Sunday, March 3, 2019

There There, Tell Me How It Ends, and a Silent Retreat



Read...

I read Tommy Orange's There There (fiction) and Valeria Luiselli's Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions (nonfiction) last week. 

And why Tommy Orange and Valeria Luiselli? Well, it just so happens that Orange and Luiselli appeared in Houston this week at Inprint. I'll write more about their readings and discussion later this week.




Reading...

After reading these two contemporary books, both intense, I feel like I need something light. But reading something light after these two heavy reads feels...wrong, somehow. I guess, for now, until something else surfaces, I will stick to reading Don Quixote and Edith Hamilton's Mythology.






Thinking about...

The Sunday Salon. I've agreed to take over the administration of the Sunday Salon, and I'd like to make it a place to think about and talk about our reading. I plan to continue to collect responses from the short poll I created about it for one more week. I will share the results of the poll with you next week. If you haven't responded to the poll or if you have comments about the Sunday Salon you'd like to share, I hope you will go to the poll this week.







Baking, photography, drawing, and other projects...

I went to a silent retreat this week in Houston at the Ruah Spirituality Center. We met each day twice to gather for silent Christian meditation, but the rest of the day was open to being with God as you wish. I discovered Kairos, a room for creative expression, there. I spent part of my time there with watercolors. 

I'll be posting about this experience soon.


In real life...

My daughter-in-law made it to 36 weeks, and her contractions have stopped. Her doctor sent her home on bed rest. But her husband and three-year-old daughter both got sick this week, so she has had to care for them. Please keep all of them in your prayers and thoughts.





What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've
wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound
 journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens
at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their
own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly,
mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 
 It is now being hosted here.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!
This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read”
book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at The Book Date.


28 comments:

  1. Sending positive thoughts to your daughter-in-law.

    I am curious about the book There There. Enjoy the week, and thanks for sharing; and thanks for visiting my blog.

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  2. When I hear the words There There I can only think of Sheldon in Big Bang!!!!
    I hope your daughter in law gets through this spell safely. My prayers for the whole family.

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    Replies
    1. I'd completely forgotten about Sheldon and his There There.

      Thank you for your prayers.

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  3. Hope your daughter in law gets the chance to rest and her family feels better.

    I hope you have a wonderful week, Deb! Happy Reading!

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    Replies
    1. I brought them over some homemade pizza today. They were planning to eat it and then rest.

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  4. I'll look forward to hearing more about your contemporary books and the author event. Glad your DIL's contractions have stopped... I'll keep the whole family in my prayers this week.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, JoAnn. It was a relief for her to have made it through the week.

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  5. 36 weeks is so much better! Here's hoping she can go a couple more. I am tempted to read There, There so look forward to your post about it.

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    Replies
    1. I would be so happy if she can make it two or three more weeks.

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  6. Your watercolors are amazing!

    I'm glad your daughter-in-law is hanging in there and hope she continues to do so.

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    Replies
    1. You are so kind. The watercolor was relaxing. I may need to bring it out again this week.

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  7. I hope your daughter in law and her family are doing alright.

    Here’s my Sunday Post!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog and join in this week’s Book Photo Sundays

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  8. Prayers for your daughter-in-law. I love the art you were able to create while on your retreat. I'd like to invite you to join my reading challenge: Check out the details: 'My Own Books' Reading Challenge

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  9. I'll keep your family in my prayers. The retreat sounds wonderful:)

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  10. Love your art! I'll send good thoughts for your DIL.

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  11. I hope your daughter-in-law is able to get some rest.
    I've never gone on a retreat, let alone a silent one, but it sounds amazing.

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  12. Keeping your daughter in my prayers. That retreat sounds wonderful.

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  13. Sounds like you had an interesting week. I hope things are going okay for your daughter-in-law. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  14. Oh such a tension filled time for you and your daughter and family. Sometimes what to read after certain reads is a really hard decision.

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  15. I hope your daughter-in-law is okay. My sister almost delivered my niece when she was 7 months pregnant, but the doctors stopped the contractions. Have a good week.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  16. Ugh. I feel sorry for your daughter. Hopefully her family gets well soon so she can get back to bedrest. My weekly updates.

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  17. Definitely praying for your daughter-in-law and her family. Prayers are important!
    Your retreat sounds vey interesting. I would love to hear/read more about it.
    Sometimes I take a Saturday, call it a stay-in-your pajamas day and try to get away from "it" all. However, I find myself using it as a catch-up day instead. Sigh...

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  18. Sending healing vibes to your daughter's family and wishing her well. Won't be long now before there is another wee one :)

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