A Single Layer

Everybody and their mother is posting this thing, so I might as well jump on the bandwagon. I don't think it's as funny as everyone else seems to, which is why it didn't end up here right away. But it's still a little funny. I guess.

I am learning everything there is to know about paper, thanks to my current work as publisher emeritus. Here's a boring-looking web page that has suddenly become my paper bible: iPaper ! With my new-found knowledge, there will never be surprises! Looking forward to putting my paper-genius to work on Jeff's book in the next few weeks.

Thanks to Father Stephen for this, appropriately timed for me. Everything you do, all your work, can contribute towards your salvation. It depends on you, on the way you do it. History is replete with monks who became great saints while working in the kitchen or washing sheets. The way of salvation consists in working without passion, in prayer…. May God give you the strength to keep your spirit, your mind, and your heart in the spirit of Christ. Then everything that happens to you can very quickly be radically transformed. What was tiresome and discouraging will disappear, transfigured by your desire to be there where Christ your God is…. Elder Sophrony of Essex

My sister, Amanda, has had an unusual amount of internet access over the last few days. This means a few more updates to her blog than usual. I am sure I have referred to her blog here before (right? surely I have...), but I'd like to link to it again: http://lamander.blogspot.com/ There are some lovely lemurs pictured here, as well as highlights from her initial training and subsequent village indwelling. Take a look!

Remember reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler , and then every time you went in a museum or gallery afterward, you thought of what it would be like to live there? Well, now you can. Not the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but a pretty fascinating alternative. Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry is offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (unless, of course, they offer it again next year) to live in the museum for one month. You get paid for it too. $10,000. (Of course, this should clue you into the small detail that this is more of a job than an rebellious adventure, but still....) Check out the link here . There are some submissions requirements, of course, and the more this is blogged about, the harder the competition will be. I can think of about five people I know off-hand who would be fabulous at this.

I just came across an email I wrote to my favorite professor at Wheaton College many years ago. It was in response to a class conversation we'd had on Emily Dickinson and her manipulation of seclusion for the purpose of social control. It sounds a little fancy there, but let me tell you, the email I wrote was fancier. I don't think I was trying to be smart, either, because I used a very personal example - which I will not elaborate here - regarding my understanding of Dickinson's motivations and the manner in which her behavior would translate into the world of modern technology. I was not trying to be smart, but from my present perch, it sounded smart. I'm wondering what happened to that deep-thinking academic. Wondering all the more how it is possible that such thought processes actually diminished during my post-graduate education rather than flourished. Oh, academia. What a fickle beast you are.

I simply have to link over to this omnivoracious article because, 1) I like China Mieville, 2) I like this book cover, and 3) this is a great website.

Dear Readers, My sister's blog is awesome. No joke. It's cute and little and lively. Which is why it's called: http://cutelittlelife.blogspot.com . Click through and show your support for bloggers, crafters, and cute people across America! Thank you, MollyBGood

I'm thinking of changing the URL of this blog, which is tricky, since it's been my blog for several years and you all know me by now. You'd have to change all your settings and stuff. Let me know if you'd be prepared for this, or if it's a terrible, terrible idea. I mean, obviously I'd provide a little link saying 'to read more from this phenomenal blogger, please click here'. You know, just let me know.

Just went on a walk with my mother down to the beach. It's a beautiful view, despite the rubbish along the waterline, and it was good to see a few other people enjoying it. After the hoards along the bluff on the 4th, it can be difficult to enjoy living on such a public street. The calm walk and evening view is a restful reminder of why we do.