After reading Laura and John's blog recently and reading some of the comments about the reason we wear some of the things that we wear (most specifically "goth"). One of the comments made was that "Dress is often our way of telling our own story." and I had to comment on this. I responded to the whole conversation, and it has made me start thinking about the stories we identify with. There were two that i mentioned (Bluebeard and The Crane Maiden) and I have talked about them on this blog before, but I was thinking about other stories that I identify with. Here are some of them:
The original version of Little Red Riding Hood- where the girl isn't just rescued, but learns from her experiences and the Grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood end up defeating the wolf int he end.
The Willing Bride of the Lindorm King: there are lots of versions, but in this one the major mistakes made by the Queen are made right again by the willingness of the Bride to follow the advice of an older woman. (this is one I tell)
The Tiger's Whisker: My friend Mary Tells this story and has written a song to go with it. The dedication and patience it takes to really hang in there with someone is something I want to be able to learn.
Anybody else have one?
Chara
Friday, December 16
song
Poem: "Song" by Allen Ginsberg from Collected Poems 1947-1980. © Harper Collins.
Song
The weight of the world
is love.
Under the burden
of solitude,
under the burden
of dissatisfaction
the weight,
the weight we carry
is love.
Who can deny?
In dreams
it touches
the body,
in thought
constructs
a miracle,
in imagination
anguishes
till born
in human—
looks out of the heart
burning with purity-
for the burden of life
is love,
but we carry the weight
wearily,
and so must rest
in the arms of love
at last,
must rest in the arms
of love.
No rest
without love,
no sleep
without dreams
of love—
be mad or chill
obsessed with angels
or machines,
the final wish
is love—
cannot be bitter,
cannot deny,
cannot withhold
if denied:
the weight is too heavy—
must give
for no return
as thought
is given
in solitude
in all the excellence
of its excess.
The warm bodies
shine together
in the darkness,
the hand moves
to the center
of the flesh,
the skin trembles
in happiness
and the soul comes
joyful to the eye—
yes, yes,
that's what
I wanted,
I always wanted,
I always wanted,
to return
to the body
where I was born.
Song
The weight of the world
is love.
Under the burden
of solitude,
under the burden
of dissatisfaction
the weight,
the weight we carry
is love.
Who can deny?
In dreams
it touches
the body,
in thought
constructs
a miracle,
in imagination
anguishes
till born
in human—
looks out of the heart
burning with purity-
for the burden of life
is love,
but we carry the weight
wearily,
and so must rest
in the arms of love
at last,
must rest in the arms
of love.
No rest
without love,
no sleep
without dreams
of love—
be mad or chill
obsessed with angels
or machines,
the final wish
is love—
cannot be bitter,
cannot deny,
cannot withhold
if denied:
the weight is too heavy—
must give
for no return
as thought
is given
in solitude
in all the excellence
of its excess.
The warm bodies
shine together
in the darkness,
the hand moves
to the center
of the flesh,
the skin trembles
in happiness
and the soul comes
joyful to the eye—
yes, yes,
that's what
I wanted,
I always wanted,
I always wanted,
to return
to the body
where I was born.
Monday, December 12
Good Morning!
Good Morning Anyone who bothers to read this!
It is curently 10:06 and in one hour and nine minute I will be leaving to go to WJHL's news station to help Karen out while she will be on Television at noon- I will not be on camera as far as I know (hooray!), I will simply be the one who makes sure Karen doesn't have anything in her teeth or her skirt tucked into her tights (it is rather cold here today).
I had a good weekend. Josh and I waited until the last minute but we are currently looking for someplace to go next weekend to hang out- as we did last year on our anniversary. I am not sure we will get phone reception where we are going- so don't call. We are looking at somewhere in North Carolina.
We will be leaving here on December 23rd (or 24th- I guess it depends on how early I can get away from work) to go to Nashville for Christmas. I have a week of paid (yay!) vacation before we have to get back.
Please keep Carol and Jack (Josh's parents) in your prayers. They're spending Christmas in Slidell, LA. this year. They have been helping out a church relief effort with the hurricane damage. Our Friend Charles Jones will be joinging them in a few weeks and he will be there until next August. Carol and Jack have been there a while and I believe that they intend to go home at the end of January.
