Hello all, the sun, has arrived. Hallelujah :-) We seem to have been, drowning, in rain, here in my beautiful ugly. April rained steady, May was rough as well. Even June which can be, quite hot and hazy. Last week, I thought I would lose, my mind, and that's why, I didn't write, who needs to read, whining, we all have our battles, we all occasionally, feel like we are, losing it. Full moon and practically, a week of rain, not pretty: 'nough said. The sun is back, with a vengeance, kind of scorching, these last few days, but, you know, I got my shorts game down, oh yeah, fun in the sun.I am reading a fabulous book, almost done, love it: Help Thanks Wow: 3 Essential Prayers, by Anne Lamott, fabulous, she never disappoints. She makes me laugh, out loud on the subway, she also makes me cry, quietly, same location, I like to read on the subway. This book is a perfect, carry with you book. It's funny, touching, full of insight, it's smart not cloying, or goody goody. She is a good person, she is flawed, she tries, she fails, she succeeds, she is weak, she is strong. I love her writing, it makes me think. It feels like, I am 'listening' to a, friend, a smart funny friend, who has been around, the block a few times, knows the lay of the land, and, knows that ultimately, we don't know, shit, but, we should keep learning, and trying. We should reach for meaning, keep the faith. Lamott's book, made me cry for, my gone, but, not forgotten, beloved cat, Dude,
brought back feelings, of doubt and the "did I do, the right thing", questionings, and a few pages later, reminded me, that I loved and cherished him, and did the best I could, always, that I tried to avoid him, suffering, and prayed for him, to go in his sleep, but, it didn't work out, that way, sometimes it doesn't, that doesn't mean, we shouldn't, keep hoping, for it, praying, for it, whatever term you are most comfortable with Her book, reiterates, to me, that it is ok, to ask for help, it is also important, to say, thanks, to our people, to a greater force, God, whoever, whatever, and that we are, surrounded by beauty, wonder, and... life. So get out the sunscreen, put on those shorts, no, not those, the nice ones, you only live once:-) get out there and soak up, the sunshinny days be well, all of you Later girls, BB
Tag: anne lamott
Anne Lamott a writer who shares.
Well it’s still,
cold,
I know, I know,
big shock,
it’s January:-)
Today,
the light was good,
a sunny day,
helps,
business,
morale,
everything.
The Habs won,
thank you, hockey goddess!!
Beat the Maple Leafs,
first time,
this season.
This year,
the Leafs,
have a better shot,
at the playoffs,
than we do,
weird,
and,
unusual.
Might do ‘us’ good,
to finish,
very low in the,
over all standings,
get a better,
draft pick,
yeah,
food for thought.
Pretty good day,
at ‘ye old bookstore’,
blue skies,
brought people out.
Had a visit from,
one of my,
favourite customers,
she brought me,
some presents,
volume I and II,
of Somerset Maugham’s,
collected short stories,
the cool part,
aside from the gift part:-)
I only had volume 3.
I’ve read most of them,
but,
now I have the collected stories.
They are old penguin,
paperbacks,
which don’t look as good,
on bookshelves,
but,
are,
a lot easier to read,
and carry around.
She didn’t even know,
I was missing those,
two volumes,
she figured,
I could sell them,
as if:-)
I finished Anne Lamott’s,
Traveling Mercies,
loved it,
of course,
I’m a ‘fan’.
In one essay,
she writes about,
grief.
I’m frequently tempted to say ‘talks about’ when refering to Lamott’s work, it feels like a conversation:-)
This excerp is from the part of the book,
entitled,
Ladders
All those years I fell for the big palace lie that grief should be gotten over as quickly as possible and as privately. But what I discovered since is that a lifelong fear of grief keeps us in a barren, isolated place and that only grieving can heal grief; the passage of time will lessen acuteness, but time alone, without the direct experience of grief, will not heal it. San Francisco is a city in grief, we are a world in grief, and it is at once intolerable and a great opportunity. I’m pretty sure that it is only by experiencing that ocean of sadness in a naked and immediate way that we come to be healed-which is to say, that we come to experience life with a real sense of presence and spaciousness and peace.
This spoke to me,
directly,
and I think,
anyone,
who has tried to,
ignore,
or jump over,
the grief of,
losing someone they loved,
be it,
through death,
or divorce,
knows you can’t,
it’s only when you,
grieve,
no matter,
how long it takes,
that you feel peace,
it can take years,
many years.
You have to tear away,
the scar tissue,
feel the pain of,
the wound.
Only then,
can you allow,
yourself,
to heal,
and,
live or love,
again,
to live and love,
better,
hopefully.
That’s why I love Anne Lamott,
she really shares,
what she’s learned,
mostly the hard way.
