Saturday, November 30, 2013
Salt and Story
Dianne Hofmeyr spins tales of salt at The History Girls, and takes us to a number of different, fascinating times. Anyone in need of a plot bunny is advised to click through. So are any of you who just like language that takes you away.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thanksgiving
There have been several coy and a few pretty direct references at this blog lately, about the fact that I’ve been looking for a new job. This is something I’ve had to do at least (at most?) every three years in my life, and at three years, four months in my current job, perhaps it’s been overdue. Even working at the institution I do, there is always change, and this past summer I became concerned. I applied for a number of things internally, had that interview for a job I didn’t want, and reached out to past colleagues on LinkedIn.
Being stodgy and middle-aged, I tend to view social media with, let us call it, a certain skepticism (if not outright snobbery). But LinkedIn is handy for reaching out to people you’re not much in touch with, who can speak to your professional abilities. I did a lot of reaching out during late summer, when my “concern” was at its peak, but left it at a light routine for the most part.
(Perhaps to some extent I considered the power of social media to be a contradictory phrase, and so the whole thing was - in perhaps the same way it's "safe" still to be unpublished - a safe bet. Nothing could come of a note on LinkedIn, right?)
But ... HUH. One of the first people I reached out to, an HR professional I respect – and, indeed, like – a great deal, told me about a posting set to go up the very next day, and I applied for it. Got the phone screen, got the interview, but did not get the job. I forgot about it. Until, two months later, another recruiter from that firm reached out to me by email. “So and so told me to reach out to you.” I reached back that day, we had a phone screen that day, we set the interview for a convenient time ...
... and, while I was chatting with said professional in their lobby after two hours of interviews, they were leaving voice mails on my cell and at home, stating they were ready to make an offer. Seriously – I don’t believe I had left their building.
As one might guess: that offer has come to a profound change in my life, even though my initial concerns of this past summer have MONTHS-since resolved into a more generalized unsureness about what direction my career might take, leavened with vague hopes but little power and momentum leading to something specific. Let it be said: my management, from that internal interview (and before) have been supportive of me. They even provided opportunities to work on a Communications team for an executive I heartily adore. I have so much to be grateful for.
I truly thought this interview would turn out to be much like the internal one – “I’ll see the process through” – and I’d stay where I am. I’ve been at the current gig three and one third years, and (as with most every employer I’ve come to in the past thirteen years) had hopes of retiring from there. It’s taking a compelling situation to take me away, but taking me away it is. This opportunity involves a job I’ll get to create for myself, and at a level I haven’t occupied in a long time now.
I realize, typing this: I have missed the executive level. I work for executives now, of course – and I have the pride of being a public servant, as well. But the new opportunity puts me bang on top of Operations for a firm which: well, this HR professional whom I so appreciate and respect found worthwhile. If this person felt the place was worth their time, I have to think there is something *there*.
It is unreasonable, the extent to which I am blessed, and my gratitude I am incapable of truly conveying. There’s also a very great deal of fear – “WHAT HAVE I DONE!??” – and excitement. Let’s face it: the process by which this has come about has NOT been insulting. Someone I respect thinks highly of me. I was a little wooed. And, when it came time to make a decision, I realized something precious: there could be no really *bad* outcome for me. If I stayed where I am, I might have found a new path.
At the end of the day, though – that path wasn’t clear, and this one is. There are enough uncertainties and worries in my life, taking control of the means by which I live it – that thing we *call* a “living” itself – means a great deal to me.
Being stodgy and middle-aged, I tend to view social media with, let us call it, a certain skepticism (if not outright snobbery). But LinkedIn is handy for reaching out to people you’re not much in touch with, who can speak to your professional abilities. I did a lot of reaching out during late summer, when my “concern” was at its peak, but left it at a light routine for the most part.
(Perhaps to some extent I considered the power of social media to be a contradictory phrase, and so the whole thing was - in perhaps the same way it's "safe" still to be unpublished - a safe bet. Nothing could come of a note on LinkedIn, right?)
But ... HUH. One of the first people I reached out to, an HR professional I respect – and, indeed, like – a great deal, told me about a posting set to go up the very next day, and I applied for it. Got the phone screen, got the interview, but did not get the job. I forgot about it. Until, two months later, another recruiter from that firm reached out to me by email. “So and so told me to reach out to you.” I reached back that day, we had a phone screen that day, we set the interview for a convenient time ...
