Category: .Books & Art.

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BookCrossing – What is This?

Hello! 

I am obsessed with books and reading. And when I hear about something new book-related I am all ears. I first heard about BookCrossing and that a group of people meets every month on the second Friday usually at a bar/restaurant in Coburg, when the librarian in Rödental told me about it. I knew about these meetings for quite a while but for some reason I was never able to attend a meeting but thankfully I could do so in December as well as yesterday. The BookCrossing group usually meets at 6pm at the Hungry Highlander Restaurant in Coburg.   

What is BookCrossing? 

It is a social networking website for books that you don’t want to keep anymore or read again to get a new identity or a new life in a way. The great part about it is, that these books are registered, passed on to other readers and can be tracked which is a good way to connect to many other book-lovers. The United States and Germany are the two top BookCrossing countries. See their website for more information on other countries who participate. The mission is simply to connect people through books. All this is done by registering on the website and joining BookCrossing. It is free. You will all the instructions and can now print out a label and stick it in the books you want to share and “set-free”. Now you register the book and put a number in it. With these numbers you are able to follow where your book is, who read it and sometimes even read comments about the book from other readers or from the person who found it. Pretty sweet, right? 

As a book-lover you most likely have a nice collection of books and several shelves at home. Many books just collect dust however. BookCrossing is a way to clean up your library and give some of your books a new life. I used to donate many to my local library before but BookCrossing is such a good alternative. The great part is that it is sort of “reading and releasing” the books. Some books you will never find again – maybe someone loves it so much, they keep them. Sometimes you find your book in Australia. I love it and find it exciting. 

The BookCrossing team in Coburg is great. Below you see the picture from last night. A long wooden table with a plethora of books to browse, read, talk about and keep. Coburg’s BookCrossing Stammtisch helps to spread the word around and answers all your questions regarding how to join. It feels great to be among people who do share my passion of reading, buying books and talking about them. Like BookCrossing on Facebook to follow along. 

Are you invested in signing up at BookCrossing? Or would you like to go to one of the meetings in Coburg? The next meeting is on 12 February 2016 at The Hungry Highlander Restaurant at 6pm! Stop by and say Hi. Let me know if you have more questions. 

Judith's picture

Thank you for reading my blog. 

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The Book Review: “Wildflower” by Drew Barrymore

Hello!

I am typing this while I listen to one of my favorite musicians, Serge Gainsbourg. His album Vie Héröique is amazing. You might want to give him a try. 😉 

I don’t know if you have heard about this hype about Drew Barrymore’s book ‘Wildflower’. I read about how amazing it is on so many blogs, in newspapers, online articles and whatnot so I got sucked into it and read it. Well, we basically all know and love little Drew Barrymore from the movie E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982).  Growing up, Barrymore had a troubled childhood with drugs involved when she was just nine years old. It did not stop there but has gotten worse. She survived a suicide attack and has been in and out of rehab. This rebellious era lasted for a while with one bad relationship after the other. Barrymore was quoted in 2004 saying, “A woman and a woman together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful. Being with a woman is like exploring your own body, but through someone else. When I was younger I used to go with lots of women. Totally. I love it”.  She had several boyfriends and married three times. Her third marriage with Will Kopelman still works well. They have two daughters together. She is well into acting and now she came out with her latest book Wildflower. 

Barrymore is very enthusiastic which rubs off on her writing. She is a great actress and I love to see her on stage but I found that the storytelling in her book is too confusing. She is jumping back and forth and all over the place with surprisingly bad writing. Her book is a collection of stories from her life but she does not want to call Wildflower an autobiography. There are some stories of her childhood but for some reason there is no chronological order in any of her stories. It is just a constant jumping around which I found very confusing. I enjoyed when she wrote about her acting career, especially E.T. and The Wedding Singer. 

