The world is indeed difficult, as awesome author Roland Yeomans commented on my last post of 2012 (he also put up a wonderful post yesterday). His comment: It is a world of sorrows because we make it so. Long, long ago, we broke the terms of the lease to this world and so ended our rent-free existence and endless buffets. We must always be mindful of our surroundings now.
We must keep the faith, as romance author Denise Covey (L'Aussie) commented on my post: It has been a traumatic ending to 2012 for the US and many other nations caught up in civil war and strife. The world is indeed in turmoil. Only faith holds the ship together.
For me, it's faith in my "higher power" as I define this. Faith also in humanity. As my friend Denise concluded in her comment: Here's praying for a brighter 2013!! There are more good people than bad people but the bad people get all the publicity. I believe this. And I believe the media is a vulture, almost always emphasizing the bad.
Thus I resolve to skim the headlines so I'll be conversant with society - which is mostly now my adult children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and close friends - about what's going on in the world, but then I'll get off the internet and read the many Blogger friends' books and other classics that I've downloaded to my eReader.
I'm especially excited about the play I downloaded (for free), The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by Oscar Wilde. I downloaded it to read because my oldest grandson is Ernest in his school play. Jen and I will probably make the hour and a half drive to see the Sunday January 13th matinee. Gotta be there as Tom's a senior and this will be his last year of theater at Fauquier High School. The grandchildren grow up SO fast!
I saw the play almost four decades ago with my first husband, so I do need to revisit it. I also read the commentary of it on Wikipedia and printed a description of the three acts. Wiki calls it a satire that Wilde manages to both engage with and to mock.
The play is filled with sparkling dialogue. As I'm reading it, I'm thinking how I'm better with dialogue than description. A memoir I'm trying to write about me and my brother is filled thus far with mostly dialogue. So as I'm stuck at this point as to how to finish it, I'm thinking: simply write scenes as they come to mind, like a play. Worry about filling in descriptive details later. Might work....
Whatever you're doing with your own writing, I hope it's working.
And may you have a happy and productive New Year. Jen echoes the sentiment from her wheelchair where's she's playing her favorite Bookworm and listening to CDs.
Bookworm is addictive!
ReplyDeleteThat's right. We had a great deal. Then Adam and Eve blew it, and now we have to live with it. But it won't be that way forever. We know Who wins in the end.
I'm happy to hear you are still writing. We have both been remiss in posting this summer, well, especially me. I do know we read The importance of being Earnest in school but it was so long ago, it's mostly a blank. I also enjoy your dialogue. What a great idea to write it like a play.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed The Importance of being Earnest. I dissected it- a little- during one of my college classes. It was very fun to figure out how Earnest is actually used in so many different ways.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year.
Thanks for the uplifting post. Hope you have a joyous 2013.
ReplyDeleteYes grandchildren grow up so fast "My Blain" is now 7 and Little Leo will be 5 on Tuesday............
ReplyDeleteYou're right... our grandchildren are growing up even faster than our children did. Three of ours are teenagers already, but we're expecting lucky grandchild number thirteen this year, so the babies are still coming. (I THINK this will be the last one.) Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThere are still good people in the world, but the media and Hollywood are being manipulated by the dark one to bring strife and wickedness into the world.
ReplyDeleteI wish you a great year ahead!
Hi Ann - thanks so much for the link ... mindfulness is a wonderful word - if only everyone would take the time to have a little time out to reflect, ponder and think ...
ReplyDeleteI do hope you enjoy the play and seeing your grandchildren - sounds a fun day out ... The Importance of Being Earnest - is a great, fun play .. I always enjoy seeing it.
I'd never heard of Bookworm and had to look ... addictive games is something I don't need!! .. but am so pleased Jen enjoys playing it, while she listens to CDs ... and I love that photo of her ... interacting with all things ...
I do hope you can have a happy year ahead and be able to get out and about doing a few fun things ... big hugs - Hilary
I know you will enjoy the play and the years do just fly by, don't they. This was such a good post. I know you will find just the right way to end your new memoir :) Happy Writing in 2013
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and Jen, dear Ann!
ReplyDeleteHappy new year to you both. I've not heard of Bookworm but won't pursue it as I'm having enough trouble getting myself to stop playing Scrabble against the computer. There are some excellent sentiments in your post. Faith does, indeed, hold everything together for me. I hope you both have a good year.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and Jen. Thank you for posting all those great words of wisdom at the beginning of this post. And how strange, I was just thinking last night about the theater in Princeton, where I lived my first 12 years in the U. S., and about this very play. The reason for thinking back: If there is another A to Z Challenge this year, and if I'm up to participating, my theme would be: My 50 Years in America. So, while going to sleep, I'm thinking about subjects already and one thing led to another and The Importance of Being Earnest came to mind.
