“To get back up to the shining world from there
My guide and I went into that hidden tunnel,
And Following its path, we took no care
To rest, but climbed: he first, then I — so far,
through a round aperture I saw appear
Some of the beautiful things that Heaven bears,
Where we came forth, and once more saw the stars.”
― Dante Alighieri, from Inferno Canto XXXIV, Robert Pinsky translation (1995)
Happy Solstice
“The festival of the summer solstice speaks of love and light, of freedom and generosity of spirit. It is a beautiful time of year where vibrant flowers whisper to us with scented breath, forests and woodlands hang heavy in the summer’s heat and our souls become enchanted with midsummer magic.”
― Carole Carlton, from Mrs Darley’s Pagan Whispers: A Celebration Of Pagan Festivals, Sacred Days, Spirituality And Traditions Of The Year
The Weight of a Human Heart by Ryan O’Neil My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a generous collection of perfect gems. It’s the first I’ve read of Ryan O’Neill’s writing, and I am now a fan. These stories are vibrant, fresh, and poignant. I laughed out loud, even in the midst of sad tales, where laughter was the last response I had expected from myself. What I love most about this collection is that, while O’Neill has a deft and clever touch with traditional narrative, post-modern send-ups, and meta perspective points-of-view — making it look easy to bounce between these quite different ways of thinking — he has tremendous heart too. He is a substantial writer, not merely a clever one.…
This is my husband’s and my favourite chocolate cake these days. It is just the right amount of richness and decadence. It’s good with the cream and strawberries but we enjoy it in winter time, out of berry season, with just a hot cup of tea or coffee.
“The best fantasy is written the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real…for the moment at least… that long magic moment before we wake.
Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli…fantasy tastes of habaneros and honey, cinnamon and cloves, rare red meat and wines as sweet as summer.”
~George R. R. Martin