I think the book lacks focus even though she has had a pretty wild life and experienced so much and has a plethora of stories to tell. However, most stories are written really badly and dull. Others are bubbly and cute but never caught me to really enjoy this book. The pace and story is somewhat like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH2-TGUlwu4

I am glad that she straightened her life out. Now, at 40-years-old, she is married with two daughters and seems more comfortable and settled with herself and her surroundings. She mentioned that she loves being a mother and is doing everything in her power to be more loving and nurturing than her parents were with her. I love reading memoirs, autobiographies and such. It is possibly my favorite genre. Reading an autobiography, for me, seems like taking to the author. Getting to know him personally through his own voice while reading about his life. I did not have this feeling once while reading Wildflower. It just felt like a dramatic performance of Drew Barrymore trying really hard to convince everyone that she is  now a writer. 

I thought and wished to learn something more about one of my favorite actresses but instead I learned a lot about the people she hung out with. Maybe you want to pick up the book but for me Drew Barrymore will remain an actress and not a writer. 

Thank you for reading my blog. 

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The Book Review: “Mein Herz in deinem Weiten Land” by Sanna Seven Deers

“Die ersten Strahlen der Morgensonne tauchten den Wald und die umliegenden Berge in ein fantastisches Wechselspiel aus goldenem Licht und blaugrauen Schatten. Irgendwo zwitscherte ein Rotkehlchen, und ein leichter Wind wehte durch die große Kiefer vor dem Haus. Sonst war alles still. Die Luft war erfüllt von dem Duft von Tannennadeln und taunassem Gras.”

Hallo!

This post is originally written in German. Please CLICK ON THE TRANSLATE-OPTION ON MY WEBSITE.

Heute mal eine Rezension auf Deutsch. Mein Deutsch nach 11 Jahren USA lässt machmal zu wünschen übrig.  Es ist wirklich erstaunlich, was passiert, wenn man eine Sprache nicht mehr ständig spricht. Nun, ich werde mein Bestes geben.

Meine Mutter empfahl mir den Film “Zuhause in der Wildnis “auf ARTE und ich sah ihn mit Begeisterung. Ein toller Film – ganz nach meinem Geschmack. Ich wollte gleich mehr über das Leben von Sanna, David und ihrer Familie in Kanada wissen. Facebook ist sehr gut für solche Nachforschungen. Jetzt bin ich mit beiden “befreundet” und wir schreiben uns ab und zu Nachrichten, was ich toll finde. Sanna Seven Deer’s Buch Mein Herz in deinem weiten Land gibt es bis jetzt nur in Deutsch und zwar von Knaur Verlag. Es ist klar, dass ich dieses Buch sofort gekauft und es regelrecht verschlungen habe. Hier meine Rezension.

In ihrer Autobiographie erzählt Sanna, die ehemalige Sarah,  dass sie mit damals 20 Jahren auf der Suche nach etwas Neuem war. Sie studierte und lebte in Hamburg, wusste jedoch, das dieses Studium nicht wirklich die Richtung war in die sie gehen wollte. Was sie interessierte, ist die indianische Lebensweise, der Kult und deren Geistwesen. Natürlich besuchte sie jede Ausstellung in diesem Themenbereich. Als sie erfuhr, dass ein Indianer im Hamburger Völkerkundemuseum an einer riesigen Skulptur arbeitet, sah sie hier eine Möglichkeit mehr über Land und Leute zu erfahren. Der kanadische Indianer David ist sechzehn Jahre älter als sie, was sie allerdings nicht als Hindernis siehts. Sie verliebt sich in ihn – Hals über Kopf. Keiner kann sich vorstellen, dass die beiden jemals miteinander glücklich werden. Sanna folgt ihrem Herzen, denn sie weiss, David ist die Liebe ihres Lebens. Sie lässt Deutschland hinter sich und zieht mit ihm nach Kanada. Sie hat keinen Job, spricht die Sprache nicht und weder seine Heimat noch seine Familie. Der Anfang war sehr schwer.

