Flavor of the Week

On my iTunes:

I found my iPod and want to load it up with podcasts that will help me focus more on work.

Book on my nightstand:

I finished reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, and I loved it!

Now I’m reading The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.

Ms. Didion recorded her journey through grief in this book which she wrote a year after her husband suddenly died from a heart attack. This will be the first book that I’ve attempted to read about grief since Jarrett died and I’m nervous about what it may unveil within me. But, I’ve realized that I need find ways to understand my grief, and I think this book may be a helpful tool.

Drink in my cup:

I have decided to attempt making my own Kombucha (fermented tea). I’ve heard and read the praises of many people who have felt the health benefits of Kombucha, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

Latest add to my Google Reader:

So, this is not the newest addition to my must-read blogs, it’s actually one of the first blogs I ever fell in love with (aka, became addicited to).

Adorable banner LJC created for her blog.

If you like things such as DYI projects, crafting, photography/design, gardening/home-improvement projects and cuteness, then you must check out LJCFYI.

Tags: Flavor of the week, Reading

Flavor of the week:

On my iTunes:

I've heard the way to devour this book is to listen to the author's audio recording

My wonderful business coach is letting me borrow her extra ipod so I can listen to this book that several people have recommended to me lately.

Book on my nightstand:

I’m still reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, but I also started The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women for an online bookclub.

Secret #1: Blog about reading book, instead of actually reading book

Because I had such a hard time finding and ordering the book, I’m already two weeks behind. I’m hoping that one of the secrets is about missing deadlines.

Drink in my cup:

My new favorite drink came to me by way of my new favorite bartender, Christine at Zuppa’s on 18th Street. She makes me this amazing drink that consists of: coffee, Frangelico, Bailey’s and Kahlua. It is heaven, liquefied, warmed and placed in a mug.

Latest add to my Google Reader:

.this is it.

I just found this blog today, and I am in love. Simple & raw, her writings easily cover topics I spend hours trying to make sense of in my journals.

Biggest Adventure:

Trying to meet all the deadlines I’ve set for myself this week. Maybe I was too ambitious?

Sweetest Moment:

Playing with a certain friend’s new dog! Once I have parental permission, I will post pics here.

Tags: Flavor of the week, Reading, the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society

No Stinkin’ Boys Allowed!

Ladies,

It’s time for another book club gathering! This time we will be discussing the second section of Eat, Pray, Love - so, that would be the “Pray” part. Even if you didn’t make it to our last meeting, feel free to join us for this one.

Eay Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I will provide plenty of Mimosas and coffee, but am asking everyone to bring something yummy to share for brunch and 1 discussion question/point.

Feel free to invite other friends - just no stinkin’ boyz!

Date: Saturday, 12/13

Time: 11:00 am

Where: My house in Church Hill (email if you need directions)

Tags: book club, girls only, Reading

Announcement (or reminder?) - Girls Only Book Club

Hi Ladies,

I have been wanting to start a girls only book club for a couple of years, and it is finally happening (thanks to to some strong encouragement from my neighbor). Our first book has been a popular read over the past year - Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love.

We are going to meet on Sept. 6th around 6:30pm in Church Hill to discuss the first section of the book. We will also have an Italian dinner and drink yummy wine. I think we could do a potluck style dinner and also do some cooking together.

So - get the book, read the first section (Eat), and think of yummy food & drink we can share with each other!

Tags: Reading

Anne Lamott Interview

I have a few friends who are new fans of Anne Lamott….and I have a few that have loved her for years. I found this video of an interview she did last year at the 2007 Writer’s Symposium by the Sea.

Conversation with Anne Lamott

Tags: From another, Reading, Spirituality, Writing

An empty spirit, not an empty stomach

After dinner at last week’s potluck, a few of us gathered in the great room on the cozy red couch and chair to sit under the breeze of the fan and chat. Our conversation eventually revolved around Anne Lamott. Some of us just recently discovered Anne Lamott, while others have been avid readers for years, but we have all fallen in love with her authenticity and beautiful story telling. One by one we shared pieces of our favorite stories. My friend Sarah talked about how she was touched by Anne Lamott’s story of recovery from an eating disorder, which involved reaching out for help, learning to recognize hunger/emptiness and learning how to feed herself.

