NY Times interview Wendell Berry

From this NY Times interview , April 24, 2012 :

Wendell Berry: American Hero

In Washington this past Monday, Wendell delivered the 2012 Jefferson Lecture, the highest honor the federal government has for “distinguished intellectual achievement” in the humanities. He titled the talk “It All Turns on Affection.” 

( I must listen to that Lecture!)

from an essay..........

I just linked to this article called Means of Grace at Art House America. (Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth)


A friend of mine once said of Flannery O’Connor, “Writing is the way God gave her to experience His grace.” Since she first uttered this nonchalant, world-altering observation, I have not been able to get it out of my head. Writing itself is grace. What does that mean exactly? Is that true? Can it be? Surely scripture is a means of grace, prayer is a means of grace, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, wise counsel, teaching, devotional books — all of this feels familiar and plenty gracious. Yet when I think of poor, weary, peacock-loving Flannery  sitting out on her roasting-hot, ramshackle porch offering up sentence after sentence of worship with her pad and pencil, I, a stalwart non-weeper, could cry out of sheer delight. 

Of course it is true that writing was her grace. Why else would God set such love inside her? Inside us? Why else would I feel like in my moments of greatest love what I long for most deeply is to take out a part of my heart and set a little piece inside someone else so they can see and feel and taste and touch the wonder that I myself am seeing, feeling, tasting, and touching with such awe. And yet that is precisely what God has already done. He has taken His own deep loves and set them inside us — literally — so we can see as He sees and love as He loves, albeit imperfectly. 


This kind of grace changes the way I live.

Don't you love this last sentence.
Kate also has an essay on BOOKS.

Over the past several weeks I have become introspective on this point: Why am I so wholly loyal, wholly devoted to books? Not simply to the act of reading but to actual, tangible, physical books? 

Next books in class

Book Club Tea: Schaeffer

Book Club ladies  are celebrating Francis Schaeffer's Centennial with discussion  of his  short book  on The Mark of a Christian today  and  a tea. 

We skype in a dear friend who is in Austria ( with Wycliffe Bible Translators) so the workings of the TIME with the 6 hour time difference is sometimes very hard. This tea is no different! 

I am making cucumber sandwiches and egg salad. Eggs are from a policeman who works with my son and raises hens. 
Bread is from Trader Joe's and Great Harvest Bread. Strawberries in the cucumber sandwiches  are from our trip to the mts. Not sure if there is mint growing in my garden so I may have to tweak that. I do have lemon balm from my sister's garden that I recently planted. Mint grows and grows but I don't think it has come back yet. 


        "...Hallo!  Why all these cups?  Why cucumber sandwiches?  Why such  reckless                 extravagance in one so young?"

-Jack, from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest

It will be a yummy afternoon. 

A page turner

I haven't been able to put this book down.
I read until my eyes close. Literally.
it is well written . Got the title from Melissa who got it from someone else. Blogging friends who love to read!

Halfway through so don't tell me how it ends.
Yes, Downtown Abbey like.  

The Dorset author's blog is here. 
 

Word.A.Day

Today's Word.A. Day had a great Thought for the Day that made
me chuckle from  this naturalist:

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

What is the purpose of the giant sequoia tree? The purpose of the giant sequoia tree is to provide shade for the tiny titmouse. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)

After a weekend in the mountains

Gorgeous time up in the NC mountains visiting the 
June wedding venues, celebrating the groom's 23rd birthday, and his new job! I am back to work towards the end of the 
school year:

                                   Banner Elk Presbyterian Church

               Taylor House Inn where the reception will be on the grounds. We stayed here. .                     Owned by a lovely European couple. Guess what was on the walls?

                                  Original art by her grandmother and daughter.

                                                                The Real Work

It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,

and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.

The mind that is not baffled is not employed.

The impeded stream is the one that sings.

~ Wendell Berry ~

(Collected Poems)

                          We could hear the mountain stream which is 

                                     alongside the road. It was singing Saturday 

                                                       morning.