Reading and Watching

Summer is ideal for reading and watching. The heat and humidity dictate either a break on the couch with a book or one floating in the Intex pool. The long days turn into late night movie viewing as cool breezes finally begin to waft in through the open windows.

I am usually a one-book-at-a-time type gal, but right now I am reading two. I thought I'd fly through a few more Miss Read books this summer, but I've gotten side-tracked and will have to pick her back up a little later in the season.

A friend loaned me To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. I'm finding it very good and rather funny, but I am not compelled to read one chapter after another. I like the book well enough, it is after all a pleasant adventure in time travel with much silliness and history. It just seems I put it down and forget to pick it up again for days.

My other read right now is open next to me on the couch. I am almost halfway through its 311 pages after picking it up at the library yesterday. At the end of each chapter it compels me to begin another, and then another...Sundays in America, A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith. I don't always share the author's views, but her "trip" is intriguing. Earle and I have always talked about worshipping at a different church every Sunday. Suzanne Shea did it for a year and we are along for the ride.

Apart from reading books I have been reading a blog I discovered called Zen Habits. I am all for simplicity and the articles there are very inspiring. Hop on over and give it a try.

Movie watching has been slow but steady. We picked up a few $5 movies out of the Walmart bin to add to our small collection. Among the usual fare of Terminator and military action movies were True Lies and one of my favorites A Knight's Tale. It is a great movie. What can be better than the character of Geoffrey Chaucer, stripped naked (from the back of course) bemoaning his gambling habit! Side-splitting stuff. The other great movie I watched (part of) recently was Master and Commander. I watched it at the precise time to see my favorite part: "Don't you know that in the service you must always choose the lesser of two weevils." If you've seen it you know of what scene I speak!

In the Studio

Background done

Up close.

You can almost smell the wet paint

A beginning, but a long way to go

Next up: watercolor

Lilacs

With the kids gone to visit a friend and Earle in Germany for work, I had the whole day to myself today. I didn't do one iota of housework, unless you count cleaning up a hairball, but that really was necessary. How many times can you walk over it and pretend it isn't there?! Anyway, I spent the afternoon and evening painting. I started work on a new acrylic painting and then played around with some watercolors and a Chinese brush on some small squares of watercolor paper I've had laying around ready to use up.

After the drabness of winter I am longing for color, can you tell?



Tonight I can sit back, put my feet up, relax, and watch part two of Sense and Sensibility on PBS. My back is tired from painting. The couch sounds inviting.



I also finished Miss Clare Remembers today. It is my favorite Miss Read book so far. Time to request the next one from inter-library loan.

Reading and Watching

The weather looks tempting this time of year with the sun higher in the sky, but the frigid reality blasts you back inside soon enough! It's perfect weather for lazy afternoons reading and cozy nights huddled under a blanket in front of a good movie.

I've finished six Miss Read books now and am presently on Miss Clare Remembers. I am consciously slowing down my reading pace, hoping to keep the characters of Fairacre, Caxley, and Beech Green with me a good long time. I am always saddened at the end of a series. I truly miss the presence of the characters in my daily life.

Did you know that Enya wrote a song called Miss Clare Remembers? It is on her Watermark album.

I also recently read You Staying Young by doctors Oz and Roizen. It was a quick read with valuable info strewn throughout if you can stomach the silly writing style. I did learn that drinking Kefir is very good for osteopenia, which I have. That was a plus since I do like Kefir but haven't bought it for a while.

Another calcium rich food I've recently discovered is Greek yogurt. It is made by straining the whey out of regular yogurt. Such thick, creamy goodness!

Julia is actually finding time to read for pleasure this week. She is on break from her college classes. On her list is David Eddings book Enchanters' End Game from The Belgariad Volume II and The Secret Life of Lobsters.

Shawn has been reading Art and the Bible. Next up will be a Christian history book The Church of Our Fathers by Bainton, an out of print book which a dear friend gave to us a few years ago, and The Elements of Style. He just finished Perelandra. We will be studying it in depth with a Progeny Press study guide before he writes a lit paper for the book.

