what the living do

Archived Posts from this Category

Thu 6 Oct 2011

Getting to the meat

Posted by PJ under quote of the day, what the living do
No Comments

Random quote of the day:

 

“No, I do not weep at the world—I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife.”

—Zora Neale Hurston, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” The World Tomorrow, May 1928

 

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Tags:

 

Mon 12 Sep 2011

For September 12th

Posted by PJ under death, poetry, what the living do
No Comments

WHAT THE LIVING DO

by Marie Howe

 

Johnny, the kitchen sink has been clogged for days, some utensil probably fell down there.
And the Drano won't work but smells dangerous, and the crusty dishes have piled up

waiting for the plumber I still haven't called. This is the everyday we spoke of.
It's winter again: the sky's a deep, headstrong blue, and the sunlight pours through

the open living-room windows because the heat's on too high in here and I can't turn it off.
For weeks now, driving, or dropping a bag of groceries in the street, the bag breaking,

I've been thinking: This is what the living do. And yesterday, hurrying along those
wobbly bricks in the Cambridge sidewalk, spilling my coffee down my wrist and sleeve,

I thought it again, and again later, when buying a hairbrush: This is it.
Parking. Slamming the car door shut in the cold. What you called that yearning.

What you finally gave up. We want the spring to come and the winter to pass. We want
whoever to call or not call, a letter, a kiss--we want more and more and then more of it.

But there are moments, walking, when I catch a glimpse of myself in the window glass,
say, the window of the corner video store, and I'm gripped by a cherishing so deep

for my own blowing hair, chapped face, and unbuttoned coat that I'm speechless:
I am living. I remember you.

 

 

Tags:

 

Wed 22 Jun 2011

The boy of summer

Posted by PJ under quote of the day, what the living do
No Comments

Random quote of the day:

 

“There comes a time in every man’s life, and I’ve had plenty of them.”

—Casey Stengel, quoted at Casey Stengel: The Official Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Tags:

 

Wed 11 May 2011

Running up that hill

Posted by PJ under quote of the day, what the living do
No Comments

Random quote of the day:

 

“[It’s not] one damned thing after another, [it’s] one damned thing over and over.”

—Edna St. Vincent Millay, letter to Arthur Davison Ficke, October 1930

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Tags:

 

Tue 8 Mar 2011

Census meme

Posted by PJ under meme, what the living do
No Comments

In 2011 I am living in a house in Los Angeles with the roommate.
In 2001 I was living alone in an apartment in Mar Vista (L.A.)
In 1991 I was renting rooms from a married couple in a house in Los Angeles.
In 1881 I was living with two roommates in an apartment in Venice (L.A.).
In 1971 I was living in a ramshackle old house with my parents in Venice (L.A.)
In 1961 I was living in a ramshackle old house with my parents in Venice (L.A.)

This ten year breakdown completely misses the cottage I lived alone in for five years from 1983-1987. It was nice. On the back part of the property with the main house on the front part. Secluded and peaceful. One of my favoritest places I’ve lived, although that apartment in Venice with the roommates was tons of fun. This also misses the brief amount of time I spent living in the nicer home my parents lived in in the late 70s and early 80s. I stayed with them there briefly in the late 70s.

Tags:

 

Tue 1 Mar 2011

The grind

Posted by PJ under quote of the day, what the living do
No Comments

Random quote of the day:

 

“Any idiot can face a crisis; it’s this day-to-day living that wears you out.”

—Anton Chekhov

 

 

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Tags:

 

Sun 28 Nov 2010

Where I’ve been and an apologia

Posted by PJ under apologies, illness, time, what the living do
No Comments

I haven’t been around the blogosphere much lately, other than quotes of the day.  I haven’t really had much time and energy left over to participate on the interdweebs except in the most modest fashion.  I know I’ve been a slackard jerk and missed some commitments and deadlines.  For that, I apologize to anyone who I may have disappointed.

I’ve been hellaciously busy at work, exhausted, and nursing an undiagnosed infection for at least a month.  I’m on my second week of antibiotics and have spent a lot of time the last few days sickly and sleeping—both in my bed and in my reading chair.  Haven’t gotten much reading or much of anything else done, but I finally feel today as if I’m getting my feet back under me.  I wish I could say things will turn around and be spiffy from now on, but work will still be hellaciously busy when I get back to it, and there is the threat of medical procedures on the horizon, so I will probably remain distracted.

I’m thankful that my mom and I had such a lovely Thanksgiving with our friends, our family of choice, and I’m glad my mom is still with me this holiday season.  And I’m grateful for all my friends, online and off, and hoping things ease up soon.  I’m wishing for us all to have a peaceful, prosperous, and loving close to the year.

Tags:

 

Tue 26 Oct 2010

If you gotta go

Posted by PJ under quote of the day, travel, what the living do
No Comments

Random quote of the day:

“Since life is short and the world is wide, the sooner you start exploring it the better.  Soon enough the time will come when you are too tired to move farther than the terrace of the best hotel.  Go now.”

—Simon Raven, Travel: A Moral Primer

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Tags:

 

Mon 18 Oct 2010

One life to live

Posted by PJ under quote of the day, what the living do
No Comments

Random quote of the day:

“It’s a mistake to have only one life.”

—Dennis Miller Bunker, letter to Isabella Stewart Gardner, 1890

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Tags:

 

Tue 10 Aug 2010

Occasions of note

Posted by PJ under birthdays, death, quote of the day, what the living do
No Comments

Random quote of the day:

“In life one has to go to the funerals of the people we like and the birthdays of those we don’t.”

—Wieslaw Brudzinski, quoted in Geary’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Aphorists

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Tags:

 

« Previous Page