... and, while I was chatting with said professional in their lobby after two hours of interviews, they were leaving voice mails on my cell and at home, stating they were ready to make an offer. Seriously – I don’t believe I had left their building.
As one might guess: that offer has come to a profound change in my life, even though my initial concerns of this past summer have MONTHS-since resolved into a more generalized unsureness about what direction my career might take, leavened with vague hopes but little power and momentum leading to something specific. Let it be said: my management, from that internal interview (and before) have been supportive of me. They even provided opportunities to work on a Communications team for an executive I heartily adore. I have so much to be grateful for.
I truly thought this interview would turn out to be much like the internal one – “I’ll see the process through” – and I’d stay where I am. I’ve been at the current gig three and one third years, and (as with most every employer I’ve come to in the past thirteen years) had hopes of retiring from there. It’s taking a compelling situation to take me away, but taking me away it is. This opportunity involves a job I’ll get to create for myself, and at a level I haven’t occupied in a long time now.
I realize, typing this: I have missed the executive level. I work for executives now, of course – and I have the pride of being a public servant, as well. But the new opportunity puts me bang on top of Operations for a firm which: well, this HR professional whom I so appreciate and respect found worthwhile. If this person felt the place was worth their time, I have to think there is something *there*.
It is unreasonable, the extent to which I am blessed, and my gratitude I am incapable of truly conveying. There’s also a very great deal of fear – “WHAT HAVE I DONE!??” – and excitement. Let’s face it: the process by which this has come about has NOT been insulting. Someone I respect thinks highly of me. I was a little wooed. And, when it came time to make a decision, I realized something precious: there could be no really *bad* outcome for me. If I stayed where I am, I might have found a new path.
At the end of the day, though – that path wasn’t clear, and this one is. There are enough uncertainties and worries in my life, taking control of the means by which I live it – that thing we *call* a “living” itself – means a great deal to me.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Grape Pay
The question becomes: whose monkey do you want to be ... and ... do you want to carry the rocks for the guys who PAY in grapes?
It's an important question. Even when so many of us monkeys are told to make do with the grape stems.
It's an important question. Even when so many of us monkeys are told to make do with the grape stems.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Cover Design
Chip Kidd shared a delightful and engaging presentation on design at the Conference this year, and through the vagaries of Twitter, I've discovered Derek Murphy, whose blog promises to add to my list of regular hits. His focus is on indie authors, but the principles are sound, and I'm becoming intrigued by design.
With words, I have great facility, but graphics have never been my strong suit. As willing as I am to unlearn, I am also very much interested in learning. Enjoy the post above, and a look at a nice selection of strengths and weaknesses in composition, imagery, and overall design.
Also: I happen to know an author whose debut cover is simply fantastic. Now I have some ideas why!
With words, I have great facility, but graphics have never been my strong suit. As willing as I am to unlearn, I am also very much interested in learning. Enjoy the post above, and a look at a nice selection of strengths and weaknesses in composition, imagery, and overall design.
Also: I happen to know an author whose debut cover is simply fantastic. Now I have some ideas why!
That Which Does Not Kill Us ...
... does make us stronger.
I used to have a "that/which" problem. I'm willing and able to unlearn. I took positive glee in unlearning the dangling preposition "rule" (import), and now dangling prepositions are something up with which I will happily put. Because: ugh!
From Arrant Pedant, which is about to become my latest blog addiction, by way of Janet Reid.
I used to have a "that/which" problem. I'm willing and able to unlearn. I took positive glee in unlearning the dangling preposition "rule" (import), and now dangling prepositions are something up with which I will happily put. Because: ugh!
From Arrant Pedant, which is about to become my latest blog addiction, by way of Janet Reid.
What's Old is New Again ... and What's In Again Has Been In Longer Than You Knew ...
I was making a point at Absolute Write yesterday, that scandalous clothes, language (and even technology) weren’t all invented within the past hundred years, and this and a few other items have brought forth this post, on things I have been thinking about recently.