Now as for viewing, we've of course been watching the Sunday evening showings of the Jane Austen movies on PBS. Up tonight is part one of Sense and Sensibility. Earle, Shawn, and I have been watching them together. I must say, it is rather odd viewing company for Austen flicks! I'm so glad the menfolk are loving them as much as I am.

We also just came into possession of one of our all time favorite movies. We haven't re-watched it yet, but we are now the proud owners of Waking Ned Devine. If you haven't seen it before, you're in for a good laugh. If you have seen it before I have one short phrase for you: "naked old Irish guys riding bicycles"! I knew I could make you smile!!

Off to read. Miss Clare calls. I'll leave you with a short excerpt from the book.

"...They crossed a stile and made their way across a meadow high with summer grass. Some of the bobbing grasses stood as high as Dolly herself and she saw, for the first time, the tiny mauve seeds quivering at the grass tips. Ox-eyed daisies and red sorrel lit this sweet-smelling jungle that stretched as far as the small child could see. Above her arched a sky of breath-taking blue where two larks vied with each other in their outpourings.

In the distance the six bells of Caxley parish church chased each other's tails madly. A warm breeze, scented with the perfume from a field of beans in flower, lifted Dolly's hair, and she became aware, young as she was, of her own happiness in these surroundings. Sunlight, flowers, Mother, Father, Ada, and dear Emily were with her. Here was security, warmth, love, and life. Nothing ever completely dimmed that shining memory."

Reading Retreat

Before the holidays some ladies on The Well Trained Mind boards were discussing books to read that had a Christmas theme. I don't recall who suggested the Miss Read books: No Holly for Miss Quinn, The Christmas Mouse, and Fairacre Christmas, but I am grateful to that person beyond measure! After devouring those stories, I've requested the first three Miss Read novels from our local library. I intend to read the series, beginning to end. I found them spellbinding and transporting. Whenever I find a spare minute I escape to the English countryside and the small villages and simple lifestyle enclosed within the pages of these books. They are like a sanctuary, a retreat from the chaos of busy 21st century life with its electronic din. To lean back against a plump pillow and crack open the pages is like a breath of fresh, Fairacre air. I am hooked. My free time is no longer my own, a whole community waits on my presence!



After some research about the author, it is no wonder I find her work appealing. She states her major influence as Jane Austen and the current author who was most influenced by her is Jan Karon. I adore both of those writers' works and count them among my favorites.



Speaking of Jane Austen, be sure to watch Masterpiece Theatre on Sunday evenings at 9, beginning tonight. They will be airing a series of adaptations of her novels and a biopic of her life. View the schedule at PBS. The last two Sundays they aired an adaptation of Jane Eyre, one of my favorite novels. If you missed it you can probably catch it another time. It wasn't the first time they'd shown it, but be sure to tune in tonight for the first Jane Austin: Persuasion.







On the end table, next to one of my reading spots: Christmas at Fairacre, Home to Holly Springs (our latest Jan Karon acquisition), The Well Educated Mind (a Christmas present from my wonderful husband), a daily devotional by Billy Graham that my sister gave me for Christmas (she has her own copy and we both read it daily), and lastly, an adorable sheep made from wool from the local monastery (a Christmas present from Gretchen). What's needed here is a cup of tea with cream and I'm all set!

Did you receive or give any books for Christmas? What were they? Have you read them yet? Have you discovered any new favorite authors? Do tell.

Of Carpenters

There's just something about working with wood, the process of turning a living tree into a useful or beautiful object using your hands and a few tools. There is a certain connection with nature in the process. The smell of the shaved and sanded wood, the smoothness of a finely sanded surface as you run your hand across it searching for areas of roughness to even out. The weight of the dense hardwood in your hands. Substantial, durable.


Working with wood is a mind-freeing activity. The kind of activity you can engage in as the hours slip by and day turns to night without your notice. Your attention is captured by the wood.


