The French Lieutenant's Woman

I am just getting to this review of this book. I read it in October but forgot to review it. I have very little memory of it! So, here is why James Mustich thinks it should be one of the 1000 Books You Read Before You Die:

James Mustich

The story John Fowles tells in his third novel begins on the English seaside at Lyme Regis, Dorset, in 1867. Yet it is told by a wry, erudite narrator who lets readers know he is writing exactly one hundred years later. In a tour de force of storytelling that is transporting, intriguing, and breathtaking in its shifting perspectives, Fowles combines suspense, romance, and invention into an emotionally satisfying and intellectually engaging whole. A master of a storytelling resourcefulness that always has us asking, “What happens next?,” Fowles here recasts the pleasures of the Victorian novel into modern literary dress in a way that only enhances their allure. To cap it off, he offers two endings, challenging the reader’s own ideas of romance, of the rights and wrongs of society’s whims, even of the nature of fiction itself. 

Friday Freewrite Fifteen

My timer is set for fifteen minutes. It is actually a Friday. When I first started doing these freewrites (too many years ago to remember), I would always do them on Fridays. For a while, my Fridays were full with the Jesuits in Scotland meditation and leading the Order of the Mustard Seed Watch, but I have cleared my Fridays until I lead my class at OSU. It is about self-care and reflection. I still lead my class on Friday, but it has been moved from 11 to noon, and I consider that self-care because I do not spend as much time at the computer as I did when I led Physical Activity Courses (PAC). I just led the Faculty and Staff in 50 minutes of Pilates. I ride my bike there and back, and it is great. Then I come home and rest.

This week was a full week. Both of the groups of four that I lead were this week. Usually, they are staggered and not on the same week, but one was moved back a week into December because of Thanksgiving. They are both precious groups. This will be the last year I will lead one of them because I want to lead more of the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius. I will say goodbye to the groups I have led for the last four cycles. This will free me up to have a much more free Summer and Winter break. I will miss it.

This week was full. I sat in on some appointments with a friend in the hospital, and I also helped that person out of the hospital and back home yesterday. I had to cancel one of my spiritual direction sessions to do that, but it was the right thing to do. I was able to minister to two more people who are also helping with this friend. I pray it all works out. 

So, today is me and the Lord in the morning and teaching the class in the afternoon. Then, it is family time at the OSU-Corvallis Symphony Christmas Concert. Tomorrow we will get our tree. 

The highlight of my week was taking a break from all the stuff with this friend in the hospital to host the three girls I have been doing spiritual direction with to complete the requirements for my Spiritual Accompaniment with Children certification course. The class I attended on Tuesday night made me eligible for certification. I had to have at least 8 hours of sessions with the kids. I ended up having 11 hours and 40 minutes of delightful time. I listened to them describe times when they saw beauty, did prayer doodling, noticed nature (especially the clouds), walked the labyrinth. and blessed them with "Blessing Balm." It was delightful. 

So to sum up the time, I had them over to make "Christmas Morning Scones" and homemade chai with some egg nog flavor. Then we had a mini-examen prayer time, went through the first five days of the Jesse Tree, and practiced Centering Prayer in a circle full of God's presence. Then I took them home and sang Christmas Carols with them. 

It was the highlight of my week.

The Third Gilmore Girl

I read this in a day. It was a delightful read. If you are a Gilmore Girls fan, you will love it.