Beauty is not a luxury, but a strategy for survival. ~ Terry Tempest Williams
Spring is verifiably here. Yard work calls in spades. I'm wrapping up some winter book readings, and thought I'd share what is sitting on the stacks and what has been blessing.
Life behind the brownstone front, two flights up and beyond, was
delightfully higgledy-piggledy as to System; and Duty and Discipline
had become pale, thin creatures that no longer cast shadows except
on Saturdays - from four o'clock on. Saturday was dedicated to Aunt
Emily and sewing. Lucinda buttoned up her fortitude and her best
manners....She believed the devil must have invented the needle.
There were her books, too, to put on their shelf; and there was the new diary that her mother had bought her and that she had promised to write in often. The books she handled and put in their places with loving care. They filled a large portion of her inner world - a sanctuary built securely to keep out Aunt Emily's and French governesses.
There were her books, too, to put on their shelf; and there was the new diary that her mother had bought her and that she had promised to write in often. The books she handled and put in their places with loving care. They filled a large portion of her inner world - a sanctuary built securely to keep out Aunt Emily's and French governesses.
I absolutely adored "orphaned" Lucinda in Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer. As a result, I picked up The Way of the Storyteller; I'm really looking forward to Ruth's tutelage. She has left a wide and generous path for storytellers to follow.
She wrote The Way of the Storyteller in 1942 wishing, "there might be a guild for storytellers today where master and apprentices might work together for the upholding of their art." She clearly felt the hunger of blazing trails in a word wilderness. Had she lived today she would have found some excellent guilds. Our hope is to be utilizing the aforementioned guild in the fall.
Also perusing, reading, tackling, pondering...
A Traveller's History of London (research)
London by AN Wilson (research)
Book of Ages, The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin (kind of research)
We can no longer say, "Let nature take care of itself." Our
press on the planet is heavy and relentless. A species in peril will
most likely survive now only if we allow it to, if our imaginations
can enter into the soul of the animal and we pull back on our own
needs and desires to accommodate theirs. What other species now
require of us is our attention. Otherwise, we are entering a
narrative of disappearing intelligences.
If you do violence to me, you do violence to yourself because we are all human beings.
This morning at breakfast, I ask Lily when compromise is appropriate. After a moment of silence, she says, "Compromise is fine on anything that is not essential, but you cannot compromise your principles. You cannot compromise the dream or the dream dies, and you suffer spiritually."
If you do violence to me, you do violence to yourself because we are all human beings.
This morning at breakfast, I ask Lily when compromise is appropriate. After a moment of silence, she says, "Compromise is fine on anything that is not essential, but you cannot compromise your principles. You cannot compromise the dream or the dream dies, and you suffer spiritually."
Terry Tempest Williams pulls us together in our brokenness. She makes beauty out of ashes, pain, and dust, reminding us, we too must create beauty out of brokenness. She weaves a beautiful mosaic.
Exploring the world, albeit slowly.
Because this year is the 800th anniversary of the, The Magna Charta
As we listen to Farmer Boy,
I'm suffering serious guilt over our lack of children chores around here. Yet, the arrival of
spring is helping rectify the situation!
Life is
rapidly becoming school, yard chores, and writing, the latter as there is time. Yet, we've upped the ante on writing projects round here.
Sister is busy finishing out her IEW year; I'll post another of her papers soon. I'm beginning to wonder if I should quit writing and simply focus on becoming her agent. She recently wrote a letter from Dolly Madison to her mother that takes the cake. Thankfully, she's constraining the drama to her writing!
Brother has been very busy writing at school and this week he'll also write a bill to prepare for his one day class at Teen Pact. The chosen topic of his proposed bill? Reading in bathrooms should not be allowed. (This is a bit of a personal agenda for him round our house. We won't say who frequently attempts to disappear with a book in the bathroom.)
And I've committed myself to a more aggressive pace of writing this year with a few members of my monthly critique group. We have agreed to turn in writing on the 1st and 3rd weeks of the month for perusal and feedback vs. only once a month.
If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write. ~ Martin Luther
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