On a dazzling fall scene
from James at Points of Light
On the perfectly elegant coffee car
from Peter at stockholm by pixels
September 27, 2009
September 26, 2009
Good film (Italian) – Days and Clouds
Posted by Suz under Family, Movies, Relationship, Work[3] Comments
Bread and Tulips (Pane e tulipani) is an enjoyable Italian film (2000) by Silvio Soldini about an Italian marriage. I just discovered his film Days and Clouds (Giorni e nuvole) made in 2007 that looks at an Italian marriage a little more realistically. The husband of this affluent couple loses his job and it places quite a strain on their life. This film brings to light a number of the challenges facing many families today. It is, like Bread and Tulips, a tender look at human relationships, family, and social connection, but through the lens of economic hardship. I highly recommend it.
September 23, 2009
I am testing a recipe for chocolate mousse (or mousse au chocolat) for a French dinner evening inspired by the film “Julie & Julia.”
The ingredients are simple enough. It is the whisking, heating, sieving, and folding that are challenging! And who would have guessed I would need five bowls, three pans, three spatulas, and three wooden spoons to accomplish this feat?
~Very tasty!
I am going to make pots de crème au chocolat to compare and see which I prefer…
p.s. I do prefer the pots de crème au chocolat, which I prepared without the orange. Delicious.
September 22, 2009
ok. so i play scramble on fb. my name is suz, and i play scramble on fb. in the midst of playing scramble, i discover many, many words, that I do NOT look up. the game recognizes the letter combinations as words, gives me my points, and i move on.
so, whilst playing fast scrabble, a version of the board game scrabble, with friends the other night, i selected several uncommon words for which they begged further explanation. together we agreed that these words deserved to be featured in the blogosphere…
keep in mind…
at the end of the day, it is far from tort-worthy to have a little fun! go ahead, stop thinking so hard and give the pate a break with friends over the game of fast scrabble. stay on your toes, but resist the urge to rive the scrabble tiles, shake the table or draw blood in the competitive frenzy. perhaps refrain from keeping score. this game is bound to spur up the vim in you!
September 21, 2009
1000 Gifts continued…
426. poetry written by friends
427. the lyrical elegance of words well-chosen
428. patient teachers
429. ingenuity
430. the story of Danielson Designs
431. weekend getaways
432. adobe style homes
433. effective community development
434. clean floors
435. dust-free blinds
436. the clean lines of Swedish design
437. dwell magazine
438. a proper afternoon high tea
439. Ko Samet, Thailand
440. dimmer lights
441. ceiling fans
442. dominoes
443. beach vacations
444. not working late and calling it a day
445. not being conformed to this world
September 20, 2009
Bits from the Blogosphere – V
Posted by Suz under Blogosphere, Books, Nature, Shared Posts, Simple Living[2] Comments
On decluttering a bookshelf
from Kate at An Exercise in Frugality
On nature in balance
from James at Points of Light
On a recipe for meatloaf that is perfect for fall
from Suz (me) at Third Coast West
On Ikea, then and now
from Danielle at the style files
September 15, 2009
1000 Gifts continued…
401. pumpkin spice latte
402. meteor showers viewed in the rural, dark night sky
403. pale pink
404. fresh watermelon
405. Bowne & Co. Stationers, NYC
406. Karmann Ghia (not mine, but I love this video)
407. Gustave Caillebotte
408. Giverny, France
409. Sergio Castellitto
410. ice cold milk
411. Newcastle Brown Ale from the tap served in a frosted mug
412. Borriello’s NY style pizza
413. remembering things through previous blog posts
414. my friend Hazel’s backyard patio
415. my friend Sarah’s front porch
416. my friend Erica’s living room haven
417. my mountain cabin deck
418. bubble tea
419. exhuberance
420. saving money
421. my sister’s homemade beef jerky
422. my chocolate chip granola cookies
423. learning little bits of html at a time
424. the “life is good” logo
425. UPS packages that don’t require signatures…
September 14, 2009
Thoughts on true learning…
Posted by Suz under Books, Classical Education, Discernment, Learning, Meditation, Random Thoughts1 Comment
What is true learning? After reading the first three chapters of Susan Wise Bauer’s The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had, this is the question that comes to my mind. And, how do we know learning has taken place? True learning is not memorizing a set of facts or a body of knowledge. It is interacting with the information in a way that allows it to be absorbed, reflected upon and transformative. True learning yields action or even refraining from an action, but it is transformative or formative in nature because living and learning are an integrated whole.
In the classical education model, the first stage of the learning process is gathering information and facts and gaining understanding. Evaluation and analysis of the information follows. And the third stage is forming and articulating one’s own opinion. I expect Bauer will point to what proceeds from this third stage, but if I were to add a fourth stage, I would emphasize that we must submit ourselves to the truths discerned, both for ourselves and for our social contexts. I think there is a necessary disciplinary relationship to the material that makes the learner subject to the truth rather than a master of it. And, as Bauer alludes in her reference to the biblical figure of Jacob wrestling with an angel of God, the individual learner does not emerge unchanged.
September 13, 2009
Bits from the Blogosphere – IV
Posted by Suz under Blogosphere, Recipes, Restaurants, Shared Posts, Simple Living, Writing1 Comment
“Enough said”
from Ming at Bangor Daily Photo
On natural home cleaning
from Crafty Dad at Crafty Dad::life in the craft lane
On eggs fresh from the farm
from Joey at Adventures in Eco-Living
On stretching a dollar
from Adele at Musings on the Simple Life
On a lovely chocolate pudding pie recipe (me bookmarking it for future reference!)
from Deb at Smitten Kitchen
On the creative flow of writing
from Britt-Arnhild at Britt-Arnhild’s House in the Woods
September 12, 2009
Do you find it hard to just be? My appreciation for this relaxed and rested state has been growing and it has prompted me to seek it more. It takes a little getting used to. And, I find that when I make space for rest, a subtle ambition or project will wheedle its way into my brain and I will then decide that I “must” pursue it. Then, I remember my original thought of resting and being settled into a balanced rhythm and I have to temper that goal. Perhaps I will pursue that thing, but it’s ok to sit for now. It’s ok to live life and enjoy each day, with its treasures and surprise moments. Even delays can be opportunities to rest and revel in something of interest.
So, sitting with a cup of tea, looking out the window, sitting out on the patio, walking and chatting with a friend…. these are all good. And, indeed, life is good.