Two Nerdy History Girls has a nice piece on leopard print fashions of the 18th century, it’s a fun look at one of those periods in fashion which a certain quarter has *always* enjoyed deriding (even at the time – “macaroni” really wasn’t always intended to mean “my dears” ...). Yes, Virginia – leopard didn’t start with synthetics in the 1950s. And I have to say, in a currently-recurring theme I hope as dearly as any of you may will die a merciful death very soon, that “Nosegay Macaroni” would make a hilarious name for a band ...
As you might guess from the images of modern clothing above, I’m ruminating on new trends which reach back centuries – indeed, half a millennium now, and more.
The first photo above shows an edgy new blouse design. But slashing (or the paned sleeve) was particularly popular during the Tudor period in England, the fashion being to pull the linen of the tunic through the richer over-fabric.
The second image, the grey top, reminds me of dagging. Dagging, an even earlier innovation, became so popular it came with its own backlash, much like the macaroni above. Perhaps the most famous image of this fashion comes in the Arnolfini Portrait, the finely illustrative detail of which is shown here:
Dagging was another type of slashing; in which extravagant masses of fabric were artfully snipped to interesting flinders. This was often at the sleeves, which were for long ages were a focal point for fashion statement and expense (as, we can see from the first modern images, they still often are). Sleeves, though we forget it today, were one of the true innovations of human history. They seem obvious to us now, but for millennia, we were creatures of draping and few seams: think about how long humanity got on without any form of modern trousers! Same with the inset sleeve – though we did form arm-tubes for centuries, by cutting front-and-back pieces of cloth shaped to encase arms, the contemporary sleeve did not take the world by storm until just a few hundred years ago. Being such a singular item, naturally it provided opportunity to show off sophistication and wealth, as well as the body itself.
Another trend I have been seeing lately, which seems new and fresh if you don't know the silly things I do, goes back even farther than the sleeve.
Painted jewelry - currently most popular as embellishment on pointedly common items such as tees and thermal henleys, jeans, and even shoes – has become a meta-statement on lavish style (and yet, as noted below, these designs can be fairly pricey for what the garments actually are). Used on textiles and pieces not meant to herald outstanding occasions nor the physical value of gold, or even cloth-of-gold, and gemstones, the attitude is one of glamour by way of grunge. It seems to me, culturally, both to reflect the longing many of us have *for* exquisite show, and the rebellion too against what extreme wealth represents to most people. The layers within what we say in wearing knockoff-Chanel chain prints, or flocked or glass-beaded tees emblazoned with cartoon festoons of jewelry and even hardware are almost endless, given the complex relationships and attitudes we have to our economy, our taste for self-decoration, the level of awareness of what “fashion” means beyond the most current trends, and what simply flatters or appeals to us ... these layers are more fascinating than the simple choice of a tee to wear on a Saturday.
The contrast of exuberant design with ordinary material is taken even further with the neverending fad of "sublimation" - what my dad used to call "expensively flawed" (an item created to feature its own imperfections - and sublimation prints intentionally include voids in their design, caused by creases in fabric laid down for a flat-stamp print). I have hated sublimation prints since the beginning, and dearly hope that this "trend" (long since no longer a trend, actually) will die an unmerciful death very soon now.
Anyway. Printed jewelry - to wit:
It may be of interest that (well, it is to me, and this is my blog) ... in fact, these pieces were once worn in secret layers. There is a passage in The Ax and the Vase in which Queen Clotilde, in penance, fasts and eschews wearing jewels. She has undergarments painted with faux necklaces of crosses, the only form of adornment she will wear. The point of these un-displayed decorations was to adorn a statement of faith: these are not for show, and are worn next to the heart.
The very strong resurgence of this style for outerwear has interesting echoes, as the ancient and antique forms of faux jewels were rendered with purposes much like (my character – not the historical Saint) Clotilde’s. Hidden decoration worn next to the skin, covered by outer garments and unseen, was not uncommon for holy women in particular, even before the period of Catholicism and the Christianity we would recognize today. These garments have been found amongst grave goods, and, if I recall, were attested to in the record as well. This inspired this piece of my story, so rooted both in the formation of Catholicism, but also the volatile and passionate relationship of the particular king and queen who helped to guide this very formation.
