Marisa's Book Club: Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Ok, ok... Jamie gave me this book for my birthday--last year! :) Honest truth, at first, I wasn't all that into it... which is why I haven't finished it yet. However, after my roommie reunion trip to San Francisco (and receiving another Anne Lamott book from Jamie for this year's birthday), I realized that I really needed to read this book.
AND I LOVED IT!!!
What it's about (from the back of the book, my creativity in describing this book would not do it justice):
Anne Lamott claims the best two prayers she knows are "Help me, help me, help me" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Despite--or because of--her irreverence and wit, faith is a natural subject for Lamott. With an exuberant mix of passion, insight, and humor, in Traveling Mercies she takes us on a journey through her often troubled past to illuminate her devout but quirky walk of faith.
A favorite quote:
"...music is about as physical as it gets: your essential rhythm is your heartbeat; your essential sound, the breath. We're walking temples of noise, and when you add tender hearts to this mix, it somehow lets us meet in places we couldn't get to any other way."
Everyone needs to read this book--seriously!
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Friday, March 04, 2005
New Book
Marisa's Book Club: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Warning: Do not read this book if you are depressed. It's a bit of a bummer book. Basically, Wharton's heronine, Lily Bart, is a beautiful woman who is addicted to the world of luxury. The problem is that she is poor.
I found this online and thought it would give you a good idea of how this book is appreciated in literary circles:
"Wharton's achievement was not so much the study of high society as her ability to turn the society's debasement of people and values in a work of dramatic significance."
There are some VERY interesting themes and motifs in this book. If you're looking for a classic work of fiction that will get you thinking--pick up this book. If not, wait until you're so inclined.
Here's an interesting quote for you to ponder:
"'Don't you think, ... that the people who find fault with society are too apt to regard it as an end and not a means, just as the poeple who despise money speak as if its only use were to be kept in bags and gloated over? Isn't it faiere to look at them both as opportunities which may be used either stupidly or intelligently according to the capacity of the user?" (Lily, pg 74)
Warning: Do not read this book if you are depressed. It's a bit of a bummer book. Basically, Wharton's heronine, Lily Bart, is a beautiful woman who is addicted to the world of luxury. The problem is that she is poor.
I found this online and thought it would give you a good idea of how this book is appreciated in literary circles:
"Wharton's achievement was not so much the study of high society as her ability to turn the society's debasement of people and values in a work of dramatic significance."
There are some VERY interesting themes and motifs in this book. If you're looking for a classic work of fiction that will get you thinking--pick up this book. If not, wait until you're so inclined.
Here's an interesting quote for you to ponder:
"'Don't you think, ... that the people who find fault with society are too apt to regard it as an end and not a means, just as the poeple who despise money speak as if its only use were to be kept in bags and gloated over? Isn't it faiere to look at them both as opportunities which may be used either stupidly or intelligently according to the capacity of the user?" (Lily, pg 74)
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
It's been a while
Monica called yesterday! Yeah for calling cards! For those of you who know Monica, she is doing great! Except for the fact that it is still snowing in China! Who knew? :) So we Southern Californians have nothing to complain about... it's just a little rain!
I've decided that every time I finish a book, I'm going to acknowledge it here on my site. The point is to approve or disapprove of the book and hopefully get some of my unread friends to pick up a book and start reading (yes, I'm talking to you Kevin)!
Marisa's Book Club: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This is a fantastic book. Basic summary:
Jane is an orphan raised by an aunt who doesn't care for her. She is sent away to a boarding school where her passionate behaviors are tamed, but not exterminated. She has strong moral convictions which are crucial for the trials she faces throughout her life. After she is finished with school, she stays on as a teacher. A couple years later, she is hired as a governess at Thornfield where she falls in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester.
From there on, the story is up to you! Or your local video store-- there are several movie adaptions to this book (that means it's really good-- moving words inspire moving pictures).
There is one with Timothy Dalton that is fairly good.
Now, for those of you who have read Jane Eyre, you have to let me know your thoughts. If you read it in high school (like I did), you should read it again. It's better the second time around. ;)
More to come...
I've decided that every time I finish a book, I'm going to acknowledge it here on my site. The point is to approve or disapprove of the book and hopefully get some of my unread friends to pick up a book and start reading (yes, I'm talking to you Kevin)!
