So, February’s finally winding down. Nothing personal, Feb. But What took ya so long?
Of course, this year we have one more day of February, the 29th.
Oh, joy.
Well. Let’s see the glass half-full instead of half-empty, shall we? Like. How can we celebrate Leap Day?
Penguin Random House, 2019
By Diane Les Becquets
The hair-rising Prologue starts with murder “Victim #1.” There are four victims in all. Four young women. All with an independent streak. All with trusting natures. All dead in or near the Stillwater Forest, apparently by the same psycho serial killer.
In his novel, A River Runs Through It, author Norman Maclean struggles to make sense of what happened to his family in the early 20th century and why. Set in rural Montana, this hauntingly evocative novel was made into a major motion picture in 1992. It’s directed by Robert Redford.
Lynda Cohen Loigman’s The Wartime Sisters echoes themes from A River Runs Through It. Especially the final scene featuring Tom Skerritt as Norman’s pastor father. The last message we hear Rev. Maclean deliver is called We Can Love Completely:
Ever notice how blogging can be like whistling in the wind? Swirling around in a raging storm? Just about the time you think you have a handle on your topic or audience, a huge cloudburst of doubt or writer’s block rolls in. Soaks you to the skin. And you’re not sure which end is up.
That’s kind of what rural life on the Olympic Peninsula is like. Yep, it’s green. Outdoor opportunities abound. But the lush landscape, soaring evergreens, and feral beauty of western Washington come with a price: Rain. Lots of it.
In fact, in the largest temperate rain forest in the world, we measure rain in feet, not inches. Locals joke that the four seasons are:
Only tourists argue with that. Because by this time of year we’re starting to feel like Noah. Sunshine seems like a distant memory.
What’s a blogger and writer to do besides sprout gills and webbed feet, especially when hitting a writer’s block wall? Well, I dive in to an old favorite: Under the Tuscan Sun.
Under the Tuscan Sun seems incongruous. But a favorite is a favorite, regardless of weather:
Because Under the Tuscan Sun is the kind of tome you tuck into a summer picnic basket. Or wrap yourself around during one of the wettest PNW winters on record.
Diving into Tuscan Sun, I’m soon adrift in a sea of Italian terra cotta, palazzi, gelato, and padrones. Sun-soaked vineyards and Chianti.
I envy Frances Mayes and her villa’s fireplace, large enough to sit in. “I think most Italians have a longer sense of time than we do,” she writes. “What’s the hurry? Once up, a building will stand a long, long time, perhaps a thousand years. Two weeks, two months, big deal.”
A severe storm? Two hours, two days, two weeks, big deal.
I can’t quite wrap my head around that.
The wind howls like a banshee. Frogg-Toggged, I take Kimber the pup out, snatching a few minutes from the elements. Frances and Ed Mayes try to decide on what to renovate/upgrade first – the leaky roof or central heating.
By nightfall passing cars have switched their windshield wipers off. Somber prognostications of Stormaggedon seem far-fetched. Even if the wind is tossing buckets of rain from gray-cement skies.
Does your keyboard ever look like gray-cement? Is dredging up new blogging inspiration like trying to recover the Titanic?
When this happens – and it always does, sooner or later – take a blogging vacation. If you can’t swing a change in scenery physically, take a mental vacation. Stop trying so hard. Take a break from writing and disconnect:
A “rested” mind is a more creative mind. Some of my best ideas and creative bursts arrive after I’ve turned off the computer and gone “on vacation.”
How long should your writing vacation last? That’s up to you. But running on fumes isn’t doing you or your readers any favors. When you start feeling like writing is fun rather than a chore, or something to check off your To Do List, you’re on the right track.
Suddenly it’s Monday. The storm has passed, subsiding to a soggy threat.
Kimber chomps her breakfast. The Etruscan wall necklacing Frances’ villa is rebuilt. The weed-choked cistern cleaned. The roof fixed. Aging interior polished to its former patina and newly planted herb gardens blooming, Frances’ restored villa gleams in the Tuscan sun.