I had read the same story a few years ago, but now, I can relate to it on a whole new level as I realize that I’ve been trying to comfort myself with food over the past year. I have rarely considered myself an emotional eater. Until recently.

Feeling a little blue? Well, have some ice cream, a glass of wine, and a jar of Nutella. Then you’ll feel better.

I don’t know why I ever fell for that trick. Or even worse, why do I continue to fall for it. It doesn’t make the pain go away, in fact, it usually leaves me with a tummy ache or a hangover. So, I’ve decided that I’m done with that. I want to go back to the way I use to view food - as nourishment, as energy and as a opportunity to share life with others. I want to only feed my stomach food when it is empty. And more importantly I want to take Anne’s story of recovery and learn how to nourish my soul when it is on empty. Instead of reaching for a yummy desert when I feel scared, lonely and empty, I want to reach out for help, learn to recognize hunger/emptiness and learn how to feed myself.

“I live in the nourishment of food and the sun and the warmth of the people who love me.”

From My Secret Body, Anne Lamott

I have to admit its a big step for me to even consider something like this. Grief is a strange emotion, and I know most people experience it differently. For me, it has been a great struggle to want to do something healthy for myself or take care of myself. I’m sure that I will still falter because there is only a tiny part of me that even thinks that overcoming this unhealthy pattern I’ve developed is important, but I must try.

Tags: From another, Healthy Living, Reading

Poetry Lovers?

I’m wondering how many poetry fans are out there. Especially, how many of you would be interested in a Wine & Poetry Night? Are we comfortable enough with each other to read our favorite poems with each other…..or, if not, are we comfortable enough to get together and drink all the wine necessary for us to share our favorite poems with each other? I’d like to think this could be an experience that leaves us inspired and refreshed….not weirded out. What do you think?

Tags: Friends, Reading, Writing

Under the Rose

Jealous of my VP’s extensive vocabulary, a co-worker & I signed up to receive “Word of the Day” emails. One of my words over the weekend was sub rosa which is a new phrase to me, but truly captures my circle of friends. Meaning secretly or privately, sub rosa comes from Latin, literally “under the rose”. From my Word-A-Day, I learned that the rose had a strong association with confidentiality in ancient times. The ceilings of Roman banquet-rooms were decorated with roses to remind guests that what was spoken sub vino (under the influence of wine) was also sub rosa.

Sub vino. Sub rosa. How perfectly that describes the level of trust among my friends. We welcome each other into our homes for sharing of wine and life. We trust each other with all the hopes, dreams, fears, silliness, sadness and happiness that may happen to come out after a couple of glasses of wine. We trust that all of our thoughts and feelings are welcomed, valid and sub rosa.

On another note, I think Sub Rosa sounds like a great name (or at least serve as inspiration) for the girls only book club I mentioned starting 100 years ago…..

Tags: Friends, From another, Reading

Anne Lamott…TONIGHT!!!

For months I have been waiting for this day to come!  Tonight I get to hear one of my favorite story tellers, Anne Lamott, share stories of her life and some wisdom about the writing life.

If you are interested in going, call University of Richmond’s box office to see if space is available for this free and fabulous event.

Tags: Celebrities, Reading, Writing

Found Poems, in my mailbox

Yesterday I received a small, unexpected package in the mail.  I was confused to see the return address was for Annie Dillard.  The only Annie Dillard I know is “Annie Dillard the author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and other fabulous things”.  And, by know I mean I know of her.  I have been reading her writings since I was 14 or 15 years old. I can easily remember the first essay I read by Annie Dillard – it was a sunny afternoon at MACC practice with my friends and Mrs. Wood, one of the most influential teachers I have ever had.  I still feel excitement as I think about the incredible details and descriptions we poured ourselves over that afternoon.  Flooded with those memories, I quickly opened the package to find Mornings Like This, Found Poems, by Annie Dillard, a book that has been sitting on my Amazon Wish List.  Inside, I found a short note saying, “For Alicia Farrell, From Annie Dillard”.  I have no idea why or how Annie Dillard sent me this book, but I am grateful for the gift.  I am grateful for the memories it has brought to the front of my mind, memories that inspire me to be creative and give myself to the writing life.

Tags: Art Heals, Celebrities, Reading, Writing

A friendly reminder

Just wanting to remind all Anne Lamott fans that she is coming to Richmond this spring!

