I know what you’re thinking. It’s been far too long since I’ve posted any quotes. Well, fear not. This is your red-letter day!
On the Dissolution of a Marriage:
Incidentally, I also recommend the film version with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson!
The first time I read Nora Ephron’s book, Heartburn, I cried when I came to this passage. As far as I was concerned, Nora hit the nail on the head. It was as if I had written this, not her. For, she seemed to be describing my life at the time, and those thoughts were my thoughts, too:
“I am no beauty, and I’m getting on in years, and I have just about enough money to last me sixty days, and I am terrified of being alone, and I can’t bear the idea of divorce, but I would rather die than sit here and pretend it’s okay, I would rather die than sit here figuring out how to get you to love me again, I would rather die than spend five more minutes going through your drawer and wondering where you are and anticipating the next betrayal and worrying about whether my poor, beat-up, middle-aged body with its Caesarean scars will ever turn you on again. I can’t stand feeling sorry for myself. I can’t stand feeling like a victim. I can’t stand hoping against hope. I can’t stand sitting here with all this rage turning to hurt and then to tears. I can’t stand not talking!”—Nora Ephron, Heartburn
In the Blogosphere:
Now, here’s what I love about blogging: I’ve met so many bloggers and have enjoyed perusing their posts and comments. Here are a few that I absolutely adore:
On Aging:
This blogger never ceases to crack me up. Here’s her take on getting old:
“Now I dash from one low lit area to the next to camouflage the vicious effects of age…a zoo mauling if you will. It’s as though my body got caught in a twister and hasn’t touched down.” – Annie Off Leash
On Relationships:
I admire the blogger who wrote this, for her spirituality:
“People are not mean to us because they do not like us. They are mean to us because they do not like themselves.”
– Jodi, Heal Now and Forever Be in Peace
This next one is from a blogger who seems to question whether she can write poetry. Well, if you ask me, poetry is her forte.
“Each memory once wrapped
delicately in layers of pink tissue paper,
then stored,
now savagely exposed,
dropped in haste
clothes strewn at our feet
our renewed passion
spent
on the sheets
of the rented bed in
room 619.”
— From “When the Heart Decides,” a poem by Brenda Moguez, Passionate Pursuits
On Being Female: This has to be one of my favorite comments left on a blog, ever, and it happens to be in reference to a poem written by Brenda:
“I so love visiting your site, Brenda. Whenever you write about womanhood, I hear a chiffon dress whispering, smell lipstick and strawberries, and feel like I glimpse pieces of my soul. Thank you.” – Beverly Diehl, Writing in Flow
On Writing a Group Mystery
One of my favorite lines, in the recent mystery on the high seas story that Bella and I asked for your help in writing, was from Bella, herself. She posted this to the story on her blog, and when I read it, I couldn’t stop laughing.
“Raoul!” The deep, booming voice of Captain Alvarez Mendoza Santiago Perez sliced through the tension-filled room like a knife! “I’ve got two women engaged in a cat fight on the Lido deck, another snapping pictures and spilling her drink everywhere, Bartholomew fighting off the crowd single-handedly, and the dead woman on ice in the dining room. What the hell are you waiting for?” – Bella, One Sister’s Rant
On Crime & the Law Not Mixing:
Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey.”
This next one is from Weeds, a TV series centered around Nancy Botwin, a suburban single mom who sells pot for a living.
“Babe, these are cops. I’m a drug dealer, you’re a murderer. We can’t all play on the same kick ball team.” — Nancy Botwin to her young son, Shane, on why he can’t befriend a police officer
On Mothers
I chose this one because, well, dammit, it’s good. That’s all.
