One of the loveliest things about getting away is returning home; returning to those particular comforts you'd grown accustomed to that others don't seem to deem necessary. After two weeks in climes held captive by the sun, I greeted our fine feathered fog with the delight of a long lost lover. Yes, that exact same fog which we complain about vociferously, which we even have driven east to escape with much mumbling and mutterings, that now friendly and fortuitous fog which soothes skin sucked dry and weaves a blanket around cool night's sleep undisturbed by the roar of the air conditioner...who would have thought a grey day could bring such joy?
I promptly jumped into THE LITTLE WHITE HORSE, one of the few Elizabeth Goudge books still in print. Nobody bought this $6 paperback at family camp, so I fished it from the boxes surrounded by suitcases in our living room and rested in the lovely domestic fantasy of honorable manor, eccentric servant, fructuous garden, communicative animals, friendly village, godly Parson and evil vanquished by righteousness and love.
Finally fortified by fog and Goudge, I attacked suitcases, boxes and the mountain of laundry threatening to erupt. No doubt I would have flagged midweek, but Mary loaned me her copy of THE QUOTIDIAN MYSTERIES, a six-dollar essay by Kathleen Norris on "Laundry, Liturgy and Women's Work." This little book starts with the priest doing the dishes at mass, and ends having delivered a strong tonic on the value of Quotidian--the everyday routine of life and work where God meets us time and time again. I read it with my newly vacuumed livingroom floor beaming at me...a most satisfying evening.
Meanwhile The Word Shop had it's version of piles to be sorted through: Kateri gave us two boxes of supplemental teaching material--wonderful for home-schoolers and classroom mavericks--so Sunnie promptly made a 'Back to School' display. For once we are actually in sync with the shopping ads.
Bill gave us a fine bag of books which included Nouwen, Keating, Farnham and a set of Barclay's revised NT Daily Study Bible Series. I'm contemplating trading in my Matthew, Luke and John for the revised version, though I hate to break up the set. When my morning scripture journey arrived at Mark, I moved Barclay from afternoon to morning. I'm still liking him well enough (see last month's newsletter--archived on our website) although his habit of explaining miracles and demons gets irritating. I suppose it's good for those who balk at the supernatural.
"People fear miracles because they fear being changed--though ignoring them will change you also." --Leif Enger in PEACE LIKE A RIVER
I've never understood why certain books attract my attention. The cover of PEACE LIKE A RIVER has a blue ink guy on horseback under a tree. "National Bestseller" is emblazoned across the top. Was it the title that attracted me? I can only say I noticed the book among the weeds and rushes. When Nick decided to take it, I said I wanted to read it. He said he'd bring it back. Several weeks later he tried to give me money for it, because he'd finished it and loaned it to his boss. I said I wanted to read it. A month or so passed and finally it returned, having been passed to yet another person. I'm halfway into it and it's one of the finest novels I've read for a while. I hope it finishes as well as it rides. You can order it new for $13, or $10.50 + shipping from Amazon or maybe even get it from Costco cheaper than I can get it from my distributor. There's a few people I want to pass this copy to. If it weren't July 30th, I'd be sitting under my lemon tree reading it right now.
MINISTRIES: Don't forget our High Tea for Church Librarians and book resource people on Tuesday, August 16 from 4:00 to 5:30. These Ministries Forums are designed to 1) proclaim the unity of the body in Christ, 2) find grace to help in time of need and 3) rejoice together in the glorious works of God. Please RSVP if you're planning to come. If there's not a designated 'book person' in your church or ministry, consider coming yourself.
I stole the phrase "held captive by the sun" from Mary Ellen's work in our summer writing class. Plagiarism is one of the perks of creating in company. Come September I'll be leading a Tuesday, co-creative Bible excursion on the Gospel of John. Let me know if you're interested.
Thanks be to God for the dozen people who bought books at family camp and for St. Joseph's ministries that requested a book table for their caregiver's retreat. Without these additions July would have been sorely under funded. Amazing how much little things help.
"Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand." --Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (1899-1989)
Blessings,
Alliee +