We are going to read Noelle Oxenhandler's The Wishing Year: A House, A Man, My Soul--A Memoir of Fulfilled Desire. The schedule listed below will guide our readings. The goal is to read the text of the assigned week and blog about it the following week. For example, blogging on chapter 1 would begin Sept 6th. Enjoy.
- Sept 1 - Sept 5: Chapter 1
- Sept 6 - Sept 12: Chapters 2 & 3
- Sept 13 - Sept 19: Chapters 4 & 5
- Sept 20 - Sept 26:Chapters 6 & 7
- Sept 27 - Oct 3: Chapters 8 & 9
- Oct 4 - Oct 10: Chapters 10 & 11
- Oct 11 - Oct 17: Chapter 12
A must read!
ReplyDeleteNY Times bestseller
ReplyDeleteI found my way to the site and became a follower! I see my name listed as "Robin" above the list of followers, but it says below that Roberta Gribbon is a Google, so I guess I will be writing more formally than most.
ReplyDeleteIn reading the introduction last night I was struck by the discussion regarding a “wish” versus a “desire” and the possibility there was some type of power associated with “wishing.” Twelve years ago I had a wish similar to the author to find new love. After awhile I made a conscious decision to stop focusing that wish and enjoy life for what I had at that time – a son who was healthy, a loving family, and a job I enjoyed. For most of my adult life I have referred to Ecclesiastes 3 a guideline for life:
ReplyDelete“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, ... a time to search and a time to give up, ...a time to love and a time to hate.
After accepting that it wasn’t “my time”, I found I enjoyed life more and unexpectedly met the person who is now my husband. Is there a power to a “wish” or was what I thought a wish only a “desire.” It will be interesting to read more of the book and understand this concept.
Okay, Connie O., I missed the meeting at your house. How can I get a copy of the book at this point? Thanks.
ReplyDeletePlease email Greg to obtain a copy. If you will be in church on Sunday I will loan you mine until your book arrives.
ReplyDeleteI am finding the book entertaining (Noelle's conversations with her friend Sylvie) and also thought provoking. I too was brought up not to 'wish' for more than you need (to paraphrase)
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 3, I liked the analysis of considering suffering and poverty as good (or even blessed) and money and greed as being evil. The definition of "gratitude" as a virtue since it is "receiving the blessings of abundance" is a helpful thought.
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