flight paths discussion

Thinking uplifting thoughts, it's summer after all!
May we lighten up and take in as much beauty as this respite allows. Reading on the grass, at the beach, under a tree! What are your plans?

My plans in fact all revolve around moving, getting my library together, regaining my equilibrium. I finished The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by the amazing Shokoofeh Azar What an intense deeply layered experience, at times baffling and full of subtle shifts, and abrupt shifts, metamorphoses and links to 10001 nights.
I know that book is often referenced but it seems synchronistic that it has made an appearance in several of the books I have just read, especially Apeirogon which is loosely structured on it with 1001 segments. Ellie did you ever finish it? I think there is a point about 120 pages in that I felt exhausted by it but it actually got better as it went along, or maybe as I stopped trying so hard to understand his imaginative leaps and just went along with it. I do love the way it all connected. I do wish there could be peace/
That is much the view of Raja Shehadeh the Palestinian civil rights activist who wrote the book I am now reading Where the Line Is Drawn: A Tale of Crossings, Friendships, and Fifty Years of Occupation in Israel-Palestine. He is the first person that I have read who refers to the role of Jordan in the conflicts.

Just beginning The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake Hmm...I noticed I have 4 books in my modest new pile of library books by women with variations of the name Julia.

Now what is everyone else reading? as we start this new month with as much hopefulness as we can muster

Magdelanye, I hope your move goes smoothly. I'm looking forward to hearing about your new place & the area when you are settled in.

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree sounds like a wonderful story. My library has a copy. I've added it to my "for later" shelf. Thanks!

I'm now over 50% into Mason & Dixon. Pynchon is a strange author. His story meanders a bit, is fascinating at times, is humorous....and still manages tedious portions. I'm glad to be reading it, while still on the fence about truly liking it. I'm reading one or two chapters a day and am enjoying it at that pace.

On my ereader, I'm reading Die For Me: The Terrifying True Story of the Charles Ng & Leonard Lake Torture Murders. It's crazy how people like Leonard and Charles can live in our society and get away with what they do. Reading this is disturbing and I have so many questions on why these people's disappearances didn't cause more questions to be asked and answers to be demanded. I'm sure the author has left that part out and focussed only on the events but it makes for a weird story. People disappear and their friends/family quietly sit back and wait for their return?! Weird.

On my runs, I'm listening to the latest Inspector Gamache book, A Better Man and enjoying it.

I went for a long run yesterday. I hadn't intended it to be that long but the day was nice, not hot and my legs felt really good.....so I kept on going.

August is my least favorite month of the year. I don't trust it. It can get blisteringly hot and uncomfortable, or it can be pleasantly hot or warm. The blistering times seem like a bit abusing. LOL. So far, though, August has been reasonable. Fingers crossed that it remains so.

Magdelanye, I try to start each month, week and day with some hopefulness. It can be difficult to see the ray of sunshine on some days but I'm a firm believer that it's there somewhere, even if I can't see it. I try to find it every day, though.

Magdelanye, best wishes on your move!

Petra, August is not my favorite month but it is the month of my daughter's birthday and I love that. The weather here has been extremely hot. Apparently New York City's climate status has been officially changed from temperate to subtropical.

I spend my time listening to Tara Brach. I'm reading Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. I just started but I love the opening. So much love.

well i hoped to answer on the laptop but lost connectivity so here i am again making an attempt with the fone.
Really just wanting to let you both know i enjoy picturing you in your very different environments as i read your comments and that I am grateful to you both for your supportive words and best wishes.
I am hoping that the landlord now that i have given notice, will stay off my back.
A few friends have offered to help so we'll see how much i can get done before the end of the month.

Petra it sounds as if you have a well established gratitude practice. JMW says sometimes you have to jumpstart it. He claims gratitude comes first: as you said, its there somewhere even its not visible at the moment.

I love August. It appeals to my sloth side.
Of course New York doesnt sound appealing. Ellie when is the big holiday?

Very disappointed in Poets of the Sea halfway in and not a happy reader. so nany people adore it. so many mushy reviews. they may not have read heather o neil. i did find a delightfully bad review but i will perservere on the notion that it will get better as the author finally seems to be honing in on what she wants to say.

i may have to get Tara's book.
She has that intimate vibe I feel like I know her well from the videos. Do you think Ellie that having the book will enhance my practice?

I love Pynchon. I remember how amazed i was stumbling upon Gravity's Rainbow.
How it dawned on me as i got deep into it that it was the most awesome book Id ever read.

A heatwave The Hive byOrson Scott Card. A restless time A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. In need of coolness Permafrost by Alastair Reynolds, and one for holiday Empire of Grass by Tad Williams.

At this point I am tempted to say that my current reading is reflective of Blondie's Parallel lines.

Hope all is well round the world.

lovely to hear from you Ice Bear
still trying to figure out what you mean by your reading is reflective of Blondies Parallel lines. Like, I know, but i dont know (yes of course I looked it up on YouTube ) glorious cacophony is that what you meant? Because your reading list are all titles on my perpetual TBR

Im reading Pay No Heed to the Rockets by Marcello Di Cintio and trying to stay calm wondering what is really going on over there in the middle east

Ice wrote: "A heatwave The Hive byOrson Scott Card. A restless time A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. In need of coolness Permafrost by..."

Hi Ice,

So good to hear from you! I loved the Atkinson. I'm glad Magdelanye looked up Blondie's--I never heard of it.

