Sunday, March 10, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
2013 Reading Goal: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
My latest book on my 2013 reading challenge is The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.
Rating: 5 Stars
Carson McCullers wrote an amazing story that is dark, lonely, sad, and filled with beautifully flawed, complex characters. The book is very political--deals with fascism, socialism, religion, and the plight of the African Americans in the South. And to top it all off, McCullers was only 23 years old at the time!
The book is centered around Mr. Singer, a deaf-mute, and the misfits that gravitate to him. The intriguing part to me, though, is how McCullers plays with the idea of talking and listening. I wish I had counted how many times she used the word talk. She had people talking at each other, people talking with each other, people who needed to talk, people who wrote letters to talk, people who wanted to talk to start a movement, people who talked because they were nervous, etc. And to have it all centered around a man who couldn't talk and couldn't hear! The main characters of the book all had something they obsessed about privately. They were alone with their inner thoughts until they met Mr. Singer. Immediately they all sensed that he was the kindred spirit they were looking for. He had the face and the eyes that made him their confidant. They followed him, visited him, and talked at him. They always attributed to him whatever traits they wanted or needed him to have. For example, Mick needed someone who understood music like she did...so she believed that Mr. Singer could even though he couldn't hear music.
The sad point is when you suddenly get a glimpse inside Mr. Singer's head and he doesn't understand what they are all always talking about. He is not their soul mate. He doesn't even consider them friends. He only has one friend...another deaf mute who was taken away to a mental hospital. Mr. Singer begins to do exactly what the other characters in the book are doing...projecting his needs and wants onto his silent friend. Whenever Mr. Singer would visit him at the hospital, he would unleash his hands from his pockets and talk/sign feverishly. Yet, his friend wasn't the person who he wanted him to be. In one instance, while Mr. Singer signed passionately, his friend stuck his finger out and poked him in the belly. That is all that Mr. Singer got in response. Yet, he wanted to believe that he was his one true friend so badly that he was willing to overlook it.
Its like the part of the story where Mick is trying to make violin out of discarded pieces that she finds around town. For so long she really believed that she could do it. When she nears the end of the construction, she tries to strum it and is shocked into the realization that it would never be like the violin she dreamt it would be. McCullers writes, "But how could she have been so sure the idea would work? So dumb? Maybe when people longed for a thing that bad the longing made them trust in anything that might give it to them."
When the characters finally had a chance to communicate and have others understand them, they often couldn't. When Mr. Singer stumbled upon three deaf mutes, he couldn't think of anything to say. When Dr. Copeland finally connects with Jake (they both love Karl Marx and want desperately to start a movement), they have a moment of understanding. McCullers writes, "The Doctor's agitation and his mild and husky question made Jake's eyes brim suddenly with tears. A quick, swollen rush of love caused him to grasp the black, bony hand on the counterpane and hold it fast." Not even a page later, they misunderstand each other and refuse to listen to what the other person is saying. They become furious...violently furious...and never communicate in the book again.
Do we miss out on the true connections that could be had because we don't know how to communicate...to listen and to understand? And how do we begin to find those people who are ready to listen and who can communicate back to us? Or do we even want someone to communicate back with us? The bartender, Biff, is often given the same attributes as Mr. Singer. He is a listener and is always trying to figure people out. He tries to connect with the same people who are so drawn to the silent Mr. Singer. But they never reach out back to Biff. Is it because he has a voice himself? Do we really want to connect with people...even if it is messy and hard? Or is it easier to just talk one sided and listen only to our own ideas?
And how does a man like Hitler woo an entire nation with words? To have written this book in 1940, McCullers clearly is disturbed about this. Even as an author, she uses words to tell a story. She understands the power of words...and this book almost seems like her warning to us about what words can and cannot do.
____________________________________________________________
As I mentioned in my 2013 goal, I’m reading mostly women lit that focuses on women authors or complicated, strong female characters this year. Here is the list of my previous book reviews that I've done on this journey:
First: Madame Bovary
Second: Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress
Third: Patron Saint of Liars
Fourth: Bird by Bird
Fifth: Frida Kahlo
Sixth: Women Seeing Women
Seventh: Bridget Jones's Diary
Eighth: Dorothy Parker's Complete Short Stories
Rating: 5 Stars
Carson McCullers wrote an amazing story that is dark, lonely, sad, and filled with beautifully flawed, complex characters. The book is very political--deals with fascism, socialism, religion, and the plight of the African Americans in the South. And to top it all off, McCullers was only 23 years old at the time!
