One Hundred Things My Mother Taught Me A Million Times - Chapter 90

#90 -  “Keep a $50 bill hidden in your billfold just in case of an emergency.”

Mom was a consummate penny-pincher. As you know, I’m always curious about words so I googled ‘penny-pincher,’ and synonyms that popped up were “skinflint, stingy and niggard.” None of those words defined mom because she wasn’t stingy. So I googled ‘frugal’ thinking that was a better word for mom’s ability to stretch a dollar. Interestingly, thesauras.com makes the point that, “frugal refers more to practicing economy in the course of shopping for goods or services; whereas thrifty applies more to the preservation of funds.” By the way, the antonyms of frugal are generous, lavish, uneconomical, wasteful and SueAnn.

Mom was both frugal and thrifty. Dad, on the other hand, invested in racehorses, goldmines and oil wells. I think I’m the apple that didn’t fall far from dad’s tree. On the other-other hand, the things that I invest in (heavily) aren’t all that crazy: my grandkids’ whims, my children’s needs or enjoyment, my husband’s health, friendships, books, travel and food. I’m certain that I’m spoiling my grandchildren, and although that probably isn’t good for them, I am just a victim of my own heritage. I didn’t have any grandparents and always wanted them. I know, I know, grandparents are supposed to impart wisdom and love, not DS’s, Androids, Nikes and ice cream, but I never got presents from grandparents so I am also a victim of the backlash effect. But enough rationalizing, let’s return to mom’s emergency $50. CLICK ON READ MORE BELOW...

The Flight of Gemma Hardy: A Novel by Margot Livesey

Anyone who writes a book or makes a movie that reimagines a classic has some serious cajones, as the slightest stumble brings out the critics like cockroaches in the dark. The fact that I saw very few complaints in the reviews of The Flight of Gemma Hardy indicated to me that author Margot Livesey (pictured) must have done a pretty good job of reimagining Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. I, on the other hand, couldn’t tell you whether she did or not because about the only thing I remember about Jane Eyre, which I read many years ago, is that Jane was a stoic fortress in a life-long storm of misfortune, as is Gemma Hardy.

Set in Iceland, Scotland, and the Orkney Islands off the northern-most tip of Scotland during 1950-60’s, Gemma’s story begins when she is orphaned in Iceland at the age of 3. She becomes the ward of her kindly, pastor uncle in Scotland, who unfortunately soon dies, leaving Gemma in the hands of the predictably wicked stepmother and progeny. Gemma gets tossed into a boarding school that uses indigent students as slaves, but she trudges bravely though that and a seemingly endless series of disasters involving the not uncommon trials of life (i.e., love, poverty, work, betrayal) which would be depressing if it weren’t for two things. CLICK ON READ MORE BELOW...

Our gifts are not by hard work or happenstance alone, by Judy Knotts, In Your Words

I met Very Smart Gal Judy Knotts through Very Smart Gal Lynn Meredith and have come to admire her thoughtful life, which includes being the Interim Head of St. Gabriel’s Catholic School, a very active friend of the Austin homeless community, and an occasional contributor to the Austin American-Statesman.  A couple of days ago I received an email from Judy saying, “Because you don’t read the paper…” with her most recent editorial attached. I loved the article so much that I asked if I could include it in my blog. See below, reprinted with permission.

Our gifts are not by hard work or happenstance alone

By Judy Knotts, In Your Words

A simple pleasure is found in many cultures sitting around the dinner table or communal fire after the evening meal and discussing life as it unfolds. At first the conversation might center on things and people, but as night falls, talk often turns to deeper questions. "Who are we? "What is our purpose?" "Who writes the story we are enacting?"

Recently, I was invited to dinner at a friend's home. After we had had our fill of delicious shrimp and pasta and cleared away the dishes, we returned to the table to savor one last glass of wine and chocolate chip cookies. These treats eased us into a meaningful conversation, and we began delving into the age-old question of "Who is in charge of the world, of us?"

Two opinionated people (one of them me) began sounding like a chorus of dueling banjos, rarely letting each other finish a sentence, instead grabbing hold of the topic or melody line and making it our own with a flourish.

We each held strong views, which we flung in the face of the other. "What about the starving child in sub-Saharan Africa, would a god allow that?" my friend demanded.

I countered with the usual response of faith-filled people that admittedly sounded a bit weak: "We can't understand these things. We are merely human, not gods." CLICK ON READ MORE BELOW...

The hobby that got out of control . .

Very Smart Gal Elizabeth Ann Gates told me about Very Smart Gal Julie Sullivan and her "Dancing Cat Bindery." What a lovely skill, and I saw some wonderful gift ideas on her Dancing Cat Bindery website! 

In the early 90s Dallas-based bookbinder Julie Sullivan (pictured below) began taking evening classes from local calligrapher and bookbinder Catherine Burkhard. Julie was simply looking for a relaxing hobby to reduce the stress of a full-time, fast-paced job in the hi-tech industry.

"I should have known something was up when I started using vacation days from my job to take bookbinding workshops!"

In 1997 Julie left her corporate job and began working in earnest to develop her bookbinding and book repair skills. She joined the Guild of Book Workers and began attending annual educational conferences offered by the Guild. She has attended conferences and workshops on specialized topics and book repair techniques. In 2001 Julie traveled to Cambridge University in England for her first international educational conference.

"Bookbinding is a craft in which one learns something every day, either from your own experiences or by learning from experts." 

CLICK ON READ MORE BELOW...