I did not plan on being ‘absent’ on Monday… but the news out of Ukraine put a damper on my planned post for the day. For me, it seemed that sharing something in light of the news out of Bucha just seemed… wrong. And while it does not seem any better to share such trivial things as making and reading today… here I am.
The making this week has sort of been over-taken by the news and my “escape reality reading.” I am only listening to one book… and so I managed… at least… to get through the lace work on my Summer Tegna. Evening socks have been slow going, but I think I have a plan in my mind’s eye that I think will be interesting. Onward to the heel turn we go!
Some weeks are for reading finishes and some weeks are for reading-in-progress and this week is all about that! I only have one finish… though it was lovely. However, in the ‘reading in progress‘ list… there are so many amazing books. Books so good I want to prolong the reading of them…. and luckily there are some very lengthy books! So there is lots of time to enjoy them. Imagine my surprise when I was contemplating having to return The Books of Jacob on Friday…and I am only half way through… only to find somehow, miraculously, was automatically renewed for another 21 days. The Library Gods are so good! I am dividing my day into three time frames… mornings with Cutting for Stone, afternoons with The Books of Jacob, and night-time reading of a lighter variety… I started Chouette… a very curious tale indeed!
But my finish for the week was a lovely eye-opener… and one I recommend if you are like nature, or want to be a better ally. This one checks both boxes… in the most beautiful way.
The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Never before did I ever think about racism being a deterrent to appreciating nature. Thank you, Drew Lanham for showing me the foolish errors of my ways. And as I read this book… and eased into Lanham’s love of nature… I realized that what is an activity that is not harmful to me… is not that for everyone.
There are preconceived notions – of where I should go, of what I should do, and even of who I should do it with – of who I am supposed to be as a black man. But my choice of career and my passion for wildness means that I will forever be the odd bird, the raven in a horde of white doves, the blackbird in a flock of snow buntings.
And yet… Lanham shares some of the most beautiful things I have ever read about nature… and especially about birds.
If you want to see things from a new perspective, this book is an excellent place to start.
And that is all I have for today. What about you… what is helping you be distracted this week?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that you’re savoring so many good books right now. What a wonderful place to be in!! There’s nothing better than being in the middle of a good book that you don’t want to end. I can’t wait to read more about them in the coming weeks.
Your pile of knitting looks so lovely. I just want to dive into it! I can’t wait to see more of your summer Tegna. I’m trying to embrace more summer-friendly knits this year and am planning a Cloudesley.
And I hear you about the news in Ukraine. It is so difficult to follow and yet: I know we must. It feels like all of my beloved WWII novels have come alive and it’s terrifying and so upsetting. I’m thankful that so many of us have knitting and similar pursuits to bring us a little comfort while we bear witness. I was looking for your post on Monday and considered that you were feeling the weight of the news. I’ll be thinking of you this week.
I have been more in a reading mood than a knitting mood. I try not to do both at the same time because multitasking increases anxiety (supposedly). However, I managed to finish a cowl!
I wonder how soldiers can commit such atrocities upon fellow human beings, and yet every war has horrific things. The best we can do is continue to donate and find hope somewhere. Despite the war, your socks are still lovely, Tegna is beautiful, and then there is the miracle of the Library Renewal! For my own distraction, I am messing up cables, listening to Young Mungo, and Paul Simon. (Paul Simon may provide a small amount of distraction and hope and I highly recommend Miracle and Wonder.)
It is so hard to find life-balance these days . . . I second Bonny’s suggestion: listen to Miracle and Wonder for a nice change of pace! XO
Life Balance really is difficult these days. And it is difficult not to get sucked into feeling just plain awful all the time. There are weeks where one just cannot knit as much as one would like…or read as much as one would like. But, I’m glad you have things to bring you comfort. Home Place looks good! Did you know that Lanham has another book (prose and poetry!) called “Sparrow Envy?” https://www.amazon.com/Sparrow-Envy-Field-Lesser-Beasts/dp/1938235819/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2TVHAASLF1H2H&keywords=drew+lanham&qid=1649250246&sprefix=drew+lanham%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-2
I find it very hard to cope with the news at the moment. At a time when the world just wanted normality this wickedness happens. I have helped in the only way I am able at the moment and sent money to the Red Cross.
Reading helps doesn’t it. Your book sounds interesting. Various organisations such as the National Trust etc in the UK have become aware of the poor diversity of visitors. They try to depict a diverse group of people in their literature but it doesn’t seem to work.
Love your red yarn, gorgeous rich colour.
I understand the grief and the horror; frankly, I’ve been watching less news recently because it’s just so hard to take. But the world is paying attention, and that has to lead to something.
I have just started The Books of Jacob and am trying to read as much as possible every day because I’m pretty sure I’ll need the entire lending period from the library — how lucky you are to get an extension!
The news is absolutely heartbreaking. I try to hold on to some HOPE and send more money, which is really all I can do.
I agree, the news from Ukraine is very depressing and extremely sad. Interesting to see you are reading Cutting for Stone. We loved that so much and read two more of Verghese’s books: The Tennis Partner and My Own Country. I just finished The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, but think it’s a sad story with a good ending.
Home Place brings to mind Christian Cooper and ‘Central Park Karen’. Days after that, I was on a hike here in Colorado when a group of 4 young Black men asked me to take their picture on the trail. I remember thinking how grateful I was that they asked me…that they hadn’t made assumptions about me…and I wondered how they knew…wondered what it was like for them to ask me in the first place. (And, cripes, what did it say about me that I was overthinking it all to such an extent?)
I think it’s absolutely okay to continue sharing our lives, our hope, our wonder at the world and yes, even our making and reading, in spit of the atrocities throughout the world. These are the things that make us human and give us the ability to feel compassion for others.
How human beings can treat others in such ways is hard to understand. A little boy and his mother walking around tables of pansies restored my spirit for a few minutes. The sock yarn looks manly and sturdy for Steve’s socks. I heard Drew Lanham interviewed on On Being and thought him remarkable. Thanks for reminding me about his book.