No preaching,
or,
pointing you to the light,
she shares,
and that is,
priceless.
Later girls,
BB
Jackie Kennedy, what would she say today?
It’s a cool cloudy,
morning.
I expect it will be,
a cool cloudy day,
no,
those aren’t,
crystal ball,
predictions,
it’s what the folks,
at Environment Canada,
are predicting.
Those kind of conditions,
usually,
translate into,
quiet days,
at the bookstore,
but,
no matter,
I’ll have time to read,
I’m still plowing,
my way,
through Janet Flanner,
it’s good,
just,
heavy,
for carrying back,
and,
forth,
I also have the Hemingway,
on fishing,
but,
yesterday,
I read an,
Anne Lamott,
I got from,
the library,
Plan B: Further Reflections On Faith,
she is one,
terrific non-fiction,
writer,
she was a columnist,
at Salon.com,
for a time,
and I’m not,
surprised.
Her writings are full,
of joy,
and truth,
irreverence,
and,
reflection,
on faith,
motherhood,
the joys and tribulations,
dealing with and,
caring for,
aging parents,
the challenges of,
a post-menopause,
body.
I started reading,
Lamott,
with her book,
on writing,
Bird By Bird,
and honestly,
I can’t recomend,
her non-fiction,
enough,
she makes me laugh,
and,
tear up,
wonderful stuff.
Last night,
mom and I,
watched,
this Diane Sawyer,
special,
on the recently,
released,
Jacqueline Kennedy,
tapes.
These are eight hours,
of tapes she,
made,
three months,
after President Kennedy’s assassination.
An oral history,
of their time,
in the White House.
The Sawyer special,
also,
included,
an interview with,
Caroline Kennedy,
the last member of,
the John F Kennedy clan.
An interesting program,
mom and I,
are Kennedy groupies,
we both have read many books,
on this American family,
they had a special,
destiny,
it seems,
blessed with drive, talent, charm,
and cursed,
with horror and tragedy,
a fascinating family.
The Jackie tapes,
were not,
edited,
this is to,
Caroline’s credit,
she let her mother’s words stand,
some of her observations,
are very astute,
and,
touching,
some of them are cringe worthy,
we have collectively,
come a long way,
since 1963,
I’m pretty sure,
Jackie herself would,
have freaked at some,
of the things,
she said,
about marriage,
the place of women,
in politics,
in marriage,
and,
more,
it is in many ways,
a perfect illustration,
of,
‘Autre Temps, Autre Moeurs’
Later girls,
BB
The Swing Shift
A light gray,
sort a day,
today,
the curtains are,
fluttering,
a nice little breeze.
I have been,
busy,
and pre-occupied,
over the last few days,
much to do,
not much,
interesting,
been worried,
about a friend,
hopefully,
I’m worrying,
for nothing,
that happens,
a lot.
The ole butch,
is a worrier.
I’m almost finished,
the Anne Lamott,
,you girls,
should read her,
true, funny and poignant.
She is,
a very honest writer.
A few times,
I thought to myself,
wow, she said that about,
herself,
amazing.
You read some of,
her observations,
about herself,
her neurosis,
her weaknesses,
and fears,
and you can’t help,
but,
shake your head,
in agreement,
and think to yourself,
yep, I do that:-)
A couple of passages,
really struck,
me,
for their self-awareness,
their observation,
and the quirky,
unique way she,
has of describing things.
In one of the essays,
Shadows,
she writes about,
being lost with,
a strange driver,
the guy is acting,
oddly to say the least,
and she starts thinking,
” helphelphelphelp” I prayed again, but instead of feeling Jesus beside me, I could sense only the lunatic employees of the swing shift. This is the commitee inside me that is sometimes dumb and dangerous with bad judgement, and often obsessed with thoughts of personal greatness or impending doom. Like, for instance, the unbearable truth that all the people you love most will die, maybe in painful circumstances, and soon, probably next week
Now,
who amongst us,
doesn’t feel,
the influence,
of the lunatic employees,
of the swing shift,
inside our heads,
on a regular basis,
brilliant:-)
Also,
her observations,
on how,
often the best,
of us,
the smartest,
the funniest,
the kindest,
end up,
with,
a husband,
wife,
partner,
or,
mate,
who isn’t worthy,
to drink,
our bathwater,
because we are,
settling,
and lets,
face it,
it’s not easy,
to find someone,
when,
you are,
older,
heavy,
funny looking etc.
Lamott,
is a breath of fresh air,
I love this book,
she is an astute,
observer,
of human nature,
and,
life in the 21 st century.
