Today I am sharing with you some of my favorite fairy tales and fables. I wonder if these are still taught in school? If not, perhaps they should be.
1. The Princess and the Pea. This is a story about a princess who is so sensitive that she feels a pea even though she is sleeping under 20 down-filled mattresses. This tale was explained to me as a cautionary one, as in - don't be the person who is so sensitive as to feel the pea. However, the real fairy tale says the woman who is so sensitive is really a true princess. In which case, I must be a true princess a zillion times over.
2. Seven at One Blow. In this tale, a tailor kills seven flies; he creates a belt announcing his great deed. He then goes on through trickery to eventually become king. I have always admired the little tailor's daring; he decided he wanted better and set out to make it so.
3. Snow White and Rose Red. In this tale, two sisters are kind to all creatures, including a visiting bear and an ungrateful dwarf. In the end, they marry princes. From this tale I learned that kindness is its own reward, and sometimes is returned.
4. The Golden Bird. This story is about the youngest prince and his efforts to please his father. He learns the value of good advice and that looks are deceiving. I always admired the young prince as well as his advisor for their inability to give up on their quests.
5. Puss and Boots. In the original story, Puss is the friend of the youngest son, and the cat is all the young fellow inherits when his father died. The cat says, "Trust me, and give me a pair of boots." The young man does this, and soon he finds himself rich, thanks to the clever Puss. This might be classified as a trickster tale, because Puss certainly does pull off some tricks. From this tale, I learned to trust my friends. I also learned that being clever has its own rewards.
6. The Frog King. A young princess loses her treasured golden ball down a well. She promises the frog he can live in the palace if he fetches the ball, but she breaks her word. The frog follows her home anyway. Lessons? Keep your word. Don't look down on others.
7. The Emperor's New Clothes. The Emperor commissions a new set of clothes from imposters, who present him with thin air. However, they told the Emperor that anyone who couldn't see the clothes was either stupid or unfit for office. It wasn't until a child cried out, "He has nothing on!" that the truth came to light. This tale strikes me as particularly relevant in the political world today, as we have so many people shouting "look, look" at absolutely nothing, or at the wrong things while the real issues are elsewhere. The rest are foolish enough to look and/or agree. Apparently we need more children shouting "No clothes!"
8. Rumplestiltskin. A miller tells the king his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king locks her up and tells her to spin. A little man comes in the room and asks for a token in exchange for spinning the straw into gold. On the third night, the daughter has nothing left to give, so he asks for her child. She agrees. When the baby is born, the man comes for the child, but agrees to give her three days to guess his name. Lesson? Don't lie to the king, for one thing, and don't make promises you have no intention of keeping, for another.
9. The Twelve Brothers. The version I link to has the brothers turn into ravens, but I have also seen them turned into swans. In this story, a king tells his wife if she has a daughter for their 13th child, the other twelve sons will be put to death. She bids her boys to flee, which they do. The daughter grows up and sets out to save her brothers. Innocently, she plucks some enchanted flowers and the young men turn into ravens. She can only save them by being mute and not laughing for 7 years. I'm not sure what I learned from this story, but check out Daughter of the Forest, by Juliet Marillier, for an interesting retelling of a similar story.
10. Aesop's Fables. Everyone should be familiar with these little stories, which offer lots of lessons that are applicable even today.
11. The Wren and the Bear. In this tale, a bear insults the children of a wren, who want vengeance for this insult. The wren declares war, then outsmarts all to become the victor. Lessons? Be careful who you insult. Small things can hurt as much as big ones.
12. The Fisherman and His Wife. A magic flounder grants wishes. The wife wants more and more, until she wants to be Lord of the Universe. The fish puts her back in her hovel. Lesson? Be careful what you wish for, I suppose. But also perhaps to be happy with what you have.
13. Chicken-Licken (also known as Chicken Little). The sky is falling! I must go and tell the king! So says the hapless chicken upon whom the acorn has fallen. Lessons? Don't be stupid and be careful whom you trust.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is
a list here. I've been playing
for a while and this is my 335th time to do a list of 13 on a
Thursday.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Saturn
Saturn
By Sharon Olds
He lay on the couch night after night,
mouth open, the darkness of the room
filling his mouth, and no one knew
my father was eating his children. He seemed to
rest so quietly, vast body
inert on the sofa, big hand
fallen away from the glass.
What could be more passive than a man
passed out every night--and yet as he lay
on his back, snoring, our lives slowly
disappeared down the hole of his life.
My brother's arm went in up to the shoulder
and he bit it off, and sucked at the wound
as one sucks at the sockets of lobster. He took
my brother's head between his lips
and snapped it like a cherry off the stem. You would have seen
only a large, handsome man
heavily asleep, unconscious. And yet
somewhere in his head his soil-colored eyes
were open, the circles of the whites glittering
as he crunched the torso of his child between his jaws,
crushed the bones like the soft shells of crabs
and the delicacies of the genitals
rolled back along his tongue. In the nerves of his gums and
bowels he knew what he was doing and he could not
stop himself, like orgasm, his
boy's feet crackling like two raw fish
between his teeth. This is what he wanted,
to take that life into his mouth
and show what a man could do--show his son
what a man's life was.
mouth open, the darkness of the room
filling his mouth, and no one knew
my father was eating his children. He seemed to
rest so quietly, vast body
inert on the sofa, big hand
fallen away from the glass.
