Role models, reading and libraries

Is it too late to have found a role model?

Approaching my delayed maturity, I think I have found a role model.  I have only just recently discovered her existence and her 1981 book "Social Studies".  

I just love the acerbic wit of 60-something Fran Lebowitz as interviewed and allowed to opinionate throughout Public Speaking with Martin Scorsese. (Yes, I fused a noun and an adjective to create a verb.  That's creative license for ya.)

How does one get that kind of gig, with writing a couple of best-sellers in the 1970s and 80s then make a living talking about reading and how one hasn't written anything for decades?  Can one do that after publishing a wonderful, bittersweet novel (that is yet to be discovered by thousands of readers) and blog one's tongue-in-cheek social commentary about once a month?  

 

Fran Lebowitz certainly has opinions about many things including libraries, authors and their talent (or lack of).  I share her respect for libraries and books.  I am though, almost afraid to ask if she would like to read my yet to be discovered novel. 

Quote mash:

To lose yourself in a book,

as a child the library was the world,

a book is supposed to take you away,

it is supposed to be a door, not a mirror.

To close with the role model reference, I think Florence T. Lyon would make a good Canadian version of Fran Lebowitz. She would be polite, a little shyer, a little more tongue-in-cheek than acerbic, and on the socially acceptable side... she doesn't smoke. To offset the latter, she would be willing to consume wine on a daily basis.  That's to help with the shyness.

All she needs now is a good agent. 

T 

On birthdays, aging and that "joie de vivre"

My birthday is coming up.   I hesitate to announce it since I don't like too much attention.

Considering my chronological age, I can confidently state that I still possess my original teeth, joints, fingernails, breasts and hair.  

I am though having difficulty discerning the difference between what is a hot flash and what is a reaction to recent weeks trapped in an unbearably sticky summer.


On the one hand, my front teeth seem too big, and my breasts seem too small. Heard this since adolescence...

On the other hand, the joints are relatively flexible and the hair is still a healthy, natural blonde mane sans des produits cosmétiques. 

On neither hand are bangles, rings, fake nails or polish.    

I wonder how women can function with fingernails longer than an eighth of an inch?  Is that hygienic or safe?  Is it even functional?  I'd be afraid of hurting myself or scratching a male companion.  Oh, right.  It's coming back to me...

And the colour - how the heck do you ensure the nail colour doesn't clash with your outfit choice each day?  I suppose one could make exceptions as an Olympic athlete - as long as it goes with the bronze, silver or gold! 

Who has the time or expendable income to frequently apply toxic substances and artificial colours.  Then there's the stuff you need to remove the polish a few weeks later. It is a rare occasion that I will apply a thin, clear layer after a quick trim and filing.  At least once it starts chipping, it's not as noticeable as with "cherry red" or "goth black".  The whole thing seems like a waste of resources and time - time I could spend reading or napping!

Speaking of artificial colour jobs: In the past two weeks five people have complimented or challenged the legitimacy of my natural blondness.  Why should it be so surprising that I don't colour or bleach my hair?  The only reality-altering liquid that comes out of a bottle in my petit apartment is wine and sometimes that just makes me giddy, sentimental or more apt to converse en Français.

Yep. Being a natural blonde has been a blessing and a curse for many years.  Poor me.  It has also been an assumed invitation for family and friends to send me copious emails containing dumb blonde jokes. Sigh.

Without seeming too vain, I hope that similar to my dear old Dad's, my hair will gradually change to platinum then morph into a mature silver-gray by the time I reach retirement age.  I also hope to inherit his folksy disposition, keep my mind and hands skillfully busy and continue to maintain a sense of awe.  

According to Psychology Today, if you want to know your true age, don't look at the calendar.  Don't do it!  Put it away.  (I have the same advice for bathroom scales.)   The article states there's a difference between your biological and psychological age.  I don't mind growing old, as long as happens gracefully.  Sometimes I just don't want to grow up. 

Again, I hesitate to announce MY UP-COMING BIRTHDAY  since family and friends may feel compelled to cover the cake with forty-some candles.  Considering that could be a fire hazard during our drought-like conditions, I advise them to use only one candle.  Tell them to make sure the CAKE contains CHOCOLATE.  A bottle of wine is optional.

- - - 

Goodness!  How I have rambled on.  Is that a sign of aging or an inane urge to share my deep blonde thoughts?  

Thanks for dropping by.  If you liked this blog entry, you can sample wine excerpts from my novel, The Year of the Rabbit.  

(Au sujet du Français, j'ai besoin de quelque gens qui peuvent m'aider traduire le roman en Français (gratuit) durant 2013 et peut être 2014.  C'est fou - ou un bon idée?)


T

Those childhood toys we keep

Regular readers know (hopefully) that I jest about my crazy cat lady tendencies.  I'm not there - yet.  The thought of being seen as a reclusive, eccentric writer kind of appeals to me though. 

