Happy Thanksgiving

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Jesus promised:  “In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

And the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sends in My name, will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 

Peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Abide in My love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”                                                                                                      

                                                                                                               ~ John 14-15

Organ Stop Pizza

 Found a marvelous place in Mesa, AZ! ORGAN STOP PIZZA. The food was wonderful–salad bar, pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, hot fudge sundaes, etc. (and reasonable prices).

The crowning jewel of the place is the Mighty Wurlitzer. It was built in 1927, has 6000 pipes, and an awe-inspiring sound. It hearkens back to the early 1900’s when movie theaters provided background music for silent films. The musician was so talented, playing Star Wars, Phantom of the Opera, Disney themes, etc.

Now I’m off to order a CD of the organ music at http://www.OrganStopPizza.com. It’s amazing the wonderful things I keep finding in the Valley of the Sun.

Everest

  I’m fascinated by Mount Everest, specifically the people who climb it, and the tragedy of 1996 when twelve people died trying. I’ve read Mountain Madness about Scott Fischer, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, and The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev. You could be the best mountain climber and have reached the summit many times before, but if a storm blows in, or a mistake is made, or you get altitude sickness — nothing can save you. You can’t be rescued because the air is so thin, a helicopter can’t fly. Friends can’t even carry the dead bodies of their friends down from the mountain, because it’s all they can do to save themselves. Climbers simply step around frozen dead bodies and keep pressing upward.

Why do they do it? It’s sheer mental and physical torture to climb the tallest mountain in the world. Krakauer says that mountain climbers are, by their very nature, obsessed and beyond reason. I think part of it is the way it forces them to be in the moment. Every second counts, every step can mean sudden death, and there’s no room for the petty worries of the workaday world. It is a clear, pure experience. That kind of willpower and focus fascinate me.

I know I could never climb mountains. When visiting Colorado, I’ll look up at the peaks and think, “I wonder what it would feel like to climb that mountain and be up there?” But Krakauer says after he came down alive from Mount Everest, the simple act of walking barefoot to a warm bathroom made him ecstatic. Yep, I’m content to read about it, not do it.

Best Bookstore Pickup Lines

  “Excuse me, could you point me toward the Self-Help section? I need some advice on how to approach a gorgeous girl in a bookstore without seeming creepy.”

“I don’t know about you, but I found Dave Eggers’ latest effort to be really derivative. Just kidding. I don’t even know what ‘derivative’ means. God, your eyes are pretty.”

“I’ve got a great reading light by my bed.”

“Have you seen a copy of tax tips for billionaires?”

“You’re pretty nicely stacked, too.”

(These were rounded up from the internet for your enjoyment by my friend Melanie Tighe (author Anna Questerly). She owns the Dog-Eared Pages bookstore in Phoenix.)

Don’t Break the Chain

Here’s a present for you:

It’s a motivational tool developed by Jerry Seinfeld. When he was first starting out, he realized the only way he would make it would be to write new jokes every day and just keep doing it. So he created a calendar called “Don’t Break the Chain” and marked off every day that he wrote. After a while, he just couldn’t bear to break the chain!

 

Here’s to a happy and productive writing year!

Merry Christmas!

Faces from the Past

Hey, history lovers! I found two great web sites with extraordinary photos of real people from the past. Writers, find some new characters!

One is the Pinterest page, “Faces from the Past.” http://www.pinterest.com/avintagechic/faces-from-the-past/

The other is a blog, “My Daguerrotype Boyfriend.”  (“Where Early Photography Meets Extreme Hotness”)  http://mydaguerreotypeboyfriend.tumblr.com/

Here are two of my favorite photos. Enjoy!

 

 

BEAST by Judith Ivory

I’ve been re-reading my all-time favorite romance novel, BEAST by Judith Ivory, and I just have to wax rhapsodic about it.  I’ve enjoyed many romance novels, but this is, by far, the best I’ve ever read. It’s the Grand Opera, the Taj Mahal, the Ritz of romance novels.

A retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” the story is set around the turn of the 20th century, a time when young American heiresses were married off to aristocratic European gentlemen–even ones who might seem, at first glance, to be rather beastly. The first half of the book takes place on the ocean liner Concordia; the second half takes place in Provence, France.

Two things make it so special–the marvelous writing with luscious descriptions (I swear you can smell the scent of ambergris!), and the deep point of view that makes Charles and Louise come alive as real people. You feel you know these characters. You are these characters, and you experience every thought, every chuckle, every sigh, right along with them.

Oh! There’s a third aspect that makes this book so charming, and that is the character of Louise. Yes, she’s beautiful and intelligent, but we expect that of romance heroines. Louise has something more, a trait that is admirable:  She knows how to take care of herself. She knows her own worth. While kind-hearted, she never denigrates herself or turns herself inside out, trying to please others.  She pleases herself–a refreshing lesson for all modern women.

The book came out in 1997, but you can still find it on Amazon.

Highly recommended!

Hello, September

Fall–the Autumn–Back to school, light some candles, enjoy the warmth of the fireplace, all the colors of changing nature, the layers of clothes, the list goes on.

 

The Fine Art Diner

I recently discovered a fun blog that I recommend to all writers and movie buffs. It’s The Fine Art Diner at http://thefineartdiner.blogspot.com/.  This blog reviews works of art, discusses what they say about our times, and breaks down the symbolism that makes them so rich.

The blog’s banner says:

“Supreme art is a traditional statement of certain heroic and religious truth, passed on from age to age, modified by individual genius, but never abandoned.” William Butler Yeats

So, for example, in one of my favorite movies, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, she raises and answers questions like:

• What could a Cold War era spy novel possibly communicate to us about the world in which we are living?
• Why is George Smiley silent for much of the film?
• Why was the closing song, La Mer, chosen?
• Why is it important that George Smiley get new glasses?
• Why does George Smiley take off his shoes and eat mints during the climactic scene?
• What do Irina and Smiley’s wife symbolize?

Another of my favorite films is Midnight in Paris. In her review, the blogger asks and answers questions like:

• Why is rain so important to Gil Pender?
• Why are pearl earrings chosen as a present to Adriana?
• Why does the 1920s bar become a modern-day laundromat?
• Why was the particular spot where Gil Pender strolls chosen as the highlight of the film’s poster?

Love, love, love this blog! The blog heightens my enjoyment of the films.

It also reminds me of just how important small, but symbolic, details can be a in a work of art. How they resonate and enrich in ways we don’t even realize. How in the rush to write fast and push a plot along, it pays to slow down and choose details that are particularly meaningful. A good thing for writers to remember!