My Antonia

Last Sunday, we enjoyed a nice dinner and evening at our house with the future inlaws of Daughter #2.  Good food, good fellowship, good singing, fun stories, and plenty of laughter.
And Gus really enjoyed all the attention he got from all the youngsters.

In my Freshman English class in 1970, I read My Antonia, by Willa Cather.  Bud DesCarpentrie was my teacher that year, and he introduced me to reading literature for more than just an entertaining story.  I had him for two other classes ( American Cultural Studies, College Prep English) in High School, and would have to say that he was one of the most influential teachers that I had in High School or College.  I enjoy looking for and recognizing the allegories, elegies, metaphors, symbolism, and social and political commentaries as I reread some of the old classics.  Time and experience bring out new perspectives and understandings.  Perhaps I have a greater appreciation for my education now than when I was being educated! :)
My Antonia is considered Willa Cather's greatest accomplishment, and is a great American novel.  It is a very good book and I enjoyed reading it again after 43 years.

And it has a lot of early American agriculture in it.

And I learned my first Latin in that book.

Optima dies . . . prima fugit
                                  Virgil

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Genesis 3:18,19