Quote of the Day

From Milton Friedman, as quoted by Thomas Sowell in A Conflict of Visions:

A society that puts equality -- in the sense of equality of outcome -- ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom. The use of force to achieve equality will destroy freedom, and the force, introduced for good purposes, will end up in the hands of people who use it to promote their own interests.

A Tale of Two Books

It was the worst of subjects; it was the best of subjects.  The last two books I've read couldn't be more different.  I read The Politician:  An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down because I was curious about it after I heard the author interviewed on Michael Medved's radio show months ago.  I read it so you don't have to.  Seriously, it confirmed all I suspected about John Edwards from the first time I noticed him on the political scene, and it made me esteem politicians and the political process even less, if that's possible.  It also left me wondering how on earth the author took so long to figure Edwards out.  I felt like I needed a shower after reading it.

Fortunately, I was able to turn my thoughts to more beautiful things when a friend here loaned me Four Seasons in Rome:  On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the World by Anthony Doerr.  I hadn't read Doerr's work before, but I will be looking for more of his writing.  He had a lovely subject, and his descriptions are lovely, as well.  Having lived here in Rome for over a month now, I can relate to much of what he writes, and the added detail about his baby boys was charming.  I recommend it if you know Rome or want to know Rome.

Quote of the Day

From Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L. Shelley (emphases mine):

Alcuin, an Anglo-Saxon scholar in charge of the school, began the arduous task of reviving learning by undertaking the first stop of writing textbooks on grammar, spelling, rhetoric, and logic. Alcuin exhorted his students, "Ye lads whose age is fitted for reading, learn! The years go by like running water. Waste not the teachable days in idleness!"

Roma

A friend here loaned me Four Seasons in Rome:  On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr.  I started reading last night after a twelve-mile walk around the walls of Rome.  That wasn't smart, only because I wanted to keep reading and my exhaustion wouldn't let me.  Here's a little taste of the book and of the city I'm falling in love with:

Every time I turn around here, I witness a miracle: wisteria pours up walls; slices of sky show through the high arches of a bell tower; water leaks nonstop from the spouts of a half-sunken marble boat in the Piazza di Spagna. A church floor looks soft as flesh; the skin from a ball of mozzarella cheese tastes rich enough to change my life.

Amen.

We Remember

I post this drawing every year because it still captures for me the awfulness of that day and the way it's changed our country.  PalmGirl was a second-grader when she drew this on that terrible day nine years ago, and even at that young age, she understood that this was something serious:

We remember, and we will never forget.

He Continues to Impress Me

"...I believe in Auburn and love it"

First Day of School

Because Labor Day* is only an American holiday, today is business as usual in Italy.  PalmPilot has school, and so do PalmGirl and I.  It's the first official day of her junior year, and she and I start Italian classes at PalmPilot's school later this morning.  I'll let you know how that goes.  Right now I'm fully expecting PalmGirl to excel and me to struggle to keep anything in my memory.

*Without Labor Day how will we know when to put away our white shoes & summer clothes? ;-)

Feast

For as long as I can remember I've loved to read and have always had at least one book nearby.  My joy - sheer delight -  in reading, however, waxes and wanes.  In homeschooling I've had to slog through some books that have been beneficial, but not necessarily enjoyable to read.  As I've gotten older I've tended to have several books in progress all at once, some of these more for "work" than for pleasure. This summer, I'm pleased to report, has been a time of feasting on some good books.  I heartily recommend to you the following:

• Peace Like a River - Leif Enger
• The Help - Kathryn Stockett
• The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak  (still in progress)

These books have kept me up too late at night and were/are on my mind during the day.  The authors are able to weave words together in remarkable, poignant, and vivid ways.  If you've feasted on these books, too, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  And if you've feasted on something I haven't read, please share that with me.  I seem to have more time for reading these days, and I'd like to use it well.