Sunday, October 23, 2005

I'm in Heaven!


Ha! I suppose it takes very little to make me happy! HA! On my way back from PT Friday night I stopped in Bargain Books. As I opened the door I see a sign "50% off Biographies!" Ahhhhhh! God is so nice! I'm in trouble! HA!!!!! So I knew I would be able to relax for a while & have fun browsing the biographies & finding a few great buys!

I ended up getting 6 books. The highest I paid was $4.99! :-) I think you will see from my selections, I have quite an eclectic taste! HA! And people think they can figure me out or "Know Me!" Baa Haa Haa!

The first book I saw was Dudley Moore's. It went right in the basket! It is by Barbra Paskin but apparently Authorized. Called "The Melancholy Clow". How interesting!  I miss Dudley! He made me laugh sooo much. He was sooo sweet! I just loved "Arthur" & so many others of his movies. I loved his piano playing too! In the cover of the book it says he was born with two twisted feet & a withered leg. His mother wanted to drown him at birth to spare him the pain he would later endure. Boy, does that give me perspective. What a spirit in need of love! To think if this man did not live? I do hope he realized before he died how this world would not have had as much happiness, had he not been allowed to live. In March of 2002 he died, at the age of 66 yrs old, after suffering for 5 yrs from a neurological disorder related to Parkinson's. I can't wait to read about the years in between.

Next, a book by Sela Ward called "Homesick". I loved watching "Sisters" and "One & Again". She writes about her life in Meridian, MS and coming back home to it. Living in Starkville, MS for a year, I am interested in what she has to say. She has 2 Emmy Awards & a Golden Globe & has a started Hope Village for Children, a permanent home for abused and neglected children in Meridian. 

Next, Benny Hill! :-) "Funny Peculiar" is the title of this book & you think I won't pick it! HA! Have to go with the "Odd People!" :-) And don't get me started on how we define this or who gets to define it! UGH! I know, man, "The Benny Hill Show" was soooo sexist how could I like it? ;-) I can't say why...I think it has to do with the heart. I mean when it becomes sexist is when it is done intentionally to bring down women or there is a lowered expectation etc. But when both parties are just having fun with each other equally, know where the lines are drawn & there is not harm, then I don't think it is bad. YES...that means it depends on the individual! And don't forget his comedian entailed much more than this type of humor!  I mean heck he was in "Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang!" :-) I'll have to send this to my dad to read during his retirement! 


The next one I found was Celine Dion. I like her music very much but I think I'm also drawn to this book because of her relationship with Rene. Such an age difference & yet the love they have for each other is just amazing. What they have had to go through with Rene's cancer & trying to have a baby is inspiring to me.

Side "off"  note...Sorry I'm listening to the "the ball game" & the DHL commerical with "Their is not crying in shipping!" Ha! It just has me laughing!

Finally, a book by Ellen's mom, "Love, Ellen A Mother/Daughter Journey". Maybe it was just the idea of a mother's perspective of unconditional love. Is there such a thing? Being able to accept your children as an autonomous adult, who makes their own decions, which may not always be to your liking is an interesting idea to me. Hmmm! I don't care what the topic of that decision is. It doesn't have to be sexual orientation. Maybe it is marrying someone much older like Celine, maybe outside your religious believes or cultural/ethnic background. Maybe it is the occupation you pick ETC!

Most parents have hopes & dreams for their children when we are born. These hopes & dreams are certainly coming from love...well the majority of the time. As life goes on some of these hopes & dreams help us, others do not. There is a research study which places boys in pink blankets & girls in blue blankets & asks people to choose characteristics of these babies. Sure enough, "Pretty, Delicate, Sweet" for the babies in pink (though they are boys) and "Tough, Strong, Assertive" for the babies in blue (though they are girls!) Just one example how right from the start we can be labeled and those labels may not fit us and actually hurt us in many ways.

We may not think of ourselves as worthy of certain things in life or having certain people to share our life. We also may incorporate these views in our own schemes of others. One can think a certain way about men, African Americans, my garbage man (person) even, and I may not think they are worthy to have something or someone, including US! So I'm eager to see what Ms. DeGeneres has to say & how she may have grown & what I may learn from her.

Oh, I did say I got 6 books didn't I? :-) I got a book on Polar Bears for my sister for Christmas. Shhh don't tell her! She loves Polar Bears! Animal books were also 50%! :-)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A gal after my own heart!  I love to buy biographies at the Half Price Bookstore!  I'm so jealous!!!

Donna

Anonymous said...

Those are really great books...have you ever tried buying on amazon.com...they sell used books, most starting at a dollar...and for really good books too.

Anonymous said...

I just love good finds on books and can - to this day- get lost in a library for hours.  Hugs and happy reading,
Lisa