Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Eat, Pray, Love was an evocative book. Ms. Gilbert brings the reader into her life and allows us to see her tender character. As I read a sad, defeated individual began to grown within herself and an inner strength began to emerge that she did not know was within her. This strength manifests itself, when in her deepest hour a voice, her voice, from deep within comforted her with these words: "You have no idea how strong my love is!!!"

Throughout we see Liz facing her demons and realizing she has the capacity within herself to love even the saddest, most depressed, pathetic part of her personality. She is able to visit each part and offer love and self-forgiveness. Once she realizes that deep commitment to self she is able to advance in her life.

The book is divided into three parts with 36 chapters in each.

• The first part is in Italy: "Say It Like You Eat It" or 36 tales about the pursuit of pleasure where she eats her way around Rome and becomes fluent in Intalian. 
• The second part is in India: "Congratulations to Meet you" or 36 tales about the pursuit of devotion where she hones her ability to meditate at the Ashram of her Guru (and confront her demons). 
• The third section is in Indonesia: "Even In My Underpants, I Feel Different" or 36 tales about the pursuit of balance where she continues in her quest of meditation & prayer from an ancient Indonesian medicine man. 

Over the course of one year Liz divides her time equally in these three countries and cultures. At the end of the year she returns to real life, as I refer to it, and I wonder how she will re-assimilate herself into life in America after having been in increasingly more intimate and cloistered living arrangements. No doubt it will take a period of re-adjustment to our way of life.


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Bastrop's Farm Street & Historic Chicken Sanctuary

 Bastrop's

Farm Street 

Historic Chicken

Sanctuary

 Austin is known for being a weird city,

the slogan for Austin is

"Keep Austin Weird".

I think Bastrop is pretty odd too

with it's "Historic Chicken Sanctuary",

but I love it!

 A couple of times each month 

I drive down farm street to see

what the chickens are up to.

The roosters were crowing this afternoon

and the hens were pecking about the yards.

 Note the rooster on top of the drums...

it hopped up while I was taking a couple of photos.

 Love may be in the air here.

This yard had the most chickens in it

of any other yard around.

 None of these chickens are owned by anyone...

they just live here.

I suppose many years ago people owned

the ancestors of these chickens,

but these are truly free range chickens!

They roam about and most of the time stay 

in this two or three block area.

These roosters are quite spectacular.

 This girl was off to catch her girl pals.

Indeed this is a great tradition

and I am so glad the city declared

this area a Chicken Sanctuary...

and I love the banners the city placed 

on the light poles.