October 1: bright
this evening, probably
Here in Portland this morning, we have almost a San Diego sky—a clear expanse of blue. I can appreciate it now, in the early chill, because I know that by this afternoon, the faint wisps of cloud I spy over the blue mountains across the river will have fluffed out into the illuminated tapestry I love.
I love a fresh start, as I’ve said here so often over the years, and the page-turn to October is one I always especially enjoy. Anne Shirley indoctrinated me early to be “glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
This post isn’t meant to do more than mark the moment: a ‘quick take,’ as we used to call them, back when our blogs—now young adults—were in their infancy.
What I’m reading: War and Peace, still, faithfully, with Simon Haisell’s Footnotes and Tangents year-long read-along. (Next year he’s doing Hilary Mantel’s A Place of Greater Safety. I’m in for sure—but I plan to reread W&P a chapter a day, same as this year. It’s part of my morning routine now and I don’t think I could do without it. Partway through this year, I started penciling in the date I read each chapter, and recently I’ve been adding a small sticky-note on the previous day’s chapter, on which I jot down a few of that day’s happenings—in my real life, I mean. It’s an odd sort of diary but I like the idea of discovering these notes next year, or in whatever year I revisit each chapter. War and Peace is the kind of novel you can tuck your whole world into.
Ack, I always think I’ll write a quick take and then it becomes anything but quick. Anyway, what else I’m reading is Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light, also with Footnotes & Tangents. I’m a couple of weeks behind on those readings. Because—huzzah—this weekend a new Frizzlit Book Club begins, and it’s Flannery! O! Connor! I’m all in. Am reading her letters, rereading Mystery & Manners, and of course reading the stories we’ll discuss in class.
I’m also reading, far too slowly because I care about it the most, ***a secret novel written by a beloved and incredibly gifted writer.***
I’ll be downstairs in a few minutes, I blithely told Scott a lot more than a few minutes ago. Huck is taking a Brave Writer essay class and Rilla has begun her first college!!!!! course—Women in Art—which means that I have some juicy discussions awaiting me downstairs. But first a few (very few) minutes of cello practice. It’s terribly slow going, y’all. Comically slow. But there’s no deadline. Thank goodness.
Penny says:
I find this so very inspiring. I’m about to turn a page on life, and am looking for some new experiences. Not cello… but perhaps…?
rilla.taking.college.classes. – – – mind blown.
On October 12, 2024 at 12:12 pm
Susanne Barrett says:
I have lately fallen in love with Mary Oliver. I have been too much a devotee of 19th-early20th century poets, but Amanda Gorman pulled me into the NOW, and I’ve been reading Billy Collins, Padraig O’Tuoma (thanks to Jen Holman), and Mary Oliver. I’m keeping a daily reading of poems journal — trying to read the Poem of the Day at Poets.org often to expand my poetry familiarity but occasionally dipping into Cummings and good ol’ T.S. — Prufrock is my happiest of happy places. Did you know that E.E. wrote a poem a day from age 8 to age 22? That’s astounding!! I need to aim at writing a poem a week. 😉
I admire your tacking W&P. Some day!
And Rilla is in college — no way!!! Where did the time go? And Huck taking essay classes? Hoping to “see” him in one of my classes. 😉
Enjoy the Octoberishness!! We’ve had such a green summer in San Diego; the mountains just turned brown over the past few weeks. Yesterday I woke to 33 degrees in Pine Valley — it felt so lovely!! We’re now in Alpine, but I help take care of my lovely mentor most weekends, and she lives in Pine Valley, so I can get my fill of crisp autumn air. I’m helping her to put the finishing touches on her various writings, from politics to poetry, and sometimes both at the same time. 😉
With a wave from San Diego,
Susanne 😀
On October 14, 2024 at 6:27 pm