Reviews from

A Particular Friendship

Viewing comments for Announcement "Practicing Something New "
We meet Lizzy who has just come out of the convent

14 total reviews 
Comment from Tina Crute
Excellent
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I enjoyed your first chapter and am excited to move on to chapter 2.
Lizzie got a brand new start
Start that used her brand new heart
Heart for God Miss Lizzie found
Found her balance all around



 Comment Written 27-May-2024


reply by the author on 27-May-2024
    Thank you for your very lovely poem to accompany your review.
reply by Tina Crute on 28-May-2024
    No problem! Have a nice week!
reply by the author on 28-May-2024
    This was fun
Comment from bob cullen
Excellent
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Allow me start by explaining my background. I too am Catholic. My sister spent near on fifteen years as a nursing nun, The Little Company of Mary in Sydney. She too left the Convent, married and raised four kids. My respect goes out to you for your courage in both entering and leaving. Enough on that.
This is a good write. So, I welcome you to the site and I hope you find as much enjoyment from Fanstory as I've gained over many years.

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 24-Mar-2024
    Thank you for your affirmative review I appreciate that. 15 years okay. Your sister probably could tell you some of the same stories I have been telling in my autobiography. I wonder if she was not allowed to have friends either that's what this whole theme of particular friendship is about. We could not have friends. My friend who was in the convent and I used to go visit when she was 102 and a half would talk about how she was sad that she never got to be friends with one of the Sisters there that she felt very close to. That's the thing we kind of snuck around being friends with somebody That's so sick.
reply by bob cullen on 25-Mar-2024
    Guess friendship was seen as a barrier to true piety and devotion to the Lord. I think it's possible, the powers to be got this wrong. And in doing so lost many Nuns from the Order. Hope life's now treating you well.
reply by the author on 25-Mar-2024
    Not being able to speak was a way of controlling us and also it was I think it was homophobic. We were living the life of the monastic monks even though we could go out and teach. We came back and lived the life of a monastic monk. In my story The Tor we get portaled into the 16th century as monks. That's quite an interesting experience because I didn't have to work very hard to write it because it was a lot like what I lived. It's on my portfolio if you are interested in it. No review necessary. It gets interesting at chap 20.
Comment from LateBloomer
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Hi Liz, I love new beginnings. Your story is filled with good descriptive writing. I could see the whole scene from the joy of your first apartment to searching for a home of your own. While raising my family, I was a realtor for 25 years. Sometimes, realtors have to show the "dog" so the buyer can appreciate the other. I learned that one the hard way.

Of special note:
I have worried my way through childhood and into adulthood, What does this or that person need from me?

(Ditto. Also a child of an abusive, alcoholic father.)

L, I could feel your joy in your new apartment. It is sometimes a joy that I feel in my own home. The day may come when I may not be able to remain in my home, but until then, I'll just keep loving it. It the place where I can make coffee at 1 a.m. and no-one complains.

Well done. Margaret ~ LateBloomer

 Comment Written 12-Jan-2024


reply by the author on 12-Jan-2024
    Thank you again for your attentiveness to my writing. I will see you on the otherside. I love your freedom on making coffee...lol
reply by LateBloomer on 13-Jan-2024
    Yes, Liz, making coffee at 1 a.m. is a joy. If I should ever have to go and live in my children's house, that is something that I could not do. Hopefully, that is something that will never happen or it will not happen for a very long time. My mother used to say, "Always keep your place." She knew what she was talking about. M
reply by the author on 13-Jan-2024
    So true. I'm figuring when I'm 80 I will most probably move into a senior housing group. Right now I love my independence I live alone up in the woods which I love. Nature is my church. I have to sled 40 lb pellet bags or sled a 40 lb wood pellet bag in everyday and it keeps me alert and gives me a schedule. I actually am inspired by. Sue from Life Below Zero. .She says, " get your big girl panties on and get out there and do it so I do.
reply by LateBloomer on 13-Jan-2024
    I also like Life below Zero. I am in awe of them, and now you. Xo. M

reply by the author on 13-Jan-2024
    ***Snicker...thank you
reply by the author on 13-Jan-2024
    Yay Sue. She is such an inspiration to me. She helps me sled my wood pellets in. Iwake up and say okay putting the boots on and get out of there and get the pellets. Otherwise I would be sitting here around 3:00 and going on 'I don't know but I really want to go out and get the pellets now or not and then I probably won't' Following Sue's routine I put my boots on and get out there and get it done. Get your big girl panties on and get it done Sue says. Thank you for your admiration. I'm honored.
Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill
Excellent
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I have already read some of this book of yours. And, I do not believe in reading and running. Most people read and run because they cannot think of 150 things to say. What a big number that seems sometimes. I have told people to tell a joke, type their grocery list, or whatever to fill up the space. You write well, and I will continue reading. What a unique perspective to hear about! Karen

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023


reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023
    You're going to be fun to have as a fan. Your reviews are entertaining.
Comment from davisr (Rhonda)
Excellent
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Hi Liz,

I really enjoy your writing style. It is so very human, and draws us in to read more. Even if we aren't products of convents, I think we can all relate to feeling a sense of freedom once we make choices to think for ourselves. I know I can!!

