John Updike By Way of NYTBR 12 May 2013

June 1, 2013 at 3:22 pm (Conversations, Family)
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“America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy.”  –  John Updike

Self pondered this.  She felt like adding, Yeah, spoken like a man with money.  Spoken like a man with a job.

But then she remembered:  This is America!  You don’t need money!  You just need a credit card!  And if you go broke, you can just declare bankruptcy, and then rise, Phoenix-like, from the flames!

She had uncles and aunts who did this all the time.  Repossessed Jaguars and Mercedes Benzes were all over their credit records.  But that never seemed to stop them from getting loans for new Jaguars, new Benzes.

She’ll never forget the saleswoman in the glass store in The Venetian (Las Vegas).  Browsing, self saw the most fabulous amber-colored drop earrings.  She didn’t have enough cash, so she asked the saleswoman, “Do you take Discover?”

“Honey,” the woman said.  “This is Las Vegas.  We take American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, Diner’s Club, check, post-dated check, you name it!”

Sold!

Stay tuned, dear blog readers.  Stay tuned.

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Recommendations, Last Saturday of May 2013

May 26, 2013 at 6:33 am (Artists and Writers, Links, Movies, Recommended, Writing)
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Frances Ha (directed by Noah Baumbach, and co-written by him and the actress Greta Gerwig) is a very beguiling movie.

It’s in black and white, which lends an almost documentary feel to it.

The heroine is clumsy, somewhat of a dork.  The scene where she gets an IRS refund check then immediately decides to treat a friend (who is actually 10x richer than she.  Seriously) out to dinner?  Classic.  The poor girl has to run to an ATM since the restaurant had a problem with her credit card.  She ran a really long way, and fell down.  When she got back to the restaurant, the guy, so sweet, said:  “Who do you know in Switzerland?” or “Did you have to go to Switzerland?” Ha. Ha. Ha.  Then, his next line:  “Why are you bleeding?”  “Oh,” poor Frances says.  “I’m bleeding?  Where?”

The girl is huge and ungainly (somewhat like Brienne of Tarth), but dreams of becoming a dancer.  It’s not happening.  Yet you root for her, all the way.

*     *     *     *     *

Alimentum, self loves you.  Why?  Not only are you rich in imagery and full of (meaty) content, self discovered this evening that her story “Cake” (which appeared a long time ago:  which is to say, last year) is featured on a sidebar in the Fiction section.  Yes!

Stay tuned, dear blog readers.  Stay tuned.

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Discoveries, Last Saturday of May 2013

May 26, 2013 at 5:30 am (Artists and Writers, Links, Recommended, Surprises, Women Writers, Writing)
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It makes self sad to write the above.  Indeed, it is the last Saturday of May 2013 she will ever live through.  Then May will turn into June, and before you know it, July will be here (though she loves July.  And not just because it’s her birthday month!)  Before you know it, it will be Christmas again.  And those silly Christmas doo-dads she pasted on her dining room windows, and has been too lazy or too distracted to take down?  She’ll just leave them on, so that when Christmas comes, there will be no more of this hunting around for them in the garage!

Self has discovered a new Kindred Spirit Blogger!  She’s not sure how she stumbled on this site, but she must have added it to her Bookmarks after she got back from Venice.

Tonight, she was browsing through it and thought:  Hmm, it’s been a while since self blogged about another blogger.  Let’s just say, she was very moved by the series of sunset pictures on this blog.  They reminded her of the picture that Philippine Genre Stories used to illustrate her story “The Departure,” which was the very first story of that webzine, and which she’s been reading regularly ever since.  It was fun to see it on the site, and a few months ago she discovered that Ellen Datlow (Who is Ellen Datlow, you may ask?  Don’t blame you, self had to look her up:  She is the editor of Science Fiction Magazine) had given self’s story (and a couple of other ones by Filipino writers, one of whom was Kristine Ong Muslim, whose writing self likes very much) an Honorable Mention for Best Science Fiction 2011!

Just now, self wandered over to Kristine’s website and discovered that Kristine has “garnered multiple nominations for the Pushcart Prize” and that “her short fiction and poetry were accepted in over five hundred anthologies, periodicals, and podcasts.”  Gadzooks!!!  Way to go, Kristine !!!

Later, self browsed for mentions of her own story, and found some other writer mention it in passing, saying it was “rather dark.”  To which self could only respond with a hearty

BWAH. HA. HA. HAAAAAA!

Stay tuned, dear blog readers.  Stay tuned.

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WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: In the Background 3

May 25, 2013 at 3:28 pm (Links, Places, Recommended, Traveling)
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A Pilgrim on Her Way to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, 6 a.m.

A Pilgrim on Her Way to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, 6 a.m. (February 2012)

The best time to see the Golden Temple in Amritsar is at dawn.

Arrive in Amritsar the night before, stay at a hotel, wake up at 4 a.m., be prepared to walk across a dusty street barefoot, bring a head scarf and make sure you fasten it firmly.  Self’s flew off several times and people around her started to mutter.

Stay tuned.

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Weekly WordPress Photo Challenge: Escape 3

May 20, 2013 at 7:19 am (Family, Surprises, Traveling)
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This weekly WordPress Challenge is turning into something of an addiction — !

DSCN0132

Self spent the weekend in Claremont to attend the graduation ceremony of Sole Fruit of Her Loins.

She was fascinated by the graduates’ shoes, peeking out from beneath togas.  The footwear ranged from Converse sneakers to extremely high-heeled stilettos and to colorful pumps, like the ones pictured above.

Stay tuned.

