I have been very negligent about updating this blog, for all the usual reasons, mostly to do with time and its habit of insufficiency.
That probably won’t change for a while, but here are a few things that I’ve shared elsewhere on the Internet over the last few months.
My niece’s 3rd birthday was in May, and I bought her a safari-themed magnetic theatre, which appropriately enough I gave to her at the zoo. Before that, however, I had recorded this video of a story I composed for it. Enjoy!
The Giraffe’s Birthday (uploaded 8 April)
Another video I recorded earlier this year describes a method for remembering how the pips are arranged on standard six-sided dice. I did this for good old whimsical fun, channelling some of the greats of the explainer genre. It’s all about looking closely at everyday objects in search of easily memorised patterns, and I expect people to find it not so much useful as charmingly useless.
Where do the dots go on a dice? (uploaded 25 April)
On Google Plus, I posted a warning about mermaids (2 June), which summarises my thoughts on the subject as developed over years of idle musing. My take is about as far removed from a Disney movie as you can get (but considerably nearer to folklore I think). It should appeal particularly to both biologists and sex fetishers, and I would be delighted if any authors are inspired by it.
Hopefully something in this eclectic collection appeals to you, and if anything arouses your curiosity, we can discuss it in the comments.
The Outer Hoard 
25 Jul 2016 at 3:23 pm
I like the safari theatre. I have not seen a set-up like that before.
25 Jul 2016 at 5:05 pm
Hi, Helen. Rebecca had a magnetic theatre when she was young, but it was a fairy-tale–themed one, which most of them are. I prefer the safari-themed theatre because it’s more of a blank slate for the imagination. Unfortunately it was the last one in stock at the online store where I bought it. Magnetic theatres are certainly not in fashion, but because they are so simple there’s no reason why any independent toymaker couldn’t make their own.
25 Jul 2016 at 5:55 pm
Thanks for the reply, Adrian. Helen