Marisa's Book Club: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This is a fantastic book. Basic summary:
Jane is an orphan raised by an aunt who doesn't care for her. She is sent away to a boarding school where her passionate behaviors are tamed, but not exterminated. She has strong moral convictions which are crucial for the trials she faces throughout her life. After she is finished with school, she stays on as a teacher. A couple years later, she is hired as a governess at Thornfield where she falls in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester.
From there on, the story is up to you! Or your local video store-- there are several movie adaptions to this book (that means it's really good-- moving words inspire moving pictures).
There is one with Timothy Dalton that is fairly good.
Now, for those of you who have read Jane Eyre, you have to let me know your thoughts. If you read it in high school (like I did), you should read it again. It's better the second time around. ;)
More to come...
Monday, February 21, 2005
Rainbow
Today, it was raining, like it has been for the past couple of days (yeah!). So, my Dad, Mom and I were eating lunch and we noticed that it has stopped and this HUGE rainbow was out in the canyon-- a full rainbow that was so brilliant.
And in non-related news:
1. I had my interview for Notre Dame on Saturday. The interview went fantastic, but Nick, the interviewer, explained the selection process to me and now I know why it's so hard to get in. Basically, I am qualified to be in the program and I could be in, BUT in order for that to happen, they have to need an English teacher AND it has to be in a community that needs a woman... if you understand that--great! if not, just know that it's really difficult to get in.
2. Cassi and Sean left for Portland yesterday. :( I am very sad. I've been watching Friends all day in mourning.
3. In case your wondering, a dozen eggs in China costs anywhere from 75 cents to $1.25. (Thanks Monica!)
And in non-related news:
1. I had my interview for Notre Dame on Saturday. The interview went fantastic, but Nick, the interviewer, explained the selection process to me and now I know why it's so hard to get in. Basically, I am qualified to be in the program and I could be in, BUT in order for that to happen, they have to need an English teacher AND it has to be in a community that needs a woman... if you understand that--great! if not, just know that it's really difficult to get in.
2. Cassi and Sean left for Portland yesterday. :( I am very sad. I've been watching Friends all day in mourning.
3. In case your wondering, a dozen eggs in China costs anywhere from 75 cents to $1.25. (Thanks Monica!)
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Welcome to our World
Today, my cousins Karl and Janel welcomed their second child into our world! Yeah! :)
Her name is Kacie Alise Pedersen (not completely positive on the middle name... that's what it was going to be at around 4:30 this afternoon). She was 8 pounds 1 ounce, born with long (for a baby) black hair and she looks just like her brother (Jacob Anthony).
Yeah for babies! :)
Her name is Kacie Alise Pedersen (not completely positive on the middle name... that's what it was going to be at around 4:30 this afternoon). She was 8 pounds 1 ounce, born with long (for a baby) black hair and she looks just like her brother (Jacob Anthony).
Yeah for babies! :)
Friday, February 04, 2005
Prayer
I came across this prayer and found it very intriguing and challenging. I just wanted to pass it on.
Omnipotent God, vitality of life, Your strength supplies my motivation. I am stirred in the path of Your Will. Maintain my self-motivation to always search, find, examine, will and act upon the truths placed before me. May I become a driving force for others, encouraging them to pick up their crosses and follow the virtuous road of life. I thank You for Your continued vigor that coexists in my whole being, my soul, my spirit and by body! Amen.
Omnipotent God, vitality of life, Your strength supplies my motivation. I am stirred in the path of Your Will. Maintain my self-motivation to always search, find, examine, will and act upon the truths placed before me. May I become a driving force for others, encouraging them to pick up their crosses and follow the virtuous road of life. I thank You for Your continued vigor that coexists in my whole being, my soul, my spirit and by body! Amen.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Elie Wiesel
On January 24, 2005, Elie Wiesel addressed the UN in a General Assemble commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. Those of you who know me well, know that I have had a fascination with the Holocaust since I was a young girl. I recently came across his remarks from his address and he made two points that I thought were especially worth passing on.
