To Track the Quotidian

The little things? The little moments?
They aren't little.
Jon Kabat-Zinn

The Large Interior
Jean Brusselmans, 1884 - 1953
Of the many paintings that Gerry and I saw in various museums about Bruges, here is one of my favorites. I was torn whether to post it here on my Quotidian page or save it for my Fortnightly page, where I always try to feature, in one way or another, "a house where all's accustomed, ceremonious." Indeed, Brusselmans has depicted just such a house, filled with order and harmony; yet he also captures the dailyness of the woman's routine, her collections and her knick - knacks -- not to mention the book in her lap -- perfect for my book blog!

Also by Brusselmans: Village Scene

Over the weekend, Gerry and I watched the 2014 film Boyhood. We viewed it somewhat less generously than the critics, placing it, after some consideration, in the "good not great" category. What we did find fascinating, however, was Mary Jo Murphy's review, comparing Boyhood to the British Up Series, of which we are great fans! As I read Murphy's comparison, the word quotidian jumped off the page at me. How accurate and applicable her description is to my Quotidian Kit:

Both skip life’s “big moments” to track the quotidian, on the understanding that this is where life unspools, where the particular translates so nearly to the universal, which is the irresistible appeal of such living documents. So no births, deaths, first kisses, exams, graduations,* illnesses or accidents. Just human beings forming inexorably before our eyes on screen. [emphasis added]

The "Up" Documentaries as Precursors to "Boyhood"
NY Times ~ 6 Feb 2015
Mary Jo Murphy

Or, as we find in the poetry of Rilke:" . . . the delight that grips us when our awareness of ordinary things seems to be raised to a higher intensity of awareness." ~Mark S. Burrows

*Actually, in Boyhood, there is a graduation.