Spring cleaning; Mother’s Day; May’s poem
A desperate house-cleaning, this afternoon, to the detriment of my sinuses. We wished to make the house agreeable for Karin’s mom. We had invited her over for a Mother’s Day supper.
The event was a success.
After Karin’s mom left us, we let Samuel play with marbles in the living room, and I took Daniel to the basement so he wouldn’t put them into his mouth. When the time came to bring Daniel back upstairs, Samuel didn’t want to put his marbles away, and in the ensuing fracas they were spilled under various pieces of furniture. We put one howling child into one room and the other howling child into another room. We moved the dusty furniture around to hunt for the marbles – again, to the detriment of my sinuses.
I don’t recall having ever taken medicine for allergies. This might be a good year to start.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The first paragraph of A Pocket Full of Rye:
On the strength of this opening paragraph, the novel is shaping up to be worthy of at least a “B-plus.”
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
For Mother’s Day, lines from the first half of Proverbs 31. Two versions.
I
(International Children’s Bible)
II
(Robert Alter)
The event was a success.
After Karin’s mom left us, we let Samuel play with marbles in the living room, and I took Daniel to the basement so he wouldn’t put them into his mouth. When the time came to bring Daniel back upstairs, Samuel didn’t want to put his marbles away, and in the ensuing fracas they were spilled under various pieces of furniture. We put one howling child into one room and the other howling child into another room. We moved the dusty furniture around to hunt for the marbles – again, to the detriment of my sinuses.
I don’t recall having ever taken medicine for allergies. This might be a good year to start.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The first paragraph of A Pocket Full of Rye:
It was Miss Somers’ turn to make the tea. Miss Somers was the newest and the most inefficient of the typists. She was no longer young and had a mild worried face like a sheep. The kettle was not quite boiling when Miss Somers poured the water onto the tea, but poor Miss Somers was never quite sure when a kettle was boiling. It was one of the many worries that afflicted her in life.I see that in 2014 I gave this novel a “C” grade. Admittedly, I didn’t remember it well. When I previously read it, I was fourteen.
On the strength of this opening paragraph, the novel is shaping up to be worthy of at least a “B-plus.”
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
For Mother’s Day, lines from the first half of Proverbs 31. Two versions.
I
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
These are the words of King Lemuel. This is the message his mother taught him:“My son, I gave birth to you.
You are the son I prayed for.
Don’t waste your strength on women.
Don’t waste your time on those who ruin kings.
“Kings should not drink wine, Lemuel.
Rulers should not desire beer.
If they drink, they might forget the law.
They might keep the needy from getting their rights.
Give beer to people who are dying.
And give wine to those who are sad.
Let them drink and forget their need.
Then they won’t remember their misery anymore.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Defend the rights of all those who have nothing.
Speak up and judge fairly.
Defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
(International Children’s Bible)
II
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
The words of Lemuel, King of Massa, with which his mother reproved him:No, my son. Oh, no, son of my womb,
Oh, no, son of my vows.
Do not give your vigor to women,
Nor your ways to destroyers of kings.
Not for kings, Lemuel, not for kings,
the drinking of wine, nor, for rulers, hard drink.
Lest he drink and forget inscribed law,
and reverse the judgment of all wretched men.
Give hard drink to the perishing man
and wine to those deeply embittered.
Let him drink and forget his privation,
and his misery let him no more recall.
Open your mouth for the dumb,
For the judgment of all fleeting folk.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
grant justice to the poor and the wretched.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
(Robert Alter)