Maurice

Wow, I just finished reading Maurice by E.M. Forster in two days..what a feversih love story!!

I have seen the movie of course and am a big Forster fan, but must never had read this one.  I came upon a nice copy with thick watercolor-esque paper that felt lovely to hold. 

The main thing I did not know and maybe you don't know either, is that Maurice was published posthumously....sixty years after he wrote it!!  Can you imagine?  One piece I read quoted him saying that it was the happy ending that proved illegal..if these young men would've hung themselves, the world could've read Maurice 60 years earlier...

Of course as I was reading I was remembering Hugh Grant who looks amazing, but Rupert Graves..le sigh!!  Must see more of him, even if it has been twenty years. He is kindof giving me a Keifer Sutherland vibe.   Anyone have any suggestions?

Lately

The holidays are here along with fairly cold and wet and muddy and frozen weather. What to do? Make some presents and read..a lot!
Edythe helped me make these hooks. Functional art folks!!
Where are my keys??? Oh that's right, on the tiger hook where I always put them now!

I put in some hold requests at the library this summer and some of them are just now trickling in. Such as this thriller Before I Go to Sleep.
A really fast read!! Don't act like you're just going to read a few pages before dinner. Everyone will come home to a cold kitchen and you in your bed hurriedly turning pages.
I never would've picked this up but saw a review of it this summer.

Then for something completely unrelated, I found this at the goodwill on my birthday and really loved it!! Also very quick reads, I already finished number two in the series. Also, haven't read a series in a long time, so that is fun! Also I found out they made a movie/miniseries of these books and my fave Jill Scott plays the leading roll. I will be interested to peep her African accent. Go female detectives!!

My daughter's 2nd birthday is tomorrow, so we're adding that to the mix!! Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. Try to find a bit of quiet time every day if you can to reflect, breath and relax. Cheers!

Moving On

Just finished my first Larry McMurtry book, and boy was it a biggie. I made it through the 800 or so pages very quickly and enjoyed it quite a bit. The description on the back mentioned "honky tonk glamour" and I was sold!
I think I will continue with McMurtry, he has a million to choose from, what should be next? Perhaps The Last Picture Show.
What have your summer reads been?

Book Recommendations

Wanted to pass on two books I recently read and would highly recommend:

.
-Radical Homemakers
Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture
by Shannon Hayes

-The Wild Trees
A Story of Passion and Daring
by Richard Preston

I was going to share some quotes from each, but I had so many pages dog-eared, I thought I would just send a blanket recommendation!! Let me know of any amazing books you've been reading.

Courage

Two posts ago I was commenting on how you can have it all, it's just really hard work... imagine my surprise when I read last Wednesday's horoscope:

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This would be an excellent time for you to do
a lot less of everything. You're entering a phase when you can actually
help your long-term goals by being less ambitious. The point is not to give
up your drive to succeed, but rather just put it to sleep for a while. Let it
recharge. Allow it to draw energy from the deeper psychic sources that it
tends to get cut off from when it's enmeshed in the frenzy of the daily
rhythm. Do you have the courage to not work so much, not try so hard,
and not push so relentlessly?




Seriously? This is the hardest thing for me to hear. I've had recently the best excuses to slow down, (pregnancy, giving birth, now the baby) and have instead pushed onward, upward..further, next. I realized I didn't take one nap while pregnant.
Nor have I since Edythe's birth..the days are already too short!!
So can I listen to some of this advice?
I'm not sure how to take it or how to apply "less ambition".
I am the sort of person that feels awkward watching a movie and not doing some accompanying task such as making jewelry, making lists, or at least looking at a magazine for ideas for future lists!!
I am a fan of reflection and repose, perhaps I can try to practice more of these concepts.

Thought of the Day

I read this yesterday and have been thinking on it all day,

"You can have it all, it's just really hard work."

This concept is on my mind after just having my baby daughter I am determined to accomplish (within reason of course) everything I want to accomplish.
I want her to know how capable we all our and how being true to our calling and nurturing ourselves is one of the best things we can do for our kids.
(I know, get back to you when she's running around crazy and getting into everything!)

Happy Equinox!

Well, yes I know I am a day late, but I thought this too nice not to share.


Hope you all head a lovely day yesterday and more lovely (cooler) days to come!

After hitting the wall on Saturday and not being able to make it to Sadie's fabulous party, I did accomplish some Sunday stuff. We raked some leaves and went up to Granite Basin, as you can see from these new photos.








It was a gorgeous day, not too windy and we got to feel cool in the Old Truck.










The week ahead is busy.. Spring Break for lots of folks. Should have new goodies to show shortly.


I am re-reading the first Richard Grant book, "American Nomads". It's so good, but it's one of those books where I know I've read it yet, if so, how am I not remembering all this awesome stuff? Good nightly history lessons!

Just a quote for today....

"Very deep is the well of the past. Shall we not call it- bottomless?

What is our history but a vivid and continuous dream?"

Edward Abbey from the book I'm reading, "Fool's Progress".