Footnotes to a Conversation, December 12, 2022

“The holly bush, a sober lump of green, shines through the leafless shrubs all brown and grey, and smiles at winter be it e’er so keen with all the leafy luxury of May.” – John Clare, Winter Walk

Secrets From Beyond the Grave

I am amazed by how much archaeologists can determine when uncovering human remains. For example, two tombs have been uncovered under the nave at Notre Dame cathedral. One “contains the remains of a high priest who died in 1710 after what experts say appeared to be a sedentary life. The occupant of the second has not yet been identified – and may never be – but is believed to be a young, wealthy and privileged noble who could have lived as far back as the 14th century.” The young man’s pelvic bones indicate that he was an experienced horseman. The older man’s teeth were in excellent condition: “They were remarkable for his age. We see this very rarely, but he clearly cleaned his teeth and took care of them.” [The Guardian]

Activating the Little Grey Cells (Hercules Poirot)

An article listing the favorite fictional detectives of celebrated crime writers was doubly interesting. I wasn’t familiar with all the books mentioned – or with all the crime writers who were interviewed – a bountiful harvest of potential future reading enjoyment. [The Guardian]

Louise Penny fans will enjoy hearing how she met Hilary Clinton and ended up collaborating with her on a book. [The Guardian]

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” – Charles Dickens

Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.

If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.