“I wanted you to love me—no, I wanted more than that: I wanted to be like you, just like you, wanted to wear those scarves and that scent, to hang that pendant around my neck, to put on those stockings and pearls, to dress in silk dresses the way you did, and wear your favorite shade of lipstick on my lips. You were all beauty to me, Mother. You were everything female, everything woman. I loved you so much that I wanted to grow up to be exactly like you, and the thought that I had done something bad choked me with guilt and grief.” – Mary Mackey, from I’ve Always Meant to Tell You: Letters to Our Mothers – An Anthology of Contemporary Women Writers”
A Chuckle with a Dowager Countess
Earlier this year, PBS’ Masterpiece aired a new season of Downton Abbey, one of my favorite British series. Maggie Smith, as Violet, the Dowager had some delicious lines. Here’s a sampling:
“Will someone please tell me what’s going on, or have we all stepped through the looking glass?”
“Don’t be a defeatist dear. It’s very middle class.”
“Wasn’t there a masked ball in Paris when cholera broke out? Half the guests were dead before they left the ballroom.”
“Of course it would happen to a foreigner. No Englishman would ever dream of dying in someone else’s house, especially someone they didn’t even know.”
Now, it’s your turn. Any of these thoughts quotes strike a chord with you?
Do you have one of your own to share?
Monica's Tangled Web 
I love the quotes Monica!!! Thank you for sharing. Many times I read in blog posts or in comments really beautiful things, and I always think what a pity that these sayings and quotes can not be read by a larger public
Delightful post…inspiring too.
“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them”
-Albert Einstein
Thanks, Britton, for sharing that one. Didn’t know it, but it really rings so true!
Oh, I love your quote posts! So very inspirational! And I love that this one was filled with quotes from your writing-readers … amazing!
I leave you with one from dear Erma: “Never lend your car to anyone to whom you have given birth.”
Astra, I’m so very glad so many who’ve commented here have enjoyed the quotes from our fellow bloggers. I think it’s so important to give credit when credit is due, and these quotes are simply fabulous. I couldn’t have said them better myself! So kudos to all bloggers, especially those who leave comments, because you never know when one of them will say something quite pithy, too!
From Dorthy Parker:
Brevity is the soul of lingerie
And I loved Bella’s piece above, particularly the Captain’s name, which struck me the first time I read it:
The deep, booming voice of Captain Alvarez Mendoza Santiago Perez sliced through the tension-filled room like a knife!
I love Dorothy Parker! My 9th grade English teacher, used to quote her by saying, “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.” I’ll never forget that one, especially since I am one of those who wears glasses and make quite a spectacle of myself in the process! 😉
And, Bella’s quote is priceless. I LOVE it so MUCH!!
Ha! A *spectacle* of yourself – very punny!
Couldn’t resist 8)
Miss Piggy said and I quote; “never eat more than you can lift.” I’ve been working on my biceps ever since I adopted as my mantra. Giggles.
Renee, I’d never heard that, but Miss Piggy is a wise pig, so I’d follow her advice, too. Makes sense to me! 😉
Singling out a phrase (or two) from a blog speaks worlds about a writer . . . You’ve shared so many good ones, but Jodi’s stands out with for the simplicity of its wisdom. So here’s one I’ll share from ‘Pure and Simple’, Debra El-Ramey’s blog: ‘Sometimes, when you look back, you can point to a time when your world shifts and heads in another direction. In lace reading this is called “the still point.”
~ Brunonia Barry (The Lace Reader)
Deborah, thanks for sharing Debra’s quote. Very profound, indeed.
I have missed your quotes Monica! Great to see them back again 🙂 I love the final one about how an Englishman would never allow himself to die in a stranger’s house. That is so English! 🙂
Bassa, that last one is one of my all-time favorites from the “Downton Abbey” series. In fact, it was because of that one, that I started watching the show with pen and paper at hand, so that I wouldn’t miss any of Maggie Smith’s choice words. Bloody brilliant!
Monica, this post was simply brilliant! I love it so much! Thank you for including my quote! I’m still chuckling remembering the superb story lines in our high seas adventure. Nora Ephron is one of my favorite authors. The quote you included of her is fantastic. I wonder if we’re not all destined to feel like this at some point in a relationship. Jodi’s comment is priceless and so true. Beverly’s quote is masterful, and Annie’s just cracks me up! I agree with you, Ms. Brenda’s forte is most definitely her poetry and the quote you included is lovely and passionate. A win win, if you ask me! Thank you again, sister. You rock. Big time. 🙂
Thanks, Bella. And your quote is priceless. I never tire of reading it. Cracks me up each time! Conjures up such great visuals. It’s a keeper, my friend!
