weekend musings...

 

WE had such a great time at yesterday's Copper homecoming parade now named the Charlie Stone Memorial parade in honor of Copper's historian Charlie Stone It was nice to hang out with fam, see old friends, and look around at the changes that have taken place along Main street. The Old Armory, 1864, the Congregational Church, 1866, the Old Corner Saloon (where everyone knows your name),1862, all look wonderfully restored.

When we bought our property in Copper, back in 1989, and while we were building our hacienda, in 1991, the Armory was cycloned off, sagging and in sad disrepair. The Congregational Church had an air of benign neglect even though it was still used for services.

The town's hub, was of course, the Old Corner Saloon and McCarty's Mercantile that was decades old, showed it, and was a wonderful place to run into friends and neighbors, as we picked up miscellaneous items; milk, beer, coffee, bubble gum, ice cream, cigarettes, movies and everything in between. You could also fill your tank at the pump and use the laundromat if your washer wasn't working. I think, there was even a mechanics shop attached to the side of McCarty's. If you need a visual of what this looked like I always think of Ike Godsey's mercantile from the Walton's. It was sad to see it boarded up and closed yesterday. So many great memories there.

Jeff and I met up at Samanda's. We took a tour of the garden. Their garden beds are filled with corn, bell peppers, various varieties of tomatoes, pumpkins and herbs. And so many other things I can't remember. Btw, thank you for the fresh eggs and basil.

After the parade, Jeff and he tooled back to Samanda's, where I dropped him off to pick up his truck, so he head back to Angels and into work, while I went in the opposite direction, heading back to Sonora.

It wasn't until late afternoon that I made the decision of which book to read (first). There were 3 contenders; Mary Ann in Autumn by Armistead Maupin, Storm Damage, A Crime Novel by Ed Kovacs, Snow Angels, An Inspector Vaara Novel by James Thompson.

SO, lets begin with Mary Ann in Autumn. I love Armistead Maupin and up until last year had the series of this continuing saga, as well as the VHS television series circa 1970's or 80's, Tales of the City (Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney) This is the 8th book, a story that has been 30 years in the making. Here is what the jacket says of this story:

Twenty years have passed since Mary Ann Singleton left her husband an child in San Francisco to pursue her dream of a television career in New York. Now a pair of personal calamities has driven her back to the city of her youth and into the arms of her oldest friend, Michael "Mouse" Tolliver, a gardener happily ensconced with his much younger husband.

Mary Ann finds temporary refuge in the couple's backyard cottage, where, at the unnerving age of 57, she licks her wounds and takes stock of her mistakes. Soon with the help of Facebook and a few old friends, she begins to reengage with life, only to confront fresh terrors when her checkered past comes back to haunt her in a way she could never have imagined.

After the intimate first-person narrative of Maupin's last novel, Michael Tolliver Lives, Mary Ann in Autumn marks the author's return to the multi-character plotlines and darkly comic themes of his earlier work. Among those caught in Mary Ann's orbit are her estranged daughter, Shawna, a popular sex blogger; Jake Greenleaf, Michael's transgendered gardening assistant; socialite DeDe Halcyon-Wilson; and the indefatigable Anna Madrigal, Mary Ann's former landlady at 28 Barbary Lane.

Moving on to choice #2. Storm Damage, A Crime Novel. Here's what the inside jacket says about this book:
In a city overwhelmed with murder an mayhem, the last homicide before a category 5 hurricane wipes out New Orleans is quickly forgotten and remains unsolved. Until now.

Though calling to mind Chinatown's (love the movie and sequel) Jake Gitts or Chandler's Phillip Marlowe (love that character as well), Cliff St. James is a new kind of private detective--a mixed--martial arts coach and bare-knuckled former cop who investigates a curious missing-persons/murder case. The cold case quickly heats up, propelling him into a battle of wits and brawn with the deadliest killers operating in the apocalyptic, post-hurricane ruins of New Orleans.

