>Life and Poetry
>It is hot and sticky today–as it has been since I returned from cool and windy Ireland. I am not used to this weather and thus find myself a lot more uncomfortable than I would normally be in August. The sky, however, is a mass of interesting cloud formations. I have also noticed the abundant variety of trees in our area–maple, oak, cherry, dogwood, birch and ash. Everything is flowering; crimson and yellow flowers dot the roadsides and front yard gardens.
I am back to work this week. Meanwhile I’m thinking of how to internalize what I learned this summer so the writing continues. For every day I don’t write, it takes three days to get back to the writing–Geraldine told me this and it is true. I have taken a break since I returned home, concentrating on the mundane and the important–paying bills, cleaning, renewing my contacts with friends and family. Goals were developed this summer. I hope to make them as much a part of my life as work and relationships.
I went to Ikea for the first time today–not a literary experience but certainly an interesting one. It’s rather overwhelming–huge and filled with colors, textures and choices. Probably the best part of the experience was dinner at a random Italian restaurant* where I had the second best Puttanesca sauce of my life–it was subtle and redolent with flavor. Having seen the film Julia and Julie this week, I realize that I am a bit of a “foodie” though French food is way too rich for my tastes. Good food can be like music or poetry–layers of flavor that are revealed slowly. So–I will write Puttanesca this week–tangy, with undertones of saltiness, the texture of whole tomatoes, capers, onions, and Kalamata olives.
*The name of this restaurant will be revealed to anyone who asks.
Literary Imaginings by Lisa C. Taylor 