laura, sara, jonah, & me. plus two other lists.

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laura, sara, jonah, & me. plus two other lists.

August 22, 2012 by The Never Normal

I am in an excited state of preparation for my Labor Day week trip to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home & museum in Mansfield Missouri. Before that, though, I have to write an article for the Capital District Parent Pages and judge 20 entries or so for NYSARC’s annual media awards contest; they’ve asked me to do this for several years now, and I enjoy it.

But the writing and the judging is time-consuming, and I’d rather create more nature art in the woods or something. Something simple, like this:

At any rate I am mostly going to blog some quotes, videos, and short tales of Jonah/nature art/fun lists until I get back. I am fine, and I am taking healthy steps to become downright awesome. Jonah has been enjoying his 2-week break before school. He learns well, but he does love to ask no school today? and have his words validated…

That’s right, buddy. No school today.

And so today’s quote is from my favorite book, A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Its protagonist, Sara Crewe, is arguably one of the greatest characters in literature. Someone gifted me the book when I was 10, along with The Secret Garden, and it took me 6 years to finally pick them up and give them a chance. They looked Victorian. Boring.

I was never so happy to be so wrong. I have read them and re-read them probably 40 or 50 times. I loved her other books as well, but this one tops the list. It even tops (I’m gritting my teeth here for going out on such a limb) The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which may well be my second favorite book. Maybe I should try to make a top 10 list. It’s as mutable as water, though, and could change tomorrow. In fact I’ll forget all kinds of books in the very consideration of ranking them. And most of them are children’s or young adult books.

“Perhaps there is a language which is not made of words and everything in the world understands it.”
~Sara Crewe; A Little Princess

But I’ll try anyway:

1. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

2. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

3. The Giver by Lois Lowry

4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

5. Watership Down by Richard Adams

6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

7. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

8. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

9. The Glass Bead Game: (Magister Ludi) by Herman Hesse

10. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

There’s no way I can stop at ten. So many books belong in my top ten. Why did I start this impossible task?

11. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

12. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

13. 1984 by George Orwell

14. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

15. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

I have also been instructed to write ten positive things about myself. And so, one more list:

1. I am a giver.

2. I can make people laugh.

3. It is easy for me to love.

4. I am friendly.

5. I am kind.

6. I care about my planet and its people.

7. I want to make a difference in the world.

8. I am a good writer.

9. I smile at strangers.

10. I am a nurturing mother.

And hey:

Thank you to everyone who commented, or treated me with an extra bit of kindness, or has reached out to me because they care. Thank you.

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing | 4 Comments

4 Responses

on August 22, 2012 at 7:54 pm | Reply Channah Abraham

Dear Amy,

I am happy to hear that you’re “taking healthy steps to become downright awesome.” I hope that one of those steps is reaching out for the help that is salvation to suffering souls in the 20th/21st centuries which was not available to our forebears. For the highs of excitement at pending vacations and the depths of drowning in anger and envy and the resulting self-berating can be transformed to the peace of the middle way–for those who have the commitment and courage to seek that path.

Enjoy every moment of your time in Mansfield, Missouri, among the vibrations of your heroine.

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on August 22, 2012 at 11:58 pm | Reply aimee

I am happy to see you loving you as much as we all do! If you’re flying into St. Louis and driving to Mansfield, there is a large Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden that weekend. Large parade Saturday of Bon Odori Dancers (of which I am one – yay!) I hope you have good weather – it is HELLA humid here!

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- on August 23, 2012 at 5:48 pm | Reply Normal is a Dryer Setting
  
  i can’t believe you will be so close to me. we are flying in on saturday, though, and won’t get in to Springfield until 6:30pm. how close is the festival? i am so sick today i am only able to be online for a sec…
  
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on August 23, 2012 at 1:29 pm | Reply Linda M.

Hope you have a great trip. You deserve to enjoy some time off. Love your book list. There are a few I haven’t read. Me Talk Pretty One Day never fails to make me laugh my head off and put me in a happy mood. I love your nature art. So creative! I saw your pictures of Storm King Art Center on your FB page, by the way. I live right near there. Lovely place.

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