Well,
gotta go to work,
Later girls,
BB
Library visit
I’m melting,
I’m melting,
it’s hot,
very hot,
but,
weirdly enough,
I’m getting used to,
it,
but,
I’m still melting:-)
Had a whole,
bunch of boring,
little things,
to do,
today,
nothing worth,
mentioning.
I went to the library,
brought back,
the Ivans,
and got some,
new stuff,
A Carol Anshaw,
I read her,
Aquamarine,
last year,
really enjoyed it,
recently,
someone suggested,
I check out more,
of her stuff,
and the library,
happened to have,
Lucky In The Corner,
so,
into the book bag,
it went.
One of my favourite,
books read this year,
was,
Bird By Bird,
by Anne Lamott,
so I got her,
Grace(Eventually) Thoughts On Faith,
it’s a book of essays,
I like her style,
I like her humour,
I’m looking forward,
to reading it.
While,
I was poking around,
the memoir section,
I came accross,
Literary Life,
by Larry McMurtry,
I loved,
the first part,
of his memoirs,
Books: A Memoir,
this is the second part,
should be a good read,
not too long,
I read part of it,
at the library,
he’s a pro,
this guy,
it flows.
From the back cover:
What I hoped to be, all my mature life, is a man of letters. Somerset Maugham, not much valued today, was a man of letters, and his valedictory statement is to be found in a lovely book called The Summing Up, which in my youth, I read many times.
McMurtry and I,
destined to get along,
we both love,
Maugham:-)
Well,
I know it’s not much,
of a post,
but,
did I mention,
I’m melting.
🙂
Later girls,
BB
mise en place for writing?
It’s a grey day,
here,
in the city.
I finished,
Anne Lamott’s,
book, Bird by Bird,
yesterday.
It is a special book,
I promised,
it to someone,
but,
I hesitate,
to part with it,
so soon.
It has made,
me think,
it has brought me,
joy and insight,
I recommend it highly.
So many parts,
rang true,
spoke to me.
I believe,
it will speak to anyone,
who writes,
aspires to,
or,
even,
reads.
Lamott writes it,
more clearly,
I think,
than I,
can say it,
There are lots of us, some published, some not, who think the literary life is the loveliest one possible, this life of reading and writing and corresponding. We think this life is nearly ideal. It is spiritually invigorating, says a friend, who converted at eighteen from Christianity to poetry. It is intellectually quickening. One can find in writing a perfect focus for life. It offers challenges and delight and agony and commitment.
I know,
it’s silly,
and,
perhaps,
even,
a little,
pathetic,
that,
the words of,
a perfect stranger,
somehow,
validate?
illuminate?
elucidate?
your wandering,
meandering,
path.
As if she is saying,
BB,
don’t worry,
about,
spending,
your life reading,
and,
and seeking,
it’s all,
mise en place,
for writing,
at least,
I hope that’s,
what she’s,
saying:-)
Later girls,
BB
When you’re, ready?
Yesterday,
was,
kind of quiet,
at the bookstore,
but,
honestly,
bookstores tend,
to be.
I was roaming,
around the shelves,
looking at what,
I have,
and why,
some of them,
aren’t selling.
So,
rooting around,
my dictionary,
grammar,
foreign language,
style guide,
section,
happened upon,
this writing guide,
Bird by Bird,
by Anne Lamott.
It’s been there,
a while.
I thought I would,
check it out.
Some books sell,
themselves,
some books,
wait for,
their reader/buyer,
and some,
you have to nudge,
into someones,
hands.
This book,
should have sold,
ages ago,
a lot of wannabe,
writers,
frequent,
used bookstores,
this is a good guide,
cheap,
and in more,
than adequate,
condition.
When I acquired it,
I figured it would,
go,
fast,
but,
a year or so,
later,
it’s still on the shelf.
The reason I believe,
it hasn’t sold is,
the title,
people must,
think it,
a missplaced,
ornithology guide,
in fact it is,
a delightful,
practical,
book,
on writing.
Not, one of those,
how to become,
the next Stephen King,
James Patterson,
or assorted other,
bestselling millionaire,
but, how to write,
really write,
everyday,
eek out a living,
be happy,
and,
miserable,
doing what,
you must do,
write.
Filled with,
memories,
and observations,
on life,
and the creative,
process,
a gem,
maybe,
it hasn’t sold,
because,
it was waiting,
for me to read it,
first,
or,
last:-)
Lamott has,
an easy going,
and,
quirky,
funny style.
She speaks to me:-)
From page fifteen,
on the reasons it is important,
to write,
not just be published,
Because for some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.
Nice huh?
Sometimes,
a book,
waits patiently,
for you,
to pick it up,
to need it.
When you’re ready,
when you are,
there.
Maybe,
not just books,
🙂
Later girls,
BB