Laura Benedict's Blog, page 13

Beware the Road to Perfect

 

No road here.

 

I discovered today that the Road to Perfect is covered in wet tar, lined with brambles, kudzu, and poison ivy, and is policed by dragons flying overhead. You’re probably way ahead of me, and already know that. And what I’m going to say next…

The Road to Perfect is nearly impassable because it doesn’t lead anywhere except to hell. Okay. Maybe not literal hell. But at least the hell of disappointment and despair. Because Perfect is not a real destination. It’s an ideal. It exi...

There Will Come Soft Rains (Repost)

Happy Wednesday! Every other Wednesday I blog over at the Kill Zone blog, with a stellar group of mystery and thriller writers. So I’ll often do a repost here to keep me from going crazier than I already am. Do pop over and visit if you have a chance.

I love this post from April. And I love being read to, particularly when it’s a classic tale.

 

(first edition cover)

 

In Sunday’s post I had a quote from Ray Bradbury. His work isn’t much in fashion right now, though so many of his stories...

Wildlife of the Tiny Flying Hopping Garden Sort

Someone doesn’t like to share.

 

I confess that I may be the laziest person I know when it comes to photography. This week I put the macro lens on my camera and hung around the garden with it. To take wonderfully clear photos with a macro lens, you really need to have it on a tripod so it can stay absolutely still. *sigh* It takes like ten minutes for me to get the tripod set up! So here are some photos taken with a macro lens that may be a smidge fuzzy. But they’re still cool. Particularly t...

All About Gothic and DEAD ENDS, Too

(credit: leolintag, iStock)

 

 

The word “Gothic” is thrown about a lot when it comes to literature.*

Gothic is an interesting word.

You know who the Visigoths were: those unsophisticated, crusty and crude pre-Germanic types who swooped down on the slothful, stuttering remains of the Roman Empire in the fourth century and gobbled them up. They were fairly illiterate victors, so they’ve gotten a bad rap in history. (Pardon me if I’m a little defensive. You know that my cultural/ancestral totem...

Sunday, 17 September 2017

The very last of the black-eyed Susans, their sisters already dying back, gathering strength for next summer.

 

“Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night.”

— Hal Borland

The post Sunday, 17 September 2017 appeared first on Laura Benedict.

Saturday Serendipity Links, 16 September 2017

Serendipity makes a life worth living.

 

Lots of interesting Saturday Serendipity links today. Hope you’re having a fabulous September Saturday!

Bits and Bobs

Life for the Amish is changing fast. We see it even here in Southern Illinois.

Harry Dean Stanton made every film he was in that much better. RIP, awesome Harry.

Everyone heard about that sneezing panda video this week. I think this one is just as cute! (The one from Rachel Maddow runs just after this one.)

I gather foie gras is delicio...

A View From the Porch Kind of Writing Day

Both of these plants faded in mid August, but they’ve revived nicely.

 

Today was a porch kind of day.

It’s September, right? So the weather is a bit schizophrenic. The a/c has been running non-stop during the day, and when I made the decision to take the day off from working out, I put on leggings and a long-sleeved tee. Sometimes I feel like I’m being refrigerated with the a/c on. But when I headed outside to sit on the porch with my laptop, I realized it was humid and already in the mid se...

Bloom Where You’re Planted: Home Is Never Perfect And That’s Okay

The first house I ever lived in.

 

I spend a lot of time in my house. By a lot I mean that I often don’t even leave the property 4 or 5 days a week. Many people I know leave their homes each day to go to work, to activities, or to the market for food. If we lived closer to town–we’re about 15 minutes, or 5 miles out as the crow flies–perhaps I would go out more. But my work is here, and I’ve always been a bit of a homebody. I definitely have the right job for my personality.

All that time spe...

Another Book to Make You Cry

 

Scoutie is appropriate no matter what the subject is!

 

I’m so excited to welcome lots of new subscribers to the Handbasket! Thanks so much for joining us. I love it when you all drop by and chat, or even just peek in. (I’m a lurker on lots of blogs myself.) I do my best to respond to comments right away, and I encourage you to talk amongst your dear selves. I only ask that everyone be kind to one another, and save politics for Twitter, Facebook, etc. You can come here to get away from that...

The Other Illinois State Fair. And a Llama.

 

For eight of the last eleven years we’ve attended Illinois’ DuQuion State Fair. It’s one of two state fairs in the state. I get it. Illinois is a very loooooong state, so having two state fairs is handy.

Husband doesn’t like large crowds, and I melt like butter if it’s over eighty-five degrees, so we always go on a weekday evening. This year we went on Wednesday. Somehow the fair was different this year. There were many, many more corn dog, lemonade, pizza, and taffy stands than in the past...