So much change this week. Biden is out, Kamala Harris is in. We have a more normal weather pattern, with sunshine alternating with showers. We've gotten out on the Bay again. The earth is breathing a sigh of relief. The grapes are growing. The donkeys are settling in. The Olympics are on in gay Paris. Life is good. And no one believes that I am 70.
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| 29 June 2024, 70 years on earth! |
When I was a young woman in the 1970s, we lived by the mantra "better to burn out than to rust". Consequently, I never imagined I could live to 70, but here I am. Yesterday was my 70th birthday. A 70th birthday is traditionally associated with platinum. Platinum symbolizes endurance, strength, and the precious nature of reaching this significant milestone in life. Honestly, I like being 70 better than I liked being 30.
At 30 you stress about everything: personal achievement, family, fulfillment, bucket lists, and money. At 70, I am so past all of that. I have nothing to prove, I've done interesting things, I've made enough money to live on, and I've built a fulfilling life with someone I really love. I am enjoying freedom.
I'm hoping for at least 20 more healthy years which would mean a few more than I've already spent in Ireland. That would ensure that I could spend many years enjoying what we've built here, and it's a lovely home that I am very proud to be the caretaker of for a while.
When Alex asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner for my birthday, I said, "Yes, in Endinburgh." I thought a small adventure would be in order and I've had the desire to book short trips from Knock Airport which tend to be easy. I booked two nights in a hotel with a view of Edinburgh Castle, dinner at French and Thai restaurants and a visit to the castle before flying back home. We got to the airport and settled in. But no announcements were forthcoming. Then they announced a delay but not how long. Then they announced in the app a delay of about an hour. That would be okay. But an hour passed and there was still no plane. When it looked like we'd be delayed as long as 3 hours, we decided to bail out as there was no way we'd make it in time for any dinner anywhere. We cancelled as much as we could and drove home.
On the way home, I managed to make a reservation for dinner at An Port Mor as they'd had a last-minute cancellation. Success! We had a wonderful three-course dinner (the only menu they now have -- no more a la carte). Back home to watch a movie with the kitties and an aperitif of Grey Goose. Slept in our own bed, the best place on earth.
So at 70, I am still learning lessons. Do not trust an air bus service with your big events. And don't be disappointed if you try and fail. Things fall into place. I tried to make my 70th memorable, and indeed it was.
Time for another reinvention. What do I want to do with the next decade?
The Anthropocene is sometimes used to describe the time during which humans have had a substantial impact on our planet. Whether or not we are in a new geological age, we are part of a complex, global system and the evidence of our impact on it has become clear.
Human activity is killing nature at an unprecedented rate. We are now experiencing the consequences in the form of a possible sixth mass extinction.
A mass extinction is a period of geological time in which a high percentage of biodiversity, or distinct species — bacteria, viruses, fungi, plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates — dies out. The earth has experienced five previous mass extinction events, the last occurring 65.5 million years ago. Experts now believe we’re in the midst of a sixth mass extinction.
Unlike previous extinction events caused by natural phenomena, the sixth mass extinction is driven by human activity, mainly the unsustainable use of land, water and energy, and climate change. Currently, 40% of all land has been converted for food production. Agriculture is also responsible for 90% of global deforestation and accounts for 70% of the planet’s freshwater use, devastating the species that inhabit those places by significantly altering their habitats. Where and how food is produced is one of the biggest human-caused threats to species extinction and our ecosystems.
The intertwined relationships among the food system, climate change, and biodiversity loss place immense pressure on our planet. Unsustainable food production and consumption contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions causing atmospheric and sea temperature rise. The climate crisis is causing severe droughts as well as more frequent and intense storms. The challenges associated with food production that stress species, while creating conditions that make their habitats inhospitable, are mounting, making it more difficult to maintain crops and produce sufficient food.
The earth has suffered five previous mass extinction events:
Climate Chaos
by Daria Blackwell
Each day I search for evidence
That life's going to be okay.
Instead I find new evidence
of global order in decay.
The oceans of the earth are boiling
The air though cleaner
Is letting through more light
to exacerbate the warming.
With every passing moment
the feeling of doom gets stronger
the hopelessness of it all
blocks any chance of revival.
And the sun sends out a flare
Like a distress signal to the universe
Which lands on earth as aurora
The most exquisite of light's expressions.
And yet when the opportunity came
After telling everyone to look up
I looked to the metaverse instead
And missed the spectacle so many witnessed.
Others missed it too
They start support groups
For those who cannot live
with themselves over it.
We can't stop the fight.
We can't get it right.
We can't resist our ways.
We can't amend our days.
13-05-24
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I had a scare several weeks ago when I developed an infection in one of my front teeth that resulted in a tooth becoming loose. My dentists were on holiday and I couldn't get in to see them for more than a week. I treated myself with Glyoxide, then got a course of antibiotics from my dentist. But I was worried about the tooth and was referred to my periodontist.
My brilliant periodontist in Galway diagnosed that an ongoing infection in one of my lower front teeth had eroded my bone. But, he concluded that we could likely save the tooth. So I agreed to oral surgery and as I stood there, a cancellation came in for a week later. He advised me to take the appointment if I wanted the best chance of saving the tooth. So I did, despite Alex and I being due to speak at a roundtable at Ballymaloe House this weekend.
The appointment was for 9 am in Galway on Friday the 17th of May. Making it to Galway in rush hour traffic would have been a nightmare and we didn't need the extra stress. So I booked us into the Victoria Hotel which is convenient to the dental office and the town centre.
I booked us into a new restaurant Éan recommended by the Michelin Guide. It was very unusual and spectacularly delicious. Perfectly balanced unique pairings of flavours as we've never experienced before. We started with almonds (to die for) and Grenacha wine. Next Alex had Dexter tartare and I had scallop in an oriental soup base with egg yolk. To top it off, we had the venison. Fabulous.
Breakfast at the Victoria was OK. A short walk and I was in the operating theatre. I counted 11 injections of lidocaine. We started with a deep cleaning of a deep pocket in one of my molars and a cleaning of the staining caused by the Corsodyl I was told to use by my dentist. Then he moved on to the surgery when I was fully numb. Incisions were made around the affected tooth. Lots of hoking followed along the inside of the tooth, then solutions sprayed, the tooth secured with adhesive to the adjacent tooth, treatment with ultraviolet light, and more. Last, he inserted a gel matrix that encourages regrowth of bone by my body. Finally, more than an hour later, I counted three sutures in the back and five in the front. They are dissolving sutures which should be absorbed in a few days.
I can't bite anything with the front of my teeth for about 5 days. Soft foods only for 4-5 days. Antibiotics for 5 days, and pain meds stronger than ibuprofen for a few days.
He said we'd done everything humanly possible to save the tooth. It was up to God's divine intervention to determine what was next. I hope my connection with God is favourable for my prayers to be heard.
I see him again on the 7th June. We'll see what God has in store for me.
Storm Isha takes its toll
Violent is the wind today.
White seahorses on the ocean
and galloping down the Bay.
Today I fear the warriors
Coursing on the Irish waters,
Collecting tolls from its shores
Tearing down the olden trees.
And homes that were left to fend
On their own.
24/01/2024