With no forensic evidence, a destroyed crime scene, and no corpse, St. James, who's practically homeless and on the verge of bankruptcy, tenaciously navigates the gritty aftermath of a city that's barely functioning. The more layers of deceit surrounding the case he peels away, the grander is the conspiracy that comes into focus, placing him squarely in the crosshairs of those who specialize in remaining unknown.

Here comes choice #3: Snow Angels, An Inspector Vaara Novel. Here what the back jacket says about this book: If you liked the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, you'll love this!

The stark Nordic setting will appeal to fans of Scandinavian crime fiction... Will remind readers of Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park.

The laconic voice of Inspector Kari Vaara is at the same time dangerous and human, his world, cold, barren, yet intriguingly exotic, his story fast, brutal, yet told with a sort of laid-back calm.

It's called kaamos: two weeks of unrelenting darkness and soul-numbing cold that falls upon Finnish Lapland, a hundred miles the Arctic Circle, just before Christmas. Some get through it with the help of cheap Russian alcohol; some sink into depression. This year, it may have driven someone mad enough to commit murder. The brutalized body of a beautiful Somali woman has been found in the snow, and Inspector Kari Vaara must find her killer. It will be a challenge in a place where ugly things lurk under frozen surfaces and silence is a way of life.

So, what do you think I chose to read first? Wait for it....

Mary Ann in Autumn. I love the familiar characters in the storyline. I love that the character is the same age as I am (strange how they never age, but we manage to catch up and pass them over the years). I love that she is revisiting her past and that her past is in San Francisco. I'm a Bay area girl who spent a majority of her weekends in San Francisco and many week nights with either my mom or dad having dinner in the city. I love the synchronicity of a character living in a place where it is very familiar to me. I have visuals of streets and buildings that I can bring to the story that makes it more personal.

                                                                                Tales of the City, 1976


Looking back there are so many now familiar actors who starred in this series. It's amazing how dated the 70's look in hindsight. And we thought they were so far out and happening. Who knew?

Before we arrived in the 70's it's important to remember the turbulent changes we experienced in the 1960's. I had some of the best times of my life during the 70's but when I think back on the 70's I can almost feel the great malaise of that decade. It was a lull in what had been and what was yet to come. You could feel that we were on a hold. Waiting... then came the 80's, 90's, new millennium to the present time where it seems the opposite of the 70's, we are on now on speed dial where so many world events occur daily that it's difficult to catch our breath and take a moment to focus. Having said ALL of that it's time for breakfast. Going to have pancakes w/ link sausages with a fresh cup of coffee to kick start my Sunday. Then pick up where I left off in Mary Ann in Autumn.

Whatever you're doing, go out and enjoy!

the randomness of synchronicity

Revenge, MineCraft

 

 

Emma chose the above song for this morning's blog, as she's playing MineCraft at the moment that's no surprise there, lol.

 

I was going to post this blog earlier, but then got busy with Zach and Emma, cheffing up breakfast. This blog is somewhat different today. I think I'll lead into it by saying one of the many things I love about my daughter-in-law Erin is that she loves books and reads as much as I do. She always has wonderful books lying about to pick up and read. One of the books, is also one that I have somewhere, Simple Abundance, A Daybook of Comfort and Joy written by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

 

Having said all of that to ask, do you ever randomly pick up a book and silently ask a question, then select a page to see what the answer is? I do this a lot and am always surprised by what I find as it's usually spot on. I did this late afternoon, yesterday,  picking up the above mentioned book and opening to the entry July 26.

 

I thought I would share this as so very many of my friends, as well as myself, who work, have children, pets and other responsibilities are always feeling tugged in so many varied directions at once. There's no time to get everything accomplished that needs to be accomplished and then we feel guilty for having to choose priorities over certain things that are equally important but that are further down on the list of things to do.

 

Here's what I opened to:

 

Discovering What You'd Like To Do, If You Ever Had The Time.

Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music-- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful sounds and interesting people. Forget yourself.   - Henry Miller

 

In the beginning spending regular time alone just to collect your thoughts will seem like indulgence enough. Spending time alone to nurture your authentic vision, to express yourself creatively, to enjoy a person pursuit that brings you contentment and pleasure will seem-- well, impossible. Incredulous. Impractical. Inconceivable. Out of the question.

