Holiday. Literature. Wool. Fragments.

I hope everyone had a peaceful holiday. It doesn't feel over for me yet because I've no work scheduled and D. is home from work for a few days which has been really nice.

We had a lovely time with my sister and D's parents who drove all the way to whoville for Christmas. D. and I prepared (if I may do some bragging) a pretty amazing vegan dinner from recipes from the Artful Vegan. This is a really spectacular book for special occasions. It goes beyond simply cooking to putting a meal together that is thoughtful of texture, taste and appearance. Thus, the title of the book is appropriate.

I made my traditional Christmas crackers with suitable gifts for all (I think). I also included passages from "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas. When I was eleven or twelve, my grandmother gave me a simple copy with some beautiful linocut images throughout. Every time I've read it at Christmas I take something new from it. It's too long to ask everyone to endure me reading the entire poem, but I've always wanted to include it as part of our Christmas celebrations. Each passage was numbered and everyone had a passage to read in a particular order. It's not easy to read off the cuff like that, but I think it went fine. Perhaps it's time to get that wonderful recording of Dylan Thomas reading the poem. I'd like to include it as part of my Christmas tradition like watching the Grinch or It's a Wonderful Life as I do each year.

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Yes, something new taken from rereading good literature. You'd never know I read at all judging from my grammar! However, when I journal or blog I let the grammar go out the window. I've spent so much of my life writing essays and correcting other people's writing as a teaching assistant that whew is it fun to write


in any
di
rec
tion


and with the intention of
writing

as

i


might speak.


No, I don't speak like that. Why not break the line if I'm breaking rules?

Now back to literature...

Yes, reading Dylan Thomas and taking a new word or phrase from it and letting it roll around on my tongue and in my head for a few days. Each year I find some new pleasure from his story whether it be an image, a word, or sound.

The books i love have this effect on me.

I've just finished Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying". I read it for the first time about ten years ago and struggled with it. Perhaps I read it too fast. Recently, I had a conversation with a co-worker who is doing a part time degree in English Lit. and we eventually go around to Faulkner. He had taken a course on Faulkner's novels. At the same time my mother had just finished reading "As I Lay Dying" and had talked about her love for the book. These two events caused me to pick up my frayed copy again and start spending time in that world. And oh the words! Each character's voice with a slightly different lilt and tone, breadth of speech. What a stunning book! Every drama unfolding while Addie's body waits and rots.

I thought I'd never read fiction again (that wasn't a screenplay), but here I am diving back into it.

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Yesterday I went to the Romni wool sale. I've stopped buying wool for obvious ethical vegan reasons (if this isn't obvious to you click on the Peta link), but I did find this gorgeous cotton wool from Uruaguay called Manos del Uruguay. It's a non profit company that works to help rural women support themselves. If you're a knitter you'll love this cotton wool. It's soft like an alpaca wool, but it's a soft Peruvian cotton that is hand dyed.

I wanted to stock up for the year at Romni's once a year event, but I have to work within a budget here.

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Yay! I won a gift certificate to Vegan Essentials. This is exciting. A local radio show Animal Voices had this great contest giving away all sorts of goodies prior to Christmas. I wanted to win the vegan body building calendar for a friend, but hey a gift certificate to one of my favorite and essential on line shopping sites is terrific.

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