There is time to think when you work with wood. There is the buzz of a power tool, like white noise, blocking out the world. There is the repetitive stroking of a block plane or the gritty dragging of sandpaper, back and forth. There is the smell of newly planed wood shavings and of tung oil. There is the muffled softness of a workshop floor covered in discarded shavings.


Sometimes in our too-busy world we need to find an escape, a solitude, a meditation. For me it has been my art. The hours fly by. For others, carpentry is that vehicle they use to escape inside for a while, completely focused on the work at hand. What do you do to find that place of solitude and meditation in your life?

My walking stick. Shawn made this lovely stick with its serpentine, wood burned designs for me out of tiger maple. It is as smooth as glass and almost too beautiful to use, but since it is maple it wears well and is much more than a showpiece.

Walking stick detail. I still need to add a cord through the hole. A cord twisted around the wrist provides security against loosing it down a slope while hiking!

In Shawn and Earle's workshop a blizzard of shavings all but obscure a wooden ruler that belonged to my father. I love the mellow hues of the aged wood with its worn patches and faded markings.

Beautiful maple curls. Shawn took all three of these shots of shavings as part of his photography class last year.

A lovely, wooden rosette!

Joseph was a carpenter. Jesus, before he began his ministry, was a carpenter. A humble profession, yet valued and connected to the earth. I have been reading a fictional story about Joseph and Mary. I am gaining great insight into life during that time period. The story is touching and the characters come to life. I am about two-thirds of the way through the book and am eager to finish, even though I know the story already! If you are interested in such a story, a story of a carpenter and his young bride, take a peek at Two From Galilee. It makes good Advent reading.

Updates of All Sorts

I have been sick the last couple of days with a sore throat and slight fever which has now turned into a nasty cold. Having been couch/bed bound a good deal of the time I have managed to do a little reading but that is about all. I had to miss our neighbor's baby shower on Saturday, but I was able to drag myself out last night for a few hours to hear Julia's boyfriend Derek preach a sermon at the evening service at his church. He did a great job. I was glad I was able to go, but by the end of the evening I was "done in".

I've finished That hideous Strength, the third book of Lewis's space trilogy. While distinct from the other two in the series, it ties everything together in the end. A good read. I am also finishing a book on church history that I started years ago. Since I've pulled it back out Earle has shown an interest in reading it too. We're sharing the book. We are also reading Shepherds Abiding aloud to each other. We've read pretty much Jan Karon's whole Mitford series of Father Tim aloud to each other over the years. They are like old friends and although it has been a few years since we read the last one, now that we are into the story it seems like just yesterday. The characters have become fresh again in our minds and the warm feelings of becoming a part of that sleepy North Carolina town have begun to transform our little world once again. I've also ordered some Christmas books from Amazon and have some others requested at the library. On those lists are: Christmas at Fairacre, Letters from Father Christmas, Starlight in Tourrone, and Two from Galilee; a Love Story. Then, when the holiday books have been read I will finally make my way through Sophie's World.

Earle's domestic side has been showing lately and it has been refreshing! After coming back from Maine with a recipe from his brother-in-law he whipped us up a fabulous batch of Paula Deen's Chipotle Chicken Chowder. I may have to request this again soon. Then, on Saturday he filled our big, orange Tupperware bowl to the rim with homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They have been disappearing fast. Hey, oatmeal is a breakfast food. I think i need to get sick and stay out of the kitchen more often!

On Sunday afternoon Shawn participated in a fencing demonstration at a local high school. Guess what's on his Christmas list this year? Yeah, fencing equipment. I think his instructor looks a tad like Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the Starship Enterprise in The Next Generation, don't you? Picard was also a fencing aficionado as well as an avid consumer of Earle Gray tea. A Renaissance captain indeed.

I feel an art update is needed soon. Look for Shawn's continuing progress with Artistic Pursuits, some examples of his walking sticks, and a drawing lesson using pastel that I have been meaning to share for some time now. My next project will be a painting. The canvas is ready and the photo I am using for reference has been selected. Also, each year I have made it a tradition to give each of my relatives a handmade Christmas ornament. That project will have to be underway soon as well. I just have to decide what medium to make them with this year. Past ornaments have been either painted wood or polymer clay. Maybe felt will be playing a role this season.

