Month: July 2007

  • oh - Oh - OH!!

    One of the minor irritants in my life is the drop down tab to input your state in an address.  Here's why I dislike it: I use the keyboard to input the address and zip code before and after the state, but I have to move my hand to the mouse and scroll down to find OR for Oregon. 

    It's just not efficient. I usually type O, which gets me OH, a small scroll away from OR.  Often, in my haste I type OR and suddenly I'm at Rhode Island.  Bother!!

    Yesterday I was working on a project at the pharmacy bringing our formerly outsourced payroll in house.  For each employee I needed to choose Oregon from a drop down tab four times.  After playing around with it several ways, I discovered that if you type the same letter it toggles through the states beginning with that letter.  For instance, if you want Indiana, type I - I - I - I  and you will see IA, ID, IL, IN.  If you type it five times by mistake, you'll just get IA again.

    This is such a tiny thing, but it made me so very happy to type O-O-O with my finger and avoid the mouse.  I couldn't keep from giggling and feeling smug and victorious.  My co-worker chuckled and said, "It doesn't take much to make you happy, now, does it?"  That's me.  Easily amused.

    Disco, baby, disco!

  • Kristin Lavransdatter - Mistress of Husaby

    The second book of the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy is really the anatomy of a marriage.  Sigrid Undset sculpts an realistic profile of a difficult marriage.  Kristin has to face the weaknesses of her husband; eventually, with the help of her father no less, she sees some of her faults.  Early on, she compares her daily life with that of her parents.  There is a contrast in the orderly manner in which her folks carried on their affairs and the reckless neglect that has been the M.O. of her husband's estate.  Studying the three marriages in this book (Kristin's, her parents', and her sister's) would be fodder for some great discussion.

    Which makes me wonder: how much of an issue is housekeeping in a marriage?  Not just sweeping the floor and doing laundry, although it includes that; but, how do we reconcile different approaches, different mindsets to work and leisure? 

    In the first section, The Fruit of Sin, Kristin struggles with the guilt of her sexual immorality and disloyalty to her parents.  She embarks on a solitary pilgrimage, walking twenty miles by herself to the Archbishop, who can give her absolution.   When she arrives at the cathedral she ponders the architecture.

    Human beings had never compassed this work of their own strength - God's spirit had worked in holy Öistein, and the builders of this house that came after him.  Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven - now she understood the words.  A reflection of the glory of God's kingdom witnessed in these stones that His will was all that was fair.  Kristin trembled.  Aye, well might God turn in wrath from all that was foul - from sin and shame and uncleanness. (snip) The singing cut into her like a too strong light. (snip) The undeserved mercy broke her heart asunder; she knelt, crushed with penitence, and the weeping welled up out of her soul as blood flows from a death-wound. (pp 100-101)

    In a parallel scene her husband takes a risky, solitary trip on foot to Lavran's estate and seeks to make peace as well as make amends with his father and mother-in-law.  We see in Erlend a man who can charm and persuade, a fearless warrior who leads men into battle, but a man who finally lacks self-control.  Undset does such a good job of showing strengths and weaknesses: in Erlend, in Kristin, and in their marriage.

    "You must have known it yourself, Erlend - a thicket of briers and thorns and nettles had you sowed around you - how could you draw a young maid in to your side and she not be torn and wounded and bleeding --" (p.87)

    The rest of this book is not driven by plot as much as character development.  Kristin and Erlend have seven sons.  As Kristin's marriage struggles wax and wane, the love between her father and mother becomes deeper and more secure. 

    ...all other love is but as an image of heaven in the water-puddles of a muddy road. (p.139)

    And she tried to shut out from her mind all care for things wherein she could take no hand.  She would only think of those matters in which she could do some good by her carefulness.  All the rest she must leave in God's hand.  (p.167)

    For in her soul sin still had its being, as the root-tissue of the weeds is inwoven in the soil.  It flowered and flamed and scented the air no longer, but 'twas still there in the soil, bleached, but strong and full of life. (p. 281)

    I haven't finished the trilogy yet and I'm ready to begin re-reading it.  I have read the older Charles Archer translation.  Next time I'll read Tiina Nunnally's 1997 translation.  There are other Sigrid Undset books on my list. Another new author to explore.  Sigh.  Life is good.