And, I’m so glad you like the other quotes from Beverly, Annie, and Brenda. Maybe if Brenda hears it from all of us, she’ll start believing in her ability to write poetry.
–To place these FANTASTIC bloggers along side of Nora Ephron is completely and utterly and superbly apt.
I read all of them. I love all of them… & I am a better writer because of them.
Monica, I love that you did this. You are a girl after my heart ❤ Xxx Love.
~~~~Whenever you write about womanhood, I hear a chiffon dress whispering, smell lipstick and strawberries, and feel like I glimpse pieces of my soul.~~ (this blew my skirt off) !!!
Ooh, I’m so glad you agree with my choices here, Kim. Aren’t they all terrific? Yes, these bloggers are magnificent women with blogs that are gems. Definitely worth reading. But then, so is yours!
The Ephron quote expresses the feeling and despair of a huge amount of the married female population. Some are more afraid of being alone than being with someone and unhappy. The entrapment continues because it is immobilizing. It takes courage to escape. Oh and the resulting liberation is a resurrection in new life. Same for men too, ya know.
Ephron quote expresses the emotions of married, unmarried and going through a divorce women. But I agree, Carl. I’m sure these emotions are not that different from what men have experienced, too. Ending a marriage, for whatever reason, is never easy or simple.
Awesome!!!
Thank you, Tracey. And thank you for stopping by!
Monica, I can always count on you to provide an interesting, entertaining post! This one is chock-full of delicious quotes — Beverly’s comment to Brenda, by the way, was splendid. So uplifting and encouraging!
Thank you, so much, Debbie! I aim to please, so I appreciate your kind words about my posts. Yes, I agree about Bev’s comment. It is exquisite and inspiring!
I am in good company it appears. Thank you kindly for the call out. I cut and pasted the comment you mentioned from Bev and one from Annie in a read every time I am in doubt document. I don’t know what my hang up is about poetry but every time I post I wait for Emily Dickinson to appear before me and ask me what the heck I am doing labeling a post as poetry. Seriously. I need to have my head examined! 🙂 There are a lot of things I don’t like about the blog world (mostly time suck aspect) but what I truly enjoy is as Bev says, we all have different voices, stories, ways of writing words on the page, this is the magic in blogging. I don’t read many blogs and I am selective, but I do find inspiration on these virtual pages all the time. Emily, I know your jealous.
Oh, Brenda, I’m so glad you clipped Bev’s comment. LOL, I just told her that I hoped you would. But that you should frame it and put it by your computer, so when you feel that niggling doubt come over you, all you have to do is take one look and then rest assured: you are on the right track. Poetry is your calling, my friend. 🙂
sweet woman, hugs to you
If anyone needs proof that I don’t ALWAYS talk about vaginas, now I can point them here. Thanks for the compliment. *blushing*
Love all these writers, and *you.* Isn’t it wonderful we all have such distinct voices, and can share them with one another? I love your style, Monica, very much like Ephron’s – both nakedly honest, exposing pain and truth, and yet not writhing in self-indulgence. Hope I can pull off the same trick someday.
Bev, When I first read your comment, it blew me away. It was like plucking a rose in a sea of thorns. So, absolutely lovely and poetic. Brenda should frame it and save it always!
Monica,
What a fun idea. I am a quote keeper too. I have a huge journal of my favorites that I’ve kept for years and often read them. Thanks for including my ridiculous words on aging. Love Nora Ephron. How wise of Jodi! Brenda always blows me away and Beverly’s comment is terrific! Bella? Well, who better to ramp that fictitious fable into a frenzy? Thanks again, Monica! More quotes for my book!
