Reading, Running and Reflection

My Memorial Day weekend has been filled with episodes of wonder and moments of quiet.

I re-discovered the joy of listening while someone reads a passage from one of their favorite books and learned that I could make my Kindle home page as neat and clean as my desktop. I saw the moons of Saturn and felt the sensation of falling more one hundred miles per hour. I faced fears and found laughter. I surrendered and found peace.

Hoping your holiday weekend has also been filled with new learnings and wondrous observations.

Staying Afloat

Because I am scheduled to take the most expensive swimming lesson in the history of man [Note to self: secure pricing before the commitment], I will close the week with this suggestion for summer reading: Learning to Swim by Sara J Henry. Described in the reviews as "mystery" and "thriller" the read is projected to have a few things in common with my first lesson.

Henry hails from The Atomic City and we share an alma mater. Before you read, know that this is projected to be the first in a series, much like my personal journey to avoid sounding like a Lamaze class when in a pool.

Enjoy the weekend and happy Memorial Day.

Reader in Sheep's Clothing

From Cutting for Stone:

"What did it say when a man had fewer clothes than books?"

Substitute woman and you have me. What does it say?

"I am a well-read, intelligent being with a wide range of interests. I have poetry at my fingertips as well as that Julia Child recipe you have always wanted to try. My clothes are fewer but better couture. I am interesting."

or

"I collect books but I do not read them. Moving is tough, as is dusting. When you visit, you must think me well-read however I cannot seem to find that Grisham book I know I have. The Twilight series sits on the top shelf and my Over Canada makes a great coaster. I have fun."

I wonder what Sylerant would say about clothes versus books.

Burgers and Bachelors

I am making my way through our next GBC read, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Content thus far has been a bit heavy, so for a nearly mid-week suggestion, whimsical is in order.

For those of you who are carnivorous and road-tripping this summer, the paperback version of Hamburger America: Completely Revised and Updated Edition: A State-by-State Guide to 150 Great Burger Joints by George Motz is available. [I am amused that the book has been completely and not just partly revised and that the title has two colons.]

And in the list of "I wish I would have thought of that domains," I offer http://whatshouldireadnext.com a site which, as you clever readers may guess, offers suggestions on that next title for your list. [A similar service to this site however without the personal anecdotes and occasionally painful puns.] Here are the suggestions for my next read:

Wishing you a happy read, whatever you may choose.

Veloci-Rapture

With the bullet dodged for the end of the world yesterday, I sought some type of inspiration to share with you for the remainder of our days here together. I glanced through pages written by Rumi, Chopra, Karen Armstrong, and Father Hesburgh before settling on the ethereal wisdom of Douglas Adams:

She was mostly immensely relieved to think that virtually everything that anybody had ever told her was wrong.

- So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

So until we arrive at the end of the world as we know it, I hope you feel fine.

A Postcard from the Edge

Dear Italy,

In six short days, you gave me renewed perspective and a lot of fun. I had time to think and to own a few things:

• I am too old to tan and I need sunscreen (often)
• It is okay to get lost
• I like reading water with my lunch on holiday
• I will wear red while everyone else wears grey
• I am clumsy
• Ice cream/gelatto/froyo at any time of the day is never a bad idea
• Talking with strangers gets you the most unexpected info
• On a trip where walking is my primary transport, I won't use those running shoes I packed
• I can buy a pretty stellar lunch for 5 euros if that is all the cash I have
• I should have ordered an international data plan in advance and I am extremely grateful for the man who back-dated it to save me $$$
• I like to travel and occasionally I like to do so with a little style
• Most shoe sales people will not help you if you are wearing Tretorns...but there will always be one who will
• I don't have to see everything in one trip
• Unexpectedly beautiful works of art when seen in person may make me cry

Today's Friday photo is El Duomo in Firenze taken a few short days ago.

Trains Planes and Sore Heels

I finished Dorian Gray on the train which seemed an appropriately romantic tribute to Oscar Wilde. When I finished the last words, I could not immediately begin another work. I don't want to give too much away as it is an upcoming book club novel, but wow! As the reader moves through the last third of the book, s/he will begin to piece together the most likely ending, and as I read Wilde's words, I was amazed with his techniques and his imagery. It would be nearly four hours before I would pick up my next read.

In other literary news, Philip Roth was announced as the winner of the International Man Booker Prize today. (You may remember this was the contest which had a wee bit of controversy when the finalists were announced.) You may wish to add one of his titles to your summer book list.

