The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis

While C. S. Lewis is one of my all-time favorite authors, I’ve actually read very little of his work beyond the Chronicles of Narnia. I chose The Great Divorce because it was on the top left shelf of a bookcase in the basement.

When I started reading it my first thought was “The Good Place!” and sure enough at least one other person had that thought.

The book starts out in what we find out later is Hell. A group of denizens in Hell are boarding a bus to what we found out later is an outpost of Heaven. During the bus ride the narrator (Lewis himself, apparently) mostly listens to others talk, complain, or fight.

Once in the other place Lewis meets up with George McDonald who shows him around and when not eavesdropping on other conversations, tries to convince Lewis to follow him to Heaven.

It is a small book, but very heavy and it took me at least a week to read. I am glad I finally read something of Lewis’ that was not hiding religion inside fairy tales.

Declutter 2018: A bag of 29 things

I’ve been collecting things to give to the folks that come by and take things. I’ve not gotten too far in filling the bag but here it is what I have in the bag:

  • A book called My Mother, Your Mother: Embracing “Slow-Medicine,” The compassionate approach to caring for your aging loved ones. A geriatric doctor suggested it back when my dad was ailing. I didn’t get past the first page.
  • Four pieces of plastic on which to string Christmas lights
  • A fabric coaster filled with cloves and decorated with snowmen. It was a gift from a student.
  • An old GPS device
  • An Otter Box case for an old phone
  • Two briefcases
  • Two sets of light-activated candles
  • A case for my tablet that I don’t like
  • A bunch of thank-you cards
  • A cheat-sheet for statistics
  • A cord on which to hang a nametag
  • Some Moleskin padding, regular
  • A pack of replacement fuses for Christmas lights
  • A battery powered controller for something I gave away another time
  • A small photo album
  • A pair of clip-on reading glasses
  • An old walking tracker and its plug
  • 7 Stretchy silicone tops for containers

Declutter 2018 count 80:

  • 29 things in a bag
  • 32 Dan Bern Posters
  • 2 crystal unicorns, broken
  • 9 letters from Sue
  • 1 Loon Magic sweatshirt
  • 1 shedding scarf
  • 1 pair of fingerless gloves
  • 1 wool underlayer shirt
  • 1 birthday poster from Sue
  • 1 baby shower thank you card from Chris and George
  • 1 Christmas postcard from Auntie June and Uncle Harold