Annie, when I first read your words on aging, I knew right away I had to save them. They resonated with me because, Honey, I can so relate! And they’re hilarious, much like all of your writing. You go, Girl! 🙂
I love these quotes, Monica. So well gathered. I love how Nora Ephron expresses the rawness of womanhood. I’m also so glad you freed yourself from the place where that quote hit the nail on the head for you!
Lisa, thank you. Those feelings, stirred up in “Heartburn,” Nora’s story based on her own personal experience married to Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein, are now nothing more than a closed chapter in my life. Thank, God. I spent many years suffering for it and there’s nothing like the passage of time to heal old wounds.
I read Nora’s book, “I feel bad about my neck,” and it was one of those times when I thought, “Well, she’s more famous than I am certainly (since I am not at all famous), but I think if she can write like that, I can do it just as well, in time”. It did something to help inspire me to write.
I also love Beverly’s quote. So neat, Beverly! Nicely put.
I think that’s great, Monica, that you pay attention to the comments like you do for quoting. Sometimes, my best words can come out in a comment box! Then I just have to pray that the spam filter doesn’t eat it because of my website name. Apparently, some think EverydayUnderwear might just be racy!
Hey Cindy, For some reason, your comment went straight to my spam folder. Luckily, I happened to be perusing it, and found your comment. Thanks!
Did you enjoy Nora’s neck book? I have to tell you, as soon as I saw my neck start showing signs of the aging process, I thought about that book. It’s on my list, but I’ve yet to get to it, but darling, I can so relate!
I’m glad you like Beverly’s quote. Beautiful, wasn’t it? I’m always on the prowl for good quotes and that one, well, amazing. And, good quotes can come from anywhere, including comments! Thanks for stopping by!
Gotta love Nora Ephron! And gotta love Monica’s Tangled Web for sharing these quotes with us!!
Thank you, so much, Susan! Yes, I adore Nora. She’s so witty and amusing!
I’m a quote keeper too. I have a file on my computer where I save them all. I have no idea what I’ll do with them, but every now and again I go read them and am inspired all over again.
Well, Michael Ann, I hope you share your quotes sometime. Would be nice–and fun–if she shared a quote with each new recipe, perhaps one related to cooking and/or eating. You know, there’s plenty out there! 🙂
Love the quotes.
My favourite and I can’t remember who to credit it to goes….. The Europeans organise when they need to and the British organise when they have to.
Another is from a TV series I once watched…. My wife is so ugly that she curdles the milk in the bottle.
Maggie Smith is a superb actress, when she is in something you just know it will be worth watching.
Best quote ever left on my blog was…. You never take anything seriously, mind you with a face like yours how can you!!!!
I really like the first one. The other two sound kind of mean, something Don Rickles (an American comedian who insults everyone) would say. And yes, Maggie Smith is one talented lady! Now, she’s got a way with words.
Just came across this quote as a tag line to a posting elsewhere, I think it’s a classic.
“The only reason people get lost in thought is because it’s unfamiliar territory.”
Shame there is no mention of a credit for it.
Wow, so many quotes, so many blogs to read.
Thank you Monica! One of my neighbor just recommended me to watch Downtown Abbey,
I must have live under the rock, but I have never heard of this show before.
Ariana, Downton Abbey is truly wonderful. Great story! I hope you take time to catch up on it!
I like Jodi’s quote. This is so true. In this small community of living on a compound, I recently asked myself is this the best we have to give each other…I long for the sanctity of home. A few more months…
Totsy, you’re so right, and I do hope you get home soon. I have a feeling you’re going to treasure all the more, that which you probably once took for granted. 😉
You’re so right about that.
Thank you so much for the tag! I was so shocked to see it when I came from your RSS feed! And Bev’s comment?… She is beautiful, so beautiful.I am speechless- which doesn’t happen often. Annie cracks me up, too! And Brenda blows me away with each post. Always.
Love to my bloggy friends!
Jodi
Jodi, I only collect the best, and yours fell in that group, so I just had to include it. Stay tuned. I’ll be collecting more, and who knows whose quote will end up in my next “And I Quote” post? Hmm…