Here's the first part (FYI--he is in refrence to himself):
As a young adolescent, he saw what no human being should have to see: the triumph of political fanaticism and ideological hatred for those who were different. He saw multitudes of human beings humiliated, isolated, tormented, tortured, and murdered. They were overwhelmingly Jews but there were others. And those who committed these crimes were not vulgar underworld thugs but men with high government, academic, industrial, and medical positions in Germany. In recent years, that nation has become a true democracy. But the question remains open: In those dark years, what motivated so many brilliant and committed public servants to invent such horrors? By its scope and magnitude, by its sheer weight of numbers, by the impact of so much humiliation and pain, in spite of being the most documented tragedy in the annals of history, Auschwitz still defies language and understanding.
This is something that Elaine N. Gellar, another Holocaust survivor and one of the best women I've ever met, talks about when she speaks about her experience. The people who caused the Holocaust were civilized men. Men of good breeding (I think Schindler's List depicts that brilliantly at the beginning of the movie. Those of you who have seen it know what I'm refrencing... anyone reading this that hasn't seen that movie--you need to!). It really does boggle the mind when you think about it from that angle.
The other part is this (again, he is in reference to Wiesel):
The Jewish witness speaks of his people's suffering as a warning. He sounds the alarm so as to prevent these things being done. He knows that for the dead it is too late; for them, abandoned by God and betrayed by humanity, victory came much too late. But it is not too late for today's children, ours and yours. It is for their sake alone that we bear witness. It is for their sake that we are duty-bound to denounce anti-Semitism, racism, and religious or ethnic hatred. Those who today preach and practice the cult of death, those who use suicide terrorism, the scourge of this new century, must be tried and condemned for crimes against humanity. Suffering confers no privileges; it is what one does with suffering that matters. Yes, the past is in the present, but the future is still in our hands. Those who survived Auschwitz advocate hope, not despair; generosity, not rancor or bitterness; gratitude, not violence. We must be engaged, we must reject indifference as an option. Indifference always helps the aggressor, never his victims. And what is memory if not a noble and necessary response to and against indifference?
No comments on this... it truly speaks for itself.
For those of you who want to read his remarks in their entirety:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/160/story_16004_1.html
Here's the first part (FYI--he is in refrence to himself):
As a young adolescent, he saw what no human being should have to see: the triumph of political fanaticism and ideological hatred for those who were different. He saw multitudes of human beings humiliated, isolated, tormented, tortured, and murdered. They were overwhelmingly Jews but there were others. And those who committed these crimes were not vulgar underworld thugs but men with high government, academic, industrial, and medical positions in Germany. In recent years, that nation has become a true democracy. But the question remains open: In those dark years, what motivated so many brilliant and committed public servants to invent such horrors? By its scope and magnitude, by its sheer weight of numbers, by the impact of so much humiliation and pain, in spite of being the most documented tragedy in the annals of history, Auschwitz still defies language and understanding.
This is something that Elaine N. Gellar, another Holocaust survivor and one of the best women I've ever met, talks about when she speaks about her experience. The people who caused the Holocaust were civilized men. Men of good breeding (I think Schindler's List depicts that brilliantly at the beginning of the movie. Those of you who have seen it know what I'm refrencing... anyone reading this that hasn't seen that movie--you need to!). It really does boggle the mind when you think about it from that angle.
The other part is this (again, he is in reference to Wiesel):
The Jewish witness speaks of his people's suffering as a warning. He sounds the alarm so as to prevent these things being done. He knows that for the dead it is too late; for them, abandoned by God and betrayed by humanity, victory came much too late. But it is not too late for today's children, ours and yours. It is for their sake alone that we bear witness. It is for their sake that we are duty-bound to denounce anti-Semitism, racism, and religious or ethnic hatred. Those who today preach and practice the cult of death, those who use suicide terrorism, the scourge of this new century, must be tried and condemned for crimes against humanity. Suffering confers no privileges; it is what one does with suffering that matters. Yes, the past is in the present, but the future is still in our hands. Those who survived Auschwitz advocate hope, not despair; generosity, not rancor or bitterness; gratitude, not violence. We must be engaged, we must reject indifference as an option. Indifference always helps the aggressor, never his victims. And what is memory if not a noble and necessary response to and against indifference?
No comments on this... it truly speaks for itself.
For those of you who want to read his remarks in their entirety:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/160/story_16004_1.html
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