Thursday, May 17, 2007
Thought it might be a good idea to mention...
...that the lack of writing here isn't, at this time, anyway, indicative of problems, internal or external. A couple of projects have been monopolizing Mom's and my time and interest:
Later.
- Gardening. I've always contended that there is something "special" about the piece of property upon which we live up here in Prescott. Our recent interest in working the property continues to underline my contentions. Although we're having mixed success (I think some of our stuff was planted and replanted too late to get it going this year), there is something invigorating for Mom and me about getting out and enjoying our yard...watering, puttering, admiring, enjoying. Not that Mom has suddenly become Ms. Movement...but, at least, she's sitting somewhere else besides in the house, and her mind and attention are directed to a variety of other life aspects.
Something, too, I've been meaning to mention, in case any readers have been following my use of St. John's Wort: One of the warnings when taking this medication is to protect oneself from sun exposure, especially those of us with light skin, which includes me. I didn't pay attention and am now nursing a sun exposure rash on my left forearm, which seems to be responding, slowly, to 1% hydrocortisone cream and SPF 45 sun block. - A former writing partner of mine and I have reinitiated our attempt to break into the short fiction market. So far we've had no sales, although we're constantly encouraged by the personal rejection notes we're receiving.
- Mom and I are continuing our intriguing exploration of Islam through books. All of them are fascinating (we're reading a little here and a little there and rounding out our reading by referring to a copy of the Qur'an I purchased) but there's one in particular that started our exploration and I should mention because it has personal significance for both of us: The Trouble with Islam Today by Irshad Manji. We were introduced to this book through a segment of the PBS series, which aired some weeks ago, America at a Crossroads. The segment Faith without Fear featured, among other things, a conversation between Irshad and her mother about their shared religion. During the conversation, Mom piped up, "That sounds like you and me when we're talking about Christianity!" She was specifically referring to a continuing conversation in which we indulge revolving around my insistence that I'm not a Christian and her insistence that I am. Our notice of Ms. Manji and her mother provoked a later conversation about our own mother-daughter conversational fearlessless. "We should get that book," Mom suggested...and that's how our informal study of Islam began. Our study has, since, evolved into a historical curiosity about the evolution religion, in general, which we'll be shortly supplementing with a yet another Karen Armstrong book which promises to be equally intriguing, The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions.
Later.
Comments:
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Originally posted by egrlerg: Fri May 18, 09:57:00 AM 2007
I saw Faith Without Fear on PBS too and thought it was great. I'm gonna have to check out Manji's book too!
Originally posted by Mona Johnson: Sat May 19, 05:45:00 PM 2007
Gail, glad to hear you're busy. I'm amazed at the intellectual life you and your mom have, and suspect I couldn't keep up!
Originally posted by Karma: Sun May 20, 01:55:00 PM 2007
Sounds like you're doing well - the both of you!
Originally posted by Granny J: Mon May 21, 06:17:00 AM 2007
Is that something special that you actually have soil? I have to do two kinds of gardening: the bright, annual flowers (which I love) that all go in pots -- and the plants I actually put into the ground. Almost all of those are native and they know how to send roots down through the decayed granite to find a crack in the underlying rock where a touch of moisture might lurk. Penstemons, evening primrose, New Mexico Locust, stuff like that.
And how I envy you a mother that you can discuss Islam with. Gardening I can share... intellectual pursuits I almost never could, at any time in the past.
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I saw Faith Without Fear on PBS too and thought it was great. I'm gonna have to check out Manji's book too!
Originally posted by Mona Johnson: Sat May 19, 05:45:00 PM 2007
Gail, glad to hear you're busy. I'm amazed at the intellectual life you and your mom have, and suspect I couldn't keep up!
Originally posted by Karma: Sun May 20, 01:55:00 PM 2007
Sounds like you're doing well - the both of you!
Originally posted by Granny J: Mon May 21, 06:17:00 AM 2007
Is that something special that you actually have soil? I have to do two kinds of gardening: the bright, annual flowers (which I love) that all go in pots -- and the plants I actually put into the ground. Almost all of those are native and they know how to send roots down through the decayed granite to find a crack in the underlying rock where a touch of moisture might lurk. Penstemons, evening primrose, New Mexico Locust, stuff like that.
And how I envy you a mother that you can discuss Islam with. Gardening I can share... intellectual pursuits I almost never could, at any time in the past.
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