Peter Pan Page: 240

Essays George Orwell Page: 1265

Today was an exceptionally good day. Both boys slept until 9am (well, Luc got up at 6 but then went back to sleep until 9), then I headed down to Veritas to join Jared and Marybeth stopped by with Cole to visit for awhile, and then Pam offered to take the boys for the afternoon and she and Doug and Colby watched them until we came out for dinner. Today is our family celebration of Jared and I’s third anniversary and Jared and Pam’s birthdays both of which fall on the 31st. Quinn took over at Veritas at 5, giving us the chance to come out to Hidden Springs for dinner and dessert and she is supposedly joining us any minute for dessert. I feel relatively relaxed (two glasses of wine and I’m closeted in Doug’s study to write) and kinda rested too. What’s funny is how surprised I am that I feel so happy…

I think Peter Pan is a sad, sad book and in light of Barrie’s life is even sadder. I suppose it is enjoyable for children who cannot understand its exceptionally bleak view of maturity but I certainly don’t recommend it either as recreational reading or a book for children to dwell on. Sanitized versions of the story may be ok for children - ones that leave out the emphasis on not wanting grow up and the abandonment of the Darling parents. The overwhelming heartlessness of the story is only dramatized by any biography of J.M. Barrie.

Orwell continues to be hilariously wrong. He contradicts himself, makes wild prophecies about the future that have not come true, and is so utterly bleak as to be almost unreadable. Anyway, I’m within 100 pages of being done with his essays and glad of it.

Some photos from Luc’s baptism on Sunday. Alex’s one year before, looked almost exactly the same. Quinn and Colby are godparents to both boys, I wore the same dress, and it was the same holiday (Easter Sunday).