  • Simple Pleasures in July

    ~   One cool cowboy down to the essentials of life

    ~ A faithful son who keeps all green spots , including plants in pots, watered

    ~ A clean desk.  It's really not that Simple, but the Pleasure's great

    ~ PaperBackSwap - I joined Friday and I've already mailed out four books.
    My all time favorite "cotton candy" book, Penny Plain by O. Douglas,
    (the sister of John Buchan) is on its way to me through PBS.
    I just saved $25!!
    Color me happy.

    You pay the shipping to mail a book.
    You get a credit for a free book.
    Someone mails you a book (free!).
    1,345,634 books to choose from.
    Essentially you get books you want for ~ $2.13 a book.
    PS - there are A LOT of homeschool materials

    ~ A new trick for an old dog.
    Did you know that you can layer postage stamps?
    Only the denomination needs to show.
    Cleaning my desk gleaned many old stamps.
    They are almost all used.
    Hooray!

  • Transitory Roast Beef

    When I work in the kitchen alone, I listen to Vanity Fair through Librivox, free audiobooks from the public domain.  If you love a deep, delicious English accent, take a moment, click on the link, and scroll down to chapter 8 to listen to Graham Williams read.  There are many different volunteer readers, but he is hands-down the best.  If I could afford it, I would hire Graham Williams to read every book in my library. 

    Today, as I prepare for some serious feasting tomorrow, I thought I'd share this thought from Thackeray:

    It is all vanity, to be sure.  But, who will not own to liking a little of it?  I should like to know what well-constituted mind, merely because it is transitory, dislikes roast beef.  That is a vanity. But, may every man who reads this have a wholesome portion of it through life, I beg.  Aye, though my readers were 500,000!  Sit down, gentlemen, and fall to with a good, hearty appetite: the fat, the lean, the gravy, the horseradish, as you like it.  Don't spare it.  Another glass of wine, Jones, my boy, a little bit of the Sunday side!

    Yes, let us eat our fill of the vain thing, and be thankful therefore.

  • Hudson and Gage

    First, Fine Art Friday.  I think I'd title this one Comrades! Isn't it charming?


    The Watermelon 
    Grace Hudson (1865-1937)

    ~     ~     ~     ~

    When Circle of Quiet posted a list of what her readers are reading this summer, this book caught my attention.  My niece Emma is spending the summer working at the American embassy in Athens.  Her mom, my beloved SIL Kathie, is the mother of two world travelers.  She gave me the idea of reading books set in the location of their travels.  So I was on the prowl for a book about Greece.   When  I saw this, I immediately emailed Kathie about my plans to read it.  She emailed back and wondered if Eleni Gage was related to Nicholas Gage who wrote the book Eleni. She is his daughter.  Bingo!  Obviously, I couldn't read North of Ithaka until I'd first read Eleni.

    This is a true story, set in WWII and the subsequent Greek Civil War of 1946-1949, of a mother who sacrifices her life to save her children's lives.  Her son, who lost his mother when he was nine, writes the story.  I listened to this story on my morning walks and the plot was so compelling that I put in many extra miles so I could keep listening.  Each night at dinner I told Curt and Collin vignettes from the book.  

    In the same way that The Kiterunner immerses you into Afghani  culture, Eleni will immerse you into culture of the Greek mountain village of Lia.  There are more similarities.  Both authors write astonishing prose in a language not native to them.  The story grips your heart, and seeps into your soul.  Heartbreak takes up residence.  I will be thinking about this book in December, I know I will.  Nicholas Gage was an investigative reporter with the New York Times.  After he honed his skills investigating the mafia he moved back to Greece to investigate his mother's execution by communist guerrillas.  Then he wrote this book.

    His daughter's book, North of Ithaka, is the story of Eleni Gage's (Nick's daughter) decision to move to Greece to rebuild Eleni Gatzoyiannis' (Nick's mother) home in Lia. Some reviewers have called it an ex-patriot story, comparing it to Under the Tuscan Sun.  However, I cannot start this book until I've read Eleni's sequel, A Place for Us, Eleni's Children in America. 

