Tuesday Snippets
Books we read today:
The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie de Paola
Freight Train by Donald Crews
The dearest sight today was Rilla leading Huck to her room, each carrying a book (Huck balancing his on his head), for her to read to him. From the next room, I could hear her high, piping voice going up and down, just the melody of it, not the words. They were my books, which makes it extra dear, but it would have been a sweet sight no matter what the books. Huck is not of an age to sit still for much of anything, but he lay there beside Rilla on her little low bed, listening intently.
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Read this on Writer’s Almanac this evening:
Rilke wrote: “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue […] Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.”
It reminds me of something my friend Sarah might say.
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An app to share:
Marble Math Multiplication—the lite version is free. I wrote about the other Marble Math apps a while back; all are quite good.
sarah says:
Thank you, it was something I needed to read, actually.
I love the picture heading this post, and the picture you created for us with your words.
On December 4, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Ellie says:
Oh that Rilke quote has made me cry. This is proving to be one of my *difficult* Advents … Many questions, many pleas to God … And having to sit in the silence, and simply wait for it all to unfold.
On December 5, 2012 at 6:28 am
tanita says:
Does one ever get to a place where it’s easy to sit with one’s questions. I read that Rilke quote periodically – I think it’s from Letters to a Young Poet or something – and …it’s kind of mind-bending.
I’d like to be led to my room with a book on my head, if no one minds. I adore being read to, what a sweet image.
On December 5, 2012 at 11:24 am
Melissa Wiley says:
I feel like I can only read Rilke a few lines at a time. He packs so very much into a short space. Then I have to go away and ponder for a month or two.
Ellie, I’m sorry it’s shaping up to be a hard season for you. It’s funny, I always think of February as the hard month (a hangover from my East Coast days, I think, when winter seemed so unbearably long), but I think Advent can be the hardest of all for some people. All the external noise and fuss, and everything shouting “Be illumined! And make it snappy!”
On December 5, 2012 at 8:52 pm