This coming February Josh's brother and new sister-in-law (Heena) will be coming to America for a visit. We haven't met Heena yet, but anyone who can make Matt as happy as he is, must be a wonderful person. I am hoping to start a blanket for them and hope to be done with it by the end of February when they come see us. (Maybe you should pray for me. the biggest blanket I've done was for laura and it was more of a throw. It took me three months.)
Anyway, that's all the news from East Tennessee. Anyone else want to let me know how they're doing?
Charlie
It is curently 10:06 and in one hour and nine minute I will be leaving to go to WJHL's news station to help Karen out while she will be on Television at noon- I will not be on camera as far as I know (hooray!), I will simply be the one who makes sure Karen doesn't have anything in her teeth or her skirt tucked into her tights (it is rather cold here today).
I had a good weekend. Josh and I waited until the last minute but we are currently looking for someplace to go next weekend to hang out- as we did last year on our anniversary. I am not sure we will get phone reception where we are going- so don't call. We are looking at somewhere in North Carolina.
We will be leaving here on December 23rd (or 24th- I guess it depends on how early I can get away from work) to go to Nashville for Christmas. I have a week of paid (yay!) vacation before we have to get back.
Please keep Carol and Jack (Josh's parents) in your prayers. They're spending Christmas in Slidell, LA. this year. They have been helping out a church relief effort with the hurricane damage. Our Friend Charles Jones will be joinging them in a few weeks and he will be there until next August. Carol and Jack have been there a while and I believe that they intend to go home at the end of January.
This coming February Josh's brother and new sister-in-law (Heena) will be coming to America for a visit. We haven't met Heena yet, but anyone who can make Matt as happy as he is, must be a wonderful person. I am hoping to start a blanket for them and hope to be done with it by the end of February when they come see us. (Maybe you should pray for me. the biggest blanket I've done was for laura and it was more of a throw. It took me three months.)
Anyway, that's all the news from East Tennessee. Anyone else want to let me know how they're doing?
Charlie
Friday, December 9
Any Takers?
SPAM FAJITAS
Serving Size : 8
Vegetable cooking spray 1
Green bell pepper, cut into julienne strips
1/2 Onion, cut into 1/4" slices
1 can SPAM Luncheon Meat, cut into julienne strips
3/4 c CHI-CHI's Salsa
8 Flour tortillas, warmed (8")
2 c Shredded lettuce
1/2 c Shredded hot pepper Monterey-Jack or Cheddar cheese
1/2 c Nonfat plain yogurt
Extra salsa, if desired
Spray large non-stick skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Saute green pepper and onion 2 minutes. Add SPAM. Saute 2 minutes. Stir in salsa and heat thoroughly. Spoon about 1/2 cup SPAM mixture into each flour tortilla. Top each with 1/2 cup shredded lettuce, 1 tablespoon shredded cheese, 1 tablespoon yogurt, and extra salsa, if desired.
Serving Size : 8
Vegetable cooking spray 1
Green bell pepper, cut into julienne strips
1/2 Onion, cut into 1/4" slices
1 can SPAM Luncheon Meat, cut into julienne strips
3/4 c CHI-CHI's Salsa
8 Flour tortillas, warmed (8")
2 c Shredded lettuce
1/2 c Shredded hot pepper Monterey-Jack or Cheddar cheese
1/2 c Nonfat plain yogurt
Extra salsa, if desired
Spray large non-stick skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Saute green pepper and onion 2 minutes. Add SPAM. Saute 2 minutes. Stir in salsa and heat thoroughly. Spoon about 1/2 cup SPAM mixture into each flour tortilla. Top each with 1/2 cup shredded lettuce, 1 tablespoon shredded cheese, 1 tablespoon yogurt, and extra salsa, if desired.
Thursday, December 8
Holly S-T-O-T-T
I just found out that Holly- the girl I share an office with- tried to change her middle name to Shakazulu when she changed her last name on her social security card after she got married. Apparently, she wanted to be named after some African Zulu guy that they made a movie about. The woman at the window in the SS office told her she couldn't do it because you can only change your name because of marraige, unless you want to go to court to have it changed.
I think maybe that the lady was lying to spare her a life of difficulty.
Holly Shakazulu Stott. Sounds like a soda.
:)
I think maybe that the lady was lying to spare her a life of difficulty.
Holly Shakazulu Stott. Sounds like a soda.
:)
Wednesday, December 7
My Rant
Does this not just irk the devil out of you? You work hard for very little money, but for something which you feel passionate about and instead of gratitude or support, or even apathy, you get outright disdain for your efforts.