Blue and gray, overhead skies here clash like troops at Gettysburg. But the worst, it seems, is over. The sun is elbowing flannel-gray clouds out of the way. Wait! Is that a patch of blue?
Well. I’ll be ‘et fer a tater if I don’t sense some writing inspiration on this rise…
How do to kick writer’s block to the curb?
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy
By Tui T. Sutherland
You know that “We who are about to die salute you” gladiator scene in Spartacus? Where Kirk Douglas is forced to duke it out to the death with another gladiator? Add some scales, talons, and wings. Stir in five dragonets who are the only hope for peace between endlessly warring dragon tribes. And you’ve got the gist of Tui T. Sutherland’s Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy. It’s Book 1 of a 12-book fantasy novel series set in the mythical land of Pyrrhia.
A war has been raging between the dragon tribes of Pyrrhia for years. MudWing dragonet Clay and four other dragonets have lived their entire lives – six years – under a mountain. Purloined from their homes as eggs, the quintet has been hidden from the rest of the world until they’re ready to fulfill their destiny. According to a mysterious Prophecy, five dragonets will end the bloodshed and choose a new queen.
Or will they?
When Clay and his spunky buddy, Tsunami, make a daring escape and return to rescue the others from their subterranean existence, everything kind of goes sideways. Inches from freedom, plucky Clay and his friend are captured by the deadly SkyWing dragon queen, Scarlet. She forces her prisoners into to-the-death gladiator battles reminiscent of Spartacus. (See? I told you so.)
Queen Scarlet’s champion is an undefeated SkyWing named Peril. She responds to Clay’s kindness. But is Peril friend or foe? And who will become queen?
A rapier wit and subtle humor enliven this delicious fantasy tale. Sutherland’s world-building is also first-rate. You can almost hear fire sizzle, smell the musty earth and feel the waves of an icy river and waterfall lap at the pages.
The plot picks up speed quickly as “huge, handsome idiot” Clay and his pals battle to escape Queen Scarlet’s evil clutches and search for their own families while trying to unravel their intertwined destinies. A fun read for older elementary or middle schoolers or anyone who enjoys exploring fantasy worlds, dry humor and traipsing in and out of dragon lairs.
Along the way we learn that old scrolls and dusty lectures can come in handy. Eating black rocks from the Diamond Sky River turns out not to be such a great idea. Peril and the Champion Shield uncover a secret.
You should also know that there’s more than one kind of dragon in Pyrrhia. The different dragon tribes are: SandWings, MudWings, IceWings, RainWings, and NightWings. And not every dragon breathes fire.
One other thing: Mud isn’t just for squishing in.
One other, other thing. And this is kind of important. Not every dragon wants the Great War to end. Like Burn. And what’s up with Morrowseer? I’d also keep an eye on Blister, ‘fize you.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Is this unlikely band of rag-tag dragonets really destined to fulfill a mighty Prophecy, or are they just being lured out into the open where evil stalks their every move and treachery awaits…?
Oh, the dragonets are coming
They’re coming to save the day…
3.0
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In case you’ve been in a cave or a coma lately, the Super Bowl is just around the corner. But some of us (who shall remain nameless) don’t watch the Super Bowl for football. We tune in for the commercials.
Indeed, Super Bowl broadcasts have showcased some of the most memorable television commercials of all time. So with Game Day waiting in the wings, we got to thinking about memorable TV commercials.
Now, “memorable” is highly subjective. A commercial doesn’t necessarily have to be any good to be “memorable.” It may be silly. Hokey. Or just plain ridiculous. It could be so bad, you can’t get it out of your head. It may also be so poignant and powerful, you can’t forget it.
So Kimber and I put our heads together the other day and came up with our own highly subjective, 100% unscientific list of the 12 Most Memorable TV Commercials Ever.
