Posted by orangefaeriedust | Filed under Fiber Arts, Knitting
Mystery-no-Mystery KAL Clue 1
20 Wednesday Mar 2013
Sedimental Journey (Widerkehr)
20 Wednesday Mar 2013
Posted in Books
Sedimental Journey by Richard Widerkehr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Admittedly this book is very strange and many, if not most, people will not “get” it. I actually enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t say it was great. I realize the point of the book was to blur the lines between fiction and reality, but it is nice as the reader to have an idea of what is real and what is not…almost like having power over the characters in the story. In this story neither the characters nor the reader had that power. It was as if no one knew whether it was real or not. Overall though I did enjoy the characters and the storyline, even if it was impossible to distinguish the characters’ reality from fantasy.
New yarny projects – finally!
12 Tuesday Mar 2013
Posted in Crochet, Fiber Arts, Knitting
Tags
baby blanket, crochet, fiber arts, knit, lace, mystery knit-a-long, ripple afghan, shawl, swatch, yarn
Firstly I have been working on Icicle Dreams – a baby blanket ripple pattern from a leaflet I got from a thrift store grab bag. Lots of bright colors!
And Tiziana has another knit-a-long going on! She’s calling it the MnM (Mystery – No Mystery). I have decided to keep it a mystery, so anyone who decides to peak, don’t tell me anything! The yarn I’ve chosen isn’t ideal, but it’ll have to do. It’s the only thing I have enough yardage of. I got it in an awesome grab bag from shopgoodwill.org.
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (Sedaris)
02 Saturday Mar 2013
Posted in Books
Tags
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
David Sedaris is funny in that sort of way that makes you chuckle and roll your eyes. He reminds me of friends in my past life and seems like someone I’d like to be friends with – dry, witty and able to make fun of himself and his family without dehumanizing or really truly degrading them. I really connected with a few of the stories. The way he expresses his emotions throughout a situation really gives you the impression that you are there with him in this hairy situation – whatever it may be.
Siddhartha (Hesse)
02 Saturday Mar 2013
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow, it’s been a good 15 years since I first read this book as a school assignment. One thing about Siddhartha’s story that stood out this time around, but probably not the first was his experience with losing his son. The learning to let go just like he had made his father let go was touching and a slightly painful realization personally. I would recommend this book to anyone who is either rebelling against or seeking a religious way…so basically everyone.
Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children (Hanh)
25 Monday Feb 2013
Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children by Thich Nhat Hanh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a very good book. I think all parents and educators should read it. If not to follow it’s lessons precisely, at least to get a feel for the idea of increasing mindfulness in our children and our teaching. Do not let the idea that it is based in Buddhism fool you into thinking that any other religious person could not benefit from it. I have found that most Buddhist teachings I have read firmly believe that no one should convert to Buddhism, but they feel that some of their practices could be adapted to many other religious groups and also to secular groups such as the standard school classroom and therefore respectfully share their ideas. Here in the US we are so hurried all the time and never disconnect. It would do us all a great deal of good to stop and follow our breath more often. It would also do us some good to look at things from more than one perspective and gain understanding of our fellow humans on this earth.
Fibery Pursuits
19 Tuesday Feb 2013
Posted in Fiber Arts
I must write to apologize to those who have been following my posts hoping for more fibery goodness. I promise I have nearly climbed out of my rut and if I could manage to get the camera out I’d have pictures of a fabulous new project I am working on. So stay tuned…
Brooklyn (Toibin)
19 Tuesday Feb 2013
Posted in Books
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I can’t believe I had never discovered this author before. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wish there were more to it. If you enjoy Irish/Irish-American stories and coming of age type stories then you’ll really enjoy this. It is a gem.
Grab On to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way: A Novel (Charles)
13 Wednesday Feb 2013
Posted in Books
Tags
Grab On to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way: A Novel by Bryan Charles
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Overall, it was not great, but it held up to my expectations. It’s a book told from the perspective of a recent high school graduate who has no idea what he’s doing with his life, has fallen in love with his band-mate’s damaged girlfriend and is basically a mess. Many of the entries (I call them this because they weren’t exactly chapters) are either drug/alcohol-induced or sleep-deprived stream of consciousness nonsense. There are some particularly good points and I did end up rooting for the guy.
My favorite quote: “The punks are too late. Coca-Cola and McDonald’s alrady own us. One day we’ll wake up with MTV logos tattooed on our heads and IBM computer chips planted in our nuts. Resistance is futile. Now let’s go smoke a little grass.”
Our Seven Principles in Story and Verse: A Collection for Children and Adults (Collier)
05 Tuesday Feb 2013
Posted in Books
Tags
7 principles, books, liberal, poems, religion, seven principles, stories, unitarian universalist, uu
Our Seven Principles in Story and Verse: A Collection for Children and Adults by Kenneth W. Collier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you are looking to learn what Unitarian Universalist truly means, this is the book. Perhaps that is too large of a statement, but for me it holds true. I enjoyed Buehrens & Church’s A Chosen Faith, but it did not speak to my soul the same way. Collier is a minister I would love to find at my church every Sunday morning. There is just enough philosophy and artistry in his writing to keep me both grounded and spiritually fulfilled at the same time. The juxtaposition of essay, story and poem for each principle really rounds out a true understanding. This book is still relevant to the modern day religious seeker (even 15 years after it’s publication) and I would highly recommend it to both UU’s and those of other faiths.
