Since life is slower these days, I'm reading lots and enjoying being at home. CA is busy with soccer and learning French and I am not so very busy with anything. I have margins! Room for life to expand and ready to embrace whatever is around the next bend.
I've found a couple of new authors and read a couple of new books by favorite authors.
Jami Attenburg's The Melting Season. She is a masterful writer. This is not my favorite from her, but definitely a fine read.
Charles Baxter's The Feast of Love. I'll read more of his. This one was a made-for-t.v. movie, but they used just a small part of the story. I actually didn't recognize the story until Diane decides to wear her lover's shirt to a party where she knows his wife will be present. Then, the pieces fell into place. This is a quirky read; well-imagined and written.
There're two coincidences with this book. The first is that Baxter refers to the Three Messiahs (prophets) of Yypsilanti--a reference that I find just a day or two after encountering them in John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted (my third reading). Then, after reading about this feast, I unwittingly check out Keeping the Feast from our local small library.
Feasts everywhere. And, Ortberg reminds me once again of God's desire that I take the time to appreciate this blessed life he's given me. And that each life be punctuated by celebration.
Life is like that--connections everywhere. You just have to notice.
And most definitely I recommend, Paula Butturini's Keeping the Feast. This story resonates with me on so many levels--I'm almost exactly the same age as Ms. Butturini. My mother was a depressive and in our family, too, we lacked words for the illness. I love food, and believe strongly in the place good, healthy, traditional meals should play in our lives. I appreciate the overriding connections food makes throughout this true story of love, strength, faith, perseverance, frustration, and commitment. And, I ENVY the experiences the author has had living and working in Europe.
Thanks so much for reading and recommending my book, Keeping the Feast. I started writing it for our children, as a chapter for our family history, but a short way into it my husband and I realized it might also be useful for people who have depression in their families and are looking for various ideas on how to get through it and out to the other side.
ReplyDeleteIf you like the overseas bits, you might like a blog I wrote last week, called "Grazie, Sebastiano;" It's at: http:www.paulabutturini.com/blog/?p=40
Thanks again!
Paula