What I'm Doing 17:

What I watched last:
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Very funny 1980s film. Ferris Bueller is in his last year of High School and he decides to take a day off. He has prepared very well. All goes pretty much to plan and along the way his best friend and sister learn a lot more about themselves. As in all good comedy there are some really poignant moments, and even the slap-stick (which I normally can't bear) works well. Hodmandod Senior and I thoroughly enjoyed this.

What I'm reading next (after I've finished Chekhov):
We Are Now Beginning Our Descent by James Meek - looking forward to this. Meek's last book The People's Act of Love is an International Bestseller but I haven't read it yet although I have it on the great swaying TBR pile. I like the cover because of the mountains and the wrecked building and the man on his own looking at it all. It looks slightly surreal and sets my mind racing (it also chimes very well with the cover for 'The People's Act...). I've read the first section and it seems exciting...

What I'm Doing:
Still editing my Patagonia novel - and enjoying myself very much. I am convinced reading that reading Chekhov has helped me. I feel more confident in what I'm doing in my writing so I am pleased. Unfortunately I only have three more stories to read and I don't want to read them because then they will be gone...and I'm rather wishing now I had splurged out on the full 13 volume set. Ah well, still plenty more texts from the Francine Prose recommended reading list to try so that's good.

What I'm wearing:
Cord patterned purple skirt, purple tights, pink shoes, pink sweater - looks a little strange, but since I didn't step outside the house it didn't matter...

Style Tip (from Strunk and White):
When who introduces a subordinate clause, its case depends on its function. OK...I'm beginning to get really lost here, but I am going to try to make sense of this. I have no idea what 'case' means or what its function could be.

The two examples given are:
Fred Smith is the candidate who we think will win. (We think he will win).
Fred Smith is the candidate whom we hope to elect. (We hope to elect him).

And my examples are:
He is the one who inspires me (he inspires me).
She is the one on whom I depend (I depend on her).
(I hope they're right).

New Word.
Atavism = relating to or characterised by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.
Some people claim that a love of song or water is something atavistic in the Welsh.