This Blessed House

I choose to write my interpretation on This Blesses House, because I felt I can relate to this story, and in looking at it even more closely, I can learn more from it. I have recently been in the same situation as Twinkle and Sanjeev are. They just got married and are going trying to adjust to their new life together. My husband and I were married this past June, so I understand some of the “disagreements” Twinkle and Sanjeev have in This Blessed House.
Twinkle and Sanjeev have known each other for about four months. All throughout the story, they are realizing different characteristics of one another that they might have not noticed before. Twinkle is a very go with the flow type of person. She is not worried of what others think of her, and she does not appear to be much of a home maker. Sanjeev on the other hand, pay close attention to detail. He is organized, and is anxious to get their new house unpacked and cleaned up.
Throughout This Blessed House, there is conflict between Sanjeev and Twinkle. Twinkle keeps finding old “Christian decorations” in the house that she likes to put up around the house, but it drives Sanjeev crazy. I believe the story needs an interpretation for some parts, because many people have not yet been in this type of situation. When I first read this story I did not pick up on the different meanings as I did once I studied it. I believe Twinkle and Sanjeev have a communication problem. They need to talk about their problems with one another, and work things out together. I think when people think of marriage, they think happily ever after. They think that right after the wedding everything is going to be perfect. Now, don’t get me wrong…marriage is a beautiful thing, and I love it, but it is also hard work at times.
Every time Twinkle finds something she is set on the fact that she wants it put on the mantle in their house.
““But is could be worth something. Who knows?...It’s pretty.”
“We’re not Christians.”
“No, we’re not Christian. We’re good little Hindus.”
She planted a kiss on top of Christ’s head, then placed the statue on top of the fireplace mantle, which needed, Sanjeev noticed, to be dusted.”
Twinkle does not seem to care what Sanjeev thinks, she always just goes about her own way, and keeps putting up all these decorations. Sanjeev seems to be very irritated, but in the end he doesn’t do anything about it.
Later, while they are getting the house ready for a housewarming party Sanjeev tries to put away some of the decorations.
“I’m going to put it in my study,” she informed him. “that way you don’t have to look at it.”
“What about the housewarming? They’ll want to see all the rooms. I’ve invited people from the office.”
When Sanjeev say this it shows that he is embarrassed by the decorations, and a little bit by Twinkle. No one has ever met Twinkle, and he is starting to get nervous how she will fit in with his friends.
When my husband and I were first moving in, I had all these plans of how I wanted to decorate, and what colors I wanted to paint. It seemed every time I went to buy something, most if it was things we really needed, I had to explain myself to him. Guys just don’t seem to understand that kind of stuff. In my opinion, they just need to let the women take care of it. I would get so frustrated with him, #1 because I wasn’t getting my way, and #2 because it seemed like he was raining on my parade. Although we are not as extreme as Twinkle and Sanjeev, it’s still the same situation.
As I mentioned before, Sanjeev does not do much about Twinkles decorations, even though he says he will. He let it all build up. One night Twinkle was taking a bath when Sanjeev came in and said he was going out to take down one of the decorations from out side and throwing it in the dump tomorrow on his way to work. Of course this made Twinkle upset and she stormed out of the bathroom dripping wet. They argued for a while and once Twinkle was in tears, Sanjeev apologized. Sanjeev want about this all the wrong way. It is not smart to go and tell your wife what you are going to do when you know it will upset her. He needed to communicate with her. Talk to her about it instead of trying to force it on her. A lot of their problems could be solved if they would have better communication.
In our family we joke about how to solve our “marital problems”. My sister-in-law, Katie, and I are very much a like. We look, act, and think the same, and even have the same name. We always say that our husbands, the brothers, need to go to the other Katie and see what she thinks or how she would react to something before going to their wife. Then they could avoid some arguments.
I honestly feel bad for Twinkle. Towards the end of the story, Sanjeev is wondering if he even loves her. I have heard people say that they don’t feel bad for Twinkle because she is crazy and they couldn’t handle her, but Sanjeev put himself in that situation. If he didn’t love her, he shouldn’t have married her. They should have dated longer so they had a chance to know one another before they committed to marriage. I believe that is the hidden message or lesson in this story. People tend to take marriage lightly so often. It is not taken seriously. That is not the way God created it to be.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children

I don't know what to think about this story yet. I was very different. When I saw that it was a tale for children, I got excited, but this is not what I expected. I read it a few times, and I'm still trying to figure a few things out. I hope we get a chance to talk about it in our groups tomorrow, so that I can hear what others think. Maybe they will be able to answer my questions.