What could be more passive than a man
passed out every night--and yet as he lay
on his back, snoring, our lives slowly
disappeared down the hole of his life.
My brother's arm went in up to the shoulder
and he bit it off, and sucked at the wound
as one sucks at the sockets of lobster. He took
my brother's head between his lips
and snapped it like a cherry off the stem. You would have seen
only a large, handsome man
heavily asleep, unconscious. And yet
somewhere in his head his soil-colored eyes
were open, the circles of the whites glittering
as he crunched the torso of his child between his jaws,
crushed the bones like the soft shells of crabs
and the delicacies of the genitals
rolled back along his tongue. In the nerves of his gums and
bowels he knew what he was doing and he could not
stop himself, like orgasm, his
boy's feet crackling like two raw fish
between his teeth. This is what he wanted,
to take that life into his mouth
and show what a man could do--show his son
what a man's life was.
In honor of Women's History Month in the United States, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite poets.
I became acquainted with the work of Sharon Olds in the late 1980s. This poem was in her first poetry book, Satan Says.
Olds was born in 1942 in San Francisco; she is about the same age as my mother. Olds received her Ph.D. in English from Columbia University.
She won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and has won many other awards for her work. While she has not yet passed into history, her work had a profound effect on me while I was an undergraduate at Hollins College. I went to hear her read at Roanoke College in the early 1990s.
I own many of her books and they are among my prized possessions, especially the autographed ones. She has 11 collections of poetry.
You can listen to her read a little and discuss a poem in an interview with The Guardian here. Search for her on youtube and you can hear her read other poems, too (though I could not find her reading Saturn). If you like poetry and are not familiar with Olds, I urge you to give her work a try.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Ignore the Woman Inside the House
They really do not pay attention to me. It's like I'm not even there!
Sunday, March 09, 2014
I Read Many Books
The Meme With No Name
1. Have you ever pretended to read a book to impress someone?
A. No. I read many books. I have no need to do that.
From Sunday Stealing
1. Have you ever pretended to read a book to impress someone?
A. No. I read many books. I have no need to do that.
2. Have you ever pretended not to read a book in order to avoid embarrassment?
A. No.
3. What’s your worst reading habit?
3. What’s your worst reading habit?
A. I chew my fingernails when I read.
4. What book are you most proud of having read?
4. What book are you most proud of having read?
A. All of them.
5. Do you buy most of your books new, second-hand, electronically or borrow via the library?
5. Do you buy most of your books new, second-hand, electronically or borrow via the library?
A. I do all of the above.
6. Have you ever pretended to watch a film to impress someone?
6. Have you ever pretended to watch a film to impress someone?
A. No. I have no need to impress anyone.
7. Have you ever pretended not to have watched a film in order to avoid embarrassment?
7. Have you ever pretended not to have watched a film in order to avoid embarrassment?
A. No.
8. What movie have you watched the most?
8. What movie have you watched the most?
A. The Lord of the Rings trilogy. All 9+ hours of it. In case you don't know, it's really three movies, each over 3 hours long. The movies are The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.
I have to admit that Dirty Dancing is probably a close second.
9. What film do you tell people is your favorite ever?
9. What film do you tell people is your favorite ever?
A. The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
10. What film is actually your favorite ever?
10. What film is actually your favorite ever?
A. The Lord of the Rings trilogy. (I'm starting to think the person who made up these questions has a penchant for lying. Do people normally make up things about such trivia? Aren't there more important things to lie about?)
11. What time do you usually wake up and get up in the mornings?
11. What time do you usually wake up and get up in the mornings?
A. My alarm goes off at 6 a.m. every morning. I am usually out of bed by 6:15 a.m.
12. Do you wake naturally or does something/someone wake you up?
12. Do you wake naturally or does something/someone wake you up?
A. I wake up to a clock radio alarm.
13. How many snooze alarms do you need?
13. How many snooze alarms do you need?
A. Generally none.
14. What’s your routine on a workday/work at home morning?
14. What’s your routine on a workday/work at home morning?
A. I get up, I turn on the computer, I fix myself a cup of hot tea, I read email, blogs, news, maybe write something, dress, have breakfast, sit down to work. That's the ideal world.
15. What’s your routine on a non-workday morning?
15. What’s your routine on a non-workday morning?
A. It's pretty much the same thing, except that I don't sit down to work, I do laundry or dishes or something like that.
Saturday, March 08, 2014
Steering Me Along a Better Path
Saturday 9: Theme from Peyton Place ("Wonderful Season of Love")
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) Spring, summer, fall or winter: which season do you consider most wonderful?
A. I am partial to Autumn. But I also like Spring. Both are rather glorious around here.
2) Crazy Sam (the person who dreamed up these questions) learned this song when she played flute in the high school orchestra. Did you participate in many after-school activities?
