13: The Conversation
1. “What is a “Courageous Conversation?” Well, I suppose it’s good to go to the root of the word ‘courage’, which comes from the old Norman French ‘coeur’ meaning heart. I suppose a courageous conversation is a heart-felt one. And a heart-felt conversation is one that needs to happen.” – David Whyte, poet.
2. I hope to soon post about the day-long workshop with David Whyte that I and a couple of friends attended on Saturday. It, titled “The Art of Asking the Beautiful Question,” was held at the Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, which is where the above photo was taken.
3. Did Van Gogh paint THESE clouds in Atlanta? 
4. My 3-year-old grandson Liam, who likes to say “I’m a bad guy” when he plays, had a band-aid on his face when I babysat him last week, and I kept thinking it was a scar or tattoo. (That’s the band-aid wearing bad guy getting caught eating snow on the right!)
5. I stayed away from the Olympics with a ten foot ski pole because the sports commentaries that go with it give me a headache like my father’s TV Sunday football games used to.
6. I like routine but am bored by monotony. I need a simple life so I can ponder the complexities of life.
7. It’s a good sign that at the David Whyte workshop, we had lunch under an oak tree and discovered that we were sitting on a bed of sprouting crocus.
8. I think it makes sense that the word poet is in the word prophet.
9. I want a poem I can live happily ever after with even if we fight / I want a poem that will talk to me but one that won’t say what it thinks I want to hear … More from Not Just a Pretty Face HERE.
10. I dreamt that an animal attached itself to my head and clung on tightly with its claws until it was welded to my head. I spent some time trying to call out for help but was paralyzed. Finally I managed to yell out “Joe,” penetrating through the dream with an out loud call that woke us both up.
11. Scenes depicting the quirky country life of Floyd are in THIS trailer of the new film Geographically Desirable, which was filmed in Floyd and which I covered for the local paper.
12. “A beautiful question shapes you as much by asking it as it does by actually answering. Just by asking a beautiful question you are emancipated into a larger conversation, put in a hall of a larger house of presence.” David Whyte
13. I wish I could delete sting bugs by pointing my mouse at them and clicking.
____________Thirteen Thursday
February 27th, 2014 2:52 am
#1 — Or, in other words, a heart-felt heart-to-heart
#3 — Those are a bit reminiscent of Van Gogh’s style, especially that one vertical cityscape.
#7 — Crocus? Already?! Sigh…we should be so lucky. We’ve been plunged into arctic temps again.
My T13: Book to Film
February 27th, 2014 4:23 am
I love that photo of your grandson. Mouse clicking to delete bug stings sounds like a great plan!
February 27th, 2014 6:08 am
#4 he is something !! the bad guy
February 27th, 2014 6:17 am
Is it Thursday already??? That photo is really, really, cool!
February 27th, 2014 7:31 am
#6: Routine=good. It’s hard for me to convince My Beloved Sandra that routine does not mean monotony.
#11: My 1st few years up here in the Northeast Kingdom were like Nicole’s 1st encounter with Floydians…I was baffled.
February 27th, 2014 2:10 pm
I know what you mean about the sports commentary – sometimes I wish we could watch without hearing anyone talking. I’ve seen a few bike races that way and I found it much easier to stay focused without the rambling commentators in the mix!
February 27th, 2014 3:14 pm
#6. This is such a good idea. “…simple life so I can ponder the complexities of life.”
Oh, the bad boy is adorable, and to be caught eating snow fits!
Your #10 dream is scary. I love the image at the beginning of your post too.
February 27th, 2014 3:41 pm
I could probably use some training in asking beautiful questions. I have a strong tendency to ask some ugly ones.
February 27th, 2014 6:31 pm
Crocus! Hurrah! Spring is coming. I love that you took a class in asking beautiful questions. What a beautiful idea!
February 27th, 2014 7:22 pm
Those Atlanta clouds DO look like Van Gogh painted them–pretty Amazing!
I enjoy the skating at The Olympics and especially when the people commenting are stunned into silence when it is gorgeous….!
I went back and read your poem and read my comment back then—And I still think You DID write the Poem you were looking for!
That was a scary scary dream….I’m glad you woke up calling for Joe, and that it woke him, too!
The Floyd Video is an odd mixture, isn’t it? I’m not sure Nicole ended up liking it there—-but I did!
As always….a fascinating T13, And I love that workshop you did….
And, Liam is so adotable!!!