our first Photo Laureate

I love Toronto! It has named old friend Geoffrey James as its first "Photo Laureate". What a great idea. Bravo, Geoffrey. I won't tell the city fathers how reluctant you were some years ago to leave your beloved Montreal for our fair city, which, it seems to me, has more than made your move worthwhile.
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2016/02/geoffrey-james-named-torontos-first-photo-laureate

Yesterday, I had a check-up with my doctor, the first in a few years. She checks my blood pressure, palpitates my breasts for abnormalities, inspects in and out, asks piercing questions. And at the end: no problem. No problem for now. Blood tests coming up, more tests in store in future, I'm sure - but I could not be more grateful for the moment when she says, "You're in good shape." Especially because my dad died of cancer when he was exactly the age I am now.

Then I picked 3 new books up from the library, had a telephone chat with my nearly 96-year old aunt, cooked a delicious recipe from the NYT - salmon in a sauce of leeks and tomatoes - and hosted a rehearsal for So True, eight writers, two who've done it before and six new to the process, bringing their best game, their most powerful stories, to practice reading in front of an audience before Sunday's event. I was very proud of them all.

I am going to try to shut the American election out of my field of vision, because it's just too excruciating - and the Oscars too, phooey on you, stupid Revenant, which the New Yorker reviewer called the "Donald Trump of the best picture nominees."

Today was cold but the sun was shining hot. Thank you, thank you to the gods of health, work and sunshine.