A. I played flute too! But ours was a marching band, not an orchestra. I had to attend all the football games and occasionally basketball games, and we had summer camp to learn marching routines. It was quite intense. I alternated between first and second chair flute, which was important because first chair (meaning you were the best player) sometimes played the piccolo, and we all wanted to play the piccolo. I also played guitar and sang in a rock 'n roll band.
3) The flautist next to her in the orchestra was Jeanne Pepitone. After a little Facebook spying, Sam learned that Jeanne is now Jeanne Moran, a nurse with a husband and a daughter. Sam shot her a "friend request." Do you keep up with your high school classmates?
A. We had our 30th reunion a few years ago, and many of us caught up on Facebook at that time and have remained FB friends. Some people you're better off leaving alone, though.
4) When she performed with the school orchestra, Sam was required to wear gray slacks and a black sweater. What are you wearing right now, as you answer these questions?
A. I have on blue jeans and a blue sweater.
5) Sam was especially dedicated to the school orchestra because she had a crush on Mr. Hanley, the school's musical director. He was the dark/thin/sensitive type. Tell us about a teacher you remember, and why he or she stands out.
A. One of my favorite teachers was Dee Jones, now Dee Sheffer, and retired from teaching. She was a very caring person who paid attention to her students, and I was a bit of a teacher's pet. She taught English and that was my subject. I was fortunate to have several teachers who were caring people, and many influenced me in positive ways. I could list a number of caring mentors who steered me along to a better path.
6) Because Sam was so crazy about Mr. Hanley, she was desperate to attend his band camp. Her parents wouldn't allow it unless she could pay her own way, and so she didn't get to go. Were your parents strict or permissive? If you have children yourself, what's your parenting style?
A. My parents were strict until I turned 16, then they sort of lost track of me. I have no children so can't really answer the last part of the question. I'm pretty lenient with the cows. They have no bedtime and their only rule is to keep it in the fence.
7) Sam liked Fridays because her favorite food, fried rice, was served in the school cafeteria. When you eat Chinese food, do you use chopsticks or a fork?
A. I use a fork. I also ask for a knife.
8) When Sam was a little girl, a new box of Crayolas could get her pulse racing. Now she loves her Sharpies. Do you enjoy shopping for school/office supplies?
A. I LOVE shopping for office supplies. I have more office supplies stuffed in a closet than I do clothes. I adore the smell of a new notebook in the mornings.
9) Do you have any plush toys? Or did you give them all up when you left childhood?
A. I have a few Christmas stuffies in the closet, and in the living room sits one stuffed black dog to remind me of my dog, Ginger, whom I had for 17 years. But I have none that I snuggle or anything. I gave that up before I became an adult because of my allergies.
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) Spring, summer, fall or winter: which season do you consider most wonderful?
A. I am partial to Autumn. But I also like Spring. Both are rather glorious around here.
 |
| Spring 2013 |
 |
| Autumn 2012 |
2) Crazy Sam (the person who dreamed up these questions) learned this song when she played flute in the high school orchestra. Did you participate in many after-school activities?
A. I played flute too! But ours was a marching band, not an orchestra. I had to attend all the football games and occasionally basketball games, and we had summer camp to learn marching routines. It was quite intense. I alternated between first and second chair flute, which was important because first chair (meaning you were the best player) sometimes played the piccolo, and we all wanted to play the piccolo. I also played guitar and sang in a rock 'n roll band.
3) The flautist next to her in the orchestra was Jeanne Pepitone. After a little Facebook spying, Sam learned that Jeanne is now Jeanne Moran, a nurse with a husband and a daughter. Sam shot her a "friend request." Do you keep up with your high school classmates?
A. We had our 30th reunion a few years ago, and many of us caught up on Facebook at that time and have remained FB friends. Some people you're better off leaving alone, though.
4) When she performed with the school orchestra, Sam was required to wear gray slacks and a black sweater. What are you wearing right now, as you answer these questions?
A. I have on blue jeans and a blue sweater.
5) Sam was especially dedicated to the school orchestra because she had a crush on Mr. Hanley, the school's musical director. He was the dark/thin/sensitive type. Tell us about a teacher you remember, and why he or she stands out.
A. One of my favorite teachers was Dee Jones, now Dee Sheffer, and retired from teaching. She was a very caring person who paid attention to her students, and I was a bit of a teacher's pet. She taught English and that was my subject. I was fortunate to have several teachers who were caring people, and many influenced me in positive ways. I could list a number of caring mentors who steered me along to a better path.
6) Because Sam was so crazy about Mr. Hanley, she was desperate to attend his band camp. Her parents wouldn't allow it unless she could pay her own way, and so she didn't get to go. Were your parents strict or permissive? If you have children yourself, what's your parenting style?
A. My parents were strict until I turned 16, then they sort of lost track of me. I have no children so can't really answer the last part of the question. I'm pretty lenient with the cows. They have no bedtime and their only rule is to keep it in the fence.
7) Sam liked Fridays because her favorite food, fried rice, was served in the school cafeteria. When you eat Chinese food, do you use chopsticks or a fork?
A. I use a fork. I also ask for a knife.
8) When Sam was a little girl, a new box of Crayolas could get her pulse racing. Now she loves her Sharpies. Do you enjoy shopping for school/office supplies?