The book is centered around Mr. Singer, a deaf-mute, and the misfits that gravitate to him. The intriguing part to me, though, is how McCullers plays with the idea of talking and listening. I wish I had counted how many times she used the word talk. She had people talking at each other, people talking with each other, people who needed to talk, people who wrote letters to talk, people who wanted to talk to start a movement, people who talked because they were nervous, etc. And to have it all centered around a man who couldn't talk and couldn't hear! The main characters of the book all had something they obsessed about privately. They were alone with their inner thoughts until they met Mr. Singer. Immediately they all sensed that he was the kindred spirit they were looking for. He had the face and the eyes that made him their confidant. They followed him, visited him, and talked at him. They always attributed to him whatever traits they wanted or needed him to have. For example, Mick needed someone who understood music like she did...so she believed that Mr. Singer could even though he couldn't hear music.
The sad point is when you suddenly get a glimpse inside Mr. Singer's head and he doesn't understand what they are all always talking about. He is not their soul mate. He doesn't even consider them friends. He only has one friend...another deaf mute who was taken away to a mental hospital. Mr. Singer begins to do exactly what the other characters in the book are doing...projecting his needs and wants onto his silent friend. Whenever Mr. Singer would visit him at the hospital, he would unleash his hands from his pockets and talk/sign feverishly. Yet, his friend wasn't the person who he wanted him to be. In one instance, while Mr. Singer signed passionately, his friend stuck his finger out and poked him in the belly. That is all that Mr. Singer got in response. Yet, he wanted to believe that he was his one true friend so badly that he was willing to overlook it.
Its like the part of the story where Mick is trying to make violin out of discarded pieces that she finds around town. For so long she really believed that she could do it. When she nears the end of the construction, she tries to strum it and is shocked into the realization that it would never be like the violin she dreamt it would be. McCullers writes, "But how could she have been so sure the idea would work? So dumb? Maybe when people longed for a thing that bad the longing made them trust in anything that might give it to them."
When the characters finally had a chance to communicate and have others understand them, they often couldn't. When Mr. Singer stumbled upon three deaf mutes, he couldn't think of anything to say. When Dr. Copeland finally connects with Jake (they both love Karl Marx and want desperately to start a movement), they have a moment of understanding. McCullers writes, "The Doctor's agitation and his mild and husky question made Jake's eyes brim suddenly with tears. A quick, swollen rush of love caused him to grasp the black, bony hand on the counterpane and hold it fast." Not even a page later, they misunderstand each other and refuse to listen to what the other person is saying. They become furious...violently furious...and never communicate in the book again.
Do we miss out on the true connections that could be had because we don't know how to communicate...to listen and to understand? And how do we begin to find those people who are ready to listen and who can communicate back to us? Or do we even want someone to communicate back with us? The bartender, Biff, is often given the same attributes as Mr. Singer. He is a listener and is always trying to figure people out. He tries to connect with the same people who are so drawn to the silent Mr. Singer. But they never reach out back to Biff. Is it because he has a voice himself? Do we really want to connect with people...even if it is messy and hard? Or is it easier to just talk one sided and listen only to our own ideas?
And how does a man like Hitler woo an entire nation with words? To have written this book in 1940, McCullers clearly is disturbed about this. Even as an author, she uses words to tell a story. She understands the power of words...and this book almost seems like her warning to us about what words can and cannot do.
____________________________________________________________
As I mentioned in my 2013 goal, I’m reading mostly women lit that focuses on women authors or complicated, strong female characters this year. Here is the list of my previous book reviews that I've done on this journey:
First: Madame Bovary
Second: Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress
Third: Patron Saint of Liars
Fourth: Bird by Bird
Fifth: Frida Kahlo
Sixth: Women Seeing Women
Seventh: Bridget Jones's Diary
Eighth: Dorothy Parker's Complete Short Stories
Thursday, March 7, 2013
More Little Pottery Pieces
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Four Fun Book Recommendations
1. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
2. The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Baron
3. A Wrinkle in Time (The Graphic Novel) Adapted/Illustrated by Hope Larson
4. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Let's talk health, folks.
I've learned recently that my cholesterol is much too high. BOO. A very big boo. So I'm revamping my lifestyle a bit to make it actually fall under the category of HEALTHY. Yes, I should have done this long ago, but nothing like a swift kick in the butt to get things going.
So step one is to remove all the bad fat out there from my diet. It has actually been relatively easy so far, although I've only been doing it four days....but the first days are always the worst, right?! I found this recipe for some vegan breakfast cookies that fall completely in my TO EAT category so I went for em! They aren't ooey gooey delicious but they are pretty good--especially when I know they aren't clogging me up!
1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup mix of raisins
1/3 cup walnuts (I actually used almond because I had them already)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine ingredients, place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 9 minutes at 350 degrees.
ENJOY!
I've learned recently that my cholesterol is much too high. BOO. A very big boo. So I'm revamping my lifestyle a bit to make it actually fall under the category of HEALTHY. Yes, I should have done this long ago, but nothing like a swift kick in the butt to get things going.