Not all of these commercials aired during a Super Bowl game. But can you name the ones that did? In no particular order:
1. The 9//11 Tribute (Budweiser, 2011)
When it comes to memorable ads, Budweiser is in a class by itselff.
The 9/11 tribute ad only aired once, during the 2011 Super Bowl. But once was enough.
Ten years after the tragedy, this ad features the famous Budweiser Clydesdales clip-clopping across the Brooklyn Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty, then bowing before the New York cityscape. Then “We’ll never forget” appears across the screen.
The ad airs without a single word of dialogue. It doesn’t need any.
One of the most poignant, powerful commercials ever.
2. I Can’t Believe I Ate That Whole Thing (Alka Seltzer, 1972)
In this ad, Ralph is seated on the edge of his bed, moaning about an upset stomach after over-eating. He doesn’t get much sympathy from his wife, who tells him to take some Alka-Seltzer.
The ad won a Clio Award (the television commercial equivalent of an Oscar) in 1972. The line, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing,” was selected by Newsweek magazine as one of the ten best quotes of the decade.
3. The Mayhem Guy – St. Bernard Puppy (Allstate, 2019)
In this commercial, a 70-pound St. Bernard puppy with a “lack of impulse control” meets its match in Tina Fey. “Get Allstate. Where good drivers save 40% for avoiding mayhem – like me.”
The Mayhem Guy has made a career out of these commercials. Which is your favorite?
4. Aqua Velva Man featuring Pete Rose – (Aqua Velva, 1976)
Pete Rose sings in this cheesy Aqua Velva commercial from 1976. Because there’s just something about an Aqua Velva man.
5. The Most Interesting Man in the World (Dos Equis, 2010)
His mother has a tattoo that reads “Son.” I don’t always drink beer. But when I do, I prefer Dos Equis. Stay thirsty, my friends.
Wait. Did I say the Pete Rose ad was cheesy?
6. 241 Years of Battles Won (U.S. Marine Corps, 2017)
For a place. For a people. For an idea…. It’s what we do. It’s who we are….
This may be the best recruiting commercial ever.
Interesting. Well-seasoned. Provocative. The only question is: Are you grown up enough for Granny Goose?
Love it or hate it, this was one memorable ad. Totally un-PC.
One of the most famous Coca Cola commercials ever. Have a Coke and a smile.
9. Times of Your Life Christmas commercial featuring Paul Anka (Kodak, 1976)
Remember Paul Anka?
Good morning, yesterday. You wake up and time has slipped away. Do you remember? The laughter and the tears? The shadow of misty yester-years? (Bet you can’t stop humming that…)
Nostalgia meets Kodak in this beautiful holiday commercial.
Kodak film. For the times of your life. They nailed it!
10.I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (Coca Cola, 1971)
Who can forget this one? “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” is a pop song which originated as an advertising jingle. It’s sung by the Hillside Singers in this 1971 TV commercial.
It’s the real thing…
11.Another Angel Gets Its Wings (Target, 1993)
Scenes from the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life intersplice this music video from the 1993 Christmas song, Another Angel Gets Its Wings. By Vince Gill and Trisha Yearwood.
The video appeared at the beginning of the Target Exclusive VHS copy of It’s A Wonderful Life. If customers bought a Christmas album by either Gill or Yearwood at Target, a free cassette single of this tune was included.
Remember, for each and every bell that rings, another angel gets its wings. So share you care…
Everybody sing!
12.Puppy Love (Budweiser, 2014)
An adorable puppy + a majestic Clydesdale + the bonds of friendship = best buds and a cuteness overload!
Budweiser knocks it out of the park again with this Super Bowl ad from 2014.
Will you be watching this year’s Super Bowl game for the football, the commercials, or a little bit of both?
There’s this football thingy going on this Sunday. Apparently it’s a BIG football thingy. Dad’s working on “game day food.” I’m not sure what that means. But if “Game Day” makes the kitchen smell this good, then we should do Game Day every day.
