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Every chapter deserves contemplation. The book gives everyone a direction to follow, as the hours of the day flow.
I found it even more inspirational to listen to Gregorian Chant while reading. I especially like "CHANT" by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo De Silos.
If you truly need a break from the hectic pace of today's life then this book is a must read.
It has become a permanent part of my library and look forward to reading more from this author.
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Next moment a flash of a camera. Then an image is recorded as if earth were breathing in and out, once, twice, as if for the first time. In this camera sharp place where the only electricity is in such thunderous lightning, there are no sounds in an afternoon save the hum of a rainbow. It is so spectacular, so luminous, so fresh, that we intruders feel also quiet, intense and strangely tiptoe, as if in anticipation.
The mountains throb purple and green, and gradually the valleys below drink in red, brown and gold. Suddenly a mountain stream snatches a blue light. The earth absorbs color like a sponge, slowly drinking the mountain sun. It puts on weight; rounds itself; hangs pendent; settles and sways beneath our feet through the lens of Kathleen Norris Cook. There's no telling what a collection of such beauty, power and insight might inspire.
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A shot of winter prairie, south of Edgerton, Wyoming, reveals the contoured undulations of grasslands thick with frost, the banks of a shallow wash weaving into the distance, the horizon blending into the brightly overcast sky. The entire image seems sepia-tinted in the winter light. An early summer shot of ground water standing dark and rippled in a Nebraska Sandhills pond shows tufted grasses in the foreground leaning with the wind. A single slender fence post is echoed in the distance by a single tree in full leaf and just visible beyond it a windmill. The grass extends to the gently rolling horizon where a white thundercloud begins to pile upward into the vivid blue of a brightly sunlit sky.
Light, shadow, clouds, all seem still but are in movement, and many of the photographs heighten a sense of time's gradual passing -- the hour, the day, the season, the years. A roadside directory, indicating the distances to ranches has been weathered and sun-bleached. An old shingle-roofed elevator stands empty and overgrown with trees. There's a disused one-room school, white paint worn by wind and rain down to the bare boards. Tall weeds grow in the playground, and the setting sun casts the shadow of a swing set against a side wall.
And there are many signs of life, as well -- a general store with gas pumps and pop machines in front, a TV antenna overhead, and a gravel lot for parking; a barber shop with curving glass brick and shiny red tile facade, with an American flag on a pole at the curb; a last-picture-show cinema, the Rialto, with nothing on the marquee, but above it a wonderful mural of cowboys around the campfire and a chuckwagon with "Welcome to Brownville" on its canvas covering.
There are photographs of small town life -- a young man and little girl stand by the front door of a tiny house, the white siding bright in the late afternoon sun and a darkening sky behind them; a sign painter sits on the back of his truck under a hand-lettered sign, "Advertise Dammit Advertise Before We Both Go Under"; a floor-to-ceiling chalkboard is filled with for-sale notices for hay hauling, an early American sofa and matching swivel/rocker, a 3/4 ton Chev. 4x4, toy poodles, chow puppies, and a bird dog that "will point."
And this really only scratches the surface. The photographs reveal themselves slowly, and with a patient and inquisitive eye, there is much to see in all of them. If you have lived in or traveled through this region, as I have, you will see much that you recognize, recall its quieter pace of life, and marvel again at the great diversity of landscape, seasons, and weather.
Kathleen Norris has written an appreciative introduction to the book, and Brown has an essay at the end, describing a lifetime of fascination with this part of the world. The book includes a listing of all its photographs, noting the location of each and the year in which it was taken. For anyone who grew up on the Plains and now lives elsewhere, this book is like a return home. As a companion volume, I'd recommend Ian Frazier's book "Great Plains," which covers this same territory in words and with much the same attitude. Kathleen Norris' "Dakota" is another good one.
Years ago I read Walter Prescott Webb's definitive study 'The Great plains' and I became fascinated by this amazing part of America (still haven't managed to get there yet) and he descibes how some of the early settlers stopped when the came up against the Plains, being used to the European countryside they just could not take the flatness, no trees, no hills and if it it was not the quietness it was the wind, blowing for days on end. These fine photos capture the flavor of what they must have seen.
