Hello, world. I have finally summoned up the energy to do something with this blog. Aren't you thrilled? ;)
First, a note about the blog title. It's what the nibs call a Literary Allusion. It refers to a novel by P.G. Wodehouse entitled Leave It to Psmith. If you enjoy laughing your head off, I would recommend that you read this novel. It's one of Wodehouse's funniest and silliest. And it contains the juiciest send-up of modern poetry ever. Which is where "Across the pale parabola of joy" comes in. But I won't spoil it for you. Go to your local library or mega bookstore and get the novel itself. Then sit back and enjoy.
Now, about this blog. If even two people end up reading it, I will just about die of shock. But isn't the point of a blog to spout off into the black hole of cyberspace? Having an audience is irrelevant. Nice, but not strictly necessary. It would be lovely if a few kindred spirits were to find their way here via Mr. Google. But I'm not holding my breath.
About me, briefly. I'm originally from Boston, but now I live in rural North Carolina (a/k/a God's Country). I've been married to my soul-mate for 26 years. We have two handsome, strapping teenage boys, whom we homeschool. I'm a devout Catholic, and I plan to write a lot about Jesus and Mary and all that Catholic Stuff. I'm also the artsy-fartsy type, so I'll write some about art and opera and Jane Austen and such. I've been an advertising copywriter for nearly 28 years now. Right now I work as a catalog / e-commerce writer for a great big huge apparel company. I promise not to write about work. At least, not much.
My current passion is Sacred Harp singing (a/k/a "shape note"), so I'll probably write a lot about that. I guess you could say I have eclectic interests -- from the Sacred Heart to the Sacred Harp, so to speak -- but, to some extent, that's just part and parcel of being a Catholic here in the Bible Belt, I guess.
OK, more later.
Dianonymous
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11 comments:
Sounds like a fun mix of interests. Love the name!
Your podworld companion
Catherine! Yo!!! I have a comboxer...I have arrived!
I have to disable that "this blog does not allow anonymous" comments thang. Anonymous comments are fine by me. In fact, any comments are fine by me. Except snarky ones...but would I ever get those? (batting eyelashes)
Wasn't that a fun fire drill today? They let us back in around 5:20.
Well..ta-ta and see you tomorrow!
dianonymous
Okay, Diane. Am I the second person? Don't die of shock or something! We hear a lot of old timey church music here in AL. So maybe I have heard this sacred harp stuff. I will listen to some on the internet and see. And by the way, my vote for funniest, silliest Wodehouse is The Mating Season. Jeeves and Wooster have my devotion in exchange for all the laughs courtesy of the books and the DVDs. I can never navigate these blog things (can't ever seem to get back to what I have read or posted previously). So just keep sending me the blog address in e mails from time to time and I will look it up and post something (if I have something to say, which I usually do). Well, here's to shouting in to cyberspace!-Sylvia
Yo, Sylvia!!! Long time, no chat!!!
Alabama is Sacred Harp Central. In fact, there's a famous group called the Alabama Sacred Harp Singers. But you may not want to listen to their stuff first. It's really, er, authentic. As someone once said about the Primitive Baptists (who are big on shape-note singing): "They consider it a sin to sing on-key." LOL! And one of the ladies from the Anonymous 4 said that the first time she heard authentic Sacred Harp singing, she wanted to turn around and run screaming in the opposite direction. Let's just say that it's an acquired taste!
Here's the way we were introduced to it: first Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata...then Anonymous 4...then Word of Mouth Chorus (which is pretty authentic but the members can actually sing)...and then the really authentic stuff like Alabama Scared Harp Singers. I think that's a pretty good way to ease into it.
My pastor wanted to listen to the authentic stuff first. I warned him that he was doing so at his own risk, LOL.
How the heck are you? I've never read The Mating Season, but now I want to.
Love ya!
Diane
Hi Diane
I don't know anything about Sacred Harp singing, but I do love Anonymous Four and Wodehouse and I also lived in North Carolina for 18 years (Chapel Hill).
Hi, Scott! I am honored by your presence on my humble blog. You are the first of my comboxers (all three of 'em) who is known to me only via cyberspace. Catherine and Sylvia both know me in Real Life -- although I haven't seen Sylvia in years, alas!
You lived in Chapel Hill for 18 years? Did you teach at UNC, perchance? Believe it or not, we have never been to Chapel Hill, although we've lived here in NC nearly 19 years. One of these days, maybe.... But, when we travel, we usually go to the mountains. Or to visit family. And once we went to Nag's Head. But, up to this point, we haven't made it to Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (unless the Raleigh airport counts). Perhaps you can tell me what we've been missing!
I should have provided links re Sacred Harp singing. Here are some now:
www.fasola.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Harp
http://www.southernspaces.org/contents/2007/wallace/1h.htm
I will also separately post links to my favorite Sacred Harp CDs. :-)
God bless,
Diane
Hi Diane,
I'll be adding a link to your blog on my blog so make sure you write lots of posts(not that I've been posting much)!!
In Christ,
Richard
Diane,
Welcome to the blogosphere!
I am enchanted to see that, in addition to a common connection to the Boston area, we also share a love of PG Wodehouse (he stands alone).
I have added your weblog to my blogroll and to my feed reader.
Thank you, Chris! And yes, I agree, Wodehouse (like Jeeves for that matter) stands alone and takes the biscuit.
I do plan to check out "Leave it to Psmith", thanks for the recommendation. I have enjoyed some of Wodehouse's books before -- I think at one time I read 5 or 6 in a row.
The funniest line I remember is, "This was the closest I have ever come in my life to saying, 'Voila!'". I can't remember the context now but I remember busting a gut. I wish I could remember which book it's from so I can read it again.
Anyway I hope you get around to posting more. You might want to consider just writing about some of the controversies in which you involve yourself while posting on other people's blogs. That might lead to something.
In the meantime I'll put you on my favorites list and check in once in a while to see if you've gotten it off the ground. If not, I will understand -- seeing as how, as you mentioned, you write for a living, it might seem too much like work. But then again you seem to get enjoyment out of commenting, so why not post on the subjects you enjoy commenting about?
Hello Diane, not sure if you found two people who read this or not but you certainly found one 8 years later:) I felt compelled to reply after reading your blog. Yes I did use Mr. Google to search for the phrase after completing the book. Only the third wodehouse that I have read till now and I did enjoy it to the fullest. Cheers:)
-Sam
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