Here are five of Dad’s and my favorite snacks and recipes for Super Bowl Sunday. (I don’t really care who’s playing. As long as I get bacon.)
CRANBERRY COCKTAIL MEATBALLS
(Makes 2 dozen cocktail-sized meatballs)
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Meatballs
2 lbs. ground beef round
1 cup packed cornflake crumbs
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cup catsup
½ cup finely minced onion
Sauce
I can ( 16 oz.) jellied cranberry sauce
1 bottle (12 oz.) chile sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Mix meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Form into walnut-sized balls. Place in a large square baking pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan mix together the sauce ingredients; Stir and simmer until the cranberry sauce melts. Pour over the meatballs and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes.
Adapted from Four Midwestern Sisters’ Christmas Book, 1991.
MOM’S SLOPPY JOES
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1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 lb. frankfurters, sliced
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
In a skillet, lightly cook beef, onion and green pepper. Drain fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve open-faced on kaiser or sour dough rolls, or hamburger style.
CHUNKY CHICKEN CHILI
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup mild salsa
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
3 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Spray large nonstick saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium high heat until hot. Add chicken, onions, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink.
Stir in salsa, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder and cumin.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garbanzo beans and bell pepper. Simmer until thoroughly heated. 6 (1.5 cups) servings.
Adapted from Classic Pillsbury Cookbooks, Heart Healthy Recipes
CREAMY ONION DIP
1.5 cups dairy sour cream
2 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix
½ cup crumbled blue cheese (2 oz.)
Assorted vegetable dippers (celery, carrots, cauliflower or broccoli florets, bell pepper, baby carrots, radishes, cherry tomatoes, etc.)
In a medium bowl stir together sour cream and dry onion soup mix. Stir in blue cheese. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours. If desired, sprinkle with snipped parsley just before serving. Serve with veggie dippers. Makes 1.75 cups.
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Best Loved Recipes 2006
SAUSAGE-CHEESE BALLS
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1 lb. bulk hot sausage, browned and cooled
1 lb. sharp cheddar, grated
3 cups Bisquick
¾ cup water
Combine, shape into 1-inch balls. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes, at 350 degrees. Reheats well. Freeze separate, then put into bags. Makes 80 -100.
Adapted from Seasoned with Love: A Book of Favorite Recipes compiled by the Joint Heirs Sunday school class of Whittier Hills Baptist Church, April 1984.
Mom’s contribution:
Not being a football fan, there’s just one “football book” I can recommend for today: I Am Third, by Gale Sayers.
Movies featuring football worth seeing again and again? The Blind Side and Facing the Giants. Two thumbs up for both!
What would you add?
TTFN!
Mom and Kimber
(And Dad, too)
“I’m outta blogging gas” says Mom the other day. She rolls her eyes. Sighs.
Why does Mom do this? I don’t know. Maybe she needs me to lick her face?
Mom says she’s tired of trying to come up with interesting, original blog posts. “I think I’m about book-blogged-out.”
Ever feel that way? Like, if you write one more book review, you’re going to have to chase the neighbor’s cat? Or wear one of those stupid doggie sweaters?
Well. You know me. How I like to help. I’m a helper, see? To start the new year off right, I came up with 33 Rocking Post Ideas For Your Book Blog That’ll Keep Your Readers Reading!
Pretty good, huh? Here they are:
1. Top book club picks
This depends on the kind of book club. Dickens’s Bleak House or Austen’s Sense and Sensibility may not do so hot in a science fiction book club. But you can blog about titles you’d like to read with your club this year and why.
2. Seasonal or holiday books
Not just Christmas-themed stories! How ‘bout Valentine’s Day? President’s Day or Independence Day? The first day of spring? Don’t forget my favorite, National Dog Day!
3. Author lists
Great idea for highlighting prolific authors like Gary Paulsen. Richard Paul Evans. Will Hobbs. Or Mom. Readers don’t always know about other books a good author has written. Share!
Best outdoors books? Love stories? Science fiction? Mystery or dystopian? Make a list and check it twice. Then blog about it.