A curious side note: many of these designs explicitly echo modern tattoo design. Ed Hardy became one of the most popular brands for the uber-hip during the 2000s, but his start was as a tattoo artist. Tattoos sometimes being for display - sometimes not - and more often than not, representing something deeply personal/important/intimate/spiritual/emotional for a wearer, this is a fascinating evolution of expression.
The sinuous lines of Hardy's more vintage-inspired designs hark back to the sort of trompe l’oiel garments I’m mentioning here, but also to actual jewels and textile embellishments – gold, embroidery, beading, swagging, and the voluptuous expressions of conspicuous consumption we alternately embrace and then revile, and always have through the history of human fashion (... and politics ...). The look evokes richness – and, indeed, Hardy’s prices are hardly discount – even as the designs are rendered on decidedly egalitarian pieces. More layers: and what has the message become, when the flouting of signifiers of wealth curves back and is expressed in ... designer wear, which (though it is nothing of the kinds) is intended to convey exclusivity and fashion snobbery ... ???
Two Nerdy History Girls has a nice piece on leopard print fashions of the 18th century, it’s a fun look at one of those periods in fashion which a certain quarter has *always* enjoyed deriding (even at the time – “macaroni” really wasn’t always intended to mean “my dears” ...). Yes, Virginia – leopard didn’t start with synthetics in the 1950s. And I have to say, in a currently-recurring theme I hope as dearly as any of you may will die a merciful death very soon, that “Nosegay Macaroni” would make a hilarious name for a band ...
As you might guess from the images of modern clothing above, I’m ruminating on new trends which reach back centuries – indeed, half a millennium now, and more.
The first photo above shows an edgy new blouse design. But slashing (or the paned sleeve) was particularly popular during the Tudor period in England, the fashion being to pull the linen of the tunic through the richer over-fabric.
The second image, the grey top, reminds me of dagging. Dagging, an even earlier innovation, became so popular it came with its own backlash, much like the macaroni above. Perhaps the most famous image of this fashion comes in the Arnolfini Portrait, the finely illustrative detail of which is shown here:
 |
| Image: Wikipedia |
Dagging was another type of slashing; in which extravagant masses of fabric were artfully snipped to interesting flinders. This was often at the sleeves, which were for long ages were a focal point for fashion statement and expense (as, we can see from the first modern images, they still often are). Sleeves, though we forget it today, were one of the true innovations of human history. They seem obvious to us now, but for millennia, we were creatures of draping and few seams: think about how long humanity got on without any form of modern trousers! Same with the inset sleeve – though we did form arm-tubes for centuries, by cutting front-and-back pieces of cloth shaped to encase arms, the contemporary sleeve did not take the world by storm until just a few hundred years ago. Being such a singular item, naturally it provided opportunity to show off sophistication and wealth, as well as the body itself.
Another trend I have been seeing lately, which seems new and fresh if you don't know the silly things I do, goes back even farther than the sleeve.
Painted jewelry - currently most popular as embellishment on pointedly common items such as tees and thermal henleys, jeans, and even shoes – has become a meta-statement on lavish style (and yet, as noted below, these designs can be fairly pricey for what the garments actually are). Used on textiles and pieces not meant to herald outstanding occasions nor the physical value of gold, or even cloth-of-gold, and gemstones, the attitude is one of glamour by way of grunge. It seems to me, culturally, both to reflect the longing many of us have *for* exquisite show, and the rebellion too against what extreme wealth represents to most people. The layers within what we say in wearing knockoff-Chanel chain prints, or flocked or glass-beaded tees emblazoned with cartoon festoons of jewelry and even hardware are almost endless, given the complex relationships and attitudes we have to our economy, our taste for self-decoration, the level of awareness of what “fashion” means beyond the most current trends, and what simply flatters or appeals to us ... these layers are more fascinating than the simple choice of a tee to wear on a Saturday.
The contrast of exuberant design with ordinary material is taken even further with the neverending fad of "sublimation" - what my dad used to call "expensively flawed" (an item created to feature its own imperfections - and sublimation prints intentionally include voids in their design, caused by creases in fabric laid down for a flat-stamp print). I have hated sublimation prints since the beginning, and dearly hope that this "trend" (long since no longer a trend, actually) will die an unmerciful death very soon now.
