In Praise of Journaling

Looking East from Mechanicsville

Over Downtown Richmond

Looking West from Lee Bridge

These photographs were taken on Sunday at sunset, as we drove home with Debra from a family pizza gathering in her honor.  It was a pleasure to have her with us - the time passed so quickly. 

I’ve just left her at the airport to head back across country.  She and her father were amused at my photo snapping out the windows, and put it down to a few too many golden beverages.  They intimated I would find on sober reflection that I had not captured the glory of the sky.  This is in fact the case, but I’m pleased with the photos none the less.

Today some random thoughts - The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel; Edith Wharton; my father’s journals – writing to capture and understand the fleeting nature of life. 

My parents, 90 and 89 years old, recently discovered a cache of journals that my father kept while they were living in Scottsville, Virginia in the 1970’s and 80’s, when they were at the time of life where my husband and I now find ourselves.  On my return from the mountains last week, my father greeted me with a quote I’d written in a blank book for him sometime during that period – it was like hearing from an old friend: In spite of illness, in spite even of the archenemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways. – Edith Wharton, ”A First Word”

In searching the web for the exact wording (much easier than scanning my own notebooks to find where I’d stashed it 30 some years ago!), I also discovered Wikipedia’s list of quotes from Wharton, at http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edith_Wharton.  This one  from her Age of Innocence, caused me to bubble with laughter - An unalterable and unquestioned law of the musical world required that the German text of French operas sung by Swedish artists should be translated into Italian for the clearer understanding of English-speaking audiences.

What a pleasure to relive  mundane day to day impressions, tucked away at the time – accomplishments and adventures that slip from the mind so quickly if not captured in the moment. It’s been a delight to share past times with my parents. Reminds me of going thru albums of when our children were very young – and looking back on what I felt then, and what I feel now; occassionally with more understanding. (Hmmm, how can I capture my blog for similar future review?)

Last night I finished reading The Red Leather Diary, Lily Koppel’s book about Florence Wolfson Howitt and the diary she kept from when she was 14 in 1929 til she was 19 in 1934.  The diary was found in 2003 in a dumpster in New York City, tossed in among old steamer trunks when Lily’s apartment building was cleaning out old tenant storage.  In 2006 Lily, who’s just a few month’s older than our younger daughter, tracked down Florence, now 90 years old, and returned the diary to her.  The book overflows with the excitement and emotions of a young, very independent, woman growing up in the midst of teeming intellectual, artistic, and musical opportunities.  Brings to mind the diaries of Anais Nin to whom my sister introduced me many years ago.

Do you own your life, your ideas, ideals, dreams, discoveries? Don’t let television and hectic media babble wash bland your brain.  Live, think, grow, create.

Recent Reads

One of the many joys of my retirement has been having time to read.  Murder mysteries are my current favorites, after many years of following science fiction. My most recent mystery discovery is author Cara Black.  She writes of a young woman investigator in Paris of the mid 1990’s.  Each of the three books I’ve read so far focuses on one of the ethnic minorities of that great city: Murder in the Latin Quarter (Hatians); Murder in the Marais (Algerians); Murder in Belleville (Jews).  Her depiction of the ancient/modern city that is Paris is constantly entrancing.

I’ve also been reading Simon Winchester.  My sister had suggested Krakatoa several years ago and I just got around to it.  Enjoyed it so much, and learned so much, that I then read The Professor and the Madman and The Meaning of Everything, both about the development of the Oxford English Dictionary.  The Map that Changed the World was also a good read, about the first geological map.  Winchester’s Outposts was interesting, but definately with an agenda regarding Britain’s treatment of her remaining colonies.

Ones I didn’t finish:

Salaman Rushdie’s The Enchantress of Florence – slow going and too fantastical for my tastes

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin – excellent, but I got distracted toward the end; may have to check out again

Have a good Summer – and READ!

What I’ve Been Reading

I love to read.  Always have.  One of my favorite things about retirement is that now I  have time to feed the passion.  For many years I read science fiction – then got past that.  Now more often I pick up mysteries, historical fiction, and anything with an exotic locale. 

My recent favorites are the books of Lisa See – particularly her three mysteries, although I found Peony in Love  fascinating.  Still have one of her novels to catch up with, but meanwhile I read her family history, On Gold Mountain, about Chinese immigration and assimilation, more or less, into the American Way. 

Her books, along with Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie, translated by Ina Rilke and The Painter from Shanghai – Life of Pan Yuliang by Jennifer Cody Epstein gave me a feel for the Cultural Revolution in China and life since for the Chinese people. The Painter also provides insight into the life, challenges, and development of an artist.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth Peters series on her Egyptologist, Amelia Peabody.  I miss not having more of her adventures to pursue so now I look for similar independant female protagaonists, particularly around the early half of the 20th century.  Barbara Cleverly’s Laetitia Talbot in The Tomb of  Zeus was a satisfying read in that genre.

