Just Playing: I visited a blog Spoolsewing last night and saw the cutest stuffed bird mobile. Look for Laura's post on May 24th. I stitched my practice bird out tonight but couldn't find any stuffing to finish him. So tomorrow it's off to the store to buy a bag of stuffing. Pictures to follow later, He's a pretty sorry looking little flat birdie right now.
We celebrated the weekend with dinner in tonight and a movie. We watched Lions for Lambs. Very thought-provoking ... and I'll leave it at that. I highly recommend the movie because the subject matter is so timely. I don't think the premise is to take sides, but rather to prod and poke us none too gently away from apathy and to make us think about what we believe, to understand why we believe what we do, and to stand up for those beliefs. We can make a difference. We can make the world a better place. The cost may be higher than any of us ever imagined, but to do any less would be shameful. The world deserved only the best from each and everyone of us.I've been "reading" like crazy (with my Ipod) while I work. (Don't you just love it when you can multi-task to great activities at the same time - quilting and reading!) I've been reading several of Phillipa Gregory's books about the wives of Henry VIII, and of course, I've been watching the Tudor series on Showtime faithfully every Sunday night. But, now everything is finished ... my books are finished; my TV show is over. I'm going through some serious withdrawal. It was time to visit my favorite on-line "bookstore" Audible.com and find some new reading material.
I've finished up some great books lately. I've always wanted to read The Joy Luck Club but could never get going. Everyt ime I tried to read it, it seemed like it had a slow start and I just couldn't ever get going with enough momentum to want to go back and keep reading the next day. However, listening to it got me hooked. Soon I was off and running not able to unplug my earbuds for even a second. After many many years ... when did that book first come out? Sometime in the early 90's? At last, I have finally read it.
I went from there to Peony in Love. What a poignant love story. Celebrating all that women have to offer in their art, their poetry, music and their writing, and yet, how many times the women of Peony's time were dragged down their spirits crushed by their culture and by fear for after all, "I'm just a girl."
I've never really been a big fan of books set in the Orient, but after seeing the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, I left the movie theater and went straight to the bookstore to purchase the book. After that I finished that book I found Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. An unbelievable story of women in Asia - how they struggled and survived amazing obstacles in their lives with honor and grace. I come away from each of these novels with a greater understanding and appreciation of a culture very different from the world we live in today.
What did I find at Audible tonight, you ask. Oohhhh, way too many books added to my wish list. I did find I wasn't quite ready to leave the Tudors yet so I picked up a book called The Last Wife of Henry VIII. I think it will satisfy my hunger to know and understand the life and times of women juggling life at court attending to the King or present Queen while having to leave their children back at the farm to be raised by attendants. I think I never truly had an appreciation of how much the women of the times were just pawns in political games in the struggle between families for power and wealth. After all, Anne Boleyn and Mary Boleyn, too, said, "I'm just a girl."
Thank goodness, the life and times of women in the world have and are continuing to change and grow. As women become more empowered each day with each step, we no longer have to say those defeating words. We celebrate with our head held high because ... we are girls!
What have you been reading lately ... any good books to recommend? Add your top read to the comments, and don't forget to respond to the poll about music playlists on blog sites. Let your voice be heard.
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