Haystacks

Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters

If I told you this was a collection of free form poetry, you might stop reading immediately. So I won’t; it is so much more intricate than that. Masters introduces us to 244 inhabitants of Spoon River. Each person gets the opportunity to tell their story; the preacher, the widow, the deacon, the shopkeeper, the school teacher, the harlot, the wronged lover. These stories span the spectrum of the human experience. Each character speaks with great candor. And why not? They’re dead. The stories are told through a series of epitaphs.

Masters does not romanticize the lives of Spoon River’s citizens. There are hard accusations, challenges, startling confessions, scandals are exposed and dark humor abounds.   The lives of the characters are woven together in a way familiar to novel readers. After only a few pages the reader will start to draw family and relationship connections. The reader meets a character, then several pages later perhaps, meets the spouse, child, victim or lover of the previous character, giving a new perspective. Each monologue gives a depth to the collective story of Spoon River.

Some of my favorites are Margaret Fuller Slack, Lucinda Matlock, Fiddler Jones, Franklin Jones, Barney Hainsfeather.

(Proud SRC participant)

Summertime (bloggin') Blues

I got the 'don't wanna type ain't got nothin' to say, gonna unplug my internet' bloggin' blues.

Have you noticed that blog traffic slows in July? Posting and commenting seem to be lagging on most of the blogs I read. For my part, I haven't felt much like writing. Summers are lazy and slow around The Ward house. I learned at the knee of my grandfather how to enjoy a summer evening. It involves a comfortable chair on a porch and a lot of listening. :)

So maybe you've been on your back porch this summer and not hanging out here. Good for you! Autumn will come soon enough. We'll all meet back here. But stop by occasionally before then. Sometimes it rains us off the back porch.

"Yeah, man!"

I am constantly searching Songza, Pandora, iTunes and other various music sites to find THAT song. You know the one. The one that makes you think of someone, the one by that guy from that band you used to love, the one you danced to in 8th grade, that one that would be perfect for the wedding,  your vanity song. You know the one.

Check out  Grooveshark and for your convenience, TinySong.  I ran through a list of various obscure and hit songs and found most of them available. You can search by song, band or genre. I see this taking up disproportionate amount of my time.

Yes, we have no bananas.

Bananas are the miracle drug! According to this article they lessen depression, cure PMS, lower blood pressure, remove splinters and warts, soothe ulcers and ease morning sickness and hangovers. Who knew?

A rare gift

I finished THE ALCHEMIST yesterday. (Review here.) One of the story's many locales is the pyramids of Egypt. Today I received this in the mail. When I saw it, my mind immediately went to the book I had just finished. As I said in my review the book is filled with moral themes and life lessons. Now, when I look at this painting I will be reminded. The two are now tied together in my mind. Both, amazing works of creativity and beauty.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho's novel The Alchemist is many things. It is a fairy tale, an adventure story, a spiritual prose.

Santiago is a shepherd who sets out to follow a dream. Literally. He follows the advice of a gypsy who interprets a reoccurring dream about treasure at the pyramids of Egypt. He leaves the lush fields of Spain to cross the dessert. Along the way he meets spiritual guides, falls in love, learns to listen to his heart.

 "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night.

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

This tale is filled with beautiful spiritual truths, themes we teach our children and strive to live every day. Woven in a tapestry of adventure, we find dedication to a commitment, diverse cultures, a healthy respect for nature and the universal language.

(Proud SRC participant)

Are you successful?

 

                         To laugh often and much;

 

To win the respect of intelligent people

And the affection of children;

 

To earn the appreciation of honest critics

And endure the betrayal of false friends;

 

To appreciate beauty,

To find the best in others;

 

To leave the world a little better,

Whether by a healthy child,

A garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

 

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

 

This is the meaning of success.

 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ristening to the rescue!

I've had a hectic couple of weeks and I was not thrilled that I had fallen behind in my Summer Reading Club duties and would have to sit this week out. I only have 2 days to read a novel and write up a review. I'm an avid reader, but not a fast one. No chance. But wait! What if I don't read? What if I risten, instead? This month iTunes is offering a free download of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist.This book has been on my list for a couple of years, but I had never obtained a copy. Thank you iTunes for the lovely gift. My review will be ready by Friday. :)

Heroes

"Actually, you should never meet your heroes if you want to keep them as heroes. They may wind up as friends or as disappointments or as pleasant surprises, but once you know them they immediately stop being heroes. (I've turned down several opportunities to meet Stephen Sondheim socially, because he's practically all I've got left. Even David Bowie, who I've never even met, has managed to transmute in my head most of the way from DAVID BOWIE  OMG!!1!* to my friend Duncan's dad.)"
~ Neil Gaiman

 
In April of this year, AliJ and I flew to NYC to see Paul Simon in concert. After the show we saw him outside the theater in the street. We walked up and stood beside him while he chatted with others who had gathered around him. I was standing inches away from Paul Simon. We made eye contact several times, but never spoke. A few of my friends have asked me 'Why? Why didn't you say something? Anything?' I wasn't completely sure of the answer to that question until I read Neil Gaiman's quote.

No regrets. Paul Simon is still my hero.

And on the third day...

...we blog about Third Day.

Mark gave us an assignment. This is my contribution for July, 2008.

Take My Life has always been one of my favorite Third Day songs. I love it because it is a beautiful prayer. In every Christian's life there is a time when we hold so tightly to something that we have to ask God to take it because we aren't capable of yielding it. This song took on new meaning for me last weekend. After spending the better part of the previous week unable to walk, the words, "when I don't have the strength" really touched me. Actually, it broke me. When Mac sang this at the St Louis show, I completely lost my composure. I sat there and cried like a baby. God spoke to me so clearly during that song that I felt we were standing alone in a big open field; just me and God.

Maybe when I get my composure again, I'll tell you more about the things God is telling me, but for now I offer this Sign interpretation of Take My Life.
 





(Disclaimer: I realize this is not ASL. What I use is Signed English. I work with a small group of Deaf in our church ministry and this is they style of communication they prefer, therefore it is the style of Sign I have learned and am most comfortable with. I have experience in ASL and continue to develop those skills. I tell you this because the interpreting world can be rather harsh and critical at times. Because I pay the bills around here and only a fool pays to be insulted,   comments on this post may be held for approval and/or moderation before posting. Thank you for watching.)