A. I LOVE shopping for office supplies. I have more office supplies stuffed in a closet than I do clothes. I adore the smell of a new notebook in the mornings.
9) Do you have any plush toys? Or did you give them all up when you left childhood?
A. I have a few Christmas stuffies in the closet, and in the living room sits one stuffed black dog to remind me of my dog, Ginger, whom I had for 17 years. But I have none that I snuggle or anything. I gave that up before I became an adult because of my allergies.
Friday, March 07, 2014
Thursday, March 06, 2014
Thursday Thirteen: Saving Money
Earlier this week, I finally convinced my husband that we needed to do something about the outlandish monthly payment we had with our satellite TV. With a phone call, and returning the second box we had in the bedroom, we managed to save about $240 over the course of the year. Not a lot - if it were up to me we wouldn't even have satellite TV - but better than nothing. I made a $30 purchase for an HD TV digital air antenna and have six free channels and a DVD player in the bedroom. That is all I need in that room.
So I thought I'd look and see what other things we might do to save a little do-re-mi.
1. Check your monthly bills (satellite, cable, internet, phones) and see if there are things on there you can downgrade or rid yourself of. Do you really need caller ID? Call waiting? Are you paying extra for such niceties?
2. Eat at home. We eat out about twice a week, and this likely won't change. I work for home and need the outings. But unless eating out serves some other need (as it does for me), then cutting this back would be doable.
3. Make a grocery list - and stick to it. I am bad about throwing extra things in the cart. However, to go along with this, I think you also need to create a menu for the week, so you know what you need to buy. If you don't buy potatoes, then on the night you want potatoes you won't have them.
4. Buy nonperishables in bulk. We do not have a Costco in our area so we must go to Sam's Club, but we make that trip about every six weeks. There we purchase tissues, paper towels, dishwashing detergent, Splenda, and similar items.
5. Reuse items. Grocery store bags can be used to line small trash cans, for example. Apparently there is a market for buying toilet paper rolls (I read that somewhere recently but can't find the link).
6. Don't pay late fees. How do you avoid this? Pay on time, of course.
7. Use the library. I am bad about buying books because I like new books (old ones upset my asthma sometimes) but I do use the library frequently for audiobooks. To be honest if I didn't use the library for audiobooks I probably wouldn't listen to them, because they are expensive. Our local library also carries DVDs, which saves on the price of purchasing those.
8. If it costs more than $100, walk away. We have a rule that any single purchase over that amount must be discussed with the partner. That keeps us from making purchases that we might regret later. We've had this rule in place for 30 years and it has worked well for us. Sometimes by the time you talk about it, you realize you don't really want it or need it.
9. Stop magazine subscriptions, or don't renew. I go through periods where I do this. We seem to get a lot of magazines and while I generally read all of them, I certainly don't need them.
10. Keep your car a long time. We bought our 2003 Toyota new (which is a no-no but I think if you're planning to keep it for over 10 years then you could get a new one) and it's still going strong. We keep the oil changed and take care of it, and I expect to get at least two more years out of it. It is really nice not to have a car payment.
11. Comparison shop. Check on insurance fees, for example, and see if you can find something better elsewhere. If your bank is charging you fees for everything, maybe you can get a better deal at the new bank down the street. Or a no-fee credit card.
12. Don't waste energy. We have a hard time with this one - everything we own seems to take forever to boot up if you leave it completely unplugged. If you walk around my house at night there are all kinds of little red lights. About once a month I go around in the dark, look at what's glowing, and unplug things. If it gets plugged back in, then it's something we use, but sometimes something stays unplugged for a good long time and that's a saving.
13. Wait to buy. This is different from #8. Maybe you won't need whatever doohickey you're looking at in 30 days. Or maybe it will go on sale. If you find you can live without it, wouldn't the money be better in your pocket? Patience is a virtue.
And speaking of spending money on absolutely nothing, I read recently that the company that created Candy Crush made $1.8 BILLION dollars last year. The company charges $0.99 for little extra moves, or moving up a level, or whatever. With patience and persistence, you don't need to buy a darned thing on these video games, and I refuse to dole out my money in tiny little increments like that. Soon you've spent $20 and not even realized it.
Until I received my Kindle for Christmas, I didn't realize that companies were charging people like this, in increments instead of paying, say, $6.99 for the entire game. It's really a rip-off and I can see how it would get out of control quickly in the hands of a child or teenager (or impatient adult). Be wary of your internet providers who set limits - that can add up and be quite costly.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 334th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
So I thought I'd look and see what other things we might do to save a little do-re-mi.
1. Check your monthly bills (satellite, cable, internet, phones) and see if there are things on there you can downgrade or rid yourself of. Do you really need caller ID? Call waiting? Are you paying extra for such niceties?
2. Eat at home. We eat out about twice a week, and this likely won't change. I work for home and need the outings. But unless eating out serves some other need (as it does for me), then cutting this back would be doable.
3. Make a grocery list - and stick to it. I am bad about throwing extra things in the cart. However, to go along with this, I think you also need to create a menu for the week, so you know what you need to buy. If you don't buy potatoes, then on the night you want potatoes you won't have them.
