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It’s time for four more things, this is random. Communication, Hemingway, contemporary poetry, and racing with the weather. Enjoy…
What I’m reading
I’ve been very interested in record keeping these past few weeks, so I’ve been reading books on diaries, journals, letters, sketchbooks, logs and common notebooks. This led me to the book How the Romantics and Victorians Organized Information. Unfortunately, it’s not available in audiobook format, so I’ve been reading a good old-fashioned paperback before bed. As I understand it, this book is a doctoral thesis and is certainly written that way. Footnotes citing sources take up almost half of each page! However, once I was done with the introduction and initial information about the history of keeping a regular notebook, it became much more interesting. It’s not exactly a book I’d recommend, but it’s worth reading (so far) if it’s a topic you want to research.
I’ve heard reference to common notebooks, but I recently realized that I’ve been keeping a regular notebook of mine for years. I have a section in my refillable leather diary dedicated to collecting quotes and jotting down notes about things I read and hear. It’s not about writing down my thoughts, ideas and story, it’s about collecting the words and wisdom of others and then reusing them when they apply to something I’m working on either as a quote, inspiration or starting point. .
I also realized that I had an antique handwritten plain book from the early 19th century containing beautiful calligraphy, poems, sonnets, essays, elegies, and song lyrics. It seems like it was added by multiple people due to different handwriting, but I enjoyed looking at it with new understanding.
What I watch
It occurred to me a few days ago that I don’t know much about Hemingway, someone known as one of the greatest American authors. I felt I should know more than the fact that he lived in Paris, was connected to the famous Shakespeare & Company bookstore, and that he had a house in the Florida Keys. So, I started watching Ken Burns’ Hemingway documentary. I oscillate between feeling sorry for Ernest and intense hatred for the way he treats and writes about women. I like the way he puts words together, but I’m not sure I’ll ever read one of his novels.
But the documentary is excellent. Well made as you would expect from Ken Burns. Now, I can have a fairly informed conversation about Hemingway even if he’s not his favorite.
What I like
I heard this poem in an audiobook I’m reading and I loved it so much. It is a wonderful poem that shows how our environment and the things/people we surround ourselves with can either limit or stimulate our growth.
Growth by IN’Q
They say that a goldfish will only grow as big as its bowl
But when you put it in a tank, space can change the way it grows
He needs room or he doesn’t show his potential
So its environment is essential to unleash the unknown
I wonder if he knew it could grow out of the pot
It could contain a pond the size of an Olympic swimming pool
The world is much larger than known borders
Somehow I sympathize with this little golden soul…
You can read the rest of the poem here. (As a note, there is some strong language in some of his other poems. This one is neat but I just wanted to throw it out there.)
What I’m working on
I’m definitely in a race with the weather and I’m not sure if I’ll get the outside painting and gardening done I want to before the temps drop, but I’ll try to get some things done this week like installing the shutters and putting the apple trees in the ground. I think I missed the window to spread the soil and set new grass seed, so I’ll have to wait until spring. I’m sorry that bags of dirt will remain on our driveway through the winter, but there are worse things in the world.
Today, though, I’m painting the wood paneling in the dining room. I want to be able to start working on the mural and hanging the curtains, so this is the next big step to making that happen. I also finished removing glue from part of the basement, so I’m going to give it a good cleaning;
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