Read...

So we saw the little Bambino in all her 20 week glory today... and she is simply lovely! Everything is in its right place, and I feel a sense of calm. To enjoy this effervescence, I will simply escape into a book tonight. It feels...well... good! I have nothing profound to share but this; there is no better escape, in my very humble opinion, then to fall into a great read. Like music, books can be shared between all, regardless of taste, ethnicity, religious affiliation, etc.. In my darkest doldrums, escaping into stories always calms me... or diverts the annoying, unjustifiable self-loathing that accompanies many mental afflictions (or simply a bad day). It is yet another facet of the practice of mindfulness; use your senses to experience another world, locked between words. I am ten pages from the end of a book that has been a most remarkable read, and has taken me about a year to complete. It is a book that I pick up every once in a while when I am feeling the sense of calm that I feel tonight. It has been like Linus' blanket, and I have a feeling that it will be difficult for me to give it back to the rightful owner out of pure selfishness on my part. My dear friend and former student, Miss Mishelle Wilson (who also, may I add, took the 'Dear Prudence' photo that is the center of the collage front cover of my debut novel) gave me "The Fifth Sacred Thing" by Starhawk. "Here...read this. You will like it," is all she said. And yes... she was absolutely right... and that was an understatement. Published by Bantam books about 17 years ago, the novel is an epic tale the explores life in the not-so-distant future, 21st century California. It harnesses love and war, mind, body, spirit, freedom and slavery, and the human condition... braided in the lives of some of the richest characters that I have read in a very long time. In this world (The Northlands of California) the society is idyllic, communal living, everyone works and no one goes hungry. People heal each other with energy, and holistic medicine is the only way. Okay, I may be making it sound like a Marxian dream wrapped in metaphysics as opposed to what you will experience when you immerse yourself in the book but regardless... it is a lovely utopia. I leave you this eve with the book jacket description of this rare delight, and hope that in addition to perusing Amazon's website, you will visit your local independent bookstore to pick up a copy, your local library, or whatever outlet you choose. That is what keeps our towns alive! "Imagine a world without poverty, hunger or hatred, where a rich culture honors its diverse mix of races, religions, and heritages, and the Four Sacred Things that sustain life - earth, air, fire, and water - are valued unconditionally. Now imagine the opposite: a nightmare world in which an authoritarian regime polices an apartheid state, access to food and water is restricted to those who obey the corrupt official religion, women are the property of their husbands or the state, and children are bred for prostitution and war. The best and worst of our possible futures are poised to clash, and the outcome rests on the wisdom and courage of one clan caught in the conflict."

Good Evening! xo Amanda

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