4. Buy nonperishables in bulk. We do not have a Costco in our area so we must go to Sam's Club, but we make that trip about every six weeks. There we purchase tissues, paper towels, dishwashing detergent, Splenda, and similar items.
5. Reuse items. Grocery store bags can be used to line small trash cans, for example. Apparently there is a market for buying toilet paper rolls (I read that somewhere recently but can't find the link).
6. Don't pay late fees. How do you avoid this? Pay on time, of course.
7. Use the library. I am bad about buying books because I like new books (old ones upset my asthma sometimes) but I do use the library frequently for audiobooks. To be honest if I didn't use the library for audiobooks I probably wouldn't listen to them, because they are expensive. Our local library also carries DVDs, which saves on the price of purchasing those.
8. If it costs more than $100, walk away. We have a rule that any single purchase over that amount must be discussed with the partner. That keeps us from making purchases that we might regret later. We've had this rule in place for 30 years and it has worked well for us. Sometimes by the time you talk about it, you realize you don't really want it or need it.
9. Stop magazine subscriptions, or don't renew. I go through periods where I do this. We seem to get a lot of magazines and while I generally read all of them, I certainly don't need them.
10. Keep your car a long time. We bought our 2003 Toyota new (which is a no-no but I think if you're planning to keep it for over 10 years then you could get a new one) and it's still going strong. We keep the oil changed and take care of it, and I expect to get at least two more years out of it. It is really nice not to have a car payment.
11. Comparison shop. Check on insurance fees, for example, and see if you can find something better elsewhere. If your bank is charging you fees for everything, maybe you can get a better deal at the new bank down the street. Or a no-fee credit card.
12. Don't waste energy. We have a hard time with this one - everything we own seems to take forever to boot up if you leave it completely unplugged. If you walk around my house at night there are all kinds of little red lights. About once a month I go around in the dark, look at what's glowing, and unplug things. If it gets plugged back in, then it's something we use, but sometimes something stays unplugged for a good long time and that's a saving.
13. Wait to buy. This is different from #8. Maybe you won't need whatever doohickey you're looking at in 30 days. Or maybe it will go on sale. If you find you can live without it, wouldn't the money be better in your pocket? Patience is a virtue.
And speaking of spending money on absolutely nothing, I read recently that the company that created Candy Crush made $1.8 BILLION dollars last year. The company charges $0.99 for little extra moves, or moving up a level, or whatever. With patience and persistence, you don't need to buy a darned thing on these video games, and I refuse to dole out my money in tiny little increments like that. Soon you've spent $20 and not even realized it.
Until I received my Kindle for Christmas, I didn't realize that companies were charging people like this, in increments instead of paying, say, $6.99 for the entire game. It's really a rip-off and I can see how it would get out of control quickly in the hands of a child or teenager (or impatient adult). Be wary of your internet providers who set limits - that can add up and be quite costly.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 334th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Field Damage
When I went down to get the mail yesterday afternoon, I was greeted with the site of damage to our hayfield:
Some idiot decided to take a joy ride in the snow.
This will be a costly repair for us; this half of the field will have to be tilled, smoothed, and reseeded.
We're talking thousands of dollars.
This is the second time this winter someone has done this to this field.
This is not a problem we have had in the past. I called the sheriff's office, as we did the last time.
Apparently this was done between 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., so in the daylight.
Maybe you saw who did it?
They need to make reparations. When the culprit(s) is caught, we will prosecute fully.
People don't respect others any more.
Books: The Hummingbird's Daughter
The Hummingbird's Daughter
by Luis Alberto Urrea
Copyright 2005
499 pages
Kindle Edition
My book club chose this book for its March read. I daresay it will be among the best books I read this year.
Luis Urrea has created an intriguing world and characters based on nonfiction. In this story, which is set in Mexico, Teresa is a waif born of a woman known as The Hummingbird. Teresa is left on her aunt's doorstep, and pretty much left to fend for herself.
Teresa has a keen mind and quick wit. She is an astute observer of humanity, and Huila, the local healer, takes her under her wing. She teaches Teresa (aka Teresita) every thing she knows.
Along the way Teresa is noticed by Tomas, the lord of the ranch, and he eventually recognizes her as his daughter. Tomas is an interesting character in his own right, a man's man who takes women when he wants them and who lives in different worlds - the one his wife has created, and the more wild one he prefers.
Teresita learns to be a midwife and accompanies Huila on healing missions. The child appears to have great powers, and eventually this comes to be. Teresita dies and returns to life even as her family is telling her goodbye. She is hailed as a saint, who then performs miracles.
As in all things, politics plays a huge role, and religion is nothing if not political. The Catholic leaders cannot allow this heresy, and as rebellion stirs throughout the nation, the government and religious leaders move to shut off anything they deem a threat.
I will say no more to allow the reader to find out for herself what happens here, but suffice it to say the ending is fitting.
This book is an interesting commentary on religion, human relations, the patriarchy, government, and immigration. Who really should run a country, anyway? The people in some far-distant land or the locals who know what is going on? The conquerors who arrive with guns ablaze or the simple people who eek out a marginal living. And who is to say what religion is or isn't, and what is wrong or right?
