Showing posts with label Donald Hall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donald Hall. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 03, 2016

Yarn Along ~ books, blankets and beauty

Yesterday I took the train to Princeton!





 I worked on my many squared blanket, sewing on squares with
blue yarn... it is coming along!


 This is a beautiful book, touching, poignant and
inspiring in how one can live in very difficult times.
Fr. Dimitri and Mother Maria of Paris, with others,
were all killed during the 
Nazi period in France....
they are all considered Saints, martyrs for Christ.
The book is written by Fr. Dimitri's daughter,
who was 4 the last time she saw her father. 
Her memories of her father,
from the eyes of an adoring 4 year old daughter,
are really beautiful and Fr. Dimitri was a very kind man,
incredible in his love.  


I had a really good talk with my quilting friend about this author
 and feel more settled in accepting the struggles Hall had after Jane Kenyon died.
I am looking forward to reading this book, hopefully soon. 


I am hoping to finish this blanket in the next month, if possible.
I have so much to do, that we will see...


I went to a lovely kitchen store in Princeton, 
my kind of 'window shopping' and I love this picnic basket! 
***
Leaving you with 2 pictures of Princeton... 
it's a very beautiful place. 



And that is my yarn along for today!
I hope this post finds whoever reads it
having a peaceful day!
Feel free to join us!

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Food, Books and a whole lot of processing




I fried up some hamburger with taco seasoning and onion
(fried onion first, in coconut oil) on Thursday.
Toppings: 
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Sour Cream
Fresh yellow tomato 
Sriracha sauce
Lettuce
On a soft taco... 
We've been enjoying it today also!
***
Made a NY Times Plum Torte again;
hope to make another this coming week! 


Still loving the Cleo Cat!



So....
he published it in 2008.
(BTW: Spoiler warning here given)
I found the parts about his schooling and childhood of curious interest; 
I had not realized how fortunate and privileged he was as a child and teen;
I guess it goes to show that money and connections, plus fortunate circumstances,
can help in terms of making one's dreams come true; but clearly also, on Hall's part,
a lot of continual discipline in terms of writing.
But I found parts of it, to be honest, surprisingly jarring and disappointing; 
I did not realize how much he had struggled with carnality, and how, after Jane died;
it grieved me very much; I am writing a longer post, 
that will be about this book but also the culture he grew up in and that became
what is here today; it's tricky to know how to write it, as I want to be kind,
balanced; to give freedom in terms of not judging but seeing; that alone is an essay right there; 
I also would like to explore some things in current culture, 
and culture in the last 100 years,
and what I see in it that is ultimately harmful to an individual and culture. 
Beore I finish writing that post (it will be a longer one, more
essay form I think; it's one that I have been thinking of for quite sometime), I am 
it is clear that Jane was a deep stabilizing force in his life and I have come to 
realize that Hall is probably the type of man who needs a woman 
to keep him stable; for me, it was a bit difficult and hard to come to terms with;
I have loved Jane's poetry since I heard Donald Hall speak in 1996, 
just a year after her death; I met Donald Hall; got his autograph, talked to him.
Jane has ever since been my favourite poet.  And I liked and like much of his poetry as well,
though I have not read it all or much outside of the years 1995-1998 or so.
My Husband has been hearing about this all week, as I finished reading the book
and processing it....(thankfully Mr Husband is a great conversationalist and able to put things
in context of historical and culture things that greatly assist processing)...
 it was one of those, I had no idea how he struggled,
or what mess he fell into while he did struggle, and how dark it was, the depression he was in; 
and even just realizing that
he did not stay single after Jane's death,
well, it took some coming to terms with; it was literally catching up with
over 20 years since I met Hall in person and not knowing him,
even in his writing, before then, it was a lot to realize.  
***
Anyway, before I write more on it, 
one that only ended because Jane died. 
Then I feel I will have more time and I hope the ability to write an 
essay that is worthy of both what he achieved in his marriage and what
was lost in his struggles and what it can mean in terms of the world that was,
the world we live in now....


I think I read this L'Engle book before.
I LOVED it. 
Read it pretty much in one sitting.
Encouraging, fairly light in terms of L'Engle's fiction; it was somewhere between
YA and adult on her spectrum; a perfectly timed read.




Well, lots of books, tea and good meals this week.
A lot to be thankful for.


Including church tonight, tomorrow
and various friends to see next week! 

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Christmas Slippers Take 1 ~ with a lovely Christmas book

Whew!
I managed to finish the two
pairs of slippers on time for an
early family Christmas exchange.

I did not do them perfectly,
but at least they are warm, colourful...
Ravelry here.

My brother-in-law's slippers.
Ravelry here.

I am still getting the 1 row ribbed stitch down.
Basically I would get confused to what row I was in,
one that starts with K1 or
one that starts with P1.
*
I made them a little too big but my
brother in law says he can shrink them in the wash...
*
I am working on my third pair of slippers now
and so far so good!
It always takes me a while to learn a new pattern!
*
I have just gotten this book in the mail:

Donald Hall is one of my long time beloved poets
and I am so glad to have this book
that is such a wonderful capturing of what
Christmas was like in New England in early 1900's.
Lucy's Christmas is one that I discovered
and then ordered inexpensively on Alibris.
I ordered a few of the books,
including the one above,
after reading Katherine's post on
her Christmas basket of books.
*
I am so excited for the Nativity Fast
and reading Christmas books!
*
What are you reading and creating today?
Yarn Along with us!