Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Journals and Marmee


Oh, I'm up way too late after a full day. After school I HAD to work on the school newspaper (it's so hard and challenging!) and then I had my parent/student book club tonight. I got home at 9 pm. I'm thinking about some lovely things though and I don't care that I will pay for this small energy burst tomorrow. Yikes. Anyway, thank you so much for stopping by!
Below is a book Bill just read and he kindly placed it on one of my many stacks. I'll tell you about it soon.

The following quote reminds me of my great need and craving to write in journals. I hop around from journal to journal sometimes. I don't recommend this. Smile. What do you think of this quote?
"Let yourself go. Pull out from the depth those thoughts that you do not understand and spread them out in the sunlight and know the meaning of them." E.M. Forster

I like seeing my thoughts and prayers all spread out on the page.

I feel like I find myself again in the pages of my journals.

The book above is a quickie devotional with just the right amount of lines for processing the wisdom. So, I really like sharing my journals. I used to be so very private, but I'm growing more "okay" with sharing. I like it when I notice changes in my thinking and shifts in my fears. I'm thankful for small improvements. Smile.

The other day during reading time at school, I was wishing for my Lark Rise to Candleford book. I don't like to take it to school because I might leave it there and then when I want to get all English-y at home I wouldn't have it at the ready. Carolyn from Love Stitching Red thinks she'd like to hear my fake British accent so she can have some laughs, by the way.
So, I pulled Little Women off the shelf because those little women were so NICE and said such happy things, you know. I found a glorious passage about Marmee. Since it is our USA Mother's Day on Sunday, I thought I would share it with you.
"Glad to find you so merry, my girls," said a cheery voice at the door, and actors and audience turned to welcome a tall, motherly lady, with a "can-I-help-you" look about her which was truly delightful. She was not elegantly dressed, but a noble-looking woman, and the girls thought the gray cloak and unfashionable bonnet covered the most splendid mother in the world."
~Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Something tells me that all of you may have a "can-I-help-you" look about you, too. I bet a lot of people will smile at YOU today. I'm smiling at you right now.

15 comments:

Elizabethd said...

I loved Marmee! She was always so full of wisdom.

debbie bailey said...

I also like to go back and read my older journals and visit with the person I used to be. Mine aren't all decorated up like yours though. Maybe I"ll start sketching in mine?

Sue McPeak said...

"Let yourself go. Pull out from the depth....." Thank you PomPom and Forster for that flash of insight of spreading my thoughts out in the sunlight to search my mind and soul for meaning. Here's the thing...I run out of sunny lawn and find my self in the shade wondering why I can't stay in the sunshine long enough to complete a mindful task. I guess I'm a Multi-Mind Tasker. I like to think of my Multi-Proects as Journals and a little Journaling here and there will yield a completed Journal/Project one of these days. I love your Journals and YOU!
That Beautiful new GrandGal is a Keeper for sure! Congratulations!

magsmcc said...

I'm at my evening Library job just now. But as SOON as I get home I'm getting my Little Women out and I'm going to read all the dialogue in my worst American accent! I love the snippets you show of your journals. My Lenten time was very rich, and I might just dust off the notebook when I get home too. Not that I could match your creativity, dear Pom!

Floss said...

So much to enjoy here - the image of you at work, and your journalling, and Little Women! I am finding what you say about journalling so true, I used to hold myself back from writing some things that worried me in my prayer journal, but now I let it all hang out, as it were, and God is teaching me so much more than I allowed him to, before.

Bradley W. Maston said...

I must agree. Old journals are the best. I love finding the things I thought and felt before and have grown to find I trust and know Him more deeply. It's nice to be His sheep!

libbyquilter said...

keep journaling Pom Pom ~ it's good for the soul~!~

as for the quote: anything "spread out in the sunshine" is beautiful~!!~

:-)
libbyQ

Leslie said...

I really am curious about the Nouwen book. I hope you will tell us about it. And I loved the peek at your journals. I have always wanted to journal but blogging is about as close to it as I get. I am more of a thinker ... writing slows me down...but maybe that would be good for me? I need to at the least try and see.

The dB family said...

Thank you for sharing bits of your journals! They leave me so inspired! You have a real gift!

I read Little Women to the children a couple of years ago. I have to confess, I had a hard time getting through it. I think it would have been more enjoyable as a silent read :o).

Blessings!
Deborah

Gumbo Lily said...

I journal, but sporadically at best, mostly of the happenings so that I can look back and say, "We had our first lambs on Feb 8 and snow on May 6th." Not deep. Just things.

I love Marmee. Little Women was a favorite read aloud book at our house.

I'm certain you have a "can I help you" look. Happy Day!

Jody

Gumbo Lily said...

P.S.
Love the fairy grandangels banner.
Sweet!

melanie said...

Oh Pom Pom, what a lovely post. I too keep a diary, I have done for years now and have boxes of them up in the loft, I have always been a one for scribbling, jotting everything down, I like to think that when I am old and grey, I have something there to look back on, to read and see how happy I was in my youth.
So pleased your loving Lark Rise book. :) Are you going to try Still Glides The Stream? Oh, and there is a follow up to the Lark Rise book, called Heatherly, again, a semi-fictional account of the authors life. :) xxxx

magsmcc said...

Pom Pom- check out attic24.typad for today's post on caravans. It made me think of you!

Gigi said...

Makes me want to read "Little Women" again, and I just read it to one of my students a few months ago -- never tire of it!
Happy Mother's Day to you, Dear Lady!
Blessings & Brightest Angels,
G

Gigi said...

p.s. LOVE your new header -- adorable!!!

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