Easy on the Eyes

I do wonder what it would be like to have a painting which absorbed the wrinkles, scars, dark eye circles, and the sunburn rather than bearing the weight of these hardships on our own faces. I have crossed the two-thirds mark in The Picture of Dorian Gray and am curious as to what is ahead for our young but aging protagonist. The painting gets more gruesome but how does the story end? (Don't tell me.)

I have added "visit Italy" to my list of items to ward off feeling a bit more aged. Nothing gives you a bit of self confidence (and a moderate dose of the creeps) than having a man stop walking and stare at you while you pass. Specifically, he will stare into your eyes, not give you the up and down glance of the Jersey Shore. You will look away first. Trust me.

Aging, we all do it. Embrace it and take those glances as they come.

Walk Like a Roman

Holidays are for long walks.

Today's best laid walk resulted in a parade (piazza 1) and riot police (piazza 2). In the end, I did see a pretty fabulous church.

Note: Enjoy time spent differently from your planned minutes. See also "It's okay to get a burn and/or shoot yourself in the neck with a bottlecap".

Ciao.

A-Musings

Apologies for a late odd post however our friends at Google had a bit of a technical difficulty with an upgrade (understatement).

So from the 12th:

I turned a corner and discovered The Pantheon.

Characters in Dorian Gray do not have a positive view on marriage or women (at least from the half-way mark).

The circle which looks looks like a button turns on a magic light over my workspace.

Four types of chocolate in gelatto are really better than three.

If you feel like you are lost and begin to notice heretofore unseen graphitti tags, you likely are. Walk faster.

Notes: Use a Post It

Note:

Although one may think to write about your mom on Mother's Day, it is really not a suitable substitute for a telephone call. Learn from me on this one.

Other notes:

I had to re-start The Picture of Dorian Gray as I had too much business reading [and a few tornadoes] since I last picked up the read. I kept thinking about ROI with the painting and thought perhaps that was a bad idea. Re-start.

GBC Pa1ge shared a story regarding Happiness which just aired on CBS Sunday morning this week. It mentions a recent read, The Happiness Project, as well as In the Long Run: A Father, A Son, and Unintentional Lessons in Happiness by Jim Axelrod. Rubin says "do"; Axelrod mentions "connect" and proposes it is the connections we make (in a place or with people) that bring us a little closer to happiness.

Finally, if you tire of the competition, here is a clever idea via The Guardian for the bookseller who wants to feature his own work. A library of one? It may just work for Martian Summer by Andrew Kessler. Book and science nerds, please buy this from the "monobookist" rather than Amazon. He did go through quite a bit of effort.

Coat of Many Colors

Things I learned from my mom:

• How to arrange a vase of flowers
• How to wear red
• How to pitch a softball
• How to make cornbread
• How to sew a Simplicity pattern
• How to make my favorite cookies
• How to build a float (not the root beer kind)
• How to drive a little too fast
• How to laugh big
• How to wrap a package (okay, she taught me but I still haven't learned)

Happy Sunday to the ladies in your life (mothers or otherwise) who have taught you a thing or two about life.

Hope Springs

With everything that has happened this week, I thought our Friday photo should symbolize hope.

When I think of hope, I tend to think of flowers (which could be the influence of this lady's musings).

This photograph was taken at the National Orchid Garden in Singapore in summer 2007 just before sunset.

Please forgive the photographer for not noting the variety of orchid. There were so many beautiful flowers it was impossible to remember all of them.

The Other Baldwin

If you are looking for background on a book before you read it, I would suggest steering away from Wiki. If however, it's 5:00 pm on a GBC bookclub night and you're running late and want to appear semi-literate or at least just know the character's names (knowing that the source may or may not be quite accurate), the site would be worth a look. At least, this is my morning experience to remind you that in a few weeks we will be discussing Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin.

For another (plot spoiler free) glimpse into this writer before your pick up this 1956 novel, see this NYT's review of The Cross of Redemption or James Campbell's biography, Talking at the Gates: A Life of James Baldwin.

Happy Reading.

Interplan-It Janet

I have always been pretty good at a plan B. This week I have learned I'm also not bad at the Plan B to plan A, new plan B to plan A, new plan B...until I am not really certain as to which plan I am on, but I know I am moving forward. I am reminded of George Bernard Shaw's:

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

Special thanks to all the GBC members who gave me shelter from the storm in the form of housing, internet, reading water, conversation, laughter, and a really good cheeseburger.