In Praise of Small Books July 30, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Ramblings , 4commentsIt took me awhile but I have finally observed that I have especially strong feelings for small books. So today I will share some of my favorites, in no particular order. To me, the strength of small books is that they must focus in on a small detail, like looking at gems. You hold the gem up to the light and watch how it bends light. Most small books focus on one small and beautiful truth.
Missing from the line-up, as they could not be found, are Brother Lawrence’s The Practice of the Presence of God and a lithographed copy of Francis Thompson’s The Hound of Heaven. One downside of being a small book is the ease of being mislaid, and both Brother Lawrence and Francis Thompson have succumbed for the moment. Here’s a quote from Brother L: Let us think often that our only business in this life is to please God. The Hound of Heaven is a copy of a book I remember my grandfather owning when I was in grade school, and have always loved on several levels. It was part of my first gift to Devastatingly Handsome.
And onto these small jewels I could find. First in this batch, of course, is a small ESV given me by Miss Language. I tell you, microfilm uses a bigger font. But it is a special joy to use this Bible. To its right is a small copy of The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, also a Miss Language gift. And then a wonderful book by John Calvin. Then Rutherford’s The Loveliness of Christ ~ how do you like: There is as much in our Lord’s pantry as will satisfy all his bairns, and as much in his cellar as will quench all their thirst. Hunger on, for there is meat in hunger for Christ: go never from him, but fash him (who yet is pleased with the importunity of hungry souls) with a dishful of hungry desires, till he fill you; and if he delay yet come not ye away, albeit ye should fall a-swoon at his feet. This book is just delightful in its smallness and red binding. And long-time copy of Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest ~ with his frequent reminders I need that: good is the enemy of the best.
Next we come to a batch that stretch the limits of smallness but this is my blog, so, well, that’s the deal. They pack a lot into a small space. The Psalm book is wonderful and just lists suggested tunes. Burroughs has wonderful things to say, though of course I wish the book were still titled The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. And I have the little Classical Education & the Home School to thank for starting the Bananalets on their path in schooling with its clear teaching on things like why to teach Latin and consider hard work a necessity.
Now back to smaller books, a set of children’s titles. The Tale of Geronimo Grub is a retelling of a book first published in 1855 about how our spiritual body is suited to eternal life, using the image of a grub emerging from the pond as a beautiful dragonfly to a world he could not imagine while still in the grub state. I love all Eloise Wilkin’s illustrations and can’t resist such a tiny book. I think I would like a home like the ones she draws ~ only we better sneak a computer in there somewhere. And if you don’t know the furry rectangle in the corner, it is Margaret Wise Brown’s Little Fur Family with its Garth Williams illustrations and the wonderful start of:
There was a little fur family
Warm as toast
Smaller than most
Then we come to two books I consider small due to their thinness: T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and his The Waste Land and Other Poems, both books have already received mention here. These are both due to my Mum’s influence, though she claims she does not like or understand poetry, somehow, she instilled a liking for Eliot in particular in me.
And lastly are some old favorites of mine, from high school or college days. I have always been partial to the opinionated advice of William Strunk, Jr. & E. B. White, especially on the use of the word nice: A shaggy, all-purpose word, to be used sparingly in formal composition. “I had a nice time.” “It was nice weather.” “She was so nice to her mother.” The meanings are indistinct. Nice is most useful in the sense of “precise” or “delicate”: “a nice distinction.” That is followed by The Snow Goose, a book I have always found beautiful. And then a really silly one, certainly not great, but a lot of fun, Fifty-Seven Reasons Not to Have a Nuclear War. I am no pacifist, but this book has quirky drawings of Good Things in life. I am always surprised when I flip through it to see what things I agree with the author ought to be kept safe, things like cheddar cheese, teapots, and my all-time favorite, stripes.
Thus ends the post in praise of small books.
Nutmeg’s Baking July 29, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Bananalets , 1 comment so farMr Music must be in rare form as he has now earned a second post in a row.
He has a knack for combining things in previously-unthought-of ways, and especially in finding “accessories” for favored stuffed buddies. One of those buddies is my little gingerbread boy, Nutmeg.
At our hotel breakfast buffet, Mr Music helped himself to a little honey packet and then washed it out and told me to save it for a piepan for Nutmeg. But was Nutmeg content to wait till pie day? Oh, no. Today I was baking bread and Nutmeg wanted his own loaf of bread. Looks like Nutmeg is a good baker:
And, care to guess what Mr Music has been reading at bedtime based on his vocabulary in this statement to me: “I am going to quaff some tea”?
One quick note from Miss Dog Lover which I never did make sense of today. Devastatingly Handsome was grilling hot dogs and burgers, and sent Miss Dog Lover around to find out who wanted what, and how many. After I ordered my burger, I asked what she was having. She said, “Either four or two and a half hot dogs.” Now, where do you get from four to two and a half?
I noticed she had two. Looks like Devastatingly derailed her best laid plan.
Infestation July 28, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Bananalets , 2commentsMr Music is one of those guys who leaves no doubt in your mind about his manliness. He does sports. He is lax about personal hygiene. He cannot find things in drawers or closets. He enjoys body sounds. He loves studying battles. He was just 3 at 9/11 and his response was to let me know he would go and get Bin Laden, I did not have to worry. But there is a weak chink in Mr Music’s armor and if Bin Laden is smart he has some bugs or spiders around to protect him.