My favorite quote from the book was this:
"The doing of good is the only prayer that God requires." Teresita spoke these words to pilgrims who flocked to her.
This was a long book but it moved very quickly. It took me a while to read it but I never grew bored. Many of the chapters are very short, and there appears to be a good deal of white space as transition throughout the book.
The page numbers are listed at top for reference, but as I read it on my Kindle I am not certain how long it was. I am categorizing this as fiction but it is really historical fiction based on truth, as the main character really existed.
by Luis Alberto Urrea
Copyright 2005
499 pages
Kindle Edition
My book club chose this book for its March read. I daresay it will be among the best books I read this year.
Luis Urrea has created an intriguing world and characters based on nonfiction. In this story, which is set in Mexico, Teresa is a waif born of a woman known as The Hummingbird. Teresa is left on her aunt's doorstep, and pretty much left to fend for herself.
Teresa has a keen mind and quick wit. She is an astute observer of humanity, and Huila, the local healer, takes her under her wing. She teaches Teresa (aka Teresita) every thing she knows.
Along the way Teresa is noticed by Tomas, the lord of the ranch, and he eventually recognizes her as his daughter. Tomas is an interesting character in his own right, a man's man who takes women when he wants them and who lives in different worlds - the one his wife has created, and the more wild one he prefers.
Teresita learns to be a midwife and accompanies Huila on healing missions. The child appears to have great powers, and eventually this comes to be. Teresita dies and returns to life even as her family is telling her goodbye. She is hailed as a saint, who then performs miracles.
As in all things, politics plays a huge role, and religion is nothing if not political. The Catholic leaders cannot allow this heresy, and as rebellion stirs throughout the nation, the government and religious leaders move to shut off anything they deem a threat.
I will say no more to allow the reader to find out for herself what happens here, but suffice it to say the ending is fitting.
This book is an interesting commentary on religion, human relations, the patriarchy, government, and immigration. Who really should run a country, anyway? The people in some far-distant land or the locals who know what is going on? The conquerors who arrive with guns ablaze or the simple people who eek out a marginal living. And who is to say what religion is or isn't, and what is wrong or right?
My favorite quote from the book was this:
"The doing of good is the only prayer that God requires." Teresita spoke these words to pilgrims who flocked to her.
This was a long book but it moved very quickly. It took me a while to read it but I never grew bored. Many of the chapters are very short, and there appears to be a good deal of white space as transition throughout the book.
The page numbers are listed at top for reference, but as I read it on my Kindle I am not certain how long it was. I am categorizing this as fiction but it is really historical fiction based on truth, as the main character really existed.
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
What Would You Call It?
I noticed this morning that the pollution from the nearby industry was once again caught up in something called an "inversion," which is free market/capitalism speak for "the atmosphere can't disperse the dirt fast enough because of the air currents and now people can actually see how bad it is."
The dirty air this time went down the Catawba Valley instead of toward Fincastle. I took these photos between 8:47 a.m. and 9:08 a.m.
I don't know how anyone can find this acceptable, but apparently it is to some people. However, in my opinion, this is never acceptable, I don't care what the air currents are doing. Shame, shame.
Blacksburg Road in the Snow
Yesterday we had another snow. About two hours after it began, my husband and I climbed in his pick up truck to take a trip down Blacksburg Road to Fincastle.
Going down the driveway.
A house we passed.
The road. We were grateful that the asphalt was clear of snow.
This is an intersection that should be familiar to at least one of my local blog readers (Hi Di!). I was rather amazed at all of the power lines once I downloaded the picture.
About a half mile from Fincastle.
Almost there.
This tractor on the outskirts of town looked forlorn out in the field in the weather.
Fincastle. This photo is of Roanoke Street, taken from the bank drive-thru window.
Going back home, up our driveway.
The Blacksburg Road is one of the older roads in the county. It connected Fincastle to Blacksburg; hence its name. Nowadays the Blacksburg Road is a short seven miles or so, but long ago it was probably 40 miles or so. You can still get to Blacksburg if you know where to make the turn offs.
These photos were taken out the window of the truck with a Nikon Coolpix L22.
Sunday, March 02, 2014
I Don't Do Candles
From Sunday Stealing
February Wrap Up
1) Candle scents in February:
A. None. I don't do candles, and even if I did, they would be unscented because I am sensitive to smells.
2) What I read in February:
A. The Heist, by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg; Skipping Christmas, by John Grisham, Abhorsen, by Garth Nix, and I started but have not yet finished The Hummingbird's Daughter, by Luis Albert Urrea.
3) Top three songs I was drawn to:
A. Royals, by Lorde, That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be, by Carly Simon, Weather Channel, by Sheryl Crow
4) Movies I saw:
A. I don't know. Maybe I didn't watch any, or if I did, they were not memorable.
5) Favorite tv moments of the month:
A. I liked the latest Big Bang Theory when ol' Sheldon got snookered by Amy, and Leonard bought a dining room table. I wonder if the table will remain in the apartment.