Mittlerweile ist das Paar 17 Jahre verheiratet und lebt mit seinen vier Kindern auf der abgeschiedenen Ranch Shaheylah in der Wildnis Kanadas. “Shaheylah entstammt dem Indianischen und lässt sich nicht konkret mit einem Wort übersetzen. Es ist eher  ein Begriff, der so viel heisst wie ‘Ein guter, glücklicher, harmonischer Ort’.”Der Leser erfährt viel über unberührte Natur, indianische Mystik und viel Abenteuer. Aber auch von riesigen Schneemassen und wilden Tieren.

Der Weg zur Shayeylah Ranch war lang und beschwerlich und geprägt von vielen Vorurteilen, Geldsorgen,  Rassismus und Umwegen. “Von David habe ich gelernt, dass das, was man sieht, nicht immer real ist – und das, was real ist, nicht immer sichtbar ist. Daher sind David und ich sehr vorsichtig, wenn wir Menschen begegnen.” Sanna, eigentlich Sarah, hat nicht nur ihren Namen geändert, sondern auch ihren Glauben und die Lebenseinstellung.

Ist Sanna nun glücklich? Oder zieht es sie zurück in die Grossstadt?

Ich, als grosser Kanada-fan, fand das Buch toll – auch, als Sanna von ihren vier Geburten schreibt und wie die Familie mit der Erziehung ihrer vier Kinder umgeht, sie selbst unterrichtet  inmitten unberührter Natur. “Du bist viel stärker als du glaubst. Du kannst alles überwinden , was sich dir in den Weg stellt. Bisher hast du nur einen Bruchteil deiner inneren Kraft genutzt. Du musst nur Mut haben und daran glauben. Entspanne dich und sieh dem Abenteuer gelassen ins Auge.”

Fazit: Eine faszinierende, spannende und fesselnde Autobiographie, die Einblick verschafft in eine neue Kultur, ein neues Leben, ein neues Land und Liebe. Sanna will einfach nur den Augenblick leben. “Was wir für die nächsten zwanzig Jahre geplant haben?“ Nichts!“

Sehr zu empfehlen!

“Reichtum ist nicht, was wir in materiellen Dingen anhäufen, sondern wie viel wir an andere abgeben. Realität ist nicht, was wir mit unserm Verstand wahrnehmen, sondern was wir sehen, wenn wir die Welt mit unserem inneren Auge betrachten. Sich selbst zu finden heisst nicht, alle Brücken abzubrechen, sondern ins Gleichgewicht mit sich und seinem Umfeld zu kommen.”

Klicken Sie hier um auf Sanna’s Webseite zu gelangen und hier für David’s Bau -Kunst und Projektseite.

Danke fürs Lesen meines Blogs. 

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The Book Review: “My Name is Mahtob” by Mahtob Mahmoody

Advance Reading Copy Disclosure:

Thanks to BookLookBlogger and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I have read Not Without my Daughter by Betty Mahmoody and I have seen the movie based on mentioned book.  This drew my attention to this book, as well as the cover and title. This does not affect my opinion of the content or the book in my review.

“What Kombiz didn’t understand was that I didn’t need to talk to my dad to make peace with his place in my life. I did that years earlier, and I laboriously repeated the process each time he resurfaced. This was no exception.” 

Hello!

IT seems everybody heard about the movie Not Without my Daughter or at least read the book of the same title by Betty Mahmoody. Not Without my Daughter told the story of Betty Mahmoody, an American mother who saved herself and her daughter from her husband when they lived in Iran. Have you ever wondered what happened to the daughter? I did and I was happy to have discovered the book My Name is Mahtob. You read about Mahtob’s point of view and her take on the story; back, when she was an only five-year old. How she had to witness when her mom had been beaten by her father, how they have been held hostage in Iran, as well as their escape over the mountains. Mahtob lived in constant fear of being “legally” kidnapped again, as her father has threatened to do. Besides that, he threatened to kill her mother.

When they finally made it back to America, Mahtob’s emotional journey was not over however. She dealt with panic attacks, nightmares, changed her name and survived a life-threatening illness. At some point, the book is written through the eyes of a child, which made me realize again how much kids in fact do perceive and understand. Mahtob memorized so many details about these eighteen months she spent in Iran that are different from her mother’s story. It is also shocking to read about the school she attended in Iran – even more the entire school system. This is a very honest book and you won’t find her sugar-coating anything. It is a great follow-up if you have read Not Without my Daughter. 