This morning Mr Music came to me a bit worked up (a friend of mine growing up used to claim his mother was in ”a flying state of hysteria” and the phrase fits here) and told me he had a real problem: “Beetles have nested in my sock and it is full of them.” Well, given the, uh, manly nature of Mr Music’s general attention to such things as keeping dirty laundry where it ought to be, and having been away most of the past two weeks, it seemed entirely credible some beetles may have found some tasty morsel in a sock under his bed and decided to call it home for their young’uns. I don’t actually know enough about Japanese Beetles nurturing behaviors to know if stinky socks hold appeal or not. So, I instructed Mr Music to bring me the offending sock so I could Take Care Of It, hoping he is right and it is beetles and not something far nastier, such as a dead rodent.
He brought it to me, holding it gingerly, by a thumb and one finger, and at arm’s length. I was glad not to smell any stench or see any distressing appearance to the sock. I held it over the kitchen trash can and took a careful look in. I dumped out one, yes, one, already dead beetle in the trash.
And that is the end of the story.
Unpacking and Unpacking “Unpacking” July 27, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Ramblings , add a commentWe are now back from our summer galavanting. First camp then an outing that included a historic site, a day at the beach, and the Rebelution conference. And so we are unpacking.
But as I unpack I have been musing on the use of the word “unpacking” which I’ve begun to hear a lot recently in the sense dictionary.com lists as:
| 4. | to decipher or discern (the meaning of symbols, statements, etc.): Each statement could be unpacked in the general theory. |
Brett Harris used it that way several times. And so I find myself unpacking the word “unpacking” as I do with words that are relatively new to me.
When I unpack, I take things apart and make them useful. I throw out the empty food wrappers and water bottles ~ I check to see if some of these ideas don’t square with Scripture. I shake out the sand from the beach ~ I am making sure there are not rough edges on these ideas. I send the dirty laundry down our chute to deal with tomorrow ~ I make some lists of things that will require further thought. I set things aside the swim suit that needs mending ~ I make some lists of things in my own life that need to change. And I get extra clothes and sundry items put away right, where I can find it and use it ~ I make the connections between my old thoughts and see where the new ones fit in.
Sockless Doc July 22, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Bananalets , 1 comment so farBefore I mention the doctor who is now sockless, let me just say that if you want to know about the recent quietness on the blog brought about by us being at camp, go read over at Miss Language’s. And if you want to know about the mountains of laundry that faced us after camp, well, there is not much to say. I think we are now caught up at 11 large loads and handwashing of sundry items, such as Mr Music’s suitcase. It’s bad when even the suitcase comes home disgusting.
But back to the doc. We all managed to have enough laundry clean to get Miss Dog Lover to her appointment in the Big City with the neuropsych for a 6 hour eval. This is a guy who looks for weaknesses more than strengths. So he was looking a bit askance at her reading grade level and whatnot when she informed him (accurately) that her favorite book she’s read recently is Pride and Prejudice. He was looking so askance, in fact, that he said, “No way!” Now, Miss Dog Lover tends to be on the painfully honest and literal end and so replied simply, “Way!!” The big cheese doc was amused, though I doubt her scores will change for a snappy reply.
Words July 12, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Ramblings , 3commentsI love words.
Here are some I’ve gathered the past few days.
Windows gave me a message: “Windows checking connectivity.” Say what? Is that a word? (well, the dictionary says it is but it still sounds made up to me.)
We passed an armoured car the other day that I thought said “cashologists.” I want to be a cashologist. I’ve never had a job that paid more than about 33 cents a day. How ever, in a dissappointativity kind of way, I saw it again today, and it turns out what it really says is “cashlogistics.” Not as much fun. I still want to be a cashologist. Next time the clerk says, cash or credit, I think I’ll tell her I’m a cashologist. And then charge it, of course.
And, lastly, this week the A Word A Day people outdid themselves with great words to know, but probably not what I can work into my everyday discussions. My two personal favorites were coprolite - a noun, meaning fossilized excrement: from Greek kopro- (dung) + -lite (stone), from lithos (stone) ~~ and callipygian - an adjective, meaning, having well-shaped buttocks: from Greek calli- (beautiful) + pyge (buttocks). Now, aren’t those useful?
And It’s Not Even Noon Yet July 11, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Bananalets , add a commentMiss Dog Lover, in a hopeful tone, “I think I had a growth spurt today. Can you tell?”
Do It. July 10, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Bananalets , 1 comment so farWell, you probably all have figured out by now that I’m a Mom. And that Miss Language is one of the Bananalets. That’s good. Now you need to see one reason I’m proud of her. Miss Language can write.
If you don’t already read her blog, get over there. There are two chapters up at this point for a story she’s working on. I’m linking the first and you can click back to home and then read chapter 2.
And then you can come thank me for sending you over. You will understand that I send you to her blog knowing full it is a greener pasture and you may not choose to return to Bananaland. But I’m OK on that.
July’s Insect of the Month July 10, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Ramblings , 2comments
I feel sorry for people who live in areas without lightning bugs, definitely one of the cooler creations.
The Firefly ~ by Ogden Nash
The firefly’s flame
Is something for which science has no name
I can think of nothing eerier
Than flying around with an unidentified glow on a person’s posteerier.
I Call This “Market Research” July 9, 2008
Posted by carpebanana in : Ramblings , 3commentsOur good friends at engrish.com have posted advice which would need only a little tweaking to be perfect around my house. It covers a lot of territory. Here we would add, “Don’t stack plates with forks between them” but other than that it is spot on.
Think we should get some printed, substituting “Mom” for “the Animal” and offer them for sale? Would you order one?