  

The teddy bear in this photograph is of Winnie the Pooh Bear, my childhood comfort toy. Yes, I still have him - and only two cats.  He appears as Edgar in my novel, as a toy of consolation for young Sera Fletcher.  Drop by this blog entry to read about my publisher's Summer promotion. 

Thanks for visiting.  Leave a comment about your sentimental collection or share this post if you like it.

T

Transitions and wardrobe malfunctions

This deep blonde entry is for those who are also going through transitions, either personally or professionally. 

In addition to Middle Age, the following are a few more books I have been reading lately, addressing personal, artistic and professional transitions. 

While out and about town a few weeks ago, I visited a branch of the Ottawa Public Library I hadn't been to before.  Although they didn't have the exact books I was looking for, I picked up a few that were related. 

Transitions - Prayers and Declarations for a Changing Life by Julia Cameron

http://www.amazon.ca/Transitions-Julia-Cameron/dp/0874779952

"Julia Cameron shares beautiful prayers of empowerment followed by potent declarations and reflections on the nature of change and coping."

This book is the perfect size for reading while riding or waiting for a city bus.  In previous years, I have also read and attempted the 12 week program from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.  I really got a lot of benefit from the morning pages exercise. 

"The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life."

Selected quotes from Transitions:

• It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.  - Ursula K. Le Guin

• To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it. - Mother Teresa

• People need joy, quite as much as clothing.  Some of them need it far more. - Margaret Collier Graham

That last quote goes out to the other middle aged lady I encountered, running errands today in the 30 C plus heat.   Sweetheart, the next time you head out on a breezy, hot day in a light sun dress, please remember to wear panties.  Parking lot up-drafts can be embarrassing - for everyone!  I don't feel so silly now for wearing my big, floppy sun hat.

The next book is one that was interesting yet a little to tiring to read all the way through.  Yes, I skipped a few pages, looking for gems and interesting bits.

Light in the Dark Ages: The Friendship of Francis and Clare of Assisi by Jon M. Sweeney

http://www.amazon.com/Light-Dark-Ages-Friendship-Francis/dp/B002UXS33G

 
"The Middle Ages were not so very dark, as the old textbooks say. As you will discover in this intriguing portrait of the first Franciscans, we live in dark ages whenever we become preoccupied with power. In this popular history, Jon Sweeney reveals the timeless temptations that come with being human---greed, competition, ego, and selfishness---as well as the many ways that Francis and Clare of Assisi inspired change and brought light into darkness."
 

This book is also the perfect size for reading while riding or waiting for a bus. I wonder if Francis was a disenchanted youth and had daddy issues.  Perhaps his spiritual life in nature could be compared to the 1960's hippie commune movement.   Kudos to him for helping the lepers when not many others would.  I cannot understand his marriage to lady poverty and dislike for owning books - even religious ones.  He did not like to own things. 

I'm sure some of my family and friends thought my downsizing efforts a few years ago were a little extreme with my new-found minimalist desires.  I consider Francis' rule for not owning more than one garment a little severe and ... would be unhygienic by today's standards.  Maybe that lady in the parking lot had her other set of underwear in the laundry?  

Francis believed in only cooking enough food for the current day and saving none for the next.  He lived in the moment.  He obviously didn't have a family to cook for, to pack and freeze casseroles and containers for meals throughout the week.

Seriously, people need to work to survive and support their families using as many economical tactics and time management techniques as possible.  You have to be efficient and penny-wise to make it in this modern world.  In addition to volunteering, I see gainful employment as an important part of contributing to society.

My heart goes out to folks at RIM and the federal government who have recently learned that their jobs may be cut.  On that related note, the last book I will mention is called Promote Yourself, book focused on self marketing by Anita Caputo of the Big Picture Institute.  

Anita is also a public speaker and co-author of Learn to Bounce, a book that came out shortly after she and hundreds of others were laid off from Nortel.  I saw her speak at a professional development seminar a couple of weeks ago and was so impressed and inspired that I purchased a copy of Promote Yourself.  It's "a practical guide to marketing yourself without being too pushy or too shy!".  Being content and sufficiently challenged in my present employment, I mainly wanted to garner tips for promoting my nom de plume, Florence T Lyon. 

Thanks for reading this far.  I hope I spaced out my thoughts and paragraphs enough for a pleasant experience.  

I like reading.  I like reading paper books.  I'm sure you do too.  Do you also like to read books on your Sony, Kindle, iPad, Kobo or other electronic devices?  As a reward for your patience, permit me to offer you a discounted eBook copy of my novel, The Year of the Rabbit.  Drop by before July 31st though.

Thanks for visiting.  Relevant comments are welcome.  Please +1, like and share and remember:  Semper ubi sub ubi. 

T