A LA CARTE. Intended to include this quote, yesterday, from Wolfe's novel: (p167-68, Scribner Paperback 1995 edition), keeping in mind he wrote this when he was in his twenties, in the 1920's.
" ___And the air will be filled with warm-throated plum-dropping bird-notes. He was almost twelve. He was done with childhood. As that Spring ripened he felt entirely, for the first time, the full delight of loneliness. Sheeted in his thin nightgown, he stood in darkness by the orchard window of the back room at Gant’s, drinking the sweet air down, exulting in his isolation in darkness, hearing the strange wail of the whistle going west."
"The prison walls of self had closed entirely round; he was walled completely by the esymplastic power of his imagination---he had learned by now to project mechanically, before the world, an acceptable counterfeit of himself which would protect him from intrusion. . . .”
And as I looked at the publisher's info page I noticed, for the first time, the subtitle of LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL: A Story of the Buried Life.
Poignant.
Interested in wading through this prosaic novel? Be sure to have a dictionary in hand, or your laptop dictionary at the ready. And let me know what you think of it!
" ___And the air will be filled with warm-throated plum-dropping bird-notes. He was almost twelve. He was done with childhood. As that Spring ripened he felt entirely, for the first time, the full delight of loneliness. Sheeted in his thin nightgown, he stood in darkness by the orchard window of the back room at Gant’s, drinking the sweet air down, exulting in his isolation in darkness, hearing the strange wail of the whistle going west."
"The prison walls of self had closed entirely round; he was walled completely by the esymplastic power of his imagination---he had learned by now to project mechanically, before the world, an acceptable counterfeit of himself which would protect him from intrusion. . . .”
And as I looked at the publisher's info page I noticed, for the first time, the subtitle of LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL: A Story of the Buried Life.
Poignant.
Interested in wading through this prosaic novel? Be sure to have a dictionary in hand, or your laptop dictionary at the ready. And let me know what you think of it!
Comments
A La Carte is being launched on Sunday! I'll be making spontaneous entries, not daily. Not a set day of the week. Like my watercolors, a bit loose and free flowing.
Current thread running through my mind is the interface of Pastor Horne's sermon this morning [Wk. two of new series---Objections to Christianity: Injustice and Oppression] and my book group's selection for this month [Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe].
Horne's "haupt punkt" was that the root of injustice isn't Christianity. It is the human heart. In fact, every particular religious group is guilty of injustice [ref. Tim Keller, The Reason for God, p. 56]. He pointed out that the God-Man, Jesus Christ, is at the heart of Christianity, proclaiming Good News to the poor and offering redemption for every heart of stone. Universally we are destitute, hopeless.
Living here in East Cobb I am surrounded by the illusion of prosperity, propriety and popularity. At first, as I was reading Wolfe's depiction of people struggling with loneliness and isolation, people who are violent and vulgar, I found myself feeling a bit smug, repulsed by his characters. Them. They. Not I. Me. Us. We're not like that.
Then, discussing it over dinner w/Dan last night, I realized that Wolfe is actually profiling me and my peers in 2008. If we're honest, under our veneer, we're as crass as the people Wolfe evokes so keenly from personal experience with people, and observations of people, in his Asheville, NC "world" in 1928. After our redemption "in Christ" our transformation evokes a sweet fragrance, a sharp contrast to the stench and filth of our unredeemed state.
And I'm left wondering, with our web of ties in contemporary culture (blogs, email, cell phones, FaceBook, etc.), are we not just as familiar with loneliness and isolation as the characters in a piece of fiction written 80 years ago. . . ?
To be continued. These are my thoughts tonight. I'm still processing. And I still need to finish reading the book since our group is headed to Asheville for a two day retreat. Our discussions at B&N usually last two hours. No telling how long this one will be!
Current thread running through my mind is the interface of Pastor Horne's sermon this morning [Wk. two of new series---Objections to Christianity: Injustice and Oppression] and my book group's selection for this month [Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe].
Horne's "haupt punkt" was that the root of injustice isn't Christianity. It is the human heart. In fact, every particular religious group is guilty of injustice [ref. Tim Keller, The Reason for God, p. 56]. He pointed out that the God-Man, Jesus Christ, is at the heart of Christianity, proclaiming Good News to the poor and offering redemption for every heart of stone. Universally we are destitute, hopeless.