So step one is to remove all the bad fat out there from my diet. It has actually been relatively easy so far, although I've only been doing it four days....but the first days are always the worst, right?! I found this recipe for some vegan breakfast cookies that fall completely in my TO EAT category so I went for em! They aren't ooey gooey delicious but they are pretty good--especially when I know they aren't clogging me up!
Vegan Breakfast Cookies
2 mashed bananas
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (one of those individual sized serving cups)1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup mix of raisins
1/3 cup walnuts (I actually used almond because I had them already)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine ingredients, place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 9 minutes at 350 degrees.
ENJOY!
Friday, March 1, 2013
DIY Polka Dot Silver Glitter Shirt
Ever since I made my dino shirt, I really have wanted to decorate a couple other plain shirts that I had sitting in my closet. I got it in my head that I wanted to do a polka dot shirt...so I did.
All you need to make your own is fabric paint (this is what I used) and a rubbery wine cork (like Barefoot wines). Just dip the cork into the paint and put it on the shirt. You might need to do a couple layers to get the look you want. I think I had to do about three coats. I also just eyeballed the placement but if you could always use masking tape to double check your spacing. Let each side dry for four or so hours...then it should be wearable...and washable!
All you need to make your own is fabric paint (this is what I used) and a rubbery wine cork (like Barefoot wines). Just dip the cork into the paint and put it on the shirt. You might need to do a couple layers to get the look you want. I think I had to do about three coats. I also just eyeballed the placement but if you could always use masking tape to double check your spacing. Let each side dry for four or so hours...then it should be wearable...and washable!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Stuffed Cloud and Raindrops
I love making little stuffed things so when I saw this idea over here, I knew I had to make one. Especially because we live in Oregon where it rains ALL THE TIME.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Captain America Superhero Mask
A while back I made some superhero masks for the boys I nanny. I neglected to make the Captain America mask because I didn't have the right color blue at the time. The six year old has mentioned a couple times now how he would really like a Captain America mask so I finally got around to making one for him!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A Little House Stamp
A while ago I made a flamingo stamp out of an eraser and have been wanting to do another one for a while. I saw an adorable idea over on Pinterest and decided today was the day to make my own little house stamp.
Monday, February 25, 2013
2013 Reading Goal: Dorothy Parker's Complete Stories
My latest book on my 2013 reading challenge is Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker.
Rating: 4 Stars
Dorothy Parker's name kept popping up on every "to-read" list I looked at so I knew it was about time that I read her work. Gosh, she is a feisty, hilarious woman! She has the ability to criticize society quite harshly, but almost always ends up giving me a chuckle. She has a great written voice that seems at first to align with the character she is studying--then suddenly, she whips out these little brilliant quips that show you the absurdity in the person or situation. Once you are familiar with her work, you can come to expect them--but it doesn't make them any less hilarious.
She'll go into these long spurts about things like the important role of "feminine touches"--how being able to straighten and move and tweak a living room was the important job of the wife. Parker will show a woman, like Mrs. Weldon in "Too Bad", going about doing her special role of "touch-giving" and afterwards, she stops to examine her work. It is at this point that Parker writes, "It was amazing how little difference they made to the room." And then the story continues. Its those small moments that Parker really shows her brilliance. She shows that society has given this idea that these small, minute details are what is important to being a woman...and yet, it doesn't even make a difference!
Regina Barreca writes in the introduction that "Parker concerns herself primarily with the emotional and intellectual landscapes of women, the places where a thin overlay of social soil covers the minefields of very personal disaffection, rejection, betrayal, and loss." And Parker does it very well. Occasionally her work seemed to repeat itself, but usually it was when she was focusing on a different area or emotion within a similar character. Sometimes this caused me to set the book down and wait for a while to pick it up again...as a "fresh" pair of eyes was sometimes helpful when reading her work. When reading them all in a row, you start to appreciate less her wittiness and satirical humor. Usually though, once I picked the book up again, I soon found another brilliant story that caused me to think about it for days later.
There were so many goldmines in this collection. Yes, many of them caused you to laugh at the absurdity, but there were also so many that were just devastatingly sad. It will be some time before the haunting story "Big Blonde" isn't running through my head. Or "The Lovely Leave" about a woman who's husband goes to war and she is left behind. Or the double nature of "The Waltz" where on the outside, a woman is completely nice to a man but in the inside she is thinking the complete opposite. Parker shows society's ideas that a man is too important to throw insult at...that this single woman can't quite throw him to the side even though inwardly, she cringes at him.
I reallyenjoyed these stories....and think that Dorothy Parker is an important female author to read. I'm so thankful to finally have found an intelligent and witty female author that has had a long, successful career. She proves that it can be done! More than anything, I do wish that I could meet Dorothy Parker and see what she was like. She'd probably rip me to shreds but it would be worth it, I think!
