I have transferred my blog to:
http://architecturedance.wordpress.com/

Thanks, I hope you'll join me there.

Does this ever happen to you? You're engrossed in a good book and read a particularly inspiring passage and wish you could lift it from the page and take it with you? It kept happening to me until I finally got around to keeping a notebook on the side table where I read. The result is I get to share some of my favourite gems with you now:

"Whoever chose the paint, I decided, wanted to ensure that anyone who wasn't sick when they entered the hospital jolly well would be when they left."
~Flavia de Luce, as per Alan Bradley

Flavia is Bradley's marvellously funny 11 year old heroine is his mystery series. I just love her!

"He began by stating that he could find no words to express his shock and abhorrence, and then proceeded to find a great number, few of them appropriate and none of them helpful."
~from P.D. Jame's "Death Comes to Pemberley"

If one could say "oh snap!" to a 19th century reproach, here's where you'd do it. Fantastic, and haven't we all thought this at one time or another?

One more, because I can't resist:

"A fat, balding man stepped out of the car as we approached. His top teeth jutted out at an angle, peeping out from under his lip as though looking to see if the coast was clear, so they might escape."
~Bryce Courtenay, "The Power of One"

Just a fabulous visual description

I'll keep reading and scribbling and hope you do to. Reading is such a magical world.

I just re-discovered this blog, originally created to provide my genius observations on home design (ha). I am raising it from the ashes, and keeping the name, because I figure any writing design to comment on what others have created, from art to literature, books, music or what people do in everyday life, can be part of the "dance".

I am taking a classical literature course at the Continuing Studies School of my city's largest university. I absolutely love it! Most of us (there are about 8) are "women of a certain age", some perhaps a bit lonely or bored, but all with the fire to learn still burning brightly. We are reading and discussing everything from Dante's Inferno to Homer, St. Augustine and more. Like novels and even movies, the energy and perspective we bring to works can really change how we look at them. Did you read any of these classics in school? I read some, but why did they go "in and out one ear"? Or did I just not have the life experience, empathy and dare I say wisdom, to give them their due? It's great to have even a bit of that to bring now. Such an enjoyable class.

In everyday reading, I am "cheating" on my book club list and taking the recommendation of my good friend (and voracious reader) Nancy. I'm reading "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?" by Maria Semple. If you like Jonathan Franzen, you will love this book! Semple provides a wonderfully irreverent side-eye at modern living, with razor sharp wit and funny and poignant observations. I highly recommend this book.

In upcoming posts, I'm going to start sharing some great little quotes from books I have recently read. I (try to) keep a notebook next to me and sometimes jot down memorable thoughts and quotes. Look for that soon.  Until then, hope you enjoy my renewed blog!

Well I just re-discovered my old blog and decided that writing about art, or literature, or good books, or even just human behaviour while I'm at Starbucks, could fall into the category of "dancing about architecture" so I'll keep the title. Anytime we are creating something by observing what others have created, we are doing the dance.

I am, at 50+, taking a classicial literature course at my city's most prominent university. I absolutely love it. We are reading and discussing the "great books" including Bible selections, Homer's Odyssey, The Consolation of Philosphy, Dante's Inferno etc etc. Did you read these in school? I read some, but, like a novel or even a movie, we bring different energy to what we take in at different stages of our lives. I love the perspective of life that my class brings to these works. There are 8 of us, mostly women "of a certain age" like me, some maybe a bit lonely or bored, but still anxious to learn.

On the everyday reading front, I am currently "cheating" on my book club list and instead inhaling a fantastic, funny read called "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" by Maria Semple. If you've read and like Jonathan Franzen, you'll love Semple. Funny, irreverant, poignant, she provides a side-eye at modern life with tongue firmly in cheek.  I highly recommend it.