Anyway. Printed jewelry - to wit:
It may be of interest that (well, it is to me, and this is my blog) ... in fact, these pieces were once worn in secret layers. There is a passage in The Ax and the Vase in which Queen Clotilde, in penance, fasts and eschews wearing jewels. She has undergarments painted with faux necklaces of crosses, the only form of adornment she will wear. The point of these un-displayed decorations was to adorn a statement of faith: these are not for show, and are worn next to the heart.
The very strong resurgence of this style for outerwear has interesting echoes, as the ancient and antique forms of faux jewels were rendered with purposes much like (my character – not the historical Saint) Clotilde’s. Hidden decoration worn next to the skin, covered by outer garments and unseen, was not uncommon for holy women in particular, even before the period of Catholicism and the Christianity we would recognize today. These garments have been found amongst grave goods, and, if I recall, were attested to in the record as well. This inspired this piece of my story, so rooted both in the formation of Catholicism, but also the volatile and passionate relationship of the particular king and queen who helped to guide this very formation.
A curious side note: many of these designs explicitly echo modern tattoo design. Ed Hardy became one of the most popular brands for the uber-hip during the 2000s, but his start was as a tattoo artist. Tattoos sometimes being for display - sometimes not - and more often than not, representing something deeply personal/important/intimate/spiritual/emotional for a wearer, this is a fascinating evolution of expression.
The sinuous lines of Hardy's more vintage-inspired designs hark back to the sort of trompe l’oiel garments I’m mentioning here, but also to actual jewels and textile embellishments – gold, embroidery, beading, swagging, and the voluptuous expressions of conspicuous consumption we alternately embrace and then revile, and always have through the history of human fashion (... and politics ...). The look evokes richness – and, indeed, Hardy’s prices are hardly discount – even as the designs are rendered on decidedly egalitarian pieces. More layers: and what has the message become, when the flouting of signifiers of wealth curves back and is expressed in ... designer wear, which (though it is nothing of the kinds) is intended to convey exclusivity and fashion snobbery ... ???
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Collection
History, hirsute-ory, and The Beards of Gravitas (which, Dave Barry style, would totally make a great name for a band). A highly entertaining and informative post about beards, from A. L. Berridge.
Leila and the Dream Smashers (also a great band name) - a post about all those wonderful and supportive people who "help" others by deconstructing any hope of success ... not just for writers, but certainly a phenomenon most of us have probably run into. Ahh, the useful negativity of ignorance.
Beloved Ex (a.k.a. The Nordic G-d) and I were emailing this week, and I hope he takes a look at this blog and finds this link. A marvelous variety, and absolute beauty - vintage images of Norway. Courtesy, once again, The Passion of Former Days.
Given my penchant for sword nerdlery, I had to love Anthony Riches' latest swordid post. Yay!
It's likely that anyone reading much around here has seen Thomas Rowlandson's work at some point - though, perhaps, I don't have enough U. K. readers to know many of them will see this exhibit of Rowlandson's work; oddly, first collected by one of his most visible targets, the Prince Regent (George IV). Still worth a good look - for those interested in the humor, in the politics, in the technique and the art ... History Extra has collected a good many images for the post linked above, clickable for a look at the detail.
Greed. War. Looting. And the right of conquest. *Shudder* I don't want to comment on this piece, except to note that it is an intriguing contemporary story reaching back to WWII and into many pockets, personal and cultural. As always, The History Blog is written very well. Also: sigh.
Finally, HB also has a good piece on the opening of that sarcophagus at Lincoln, which dates to the century pre-Conquest.
Leila and the Dream Smashers (also a great band name) - a post about all those wonderful and supportive people who "help" others by deconstructing any hope of success ... not just for writers, but certainly a phenomenon most of us have probably run into. Ahh, the useful negativity of ignorance.
Beloved Ex (a.k.a. The Nordic G-d) and I were emailing this week, and I hope he takes a look at this blog and finds this link. A marvelous variety, and absolute beauty - vintage images of Norway. Courtesy, once again, The Passion of Former Days.
Given my penchant for sword nerdlery, I had to love Anthony Riches' latest swordid post. Yay!