    The story is taken up when Nicholas and his sisters Olga, Kanta, and Fotini leave Greece, travel by ship to  America, moving to Worcester, Massachusetts where their father, Christos, has made a home. The most important job a Greek father has is to get his daughters married to a good Greek husband.  Think: My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Eventually Nick's sister Glykeria was able to escape from the communists, join the family, and marry a good Greek boy.  After I have finished this book and have the context to the tight Greek community in America, I will be ready to read Eleni Gage's story of moving back to Greece.

  • Going On in Courage

    The best birthday present I received last year was the friendship of this woman.  My friend Katie brought her by for a brief hello and
    goodbye.  She was headed home to Zimbabwe; I was leaving for a visit with my
    brother in Pennsylvania. But in that half hour overlap of
    our travels, we connected.  In the numinous moments we were given, a bond formed. We both were in the habit of sending weekly emails
    to our family and friends and added each other to our email list. 

    In 2007 her
    messages have described the impact of the political and economic crisis that is
    taking place in Zimbabwe. 

    Fuel and food are scarce. 

    Violence has moved in.

    Justice is a fugitive. 

    Normal has fled the country with her sister
    Peace. 

    I remember the shock that stabbed me when I saw the movie Hotel Rwanda.  My first question was, "What was I doing?  How could this take place so recently and we could be so unaware?"  I remember a few articles in World magazine, but genocide of that magnitude didn't register.  Sometimes we need a personal connection to make us care.  Sad, but true.  My BIL cares deeply for Angola, because he's been there, he knows the people. This friend is my connection and my reminder to pray.

    The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall
    preserve thy soul.
    Psalm 121

    I cling to the promises of Christ which I memorized as a
    child as I pray for my friend and for her people in Zimbabwe. 

    Lo,
    I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

    I will never leave you,
    nor forsake you.

    And the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer are so apropos, so
    potent.

    Give us this day our daily bread. 
    Forgive us our trespasses.
    Lead us not into
    temptation.
    Deliver us from evil.  


    photo credit: RLF

    We
    live as those who are on a journey home:

    a
    home we know will have the lights on

    and
    the door open

     and
    our Father waiting for us when we arrive. 

    That
    means in all adversity

    our
    worship of God is joyful,

    our
    life is hopeful,

    our
    future is secure    . 

    There
    is nothing we can lose on earth

    that
    can rob us of the treasures

    God
    has given us and will give us.  

    ~
    John Oxenham

    Courage
    is not having the strength to go on;

    it
    is going on when you don’t have the strength.

     ~
    Theodore Roosevelt

  • Three Common Words

    Today I give you three common words from Kristin Lavransdatter, The Mistress of Husaby.

    Nice      (I initially learned this from my beloved Latin teacher)  The meaning of this word has changed from particular to pleasant.  Look it up and one definition is overdelicate or fastidious; fussy.  I have run across this meaning several times in Kristin Lavransdatter.  One character was described as being nice and hard on himself.  Knowing this meaning is the only way that sentence makes sense.  Austen readers beware!  This use is quite common with Austen.

    Lavrans had always been so nice in shaving himself before each holy day. p. 240

    Thing      How could we exist without this word?  Can you imagine going One Whole Day without using it? The second definition of this uses the word in the definition: something referred to by a word, a symbol, a sign, an idea.  In KL it is used in the Old Norse meaning of popular assembly.  A footnote explains the three classes of Things: the parish Thing, the county Thing and the Lagthing. 

    From Answers.com: The English
    word 'thing', meaning "object" is also derived from this; the semantic evolution having been roughly "assembly" → "court" →
    "case" → "business" → "purpose" → "object".

    A related word is moot, which was an ancient English representative meeting of freemen in the shire.

    Room     In the description of the great hall, the notes say: "Two rows of wooden pillars supported the roof.  Between the line of pillars and the wall on each side was the sleeping-accommodation - two box-beds with doors at one end of the hall, and two broad fixed benches running the rest of the length of the hall.  These benches were divided into sleeping-places for the warriors (originally called "rooms"), and were wide enough to admit of each man's keeping his belongings by him, while his weapons hung on the wall above him."  Our word room comes from the Old English rǖm.