6) Something yummy I made:
A. Chicken breasts.
7) Restaurants where I ate:
A. Shakers, Cracker Barrel, Bellacino's, Tap House.
8) Five things I loved in February:
A. Snow, my husband, having some work, reading, doing a good thing
9) A goal I had for February:
A. To clean up my office. I did it! Yay!
10) In February I looked forward to:
A. Cleaning up my office and seeing my doctor.
11) Something I want to remember about February 2014:
A. We had 20" of snow.
12) A photo I took this month:
February Wrap Up
1) Candle scents in February:
A. None. I don't do candles, and even if I did, they would be unscented because I am sensitive to smells.
2) What I read in February:
A. The Heist, by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg; Skipping Christmas, by John Grisham, Abhorsen, by Garth Nix, and I started but have not yet finished The Hummingbird's Daughter, by Luis Albert Urrea.
3) Top three songs I was drawn to:
A. Royals, by Lorde, That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be, by Carly Simon, Weather Channel, by Sheryl Crow
4) Movies I saw:
A. I don't know. Maybe I didn't watch any, or if I did, they were not memorable.
5) Favorite tv moments of the month:
A. I liked the latest Big Bang Theory when ol' Sheldon got snookered by Amy, and Leonard bought a dining room table. I wonder if the table will remain in the apartment.
6) Something yummy I made:
A. Chicken breasts.
7) Restaurants where I ate:
A. Shakers, Cracker Barrel, Bellacino's, Tap House.
8) Five things I loved in February:
A. Snow, my husband, having some work, reading, doing a good thing
9) A goal I had for February:
A. To clean up my office. I did it! Yay!
10) In February I looked forward to:
A. Cleaning up my office and seeing my doctor.
11) Something I want to remember about February 2014:
A. We had 20" of snow.
12) A photo I took this month:
Saturday, March 01, 2014
Saturday 9: Waterfalls
Saturday 9: Waterfalls
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) This song encourages us to "stick to the rivers and lakes you're used to." What body of water is nearest your home -- pond, lake, river, gulf or sea?
A. We have three ponds on the farm. Several springs drain into them, and then from the big pond the water flows into Tinker Creek. Are you familiar with Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard? The book won a Pulitzer Prize. It all started here at our pond, which is one of several headwaters of Tinker Creek. Our whole area around here has many springs which flow into that famous body of water.
2) Have you ever visited a waterfall? If so, please tell us about it.
A. I think the biggest waterfall I've ever visited is probably the Cascades in Giles County, Virginia. I was only a child and went with a group - perhaps my father's business picnic, I really can't recall.
3) This song is from a CD entitled CrazySexyCool. Which word best describes how you feel today: Crazy, sexy or cool?
A. Crazy. I'm pretty much always crazy.
4) The girls in TLC originally began hanging around together in an Atlanta-area hair salon. When did you last sit in a stylist's chair?
A. I had my hair done just last week, thank you very much. I am letting it grow out. My stylist said it will make the soft white (aka gray) show up so much better.
5) While she she spent her adolescence in Atlanta, bandmember Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins was born in Des Moines. Do you live in or near the town where you were born?
A. Yes.
6) One of T-Boz' recent public appearances was on the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Do you watch any of the popular Bravo Real Housewives shows?
A. I have never seen those shows and have no plan to ever see them.
7) In the 1990s, band member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was romantically involved with an Atlanta Falcons football player. They shared his upscale, two-story mansion. How would you describe your abode (house, cottage, apartment, condo, studio, etc.)?
A. I live in a single family dwelling. It is an L-shaped ranch home, very small, with vinyl siding. What's unusual about it is we built it ourselves, with our own four hands (my husband and me) along with the help of family and friends.
8) Ms. Lopes was accused of arson when, after the couple argued, that mansion happened to burn down. When was the last time you lost your temper? How did you express your anger? (If it was with a criminal act, you may wish to keep it to yourself.)
A. The last time I lost my temper was when my husband had trouble getting away from work to go to the doctor with me. I cried. He got his schedule changed.
9) Today the third member of TLC, Chilli, designs personalized handbags. They cost about $225 each. What's the most expensive thing you have bought recently?
A. Groceries. Have you seen the price of meat lately?
Friday, February 28, 2014
He Saw Some Ships
Last week my husband spent four days in Virginia Beach at a firefighters conference. I sent along one of my older cameras, a Nikon Coolpix 4600, and told him to take pictures.
When he returned he gave me the camera and said there were pictures on it.
These are all he took! I expecting shots of the conference or his motel room, maybe Virginia Beach, which I haven't visited since 1989. He said these ships on the ocean were the only thing worth taking the camera out for.
The man does not take many photos.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Thursday Thirteen #333
Thirteen things I wish I had done differently growing up:
1. Watched my weight. Up until I married at the tender age of 20, I did not have a weight problem. It crept up on me after I took a bunch of hormones for infertility. Suddenly there was poundage.
2. Exercised. I have always been rather sedentary - give me a book over a jog any time. But I would have been much better off if I had fallen into a regular exercise routine when I was a teenager.
3. Learned to cook. I do okay - I can roast chicken, and follow most recipes, but I don't know how to make a soufflé or crème de anything. I would like to be able to fix real, wonderful, and healthy meals.