Entertainment

I've done a little reading and movie watching and have some more recommendations for you all.

First up is Tailchaser's Song. Julia recommended and then loaned it to me. If you are a cat lover and haven't read this book yet, it should be on your list. The author spins a wonderful tale (or is that tail) of felines on a mission. The story is entertaining and the characters become very real friends of yours as you read. I've been finished with the book for weeks and still miss opening it every day to find out what the felines were up to next.

The other book I just finished is The Sufferings of Young Werther by Goethe; a classic novel written in epistolary form told through the eyes of a tragic hero who allows himself to be slowly tortured emotionally. Werther is an artist who is hopelessly in love with an honorable married woman and can see no way out of his dilemma. I'll bet you can deduce the ending.

Now I am on to the C.S. Lewis' classic Out of the Silent Planet, the first of his space trilogy. This also comes as a recommendation from Julia who claims this set of novels is her favorite sci fi literature. I am not very far into it yet, but I'm sure it will prove more than worthwhile as all of Lewis' works do.

I also have a movie recommendation to make. Several days ago we watched the movie Girl with a Pearl Earring, the fictional story behind a very real painting by the famous 17th century painter Johannes Vermeer. We really enjoyed the film. It was well done. The setting was great as was the costuming and of course the acting was wonderful too. Although fictional, it was entertainment and an art history lesson rolled into one.

Next up in the Blockbuster pile will be The Painted Veil and then the Firefly sci fi series. I have The Last of the Mohicans ready to pick up at the library (I have seen it before, but it fits into Shawn's history lessons nicely) and we just finished watching The War, Ken Burns' new documentary about World War II that just aired on public television in seven parts.



Happy reading and viewing everyone.

Passing the Time

With Earle and Shawn in Asia and Julia at her Calculus II class four days a week I have some down time to myself for a change. What better way to pass the time than by escaping into literature via books and movies.

Recently, my friend Gretchen loaned me two of her movies that she said I just must see. The first was Babette's Feast, a foreign film centered around the theme of the sacramental quality of food and the sacrificial quality of life decisions. It is an award winning film which Newsweek claims to be "an irresistible mixture of dry wit and robust humanity". Try it, you'll like it.

Yesterday, I watched the second film Gretchen loaned me, Onegin. She suggested it because of my love of Russian literature and I was not disappointed. It is an adaptation of Pushkin's romantic poem of tragic, unfulfilled love, typically Russian in its somber tone and unhappy ending. If you are looking for a "feel good" movie this is not for you! You will find no happily-ever-after here, but you will find character depth like only Russian writers have mastered.

I adore Russian literature because of the depth of character and the tone, but it is not for everyone, admittedly. I seem to be drawn to tragic heroes and down-trodden heroines. The misunderstood and unfortunate souls always seem to capture my attention best as in some of my favorite works: Jane Eyre, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Silas Marner, and Everyday Use.

On a lighter note, I am also reading three books, concurrently. The first A House for My Name Earle and I are reading aloud together, so that is on hold for now. We are enjoying the connections Peter Leithart makes for us between various parts of the Old Testament. I highly recommend anything by this insightful author. The second book I am reading is the classic Foxe's Book of Martyrs which I purchased for a song from Gretchen at our used curriculum sale. I already had an e-copy of the text, but prefer a hard copy for reading. I'm not sure if I will browse this book or read it cover to cover. Either way it is a good addition to my collection. The third book I am currently reading is Keeping a Nature Journal. If you have any inclination towards drawing and/or nature study you must get your hands on this book. It is both a visual delight and an inspiration. Now I need to devote some time to putting pen and pencil to sketchbook and apply what I have learned from the book.

As if this isn't enough to keep me busy, I have the movie Miss Potter sitting in front of me. I adore Beatrix Potter and her works and hope the movie lives up to my expectations. Also, I am two books behind in the Harry Potter series and there is a new book coming out soon which I'm sure Julia will run right out to purchase. I need to get caught up!