Living here in East Cobb I am surrounded by the illusion of prosperity, propriety and popularity. At first, as I was reading Wolfe's depiction of people struggling with loneliness and isolation, people who are violent and vulgar, I found myself feeling a bit smug, repulsed by his characters. Them. They. Not I. Me. Us. We're not like that.
Then, discussing it over dinner w/Dan last night, I realized that Wolfe is actually profiling me and my peers in 2008. If we're honest, under our veneer, we're as crass as the people Wolfe evokes so keenly from personal experience with people, and observations of people, in his Asheville, NC "world" in 1928. After our redemption "in Christ" our transformation evokes a sweet fragrance, a sharp contrast to the stench and filth of our unredeemed state.
And I'm left wondering, with our web of ties in contemporary culture (blogs, email, cell phones, FaceBook, etc.), are we not just as familiar with loneliness and isolation as the characters in a piece of fiction written 80 years ago. . . ?
To be continued. These are my thoughts tonight. I'm still processing. And I still need to finish reading the book since our group is headed to Asheville for a two day retreat. Our discussions at B&N usually last two hours. No telling how long this one will be!
Wed, Jun 25 2008 09:15
| Permalink
Friends. I DO have a treasure chest full of "silver and gold"! Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver the other is gold.
Summertime is when I get to spend chunks of time with friends. More time to linger since I'm not dashing around with "appointments" and classes like I do during the school-in-session months. Today was one of those delightful days. Watching D. demonstrate her creative talents while handcrafting an elaborate card for me. And visiting with E. as we gleaned inspiration from D's techniques.
And now I see that another new friend, the little redhead, has a birthday today. Her blog entry made me wonder where MY baby book is now. Where have I stashed it? When I figure out how to add photos to my blog, that's one photo shoot I'll be motivated to pull off!
Now let me go see if I can find it..... And see if any of my "senior" friends can find theirs. We can have a Circle Time on our blogs (ladies, that means you have to have a blog!) and share our baby books. Not only with each other, but with some younger moms, too. A baby book exchange Tea Party? why not?!
Summertime is when I get to spend chunks of time with friends. More time to linger since I'm not dashing around with "appointments" and classes like I do during the school-in-session months. Today was one of those delightful days. Watching D. demonstrate her creative talents while handcrafting an elaborate card for me. And visiting with E. as we gleaned inspiration from D's techniques.
And now I see that another new friend, the little redhead, has a birthday today. Her blog entry made me wonder where MY baby book is now. Where have I stashed it? When I figure out how to add photos to my blog, that's one photo shoot I'll be motivated to pull off!
Now let me go see if I can find it..... And see if any of my "senior" friends can find theirs. We can have a Circle Time on our blogs (ladies, that means you have to have a blog!) and share our baby books. Not only with each other, but with some younger moms, too. A baby book exchange Tea Party? why not?!
Little Redhead tagged me
Tagged! And now I'm "it"! Am I up for the challenge? You bet. My blogger learning curve needs to be stretched. Here goes.
1. WHAT DID YOU DO 10 YEARS AGO?
That was the year Dan and I were "in transition" from our life in Bell' Italia to our life in the suburbs of Atlanta. Sure, we had been living in the suburbs of Milano, but still it was a Big Lifestyle Change for both of us. I lapsed into a bout of depression and was unable to paint, even tho' everyone told me it would be "good therapy". Watercolor painting requires speed and clear thinking, qualities which had temporarily diminished in my life. A sure sign that I had rebounded and recovered occurred the day I was able to open up my Winsor-Newton travel palette and begin a fresh start. . . .
2. FIVE ITEMS ON YOUR TO-DO LIST TODAY:
1. compose and mail out ministry letters
2. tell Lauren about the red-tag sale at Target for the "monkey" theme she adores
3. meet Patty at Einstein Bagels for our R&R celebration
4. simmer pinto beans all day to make a batch of refried beans for bean burritos
5. call Linda (my sister) to wish her Bon Voyage for their sailing lessons in the Virgin Islands
3. SNACKS I ENJOY:
an apple a day (confession: I'm a "granola", attended college in CA in the 60's!)
Trader Joe's cereal fig bars
sourdough pretzels
new treat---my German grandson introduced me to yummy yogurt covered dried cherries
4. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE A BILLIONAIRE?
I wd. set up a Reformation study center, combined with cultural art events and studies, in a Tuscan farmhouse with a winery. Kinda like Agritourism, A Semester Abroad and Early Retirees meet Francis Schaeffer, Gene Veith and John Frame and interact with contemporary artists, musicians and craftsmen.