4. Learned how to eat healthily. This ties into to #1 and #3. I grew up in a household where as long as you weren't hungry, you were eating healthy. I thrived on bologna and catsup sandwiches for a time, along with gallons of southern sweet tea. To this day diet books stymy me. I can't for the life of me understand how one tiny little ounce of chocolate can turn into 13 pounds. Seemingly overnight. It's like the worst kind of magic, with Aunt Clara performing a nose twitch with a broken wand.
5. Gone to college right out of high school. I obtained my BA 12 years after I graduated from high school, and my masters only two years ago, just barely managing to finish before I turned 50. I wish I had gone on and received a Ph.d. and become a college professor sometimes. I think I probably would have been good at it.
6. Learned to be less introverted. I am very shy and quiet (though some might think otherwise) and I do make friends easily. I love a lot of people and feel warmly toward even more, but I am not a person people call with invites for luncheons or anything much else, for that matter. This is a skill I think I could have learned easier when I was younger. I might still learn more about it now, but I think it's too late for it to make a major impact.
7. Learned more "crafty" things. I am not very good at such things as painting, sewing, or creating stuff from broken whatevers. I have done some cross-stitch in the past and it was passable but nothing to write home about. The best compliment my art professor in college could come up with generally was "that is a nice line there," when she looked at my work. One nice line out of bunches of squiggles.
8. Kept less stuff. I am not up to hoarder status, thank goodness, but I do tend to be a packrat, especially with things like books and papers. Now I need to get rid of it.
9. Kept a list of books I've read. I did not start doing this until about 2007, and I have read at least 50 books a year every year of my life. So my list should have 2000 or more books on it, instead of about 450. I can't remember every book I ever read, that's for sure.
10. Spent more time outside. I was an indoor girl, always had my nose in a book, and while I would occasionally take a walk through the fields and forests that surrounded the farm I grew up on, I did not partake of them as I should have. Nor do I do this today as frequently as I would like. Things need to become habits.
11. Spent time looking at the spiritual side of life. I was raised outside of an established religion and my spiritual examinations, which did not really occur until later in life, have been and continue to be all over the place. I wish I had started sooner. I don't have time to cover them all now, much less truly understand anything.
12. Learned the names of herbs, flowers, birds, and other wildlife. I have learned some of this over the years but I would love to be able to walk out in the field and say, "this is a dewdrop" or "this an anemone" or "this is bloodroot" or "this is a trillium" or "that bird is a spotted watusy doing the meringue" or whatever. Instead I have to take a field guide with me and look things up.
13. Continued to speak and study foreign languages. I had three years of Spanish and a year of Latin in high school, and while I remember a few Spanish phrases, I've forgotten most everything I learned. There is no way I could carry on a conversation in Spanish, and I regret that.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 333nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. Watched my weight. Up until I married at the tender age of 20, I did not have a weight problem. It crept up on me after I took a bunch of hormones for infertility. Suddenly there was poundage.
2. Exercised. I have always been rather sedentary - give me a book over a jog any time. But I would have been much better off if I had fallen into a regular exercise routine when I was a teenager.
3. Learned to cook. I do okay - I can roast chicken, and follow most recipes, but I don't know how to make a soufflé or crème de anything. I would like to be able to fix real, wonderful, and healthy meals.
4. Learned how to eat healthily. This ties into to #1 and #3. I grew up in a household where as long as you weren't hungry, you were eating healthy. I thrived on bologna and catsup sandwiches for a time, along with gallons of southern sweet tea. To this day diet books stymy me. I can't for the life of me understand how one tiny little ounce of chocolate can turn into 13 pounds. Seemingly overnight. It's like the worst kind of magic, with Aunt Clara performing a nose twitch with a broken wand.
 |
| Me in 2012. |
6. Learned to be less introverted. I am very shy and quiet (though some might think otherwise) and I do make friends easily. I love a lot of people and feel warmly toward even more, but I am not a person people call with invites for luncheons or anything much else, for that matter. This is a skill I think I could have learned easier when I was younger. I might still learn more about it now, but I think it's too late for it to make a major impact.
 |
| Some of my blogging friends when we met in RL in 2009. |
7. Learned more "crafty" things. I am not very good at such things as painting, sewing, or creating stuff from broken whatevers. I have done some cross-stitch in the past and it was passable but nothing to write home about. The best compliment my art professor in college could come up with generally was "that is a nice line there," when she looked at my work. One nice line out of bunches of squiggles.
8. Kept less stuff. I am not up to hoarder status, thank goodness, but I do tend to be a packrat, especially with things like books and papers. Now I need to get rid of it.
9. Kept a list of books I've read. I did not start doing this until about 2007, and I have read at least 50 books a year every year of my life. So my list should have 2000 or more books on it, instead of about 450. I can't remember every book I ever read, that's for sure.
11. Spent time looking at the spiritual side of life. I was raised outside of an established religion and my spiritual examinations, which did not really occur until later in life, have been and continue to be all over the place. I wish I had started sooner. I don't have time to cover them all now, much less truly understand anything.
 |
| Trillium. |
13. Continued to speak and study foreign languages. I had three years of Spanish and a year of Latin in high school, and while I remember a few Spanish phrases, I've forgotten most everything I learned. There is no way I could carry on a conversation in Spanish, and I regret that.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 333nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
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