Blog is having existential crisis.

Over the past couple months I have been reflecting on the nature and intent of this blog. The main reason I have lately failed to update regularly is because it usually seems redundant: while it doesn't bother me that only a handful of people consistently read it, I keep finding fewer events and topics that are not covered elsewhere. Those interested in knitting can find it on Ravelry, day to day happenings on facebook, photos on either facebook or flickr, and an occasional supplemental tweet. (Not to mention most of the readership is also kept apprise of any goings-on in actual life.) When I started the Day Zero project I thought it would give some more cohesiveness to my posting. It turned out that the simple items were too dull to write about, and by the time I finished any longer projects I no longer felt like writing about them.

So here we are, with Elizabeth Extraordinaire suffering from an acute existential crisis. It does seem appropriate, given how much of my real life has changed in the past ten months, and at least this crisis is in blog form only.

I welcome any comments and will continue to ponder if it is possible to keep this blog in an authentic way.

"Clearly, the truth I am seeking is not in the drink, but in me. The drink has awoken it in me, but does not know this truth, and can do no more than repeat indefinitely, with less and less force, this same testimony which I do not know how to interpret and which I want at least to be able to ask of it again and find again, intact, available to me, soon, for a decisive clarification. I put down the cup and turn to my mind. It is up to my mind to find the truth. But how? Such grave uncertainty, whenever the mind feels overtaken by itself; when it, the seeker, is also the obscure country where it must seek and where all its baggage will be nothing to it. Seek? Not only that: create. It is face-to-face with something that does not yet exist and that only it can accomplish, then bring into its light."

The passage above is from the middle of the madeleine scene in Swann's Way by Marcel Proust. I started to read this almost two years ago and at best only got 100 pages in. I decided that the way in which I had to read this book was going to have to be intense. The only way I would be able to keep track of the story and long descriptions* would be to read it for long periods of time every day. Since I feel my unemployment will be soon coming to a close, I felt I couldn't waste this opportunity and had to start reading it again.

*In the introduction, I learned that "less than one-quarter [of the sentences in Swann's Way] are very long - ten lines or more."

101 things

Between my recent and sudden windfall of lots of free time and other happenings in my life, I want to make my own 101 things in 1001 days list. Right now I've only got about 25. If you have any good ideas, let me know!

"The reason why I far prefer the autumn to the spring is because in the autumn one looks up to heaven - in spring at the earth." -SK

Fall is my favorite season from about mid-August through November.  Right now, I am very excited for spring.