I Don't Want To Know

In today's Toronto Star, Dr. Oz talks about a new brain scan that can spot buildup of plaque, that tangly stuff related to Alzheimer's Disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee has recommended its approval, but wants to ensure that all doctors and radiologists know how to interpret the scans.

Many medical experts are discouraging consumers from taking the early-warning test. Dr. Oz disagrees--he believes that anyone over 50 with a family history of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, should take the test.

I meet all of these criteria, but I have decided not to take the test. Instead, I will follow the everyday health habits that Dr. Oz recommends:

• Eat more salads, fish and fruit. 
• Eat less butter, ice cream and red meat.
• Take a brisk 30-minute walk each day.
• Do not smoke and do not go near people who do.
• Drink three to five small cups of coffee a day.
• Drink in moderation--one drink a day for women and two for men.
• Take a DHA supplement.

Listening to Maria Aragon

The 10-year old Winnipeg native has been caught in a whirlwind. She is living proof that life can change on a dime.

Last week, her sister, Rojuane, filmed Maria as she sang Lady Gaga's latest single, Born This Way. The day after, Lady Gaga tweeted a link of Maria's version to her millions of followers. She commented, "Can's stop crying watching this. This is why I make music. She is the future."

Watch the video on youtube.

Movie Review--Unknown

This Euro-thriller deserves more than 2.5 stars.

Liam Neeson delivers an excellent performance as botanist, Dr. Martin Harris. His beautiful and mysterious wife is played by January Jones.

After arriving at their hotel in Berlin, he realizes that he left his briefcase--with their passports--at the airport. When he hops in a cab and dashes back to retrieve it, a chain-reaction crash sends the car off a bridge into a river. The driver--an illegal immigrant played by Diane Kruger--saves him and runs off. When Martin awakes in a hospital four days later, he's told he has been in a coma and may experience selective amnesia. He returns to the hotel and discovers that his wife does not recognize him and another man is claiming to be the real Dr. Martin Harris.

The rest of the film involves a number of car chases, Euro hoods lurking in the shadows, a few murders, and an encounter with a former Stasi agent.

The storyline is a gripping one and I must admit I was totally unprepared for the twist in the movie.

Watch the trailer.  

Sundays for Writers

The members of Guelph Write Now meet the third Sunday of each month at Lucie's Bakery in south Guelph. Their organizer, Cindy Carroll, invited the Writers Ink group to join them today.

I accepted her invitation and enjoyed two stimulating hours with four other aspiring Guelph authors. We chatted and shared our writing experiences. Cindy provided us with four prompts and we wrote spontaneously. Afterward, we shared our stories and commented on each other's interpretation of the prompts.

We also enjoyed the delicious coffee and desserts.

Published

Published...two weeks in a row!

My review of The Lake of Dreams appears in today's Waterloo Record and Guelph Mercury.

Read my review.

Creative Explorations Workshop

This evening, I attended a writing workshop facilitated by Nikki Everts-Hammond.. It was two hours long and very interactive. We had to write spontaneously, given a few leads from Nikki.

A few examples of the scenarios...

• If you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be? 
• What item comes to mind when I say small? 
• You are in a closet with the door closed behind you. Imagine that a time machine takes you to the present or past. Describe the experience.

It has been awhile since I have written spontaneously and it shows. I am at my writing best when I sit in front of the computer with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate at my side.

I was impressed by many of the other aspiring writers who shared their work with the group. Read a few samples written by my friend, Patricia Anderson at Writers Ink.

Book Club Night

While the group was a large one, the discussion was a bit subdued. A bit of the February blahs?

Three ladies did not like the book. One was very disturbed by some of the graphic and violent scenes. She actually had nightmares and couldn't sleep.

The rest of us enjoyed reading When Will There Be Good News?  The third in a series of books dealing with retired detective Jackson Brodie, the book opens with an act of shocking violence. Six-year old Joanna is spared but her mother, sister and brother are brutally murdered by a complete stranger.

The rest of the book focuses on the present, 30 years after the incident. A series of events are told through the four protagonists--Reggie, Jackson Brodie, Joanna Hunter and Louise Munroe.

At first, I was put off by the number of coincidences in the book. It seemed a bit far-fetched that so many characters could be connected and somehow meet at the same place. But it did not stop me from reading the book in two sittings. I could not put it down for too long.

Afterward, I went back and read the first book in the series, Case Histories. I wanted more of the back story.

I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the series: One Good Turn and Started Early, Took My Dog.