Sunday Scenes: November 16, 2014

“I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew:
Of wind I sang, a wind there came and in the branches blew.
Beyond the Sun, beyond the Moon, the foam was on the Sea,
And by the strand of Ilmarin there grew a Golden Tree.”
J.R.R. Tolkien

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Sunday Scenes: November 2, 2014

Not only does the local library offer an amazing plethora of books to peruse, but it also offers a wonderful autumn view, as one walks towards it from the parking lot.

I am currently reading We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves: A Novel, checked out through the library’s e-media section.

Sunday Scenes – October 20, 2013

That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see’st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the deathbed whereon it must expire,
Consumed with that which it was nourished by.
This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
-William Shakespeare

October 20, 2013 – 16 Cheshvan, 5774

Ⓒ All rights reserved © Copyright 2007 – 2013 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.

Sunday Scenes – October 6, 2013

Autumn/fall is in the air! I love the cooler weather, although in CA, it is not always cooler in the autumn/fall season. The mornings are cooler and so are the evenings, but the daytime hours can be warm.

That is why, when I walk, I do it in the morning. It gives me the opportunity to feel the coolness against my face, and to breath in fresher air.

I enjoy reading Grace Paley’s poem, shown below. It brings to mind so many issues, including immigration, assimilation, ancestors, and family bonds. I hope you enjoy it too.

Autumn
By Grace Paley
1

What is sometimes called a
tongue of flame
or an arm extended burning
is only the long
red and orange branch of
a green maple
in early September reaching
into the greenest field
out of the green woods at the
edge of which the birch trees
appear a little tattered tired
of sustaining delicacy
all through the hot summer re-
minding everyone (in
our family) of a Russian
song a story
by Chekhov or my father

2

What is sometimes called a
tongue of flame
or an arm extended burning
is only the long
red and orange branch of
a green maple
in early September reaching
into the greenest field
out of the green woods at the
edge of which the birch trees
appear a little tattered tired
of sustaining delicacy
all through the hot summer re-
minding everyone (in
our family) of a Russian
song a story by
Chekhov or my father on
his own lawn standing
beside his own wood in
the United States of
America saying (in Russian)
this birch is a lovely
tree but among the others
somehow superficial

October 6, 2013 – 2 Cheshvan, 5774

Ⓒ All rights reserved © Copyright 2007 – 2013 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.

November Browsing

Visit The Book of Life Blog and browse all of the links for the November Jewish Book Carnival. The various contributors have excellent content to share, including book reviews, interviews, a fun child’s page, and other interesting posts.

Thank you to The Book of Life, for hosting the November Jewish Book Carnival.

Autumn’s cooler weather is a wonderful time to sit back, sip your favorite beverage, munch on a scone, brownie or muffin, and browse the links for November.
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I finished reading Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, by Deborah Feldman. A review will be upcoming this week.

I am almost finished reading the novel, The Marriage Artist. So far it is an excellent read.