I'm reading a book that I'm deeply inspired by--Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.

iIve had that on my tbr Ellie and I am eager to get my hands on it. But really, you dont know Blondie? Maybe you avoided the disco years.
Is it a definate bonus having Taras book ie would you recommend buying it? I am not really in need of more books!

i am watching the Sounds True trauma summit. its interesting and challenging and quite something that anyone with PTSD be given the tools to self regulate.
Thing is, the charts and exercises are all very well articulated, but my hesitation to endorse anything just yet stems from my experience that in a crises, you cant really say hold it, is this in the lower or upper left quadrant? What is the best way to act surely cant be left to a formula.

Petra you must be busy preparing for classes at the centre. I guess that you will want to keep meeting outside as long as you can.
Did you ever get some veg in?
MaryAnne if you come across this, im interested to know whatvyou did this year. In the garden section à im going to pick some beans now for dinner.

I am having a bad feeling about the next few pages of the fiction I had been enjoying very much until now by Leila Aboulela called the Kindness of Enemies. The Russians have discovered them in the attic and i cant bear to think what might happen next.

Hope everyone is enjoying the heihht of summer. Sorry I have been a bit preoccupied with the move and the summit even more actually.

Blondie comes back to me now, Magdelanye. How did I forget? A senior moment I suppose.

Are you asking about Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN? I totally recommend buying it. Also True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart which has various meditations.

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion is just amazing. It's one of those few books that I want to be reading again even while I'm reading it for the first time, that I wish I could memorize the totality of.

I heard of the summit but sadly missed it. I'm glad you didn't.

Have you heard of Wednesdays with Tara? Tara Brach, the Buddhist teacher. It starts with a meditation and then she gives a talk. Then we move into small groups in breakout rooms and have a chance to talk with each other. There were only 5 people in the breakout room last night and everybody was so interesting. I've been going for the past few weeks and am loving it.

I love that you are so absorbed in your book, Magdelanye. I miss that feeling terribly and hope I will again read fiction.

Hello everyone!!

How is everyone doing?? I am about zero fun lately. I've been busy emailing MLA's and the Education minister here in Alberta about their terrible back to school plan. It's been so stressful and exhausting.
Now my son has a cold and we're nervously waiting on Covid test results. I'm thankful I can work from home!

I've been reading mainly fluffy books as I'm finding it pretty hard to concentrate on anything heavy lately. I did read a few of note in the past little while: Murder on the Red River, Girl Gone Missing Plucked: A History of Hair Removal, Son of a Trickster, and Nobody Cares.

Ellie and Magdelayne, have either of you tried irest yoga nidra? It works on a somatic level, i'm finding it pretty helpful.

Hope everyone is staying safe!

Megan wrote: "Hello everyone!!

How is everyone doing?? I am about zero fun lately. I've been busy emailing MLA's and the Education minister here in Alberta about their terrible back to school plan. It's been so..."

Good to hear from you Megan and Ellie
What or who is irest yoga nidra?
Gosh Megan I hope you son is fine. It is a very anxious time to be a parent.

Ellie its not to late to join the sounds true trauma summit. So far the talks have all been pretty formal but its on for another week I think, I am glad its only 2 sessions a day, and I always get something out of participating.

The man who promised to lend us his trailer for the move is going hunting next week so wants to move on Saturday. EEk.
Today is pouring rain. I really dont want to move in inclement weather.

I finished Pay No Heed to the Rockets: Palestine in the Present Tense by Marcello Di Cintio
How I love this man~ what a tender book on atrocity. I am going to include the cover because its so compelling

@ Ellie - am a friend of Magdelanye, Megan and some others in this group. Often read what you're all reading for inspiration and hadn't wanted to join before.....until I just realized I couldn't make any comment unless I joined.

Didn't want to pass on making a comment about Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle that you're reading. I read it in 2011 and also found it uplifting and amazing and rated it 5 stars. Thanks for the reminder to read it again.

Welcome MJ to flight paths, a gathering of souls on a literary journey. Feel free to explore and add your comments.
I am eagerly waiting for Boundless compassion!
Just finished The Kindness of Enemies by Leila Aboulela and cannot recommend it highly enough. I certainly was not expecting such artistry and depth. The cover is rather horrible, the author relatively unknown here, but this a superlative achievement.
And now, after over a year ( had to renew my hold) I will begin Celestial Bodies.
Now back to work!
May everyone and everything be well!
Petra Im bringing the branches! They will cheer up the empty deck until I get some planting in

Mj wrote: "@ Ellie - am a friend of Magdelanye, Megan and some others in this group. Often read what you're all reading for inspiration and hadn't wanted to join before.....until I just realized I couldn't ma..."

Thanks Mj--and welcome! I loved Tattoos and it's great to read another admirer. :) It's a book I know I'm going to want to read again.

And hi everyone else. I've been hibernating. I'm so ready to start traveling but my daughter is freaking out about it. We shall see.

I'm freaking out about the upcoming election. I've even started talking to a Canadian immigration lawyer about possibly emigrating to Canada after David gets (hopefully) his Canadian citizenship.

Imagine--we might all be in the same country!

Meanwhile, I'm reading The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully, written by a man who founded a Zen hospice. It was recommended by Tara Brach. Which reminds me of my most exciting news: my question was one of the ones chosen to be read by her at her Saturday Q&A, so I got to work with her, briefly. Pretty thrilling although I did a less than stellar job, I think. Still, very exciting.

Sorry I've been away. Hope to hear from you all.

gosh thats exciting Ellie
i thought maybe you were on your vacation
Yesterday was my big move
I am pretty exhausted but quietly ecstatic
i cant wait to watch the replay of that session. Meanwhile I am committed to Justin Michael Williams as funny as it seems to me. I adore Tara but Justin has got me here