I subscribe to the Storytell Listserv (to join go to: http://www.twu.edu/cope/slis/storytell.htm) partly because it is part of my job, and partly because I am a storyteller and there is a lot of valuable information out there. Yesterday they started complaining about the total lack of value in NSN. Some of the NSN members spoke up for us, but for the most part it's been a gripe-a-rama.
It makes me mad to know that people don’t appreciate or even comprehend how busy the NSN office is. And where is the board? Do any of them read these posts? If not, why aren’t they? The Listserv is the pulse of the storytelling community.
I feel compelled to post something so that people will understand that NSN knows our shortcomings, but can’t do anything about them without help and permission from the board. However, I also know that I am not the voice of NSN- nor am I qualified to be, since I am not technically even a member (I've never paid my dues).
However- all of that aside- it's obnoxious. No one addresses these issue to NSN- no one calls us to ask why we don't sell our members' stuff or why we charge so much for conference or why we don't do all sorts of things. They just whine and complain about what NSN isn't doing or what they're not getting. They don't recognize any of the things that we do offer or that the office is seriously underpaid and understaffed. We're a non-profit and they think that means that we shouldn't make any money- monkey snot! The money we make adds new grants and new ways to promote Storytelling nationwide. This isn't just good for our business- it's good for their business.
I'm largely an artist- I don't really enjoy all that technical, mathy junk- but you have to pay the bills and you have to support the things you want to survive.
Another thought- Today I found out that I may be on the noon news show of Channel 11 here in the big JC. I'm getting ill.
Chara Watson
(who has to blow off steam every now and then)
I subscribe to the Storytell Listserv (to join go to: http://www.twu.edu/cope/slis/storytell.htm) partly because it is part of my job, and partly because I am a storyteller and there is a lot of valuable information out there. Yesterday they started complaining about the total lack of value in NSN. Some of the NSN members spoke up for us, but for the most part it's been a gripe-a-rama.
It makes me mad to know that people don’t appreciate or even comprehend how busy the NSN office is. And where is the board? Do any of them read these posts? If not, why aren’t they? The Listserv is the pulse of the storytelling community.
I feel compelled to post something so that people will understand that NSN knows our shortcomings, but can’t do anything about them without help and permission from the board. However, I also know that I am not the voice of NSN- nor am I qualified to be, since I am not technically even a member (I've never paid my dues).
However- all of that aside- it's obnoxious. No one addresses these issue to NSN- no one calls us to ask why we don't sell our members' stuff or why we charge so much for conference or why we don't do all sorts of things. They just whine and complain about what NSN isn't doing or what they're not getting. They don't recognize any of the things that we do offer or that the office is seriously underpaid and understaffed. We're a non-profit and they think that means that we shouldn't make any money- monkey snot! The money we make adds new grants and new ways to promote Storytelling nationwide. This isn't just good for our business- it's good for their business.
I'm largely an artist- I don't really enjoy all that technical, mathy junk- but you have to pay the bills and you have to support the things you want to survive.
Another thought- Today I found out that I may be on the noon news show of Channel 11 here in the big JC. I'm getting ill.
Chara Watson
(who has to blow off steam every now and then)
Tuesday, December 6
knitting
Now you have come to your fourth year
Your work you will begin-
That is learning the three arts:
To read, to knit, to spin.
~ Icelandic nursery rhyme
And
Taken from- The Lady of Shalot
(you may recognize it as the part that Anne recites just as she's about to drown)
There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colors gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down on Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shallot.
There is something about the act of knitting- or crochet as the case may be- that intrigues. It seems to be an ultimatly adult activity- work. However, I find that I learn stories better when I let them ruminate and marinate while I am crocheting. My fingers move but my mind wanders and explores.
Elizabeth Ellis colors while learning stories- often pictures of the story in her mind but other times, just pictures.
Your work you will begin-
That is learning the three arts:
To read, to knit, to spin.
~ Icelandic nursery rhyme
And
Taken from- The Lady of Shalot
(you may recognize it as the part that Anne recites just as she's about to drown)
There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colors gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down on Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shallot.
There is something about the act of knitting- or crochet as the case may be- that intrigues. It seems to be an ultimatly adult activity- work. However, I find that I learn stories better when I let them ruminate and marinate while I am crocheting. My fingers move but my mind wanders and explores.
