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As always, the Feast of Tabernacles was wonderful and extremely rejuvenating. We had such grand times! The flight into Marquette was glorious; I’ve never seen the fall colors so vibrant. On our very first night, we went for a walk to enjoy the harvest moon and were treated to an amazing display of the northern lights. We waded in Lake Superior and watched the lights until they faded and we couldn’t feel our feet. I’ve only seen the northern lights one other time, and both occasions felt dreamlike. The beauty of the lights doesn’t seem as though it could belong to this reality.
Other highlights included climbing Sugarloaf Mountain and Marquette Mountain, hiking all over the Black Rocks at Presque Isle on several occasions, playing on several playgrounds, and discovering an excellent little Thai restaurant tucked away on Front Street. We also made a trip to Champion, Michigan, which is one of the few places in the world where you can just pick up specular hematite from the ground. Mining was (and still is) big in the Upper Peninsula, and Champion was known for its iron mines. Specular hematite has iron in it, but not enough to be worth the effort of extracting it, so the miners just piled it in the slag heap. One hundred years later, we stepped out of my uncle’s truck onto glittering hills of specular hematite. Photographs don’t do it justice; it sparkles so much in full sun that it almost hurts the eyes. We got piles of the stuff and then did all kinds of ridiculous things to get it home.
Getting back into the groove of regular life took a little effort, but I’m all caught up on the piles that accumulated while I was away from work. We had a great philosophy meeting at Sunni Skies the other night to discuss some of Gandhi’s writings. Ice cream and philosophy go together VERY well.
Geekery:
- After you watch the mid-season finale of Doctor Who, watch this. Possibly with Kleenex. And then take a look at this art.
- Middle-Earth statistics.
- Nerdist sends Tom Hanks a typewriter and an invitation. This is the response.
- Castle remade as Firefly makes me like Castle more, actually.
- Neil Gaiman’s 8 Rules of Writing.
Hilarity:
- Napping dog sees no reason why he should move.
- Nathan Fillion persists in being awesome and hilarious.
- Peg-leg pug.
- Ventriloquist with a human dummy. I laughed so very hard.
Amazery:
- Aerial photos of Iceland.
- Huge eyeball washes up from the sea.
- The Maker, a short film.
- The tearjerking audition of the boy who played Elliot in E.T.
- Lovely duet with drunk singer on the street.
I finished Grapes of Wrath and loved it, though not quite as much as I loved East of Eden. The more I think about it, though, the more I think that that’s due to personal preference for Eden’s scope rather than any deficiency on the part of Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck is clearly a master. I’m in considerable awe of his talent, and I want to hunt down everything he’s ever written. I found Of Mice and Men in a little bookstore in Marquette and read it on the flight home. Also brilliant, in the Steinbeckian, punch-to-the-gut sort of way. Did the guy ever have a bad day?
Speaking of gentlemen of whom I am in awe, I read Miracles by C.S. Lewis; I am newly agog at his brilliantly ordered thought processes every time I read one of his books. His abilities of ratiocination (and his ability to carry you along with him through his reasoning) are truly impressive, not to mention incredibly useful for one’s spiritual growth.
I’ve mentioned my amazing writer friend Anne Elisabeth Stengl several times here, and she has yet another brilliant new book coming out soon! Check out the details (and awesome cover) below!
An Ancient Evil
Long ago, Etanun buried his sword in the depths of the Netherworld then vanished from all known history. One day, it is said, his heir will find the sword, and the Dragonwitch, firstborn of the Dragon King, will be finally slain.
A Desperate Hope
These stories are no more than nursery rhymes. In a world of cold reality, what room is left for fairy tales? Lady Leta of Aiven is pledged to marry a man she does not love . . . sleepless Lord Alistair struggles to unite the stubborn earls of the North Country . . . Mouse is lost, far from home, slaving as a kitchen drudge . . .
. . . and the reclusive Chronicler, keeping the records of Gaheris Castle, bears a secret so dangerous it could cost him his life and plunge the North Country into civil war.
An Impossible Journey
But when nursery rhymes begin to come horribly true, will these unlikely heroes find the strength they need to fulfill a prophecy of fire? For the Dragonwitch lives. And she has vowed vengeance on all who have wronged her.
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Coming Summer 2013
Tales of Goldstone Wood
Timeless Fantasy that will keep you Spellbound!
Quoth the Girl 