Also, did you know that Mahtob’s father, Sayyed Mahmoody, wrote a book as well? Which also had been made into a movie? Get Betty Mahmoody’s follow-up For the Love of a Child here.

Thank you for reading my blog. 

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The Book Review: “The Heart goes Last” by Margaret Atwood

“The past is so much safer, because whatever’s in it has already happened. It can’t be changed; so, in a way, there’s nothing to dread.” Margaret Atwood

Hello!

As a Canada lover I, of course, researched Canada’s authors. The first name that came up in google search was Margaret Atwood. I have not read anything by her or even heard of her before. What a shame, because this book was awesome! Margaret Atwood, born in 1939, is a Canadian novelist, literary critic and poet as well as an environmental activist. She has won a plethora or awards and has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize five times. You want to read a book by one of Canada’s greatest writers? If you are a fan of dystopian novels, read this review and her book.

This was a book that kept me reading and reading until I finished it. The main characters, Charmaine and Stan,  in The Heart Goes Last are in a horrid situations. They have to live in their car after an economic collapse that created unemployment followed by instability and crime. Charmaine worked at a bar, simply to get by and earn some money  until she found out about the Positron Prison. Selected people could sign up for this project and have been promised a comfortable apartment where they could stay for the rest of their lives. Haven’t had a proper shower in months, clean water or something decent to eat, this sounded great for Charmaine and Stan. This all sounds too good to be true and then there is usually some sort of catch. Any participant is granted assigned residence and employment but they do have to serve every other month at Positron Prison. Keeping the current situation in mind, this all sounds like a good idea and deal until Charmaine fell in love with another resident. Things go insane afterwards.

Overall, this book has romance, science fiction and adventure and is simply a great mix of a bit of everything. I have thought the entire time how this prison project would affect myself mentally if I would be in this situation. To be in a prison one month and then live in this great apartment the next just seems so strange and weird.

Charmaine and Stan’s adventure and love story becomes even more complicated when they try to trust each other again. Can you forgive someone after you found out they cheated on you? Is this possible? Can you live with the person again? And what does it all mean if you are able to forgive? How does your relationship look?

When I fished the book I thought how Atwood is able to write about all these different elements and has the plot all balanced out nicely to make it work, but she is more than capable of doing so. When I read this book, I literally could not put it down. You think that this story Atwood wrote is far-fetched and all this is never going to happen? I believe it is all possible, indeed.

Have you read the book? Do you like it? What did you think about it? 

This is an awesome conversations with Margaret Atwood if you would like to listen and watch.

Thank you for reading my blog. 

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The Book Review: “Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng

“What made something precious? Losing it and finding it.”

I have to admit, I am a little late reading this book because it was published in March 2015 and I have heard so much about it. “Everything I never told you” has mostly good reviews but with the plethora of books that I am always reading, this one slipped through. However, I did buy a copy at Chapters in Ontario and started reading it at the store while my son played in the toy- area with Thomas Train and the train tracks they put up for the kids to enjoy. “Chapters” is awesome. I love this bookstore so much. And the personnel is so friendly and helpful. Here is my review if you would like to read.

The first two sentences in the book are “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet”. I thought this was really catching and interesting. It made me want to figure out how you could start giving away the main plot and work around it and explain why this all happened. The book is about a mixed-race family (Chinese/Caucasian American) who lived in 1970s Ohio when mixed relationships like theirs were uncommon. You soon realize that Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James. Lydia (sixteen-years-old) has an older brother, Nathan, and a younger sister, Hannah. You almost don’t hear anything about Hannah. The mother actually did not set the table for her once because she forgot Hannah was even there. Sad, I though! Marilyn and James had dreams but they never fulfilled them. James never got the Harvard teaching position he wanted and Marilyn wanted to become a doctor but did not continue studying when she got pregnant and married James. Lydia is supposed to fulfill their dreams and both parents want her to be better and improve her studies.

