Thursday, August 20, 2009

Journal notation

I'm copying a journal notation from a freebie newspaper called Skirt. I loved it so much - and it could be adapted to just about anyone really. So I'm copying it for a reason. I think that in me, and maybe in a lot of people, there is a dichotomy of "lifestyles" that we'd like. See if you agree.


I want to wake up and walk out my door to a coffee shop on the corner. I want to drop off my dry cleaning on my way to the subway or tube stop. I want to have a book store and a movie theater in my neighborhood. I want to sit in a local bar and have a glass of wine and write in my journal. I want to know the bartender's name and have a bowl of mussels with butter and herbs in broth. i want to wear black and high heels and fake pearls.

On the other hand, I want to own a farm in Kentucky, grow limestone lettuce, adopt a dog and let him run and hunt, listen to rain on a tin roof, raise chickens, drive a pickup truck, sit on the porch at the end of the day and sleep like a baby in a four poster bed that belonged to my grandmother.

Except those two sides of my self will never be fully reconciled, so I live in the between-spaces.


I truly feel about the say way - there are so many cool things about the city that I like (mobs of cars and people aside) but the contrary lifestyle of country living makes me so content and happy.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

More Battlefields

Over the weekend we went on a little drive to look at some Civil War battlefields. We had been to several battlefields when we were in Virginia, but the two we saw on Saturday showed us some very different terrain than Gettysburg or Bull Run.



Imagine having to carry your gun and other equipment high up over your head as you go through rivers and swamps. Imagine what you'd feel like when you got to the other side - did they take the time to remove their boots before they went in?



There were lots of trees. The raised areas where they hid behind were still there. It was really interesting - not to mention quieting to remember that men died where we stood. Men fought for what they believed was the right thing to do. Men died for their homes.



There weren't any other people out at the battlefields the day we visited. It was very quiet and almost somber. Once again, it's a part of history that I really never had thought much about, being from Kansas. That's not much of an excuse, but it's the truth.



Saturday evening we watched The Patriot with Mel Gibson. It was just an interesting comparison as the battlegrounds really looked quite similar.

In a few weeks, we're going to see a new local movie called "The Battle of Aiken" - it should be very interesting as well. I am very much enjoying getting to know more about the local history.