Footnotes to a Conversation, January 24, 2022

“Snowdrops: Theirs is a fragile but hardy celebration…in the very teeth of winter” – Louise Beebe Wilder

Teenage Sarcasm

Sarcasm is a sign of intelligence? Now that’s a surprise. Apparently, “sarcasm requires the brain to jump through numerous hoops to arrive at a correct interpretation, requiring more brainpower than literal statements. And although it's often dismissed as juvenile snark, sarcasm is actually evidence of maturity – as it takes years for a child's developing brain to fully grasp and master it.” [BBC]

Comfort Reading

When I was a student in France, a librarian told me I should be reading French authors when I checked out an Agatha Christie mystery. Unfair criticism! First of all, it was in French after all. Secondly, I was studying French literature at university and was in the midst of reading all 7 volumes of À La Recherche du Temps Perdu by Marcel Proust. Agatha Christie was and remains comfort reading. If you are in need of a cozy mystery, check out this handy list to help you pick your next Agatha Christie. [The Guardian]

Boho Zen

How could I resist a BC wine with such a great name and artwork! Especially when I read that the vineyard was sustainable, the grapes were handpicked, and they relied on natural yeasts. Even better, they play classical music in the vineyards and in the cellar. The winemakers believe classical music increases plant growth and assists with smoother, more predictable fermentation. [Winemaker’s Cut]

Sunshine

According to an anonymous poet, if the sunshine “sheds a gleam” on St. Vincent’s Day, it’s a “token bright and clear of prosperous weather all the year.” So, forget the groundhog. I’m putting my faith in St. Vincent, the patron saint of winemakers, whose feast day is January 22 when the sun shone brightly all day long in Victoria.

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, I suggest you also read EcoFriendly Sask that I publish in collaboration with my brother, Andrew. Check out EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.