Tags: Art Heals, Celebrities, Reading, Spirituality, Writing

Magic & Sickness

Today was my first day at work since before Christmas.  I’m very surprised that I was able to stay awake all day and that the work day went by quickly.  After work I went to Barnes & Noble to spend a holiday gift card (got a book of short stories and a book about jewelry making).  Bookstores are magical to me.  I can spend hours just walking around, browsing and adding books to my “To Read” list.

However, going to big store like Barnes & Noble now has a eery feeling to it as well.  It wasn’t until after I got my tea and walked by the Virginia section that I remembered there have been some books published about April 16th.  It is unreal to me that I can walk into a bookstore and read a biography about Jarrett, a biography written by a complete stranger.  Also, that I would have to pay money to take it with me and read about my brother.  Not saying that I want the book, just that it seems weird/wrong that people are paying money to learn about my brother’s life…..even dirtier and sickening….that people who never knew him are making money from his death.

Tags: Insanity, Reading

Anne Lamott

One of my all-time favorite authors is Anne Lamott. She is one of the best story-tellers I have come across. Her stories speak the truth, beauty and pain of being a human trying to live with other humans while seeking a connection with God/Goddess. Her strength to be honest often leaves me daydreaming of the true, authentic life. I remember the evening when I devoured her book on writing, Bird by Bird, and felt the connection between her words and my creative spirit. They were warm, comforting and encouraging words that we expect to hear from our mothers. Yet, they were also the words that taught me “shitty first drafts”.

With that being said, you can understand my excitement in learning that Anne Lamott is coming to Richmond! She will be giving a lecture in early March. I know that is several months away, but you need to understand, this is ANNE LAMOTT!!!!!!! I will barely be able to sleep from now till March 5th.

Here are some details I received in an email:

Save the date!

The Sylvester Lecture: Faith, Writing, and Life Connections; An Evening
with Anne Lamott

Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 7:00 pm

The Office of the Chaplaincy at the University of Richmond will host
Anne Lamott Wednesday March 5. The event is FREE and open to the
public. Tickets will be made available through the Modlin Center Box
Office BEGINNING FEB. 11, 2008. If you need more information about the
event itself before Feb. 11, please contact Josh Dickerson in The Office
of the Chaplaincy at (804) 289-8500.

Anne Lamott is the author of six novels including, Hard Laughter,
Rosie, Joe Jones, All New People, and Crooked Little Heart (the sequel
to Rosie), as well as four bestselling books of nonfiction, Operating
Instructions, an account of life as a single mother during her son’s
first year and Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, a
guide to writing and the challenges of a writer’s life, Traveling
Mercies, a collection of autobiographical essays on faith, and Plan B:
Further Thoughts on Faith. She has been honored with a Guggenheim
Fellowship, and has taught at UC Davis, as well as at writing
conferences across the country. Lamott’s biweekly Salon Magazine
online diary; Word by Word, was voted The Best of the Web by TIME
magazine. Filmmaker Freida Mock (who won an Academy Award for her
documentary on Maya Lin) has made a documentary on Lamott, entitled
Bird by Bird with Annie (1999). Anne Lamott’s next essay collection is
entitled Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith (March 2007).

Tags: Life, Reading, Spirituality, Writing

One of the better ideas I’ve heard

Dan just read this to me from the Simple Way’s website:

“Try reading only female writers for a year (since many of our problems seem to be stemming from men).”

I’d love to see any of my male friends commit to this, if even just for 3-4 months.

Tags: Reading, Spirituality

Anniversary

Today we celebrate five years of marriage. The day started by Dan waking up, jumping out of bed, running downstairs, running back upstairs, and giving me a present!

I love Audrey Hepburn and this is the most amazing book I’ve ever seen about her. It includes copies of personal letters and scripts. An Audrey quote on the back cover speaks to our marriage:

“Only simplicity and the truth count. It has to come from inside. You can’t fake it.”

After Dan gave me my present, he held me and we talked some of the lies we were told about marriage before we got married. We laid there with a peace, a beauty, and a love that is much different than what I thought I would experience in marriage, it is rougher and dirtier than the fairy tales I was told. This is not Happily Ever After, but I would not trade it.

Happy Anniversary Danny! I promise the UPS man will deliver your present today!

Tags: Life, Reading