I will not write about the world today. Can’t. I will try not to think about all that is going on out there, hard as that is. Because it feels as if hell in a handbasket is just around the corner.

Anna and family went out together at Hallowe’en, the boys as a movie murderer and an animé character, Anna as Snow White, and six foot tall Thomas as a hotdog, with a wiggly smear of mustard down his front. Perfect! There was the usual chaos here, many hundreds on Sackville Street, but I was teaching on Zoom, hiding in the kitchen. Perfect.

So the big news is: Here and Now, a new Beatle song! It’s wonderful, especially considering what they went through to produce it – Macca filling in John’s vocals and harmonizing with his old pal, re-inventing George’s slide guitar licks, and even writing new stuff to fill it out. So really, it’s a new Macca song with input from John, George, and Ringo, as was common toward the end of the Beatles – or even earlier, viz, Yesterday, or Blackbird, which he just wrote and sang without them. Atsa my boy, who, at 81, is currently on tour, filling Australia’s biggest stadiums.

Paul Simon also has a new album, as do the Stones. Hooray for the ageless octogenarian rockers! What follows was on FB and I loved it: apparently, Jeopardy questions that are Shakespearean versions of famous Beatle songs. Can you get them? I got every one instantly.

Brucie and I watched Hitchcock’s The Birds on Hallowe’en night. Its image of angry nature pecking humans to death made sense, more now than then. What didn’t is that Tippy Hedren and Jessica Tandy had stiffly lacquered, perfectly coiffed hair in nearly every shot, even after being savagely attacked by crows. The miracle of the early sixties, those stiff unmoving ‘do’s.

Just got my sixth vaccine — trying not to get sick before Monday’s launch. Still have not seen the book, but apparently my shipment will arrive tmw, and I hope the bookstore’s will too. Talk about down to the wire, producing a tiny bit of tension. But, as my wise, chill daughter said to me, Nothing you can do about it, Mum, so just relax. Easy for her to say.

Here is what Anna has to say about Buffy Ste. Marie: This is an Indigenous issue and none of our business as settlers. If Buffy was accepted into and adopted by the Cree nation, then that’s that.

Makes sense to me. As she almost always does, except when she goes off the deep end. Which I of course never do.

Admired this bicycle today. I need more messages on mine. Peace now. All you need is love.

Save our planet, burn fat not fuel. Love it.

Answers to Beatle quiz: She loves you, yeah yeah yeah. Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four? Help me if you can, I’m feeling down, and I do appreciate you being round. Dear sir or lady, will you read my book? Took me years to write it, will you take a look? I think I’m gonna be sad, I think it’s today; the girl that’s driving me mad is going away…”

Love those boys. At Monday’s launch, I’ll be quoting them. Perhaps I should sing it: Dear sir or lady, will you read my book, took me years to write it, will you take a look?