My first question is...is this a dream or is it supposed to be "real?" At first i thought it was a tale, then when it said... "Frightened by that nightmare, Pelayo ran to get Elisenda, his wife,....", it made me think that he is dreaming or something. My other question is...Do they ever really say who/what this guy is? I don't know if I'm just missing it, or if they just don't say it to leave us guessing?

There was one part I liked. "Sea and sky were a single ash-gray thing and the sands of the beach, which on March nights glimmered like powered light, had become a stew of mud and rotten shell fish." This description painted a picture in my head of what it looked like. I liked the comparison of sand to glimmered like powered light.

If I were a child this tale would freak me out. I'm a big scardy cat anyways, but I would probably have nightmares of this old man. I imagine him looking dirty, and scary. This might be stupid, but I picture a mixture of a crow and a man...and it's not pretty. I wonder if this tale is widely know or not. I have never heard of it, but it says that he has won some awards for best fiction writer. It would be interesting to read some more of his work to see if they are all this weird or not.

Polk Museum

I loved this! I know it may sound stupid, but I felt important or high class in a way while I was there. I'm from a small town, so I have never really been to a museum like this. I have only been to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and that is totally different. I'm glad we had to do this for class, because I probably would not have gone otherwise...I didn't even know of this museum. Now, I plan to go back. I think it's good to balance your life with different "activities."

Okay, so I had no idea how to pick just one piece of art to meditate on, and write a poem about. I love photography though, so I choose one of those pieces...."Havana." I'm not sure why this one jumped out at me, because usually I go for more of landscape/nature type pictures. "Havana" left me with many questions though...1) Where was this photo taken? 2) When was this photo taken? 3) What are the banners at the top of the photo...do they represent something? 4) What's going on outside of the photo? As I meditate on this photo, I try to answer these questions by observing the peoples clothes and hair style. At first I think it was taken in another country, but then realize that it could be anywhere! And just a side note...I like the flowers that are for sale:) Everything just seems so simple and laid back in the photo.

Once I retire or maybe even as a side job I would like to be a photographer. I have always been obsessed with pictures! I have been trying to get my husband to buy me a more professional camera, and I plan to take some photography classes sometime. I wish I could take one at SEU, but I don't have room for any electives:( Someday though!

Here's my poem...
I see a street of despair, concrete of rubble,
I see broken hearts and a mud-filled puddle.


There are broken down walls and faces of pain,
There is dried cracking hearts, for lack of rain.


Even their hair is wavering, dark with despair,
Standing room only, no relaxation, no chair.


It seems struggle and pain conquer this land,
a man waits for his fate, no weapon in hand.


Despite the muck and the dirty streets,
there is a light that shines bright past the calloused feet.


Ribbons in the air, colors all around,
Its as if there is life, despite the death on the ground.


The flowers struggle without soil, but soon they will bloom,
In their own time they'll be fed, hopefully soon.


It seems colors are all that live in this city of strife,
but something lives beyond the eyes, giving hope to this life.


The King conquers death, He cleanses the street,
He sits on the throne, empowering the meek.


Dirt cannot put a name on this passage of Havana,
Much like my savior, despite lurking death, He's the conquering Hosanna.


"I went to the Polk Museum of Art for this assignment, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes."

"DARKNESS, QUESTIONS, POETRY AND SPIRITUAL HOPE" left me with a lot of questions, but none the less, I enjoyed it. Professor Corrigan put in some great quotes, and really made me think. This essay was much easier to read than the last, but the fact that it was about multiple topics did throw me off a little. I was trying to see how all of the stories went together or how they related. I understand that they were all about some darkness we go through in life, but it may have been to scattered.

My all time favorite quote from this essay was...“We should make sure we have truly heard the question,” Freeman states, “before trying to get the answer right . . . Important questions create silence.” This goes along with what we have been learning all semester. How we need to sit in silence to think about what we have just read and meditate on it, and re-read it. This reminds me of what it says in James...You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. I feel like today we are always trying to answer questions quickly because we are too busy, or feel as though a teacher will get upset if we don't answer quick enough, or maybe because we are so caught up in defending ourselves. That's the one that gets me. Whenever I'm in an argument, I always try to come up with a quick come back, that sometimes I don't even wait for the question to finish before I answer.

