By Elizabeth Gilbert Eat Pray Love is an intimate, honest account of the author's year-long search for self in three different countries – Italy, India and Indonesia. The consuming panic and confusion she was feeling while living the life others dream of – married, living in a country home and being successful in her career – is what stimulated the journey. Gilbert pulled herself out of the marriage, which plummeted her into a depression and another relationship, before she realized she needed to stop the cycle and figure out who she was and what she really wanted. She chose to attack three aspects of her life – pleasure in Italy, devotion in India and a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence in Bali, Indonesia. In Italy, she works on learning the language and enjoying the food. Being alone is often a struggle, but she is determined to concentrate on her reasons for being there. In India, she spends her time at an Ashram learning the Sanskrit meditations, and ends up staying there longer than originally planned. In Bali, she learns from a medicine man she met in her previous travels, plus she builds relationships with local people and falls in … [Read more...]
The Letter
She stepped off the train, her stiletto heels clicking on the concrete platform at Union Station. Her slender fingers slid into her coat pocket to make sure the letter was still there. The letter is what brought her to Chicago in the first place.Her editor thought she was crazy when she burst into his office the day before, giving one day notice that she would be gone for two weeks. She could see the veins in his neck quickly enlarge through his dark brown skin, and his eyes narrowed as they always did when he was angry.“You can’t do this to me right now,” he said. “The story you are working on is too important.” But she had to leave for Chicago the next day. She didn’t tell him why. She just said it was a family emergency. “We’ll see if you have a job when you get back,” he said as she turned to walk out the door. All her co-workers had listened to everything, though they pretended to be working. Everyone had treated her differently since her husband died six months ago. It was as if they were afraid she would break if they talked to her. Maybe his sudden death brought mortality too close to home. She didn’t dare tell any of them about the letter for fear they would … [Read more...]
Bugs won visually – I won produce
Even though they won the war, I won the droppings - the PRODUCE is mine! Most of my plants are producing beautiful flowers or wonderful fruit and vegetables. The chain link fence is barely visible through the morning glories, cucumbers and tomatoes. The cucumber plants grew over the top of the fence and all the way down to the driveway, where they are making their way along the retaining wall. Even the five green bean seeds I planted are producing delicious beans, though the leaves look like lace doilies. Recently, I took a large colander when I went out to harvest and it was totally inadequate. After several trips, my kitchen counter was covered with tomatoes, cucumbers, banana and jalapeno peppers, green beans, rosemary, basil, oregano and zucchini. The insects that were working on the Chinese lantern plants must be an early summer pest because the new growth looks much better. I had completely dismissed the idea of drying any of the lanterns, but as they turn orange, I have noticed many look pretty good. I dried one bouquet and have another drying hanging upside in a closet. I also have these incredible sunflowers growing next to the garage. One is as tall as I am … [Read more...]
The war is over
Ever since the Chinese Lantern Plants started peaking out of soil the insects decided they are delectable. Hundreds of the interesting little creatures descended on the fine leaves. Normally, I co-exist well with insects, as long as they stay outside. I leave them alone and study their fascinating tiny bodies. But this year, they are destroying my plants. I declared war and started looking for ways to rid my flower bed of those pests. Leaning toward organic gardening, I decided to try an insecticide made with herb oils. Even after dousing the leaves, the lacy holes continued to appear. Next I used dish soap in water, soaking the plants, which accomplished little. By now, the insects had spread to other fine-leafed plants, like my morning glories and sweet potato vines. I had never seen such a variety of cool little creatures, but the plants were turning into stubs. The war was making my stomach sick. The idea of using an insecticide that would kill everything, even the beneficial insects, was abhorrent, but I wanted to save my plants. I would stand in front of the pesticide isle in the garden center where I work studying the different products, picking up one after … [Read more...]