Monday Mix Tape [the semi-regular edition]

i made you a mix tape of all my favorites from this past week!

The tag line is a lie.  This mix tape covers at least a month's time.
Of all of life's uncertainties, at least two things about me that I know to be true:


1.  Something in me rebels at the thought of being too predictable or consistent.
2.  I can only juggle one -- two, at the most -- compulsions at at time.  Which really isn't juggling at all, is it?


Right now, we're in full twirl celebrating the end of school and my oldest son's graduation from high school.  I've been spending most of my free time catching up his life scrapbook as a gift.  Well, that and getting the yard and house ready for a party.  That's a lot of work, yes, but what is most sapping my energy is the constant swinging back and forth from grief to relief on this crazy, emotional pendulum that is motherhood.


Still, a little bit of normal rhythm might be just the thing.  In that spirit, I offer you this post.


Books:


I'm finishing up Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis and diving into Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe for our IAM Reader's Guild gathering a week from today.  I feel like I've done a poor job keeping up with this reading and reviewing, but hopefully once we complete all the graduation festivities (also, have I mentioned that my husband turns 40 on Friday??)  I'll be able to settle into a lovely little reading and writing rhythm for summer.  One can always hope...


If you live in the area and want to join us for some great discussion about these two books, why don't you join us next Tuesday night? For the summer months, we're going to meet at my house to make good use of Brian's beautiful remodel of our back patio.


Tuesday, June 22, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
The Murphy's house, 106 Jefferson Ave., Endicott
RSVP to me: tmurphy@unioncenter.org
Bring your book, discussion guide and a snack or beverage to share!


Links:

• The KJV Effect at Books & Culture - reallllly interesting thoughts on American prose and the King James Bible.  It isn't very often that I look back on my KJV-only education with gratitude.  Reading this was one of those moments.

• Juxtaposition at Design for Mankind:  If anyone asked, I'd name this "How Lovely the Feet of Them" 

• The next time you need a hot conversation topic, pull up this link and let 'er rip:  Mickey of Nazareth

• Tyler Stanton.com: just for fun.  Found out about this guy on Donald Miller's blog.  He makes me laugh -- and gives me hope for my filmmaker/screenwriter/ridiculous-humoured sons' futures.  Want an example?

Tyler Stanton

Andrew Murphy, et al (aka Mustache Mayhem)







Art:

Is this art because it's an aesthetically-pleasing photograph or is it art because it depicts musicians at play or is it art because the story the photo tells is of lives making beauty in the midst of hardship?


Yes.


(Thanks to Culture Making and Hard Luck Blues: Images of the Forgotten for the photo by Dorthea Lange)




Poetry:


Lanyard by Billy Collins  (thank you, Andrea, for the link!)

Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Hear the poem read by the author here.