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Graduation Day, Claremont Graduate University

May 18, 2013 at 10:24 pm (Family, Food and Drink)
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The lawn in front of the Psychology Building

The lawn in front of the Psychology Building

One of the speakers was a woman born and raised in Scotland, who funded a fellowship called “Believe and Dream.”  She was hilarious.  She had always wanted to get to America, she said, since Scottish boys were none too handsome.  Now she lives in Paris.  She quoted Anatole France and said she loved his wit.

The Table for Goodie Bags (Handed Out to Each Graduate)

The Table for Goodie Bags (Handed Out to Each Graduate)

It was chilly in the shade, but hot in the sun.

The reception included a "Candy Bar"! These cookies were absolutely scrumptious!

The reception included a “Candy Bar”! These cookies were absolutely scrumptious!

More of that Fabulous Candy Bar -- Self wishes more schools borrowed this idea!

More of that Fabulous Candy Bar — Self wishes more schools borrowed this idea!

Now self, full to bursting with cookies, champagne, a tremendous lunch, and happiness, will rest for a few hours before meeting up again with son to watch the new “Star Trek” movie.

Stay tuned, dear blog readers.  Stay tuned.

 

 

 

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Heavy Philosophical Question of the Day

May 4, 2013 at 1:00 pm (Books, Links, Memoirs, Recommended, Women Writers)
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Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs from thistles?

That question (which may well be a quote from the Bible) can be found on p. 68 of Mildred Armstrong Kalish’s beguiling memoir Little Heathens:  Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm, which self began reading a few days ago.

Self has arrived home safe and sound, dear blog readers, minus one piece of luggage, which had all her dirty laundry and a few purchases.  Perhaps some enterprising Venetian is, at this very moment, sharing her clothing with his family.  By an extreme stroke of luck, the thief took the bag which did not have self’s passport or laptop or the glass dolphin she was going to give to son.  Self is glad none of the clothing was particularly fine or new.  She did lose one library book, which she learns will be $14 to replace.  And she lost her moisturizer.  As well as three pairs of jeans.

Re-entry into America was grueling:  the line for U.S. citizens was at least 500 people long at the time self joined it.  Then she got treated to extra screening, in a small room where an immigration officer went carefully through every single page of her passport (Her passport has visa stamps from, among other places, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, Cambodia, Hong Kong, the Philippines of course, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom.  Her next 10 years will not be anywhere nearly as exciting, self knows)

Stay tuned, dear blog readers.  Stay tuned.

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Venice Day 3: Cloudy

April 20, 2013 at 6:45 pm (Places, Traveling, Venice)
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The Lion of Venice in San Marco Square

The Lion of Venice in San Marco Square

Self thinks this young graduate rocks the grey suit/ grey sneakers!

Self thinks this young graduate rocks the grey suit/ grey sneakers!

It was graduation day. The streets and squares were crowded with young people wearing crowns of laurel leaves and bearing armloads of congratulatory flowers.  “Doctore!  Doctore!”  chanted crowds of well-wishers.  Very exciting.  Somehow, Margarita and self got pushed along by the throng towards San Marco Square, and suddenly there we were, in an unimaginably open space, facing the sea.

San Marco Square on a Cloudy Afternoon

San Marco Square on a Cloudy Afternoon

Stay tuned, dear blog readers.  Stay tuned.

 

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Camila, Anselmo, Lothario and the Bold Servant-Girl Leonela (A Fable from DON QUIJOTE, by Miguel Cervantes)

March 30, 2013 at 8:56 pm (Books)
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Self is currently on Volume 1, Chapter 34 of Don Quijote (the translation by Burton Raffel):

It so happened that a very stupid man named Anselmo wanted to test his wife Camila’s modesty and virtue by asking his friend (Lothario) to woo her and see if she would submit to temptation.

So Lothario did woo Camila, and she did fall in love with him, and then she had second thoughts, wondering if perhaps she hadn’t submitted too quickly, but her maid Leonela hastens to assure Her Ladyship:

” . . .  don’t let all these misgivings and finicky notions trouble your mind, but be confident that Lothario values you as you value him, and be happy and well satisfied that, having been caught in love’s noose, it’s one distinctly worthy of having snared you.  Not only do you have the four S’s that all good lovers are supposed to have (solo, solicito, sabio, secreto:  “unattached, attentive, sensible, secret”), but you have a whole alphabet:  just listen, and you’ll see how I can recite it by heart.  Your lover –  as far as I can tell — is

Grateful (Agadecido)
Good (Bueno)
A Gentleman (Caballero)
Generous (Dadivoso)
In Love (Enamorado)
Steadfast (Firme)
Gallant (Gallardo)
Honest (Honrado)
Distinguished (Ilustre)
Loyal (Leal)
Young (Mozo)
Noble (Noble)
Modest (Onesto)
Renowned (Principal)
Solid (Quantioso)
Rich (Rico)
– and all the S’s I’ve said already — and then
Close-mouthed (Tacito)
True (Verdadero)
– and X isn’t right for him, because it’s a harsh letter –
– and we’ve already said Y (that is, I)
and Z, Zealous for your honor (Zelador)

What a very astute servant girl Leonela is! Knows just the right words to calm her Mistress’s fears. And so learned: look how quickly she came up with that Abecedario (ABC)!

Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.

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More Irises!

March 30, 2013 at 5:52 pm (Flowers, Recommended, Surprises)
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Self ordered about 15 iris bulbs from Dutch Gardens last year.  A dozen were Powder-Blue Crested Irises, and three were “Purple Rain” irises.

She started to think the bulbs were a dud, but suddenly about half a dozen blue irises popped up in the side yard, where self forgot she planted them!

Powder Blue Crested Iris, suddenly presenting in backyard!

Powder Blue Crested Iris, suddenly presenting in backyard!

(Behind, on the fence, is a wooden angel)

Stay tuned, dear blog readers.  Stay tuned.

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