fair sophie

so far this has been a good month for books. my english course has a kick-ass reading list (sadly, the class itself is not so awesome), and i am actually reading for fun too.

so here's what i've been up to:
my antonia, willa cather -- i loved this. it was for class, but i would read it again in a heart beat. it made me feel all warm and happy.
the great gatsby, fitzgerald -- a re-read for class, but so good.
the grapes of wrath, steinbeck -- parts of this reminded me very strongly of michael pollan and barbara kingsolver. amazingly prescient, in terms of food security and industrial farming. i loved how important and strong ma joad is,  and the telescoping perspective, but this was not an easy read.
dubliners, joyce -- finally finished it. still need to figure out what i think of it. it made me cry in places, so that's probably a good thing.
mrs. dalloway, woolf -- another re-read. clarissa is so coming to my next dinner party.
their eyes were watching god, zora neale hurston -- the incredible beauty of some of her passages made me tingly and weepy. and i'm not weepy. (not that you can tell from this).
a whole whack of american modernist poetry, by various people, which i love. especially the hd.
"transnational america," randolph bourne -- very problematic essay for me. there seems to be a hole in the middle of it, where african-americans should be.
the english patient, michael ondaatje -- a re-read from when i was about 18. i love this book so much.

what i'm working on:
the omnivore's dilemma, michael pollan
the history of sexuality, michel foucault
native son, richard wright
shakespeare and the invention of the human, harold bloom
the bone people, keri hulme

i also have big plans to get through don quixote this summer, but then i had plans for that last summer too. and i have a bunch of history reading done, and to do, that is not worth mentioning.

 i always have a notebook with me, not because i am a brilliant writer and need to prepared for that zinging moment of inspiration, but rather because i am a mother, and i'm always writing down our phone number or someone else's so that my kids have some semblance of a social life. i carry at least 3 pens for the same reason. on a side note, i am delighted to realise that my daughters are far more popular with their peers than i ever was, but don't seem to have turned into the raging narcissists that i remember as the "popular kids" when i was that age.

i never have my cell phone with me. drives my husband crazy. and i don't wear makeup, so i don't have to lug that around either.

i once read a magazine article that suggested buying your wallet in a really bright colour, so that you could always find it in the dark recesses of your purse. i have to say, this works brilliantly. my wallet cost $5, and is bright red. it's the only one i've never lost.

i also have a little bag of necessities in my purse at all times. i am the person you know that always has hand cream, tampons, tylenol and a tissue for you to borrow. please don't return the tissue. people think that i am organised, but i am actually so far from together that i have to make sure that i carry all this stuff all the time, so it's there when i need it.

my latest thing is remembering to bring the reusable shopping bags with me when i go shopping. i can't keep them in the car, because there are 4 family vehicles that i might conceivably drive. so i have settled for keeping them in a large bag by the front door. doesn't help me when i go out the back door, but it's a start.

is it wrong to spend most of one's days thinking about and preparing food? because that is what my life has become.

my mother never planned our meals. but i hate that moment at about 3:30 when you realise that you have to decide on something for supper because it needs to be defrosted soon. i would rather know what i am going to make ahead of time, and spend that time pottering around my kitchen doing things instead of agonising about whether i have what i need. we eat fewer restaurant meals this way too.