It's likely that anyone reading much around here has seen Thomas Rowlandson's work at some point - though, perhaps, I don't have enough U. K. readers to know many of them will see this exhibit of Rowlandson's work; oddly, first collected by one of his most visible targets, the Prince Regent (George IV). Still worth a good look - for those interested in the humor, in the politics, in the technique and the art ... History Extra has collected a good many images for the post linked above, clickable for a look at the detail.
Greed. War. Looting. And the right of conquest. *Shudder* I don't want to comment on this piece, except to note that it is an intriguing contemporary story reaching back to WWII and into many pockets, personal and cultural. As always, The History Blog is written very well. Also: sigh.
Finally, HB also has a good piece on the opening of that sarcophagus at Lincoln, which dates to the century pre-Conquest.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
In Praise of the Book
This is a video about so much more than book binding ... but it is a wonderful look at book binding, indeed.
Courtesy of Janet Reid's blog, which is filled with excellent advice for authors, and delicious things like this.
... and here, we have a piece on something a little more than book lending, too. Have you ever heard of the Little Free Library? I hadn't either, but am so tickled that a friend of mine at work shared this. This is one of those neat little internet things I would seriously love to bring into my real world. I lean toward the Amish ones, but the Little Cedar houses are BEAUTIFUL ...
(Thanks to Justin S. on Twitter, for this little addition to the LFL info!)
Courtesy of Janet Reid's blog, which is filled with excellent advice for authors, and delicious things like this.
... and here, we have a piece on something a little more than book lending, too. Have you ever heard of the Little Free Library? I hadn't either, but am so tickled that a friend of mine at work shared this. This is one of those neat little internet things I would seriously love to bring into my real world. I lean toward the Amish ones, but the Little Cedar houses are BEAUTIFUL ...
(Thanks to Justin S. on Twitter, for this little addition to the LFL info!)
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Food Chain Coming Home
The late, great Smike the Destroyer, one of the nicer cats who ever stalked this Earth ... and stalked his share of prey, has made me think from time to time about the pernicious toll the species has taken in various ecosystems. Here is the story of a hawk ... and a starling ... oh, and yes. A cat.
(Cats on Teh Intarwebs. But not in the usual way!)
(Cats on Teh Intarwebs. But not in the usual way!)
Collection - Primary Sources
Quad City Pat, another friend of mine on Twitter, a man who dedicates his life to fighting the exploitation of children – and to fathering his own – shared a pair of letters from his grandfather, for Veterans Day. The voice here is funny, vivid, and loving – and, as sources go for not only research, but for instruction in the tone of a character, and voice, these two short missives are an amazing resource for anyone working in the WWII period.
At The History Girls, H. M. Castor juxtaposes three stories. First, she takes a personal look at one piece of a book, an original of which is up for auction in London. Do you know what a “crawler” was ... ? A harrowing definition, and a remarkable image, from Victorian England. (We think of weakening eyesight as an irritation or a joke. Imagine what life must have been like for someone to whom it meant the loss of livelihood.) And don’t imagine this kind of desperation is a thing of the past ...
Second, Castor reminds us of this: most of the soldiers of WWI (and, for that matter, most soldiers throughout history and the world) lived lives without privilege or prestige. The rank and file do not go to war for glory. They go to make a living. And, so often, they serve us with their lives. How many of us bargain with our bodies, our wellbeing, in order just to make a living?
And, finally, a contemporary thought on “easy meat”: “park your conscience at the door.” Castor’s post is an excellent look at the juxtaposition of three periods in British history, in our history – in the economy ... and the world.
For a lighter (or, at least, easier – it’s certainly bold visually) look at the past, even before the explosion of aniline dyes in 1856, even in the 1830s we can see a brilliance which belies the pastel watercolor images we seem to cherish of “The Past”. Take a look at two fuschia dresses, one in satin, from the early Victorian period; the other in pineapple fiber cloth (!!) from Manila, and sporting the latest of those mid-century innovative chemical dyes. It gets me thinking all over again about the resource toll humanity takes on the Earth, merely to cover ourselves.
At The History Girls, H. M. Castor juxtaposes three stories. First, she takes a personal look at one piece of a book, an original of which is up for auction in London. Do you know what a “crawler” was ... ? A harrowing definition, and a remarkable image, from Victorian England. (We think of weakening eyesight as an irritation or a joke. Imagine what life must have been like for someone to whom it meant the loss of livelihood.) And don’t imagine this kind of desperation is a thing of the past ...