  • Kitchen Project, The Walls

    This is one fine magazine.  It has wonderful essays,
    recipes, reviews and pictures.  See that watermelon on the front?

    Dan and Val (my youngest brother and his wife) cleaned their kitchen and
    gave me eleven years of  bound yearbooks like this:


    I've framed some full page illustrations and hung them on my wall.
    The idea is to change the pictures with the seasons, but I have
    only changed them with the year.

    I have dead wall space above my cupboards and
    a monochromatic color scheme.
    What I needed was some color to vivify the place.

    It's time for the front page illustrations from Cooks.

    They will go on the walls after they've had a fresh coat of paint.

    It was fun to put the groups together.  There are many round shapes above.

    I like the lines in the veggies below.

    And the leftovers.  I'm excited to add a splash of beauty on my walls.
    And, I have to admit, the frugal side of me is pulsing with joy.

  • Cahill, Again

    Thomas Cahill is on a mission.  In his series, The Hinges of History, he is telling the story of Western Civilization in the context of gift giving. 

    But history is also the narratives of grace, the recountings of those
    blessed and inexplicable moments when someone did something    
    for someone else, saved a life, bestowed a gift, gave something     
    beyond what was required by circumstance.                                   

    After his books on the Irish, the Jews, Jesus of Nazareth, and the Greeks, Cahill turns to medieval history.  He focuses on the story and influence of a few people:  Hildegard of Bingen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Francis of Assisi, Abelard and Héloïse, Thomas Aquinas, Chaucer, Giotto and Dante.  

    Cahill's Mysteries is very accessible, an easy to read book classified as pop history.  Without becoming too facile, he employs non-academic words, current idioms, and recent events in his writing: calling the Franciscans the first hippies, comparing earlier Islamic-Christian conflicts with the 9-11 attack by bin Laden and the war on Iraq. 

    To name a child Astralabe [speaking Abelard and Héloïse's love child]     
    was to suggest that he was destined to be a very modern (and starry)       
    trendsetter. It brings to mind the avant-garde rock musician Frank Zappa,
    who named his daughter Moon Unit.                                                              

    The book contains many rich, colorful illustrations and photographs, especially of the art he reviews.  His style of footnoting is my absolute favorite: on the same page on a side column in a slightly smaller font.

    The biggest blunder of this book is its title.  There are no cults in the book and the mysteries invoked in the title are intended to denote a sacramental wonder.  The subtitle doesn't work at all.  At the end of the book Cahill looks at the current state of the (Roman) Catholic church.  I sense that a love for the (his?) church is the motivation for pages of text on the current priestly pedophilia crisis.  He argues for optional celibacy (married clergy, I think) and popular election of clerical positions which are now appointed.

    I don't think Cahill has ever matched the quality of work he did in How the Irish Saved Civilization.  I am grateful to have read Mysteries for two particular reasons:  His resounding recommendation of Kristin Lavransdatter; and his last two chapters on Dante which have primed my pump for reading The Divine Comedy. 

    But I am thankful that I didn't buy this book.  One read through was enough.

                            

  • Too Funny For Words

    I'm back from our church's Family Camp, another weekend jammed packed with good things.  A group of moms sat together "talking shop" and the issue of modesty came up.  One mom argued that young girls "just don't know what they are doing when they dress with tops too low and shorts too high."  Another disagreed and thought girls know exactly what they are doing and want to provoke a response. 

    The question was posed: "Did you dress modestly when you were young?"  I will jump right in and admit that when I look back at some photos I shudder and wonder a) what I was thinking and b) why someone didn't say something. 

    This picture from 1979, for example.  The only reason I would voluntarily post a picture of me (or Curt) wearing shorts this short is because it is so stomach-clutching funny!  Matching shorts (guffaw), my husband's tucked in shirt (snort), the white piping (giggle), and the pulled up socks (snicker).  Funny peculiar and funny ha-ha. Nerds of the Year award.  My brother-in-law has always had better taste in clothes than both of us combined, as evidenced in this picture.  Ay-yi-yi!!

    Do you ever look back and wince?  Laugh?  Cry?  *grin*