ReplyDeleteHi again, thanks for your comment. I was actually thinking about the play before I read this post. Last night before going to sleep. And I was also thinking about my Greyhound bus trip from Denver to Idaho Falls via Salt Lake City. And how I was there at night and I did see the Mormon Temple. And I was wondering if the temple is close to the Greyhound bus station in Salt Lake. I know I couldn't have imagined it as I can still see the Angel. Is it close to the station or was it back in 1969, can you help me with this? Isn't it amazing the things that come to mind as we try to go to sleep?
ReplyDeleteI don't watch t.v. anymore. Except, the Viking Packer game about to start. I definitely do not watch the news. There is nothing there worth knowing either. I do try to keep up by reading Time or other reputable news sources. Nice post too. Thank you, Jo
ReplyDeleteSO many of my own thoughts are reflected in the comments you've already received. Grandchildren growing up too fast, etc. The world being crazy. TV not being fun anymore. New being so bad.
ReplyDeleteWe watch little tv, I read only the good stuff in the newspaper and there's still a bit, I find I cannot focus on the BAD or I'd be nuts. I play soft music throughout the day. We have health issues we're dealing with and that seems enough without worrying about all that's wrong in the world.
So good to see your blog post. My best to you and Jen both in 2013.
Blessings, Barb
A fantastic picture of Jen enjoying her creative corner of the world!
ReplyDeleteI love the Desiderata quote — strive to be happy all us children of the universe, indeed. Great words with which to begin a new year.
All the best of this New Year I wish for you and yours, Ann. Good to see you back blogging and thanks for visiting!
xo
Amanda
I love Bookworm! Wishing you a wonderful writing year, Ann! God bless you.
ReplyDeleteAnn,
ReplyDeleteI just got a note from Amazon that someone was helped by my review of your book. It makes me feel good when I can help you.
I hope the New Year is off to a good start and that we all escape this flu that is reported to be so terrible.
Love and peace
Wishing you a wonderful 2013, Ann.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and yours enjoy life's every blessing in 2013. Jen looks so happy at the computer.
ReplyDeleteJen does look happy at the computer as Kittie wrote. The holidays and flu season has made my job as rate blood courier a whirlwind. This past weekend I worked 24 hours (more than half my workweek in 2 days!)
ReplyDeleteMy computer has been ailing on top of that which has further removed me from friends like you, Ann.
I did manage to enter ABNA with Victor. With his typical self-confidnce, he feels that if Amazon doesn't choose him, it will be their loss not his! :-)
In the septic tank of nightly news, the biggest chunks rise to the top. I browse the headlines on Yahoo to keep me current. Still, I know the news game is slanted towards the terrible aspects of Man which garners attention.
But the world is filled with caring people, quietly raising their children, competently doing their day jobs, and being a friend in need without acclaim nor wanting any. Like salt, they can be seen as boring but without them, things wither and decay.
Thanks for being my friend, Ann. :-)
Wonderful and inspiring post!
ReplyDeleteThanks & God bless - Happy New Year also...
I have stopped watching TV news and now skim the headlines. Like you, it is important to have some information I feel. The depth of info is something I control.
ReplyDeleteHope you had a delightful Christmas and New Year. My 6 mo. old grandson was here, and now my arms ache to hold him again.
Ann, I wish you both only the best for 2013, goodness knows you deserve it! xx
ReplyDeleteI wish you a wonderful 2013.
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Happy 2013! I am blessed to live in area of the country where people still reach out to one another, pay for the meals of strangers, fix flat tires for free and do business on the strength of a handshake. We have our share of bad apples, but I believe that the small good gestures keep the dark forces at bay.
ReplyDeleteJust dropping by to see how you and Jen are doing. Hope all's well.
ReplyDeleteHi Ann! Great post! Thanks for the nice words. Here's to a great 2013 for us all. Granny always said that "if you want to be happy, you must choose to do so." I choose so...
ReplyDeleteWhat a relief to see you up on the screen, Ann! I was getting a bit worried. I'm sorry it's been a difficult month and feel for you. Understand why you're waiting to post. Hang in there, girl! (Sending hugs to you and Jen.)
ReplyDeleteThe society based on production is only productive, not creative.
ReplyDeleteAlbert Camus
Hi, Ann, As always, an upbeat post and inspiring. I hope you are having a good 2013 so far.
ReplyDelete