When she stays over with us during the summer break from school her iPod is never out of reach, nor is her cellphone. She spends an incredible amount of time on her laptop, looking up things on the Internet, playing games, amusing herself. She is constantly texting in response to messages she receives from her friends. She calls this "talking" to them.

She has deigned, this time, to accompany us on three successive days to the ravine for our usual hour, hour-and-a-half walk with our two little dogs. When she was small and with us day in and day out she accompanied us each and every time we were in there; at that time she had no choice. Now she exercises her free will and if she feels like opting out, she does. Which is what she did for the remainder of the time she stayed with us.

At Chapters she peered about at all the titles, yet knowing in advance the authors she was interested in and seeking out those of their books she was not already in possession of. She often does her book 'research' on the Internet, beforehand. She treasurers her books, gives nothing up, and only on the rarest of occasions will she loan out one of her books to a friend, only to receive it back in a condition that invariably distresses her.

She has an intense and somewhat inordinate interest in food, and is constantly nibbling on something. When her grandfather went off to the bulk food store she was immediately alert to accompany him. When they returned the swag read like this: for her, a bag heavy with chocolate covered cherries, another of jellybeans; for him a bagful of coconut-centered chocolate bars; for me, a bagful of bay leaves.