I recently discovered the genius of actor Jeremy Brett starring in Sherlock Holmes. I would describe him as an elegant actor. The talent just oozed out of his pores. Sadly, Jeremy passed away in 1995. He was approximately 52 years old when he played the part of Sherlock Holmes. Had I not seen him perform with David Burke as Dr. Watson, and later with Edward Hardwicke, as the doctor, I probably never would have discovered these stories, relegating them to the realm of men's stories. Interestingly, when Mr. Brett (Huggins in real life) discovered that school children had made Sherlock Holmes their hero through his acting, he became concerned, because Holmes was a drug addict and he actually contacted his friend, the daughter of Arthur Conan Doyle, to ask her if she would mind him arranging for an adjustment to the storyline so that it showed Holmes quitting his addiction. She agreed, and the storyline was adjusted. This action on the part of the actor tells us a lot about the man, himself. By all accounts, he was a caring and compassionate human being. So many in England admired him, that they are trying to have a park in London named in his honour. I am not sure if they succeeded, but many people signed a petition to achieve this goal.
I look forward to discovering more of Jeremy's films for hours of pleasant viewing.

I was talking to my sister on the phone yesterday. Her daughter is a single parent, who is not responsible enough to handle raising her daughter. Consequently, my sister has applied for and recieved custody of the child. Sherry is now in the school system and experiencing learning difficulties as well as behavioral problems. Someone in the "system" has labeled her ADHD and ODD (a recent addition to the DSM-IV TR, the psychiatric "Bible"). While I was studying pyschology in university I borrowed my instructor's copy of the DSM and came across a relatively new "disorder" called ODD or oppositional defiant disorder and immediately saw how easy it could be to label a child with this so-called "disorder."
It is no longer admissable to simply call a child in a given situation frustrated because she is having difficulty learning and therefore acting out her emotions in an inappropriate manner. The psychiatric community (and now the teaching profession) seem to find it easier to stick a label on a child and advise that the child be seen by a family doctor or psychiatrist and be prescribed a mind-altering drug, because in the school system today, there seems to be no effective disciplinary measure for such behavior. The child in question happens to have obvious issues - the unavailability of her father, with whom she has had some minimal contact and the inconsistency of her mother, who claims to want to be involved in her life, yet herself has emotional issues that have not been resolved, and is therefore unable to give the child the emotional support that she requires. Sherry perceives (though probably not overtly) that she is somehow "different" than many of her classmates. She comes from an odd background - her grandmother is her primary caregiver and her peers and teachers are aware of this situation. Even in today's society where having only one parent as a caretaker is more commonplace than it was when we were children in the 50s and 60s, there is still the sense that the child's family situation is "outside the norm" and a child can carry an emotional burden that she is "strange and different" from her peers. If she struggles with school activities and academic expectations, she has an additional burden to carry. Is it any wonder that she acts out? I don't believe it is.
If a psychiatrist who is the only reliable authority on the accurate diagnosis of a child's mental health, decides that the label ODD does fit the child's symptoms, then that child ought to have access to ongoing oversight of that psychiatrist and methods other than the administration of pychiatric drugs ought to be tried first.
My hope is that my sister will make certain that it is, indeed, a psychiatrist who is diagnosing this child, prior to consenting to the child being prescribed a psychiatric medication. I hope that whatever the decision is in this case, the child will be helped to achieve in school and that she will find a niche where her particular abilities will be fostered, so that even if she is not inclined towards academic scholarship, she may find a way in which she can achieve and succeed in her life. It is all too easy for teachers to label children that represent a challenge to them with a mental disorder, rather than to find an effective way to enable the child to succeed in school.

I have a close relative that I visit regularly and she has a tendency to feel that her problems are worse than other people's problems. She has undeniably had a life of tragic events, more so than many of her friends, and at a young age. However, I find it difficult to agree with her every time she complains to me about her physical aches and pains and problems, when she will not book a consultation appointment with her physician. She does visit him at regular intervals, and so she should, but she ignores my advice to book at 20-minute appointment, rather than a short 10-minute appointment. I have worked in medical clinics so I realize that doctors do not "double" book as many people believe they do. At last not the doctors that I have worked for (a total of 18 over the years). I worked for two group practices of seven doctors each and am currently working for a group of three doctors. I did bookings for 18 months, prior to switching to full-time medical transcription.
She will go to the doctor, which is a great effort for her as it involves using her scooter and using the Handy-Dart public transportation for the disabled, and she will return complaining that he didn't give her enough time.

On Saturday afternoon I went out to one of my favourite family restaurants and soaked up the atmosphere and relaxing music, and ate a decadent dessert. I didn't intend it to be so huge, but it was unbelievable. It was called Peach Crisp and it was described as having raspberries, blackberries and blueberries in it. Of course, I always ask for the ice-cream topping, which was also generous. It was soft ice-cream, which I prefer. Talk about yummy. However, I couldn't finish it all. I had decaffeinated coffee with it, as I had had my quota of caffeine for the day. I read Good Housekeeping Christmas edition (one of my Christmas traditions). Then I decided to wander over the the Blue Heron Bookstore and have a peak at their local books. I was surprised to see a book about the British Columbia Provincial Police force, of which my adoptive father had been a member until 1950 when it was disbanded and the RCMP accepted members into their police force. My dad was one who accepted that offer. He stayed with the RCMP until 1958 when he was eligible for a pension (he had served 20 years when both forces were totaled). He then studied to become an industrial first aid attendant and worked for another 10 years. Anyway looking through this book, I found lists of all the officers who were there that last year and my father was listed as being in Vancouver, BC. I looked at the numerous photos to see if my dad was among the group photos, but I didn't see him. I really wanted the book, but felt it was a luxury. Pondering it longer when I returned home, I decided to ask the owner of the store to set the book aside for me, as the local library doesn't have a copy and it isn't available on any online bookstore including ABE books and Amazon.ca or Amazon.com. I believe the fellow who put it together probably self-published or it was published by a special interest publisher and will not be republished, so my purchase is now or never. I will call it a Christmas present to myself. I think that's my news for today. Happy Blogging and happy reading. Until next time.....

I think all writers who write their autobiography struggle with thoughts of "I'm living in the past." Also, they are often admonished by well-meaning friends and relatives to "get on with their lives" and "stop living in the past." Or comments like, "I've heard that from you over and over again." Family is especially inclined to become impatient with the writer, who tells her story verbally over and over again to those they see the most often. This happens to me regularly. I don't earn enough money to have the ability to travel very often and with the cost of gas these days, things are even worse in that area. I make my living sitting in front of a computer screen all day long and writing also requires me to sit in front of my computer.
I think the reason I keep repeating stories to my family and friends is that I am subconsciously speaking things out in an effort to reinforce them in my memory. Some of these things are negative and I give people the impression that I am defeated by these negative events and relationships that have occurred in my life. I know that such is not the case. It is more lack of money that prevents me from moving ahead with my life.
Blogging provides a channel through which I can keep my writing skills sharp and my thought processes clear. It also satisfies my need to "fell connected" to others, just as stage performers say performing helps them to feel connected to their audiences.