Another quote I really liked was... “One can never understand what hope is really about unless one wrestles with despair. The same is true with faith. It's like when people say " I know how you feel" when really they don't because they have never been in your EXACT position. What's hope if you have never been through a hard time or have ever been without hope??? You wouldn't know.

This was a great essay. I'm surprised that the other one was published and this one wasn't. I was able to relate to most of what was in this essay in one ay or another.

I hate that we are already closing up the nature section. This has been my absolute favorite part of this class. Being able to go outside as a class and on our own brought the poems to life, and helped me connect to them so much better. I was able to see a whole new perspective in both literature and nature. Loved it!

I enjoyed Mary Oliver's poems, but was able to understand them a lot better after reading Prof. Corrigan's essay. The essay brought up different questions, and views I would have not come up with, without reading the essay. I love how she was able to bring God and nature into her writing. I love to sit outside by a lake, or on the front porch, or pretty much wherever and just sit still in God's presence. I wish I could write poetry or something without getting frustrated. I would love to sit outside and write about what I see and hear. I know I could still do that, but if it didn't rhyme or sound good, I would try to perfect it before moving on.

I'm not sure how I feel about Mary Oliver. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against lesbians, and I try my best not to judge...that's God's job, not mine. I would like to get more information on her. If she is a true christian, then she would know better. I would like to know what her thought process was. When it comes down to it though, that fact that she was a lesbian, does not change the content of her poems or my opinion of them. She was a great writer, and I loved the way she wrote about nature.

Lake Bonny Park

This time the activity was a lot easier for me. I love being outside and at parks, so it was natural for me, unlike going to the cemetery. I re-read my favorite poem "Six Recognitions of God." I read it a few times, and then sat in silence listening to the wind blow, and the birds chirp. For a minute I was taken back to my old farm house in Illinois. We lived out in the middle of nowhere and I used to love siting on the front porch on a warm day listening to all the different sounds. I miss that.

The activity were we went to the cemetery and this one are similar, but very different. In both, we were to go outside, read a poem of story, and then sit in silence. Both of them caused us to take the time to re-read and then reflect. The day I went to the cemetery it was cloudy and very chilly, but when I went to the park it was warm and the sun was shinning. The weather kinda went with what I was reading. The story we read at the cemetery was sad, and about death, but this poem I read at the park was full of life. To be honest, I felt awkward at the cemetery and my thoughts were all over the place. I kept thinking about who these people were and what they accomplished in their lifetime. I also wondered if I will be able to accomplish everything I want to before I die. At the park I was able to focus on nature and just sit and watch everything that was going on around me. I was happy to be outside and focused on life, and how God created everything I was looking at. Here's the poem I came up while I was there.

As I sit here in I'm reminded of my childhood
Playing outside in my huge front yard was my favorite thing to do
Back then I noticed the little things of nature,
But now I'm forgetting it all to soon

Grass used to be the best bed,
On a warm summers night
Now, I couldn't imagine
Falling asleep with all that light

My biggest worries were,
If it was going to rain
Now I'm full of worry
from things that bring me pain

From tree climbing, fort building,
star gazing, and trampoline jumping
To school work, paying bills,
laundry and house cleaning

I only wish I could go back for a second
to be reminded what it's like to look at life as child
We can't stop life from passing by,
But we can change our thinking and begin our days with a smile.



As you can probably tell I enjoyed this activity much better, although I was able to learn a lot from both.
I went to Lake Bonny Park for this assignment, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes.

Great class on Friday. I loved being out in the sunshine:) As I have mentioned before, I really enjoy the outdoors and nature. I love to do anything that's outside. Being able to re-read the poems outside with all the animals around, the sun shinning down, and the cool breeze made the poem come to life.
Most of the poems were pretty good, but the one that I felt I could really understand and relate to was the "Six Recognitions of the Lord." I loved the detail and description words that were used. They were words I could understand, but not boring or plain. The poem made me look at things in a different light. I felt connected to this poem, than with any other poem I have ever read.
I am anxious to go to the park tomorrow. I believe as I re-read the poem, I will learn something that I did not realize before. Hopefully it's nice out, so that I can just enjoy sitting, watching, and listening to the animals and trees and all other sounds of nature. It would also be nice to have my quiet time there also. We can use literature, such as these poems as an act of worship. I believe God can speak to us through them. I'm excited to see what God's shows me tomorrow!