Friday 18 December 2009

Down In The Bosom...

Well, it was a 4am start for me this morning as I flew down to be spoiled by my mum and dad for Christmas. I was hoping that there would be a copy of OLD DOGS for them to fight over (and when I say 'fight over' I mean in a "You have it." "No, you have it - I don't want the bloody thing," sort of way) but sadly, it's not here yet.

My parents moved earlier this year to flats for elderly people. It's really nice, and my mum showed me around. "This is where Ada lives. She's 98. This is where Malcolm lives. This is where George lives - he's the one that thinks you're weird, our Donna."

"And why, exactly does he think I'm weird, mother?"

"Because I told him you were." Of course.

She also looked askance at my lovely French brothel Docs. "What are those?"

"Boots."

"Reeeeeaaaaaallllllyyyyyyy?" Luckily, when my brother turned up in a pair of bright turquoise skin tight jeans it took the heat off me. "Oh bloody hell - what are those?"

"Jeans." (As you can see, both my brother and I find it advisable to be precise, concise, and non-commital when faced with the "What are those?" question, since an answer is not actually required).

"Do you have any more trousers with you?"

"Yes."

"Good, then go and put a pair on because those are making me feel sick."

Then, when my brother left the room she said "I suppose I could dye them navy blue, couldn't I?"

Anyway, back to the links. First of all, a fun article about Sherlock Holmes. And a piece in the Times on the film. And Sherlockian societies in the Mercury News.

Helen Fitzgerald to appear at a crime writing workshop in South Yorkshire on January 30th. And Denise Mina will be discussing Muriel Spark at an event in Edinburgh on 13th January.

More on Alexander McCall Smith at the Essex Book Festival.

And, finally, Mystery Scene with a great review of Russel McLean's THE GOOD SON.

8 comments:

  1. Donna, you wouldn´t care to be considered normal, would you? (Not sure we would recognize you then). I should like to know which colour your boots are?

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  2. Ah, I hoped so, but then I have always been rather conservative when it comes to footwear.

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  3. If they'd had turquoise or purple in the shop I would have had those too :o)

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  4. Great boots! I just got cherry red Docs to wear for the holidays:

    www.dmusastore.com/p-2942-8468.aspx

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  5. Oooooh - they're yummy Rosemarie. I wish you health to wear them, as we say in Scotland. I also have these
    http://www.dmusastore.com/p-1942-1b60.aspx
    which are so comfortable. But I also want these:
    http://www.dmusastore.com/p-2390-vonda.aspx

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  6. Okay, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when I saw the boots. Calling them "French brothel boots" put into my mind a muuuuch higher spikey heel and maybe red patent leather and tassels. These are almost ... normal.
    PK the Bookeemonster

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  7. Ah, well I have some like that too PK :o)

    I call these French brothel because the black pattern is like velvet. Stroking them is like stroking flock wallpaper that you might find in a 19th century French brothel. Not that I've ever been in one of course...

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