I’ve been reading Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. sigh. Literary greatness at it’s finest my friends. Oh sure, there are diatribes of historical back story. But the prose - oh the prose! Hugo has this way of describing characters and everyday moments in such a way that the words dance right off the page and come alive. It’s so beautifully written I find myself reading bits and pieces over and over, soaking up all it’s goodness. Which, considering the book counts in at 1432 pages, might not be the best of ideas. But it can’t be helped.
Take this piece, for instance; speaking of Paris:
…It is more than great, it is immense. Why? Because it dares.
To dare; progress is at this price.
All sublime conquests are, more or less, the rewards of daring.
… Deeds of daring dazzle history, and form one of the guiding lights of man. The dawn dares when it rises. To strive, to brave all risks, to persist, to persevere, to be faithful to yourself, to grapple hand to hand with destiny, to surprise defeat by the little terror it inspires, at one time to confront unrighteous power, at another to defy intoxicated triumph, to hold fast, to hold hard – such is the example which the nations need …
And so my hope for you, dear readers, is this – that you would dare. Dare to love … dare to laugh, and dance, and celebrate … dare not only to dream, but pursue your dreams … dare to stand up for the powerless … dare to read an immense work of literature, for you just never know the great heights it might take you!
You know how I do so love a good story. With that in mind it should come as no surprise to learn I absolutely adore this wedding invitation*…
Not to mention, it’s multi-tasking at it’s finest. After all, how many times are a bride and groom asked, “how did you two meet?” This way, they can simply say, “Read the invite!” Pure. Genius.
*via Blue Orchid Designs
I tend to blame my chubs on the fact that I love food. All food. I don’t play favorites, my friends. I’m an equal-opportunity-eater.
But I had to rethink this premise …
This morning I’m on Skype, chatting away with my brother and sister-in-law, when the subject of Blood Pudding is broached. Sure, I’ve heard of the stuff. But I always assumed it was merely a description of the coloring. It never occured to me that it might actually be “blood protein.” BLOOD PROTEIN! I was still trying to retrieve my jaw from the desktop when my sister-in-law pulled a lump from fridge. There it was, in all it’s glory. For my listening pleasure, she read the ingredients – basically, bloody butt fat, mixed with flour, and a hint of apple sauce. Mmmmm! Tasty!
Maybe I should buy a loaf. Then I could I tell myself – it’s either this or a carrot. Then again … I’d probably just hop in the car and find myself a cheeseburger and french fries – jumbo large – all to expunge the thought from my mind…
![image[1] (2)](http://www.magpieandmuttonfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/image1-2-300x227.jpg "image[1] (2)")
It’s autumn. *sigh*
I am going to pretend that the weather is crisp, the sky grey. I’m going to hang the Welcome Fall sign out front and eat stuffed acorn squash for dinner. I’m going to light candles, play a little Classic FM from the Netherlands, and write a letter or two. And I’m doing to anticipate all that is well and good about autumn …
Beautiful fall colors…
Pumpkin patches …
The warmth of candlelight …
Comfy Sweaters …
Steaming cups of Hot Cinnamon Sunset …
Scrumptious edibles that make you exclaim OhMy …
And snuggling up to a good book (C’mon, like you didn’t know that was coming)!
Happy first day of Autumn dear readers …
may it be the grandest season of them all!
