February 22, 2007

Goodness, Camden just saved the e-mail for you all today! I was up working on the bottom section & did that from 5:30-6:30, then when I heard, "Moooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" I grabbed him & got on the couch. Just now I felt shaking and a little voice full of seriousness pleading, "Mommy, you have to get up and finish your e-mail!" He was so incredibly serious. I've never heard him say something like that & I for some reason got quite a kick out of it. So the coffee that I drank at 5:00 seems to have not hit the blood stream this morning. I hope what I'd wanted to write about comes across worth your reading!!!

Last week I wrote about Willa Cather (yes, I forgot to list My Antonia - oops!), and mentioned Bess Streeter Aldrich. I do not like to make generalizations, but Bess Streeter Aldrich is probably my favorite of all time authors. The author that I read myself to sleep with over & over again, the same stories. The author I read in the middle of the night when I was up with Camden as a baby, the author that just "gets it" - on all facets of life. She wrote during the war, so she states that her aim is to give all of us stories that are true to life, but not that we have to think too much over - for reality is already harsh enough. One of my favorites is A White Bird Flying. This is a sequel to A Lantern in Her Hand where the granddaughter of Abby (the settler from A Lantern) sits with her grandmother the week before she dies, and then goes into her home the day she dies, and then her thoughts as she observes the home of her beloved grandmother being disassembled in one day - the thoughts and emotions from that chapter are exactly what I felt the week my mom died and her home was cleared. Characters that are parallel to our experiences - when we can't put into words our thoughts and emotions, but then later see ourselves in a book, for some reason I just love that - for I am able to see me, to process what I didn't even know I was thinking.

The end of this book has one of my favorite paragraphs that I think about quite a bit. The main character makes serious choices throughout the book to pursue life in a city doing what her family wants her to do (career) vs. settling in the midwest, quietly, without a lot of money. The book ends with Connie receiving $1.00 as an inheritance from her uncle - still angry with her. After her shock, she stands up straight and proud with determination in her step, takes her three children to the country with a picnic, and then proceeds with this scene speaking to her children:

"I have a new game for you. All turn your backs and shut your eyes." She then tosses the silver dollar as far out into the alfalfa field as she could. "Open your eyes...Now this is the game. Out in the pasture is one of the most valuable things in the world. The game is to find it. Whatever seems most valuable to you, bring it in to me." All the afternoon the children play and search for their treasure. When the sun was slipping she called, "Time's up. Come in to base." The children then proceeded to show what they found the most valuable. Edward said, "I couldn't bring in the thing that I thought was the most valuable. It's the elm in the middle of the pasture. It stands there so pretty, bowing, and waving. It made me think of the verses Father reads to us: "Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree." "Think of never having a nodding tree, Mother!" "I couldn't bring mine, either," Ruth admitted. "Oh, I could have, but I didn't want to scare it. It's a little meadow lark in a nest on the ground. Think of never hearing a meadow lark sing, Mother!" Little Marian threw back her head and let out a rippling crescendo of laughter. "I could bring mine," she chuckled. "It's Baby. It's fair too, isn't it, Mother; because he was out there and I think he's the most valuable thing in the world." They all laughed with her, but there were tears in mother's eyes. "Well, well! Trees! Birds! Babies! What lovely, lovely things you found."

After a season the alfalfa was cut and dried and hauled to the barn. The field was plowed, and the legacy (the silver dollar) was turned under the sod. But even though the rain fell and the sun shone on it, nothing ever came of it. Not a green thing - nor a singing thing - nor a human soul. Don't you just love the ending to that book!??!?!?!?!?

Oh, how can I express my desire to turn all of you into readers! Books can change your life. Don't ever ever ever not try to find a book that affects you! Don't ever say, "I'm not a reader." That will make your Susan angry! You just haven't found your book - I know it's out there. A book that you will say, "Oh, I know! That is so true!!!" I can't wait until some of you tell me you found one! Soon we will be starting a book of the month club that doesn't meet - Lincoln does this, any that want to read the same book does so, then all through the city readers are discussing the same books with anyone else wanting to read the book. I'll probably just follow the same books that Lincoln is - I'll look into this and let you know.

Have a wonderful week! I'll go make Camden some breakfast now! Heaven forbid - make him breakfast, what was I thinking! I'll go and get Camden some cereal now!! Wouldn't want any of you to think I'd matured in my homeaking skills! Have a great weekend - well, have a great day, it is so beautiful, before the storm hits! Don't forget we're open late on Thursdays if you want to come over to browse or let your kids play! Susan

Work Cited:
Aldrich, Bess S. A White Bird Flying. New York: University of Nebraska P, 1988