There’s quite a debate about this in the book community. What say you? Why?
You’ve been invited to a one-on-one lunch with the head librarian. What do you want to tell him or her? Should the library be open longer? Hire more staff? Increase its collection? What electronic resources would you like to see available? What special programs would you like to see for children, young adults, adults or seniors? Blog it!
Ohhh boy! Plenty of blogging fodder here!
Think Easy. Picture Books. Or the Juvenile Section of your library. Share your childhood faves and your kids’s faves.
Related to the above. Not every read-to-myself book makes for a good read aloud. What titles can you recommend that will have the kiddos asking for “one more chapter”?
List the _______ book titles you’ve ever seen. *Most clever? Most intriguing or surprising? Catchiest? Longest? Shortest? Dumbest? Most obscure or off-target? Blog away!
What books can you recommend that were so compelling and engaging, you couldn’t put them down until The End?
Which books could you not live without, and why?
Food and books go together like peanut butter and jelly. Wine and cheese. Chocolate and more chocolate. Share a recipe of two that ties into your latest book review.
Clock’s running!
How long does it take you to make a decision as to whether or not you’ll continue reading a book? A few chapters? 100 pages? The end of the first paragraph? Tell us and explain why.
15. What’s on Your TBR List?
We’re book lovers and writers. We usually have piles of To Be Read books. Share what’s in yours.
16. Create a Bookish Award
Did you discover an under-rated but excellent read? Give it some love by creating an award! What about a new book blog that rocked your socks off? Or a new author who catapulted to the top of your Favorites list?
17. Biggest Book Turn-Offs
There are no right or wrong answers here. So rant away!
18. 5 Literary Characters I’d Die To Have Lunch With
As long as they’re not serving oysters. Ugh!
19. Favorite Author Birthdays
Make a list of some fave authors. Do a bit of biographical research. Find out their birthday. Sprinkle in a few “Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss” or “Happy Birthday Laura Ingalls Wilder” posts in this year’s calendar. Be sure to highlight favorites by these authors.
20. Books Every Teenager Should Read (or skip)
To the horror of high school English teachers everywhere, my list would start with two mega duds: Catcher in the Rye and The Sound and the Fury. It can only get better from there.
21. A Book That Surprised Me
You thought it was going to be about A, but it turned out being about B. Good or bad? Recommend or pass?
22. Most Inspiring Books I’ve Read in the Last 12 Months
What books touched you in a powerful or poignant way, and why?
23. Pros & Cons of Book Clubs
Some readers swear by book clubs. Others detest them. What do you think?
24. 10 Books I Bought or Read Just For Their Covers (C’mon. ‘Fess up. We all do it!)
25. The Worst (or funniest) Book Typos Ever?
Ay! Yi! Yi! This requires a sharp eye and a keen wit. But you can do it!
26. Glitz or Glum? Do Book Awards Mean Anything Anymore?
Have you ever chosen a book based on “Best Seller” status? Or do you just ignore it? What about other literary awards? Meaningless or helpful?
27. A Book Series I Didn’t Want to End
Chronicles of Narnia? The Hunger Games? The Wizard of Oz? Little House books?
28. Bookish Gifts I’d Like to Give or Receive
Okay, so a hot new title, a steaming mug of cocoa and a snuggly blanket top this list. But think outside the box. What bookish gift would bring a smile to your face?
29. A Field Trip to My Library
Think of this as a virtual “show and tell.” Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!
30. Write a How-To Post
The blogosphere loves how-to posts. Whip up a reading and writing related posts. Tips: How to Overcome Writer’s Block. How to Read More in 10 Easy Steps! How to Get the Most out of Your Next Library Visit.
31. Share Your Version of The Perfect Reading Room (even if you have to make one up)
What would you include in this room? Book shelves? A fridge? Floor-to-ceiling windows? A fireplace? A lock and key? Would it overlook a lake? Be a snug log cabin perched on a mountain peak, or a fancy French chateau with an inexhaustible wine cellar?