The following bloggers I pass this challenge onto are:
The following bloggers I pass this challenge onto are:
If you have been tagged recently and you don't wish to join in on the fun, please don't feel obligated!
parisbreakfasts
susankennedy
yumiyumiart
friestyle
happyhelms
yumiyumiart
friestyle
happyhelms
Here Are the Rules: Answer the following questions about yourself. At the end of the post you pass on the questions to 6 other bloggers and list their names. Then write them a comment telling them that they've been tagged and ask them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know that you've accepted the challenge and refer to your post.
Mon, Jun 23 2008 08:39
| ArtCamp ArtClasses
| Permalink
Cartabella Art Camp1 was a rich learning experience. I could not have asked for a sweeter group of children for my first art camp. I loved the happy mix of quiet concentration and smiling faces as the children worked on their paintings and collages. Our end-of-the-class Drawing Games seemed to draw out their creativity even more . . . which always put a smile on my face!
But what a relief that it's over! Now I can relax and review the Happenings. I want to be better prepared for the one in July. Procedure changes to make and lesson plans to modify.
Encouraging to get this kind of immediate feedback from one parent: "The camp was an 11...on a scale of 1-10 (smile)!" But I need to solicit more suggestions for improving it.
Lauren, my oldest granddaughter, was a big help with behind-the-scenes details. And Andrew M. lent a helping hand a few days, too.
Stacey, my daughter-in-law who is a preschool teacher, was “on site” several mornings. We have her to thank for the radiant “portrait” photos of each child.
Some of my goals for the children were met:
*Working together “in community”-- building friendships and serving others
*Introduction to one European country/artist each day
*A mix of daily take-home projects and portfolio projects
*Instruction based projects interspersed with unstructured, creative activities
What will I do differently the next time?
*Separate boys/girls classes with a closer age span (ie., girls who have completed grades 1-3, etc.)
*Fewer projects with more instruction and more one-on-one guidance
*Specific procedures for meet and greet, arrival and departure, circle time, etc.
I'm asking God to help me create an environment that will nurture their creative expression while they learn concepts and skills.
A whirlwind week!
Fri, Jun 13 2008 02:01
| relatives, teacher/learner
| Permalink
A whirlwind week! Wonderful, wonderful learning experience at an inner city church where I held an art class for middle school teens. Of course I was there to "teach"! But par for the course, the teacher was the one who had more to learn than her students did. Their good attitude and good behavior was a reflection of the expectations of the program's leadership members. I'm so curious and eager to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes and who gets to attend, and what these young teens do the other days of the summer.
Intertwined with the art classes this week was a stopover visit with our Florida nieces and their daddy. Nora and Alysa's creative energy gave me the spark I needed to pull off the last art class downtown and to give me inspiration for an art lesson plan for next week. Nora got revved up by thumbing through one of my art studio books, COLLAGE UNLEASHED, by Traci Bautista. And Alysa created an adorable cardboard doll with a "pocket skirt" for tucking in the mini-Bible story book she made, too.
My neighbor Carol popped over this morning when she saw me painting . . . . The neighbors are probably worried that this zany artist will end up painting a mural on the outside like she did on the inside. Not to worry! We're just painting the exterior of our little cottage house. A conservative color with a restful name, Pacific Pines. [wouldn't it be fun to have that job---naming all of the paint chips I linger over at Home Depot?!]
Now I get to paint some sample projects for Cartabella Art Camp. Let the fun begin!
Intertwined with the art classes this week was a stopover visit with our Florida nieces and their daddy. Nora and Alysa's creative energy gave me the spark I needed to pull off the last art class downtown and to give me inspiration for an art lesson plan for next week. Nora got revved up by thumbing through one of my art studio books, COLLAGE UNLEASHED, by Traci Bautista. And Alysa created an adorable cardboard doll with a "pocket skirt" for tucking in the mini-Bible story book she made, too.
My neighbor Carol popped over this morning when she saw me painting . . . . The neighbors are probably worried that this zany artist will end up painting a mural on the outside like she did on the inside. Not to worry! We're just painting the exterior of our little cottage house. A conservative color with a restful name, Pacific Pines. [wouldn't it be fun to have that job---naming all of the paint chips I linger over at Home Depot?!]
Now I get to paint some sample projects for Cartabella Art Camp. Let the fun begin!
