101 in 1001 - Goal # 96 begun

Goal # 96 -- Sell, give away, or throw out 50 things.

My son's school had its annual garage sale this past weekend, and I donated 3 of my cookie jars to the cause. We stopped by to check out the sale near the end and someone must have bought the jars because they were nowhere to be found. This was a big step for me, I went through a phase where I collected cookie jars (I have 100+) and even though I don't buy them anymore, I have a hard time letting go. So hopefully this will be a small step toward cutting back on my excess possessions (sort of a cookie jar rehab). Maybe I can even make it a goal within a goal -- try to complete this entire goal with cookie jars!

Salman Rushdie and Shakespeare

I've been meaning to post about this for 2 months -- better late than never!

One of the wonderful things about living in a university town is the eclectic opportunities to expand your mind. My favorite chance is our town's annual Seven Days of Opening Nights arts festival, which presents shows and talks by award-winning authors, dance companies, musicians, acting troupes, and filmmakers. The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and I make a point to attend at least 2 or 3 shows each year. This year, I was able to attend two of the best ones yet.

First, a talk by world-famous, award-winning author Salman Rushdie. I've read one of Mr. Rushdie's books, Midnight's Children, and loved it, so I was really looking forward to hearing him speak. To say that I enjoyed it is a HUGE understatement. He absolutely blew me away! I was completely enthralled. I know people don't always care for his work, but I think he's nothing short of a genius. He spoke for 2 hours, and took questions afterward, and I never once felt like the program was dragging or thought of leaving early. All I can say is, WOW! I felt like a schoolgirl when the football captain notices her existence.

Then, my son and I attended a performance of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, presented by the Actors from the London Stage troupe. This group was founded in the 70's by the actor Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek Next Generation fame) and is composed of actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre of Great Britain, and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The way in which the play was presented was intriguing -- no sets, no costumes, only 5 actors in total. Each actor had to play several parts, and would distinguish between them predominantly by changing their voices and mannerisms. It was fabulous! Without all the visual cues, I found myself focusing so much more on the words. Also, the audience was very close to the stage and the actors often looked right at you. At one point, one of the actors actually jumped into the audience. We were in the front row, which I highly recommend. You really felt like you were part of the show, not just a spectator. Apparently, the group performs 2 plays a year and tours to different universities to perform -- you can bet I'll go again if I get the chance.

One other thing that I just have to mention. As part of performing at our festival, the artists spend time working with students in their field. Can you imagine being an 18 or 19 year old kid, studying to be a writer, and having Salman Rushdie spend the afternoon with your class, critiquing your work? Or being a music major and having Paul Simon work with you? I think this is wonderful and want to give our festival organizers credit for this brainstorm every chance I get. I also want to encourage anyone who has the opportunity to support local or regional arts events like this in their area to do so. They are such an advantage to a community!

101 in 1001 - Goal #62, "French Toast" by Harriet Welty Rochefort

This charming little book was written by an American woman who has lived the last 20+ years in France with her French husband and 2 French-American sons. The author was born and raised in Iowa, but an adventurous spirit led her across the Atlantic when she was a young woman, and she has remained ever since. This book provides an overview of why the French are the way they are, and covers such topics as the French educational system, why Parisian women always look so chic, how French men differ from Americans, and the French love of food.

The book is (or should be considered, IMO) light-hearted -- I've seen several reviews that claim that she has simply reinforced stereotypes of the French, but I tend to think that those reviewers were taking this book a little too seriously. Whether her descriptions are accurate or not, I can't say, as I've never been to France, although I hope to rectify that situation before too many more years. Some of the reviews take the author to task for not providing a very in-depth view of the French, but I don't think that was ever her goal in writing this book. Frankly, I find it somewhat ridiculous to expect an analytical outlook in a book that explains why you see poodles riding alone in taxis through the streets of Paris (turns out the owners are sending them to the groomers, and the groomers then send them home -- who knew?).

I found this book delightful. There were several moments when I found myself chuckling and wondering how much was accurate and how much exaggerated, and I'm dying to go to France to find out for myself. One of the key points that the author makes about the French is how they find joy in simple things. Reading this book definitely meets that criteria.