Books can surprise us. Sometimes they just need a chance.
32. 10 of My Favorite Literary Hero(in)es & Villains!
Lord Voldemort? Iago? Captain Hook? How about Elizabeth Bennet? Martin Chuzzlewit? Katniss Everdeen? Blog it!
Ever dive into a “5 star review” book and wonder, “What were they thinking?! This is awful”? Make a list.
There! See? A whole bunch of post ideas to rock your book blog and start the new year off right!
Wait. Do I smell bacon?
XO,
Kimber
The Porpoise
By Mark Haddon
Doubleday, 2019
If you don’t have anything better to do – like watch paint peel – check out a Catcher in the Rye Meets Flipper & Faulkner Wannbee. It’s called The Porpoise.
The sole survivor of a plane crash that killed her mother, Angelica is raised by her insanely rich, overprotective father, Philippe. More of a nutcase with “issues” than he a grieving widower, the guy’s a first class Creepazoid.
Angelica grows up in about 40 pages. Rumors swirl around the isolated daughter of breathtaking beauty. When a potential suitor, Darius, arrives, he guesses more than he should. He winds up hightailing it out of Daddy’s swank digs fast, with an assassin on his tail. Darius runs for his life aboard a boat, The Porpoise.
“Darius”? Seriously?
Says one breathless reviewer: “And then, over several extraordinary pages, he sails out of contemporary Britain and into ancient mythology, shedding his old self and becoming Pericles in the process.”
Great. A modern-day Don Juan wannbee who thinks he’s Pericles fleeing an abusive dad while trying to navigate into a Greek legend.
Yep. It’s that bad. A fact that does not go unnoticed by the Encyclopedia Britannica:
Pericles, play in five acts by William Shakespeare, written about 1606–08 and published in a quarto edition in 1609, a defective and at times nearly unintelligible text that shows signs of having been memorially reconstructed. …The play was based on the Classical tale of Apollonius of Tyre.
“Defective” and “nearly unintelligible text” is right.
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The Porpoise is supposedly based on Shakespeare’s play which is based on the legend of Apollonius. The brittle, overwrought and often unintelligible Porpoise also seems to be in the running for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Part II. As do George Wilkins’s clogged arteries.
It’s almost as if the author is so desperate to impress, he dumps every literary dust mote ever dashed onto papyrus and swashes them onto the page in one fell swoop. (If I want Shakespeare I’ll get the original, thank you very much.)
Then it’s back to Angelica, silent again. Oh, and she stops eating, too. By this time, however, she’s pretty much a footnote to a story that lurches onward focusing on Darius/Pericles.
Land, ho! Naw. Just kiddin’.
Anchor-less, the author can’t seem to decide who his protagonist is or which end is up. So he just wanders around aimlessly, spilling out endlessly descriptive passages like bread crumbs to voracious sea gulls for no discernible reason. Cuz lemme tell ya, baby. That habit neither propels nor rescues the stilted and largely incoherent story that’s already limping along on legs as wobbly as a newborn colt’s.
Pexels Stock Photo
The result is a prattling, incoherent sop that makes Benjy Compson look eloquent. (To the horror of high school English teachers everywhere, I’m not a big Faulkner fan. But Porpoise isn’t even a good knock-off of Faulkner or The Bard. That’s why I’m not linking to it. On porpoise. That’s not a typo.)
Sure, the back cover is peppered with effusive praise. But so was Proust.
With a hopelessly obtuse plot that just tries too hard, this load of horse hooey ranks right up there with a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Indeed, it’s been years since I slogged through a book this bad. Don’t waste your time. I already did. With apologies to Flipper.
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How much time do you spend on social media each day? Updating your status? Tweeting? Posting photos to Instagram? Trying to come up with catchy captions? Researching hashtags? Liking? Commenting?
We tell ourselves we’re connecting. Staying current. Keeping up with friends and family.