While I’m at it, I’ll put in a word for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and her daughter Annie Barrows.  The humor and reasonableness in the face of grim WWII realities, kept me reading.  But then, I’m also partial to tales told thru letters, as this one is.

Keep reading!!

Collage Book Marks

Pomegranate Bookmark

Back and Front

Three Bookmarks

More fun with canvas and Collage Podge!  First I painted a 19″x9″ piece of canvas with gesso, which reduced the shrinking I experienced when making the ‘Got Water?’ postcards.  Then I podged down a layer of torn dictionary pages and an old map of London.  After that dried, I separated the printed sheet of a napkin and podged that over the torn pages. 

As I had hoped, the definitions and London streets show nicely thru the pomegranates.  Once everything was dry, I cut into  12 2″x6″ pieces.  For the backs, I printed on fusible fabric sheets, then cut and ironed on to finish the bookmarks! 

Hope my book club members like them.

Don’t be afeared

This month my book club is reading Heart in the Right Place, a memoir by Carolyn Jourdan, which I finally got around to last night.  Good read about the trials of a rural country physician, and his daughter coming to terms with what’s important in her life. It reminded me of Bryson City Tales by Walt Larimore. At one point Carolyn’s overwhelmed by the loss of a patient, and a friend tells her:

“You know how in Bible stories whenever an angel shows up, first thing he always says is, ‘Fear not!’”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it took me most of my life, but I finally figured out that he’s not trying to comfort us when he says that.  He’s giving us an order.  It’s a command given more than 300 times in the Bible.  The Lord’s telling us not to let ourselves be afraid.  We can’t afford to be scared.  It just gets in the way of us doing whatever it is that we’re suppose to be doing.”

I’m tempted to share the whole page, but that’s the kernel. (buy the book)  It spoke to me – stepping out beyond or in spite of fear is key to keeping control of your life.  Much of marketing and basic news reporting purposely encourages fear, to cast the item being marketed, or the story being sold, as salvation from an anxiety you may not have realized you even had.  Not to mention the fears and apprehension we’re capable of coming up with all on our own! 

So keep a positive attitude (you’ve heard that before), and keep a tight rein on terror, whatever its source.

Alice’s Adventures

Alice with the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle

Book Cover

Title page and illustration

I woke to the sound of pounding rain this morning, and gave thanks that we planted our tomatoes and peppers on Friday!  As I ran out for the paper, after hustling the remaining seedlings out of the downpour, I realized it was a warm rain – soaking Spring into the ground.

Yesterday was lovely – dogwoods in full bloom and azaelas out everywhere.  Westover Hills, an old established neighborhood, had their annual community-wide yard sales.  It was very pleasant wandering thru the nicely landscaped blocks of unique brick and stone homes.  Highlight of the morning was a 1950’s black Singer 301 longbed sewing machine in a tweed suitcase with all attachments for $100.  In researching this morning, I now know that’s a very good deal, as it’s a lightweight gear-driven machine, like the older featherweights. 

Let that one go, but found a 1897 copy of the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in my price range - $.50, same price as it originally sold for!  Poor condition, but excellent candidate for altering/journal projects.

Back to machine quilting the blocks I won at VCQ’s Celebration retreat two years ago.  We’re off to Smith Mountain Lake again this weekend, and I want to get it finished for Show and Tell.  Getting close….

Wedding Reflections

I recently read Father of the Bride by Edward Streeter, copyright 1948.  Amazing how little has changed! One paragraph jumped off the page at me.  It was the day before the wedding: “When one concentrates fiercely and at length on an event in the distant future it eventually becomes fixed in the mind as something forever remote.  As a result it is a shock to awake some morning and find that the distant future has suddenly become the immediate present.  It is like a foolish rumor about a lion in the district, which no one takes seriously until the beast springs at you from behind a lilac bush.”

Its not the day before, yet, but I can sense the lion crouching. One month, and a short one, stands between today and The Day.  Of course, its not my wedding, I’m only the Mother of the Birdie.  (Oops, typo there!  Unlike with the classic Royal portable, I could easily correct it – but then you’d miss the fun.) 

The response cards are steadily appearing, trailing joys and sorrows.  “can’t wait!” “looking forward to coming” “not well enough to drive that far, wish the couple all the best” “so sad, {pick one: deployed, work dictates, no vacation, pregnant-can’t-travel}, will miss being there.”  We honed the list as best we could to those we all really want to be with us on the bride and groom’s special day.  So we’re forlorn, disconsolate, and occasionally angry when one of our favorite friends or family cannot attend, despite knowing that they would if they could.  And celebrate each card with that check next to ‘will attend’!

