Shhh... I'm Reading

Posted Sun Feb 5, 2006 in Bloggish

Yesterday was an interesting day. I spent a good part of the day reading, not online, but books. Yes, I read dead trees with black squigglies on the flattened wood bound into a codex. It’s not stylish, it’s not sexy, it’s not current, and it’s not cool. But, it’s very, very interesting.

Sometime later in the afternoon I decided I needed an outing. It’s much too easy for me to remain ensconced in my study with my computers and my books. I need to get out and about, to see some sunshine and sky, and to spend time talking to Wife. I have a notion to read some non-technical writing, so we drove over to Hester’s used bookstore and I browsed. I picked up a copy of Crichton’s State of Fear and Thoreau’s Walden and A Week on the Concorde and Merrimack Rivers.

We broke for a treat at Dairy Queen, then drove over to Barnes & Noble where I picked up a couple more books, one by Tom Bethell, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science, and a collection of poems selected by Garrison Keillor. I read part of Bethell’s book last Sunday and decided I wanted my own copy to mark up and cite. I listen to Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac now and then on public radio and like what I hear.

I feel a need to bring some additional material into this mind of mine. Over the last few weeks, I seem to be moving in a different intellectual direction—an interest in literary things and in writing. I especially enjoy good writing, not fancy writing, but ideas plainly said.

Fulghum is good for me. I’ve had a trickle of his books coming to the house after I ordered a slug of hardbacks, used, from the Amazon marketplace. I’ve been working my way through Words I Wish I Wrote. In parallel, I’ve been reading Stephen Mitchell’s Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn. The former is a wonderful collection of written notions. The latter is a hard book, at least hard for this non-Zen reader. Although I’m not Buddhist (and will not be), I thoroughly enjoy the vignettes of Dropping Ashes—they are refreshing, thoughtful, and real.

I’ll finish Words in a day or two and pick another to finish or start, depending on how the winds blow. (The wind does blow here in west Texas.) I have a novel, The Postman, that I can probably finish in a little over an hour. Maybe I’ll go ahead and finish that one before starting a new book. I started Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott a long time ago, was distracted, and need to pick it up again. I may have to restart Bird because I think I’ve lost the trail. (Like starting Bird over is a real problem!) I will be reading Dropping Ashes for months, a bit here and another bit there, always thinking in between.

“What is this and why is this happening?” are good questions. I think something woke in me recently and wants to be fed. I’ve always had a philosophical side, a part that ponders what and why. I also have a literate side—I love words and the well-executed stringing of them together does something for me and to me. I hope to share that with others and often read bits and pieces to Wife and Young Son.

I restrung my acoustic guitar the other night and decided to play it a little bit each day. Again, I don’t know why this started nor do I know where it’s going—I just know that it is. It’s another change I don’t understand.

Oh yeah, the kitty… While we were out we dropped into Petsmart for a minute or two. We spent some time looking at the birds (we love birds and thoroughly enjoyed a parakeet many years ago) and the kitty. She’s young, bright-eyed, and came over to the door of the cage and sniffed my hand. I really want a Manx. It’s really hard to come by a Manx, though. I may have to settle for a common house cat. This one is definitely a cutie.

1. Well, we drove over to Petsmart this afternoon to check out the kitty. I wanted to handle her and see if she would integrate into our family.

   She was gone. Someone adopted her either late yesterday or early today. Bummer.

   But, in her cage was a white and gray shorthair tom called Truster. I asked the attendant about him, and about a black longhair they had too. I really want a shorthair because of grooming and allergy issues.

   Anyway, Truster warmed right up to me and to Young Son. Someone had adopted him, then brought him right back to the store. The claimed he didn’t get along with their other cats. I suppose they didn’t try to integrate them properly.

   In any event, Truster came home with us. He’s now called Jack. He’s exploring the house and is social with all of us. I think he’ll make himself at home.

   Jack visits the vet on Tuesday to be neutered. If I can get away, I’ll go along and ask the vet about caring for him. I want him to be healthy and happy.

   I haven’t given up on a Manx either. I hope that we can bring a Manx home with us sometime over the next year. This is a much longer-term project because they are difficult to come by.

   Once Jack gets settled in, I’ll make an image of him and get it posted.

   — ruminator    5 February 2006, 15:40    #