Maybe. But at what price?
I opened an Instagram account in 2017. It’s been fun. But two years later, I started feeling like something was missing. It started feeling shallow. Artificial. Like a chore.
The last few times I’ve been to a restaurant I’ve been struck by the number of diners who’re buried in their phones. A real live flesh-and-blood person is sitting right across the table from them. And they’re ignoring them. Choosing to dive into – or hide? – in their phones instead of engaging with the person who’s literally right in front of their face.
What’s up with that?
It’s like we don’t have time to grow strong in soul or spirit anymore. We’re buried under a deluge of instant facts, commentary, tweets, news, or the latest global crisis.
After pouring countless hours into Instagram and other SM venues last year, I sat back for a minute. Took a deep breath. And asked:
“What am I accomplishing with this? Where is this going? What’s the end game here?”
Followed by: “Whatever happened to stillness and solitude? To quieting my soul long enough to hear that still, small Voice? And find direction, healing, and grace?”
One thing I’ve learned about the Lord over the years is that He doesn’t shout. He waits for me to be quiet long enough to hear His whisper. He doesn’t compete with noise. He waits for me to still the internal chatter so He can “get a word in edgewise.”
I had to decide. Do I want to pursue solitude and untangle my soul with Him, or chase Likes and Comments and Followers, et.al.?
In his forthcoming book, Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad, long-time favorite author John Eldredge puts it this way:
The ongoing deluge of intriguing facts and commentary, scandal and crisis, genuinely important guidance combined with the latest insider news from across the globe and our friends’ personal lives, gives the soul a medicated feeling of awareness, connection, and meaning. Really, it’s the new Tower of Babel—the immediate access to every form of “knowledge” and “groundbreaking” information right there on our phones, every waking moment. It confuses the soul into a state of artificial meaning and purpose, all the while preventing genuine soul care and life with God. Who has time to read a book? Plant a garden?
I made a decision in December 2019. I decided to dial back on social media. Way back. Eldredge sums it up like this:
“… what has become the normal daily consumption of input is numbing the soul with artificial meaning and purpose while in fact the soul grows thinner and thinner through neglect, forced by the very madness that passes for a progressive life. We are literally being forced into the ‘shallows’ of our life.”
Did you get that? “We are literally being forced in to the ‘shallows’ of our life.” As John puts it, it’s:
“the new Tower of Babel—the immediate access to every form of “knowledge” and “groundbreaking” information right there on our phones, every waking moment. It confuses the soul into a state of artificial meaning and purpose, all the while preventing genuine soul care and life with God.”
I don’t know about you. But I don’t want splash around in the shallows. I want to dive into deep water. Have time to read a book. Plant a garden. Hike. Walk the dog. Splash in rain puddles. Throw snowballs. Picnic. Go out to lunch with a friend. Watch a sunset.
Get some breathing room in my life.
Time for a deeper dive?
Before I read John Eldredge’s perceptive insight, I completed an assessment related to social media. And how much time it gobbled every day. Tangled up my soul. Created needless internal noise and tumult.
I have a choice. I can choose to reduce my media and SM intake so I can practice stillness every day.
So I dumped my Twitter account. Left a bunch of Facebook groups. Deleted apps. Turned off my phone. Reduced the number of blogs I administrate from 6 blogs to 3. Told my Instagram followers I’ll be on IG hiatus for January and possibly February, too. Maybe longer.
Why? Because I don’t want to do the Towel of Babel anymore.
Because I want to focus more on and enlarge the quiet spaces of my soul instead of filling them with constant, incessant noise.
Because I want to return to my twin passions: Writing and Reading. Books. And blogging about same.
Back to basics.
So thank you to every one who’s taken the time to affirm that decision. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. Thank you also to my new blog followers. I hope you find this little corner of the blogosphere helpful and interesting. And of course, I’m always open to your ideas for worthwhile content.
Here’s to a Babel-less 2020!
Who’s with me?
Pages & Paws 