I can't wait to see where this book leads.
Thanks for sharing your life with us, and in such an engaging way.

Take care,
Rhonda

 Comment Written 17-Aug-2023


reply by the author on 17-Aug-2023
    Another lovely review if I can I'm waiting for you.
Comment from Alexandra Trovato
Excellent
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I think you have a good story and you wrote well. I would suggest not 'mixing things up' too much because , I have a master's degree in literacy, reading , and it was a bit hard to follow the narrator part. I wonder why that is necessary. I had a friend in college. She had just left from being a nun. She was starting life in a new direction. I told her she would meet Mr Right and she did. But she met and married Mr Wright. lol but true. If you can focus more on your feelings and experience with the transition that might be best I usually don't chime in so much I just wanted to help I think it would help to consider this. Best wishes!

 Comment Written 09-Aug-2023


reply by the author on 09-Aug-2023
    Thank you for your involved review. I appreciate your perspective. Please continue to read the following chapters to see that I do follow up with some of the observations you have made here. I'm 76. I met my Mr. Right & eventually my Miss even more Right.
reply by Alexandra Trovato on 09-Aug-2023
    Well I will certainly follow up with all of your writing. If you have found your Miss even more right, then you may be a person who will be supportive of a stand alone project I've been planning and working on.

    Specifically, I worked with children and teens as a special education teacher for decades. One year two TWO teenage boys hung themselves within ttwo weeks. They were gay but unrelated, it was maybe just a copy cat. The school district did not so much as hold an assembly about the kids. I've advised clubs for teens and have otherwise been an advocate ever since. I have an illustrated story about a fourteen year old boy who comes out to his parents due to conversations he has with some cartoon characters. It's sort of cute but serious and my attempt to save lives. It will be introduced in a stand alone non fiction piece about suicide thoughts deaths among LBGTQ+ teens it's title LGBTQ+ Teen's Rights t o Life

    I hope you will notice it when I post and promote it. I'm trying to make the entire presentation "mean person proof" and I will be mentioning gay people are children of God too in my opinion. I'm bracing and btw I thought I might be a nun some day too and even pleaded that to the 6'3" boy in college who raped me and truly put my life and soul into a tailspin. We each can learn from each other, we humans, and no one should judge others.

    Nice to know you and I wish you all the best. I've been working on my reviews trying to find the right voice in them. :)) Alexandra
Comment from Katherine M. (k-11)
Excellent
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You have led an interesting life that I am sure will lead to an interesting autobiography. However you will have to be careful not to run ahead of yourself. Here for example it is illogical that immediately on leaving the convent you had developed an inimitable style - that will take a bit of time. kay

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2023


reply by the author on 08-Aug-2023
    Thankyou for your involved review. Actually, I was already very aware and living my inimitable style. We were, at the time of my leaving, pretty well living as most anyone else, which will eventually come out.
Comment from eliz100
Excellent
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This is an excellent beginning to Lizzy's story. Liz O'Neill is the writer on his site. So is this her story told through a narrator's voice? I am a born and raised Catholic and I am curious why nuns and priests leave their chosen vocation. Is there any chance you can make the font larger? Have a blessed day.

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2023


reply by the author on 08-Aug-2023
    I will do that. Thank you for your involved review. I now have another bad feeling about many religious communities. It was Sisters of Providence who have been the initiators of the abuse & murder of Native American children in boarding schools & also non Native orphanages. I wrote about the 16th century monastery which is similar to the present day monastery and the early days in the convent. The name of the book is The Tor. It is in the portfolio. As I was researching it, I was amaze how similar the16th century rules were to the ones I observed in 1965
reply by eliz100 on 11-Aug-2023
    Thanks for the info
Comment from Carol Hillebrenner
Excellent
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I think your idea of telling your story from a third person POV makes sense. Then you can more comfortably say things that are personal without telling exactly how you felt about them, they can be as your narrator suggests they might be. Don't know if I made that clear. There are a few times when you have a comma and hyphen when the comma would be sufficient. Also, . . . for (fear) vanity might . . .

 Comment Written 07-Aug-2023


reply by the author on 08-Aug-2023
    Thank you for your involved review. I appreciate it. People will find an ungodly similarity to the description of my 16th century monastery in The Tor and my life in 1965.
Comment from barbara.wilkey
Excellent
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Thank you for sharing this with us and the very creative way you've chosen to do it. It makes sense. Thank you also sharing the difference between a nun and a sister. I didn't know that. I always thought they were the same.

 Comment Written 07-Aug-2023


reply by the author on 08-Aug-2023
    Thank you for the involved review. I'm glad you are appreciating it.