I like quotes, too, but I’m extra-bad at remembering them, just like how canned jokes never stick with me. I claim that I specialize in situational humor and improvised sayings, though I’m not funny or pithy these days.
I’ve been feeling like a spring flower in a summer landscape — in the right place at the wrong time.
But I do have a quote for you! I remembered that I liked one of the pull quotes at the beginning of the book I’m reading, Noticing, by Richard Louv.
Right???
So many of us would-be do-gooders and nature lovers resonate with that one.
Meanwhile, I’m continuing to do things I like to do, not that I think I should. I put silly little stickers on my nails. It was fun. If you don’t like it, don’t try it.
Sunflowers for summer
In the background of my nails is my journal. I enjoy putting Washi stickers in it. Artistic? No. Fun? Yes. There’s lots worse I could be doing!
I also stickered my big toe. My gosh that photo looks weird.
Other fun today was swimming, even though there are so many wasps around the pool. You can see nests better from in the water, I’ve learned. Spray time tomorrow!
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Michael Pollan. He fearlessly investigates what makes us human and is delightfully unafraid to test out his own ideas and find them wrong. A World Appears (2026) is his latest, an exploration into what it means to be conscious, and for that matter, what exactly consciousness is.
The title refers to what happens as we open our eyes from sleeping. A world appears. How does that work? Hint: the answer to the consciousness question is not really the goal of the book. The goal is to explore various ways of addressing “the big question” and how close they come to an answer.
Pollan interviews a wide range of fascinating scientists, deep thinkers, academics, and spiritual leaders in his quest. Some think they have the answers, some think they’re getting close, and others doubt we’ll figure consciousness out.
Mostly, Pollan drinks a lot of tea. If you listen to the audiobook you can make a drinking game where you down a shot of an interesting beverage every time he sits down with a pot of tea to interview someone. I guess consciousness scholars aren’t coffee drinkers. (Aside: Lee and I have a drinking game for every time an HGTV host says “pop of color”.)
Other than that quirk, I enjoyed reading along as Pollan thinks about what the experts tell him and points out where he thinks they have a point or are a little off. I was fascinated by the idea that consciousness is controlled by the cerebellum, not cortex, and I loved learning how many other living things may well be conscious, depending on how it’s defined.
Other parts of the book delve into whether machines can be conscious. All sorts of conflicting ideas come up in this part of the book. I will say I’m hoping Pollan’s conclusions on this one are right.
Fans of Pollan will not be surprised that psychedelics come into play when trying to figure out how to escape consciousness. Meditation is also invoked (and I’m more familiar with the brief flashes of transcendence from this method—brief—that’s why it’s a practice). It’s all fascinating.
One thing missing from the book is what happens when we are asleep. Are we completely unconscious? What do dreams have to do with our stream of consciousness? Maybe that’s another book.
All in all, this was a fun book that gave me much to think about and more tools in my toolbox to figure out what “I” am. It’s deep!
Still on yesterday’s book theme, I guess. I thought about it a while, and there are two books I re-read so many times I lost count. One was Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell. She was a very good horses’ rights advocate, and she sure convinced me that horses should be treated kindly, even working horses.
I have a feeling I wrote about this before, and I did, a whole blog post two years ago. So go read that. Obviously the blog prompt writers repeat themselves!
The repetition did give me a chance to think of another book I read so much it fell apart. It was a book about Star Trek (TOS)* that listed every episode, its name, the cast, etc. Allow me to go find out its name. It’s not on the shelf next to my James Blish novelizations of each episode. Yes, I had all those beauties, mostly first editions.
The best I can come up with is The Making of Star Trek. That was by Roddenberry and someone else. But it was 1976, too late.
I don’t have book cover photos so here are the fish again. Three of four goldfish.
Or perhaps it was the World of Star Trek by David Gerrold. I had both, but this one came out in 1973 at the peak of my fascination. I do remember I annotated the book extensively and kept it by my TV chair (which is still with me, in my office). Yep, that book probably got read more than even Black Beauty.
Well, I hope someone found this interesting. My one Trekkie reader, I guess.
Oh. We have been given Benny the brown chiweenie or something related to that. His owner says he obviously seems happy here. Yeah. He’s not in a cage outside. I woke up this morning with him and Carlton sleeping sweetly beside me. Anyway, we can get him neutered and updated on shots now.
I just kept coming back until you got the hint.
And I had a very complicated day at the dentist. A simple crown replacement turned into an extraction, prep for another root canal, and something or other on a third tooth. This leads to the need for expensive repairs. Glad I have a savings account and pain meds.
I find Steve Martin funny, charming, musically talented, and a fine actor. As a writer I give him a solid B/B+. He’s not a bad writer, but not one whose words would get published as hardback books if he weren’t already famous. So, you don’t need to run out and buy Steve Martin Writes the Written Word: Collected Written Word Works by Steve Martin. You can get it when it comes out in paperback. Or I bet it’s better with him reading it as an audiobook. You’d get all that wryness and tongue-in-cheek-itude better.