While reading this book I saw again how hard it must have been for a woman in the 70s to reach a good position on the job market or in the man’s world. It was defiantly not easy for women throughout this time. Marilyn read science books to her daughter as a bedside store to make her fall asleep. At some point Ng describes how Marilyn left the family and how traumatized both kids were because she wanted to pursue her dreams of a doctorate in medicine and simply studying again. Marilyn returns but halfheartedly and mostly because of her pregnancy with Hannah. Lydia did not want her mother to leave again so she thought studying and working with her mother works well to keep her at home.

I found it very difficult to read how Marilyn and James focused their attention on Lydia while her oldest son got accepted at Harvard University and nobody paid any attention to the youngest sister Hannah. Hannah just suffered in silence throughout the entire novel but here and then you do get a glimpse of her feelings. At the same time both sister and brother realize how the parents focus on the middle daughter Lydia. You learn in the story how all this affected the children and more. What they experienced at school, racism and gender equality.

Overall, I mostly felt for Marilyn and how she tried to go back to school to change something in her life. I highly recommend the book. Especially, if you want to read about characters that are masterfully described and developed. Also, if you enjoy a story on how it must have felt to be in a mixed-couple relationship in the 70s and the struggles they experienced from society.

Thank you for reading my blog. 

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The Book Review “Blogging” by Robin Houghton and tips on how to start your blog

Hello!

Today I would like to share three great books that helped me a lot when I started blogging. These books are for everybody who does not have a clue what blogging is all about and is in need of some basic information. Along with great websites and ideas, links and helpful tips, these books will be a good investment. There is just so much to know and learn before you start your blog. Writing good posts is one thing; but the goal is, you also want to attract readers to your blog so you have to work on the website itself to make it look presentable. You can do so with widgets, plug-ins and such great tools that you will find out about in these books.

Are you thinking about starting your own blog? Here is what I learned so far.

First, ask yourself what you would like to share or really care about. The key is to write on a regular basis – let’s say Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Or everyday, like I do. I just love writing and researching so much! Many start a blog and then don’t post anything anymore. Of course nobody wants to follow your blog if you don’t keep it fresh with new information. If you have followed my blog for a while you know that I love to write about my personal experiences, how-to-do stuff, my take-on things, recipes and a lot more. Just think what blog you would love to follow or read on a daily basis. Me, I wouldn’t want to read only about food, fashion or books.  I want a variety of things. I love to help people or make things easier and better. This is why I love to share articles on my beauty products. Keep  in mind that you want a clear line of some sort throughout your blog. Stick to the categories you want to write about.

I think it is also important to mention the latest trends and news on the topics you like to share. New recipes, new creations, new books etc. This is how you can increase the readership. I try to add jokes and funny stories now and then and of course I want to inspire others to follow their dream and do what they love. Don’t just dream about starting a blog or writing a book. Do it. Life is too short! You can write about a difficult time in your life, illness, experience – there is simply so much. At the same time, be careful not to share too much about your family, work etc. Simply know the limits to not make anybody uncomfortable. Read and subscribe to other blogs to see what they are writing about. See, what is interesting, what is out there and get ideas. Of course, don’t copy and paste but try to find out what people would love to read. And then be better than the rest. 🙂

Are you ready to start your blog? Think about a great name for it first. Decide wisely because once you started your blog you don’t want to change everything again. What would fit well with the topics you would like to share and write about? Now think about if you want to create your own website or if you want to host your blog. WordPress and Blogger are the most popular website creation sites. I like WordPress (WP Engine) because you have a 24/7 help service included if you host with them. Pretty neat if you are not a computer nerd. I registered at WordPress.org, which is self-hosted. WordPress.com is free. The free version restricts you from having an income. I have heard from my friends on Blogger, that the website is very easy to set up and to maintain. You can purchase your domain for $12 or so and you get a domain name like yourname.blogspot.com. There is also Tumblr.com and Webs.com as website builders but I don’t know anything about them really. I looked for the two main ones and WordPress sounded more appealing to me because it is just so reliable. After my website was set up I created the “About” page to introduce myself. Just include some personal information why you want to write a blog or what you want to share. If you have any questions, send me an email under Contact! I will be happy and glad to help you and share with you what I have already learned in the blogging business.

