Mutterings - Feb 24

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Scalp :: Trophy
2. Fix :: Bug
3. Should :: Ought
4. Believing :: Faith
5. Cares :: Concern
6. Eyelash :: False
7. Sick :: Rose ('Oh Rose thou art sick' Blake as set by Britten)
8. Heart :: Core
9. Marble :: Faux (a long story concerning a trip around the chateau at Compiegne, 'Ne Mange pas les murs')
10. Money back :: Offer

The Senate House's greenhouse

The Senate House's greenhouse, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

There's an e-luminate festivsl going on a Cambridge at the moment and very pretty it looks - though the Senate House wasn't quite as lit up as in the link!

Teaser Tuesday - Feb 19

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

No one could have lived more cheaply than Crystal. Her biggest weekly expenses were entertaining Arthur and me.

From Iris Murdoch's A Word Child - I used to read Murdoch and haven't read any for a long time, I had a go a bit back with Bruno's Dream - that died the death (for reasons little to do with the book) but am trying again. As someone writes at Goodreads'Hilary Burde (the principal character and the 1st person in the above), is simultaneously compelling and repulsive'. This is a reread - as you may gather - and I was much entertained by the first chapter - early days...

Teaser Tuesday - Feb 12

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

When first thy sweet and gracious eye
Vouchsaf'd ev'n in the midst of youth and night
To look upon me, who before did lie
         Weltring in sinne ;
I felt a sugred strange delight,
Passing all cordials made by any art,
Bedew, embalme, and overrunne my heart,
         And take it in.

Since that time many a bitter storm
My soul hath felt, ev'n able to destroy,
Had the malicious and ill-meaning harm
         His swing and sway :
But still thy sweet originall joy
Sprung from thine eye, did work within my soul,
And surging griefs, when they grew bold, controll,
          And got the day.

Two sentences saying so much! I was tempted to include the final stanza but that's another two sentences - read the whole poem here. George Herbert's The Glance - from my edition 'The English Poems of George Herbert' ed. Patrides - our contemplative prayer group looked at Herbert's poetry last Sunday so I thought a read of this might be good. A culinary sugared influence for Shrove Tuesday.

Mutterings - Feb 10

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Massage :: Oil
2. Financial advice :: Suspect
3. Guide :: Girl
4. Packing :: Sent
5. Trombone :: 76
6. Water cooler :: Social
7. Delivery :: Chute
8. Smoke :: gets in your eyes
9. Cane :: Seat
10. Suitcase :: Set

Teaser Tuesday - Feb 5

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

The first expresses the spirit of martyrdom in itself, its basic attitude: a spirit of love which cannot be defeated by suffering or injustice. A very young priest who was imprisoned at the beginning of the Russian revolution, and came out a broken man, was asked what was left of him, and he answered: 'Nothing is left of me, they have burnt out every single thing, love only survives.'

From Anthony Bloom (Metropolitan Anthony)'s book Living Prayer - forgiveness in extremis, a very practical and down to earth volume. I've had this book for a long time and this is a much needed re-read.

Mutterings - Feb 3

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Baked :: Alaska
2. Excited :: Comments
3. Print :: Block
4. Obstruct :: Threaten
5. Bladder :: Full (or wrack!)
6. Matrimony :: celebrate
7. Car :: luggage
8. Reconstruct :: Replica
9. Lenses :: Strong
10. Best for last :: Anticipation