Eating dirt

Well, here I am in Trier. The trip down was a nightmare. What should have been a 7 to 7 1/2 hour drive in a rental van turned into 10 1/2 hours, much of it stuck in traffic jams or winding my way through road works, accompanied by driving rain most of the way, thanks to a holiday weekend in Germany. Excellent! And to top it all off, once Ms. Bear and I finally arrived late on Saturday night, we had to cope with two days of everything but everything being closed (Sunday - as ever in Germany, and then Monday too due to the public holiday.) Let's just say that 24 petrol stations were our friend and saviour.

Ms. Bear has since boarded a train and headed back Berlinwards, so I'm all alone in my new flat. It's largely set up now and looking and feeling cozy. Still a few things which need sorting out, not the least of which is telephone and internet access, but it's coming along nicely.

I made my first appearance at work today, only to discover that most of my colleagues are on holiday and I am not really required for the next week. How nice! At least it gives me some time to get all the administrative-type stuff sorted before launching into my work.

Anyhow, to cut a long story short, I'm run off my feet at the moment with trying to get everything sorted out. Couple that with the fact that there is no computer in my office yet and that I don't have an internet connection sorted out at home, and you'll understand why The Capital Letter has been so dead over the past few days.

This one too is just brief. All being well, I hope to get a chance to do a more substantial post tomorrow. To keep you entertained in the meantime, however, I offer a totally weird news item which found its way into my inbox today.

It melts in your mouth like chocolate, says Ruth Anne T. Joiner, describing her favorite treat.

"The good stuff is real smooth," she adds. "It's just like a piece of candy."

Joiner is describing the delectable taste of dirt — specifically, clay from the region around her home in Montezuma, Ga.

While most people would recoil at the thought of eating mud or clay, some medical experts say it may be beneficial, especially for pregnant women.

Continue reading Eating Dirt: It might be good for you.

The obvious questions to any of my readers who have had children: did you eat dirt or clay while you were pregnant? If not, a) did you experience dirt cravings?, or b) now that you know it might be good for you, would you try it if you got pregnant again? And finally, if you have eaten dirt, what's it like? Do tell!

eating dirt
Trier