First Time experiences are always a challenge
Mon, Jun 9 2008 10:11
| Permalink
First Time experiences are always a challenge. I had a wonderful first-time experience teaching an art class in Miss Justina's art camp---downtown Atlanta by Grant Park. Middle School age kids who were exceptionally well-behaved, good workers and bubbly personalities. They were delightful!
They were also good sports about what cd. have been a boring art project. Some of them had more fun trying to guess which of the fruit I had placed on their table was "real" and which pieces were "fake"! But most of them eventually got their creative juices flowing as I encouraged them to use the chalk pastels to create large Drama Fruit drawings. IE., fruit with layers of color that zing!
Nan went with me. Cheerleader and traffic navigator and helping hand. A heart full of humility. Frequent prayers her way of life. Such a good friend and co-laborer.
I'm grateful Molly nudged me through this door of opportunity. It finally happened!
They were also good sports about what cd. have been a boring art project. Some of them had more fun trying to guess which of the fruit I had placed on their table was "real" and which pieces were "fake"! But most of them eventually got their creative juices flowing as I encouraged them to use the chalk pastels to create large Drama Fruit drawings. IE., fruit with layers of color that zing!
Nan went with me. Cheerleader and traffic navigator and helping hand. A heart full of humility. Frequent prayers her way of life. Such a good friend and co-laborer.
I'm grateful Molly nudged me through this door of opportunity. It finally happened!
Fruits . . . like having their portrait painted
"Fruits . . . like having their portrait painted. They seem to sit there and ask your forgiveness for fading. Their thought is given off with their perfumes. They come with all their scents. They speak of the fields they have left. The rain which has nourished them. The daybreaks they have seen." ---Paul Cezanne
I'm back to painting fruit. Warm-up exercises for the waiting-to-be-painted pages in my new Kilimanjaro Bright White wc paper block. A calming break from my tedious lesson plan sessions.
I'm back to painting fruit. Warm-up exercises for the waiting-to-be-painted pages in my new Kilimanjaro Bright White wc paper block. A calming break from my tedious lesson plan sessions.
AFTER WORDS
Thu, Jun 5 2008 02:52
| encouragement
| Permalink
AFTER WORDS
After blogging, yesterday, about my life as a juggler, it hit me (a thought hit me, not a ball) that there are a number of reasons why I am able to stay grounded more often than not.
Besides my faithful cheerleader team, ie., my husband, my family and my friends, I have the support and encouragement of two different groups. One is my Home Fellowship Community (hereafter referred to as HFC), comprised of almost 20 "mature" members of our church. We not only discuss our pastor's sermons, we frequently pray for one another and lend a helping hand to one another. In recent years we've come to know each other very well.
The other group is my book club. We call ourselves The Passionate Readers. And for a good reason. We are voracious readers and lovers of words. Our lively discussions and differences of opinion serve to broaden my world view. We are a motly crew and have forged a strong friendship bond.
Without this firm foundation, given my personality type, I'd be blowing in the wind---more often than not!
After blogging, yesterday, about my life as a juggler, it hit me (a thought hit me, not a ball) that there are a number of reasons why I am able to stay grounded more often than not.
Besides my faithful cheerleader team, ie., my husband, my family and my friends, I have the support and encouragement of two different groups. One is my Home Fellowship Community (hereafter referred to as HFC), comprised of almost 20 "mature" members of our church. We not only discuss our pastor's sermons, we frequently pray for one another and lend a helping hand to one another. In recent years we've come to know each other very well.
The other group is my book club. We call ourselves The Passionate Readers. And for a good reason. We are voracious readers and lovers of words. Our lively discussions and differences of opinion serve to broaden my world view. We are a motly crew and have forged a strong friendship bond.
Without this firm foundation, given my personality type, I'd be blowing in the wind---more often than not!
I'm a juggler
I'm a juggler.
And as usual I've got so many balls in the air that I'm flitting around and hopping from one foot to the other, trying to keep them in synch!
Art Camp ideas have shifted from the back burner where they've been simmering for weeks. The themes are starting to take shape, focused on summertime subject matter and Master Artists.
Some Plan A ideas for the EXPLORE EUROPE! format:
SPAIN: Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida/ Museo Sorolla in Madrid/sunny beach paintings/A Walk on the Beach + (?) tile work in Barcelona by Gaudi
SWEDEN: Carl (and Karin) Larsson/National Museum of Stockholm + CL home in Sundborn/family, home and garden/Flower Window/Crayfish Season, Veranda, The Falun Yard, Lisbeth Fishing, Lisbeth and Peonies, The Study Corner, In the Punishment Corner, etc.