The small town photos show buildings with a weather-beaten look, the Allensville, Kansas, city hall is no bigger than a simple house, the lovely aerial shot of Marfa, Texas shows a town you could drive through in a minute and after the photo of Marathon, Texas it is back to the flat landscape until the end of the book.
If you want to capture the feel of the Plains this book will do it for you...an excellent keepsake. Maybe I'll visit next year!
For all who have read Norris' other books this is a must. It was my first and I continue to search for others wishing there were more.
This is the story of non Catholic woman who becomes an "Oblate" with Benedictine monastaries and convents. This spiritual jouney includes spending extended periods of time as a resident in these unique communities.
The day to day workings of these communities, their use of scipture, how this effects her personal life and the warmth with which she tells her and their story should not be missed.
I have to buy more copies because I keep on giving what I have away.
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When the twins grew older, as was the custom of their day, Benedict was sent to Rome to study while Scholastica went to a nearby monastery to learn to read and write. While Scholastica easily adapted to her new live, enjoying the women she met and the prayers that were said, Benedict was troubled by the poverty and cruelty to slaves that he encountered in Rome. Although he knew that the great city opened many avenues for him and that he was expected to remain there to study, Benedict chose to go to a small village where he joined a small number who spent their days in prayer and labor.
Later, Benedict felt God was calling him to live alone so he found a cave for shelter. It was there that shepherds found him and deemed him to be a holy hermit. As Benedict's reputation spread other clerics became envious and even tried to do away with him.
Eventually the solitary believer went to the peak of Monte Cassino where he founded a monastery, which became a refuge for many.
Scholastica, along with a group of other nuns, would come to the monastery to visit her brother once a year and became a great source of support for him and his work.
Tomie de Paola's delightful, boldly colored acrylic illustrations enliven this inspiring story of faith and devotion.
- Gail Cooke
The cover art isn't especially beautiful (surprising since it is a University of Pitt Press book) and the title is a bit weak, but let neither of these things discourage you from purchasing the book. If you're a fan of any of KN's work (non-fiction or poetry), you'll want this collection. If you're a ardent reader of contemporary poetry, you'll want this collection. If you'd never read poetry beyond high school, you'll want to open this book, as it will surely make you hungry for more poetry.
Like her instructions to angels in her poem "Excerpts from the Angel Handbook," she is always asking us to be open and wary, skeptical and believing, and dreaming and restless. Her poems implore us to be better than we are, to listen more closely to the music in our head, and to watch out for and care for the lonely traveler, the needy neighbor, the lost among us, and the loving.
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Some drawbacks are that it doesn't always give specifics on care & pruning, or the hardiness of the plants, important in areas with frost. It also gives just a drawing of the plants, not always helpful for plants I know nothing about. I have found Sunset's "Gardening with Shade" a good supplement to this book.
However, the "Western Garden Book" has been an invaluable resource for this first-timer.
The beginning is a breakdown of Sunset's climate zones, with wonderful maps showing just where you stand when it comes to the growing season. Then there is a section that helps you find a plant by certain categories such as fragrant blooms, decorative ivy, blossoms by season, and even such obscure classes as arid, windy, and humid climates.
The meat of the book consists of an encyclopedia of sorts, with hundreds of entries for different plants that grow in the west, complete with scientific names, growing habits, and helpful hints.
The last portion of the book is a quick reference for everything from watering styles to proper composting techniques.
I recommend this book to anyone, beginner to advanced.
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Anyway, on the my reaction to "Quotidian Mysteries" Did anyone else have a hard time knowing anything about all the names of the saints and authors Norris refers to? I guess I'm 'out-of'it'! I found her use of quotes confusing and not always helpful. But the intrinsic ideas are going to help us as we struggle to find meaning in this alienating and full of 'acedia' world. I'll let you know how the discussion goes!
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The beauty and stillness of this is enchanting and refreshing to the mind. We truly enter the world of sacred monastary in this way.
Just beautiful! Pax Domini!