There are short stories, odd lists, and two novellas in this collection, including Shop Girl, which became a show or movie or something. I found it okay, but didn’t really like the characters. The Pleasure of My Company, a story written from the viewpoint of a very neurotic but likable fellow, I enjoyed more.
It occurs to me that much of Martin’s ability to make you laugh comes from tone of voice or slapstick, neither of which come across very well written in written words works.
I left the book at the condo so someone else could read it, though they tried very hard to return it to Anita.
Fish update
I did promise yesterday to show you the rosy red minnows that went in the fish pond yesterday. They all came up at feeding time, so I could get photos in the murky water. They’re busy chowing down on that algae.
Feeding frenzy
I got another couple of goldfish photos. One is not a fantail, so it’s easy to ID!
The right one is a comet-shapeI like the ripples More ripplesHa! This is a parasol mushroom cluster!
I finished this novel/art history textbook before I left for South Carolina, but needed to find time to write it up. Mona’sEyes is a masterpiece that will live on for many generations. Or so I think. It’s by Thomas Schlesser and was originally published in French. The translator did a superb job capturing Frenchness into English.
The plot sounds really strange when you describe it. The grandfather of a young girl who might be going blind takes her to museums in Paris to view a piece of art per week. She learns and grows. The end.
Unfolded cover
There’s more to it than that. It’s more fun to discover it for yourself. The bonus is that you get a free Art Appreciation 101 class along with your novel. It’s great. The book jacket is secretly a key to all the art discussed, so you have a reference point. I rearranged the cover many times for handy viewing.
Other side of the book jacket
Mona is a bit strange and eerily smart for her age. She also has super vision, other than that impending blindness. And the grandfather is a warm and emotionally complicated guy, too. All the characters are nicely developed and it’s fun to watch the plot unfold while simultaneously learning to analyze art from ancient times to this century.
The only caveat I have about Mona’s Eyes is that it assumes some degree of cultural literacy and a bit of understanding of French history. I had to look up a couple of references, though Schlesser does a pretty good job of working in historical context and art terminology as the action unfolds. I found the educational part really fun.
If you have some time and a place where you can focus, you’ll treasure this book like I did.
Oh, Elizabeth Strout, sometimes I wish you weren’t so gifted at spare prose, because I want to read your words every day. I do always read her books slowly, though, because she packs so much into every sentence. I’ve written about nearly every novel Strout has written, but I have no doubt that The Things We Never Say (2026) is my favorite.
I finished reading it yesterday and had to sit in silence and think about the depth of emotion I experienced while reading it. The degree with which I empathized with the protagonist, Artie Dam, a high school teacher in a town near where her other books are set in the northeastern US, is very deep. The simple events he experiences and his reactions are both his alone and universal—I literally feel his pain.
The book is set is contemporary times, and the characters deal with the most recent presidential election much like everyone I know did, down to realizing some very good people you can trust with your life can support the “other” candidate. Most universal, though, is how Artie deals with finding out about a secret his wife has kept from him for over 30 years.
Artie is around my age, and he goes through some stages of coping with age and growing understanding that how we once saw the world is no longer true. And it’s as hard on him as it’s been on me. Wow. This book exquisitely sums up how I think many of us feel at this time in history.
I took some notes about what struck me most about The Things We Never Say:
We all keep secrets, including some we aren’t consciously aware of
Sometimes, after decades of caring so much about others, you just get tired and can’t anymore
I’m not the only one who fears not living long enough to outlive the current US President’s destructive impulses
Many long marriages work because people just get used to each other and go through the motions, not even caring about what’s going on in the other’s minds and not trying to share their innermost thoughts
You have no idea about other people’s real thoughts, feelings, desires, past actions—no one ever will
At some point, after trying to be a good person, to learn, to grow, to be kind, you’re just done. You’re ready to go
This all sounds depressing, but in many ways it’s comforting to realize the things you go through are not isolated. We’re all in the same boat (literally, Artie sails), and even if we don’t know everything about each other, there are connections.
As the book jacket says, “ Strout’s simple declarative sentences contain continents.”
What’s a book, movie, or TV show that you wish you could experience again for the first time?
I have two answers to this question, both of which have to do with my moral compass.
First, I’d love to experience the original Star Trek again, at the same age I was then (around 12) but with the ability to have my elder self able to point out the moments when things happen that went CLICK and turned me into a bleeding heart liberal. As cheesy as TOS (especially Kirk) was it opened my little working-class Southern girl heart to ideas I might not have encountered until much later. I’m afraid I would have been a lot more racist and intolerant without watching Star Trek at a pivotal adolescent moment.
Just a fun Lark Sparrow shot.
