for heaven's sake, read!

"Relax. Concentrate. Dispel every other thought. Let the world around you fade. Best to close the door; the TV is always on in the next room. Tell the others right away, 'No, I dont want to watch TV!' Raise your voice -- they wont hear you otherwise -- 'I'm reading! I dont want to be disturbed!'...
Find the most comfortable position: seated, stretched out, curled up, or lying flat. Flat on your back, on your side, on your stomach. In an easy chair, on the sofa, in the rocker, the deck chair, on the hassock..."

-Italo Calvino, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

One of my favorite openings to a book ever written always inspires me to do just that- go, and read! This morning I have finished The Woman in White, much to my personal satisfaction. I did not know, when I began, how I would be tempted from its pages by so many various other exploits. I did not know how I would neglect other prized attentions in its stead. I was so pleasantly surprised by the grip, appeal, and suspense of the tale, I even placed the coveted new Ruiz novel on hold! And so, this story comes with my highest recommendations- for a well-written, excellently-crafted story in the loftiest language and style. I firmly believe it is a neglected classic [I can say this, having a degree in English] that should be read, expostulated, and thesisized in a greater abundance of curriculum. And so, by all means, if you are reading this, and you have not read that, do so! Do heed the warning of my sister-in-law, prevent your curiosity from reading the summary. It may ruin the mystery.

I turn, to Ruiz, to see how he will change my sentence structure, my outlook on posting letters, and my sense of urgency, as Collins has surely done to me.

new art

so i am very much acting in faith lately. i have volunteered to head up the Artistic Team at DCF. i feel so totally excited but so absolutely out of my element- but its been really great! this week, we got together [sarah, kelly, caroline and me] to "do art" together. it was so relaxing and so much fun. i played with mod podge [super fun- TRY IT!] while kelly worked on an impressionist-style painting to correspond with sarah's "women of the world." caroline did an inspired painting that ended, as i am certain many do, different than how she first pictured it.

book sale

I know I told some of you I went to a huge booksale in Greenville this weekend, BUT I dont think any of you really believed me when I told you how large it really was.

People were stepping on your toes to get you to say "ouch!" and step back. As soon as you did, they would jump in front of you! and this was in the COOKBOOK section! I got stuck at one point, quite on accident, in the romance section. I had made the fatal mistake of thinking it was "Fiction." Alas, I couldnt get out for a good 5 minutes as the sheer weight and excitement of the 40 year old women around me pressed in towards the table. I am sad to say, precious time was lost. But I found my Juliet Marillier treasure already, so I wasnt TOO bummed out.

Doesnt my book-loving husband look thrilled?

good-bye werner, you were good to us

for more moving pictures, see The Loys of Clemson

to be known. to be found.

one of the things that makes my heart the happiest is when someone, a friend, travels to another place. a place away from this time, this location, this mindset, this geography. and this person sees something that makes them think of me. i like being found in foreign places: perched on a cliffside, sitting in a cafe, waiting in an ancient forest. and so, thank you, Ed Bynum, for finding me in Prague.