____________________________________________________________
As I mentioned in my 2013 goal, I’m reading mostly women lit that focuses on women authors or complicated, strong female characters this year. Here is the list of my previous book reviews that I've done on this journey:
First: Madame Bovary
Second: Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress
Third: Patron Saint of Liars
Fourth: Bird by Bird
Fifth: Frida Kahlo
Sixth: Women Seeing Women
Seventh: Bridget Jones's Diary
Rating: 4 Stars
Dorothy Parker's name kept popping up on every "to-read" list I looked at so I knew it was about time that I read her work. Gosh, she is a feisty, hilarious woman! She has the ability to criticize society quite harshly, but almost always ends up giving me a chuckle. She has a great written voice that seems at first to align with the character she is studying--then suddenly, she whips out these little brilliant quips that show you the absurdity in the person or situation. Once you are familiar with her work, you can come to expect them--but it doesn't make them any less hilarious.
She'll go into these long spurts about things like the important role of "feminine touches"--how being able to straighten and move and tweak a living room was the important job of the wife. Parker will show a woman, like Mrs. Weldon in "Too Bad", going about doing her special role of "touch-giving" and afterwards, she stops to examine her work. It is at this point that Parker writes, "It was amazing how little difference they made to the room." And then the story continues. Its those small moments that Parker really shows her brilliance. She shows that society has given this idea that these small, minute details are what is important to being a woman...and yet, it doesn't even make a difference!
Regina Barreca writes in the introduction that "Parker concerns herself primarily with the emotional and intellectual landscapes of women, the places where a thin overlay of social soil covers the minefields of very personal disaffection, rejection, betrayal, and loss." And Parker does it very well. Occasionally her work seemed to repeat itself, but usually it was when she was focusing on a different area or emotion within a similar character. Sometimes this caused me to set the book down and wait for a while to pick it up again...as a "fresh" pair of eyes was sometimes helpful when reading her work. When reading them all in a row, you start to appreciate less her wittiness and satirical humor. Usually though, once I picked the book up again, I soon found another brilliant story that caused me to think about it for days later.
There were so many goldmines in this collection. Yes, many of them caused you to laugh at the absurdity, but there were also so many that were just devastatingly sad. It will be some time before the haunting story "Big Blonde" isn't running through my head. Or "The Lovely Leave" about a woman who's husband goes to war and she is left behind. Or the double nature of "The Waltz" where on the outside, a woman is completely nice to a man but in the inside she is thinking the complete opposite. Parker shows society's ideas that a man is too important to throw insult at...that this single woman can't quite throw him to the side even though inwardly, she cringes at him.
I reallyenjoyed these stories....and think that Dorothy Parker is an important female author to read. I'm so thankful to finally have found an intelligent and witty female author that has had a long, successful career. She proves that it can be done! More than anything, I do wish that I could meet Dorothy Parker and see what she was like. She'd probably rip me to shreds but it would be worth it, I think!
____________________________________________________________
As I mentioned in my 2013 goal, I’m reading mostly women lit that focuses on women authors or complicated, strong female characters this year. Here is the list of my previous book reviews that I've done on this journey:
First: Madame Bovary
Second: Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress
Third: Patron Saint of Liars
Fourth: Bird by Bird
Fifth: Frida Kahlo
Sixth: Women Seeing Women
Seventh: Bridget Jones's Diary
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Little Pottery Pieces
I've been taking a ceramics class at The Craft Center for the past couple of weeks and finally have some work to show for it. These are my first two pieces...from the first day of class!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
22 Fun Experiments & Activities to do wtih Kids!
Back in December I made a list of different experiments and activities that I've done with the kids that I nanny. Here is my round 2!
Make your own potato stamps--pictured above
Awesome newspaper forts
Climbing love bugs
Color your own komodo dragon!
Wiggly eye drawing starter
Salt dough keepsake
Healthy peanut butter dip for fruit
Making a straw flute
Masking tape roads
Musical Balloons
Balloon ping pong
Hidden Treasure Matching Game
Water resistant Valentine cards
Celery color absorption
Giant gummy worms!
Colorful Density column
Does it dissolve?
Fizzy Dino Tracks
Making it rain!
Making dew & frost
Yarn monsters
Dyeing Eggs with Dum Dums
Make your own potato stamps--pictured above
Awesome newspaper forts
Climbing love bugs
Color your own komodo dragon!
Wiggly eye drawing starter
Salt dough keepsake
Healthy peanut butter dip for fruit
Making a straw flute
Masking tape roads
Musical Balloons
Balloon ping pong
Hidden Treasure Matching Game
Water resistant Valentine cards
Celery color absorption
Giant gummy worms!
Colorful Density column
Does it dissolve?
Fizzy Dino Tracks
Making it rain!
Making dew & frost
Yarn monsters
Dyeing Eggs with Dum Dums
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)