Elizabeth Ellis colors while learning stories- often pictures of the story in her mind but other times, just pictures.
On a kick
Poem: "You Go to School to Learn" by Thomas Lux from New & Selected Poems © Houghton Mifflin.
You Go to School to Learn
You go to school to learn to
read and add, to someday
make some money. It—money—makes
sense: you needa better tractor, an addition
to the gameroom, you prefer
to buy your beancurd by the barrel.
There's no other way to get the goods
you need. Besides, it keeps people busy
working—for it.It's sensible and, therefore, you go
to school to learn (and the teacher,
having learned, gets paid to teach you) how
to get it. Fine.
But:
you're taught away from poetry
or, say, dancing (That's nice, dear,
but there's no dough in it). No poem
ever bought a hamburger, or not too many. It's true,
and so, every morning—it's still dark!—
you see them, the children, like angels
being marched off to execution,
or banks. Their bodies luminous
in headlights. Going to school.
This is something of the reason why I hated school as a child. I didn't know I'd have to get a job someday- or what that would be like (the proclivity for a chair and computer to suck out your soul- if you have the wrong job)- I knew that it would lead me toward the expectation of responsibility.
No that's not right. Why do we consider poetry and dancing and- say- stoytelling irresponsible? What is truly irresponsible about expressing joy; being disgustingly honest; playing? We assume adults don't play. That's what I knew.
Chara
You Go to School to Learn
You go to school to learn to
read and add, to someday
make some money. It—money—makes
sense: you needa better tractor, an addition
to the gameroom, you prefer
to buy your beancurd by the barrel.
There's no other way to get the goods
you need. Besides, it keeps people busy
working—for it.It's sensible and, therefore, you go
to school to learn (and the teacher,
having learned, gets paid to teach you) how
to get it. Fine.
But:
you're taught away from poetry
or, say, dancing (That's nice, dear,
but there's no dough in it). No poem
ever bought a hamburger, or not too many. It's true,
and so, every morning—it's still dark!—
you see them, the children, like angels
being marched off to execution,
or banks. Their bodies luminous
in headlights. Going to school.
This is something of the reason why I hated school as a child. I didn't know I'd have to get a job someday- or what that would be like (the proclivity for a chair and computer to suck out your soul- if you have the wrong job)- I knew that it would lead me toward the expectation of responsibility.
No that's not right. Why do we consider poetry and dancing and- say- stoytelling irresponsible? What is truly irresponsible about expressing joy; being disgustingly honest; playing? We assume adults don't play. That's what I knew.
Chara
Thursday, December 1
Poem:"The Well Dressed Man with a Beard," by Wallace Stevens from Collected Poems.
The Well Dressed Man with a Beard
After the final no there comes a yes
And on that yes the future world depends.
No was the night. Yes is this present sun.
If the rejected things, the things denied,
Slid over the western cataract, yet one,
One only, one thing that was firm, even
No greater than a cricket's horn, no more
Than a thought to be rehearsed all day, a speech
Of the self that must sustain itself on speech,
One thing remaining, infallible, would be
Enough. Ah! douce campagna of that thing!
Ah! douce campagna, honey in the heart,
Green in the body, out of a petty phrase,
Out of a thing believed, a thing affirmed:
The form on the pillow humming while one sleeps,
he aureole above the humming house . . .
It can never be satisfied, the mind, never.
I love this poem and I don't know why. Try reading it out loud. There is something so focused about it. If you have any thought I would like to hear them. Some of the words I will have to look up later...
me
The Well Dressed Man with a Beard
After the final no there comes a yes
And on that yes the future world depends.
No was the night. Yes is this present sun.
If the rejected things, the things denied,
Slid over the western cataract, yet one,
One only, one thing that was firm, even
No greater than a cricket's horn, no more
Than a thought to be rehearsed all day, a speech
Of the self that must sustain itself on speech,
One thing remaining, infallible, would be
Enough. Ah! douce campagna of that thing!
Ah! douce campagna, honey in the heart,
Green in the body, out of a petty phrase,
Out of a thing believed, a thing affirmed:
The form on the pillow humming while one sleeps,
he aureole above the humming house . . .
It can never be satisfied, the mind, never.
I love this poem and I don't know why. Try reading it out loud. There is something so focused about it. If you have any thought I would like to hear them. Some of the words I will have to look up later...
me
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