"Right. In another life," is the usual response, along with audible sighs and the rolling of eyes when I broach the subject in my workshops. Then wistful looks appear.

"You mean have fun."

"You mean by myself?"

"Yes, by yourself. Fun. What would you do if you ever had the time?"

"Fun?"

You can see where this leads. Most women I meet have a hard time holding up their end of the conversation when fun is the topic. Let the discourse be on diaper rash or Einstein's Theory of Relativity and we can hold our own. But fun for it's own sake? The plain truth is that somewhere between family and careers during the last twenty years, most of us have misplaced an essential part of ourselves. Once we begin embarking on solitary sojourns to get reacquainted with our authentic selves, we usually discover that something is missing.

 

It's called zest. Exuberance. Joi de vivre, as the French would say, or "the love of life." The great delight that comes when the pieces of our particular puzzle finally fit. the heartfelt happiness we derive when something bring us keen pleasure. Something uniquely our own. They used to call this magical thing a hobby. We loose what little leisure time we have available through attrition.

 

Today, give in to your need for "moodling." And while you're dawdling and puttering, consider what rewarding reveries you've put aside that brought you pleasure in the past. "How I think about my work is indistinguishable from the way I think about my needlepoint or cooking: here is the project I'm involved in. It is play. In this sense all my life is spent in play-- sewing or needlepoint, or picking flowers or writing, or buying groceries," says writer Diane Johnson. Once you commit to bringing more of a sense of play into your daily round with authentic personal pursuits, life will begin to take on a harmonious lilt.

 

This morning I, again, opened this book with a question. I am sensing a theme of sorts. I randomly opened to July 27. The entry title is Solitary pleasures.

 

Alone, alone. Oh! We have been warned about solitary vices. Have solitary pleasures ever been adequately praised? Do many people know they exist?  - Jessamyn West

 

Remember, once upon a time, when we all knew how to play? We're going to have to travel back to when we were younger to look for clues. Did you love to play alone when you were 10? What were your favorite extracurricular activities in high school and during college? Nothing in our past lives is wasted. Nothing that once made us feel happy and fulfilled is ever lost. There's a golden thread that runs through each of our lives. We just need to rediscover this thread before the joy of living completely unravels.

 

Why not have a brainstorming session on paper to excavate your buried bliss? Write out a quick list of ten solitary pleasures. Don't give this a lot of thought, but don't be dismayed if it takes you a few minutes to come up with something.

 

Need some help? Well, what was your favorite childhood game? Your favorite sport? Your favorite movie as a kid? Your favorite book? Comic strip? Your favorite singer? Your favorite singer or musical group? What was the best time you ever had as a youngster? As a teenager? As an adult? Can you remember? Can you re-create the memory?

 

If you could instantly acquire three additional skills, what would they be-- playing the piano? figure skating? taking really great photographs? What three outrageous things would you try if no one about it-- belly dancing? clowning? hot-air ballooning? What three daring things sound intriguing, even if you'd probably never attempt them-- stand-up comedy? mountain climbing? scuba diving? What three all-expense paid vacation appeal to you-- an archeological dig in Egypt? a ride on the Orient Express? a visit to the Paris haute couture collections? Do you like to work with your hands-- needlecraft? bookbinding? gardening? Or does the visual appeal to you-- framing pictures? working in stained glass? creating shadow boxes?

 

Get the idea? There's a fabulous world out there just waiting to be explored. We simply have to be willing to experiment. A hobby affords us a marvelous opportunity to awaken our natural talents. It does require a little bit of effort. First of all we have to figure out what we'd like to do to shake the doldrums. Then we have to carve out time to do it. Alice James, the sister of Henry and William James, believed that in life, "Truly nothing is to be expected but the unexpected." By seeking and finding a solitary pleasure that would make you jump out of bed each morning to pursue it, you'll discover just how right she was.

 

 

 

 

 

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