Sorry my blog has been so dull again this week. I had another long week spent trapped on the couch, too sick to write anything. Doing a little better today.
Thanks to That Chick That Reads for starting Quote It Saturday. I looked through my journal of book quotes this morning and found a couple from a favorite Elizabeth Berg novel, The Art of Mending, that I want to share, both dealing with simplifying life (something I could use more of!).
Here, the narrator, Laura, is observing the few items she has set near her bedside while staying at her parents' house:
There was a cozy completeness to this utilitarian still life. It occurred to me that one of the values of going away was that you saw that something far less complex than what you were used to would do just fine. More and more, I looked at my house, at my life, and thought, "Why do I need all this stuff?"
- The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg
And, in another passage, she stays out late on a rare night out and just goes straight to bed:
So I had not done any of my usual nightly routine and it felt wonderful. I wondered why I cluttered my life so much. I felt so free...
- The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg
This one reminds me of a favorite Baby Blues comic that my husband and I often laugh about. It shows the Mom and Dad both saying, "I think I'll go to bed now." Then, the Mom starts the dishwasher, folds the laundry, picks up toys, makes lunches for tomorrow, signs school permission slips, washes her face, brushes her teeth, etc. while the Dad goes right to bed and closes his eyes! Perfect, right?
The Art of Mending was a good one by Berg. I did not care for her latest book Home Safe though.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better and better. i feel a cold coming on myself. Brr!
ReplyDeleteDiane -
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've loved a couple of Berg's novels but others were just so-so. I've heard conflicting reviews of Home Safe.
Sue
I keep a quote journal, too! I didn't realize others did this. Good to know. I've never heard of Quote it Saturday, but I LIKE it! I have a quote feature on the sidebar of my blog that I change periodically. It might be fun to do it as a Quote it Saturday. But, then again, I'd probably forget. Oh well. Loved these Berg quotes and I remember that Baby Blues cartoon as well. It's so true.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with some of your commenters about Berg's books. Some I love, but most are OK. I liked Home Safe. It was a OK+. Her best, to me, was Range of Motion. That was the first one I read and I've read everything else she's written and I keep waiting for another "home run". This has happened to me with a few other authors as well: Chris Bohjalian, Sue Miller and Anita Shreve come immediatley to mind. Hope springs eternal...
Yes, Pam! I completely agree with you on both Sue Miller and Chris Bohjalian. I only read one Anita Shreve and didn't like it all that much so I never tried another.
ReplyDeleteI guess they can't all be winners, huh?
Sue