libraries catered for retirees clicking on Ancestor.com or diagnose-your-own-disease sites and emailing children overseas.

For those who are already over 75, not having access to the internet can put them at a disadvantage - 

- some banks charge for paper statements, to encourage on-line banking, 

- when paying bills often only Bpay or direct debit is accepted,

- the Post Office no longer handles payment for many of the services it once did, 

- if paying in person, some cashiers frown at the sight of a cheque book,  

- instructions for new appliances are on the 'net to be downloaded,

- some products can only be purchased on-line.

So if you have a dear old granny, or Mum, make sure they are coping - it might be nice to offer help in this area. Life in the techno age could be a little hard to follow if you were born before 1930.

when DOGS GROWL

I've been a dog lover all my life and we always had dogs when I was a child - sadly some fell prey to ticks and snakes, but they all lived good lives.  Now, since the amazing Rufous came to live with us I've become aware for the first time that good communication is possible between the canine and the human.  They learn a lot about us but sadly, the majority of dog owners learn nothing about the dogs who share their homes, their cars, their children and their lives.

We need to understand that dogs are not little humans in fur coats - they have a code, a need for respect and they try to tell us what they need and are feeling - but we don't listen.  The subject here is growling.  Dogs growl for a reason. If you really get to know your dog you will learn to tell the difference between a play growl, a polite growl, a watchman's growl and a warning growl.

Some people want their dogs quiet all the time and even punish the dog for growling.  This is very stressful for the dog.  There are many blogs, websites and books on dog behaviour and if you are interested please educate yourself about these wonderful creatures.

So what are the growls? From my experience and the bit of reading I've done this is what I understand;

THE PLAY GROWL you will hear during a tug of war game. The dog has one end of the towel or Frisbee or rope and you have the other.  Rufous is very good at this game, he even manages to let go and grab on again with a better grip in a split second before I can react. But when he growls, and those teeth snap closer and closer, I know it's time to end the game. The growl, while still playful, can show a determination to win and if my fingers get in the way he may not notice the difference between a finger and the rope. It won't be his fault. There is no anger or aggression, just play becoming serious.

Don't sit on me

THE POLITE GROWL can be heard when you invade the dog's space. Rufous for example, considers one end of the couch to be his. We allow him to sit wherever he likes unless we want that spot and he understands. But, if he is on the couch,  sleeping, and I sit very close to him, close enough to possibly roll onto one of his back legs - both of which have undergone surgery in the last year - he will growl a 'too close' growl. There is no threat, no aggression, just a polite request to keep my distance. Some dogs also use this polite growl when eating, but food sharing is another subject.

What is that?

THE WATCHMAN GROWL goes with body language, usually legs apart, head down and ears  back. I hear this growl from Rufous when he's looking through the screen door or out a window and he sees something that he does not like.  It could be a snake, a goanna, a bush turkey or just a palm frond moving in the breeze, but whatever it is he is saying in his own way 'Danger, Will Robertson, Danger!'  Or if you are too young to remember Lost in Space, he is warning me/us that there could be danger near.  This behaviour does not deserve a shout and a slap, it deserves a pat on the head, and if you identify real danger, a treat.

THE WARNING GROWL is the one requires absolute immediate attention.  This growl announces that someone, lets say you, have crossed the line.  It may be that a polite growl has been ignored and you are about to sit on a skinny little dog leg. It may be that you are opening a gate the dog has been assigned to defend or your two year old is about to jab his finger into the dogs eye or his face into the dogs food dish.  The warning growl says, 'If you don't stop I will bite you'. This growl also goes with clear body language, including lips curled up and back, head low, ears flat and eyes narrowed.  It is a clear message and ignoring this growl has ended in children on the way to hospital and dogs on the way to be euthanased.

The response to this growl would be - immediately move yourself, or your child, away from the dog or shut the gate etc. Don't panic, don't make eye contact, just look down and to the side, walk backwards a few steps then turn and walk away at normal pace.

Dogs who are trained to skip growling are dogs that can bite without warning. It's not the fault of the dog, but the owner/trainer who should be held responsible.

The warning growl can also be heard when two dogs meet in the street, possibly in an area they both consider to be their territory. Most dogs have good dog sense and usually one will back down.  Several years ago a small pack of feral dogs crossed our farm.  Excited to see other dogs, Rufous ran to meet them along the track, in full view of our neighbour.  The feral dogs turned and ran but when Rufous didn't stop running behind them one of the pack turned and gave a warning growl. Rufous dropped to the ground and rolled onto his back. This is a submissive gesture, showing his unprotected underside and saying 'I don't want confrontation'.  But, for some reason the other dog rushed forward and bit him on the thigh before following the rest of the pack into the bush.

Rufous limped home, dripping blood, He had a nasty hole through the fur and tissue. At first I bathed it in Bettadine/iodine. I have a first aid certificate and years of experience with first aid for children but with a dog it's very hard to see through the fur and tell if it's inflamed or infected. So off to the vet. I was shown how to irrigate the wound. The feral dog's canine tooth had punctured through the fur and skin, and scooped around inside, lifting the top layer from the underlying layer of tissue, creating a perfect pocket for infection. If you have ever skinned an animal for food you'll know exactly what I mean.  The vet used sterile water to flush out the pocket, squirted antiseptic inside, put one stitch in, leaving space to allow the wound to drain and gave him antibiotics. Poor Rufous had done his best in the situation, fighting back could have caused worse injury, but I wish he'd run from that warning growl. Maybe he knew better though. If he'd run the whole pack might have chased him.

Please, pay attention to your dog, listen when he has a message for you. Be informed about dog body language, it's interesting and very exciting when you can understand what your dog is trying to communicate.

I have taken the poster below from facebook, and posted the website link at the end.

 

https://www.dreamdogproductions.com/livingwithkidsanddogs/stress.html