More shopping & Finding Tolstoy and The Death of Ivan Ilyich

New shoes and they smell nice too.

I think some times there's too much choice I bought some new trousers this week (quite easy) and wanted some more 'winter shoes'.

So yesterday off to Harrow and I must say I'd forgotten how I enjoy Nando's (what's not to like?) for me Nando's know chicken in a way Colonel Sanders never can - it's a fantastic lunch and the mechanism works well - order, pay wait for food, eat and go.

Well after eating came the shopping- I've been battling to  find the shoes I want and it's been a bit difficult (1st world problems - I love that site!) - they need to hit the right price point (under £40) not looking too much like an old man's shoe  (no Velcro or 'rounded' connection from the uppers to the sole) nor something that looked like it should be worn with Trackie bottoms - ended up with these  from Deichman

Tolstoy a larger than life figure

So have finished the Tolstoy short story that I had requested for Christmas and am contemplating starting 'The Devil' which is in the same volume.

Having found the book a useful one - (why is it so few books are written about death? )
Tolstoy was a philosopher as well as a writer and one may take some lessons from this book that chronicles how life may look when we anticipate our departure from it - Questions we might ask ourselves such as have we wasted our lives ir Have we realised our potential?

For me currently my mind is drawn to conundrums around determinism - if we operate as part of a 'Newtonian' universe why would we blame people for their actions - yet even determinisms it seems wrestle with their behaviours,  giving up cigarettes or trying to be a better person, and if we say okay that person committed that act as a result of their genes/upbringing we should we expect better from ourselves (answers on a postcard or e-mail please)

I find Tolstoy everywhere including a full day of War and Peace on Radio 4 which I'll try to catch up with.

Tolstoy found his privileged upbringing a challenge - there are some interesting facts about him here as well as the fact there's an amazing BBC documentary on Youtube - an interview with his youngest daughter Alexandra who acted as an aide/PA to him for some years .

Despite being  Count Tolstoy he spent a,lot of time with peasants, became a vegetarian and made his own shoes - a pioneer of alternative lifestyles  in many respects.