I have followed “The Minimalists” for a long time now and love to read their blog. This great video gives you insight on how to start your WordPress blog. Enjoy! And happy blogging!

Thank you for reading my blog.

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A different Book Review: “If someone says ‘You complete me’, Run!” by Whoopi Goldberg

“A romantic relationship is fun and can add a lot to your life, but think of it as the whipped cream on top of the sundae and not the whole sundae. And that’s all folks!” 

I listened to Howard Stern on Sirius Radio while driving around in Canada and followed this amazing interview he had with Whoopi Goldberg. I have never read anything by her before and I have to say that this book blew me away. Simply because she is not a psychologist but still has such knowledge about what she is writing about simply because she has been there and done that! Reading relationship/marriage self-help books is usually not very helpful to me. I didn’t need to read any of these books for the last four years  because everything has been smooth sailing. However; before that, I did try to figure our why my relationships did not work and why everything always has to be complicated and one could find me very often in the self-help aisles at Barnes & Noble.  In any case: Did I find answers reading all these books? Nope, not really. Until it all made sense to me when I met my husband.

I told him the other day that if Whoopi would have written this book many years ago and I would have read it, many painful situations could have been avoided. But he said, “nope, you wouldn’t have been ready and most likely would have done the same things”! He is right. Do we listen to advice our friends and family give us? Sometimes maybe – but usually not. Especially when it comes to relationships. “What do they know? I can change him! I can make it all work! I love him no matter what – even though he is married with kids! He will leave his wife at some point! Or yes, he will change his mind for sure and move in with me, and then he will want to have kids as well!” Isn’t this what we usually say and then for whatever reason the relationship goes down the drain. And then you hear, “we told you so”.

Whoopi’s book on relationships addresses exactly those type of questions and problems. This book is a very honest approach on relationships and marriages and about the mistakes she made and wants you to avoid. I even started to watch “The View” – Whoopi’s show on ABC. She is amazing! She mentioned how all the gay couples were so happy when they were finally able to get married in New Jersey, New York and many other states.

“You can get married now. When are you going to get married?” But the questions is: Why do you want to do that? Yes, you get some security from your other half, you share the finances, if something happens to you and you get sick or can’t work, you can fall back on what your spouse has, and blah blah blah.” 

You learn, that it is not important what everybody else tells you regarding marriage and relationships. You have to listen to YOURSELF, what makes YOU happy. And if you are happy with a man/woman who cheats on you constantly, great. Good for you. If you are happy to be the lover of a married husband with kids, also good for you. Whatever you are comfortable with. I always had this thought that I need to be with someone. Not necessarily to get married but to have a man on my side. Now I know that I am fine being just by myself. Nobody can complete me – I complete myself. “Who are you? What makes you happy?” These are the questions you should ask yourself, according to Whoopi.

If you are looking for a self-help book that is very personal and not the typical type of shrink advice, read this book. I knew that Whoopi Goldberg is an actress but not that she has written a couple of books. This one I just ordered and I cannot wait to start it. This title speaks straight from my heart. Her tone is sometimes hilariously funny but also very frank at point. I think she is an amazing narrator and honesty is key! She openly writes about her farting habits – and why you should not stop farting once you are in a relationship or marriage. Just be yourself. This does not mean that I have to sit farting and burping in front of my husband. Of course not, c’mon.

Many years I thought it is the goal in every woman’s life to get married eventually. Not necessarily have kids, a house, a garden, a dog and a cat. The typical cliché. But you know, be with someone you really love and not be alone. Honestly, I was never really alone between relationships. I never had time to think and just be by myself.  No clue why! Now, with my husband it is different. I have alone-time and I love it. Maybe not as much as we do indeed have with him being on mission, but I think it is important and healthy to have quality time with yourself. Alone! So far, my marriage is perfect for me – perfect for us. I miss him when he is not around; and not seeing each other sometimes for weeks makes us love and miss each other more. I cannot explain this feeling but I look forward to seeing him again. Almost like going out on a date for the first time. You make sure you look good, put on a little perfume, a bit of  make-up, cook something special or go out for dinner. I am not saying to send your husband or wife on a mission to love and miss them. But this works well for us – for now!