Second, I would like to have not read The Handmaid’s Tale when I was in grad school but instead last year, when it seemed to be coming true. Or maybe not. I’m pretty sure I’d panic and feel sure it would come true next year. No. I actually wish more women in the US would read it now, especially those trad wives who think what they’re doing is so cute. The women in The Handmaid’s Tale lead lives that could happen soon the way women’s rights are deteriorating and could deteriorate more in the Texas Republican Party platform this year gets enacted — they want to outlaw IVF now. Sheesh.
Believe it or not I have another book review for tomorrow. An important book for me. I thought about it all day, which is why I just answered the prompt again today.
The highlight of the day was that I craved peaches and I ate three very ripe ones from Costco. Not worthy of its own blog, but so good. A ripe peach brought me joy!
Don’t write this book off as yet another Suna bird book. Oh, no. This book is for birders, dinosaur lovers, biologists, and those who love Latin. I spent much of my time sounding out the names of dinosaurs, but the author of The History of Birds, Steve Brusatte, got me so invested in all the ancient and modern animals he introduced that I actually kept them straight!
Spoiler alert: birds are dinosaurs. That’s the main thesis of this one. But the fun part is learning how a bunch of dedicated scientists and amateurs figured that out.
Brusatte is a good story teller and a great interpreter of paleontology for us regular people. Each fossil discovery is a little mystery that unfolds through stories. Plus, I learned a lot about the history of Earth. I was fascinated at how the formation of continents influenced how birds evolved.
Another part of the bird history that was fun was how the prehistoric world comes alive with Brusatte’s vivid descriptions of the environment, plants, animals, and weather patterns. It’s like a fun trip through history.
How birds learned to fly, how feathers developed, and how birdsong works are all covered. You’ll feel real smart when you finish reading, and you’ll be so entertained by the birds and dinosaurs and the scientists who love them—the interdisciplinary community that has contributed to what we now know about birds seems tight knit and so cooperative. It encourages me!
My friend Kathy in Waco lent me this book, CounterfeitCulture, by Keith Brown (3025). when I told her we’d checked out the Homestead Heritage place near there. Her church book club had read it, and it’s definitely a book with a Christian perspective and loaded with Bible quotes.
Keith Brown and her husband, Curtis, are the reason that facility is in Waco, because they provided the money to buy the land where all the Homestead Heritage stores and workshops are located. They were members of the “community” for thirty years before finally leaving.
If you’re interested in how sincere, intelligent people can get sucked into a cult with the best of intentions, you’ll find Brown’s book enlightening. Her personality and early life resemble mine, so I’m glad the only “cult” I nearly got sucked into was La Leche League in its worst years.
It’s pretty impressive that Brown has been able to forgive herself for her mistakes, apologize to her 9 (yikes!) children, and keep her marriage. The fact that she was able to keep her religious convictions also impresses me. She was able to see the loving God and forgiving Jesus that could give her strength. She points out that most people who leave Homestead Heritage reject religion. I can understand that.
Life in the group is exactly how you’d think a cult life would be. There are many good aspects, but there’s always a powerful leader and minions that use fear and intimidation to keep members in line. The rules kept changing, so you could do something that was right last week but elicit a reprimand this week. Worse, it sounded to me like how Communist China used to be, where people tattled on each other constantly, even family members.
Poor Keith Brown had to completely erase her outgoing personality and ways of thinking. I’ve only had to do that a little bit and for not too long and it gave me anxiety attacks. I am impressed she made it through to escape.
And by the way, the group buys most of the food it sells from standard sources, even the wheat. Sniff. I liked the gristmill. Almost all the members live in mobile homes bought by the group, too.
The book confirmed my fears that no utopian community stays that way long. And it opened my eyes to their finances, which involved a lot of borrowing during the years the Browns were there. I don’t know if it’s different now.
And still, if people are happy with the good aspects of Homestead Heritage and enjoy living there, I’m glad for them. They probably think I’ve been indoctrinated by crazy liberal ideas. I just wish power hungry despots didn’t end up requiring loyalty oaths and total obedience, there or here on the outside.
I received The Man Who Planted Trees (1954), by Jean Giono, from my friend Anita, who has a way of finding whimsical gifts that are exactly what I need at the time. What a great talent. She’s gifted at gifts!
The author, Jean Giorno, was a great 20th Century French writer known for his skill at creating a mood, evoking a dreamlike spell as you read his work. This short story (more of a fable) was originally an article in Vogue magazine, but was subsequently published in book form accompanied by engravings by Michael McCurdy that help add to the fairy-tale qualities of the story. It’s been in print all these years, just waiting for people to be inspired to change the work for the better after reading it.
I don’t want to spoil the story, but look at the engravings!
The plot is simply a tale narrated by a wanderer who comes across an amazing man and visits him across many years during some hard times for France. Trees are indeed involved. But you need to read the mythical telling for yourself! Then read the introduction and afterwords (yes, there are two afterwords—longer than the story, but providing great context) to see how Jean Giorno’s tale inspired others, over the years since the book came out, to make the world a better place. Trees are powerful!
Dream on, readers! I’m going to recover from some unexpected news and be back at it tomorrow!
The Hermits' Rest 