Soul Sprout

Turning corners

There are things that obviously change our lives: marriage, children, graduation, death, moving.  And then there are things that at the time seem small, but later you realize caused you to turn a corner and set you on a whole new path.  Slipping back into the silk of Ella's voice recently, reminded me of those twists and turns.

    The first time I listened to Ella Fitzgerald I was babysitting.  I glanced through the CD's on the shelf and put Best of the Songbooks in the player. (Thank you Bousquets wherever you are!)   I was hooked immediately.  Before that moment, I knew nothing of jazz.  The impulse to play that album started a love of a whole genre of music.  I became a student of Mary Alice Brown and sang with her at the Paper Moon more times than I can count.  For a short time, I had a duo with a friend and we played every week at a lovely spot.  I was taken out of the mold of singing only in church or school and starting exploring what else I could do.

    The day I walked into the Roadhouse Theatre and auditioned for Picasso at the Lapin Agile I had no idea I had found a home of sorts.  Dear Scott gave me a small role and finally I wasn't sitting in the audience wishing and dreaming and trying to keep my heart from jumping out of my chest, I was on the stage!!!  I made so many friends there I wouldn't want to live without and at last had a place to belong.  I've been in lots of shows since then and hope to be in many more. 

    From there I realized how thankful I am for those unexpected blessings.  Knowing that some ordinary decision on an ordinary day might take me to places I've never known is one of the things that gets me out of bed in the morning.

 

A few new book notes

Reading a great book is a lot like falling in love.  It holds you in thrall and makes all your troubles seem to fade.  It makes your heart pound and takes you to new places.  When the last page is turned, it's like that moment when you finally let yourself see that it can never be.  And all the illusions dissolve into the dust motes.  You watch them float away as a new hole opens up inside you.  A longing you didn't know you had.

Here are some new books that were recent infatuations:

(Go here if you need a refresher on my rating system.)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson- These are two very different books, but are connected by an important thread.  They both highlight knocking down barriers and insignificant divisions between people.  The Help is about racism, bravery, and friendship.  It's set in the South in the early sixties and explores the relationship between African American housekeepers and their white employers.

Quote- "...it's a strange thing happening here cause nobody saying nothing and we still managing to have us a conversation."

Book rating- Beef stew 7

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is a unique tale of love, told from a man's perspective.  I enjoyed reading what it must be like on the other side of the fence.  The issues of classism, ageism, and the clash of cultures all play a role in this intriguing book.

Quote- "Memories were like tomb paintings, thought the Major, the colors still vivid no matter the many layers of mud and sand and time deposited.  Scrape at them and they come up all red and blazing."

Book rating- Beef stew 7 (with a dab of foie gras!)

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese- This book got inside me.  It was an experience.  The story revolves around the lives of twin boys, sons of a surgeon.  I don't want to give away much, because I like to go into a book not knowing and have the opportunity to discover everything on my own.  I will tell you that I was fascinated by the entwining of cultures, the history of places I haven't given enough thought to, and the rich, complex characters. 

Quote- "But if you did, if you had that kind of curiosity, if you had an innate interest in the welfare of your fellow human beings, and if you went through that door, a strange thing happened: you left your petty troubles on the threshold.  It could be addictive."

Book rating- Foie gras and beef stew all rolled into one 9

Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.-  You could call this a psychology book.  You could call it a handbook for women.  You could call it an investigation and interpretation of oral literature.  It is all of these things.  I have to admit that I am not done reading it yet.  I read sections of it in between novels.  It is dense reading.  I read most pages at least twice to let it sink in.  From the first paragraph, I knew it was a book I needed to read. 

Quote- "I was an aesthete rather than an athlete, and my only wish was to be an ecstatic wanderer."

Book rating- Beef stew 9

Spring craft collection

If you have some time to waste, try Stumble Upon.  Give the site a little info about your interests and it will randomly take you to links you might like.  I don't stumble often, but when I do, it seems I always find something interesting, enchanting or inspiring.

A recent trip kicked off a firestorm of creativity for me and my girls that hasn't stopped burning yet.  It started with this site, called Craft Gawker, that is a collection of photos and links to tons of crafty ideas.  I've been swimming in a world of colors and textures ever since.  The first thing I made was some paper origami stars. (See the tutorial here.)  They are simple and lovely.  And if you put a secret message inside, they can brighten up someone's day.  When Julia got home, she went to town and made many more than I did (and is better at it too!)

Next up was a tree.  (Instructions here.)  Natalie and I gathered branches from our yard, cut out leaves, and glued wire on each leaf.  Julia helped put all the leaves on the branches.  It's as nice as a bouquet of flowers, but lasts a lot longer!

Then all three of us created a little forest of toadstools.  (Animated instructions here.)  Now our table has the spirit of spring!

Happy crafting!

Loving a lawnmower

Disclaimer: If you are a lawn-o-phile who loves those diagonal mowing lines or you have a lawn big enough for one of those riding monsters, disregard the following information.

Since we moved south almost 3 years ago, I have not mowed the lawn.  I hate the gas powered mower and with our tiny yard, it just seemed ridiculous to me.  I wanted a push reel mower.

Enter the UNC MBA program. 

Between work and studying, my husband will not have time to mow this year.  We considered hiring a lawn service.  Then, on a recent Saturday, I heard this whirring noise and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but my neighbor pushing the mower of my desire. 

I asked to borrow it, and fell in love instantly.  I can pick the whole thing up with no trouble.  There's no fight to get it started.  I just push.  Sure there were spots I had to go over more than once and there were times I had to give it a good shove, but I still found it easier to maneuver and push than the old gas one. 

Just a few days later, I made the trek to Home Depot and bought a simple Scotts push reel mower and assembled it in no time.  I read the very short manual and laughed at the warning to walk, not run, while pushing.  I had actually been tempted to do that!  I also discovered that I can drink and mow.  And since it can't throw projectiles the way a gas mower can, my kids can actually be in the yard while I mow. 

The other reason I haven't mowed in NC is the heat and humidity. Since my new mower sounds like a giant pinwheel and not a jet, I can now mow at midnight when the temperature hits that nice 85 low.

Go green and love your lawn again.  Join the push revolution!