Jim and I are at our "retreat" in the PA country near Gettysburg. Its not a fancy place. There is not much land that is ours just a rim of green. But I tell you what we do have here - quiet. The televison is not hooked up. Ofcourse we have WiFi - that is a must so that we can surf and work.
Its the quiet that is palpable and that we love. It lets our minds wind down and focus. No wonder my friend Granny Sue is so productive - she elected her TV out a few years back. Think of it - a life without CNN "breaking news." I do love old movies - but we have plenty of those here - shelves of them in fact - so that we select our own entertainment.
This is the time of year to consider changes. I am.
Movie Recommendation: Last night our family group went to see Gran Torino, the new Clint Eastwood film. It was compelling and very satisfying storytelling. A movie with the local family was one of our Christmas presents - how lucky can we be! Time together, a good story - a gift that does not have to be taken care of or stored - it becomes a memory.
New calendars. I always use this week between Christmas and New Years to fill in a new calendar for the coming year. It also helps me "catch" things that are slipping. This afternoon it led me to book the flights for our California trip in February. I will be going out to tell stories at the Rogue Festival but more importantly we will have a good visit with Robin and her famiily.
This year I picked out calendars with Easter egg pastel colors for their covers so they don't get lost in the depths of my purse or tote bag. Finding a black calendar in the dark recesses of bags I carry sometimes leaves me looking a little mad - a desperate woman shaking and pawing into a fabric sack.
Book review. I think I will stack up all the books on my shelves that I thought I would read,
make choices of those I will read in 2009, and get rid of the others. Some nights I fall asleep making lists of which books have to go. Then next morning I weaken. I have books that have escaped the purge for more than twenty years. Ridiculous.
Bringing people together across generations with stories.
2 comments:
Your posts have a different feel when you're in Gettysburg, Ellouise--more contemplative and relaxed. It must be a very good place to be.
I have the same book problem. I'm thinking of listing them on Ebay and/or Amazon. And yet the other night I read one of the long-timers and was amazed I'd passed over it for so long.
And of course, I keep adding more to the collection. It's an unending battle.
I'm with you and Granny Sue on the books-it's very hard to part with them. Even the ones you've yet to read-cause who knows it might just be the best book ever written!
Your PA retreat sounds nice.
Post a Comment