Short Story Shuffle

I love Short Stories.  I love Compilations of short stories.  I love observational essays and feature articles and I love Compilations of essays and feature articles.  Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love Nora Ephron.  I was quite sad when I heard she had passed away earlier this year, never to observe again.  I enjoy reading compilations and I have quite a few of them on my bookshelves. 

Compiled features, articles, stories, poems etc. are wonderful.  

"When the going gets tough, the Compilations get got."  

The beauty of a compilation lies in the immediacy, rapidity and simplicity.  You can pick up one book and have humour, drama, fact, fiction, thrill and escape.  When you read a short story (or feature article), you can usually do it in single sitting.  Our school library calls them "rapid reads" and they are often checked out by our reluctant readers.  When life is so busy/ crazy reading is a must for me (you know the need to escape), but it is almost impossible (the pesky need to be present by the hospital bed or at the desk).  Novel reading (and worse, educational reading) requires remembering.  Novels (well, good ones) create a world in your head and entice you to live there for a while; to make friends with the characters and become involved in the plot.  Short stories can do this too, but they don't do it for as long.  When life is making me crazy and I want to escape, but know that I shouldn't, I go to the compilation shelf.  

Compilations are not too taxing.  Short Stories allow their readers to escape, but just for a little while.  Feature Articles are interesting and easy to relate to without being heavier than a newspaper.  The world feels a little smaller when you read a feature and you realise that people are people and you are not alone.  Can you see why I would head towards the compilations when things are rough?  It is the ease. 

I have a medical condition which sometimes makes it difficult for me to concentrate.  My dad was recently in hospital; lots of waiting interrupted, often, by doctors, nurses, physios and visitors.  It is next to impossible to get into anything requiring thought. So, a compilation is great.  You can dip into it quickly and easily, wherever and whenever.  Interruptions are not such a big deal and you still get to escape albeit for a short time.  

 

Can you see it now?  

The three compilation books I headed for in the last three weeks were, Pieces for the Left Hand by J. Robert Lennon, Shoe Money by Maggie Alderson and Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes.  

 

Drop by tomorrow for 10 things Tuesday when I will give you a list of 10 compilation books that are “must haves” for the reading rough patch. 

Happy Monday and Happy Reading!

J

Daddy's Home!

I am not going to comment on the stupidity of the particular phrase when guys say this to chicks.  "Daddy's Home"  I mean, really?! But I'm not commenting.

Anyway, this time it is true... literally. 

My Dad is HOME! 

He can walk and talk and breathe and eat and sleep all by himself.  He still has quite a bit of pain and isn't very hungry and he is really really really tired.  BUT, he is home.  He is sleeping in the chair.  Mum cried when she picked him up from hospital in the morning, because she was so happy to be bringing him home.

We are all very happy. 

So, now I get to hang out at home with him, which I think he is very happy about.

He told me I didn't have to sit in the same room with him, which means... "go away, but not too far."

I never thought watching my Dad walk from the car to the front door and fall into the chair would seem like such a big deal, but it was.  We filmed it. 

What am I thankful for this Thursday?
Daddy's Home!

Getting On the Grid?

I don't know if "getting on the grid" is the correct turn of phrase, but it will do.

Dad is better.  He is not ALL better, but he is certainly better than he was.  Dad has had a very difficult few weeks.  Our family is tired.  But we will survive.

On the day that Dad went to hospital, my sister sent me a text message to tell me that #2 had the chicken pox.  Now the count is three children: #1, #2 and #7.  #6 had a few spots but he has not developed anymore and the spots he did have are fading.  So, that's that then.  The other three children have unstable temperatures so Sis is just waiting for the spots to appear on them too. 

So, now that Dad is on the mend (I mean he has a long way to go), and the kids are off limits ( I can't afford to get sick), I might just have a bit of time to revisit the blogosphere.  Did I mention I claimed all of my remaining leave so that I could spend the last week of term with Dad, at the hospital? He may be hoe before the end of next week... fingers crossed.  If he is at home, we can sit on the couch together with our laptops and have a marvellous time. 

I might not be on everyday just yet, but I will try to pop in as often as possible.  I do have a few stories I have been holding onto the last few weeks.  You know how it is... Dad has been under the influence of some strong prescription medication and has said some interesting things.  The children have had a bit to say about their Grandfather being in hospital too.  Also, when one spends more time with one's mother, one inevitably comes away with a story to tell. 

Hang in there people... we can all breathe by ourselves!

10 things I’ve learned about ATTITUDE

1.  My attitude is my choice.  My attitude is one of the few things I   have complete control over.
2. The attitude of the people around me is their choice.  I can’t control it or change it.
3. I do not have to be influenced by the attitude of those around me.  Their attitude certainly affects mine, but I am in control.
4. If each letter of the alphabet was given a numerical value according to order (e.g. a=1, b=2… z=26) then the only word in the English language that equals 100 is ATTITUDE.  Go and try it.
5. When an adult is having a bad day, it is not an excuse for having a bad attitude.  For example: I have been having a few bad days and as a result there have been certain “actions” of a certain “deputy principal” that have been bugging me.  But, I don’t go and yell at him or swear at him or call him names.  I am not rude to him when we converse. 
6. If I did choose to use my “bad day/s” and his “irritating actions” as an excuse for poor behaviour, I would probably lose my job.  At the very least, I would be burning bridges between myself and a friend (as well as a respected colleague).  A bad attitude is very unprofessional.
7. When students have a bad attitude, the teacher can’t change it.
8. When students have a bad attitude, their teacher has a responsibility to HELP them turn it around.  Teachers can model the behaviour that goes with a positive attitude.
9. Attitude is directly related to respect.
10. Having a positive attitude is hard work but is certainly worth the effort.  

Going off the Grid

To My Blog Faithful
(and anyone else who pops in)
I am going off the grid, so to speak, for a while. Probably for about a week.  My Dad went in to hospital last week for surgery.  We knew it was going to happen and although it was sooner than expected, we had a plan.  Dad being Dad, and life being life, the plan was promptly thrown out the window.  To say there are "complications" would be a bit of an understatement.  Dad will be in the Intensive Care Unit until indefinitely.  This could mean that tomorrow he will turn the right corner (rather than the wrong one) and will be back on the usual hospital ward in a few days.  Then we continue with physiotherapy and start looking towards getting him home and well.  But he could turn "left" (hehehe) and then we don't know what will happen.

The doctors have no idea why it is happening this way.  My sister and I kind of expected that this might happen, because Dad tends to heal "differently" to other people and often perplexes his medical teams. We have been here before.

So, who knows what tomorrow will bring.  God does, that's who.  I am placing my trust in the most High God who is bigger than all this mess.  I am so grateful that my earthly father taught me about my heavenly one.  I am a little frustrated.  But I am not worried.  I am not stressed or even very sad.  I am just tired, because watching my Dad (who is my superhero) be so vulnerable, is exhausting.

There are so many scripture verses flying through my mind at the moment and I hear the words of songs that I have sung in Sunday School and at Church.  I am constantly reminded that God is on my side.  He is on Dad's side.  He knows the plan (even if I don't) and whatever happens it will be okay.

I dearly want to share the scripture verses with you, so you can see how I claim my hope and God's promises.  But, it is too hard.  You could visit my Pinterest board where I pin the bible verses and encouraging words that I find on the net and on other people's boards.  CLICK HERE to have a sticky beak.
Oh Yeah, HAPPY FATHERS' DAY.