HOLLAND: VanGogh/VanGogh Museum Amsterdam/Sunflowers, Yellow House, Yellow Chair, Bedroom + (?)his friend Cezanne (geometric shapes; brilliant thick paint)
ITALY: Leonardo’s Drawings & Inventions/Nat’l Museum of Science & Technology Milano/Sketch of a Horse, Flying Machines
FRANCE: Claude Monet/Musee d’Orsay Paris/Boating at Argenteuil, Field of Poppies, + (?)Still Life with Flowers and Fruit (Getty Museum)
Always exciting to see how God orchestrates the various components and enables me to pull together Lesson Plans, usually at the 11th hour!
And as usual I've got so many balls in the air that I'm flitting around and hopping from one foot to the other, trying to keep them in synch!
Art Camp ideas have shifted from the back burner where they've been simmering for weeks. The themes are starting to take shape, focused on summertime subject matter and Master Artists.
Some Plan A ideas for the EXPLORE EUROPE! format:
SPAIN: Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida/ Museo Sorolla in Madrid/sunny beach paintings/A Walk on the Beach + (?) tile work in Barcelona by Gaudi
SWEDEN: Carl (and Karin) Larsson/National Museum of Stockholm + CL home in Sundborn/family, home and garden/Flower Window/Crayfish Season, Veranda, The Falun Yard, Lisbeth Fishing, Lisbeth and Peonies, The Study Corner, In the Punishment Corner, etc.
HOLLAND: VanGogh/VanGogh Museum Amsterdam/Sunflowers, Yellow House, Yellow Chair, Bedroom + (?)his friend Cezanne (geometric shapes; brilliant thick paint)
ITALY: Leonardo’s Drawings & Inventions/Nat’l Museum of Science & Technology Milano/Sketch of a Horse, Flying Machines
FRANCE: Claude Monet/Musee d’Orsay Paris/Boating at Argenteuil, Field of Poppies, + (?)Still Life with Flowers and Fruit (Getty Museum)
Always exciting to see how God orchestrates the various components and enables me to pull together Lesson Plans, usually at the 11th hour!
Yippee
Yippee! I feel like putting on one of my favorite CDs---Handel's HALLELUJAH Chorus! Brian just sent me an email (I noticed it arrived in my IN Box after 6 pm so that means it was after midnight in Munich when he sent it!)---my Cartabella website just went live! He must have worked on it all day today and now it is officially launched into cyberspace!
Soooo, now, back down to earth. I get to learn how to do The Next Steps, figuring out how to organize and update the pages. It'll be so much fun to write descriptions and comments as I re-visit my old and recent artworks. And motivating to execute and post some new artwork, as well as some new pages. My mind's whirling. Thinking about my art quilts, collages, an unfinished altered book (like a never-ending story), scrapbooks, recipe notebooks and so on.
Kinda like the ole saying, "Make new friends but keep the old . . . !" I'm a wealthy woman. I have lots of gold and silver because I have a treasure chest brimming with friends and a collage style home-studio bursting with creativity.
This has been a very good day. Thanks to Brian's productive creativity. And likewise thanks to his dad's productive work---Dan finished painting the exterior side of our house which faces the foot path to the pond and pool.
I'll unwind by making a cup of Earl Grey and reviewing my notes in prep for our book group meeting tomorrow morning (The Book Thief).
Soooo, now, back down to earth. I get to learn how to do The Next Steps, figuring out how to organize and update the pages. It'll be so much fun to write descriptions and comments as I re-visit my old and recent artworks. And motivating to execute and post some new artwork, as well as some new pages. My mind's whirling. Thinking about my art quilts, collages, an unfinished altered book (like a never-ending story), scrapbooks, recipe notebooks and so on.
Kinda like the ole saying, "Make new friends but keep the old . . . !" I'm a wealthy woman. I have lots of gold and silver because I have a treasure chest brimming with friends and a collage style home-studio bursting with creativity.
This has been a very good day. Thanks to Brian's productive creativity. And likewise thanks to his dad's productive work---Dan finished painting the exterior side of our house which faces the foot path to the pond and pool.
I'll unwind by making a cup of Earl Grey and reviewing my notes in prep for our book group meeting tomorrow morning (The Book Thief).