I also read recently Jan Karon’s book, Home to Holly Springs.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I did each of her Mitford series.  Two quotes that she included caught my eye.  The first is credited to Chesterton, who I suspect must be Gilbert Keith Chesterton, a London journalist, 1874 – 1936.  See  http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/index.html for more info.  Karon’s Father Tim is thinking about the wonder of his relationship with his wife: “There are no words to express the abyss between isolation and having one ally.  It may be conceded to the mathematician that four is twice two.  But two is not twice one; two is two thousand times one.”  What a apt description of a good marriage.  I shall have to find some of Chesterton’s books.

Karon’s other quote that I wanted to share with you has led me bouncing along the web, collecting more novels for my reading list.  Its from Elizabeth Goudge, an English writer: “She had long accepted the fact that happiness is like swallows in spring.  It may come and nest under your eaves, or it may not.  You cannot command it.  When you expect to be happy, you are not and when you don’t expect to be happy, there is suddenly Easter in your soul, though it be midwinter.”  Goudge’s biography (www.elizabethgoudge.org/a_short_biography_of_elizabeth_g.htm ) reminds me of Beatrix Potter; I wonder what her books are like…

Before I leave you for today – the sun is shining and I must get outdoors – you might wonder about the photo I’ve included.  Its one of a limited edition, 16 for those of us counting, which will debut at The Wedding Reception.

Lily and her Books

     

I had the pleasure last week of sitting with my granddaughter while mom and brother went out.  At just past 1 year old, I was surprised at the interest she showed in her books.  These are the ones she picked out of the toy box, bypassing the other colorfully enticing items.  Of course, nothing holds her interest for long, but she got a good laugh out of Larry the cucumber and Bob the tomato!  Then off to other business!

Sanguine and World Without End

Remember my post from earlier in December on ’sanguine’?  Here’re three interpretations of our Virginia Consortium of Quilters 2007 fall fabric postcard swap theme. 

The first one shown above, by Sherry Whitford, has the following information on the back: “Sanguine indicates the personality of an individual with the temperment of blood and the season of Spring (wet and hot) and the classical element of air.  A person who is sanguine is generally optimistic, cheerful, confident, popular and fun loving.  He/She can be day-dreamy and off-task to the point of not accomplishing anyting and can be impulsive, possibly acting on whims in an unpredictable fashion.  Sanguine people usually have a lot of energy but have a problem finding a way to direct the energy.  This also describes the manic phase of bipolar disorder.” 

The second postcard is my design, created using a hand-carved stamp.  I stuggled with the conceptual definitions of sanguine, and went with the more concrete ‘a drawing in red crayon, red chalk, or the like.’

The third example shown above, by Susan Price, combines the color of sanguine with the strong, reddish orange of the poppy, and has on the back the following verses from a poem by Francis Thompson:

Summer set lip to earth’s bosom bare,
And left the flushed print in a poppy there:
Like a yawn of fire from the grass it came,
And the fanning wind puffed it to flapping flame.

With burnt mouth, red like a lion’s, it drank
The blood of the sun as he slaughtered sank,
And dipped its cup in the purpurate shine
When the Eastern conduits ran with wine.

(for complete poem, see http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-poppy/)

The lines bring to mind fields of poppies blanketing the war dead in Normandy, however Thompson died in 1907 so the reference is more likely tied to his opium addition.  For more info on Thompson, see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Thompson 

In thinking about sanguine, and seeing what my postie buddies have come up with so far, I find myself focusing on blood and it’s importance to health – to be full of blood, ruddy, is to be healthy with the optimism that comes from that well being. 

I’ve been reading Ken Follett’s new book, World Without End, which has health as a central theme.  The story unfolds in the mid 1300’s in a small village in England and follows the physical, political, economic, and mental growth of the characters, one of which is the town of Kingsbridge itself. 

Late Autumn Morning

25 degrees this morning!!  It may not be Winter quite yet, but it certainly feels like it.  I took this photo as the early sun was streaming in on my house-bound plants.  You can also see our new Chrismassy placemates, courtesy of sister DK’s holiday spirit package!  You may be able to make out the label on the green composition notebook: “Piece of Cake” – wedding planning essentials. 

My cup of tea, in one of my favorite mugs, was just the right temperature, but instead of getting ready to sit down, I was on my way out to book club.  Stormy Weather was our read for today – interesting story about depression times in the oil fields.  And once again, talking it over with good friends deepened the value of the tale. 

You can see in the photo, over to the right, the original-design book rack made by my father – a wonderful help when reading thru lunch!