Loafing

[ellenkushner]

Our last day on Sanibel Island. My nephew AJ (a freshman at Skidmore) and I are attempting singlehandedly to rediscover the fine art of Loafing, which seems to have gone out with Walt Whitman & Mark Twain. <looking for good quote and not finding it - anyone?> Yes, No Loafing Allowed in the 21st Century! We must all be doing something! Playing on the internet does not constitute Loafing. You note I do not include Delia in this roster, as she has been hard at work every single day, writing scads of Changeling sequel rough draft. But she has been doing so wearing a fetching little swimsuit and sitting with a view of the water, so not so bad.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and is enjoying the White Days between Solstice & New Year.

Comments

[thumbelinablues.livejournal.com]

"I lean and loaf at my ease observing a spear of summer grass." -- it was the clue on final Jeopardy the other night! Definitely a good time of year to loaf.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Hey, you do have an LJ! I was waiting for a table at Zoe's Chinese restaurant last night, and they had the Boston Globe article featuring you and Delia on the wall (nicely lacquered onto a wooden plaque, no less). Which prompted me to look for you here and see how your everyday life is going these days.

Sounds splendid, especially the sun and sand. On the other hand, Zoe's was yummy as ever.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Oh, and you probably don't remember me, but I'm a Cambridge person who enjoys your work.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Hard to say from that description which you I should be remembering - but thanks!

I miss Zoe's!!!!!! Chinese food in NYC has gone way downhill. Glad to know it's still there in Somerville. Have some TeaSmoked Duck for us.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

No, no, I was purposefully vague so that you wouldn't think you were expected to even TRY to remember me!

And I did have the tea-smoked duck, inspired by your mention of it in the Globe piece.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! How was it? We also love the dry-cooked beef w/chilis.

[bevhale.livejournal.com]

I am almost jealous- love sea and sand. Hope you have had the best holiday ever and wishing you much JOY for the next year.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much - and the same to you!

[kayselkiemoon.livejournal.com]

those shots of Sanibel Island are a sight for sore eyes! CT's winter weather has been fine, so far, but it's that time of year where thoughts of warm sunny islands cause eye-glazing and gooney smiles. ;) I'm glad you're enjoying it!

[yaoi-in-exile.livejournal.com]

*happy*sigh* What a beautiful iusland! Ya'll must be having a tiggeriffic New Years.

("I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting." ~Mark Twain. Also utterly gigglesome, his quote "I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him." XD)

Have a lovely time and Bring Back Seashells!!!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Yet another reason to love Mark Twain! Thanks for the quotes.

We'll be back in NYC for New Year's - hoping to see the fireworks, yay!

PS

[desperance.livejournal.com]

LJ posted that for me before I was ready (musta found a secret key-stroke combo...).

Was going to add, for loafing quotes? Pretty much the whole of "Three Men in a Boat", if memory serves...

Re: PS

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes!! And Twain was apparently a huge influence on Jerome K. Jerome (or it might have been the other way 'round - I read it somewhere, and am currently in an airport).

Re: PS

[desperance.livejournal.com]

"After the success of Three Men in a Boat, Jerome and some friends founded The Idler, a magazine that ran pieces by Robert Louis Stevenson and Mark Twain." (lifted from Amazon) But Twain was the older, and so one presumes the influence. (It's always fun, to publish one's heroes...)

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Islands. *envies*

[handworn.livejournal.com]

A marvelous website titled Twainquotes.com gave me several Twain quotes about laziness (http://www.twainquotes.com/Laziness.html), and a page of Twain quotes about God that I could spend quite some time reading (http://www.twainquotes.com/God.html).

And, "There is no place for loafing more satisfactory than the pilothouse of a Mississippi steamboat."

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Lovely!