by Sylvia McNicoll | Oct 27, 2008 | Sylvia McNicoll
Saturday it was our privilege to join in the celebration of a new book: War Brothers by Sharon McKay. We’d already read about how she’d researched the story in an article she’d written for Hamilton Magazine about a year ago.
Launches are always such hard work for the author. I think they mark the beginning of even more hard work to sell writing that should just fly off the shelves because it’s good. Sharon shouldn’t have to put on a great meal for us all.
But it was delightful for us readers and fans. I’ve already read War Brothers–what a contrast to Anne of Green Gables but the characters are that irrepressible and engaging. How lucky to be born in an island of Canada and not Uganda.
Congratulations to Sharon. She’s written a wonderful story with impact and hope.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Oct 25, 2008 | Sylvia McNicoll
So another tempting bottle of wine arrived courtesy of my long time friends Cheryl and Lloyd Lunan. Â Note the cute label. This is Lloyd’s own brand. Â My bottle of tylenold 3 is coming to an end so I’m almost ready to enjoy a glass.
Today I’m typing with two hands. I hope the cast doesn’tÂ

scrape at the computer too much. Â The actual keyboarding is not the issue. Â It’s the weight of the cast dragging down on the sore parts of the arm.
To entertain me through this week, I read Anne of Green Gables. Â It’s her hundredth birthday in November and Elizabeth McLeod is coming to speak at our CANSCAIP meeting on Lucy Maud’s life. Â Gillean O’Reilly, my programming partner, challenged me to read it again as an adult.
Anne sure is a wonderful character but it’s hard to believe her inventor suffered from depression. Â I loved the part where Anne breaks her ankle as a result of a dare and talks about how mad she is at herself. Â Spoke right to my heart.
If I had money, I would sue myself for being so stupid as to not wear wrist guards rollerblading.
Note to publishers: Â You shouldn’t make books so heavy, it’s hard on healthy wrists never mind broken ones
by Sylvia McNicoll | Oct 22, 2008 | Sylvia McNicoll
It’s like my birthday and everyone says poor me. Also it’s the time of year when all the literary shortlists are announced and mostly I’m not on them. I’m invited to help celebrate everyone else’s success.
So this arm break is most timely. I’m having a pity party. My friend and author of Grave Danger, Gisela Sherman,made me a wonderful lasagne. And see here my friend Eleanor bought me an inspiring red wine.I wanted to sip it with my pasta but I’m taking Tylenol 3 with codeine. That might have put me into a coma. Wonder what kind of prezzies my buddies would come up with then.
Okay, I am inspired. I will wean myself from the painkillers so that I can enjoy the wine. I should also mention, my daughter Robin bought me yoga pants so I could dress independently.
Thank you Gisela, Eleanor and Robin. To the the rest of my devoted blog
readers: Go out and buy Last Chance for Paris. It’s the only way you can ease the sting of lost nominations, broken limbs and careers.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Oct 20, 2008 | Sylvia McNicoll
Things you can’t do with one hand:
Hook your bra closed.
Button your jeans,
Perform a three stroke alt click save to desktop on a Mac notebook. Â In order to download this photo, Â I had to twist around and hurt my sore wrist.
But just see how beautiful. Â My friend Lynda sent me this edible arrangement. Â There are chocolate apple slices and strawberries with nut and coconut sprinkles. Â
With one hand, I was unable to capture Mortie leaping for the yellow smilie face star balloon attached to the arrangement.  Then suddenly, pop, Mortie was gone.  The smilie face  deflated.
Mortie’s hanging around the top floor of the house way far away from Smilie on the bottom level in my office,
The other thing that’s  hard to do is to keyboard and eat delicious dark chocolatey fruit.  My white keyboard has brown smudges.  I’ll lick those off when I’m desperate.
Thank you Lynda!Â
by Sylvia McNicoll | Oct 19, 2008 | Sylvia McNicoll


The whole season I have not rollerbladed once. Â It was a gorgeous day. Â Bob wanted to takes pictures at the lake. Â We’d just had a coffee with Eireannn and Craig, I dropped him off and went home to get Mortie. Â Then I thought why not bring the rollerblades.
Back at the park, Â Mortie and I had a lovely time. Â Many people pronounced him cute. Â He got a bit of a run.
It only broke down when we stopped for a photo for our blog. Â “Stand over there where the light is better” said Bob. Â Somehow in posing, maybe Mortie tugged, certainly not hard, I started to fall backwards. Â I did the mad whirly bird but to no avail.
I landed on my left hand. Â Nothing else hurt. Â But my fingers felt numb. Â My bottom forearm seemed disconnected from the bottom. Â “I broke my arm” Â I told Bob. Â it was a very distinctive twisty feeling.
Four hours later I’m sporting this lovely hot pink cast.  Now  I’m typing with one hand.
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