Sunday, April 10, 2016

Book-struck






I'm having a hard time writing about Sunday. Getting the long hollow feeling of Sundays. No mail and faraway lawn mowers, the hopelessness.

from Lucia Berlin's short story "Point of View" in A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories



Have you read these short stories? I have been making my way steadily through them -- so clear, precise and weird. Here's another favorite line:

I've never understood how so many barely literate people read the Bible so much. It's hard. 


My Sunday has actually been relaxing, a kind of pajama reading in bed and hanging out day. Two girlfriends came over, and I told them everything. Wouldn't you like to know?

What are you doing?

10 comments:

  1. What am I doing? I'm wondering what you told you two girlfriends!! Whatever. Have a good week.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  2. Oh, the rapidly fading art of hanging out...

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  3. i love and adore pj days. And girlfriends with whom I can SHARE. We had breakfast with friends, volunteered to watch friends 3 boys tomorrow night so they can have a sanity restoring date night. Walked dogs. Fiddled around. You know, Sunday stuff. Tha first quote, yes, I know that feeling.

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  4. I've often wondered that about the Bible...and for that matter, the Koran. Religious texts are complicated things, and you can't tell me that everyone who professes to know them (or know what they say) has actually READ them.

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  5. We spent the weekend in Jasper. It was lovely. Today I'm just getting ready for work. Another week of inadequate staffing. Oh joy.

    My son dropped by last night. He never drops by. It was nice. We went for a walk. We talked. It was good.

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  6. I WOULD like to know! And those lines about Sunday are haunting, mostly because I know that long hollow feeling, the faraway lawnmowers, but I never heard it put quite this way, and its perfect and sad and true.

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  7. Yes on the quotes. Absolutely about the Bible and for sure in regard to the innervation of Sundays. Will definitely have to pick up a copy. House-keeping was one of the weirdest jobs i've ever had.

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  8. What am I doing? Going nuts wondering about all the "everything" you shared! And waiting for the home visiting nurse to check C.'s horrible pressure-sore and draw blood to send to the lab to test her albumin leve. Y'know, the usual fun stuff.

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