Whoopi wrote about how movies and music make you dream and believe in some type of fairytale – but no relationship is like this. Maybe in the beginning. You remember the first couple of weeks you were in love? Constantly thinking about the other person? Love letters, flowers, hidden love notes? And then this becomes less and less? Same with the sex you might think. Well, things change. There is no routine or consistency in a relationship. Things happen! Schedules change. Stop searching for a prince/or princess out there. They don’t exist! They just don’t! As I said, it is important that you know yourself first and know what you want. Or at least know, what you don’t want. This is all a learning experience and I am by no means an expert. Far from it. But with my previous experience, I know now what I don’t want anymore and that I love what I have and live life to the fullest with my husband by my side. (+my son!) 😀

Thank you for reading my blog.

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My take on: “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder

“Let’s really look at one another!…It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another. I didn’t realize. So all that was going on and we never noticed… Wait! One more look. Good-bye , Good-bye world. Good-bye, Grover’s Corners….Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking….and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths….and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth,you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it–every,every minute? (Emily)”  – Thornton Wilder, Our Town

Hello!

I have written that I am in love with plays, broadway shows, musicals you name it because I love to watch humans act on stage. It is just so much more special for me than watching a movie. A couple of years ago I was fortunate to see “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder in this little tiny off-off broadway theater and it was hands down one of the best plays I have ever seen. Hello Waterworks throughout the play and definitely at the end all three times that I have seen it. It had such a deep impact on me that I of course purchased the book and re-read it once in a while just to feel happy. I have to say that I don’t usually re-read books? Do you? I have a couple of books that I love dearly and maybe read twice but that is it. “Our Town” is different. I just take it out of my bookshelf and browse through it occasionally. Today, I will describe what this magical play is all about and of course the creator behind it – Thornton Wilder. Read on.

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) was an American novelist and playwright. For “Our Town” he received the Pulitzer Prize – well deserved I think! He has won I believe three Pulitzer Prizes total. You can read more about him and his life here. I want to focus this article more on the play itself.

“Our Town” was first published and produced in 1938 and is a drama of life in a tiny village called Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire. My first impression was that everything was kept very simple. There was just no scenery. The book and the play are narrated by the ‘Stage Manager’ and he puts chairs and tables on the stage while you simply see an empty stage in a dim light. Instantly I thought this is awesome. Thornton focuses on so much more but scenery. The stage manager now explains where everything in this town is located. It is up to your imagination to “see” it or understand that a simple bench is the “Webb house”. I observed where the stage manager put all the chairs and benches and recognized this town. I saw how these people lived and I saw the houses. It was just so strange. The play’s focus is on life, love and death and that each life is special because everybody is unique and has their own little story.

I believe what Wilder tried to do was to make people appreciate the simple, small things in life again. Emily Webb and George Gibbs are the two main characters who guide you through the play. You learn about their childhood, marriage, their families and death. You see and understand through the play how fast time passes. You learn that it is very important to see the little and simple details in your life and to live in the moment. This is all that really matters anyway.  Looking closely, these simple details could mean a lot more than you think. You will get to know Thornton’s language in the dialogues  throughout the play which I thought was very beautiful.

Overall I can say that this book is amazing. Maybe try not to focus too much on the future and definitely not on the past. The past is gone and over and you will never get it back. I reflected on my life after reading the book and seeing the play and realized that while you are on this planet you might as well dance and enjoy a happy life! To live is just this wonderful thing!

Try and find out if this play is showing anywhere and go see it. It is so worth it! There is also a 1940s movie version of Our Town  that I watched and found that it was well done.

Thank you for reading my blog.