Second, Castor reminds us of this: most of the soldiers of WWI (and, for that matter, most soldiers throughout history and the world) lived lives without privilege or prestige. The rank and file do not go to war for glory. They go to make a living. And, so often, they serve us with their lives. How many of us bargain with our bodies, our wellbeing, in order just to make a living?
And, finally, a contemporary thought on “easy meat”: “park your conscience at the door.” Castor’s post is an excellent look at the juxtaposition of three periods in British history, in our history – in the economy ... and the world.
For a lighter (or, at least, easier – it’s certainly bold visually) look at the past, even before the explosion of aniline dyes in 1856, even in the 1830s we can see a brilliance which belies the pastel watercolor images we seem to cherish of “The Past”. Take a look at two fuschia dresses, one in satin, from the early Victorian period; the other in pineapple fiber cloth (!!) from Manila, and sporting the latest of those mid-century innovative chemical dyes. It gets me thinking all over again about the resource toll humanity takes on the Earth, merely to cover ourselves.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Tracking
Word count yesterday - 135k+
Word count at the start of today - 134,500+ (down about 1k)
Word count at close of today - 134,075
(All counts include Author's Note - 7,734 words ... so, really - 126,341)
Word count at the start of today - 134,500+ (down about 1k)
Word count at close of today - 134,075
(All counts include Author's Note - 7,734 words ... so, really - 126,341)
11/11
Nobody could be less relevant to the reasons we observe Veterans' Day (or Remembrance Day) than I, and so this post is not about to go on about The Importance of This Day. Mine is not the voice to speak on that, though I am grateful to those who choose to serve. And, today, I have observed and remembered those who have sacrificed.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Collection
A "glorious seventeen-minute Thompson Twins dance remix of a house" at Jeff Sypeck's blog. Hee.
The Passion of Former Days features The Photographer's Cat and Autochromes of Nature (lots of them - a remarkable variety, as Passion often offers).
And now, a look at the modern work week and how much longer it is than the toilsome days of a medieval peasant. Le Sigh.
The Passion of Former Days features The Photographer's Cat and Autochromes of Nature (lots of them - a remarkable variety, as Passion often offers).
And now, a look at the modern work week and how much longer it is than the toilsome days of a medieval peasant. Le Sigh.
Junkyard Blogging
My Twitter friend Mark continues to be spiritually articulate and wonderful. "It took cancer for me to believe" and "These are my problems. I like them."
Because he wants to know, I'll say this here and finally, having not wanted to do so before. This post was hard to read. It made me feel bad. It made me think, "My BODY is not your bet with G-d." It bothered me a little bit, but for a surprisingly long time - like, a couple of weeks, before I put it away and decided to say nothing. My body is G-d's chief gift to me. It's not a joke, and it's not a metaphor. It is mine. And it is far more than the sum of two of its softer parts. Those parts come with so much that is not soft.
And Mark, I respect you to pieces for the way you work through your questions, and like you more the longer I "know" you - your honesty is pretty amazing.
Because he wants to know, I'll say this here and finally, having not wanted to do so before. This post was hard to read. It made me feel bad. It made me think, "My BODY is not your bet with G-d." It bothered me a little bit, but for a surprisingly long time - like, a couple of weeks, before I put it away and decided to say nothing. My body is G-d's chief gift to me. It's not a joke, and it's not a metaphor. It is mine. And it is far more than the sum of two of its softer parts. Those parts come with so much that is not soft.
And Mark, I respect you to pieces for the way you work through your questions, and like you more the longer I "know" you - your honesty is pretty amazing.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Long Weekend
Last night, a friend and I got together and went to a community event to open the holiday season, in which many of the wonderful shops and our farmer's market opened for the evening. I found a few little things for my family, and spent my money LOCALLY, which was really fun. It was a happy accident, too, so a bonus enjoyable evening with someone I really like.
Sunday, we'll get together again, with another friend (and, perhaps, her daughter, who is delightful) and have movie and junk food night. Yay!!!
Tonight, I think there's a chance I'll motivate and go out dancing.
