Helen and Teacher

Helen and Teacher
The Story of my Life

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

In Six Months, Xmas will be Over and other Small Tragedies

Just my thoughts on how quickly time passes, and though it is warm with a cool breeze today, tomorrw will be icy and snowy. Trite but true. Also trite but true, waiting in the DMV is misery, especially when they made the mistake that hauled you in. I renewed and rejoiced my license by mail, and then never got the updated version. I had to go and wait anyway. "Welcome to the DMV," said the sign, not really. The manager I spoke to turned her back on me and walked away mid sentence. I can't blame them; the atmosphere is both sterile and chaotic, nothing relieves the tedium. No art, save a large straw flower wreath on the happier end dealing with stickers, ugly chairs, ugly colors, no real place to concentrate when taking the test; in short, tired, depressing surroundings with tired, depressed employees. At least it's over. Then I can return to the daily abuse. A quote: "e wo plants a tree plants a hope" by Luc Larcom, a gifted writer who had to work in a mill. If she could do it, I can. No need to feel so much like T. S. Eliot in the bank Another quote: "One touch of nautre makes the whole world kin." William Shakespeare. These make me feel a little better, but not much.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: We're Back!

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: We're Back!: I hardly know where to begin. I've fallen behind in my posts because I can't add new posts on my main computer. Very strange. I'm not s...

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Someone Splendid This Way Came: Rest in Peace Ray Bradbury

He died yesterday at 91; his books will live forever. How right he was with, or "write" with Farenheit 451; here we are with blue tooths and giant plasma TVs, with books disappearing, isolated in flesh and blood, but connected with our mechanical devices. We even have the Mechanical Hound, K=9 in Dr. Who, as little toys and Robopet for the rest of us. He isn't stalking us, yet. How we love The Halloween Tree, and the animated film which RB narrates, and it's more grown up, scary counter part, Something Wicked this way Comes, also borrowed from in Friday the 13th the Series. I wonder if Tim Burton ever saw HT. About 5ive years ago, I found RB's website, and I wanted to write him a note telling him how right he was about everything, but I got too shy. Maybe he'll know anyway. You have to wonder how Hugh Hefner feels, since he have a young writer a chance and Published F.451=in the first, Marylin issue of Playboy. May you rest in Peace, Mr. Bradbury, and thank you to Anne Rice for writing about your passing on Facebook.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The Secret Life of Objects

This book by Dawn Raffel reminds me of Anne Rice's Teh Wtiching hour because she talks about how simple objects can invoke feelings, or seem to have certain memories or powers. Quote from Readers Digest: "Her memoir reflecdts on everyday objects such as a cup, a ring .. or a vase...From tehse memories comes a whole life story." (168) This might be something for you to try if you are writing family memoirs. Find an object familiar to everyone, the Thanksgiving turkey platter, a certain mug, a favorite shirt, a bud vase, and jot down the memories surrounding it. See where else they lead you. Perhaps you can construct your own autobiography around a series of bojects you remember from your earliest memories or baby pictures to the present day.

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: The International Virginia Woolf Society

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: The International Virginia Woolf Society: The Internatio​nal Virginia Woolf Society Membership Inboxx Hall, Lynn halllj@muohio.edu 4:02 PM (24 minutes ago) to IVWSMEMBERS Dear...

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: Remarkable Creatures; Debt as Necessity

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: Remarkable Creatures; Debt as Necessity: This is a remarkable novel by the author of The Girl with the Pearl Earring. It is about the lives of Mary Anningand Elzabath Philpot, self...