The Disenchanted Widow Quotes

“Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes: work never begun. Lorcan Strong”
― Christina McKenna, The Disenchanted Widow

“If there was one great benefit to the whole practice of art, it was to focus him in the “now,” where the ugly past and uncertain future could not touch him.”
― Christina McKenna, The Disenchanted Widow

“Ma, why does Gusty Grant call his pig Veronica and Barkin’ Bob call his horse Brenda?” “Because, son, it’s the closest they’ll ever get tae a wommin, dirty hellions. Let that be a warnin’ tae ye.”
― Christina McKenna, The Disenchanted Widow

“He had to do something to help them. To help the mohter. For, deep down, he sensed there was another Bessie, a caring, lovable one that had never received the nurturing. He reflected now that perhaps, with the right attention and sufficient time on a sun-facing slope, maybe - just maybe - she could blossom.”
― Christina McKenna, The Disenchanted Widow

“coughed”
― Christina McKenna, The Disenchanted Widow

“shock. “Oh, yes,”
― Christina McKenna, The Disenchanted Widow

“Not at all, Doris. How are you”
― Christina McKenna, The Disenchanted Widow

“the day. His ma’s in the hospital, ye see…skidded on a mat when she was gettin’ her hair done in Hilda Cahoon’s hair saloon and broke her hip. Hilda had tae get the amb’lance, ’cos she couldn’t get herself up.” “Well, I’m sorry to hear that, but—” “Ye could try McMurty in the town but he’d charge ye an arm and a leg, ’cos he’s got bigger overheads than me. He’d do a quicker job for ye, right enuff, but I’d put money on it that it wouldn’t be as good a job as I’d do. I take me time, ye see, on account of havin’ a bit more of it on me hands out here, not bein’ in the town, like.” “Look, I’ll tell you what: I’ll just—” “They’re queuing up for McMurty in the town but that’s only ’cos he’s in the town and not out here in the cawntry like me…I couldn’t guarantee that ye wouldn’t have a wait on yer hands there, too. He could say he’d have it for yeh this evenin’, then ye could go back this evenin’ and he’d tell ye a different story altogether. He’s like that, ye see. And at the end of the day he’d charge ye more, ’cos as I say, he’s got bigger overheads than me…” Bessie realized it was pointless trying to interrupt. She was put in mind of her old refrigerator. It, too, had a habit of droning on in similar fashion. A swift kick in the right spot usually sorted it out. However, in this case such a tactic might prove highly inadvisable. She’d simply have to endure it. Let the mechanic say his piece. He’d peter out eventually. “…but it’s a free cawntry and it’s up tae you. As I say, I’ll do it for ye as soon as Willie-Tom opens the morra…couldn’t say fairer than that. I would of done it for ye today if Willie-Tom’s mother hadn’t skidded on that mat. But a body never knows from one day till the next what’s gonna happen. So it’s up tae you what ye want tae do.” “Look, I’ll just risk it then,” the widow said, not”
― Christina McKenna, The Disenchanted Widow