In between these things, the major plan for the weekend is to work on the revisions and to get the INTERVIEW done, too, to send to the agent I met at the Conference, who was so delightful herself. But the bulk has to be: The Ax and the Vase. So here I go, off to clean the house, which is step one to clearing the decks for tomorrow and Monday to be devoted to the writing.
Sunday, we'll get together again, with another friend (and, perhaps, her daughter, who is delightful) and have movie and junk food night. Yay!!!
Tonight, I think there's a chance I'll motivate and go out dancing.
In between these things, the major plan for the weekend is to work on the revisions and to get the INTERVIEW done, too, to send to the agent I met at the Conference, who was so delightful herself. But the bulk has to be: The Ax and the Vase. So here I go, off to clean the house, which is step one to clearing the decks for tomorrow and Monday to be devoted to the writing.
Work
The recent interview and a good deal of thought about twenty-seven years as a secretary have been part of an evolution I never asked for but have tried to give honest and serious consideration. One of the things I said to my bosses when I told them about taking an interview with another group, and posting for other jobs, was that as much pride as I take in my work, even our own conversations have illustrated a possible truth, which is that ... I don't know whether an admin career honestly has legs. I look around me at the women who have been doing what I do for even longer, and I don't know - I don't trust - that I will have the option to keep doing this, to follow the same road for another twenty (or thirty) years, to retire as an admin.
We'll see what happens with the interview, of course (it was for an admin position), but my instinct is that I would not be a personality fit for one of the key parties - and that is no-harm/no-foul as far as I am concerned. It is to be hoped I have other options.
For instance ... I've long said that what I do is relationship management, is project management, is communications. Two communications positions have come open, and I have applied for both now. One of my longstanding professional references is a senior VP of Communications from a previous company. Presently, I have a friend and colleague, a longtime communications professional, who is very much behind me (indeed, at the behest of my current management, she has me working with her as a sideline to my regular duties). I'm a writer, for pete's sake. And for eighteen years, a large part of my work has been communications: newsletters, informative and even marketing materials of all kinds, community outreach and special projects, and writing for audiences of varied types and sizes. I've been doing this for a paycheck, and for most of the people I know, for as long as I can remember.
I'm aware, of course, that as job security goes exchanging one field The Higher Ups sometimes consider extraneous overhead, for a runner-up in the same category (admins go first, then marketing, and communications too) may seem stupid - but the extent to which I've thought about this still makes the option seem worthwhile. It's not helpful to get *too* far ahead of reality when speculating about job INsecurity.
If need be, I can always edit.
We'll see what happens with the interview, of course (it was for an admin position), but my instinct is that I would not be a personality fit for one of the key parties - and that is no-harm/no-foul as far as I am concerned. It is to be hoped I have other options.
For instance ... I've long said that what I do is relationship management, is project management, is communications. Two communications positions have come open, and I have applied for both now. One of my longstanding professional references is a senior VP of Communications from a previous company. Presently, I have a friend and colleague, a longtime communications professional, who is very much behind me (indeed, at the behest of my current management, she has me working with her as a sideline to my regular duties). I'm a writer, for pete's sake. And for eighteen years, a large part of my work has been communications: newsletters, informative and even marketing materials of all kinds, community outreach and special projects, and writing for audiences of varied types and sizes. I've been doing this for a paycheck, and for most of the people I know, for as long as I can remember.
I'm aware, of course, that as job security goes exchanging one field The Higher Ups sometimes consider extraneous overhead, for a runner-up in the same category (admins go first, then marketing, and communications too) may seem stupid - but the extent to which I've thought about this still makes the option seem worthwhile. It's not helpful to get *too* far ahead of reality when speculating about job INsecurity.
If need be, I can always edit.
Gratitude
One of the people I care about is a woman who lost her livelihood for nearly two years, and finally had to put her home on the market and take a temporary job in another city. She has been in my prayers all this time, and is a woman of much grace, strength - and, I have just learned, profound gratitude. She was telling about someone else she knows, who has it even harder than she does, and she said these words: "I have so much."
Laughter is fine stuff.
But gratitude is the best medicine. I am in awe of her, she is one of the finest people I know - and STILL very much in my prayers. And she still feels blessed.
Laughter is fine stuff.
But gratitude is the best medicine. I am in awe of her, she is one of the finest people I know - and STILL very much in my prayers. And she still feels blessed.
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