Robin McKinley's Blog, page 203

Just a little more about homeopathy

 

Skating librarian writes: 

The advice about burning would seem to apply, as serious nettle encounters go way beyond itching. Of late the incessant rain seems to be good for more than swelling the berries, for I've discovered that if I can plunge my hand into cold water at once I have much less of a reaction, and Lord knows there is more than enough water around.

 I still use cold water for minor burns . . . even though I know I shouldn't.  I'm a homeopath, and like cures like.  Another one of the

Pupdate – Chasing tails

by B-Twin

I get the vague feeling that a pupdate is required.  When I returned from the sheep show^ after 4 days and saw how much they had grown…… *gulp*

However, they are at the age (9 weeks) where the whole world is their oyster.  So they enjoy wrestling in the rose beds (in the long grass …*coughs*), staring at the hens through the fence, hiding under the buddleia to gnaw their chicken wings^^ in solitude as well as giving the puppy-sitters palpitations by undertaking an unauthorized expedition

Homeopathy for nettle burns

Skating librarian wrote:

What does the homeopath suggest for nettles beyond swearing and dock leaves? 

Chances are homeopathic urtica urtens, which is to say the remedy made from stinging nettle itself, is the answer to nettle stings*—homeopathy's founding principle is 'like cures like'.**  But some people react to nettle stings with a frantic burning itch, in which case you might try rhus tox***;  or if urtica doesn't work and the burning feels like it's eating holes in you, then try ars alb—arse

Frell

 

Hellhounds and I had a run in with a game warden today.  Sigh.  This is actually kind of a rant.  The public footpath system is a wonderful thing, but it's less wonderful when it doesn't work.  In theory farmers are not allowed to put dangerous animals in fields that footpaths cross;  in practise it happens all the time, because how do you define a dangerous animal?  I won't take my hellhounds in a field with cattle, because cattle are too frelling big, and they can get pretty excitable about t

The best, the greatest vampire novel ever written

Someone who works at ABC sent me this link:

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8115612

Okay, so why aren't I wealthy and famous?*(If I knew where Nancy Pearl lived I'd send her flowers.)                                                                                                 And this came in from some unknown reader a few days ago:                                                                                                                                                Yesterday

Relative pitch, more on

 

I thought this was too good to leave buried in the forum:

 EMoon wrote: 

 . . .  Relative pitch–I'm still struggling with it, but about a week ago actually *heard* a fifth as a fifth, listening to music on the radio.  

My musical moment of terror came last week, when our choir director, giving another alto and me a lesson (he gives a free lesson once a year to choir members who want it; this is the first time I've had the nerve), calmly announced that I was not a second alto (a self-definition tha

Guest post by ajlr

Rearguard Action

A long time ago, I was one of 76 people (ranging in age from 18 to 32) who started out on a five-month officer cadet training course in the RAF. The object of those in charge of tormenting us over the five months was to see whether we could make it to the end of the course still sane and (possibly) worthy of receiving the Queen's Commission. Two weeks of the course, roughly half-way through, involved capering in energetic and hair-raising fashion round an area of England known as

Thrilling

 

It's been an unexpectedly brilliant day.  Not the weather:  we all got back from our hurtle this morning half sodden and half fried as the fat black clouds alternate with the July sun, and in less than a perfectly balanced and open-to-what-the-universe-sends mood.  Or that was me anyway.  The hellhounds are more tolerant.*  I was sure I could see the steam rising off my All Stars. 

            We then rushed down to the mews so I could plunge into the piano for as long as possible before my less

Mostly of Imps and Hellhounds

 

The weather (with reference to immediately previous Note)  is only one manifestation of a rather lumpy day.   There's been a lot of imp activity*:  towels keep falling off towel rails, items that were right there in front of me mysteriously disappear, pairs of All Stars I know I've just put away keep reappearing in the middle of the floor, anything I want out of my knapsack is always on the bottom, and I've managed to leave a dark brown tea ring on my ancient porous plastic sink, which will be

Note

Most of England is having gods-and-devils weather:  it's worse north of here but we're still getting the lashing winds and the core-dumps of rain . . . and the thunder and lighting.  My internet connection is flickering like a candle in a draught.  Just to warn you that if I don't manage to post tonight, that'll be why.