Wants and Needs

I am reading a book called The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. At first quaint, somewhat frivolous, but then its characters fill out and its messages become deeper, more meaningful.

Which means I am now writing down phrases – snippets of wisdom that provoke further contemplation.

‘Love may come and go, but the caring goes on.’ Oh, yes, it does.

‘It only takes one word to hurt a woman, a matter of seconds, one stupid, impatient blow…but winning her trust back takes years. And sometimes, there isn’t the time.’ Life feels shorter under the task or maybe, one perceives they have little left and therefore there isn’t time to figure out how to regain her trust.

‘And that is why it hurts so much. When women stop loving, men fall into a void of their own making.’ Yes, they do and it is horrible to see because it becomes obvious that they don’t comprehend, don’t acknowledge, that their new-found feelings of loss are the result of their own actions. So they do nothing.

And she can do nothing more than continue the caring. Because she wants to.

I fear I have been doing a bit more reading than usual...

Martha's Vineyard and A Fine Romance

I am heading for the Vineyard next week for Illumination Night in Oak Bluffs.  If you have never been - you'd be in for a real treat if you can go. The charming gingerbread cottages are decked out with colorful (and in many cases vintage) Chinese lanterns for one night every year.

Susan Branch is releasing her newest book as we speak and I just found out that she will be signing at the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven on Thursday, August 15th (4 - 5:30). It is my favorite bookstore ever and I have a lot of wonderful books on my shelves that I bought there. Each has a purple-inked Bunch of Grapes bookmark inside.

I plan to be there with bells on! When I met her years ago, I was enchanted by her thoughtfulness and bright outlook on life. I followed her trip to England on her blog and enjoyed every minute of it as she took all her 'girlfriends' in her luggage with her. Having been to some of the same places and loving walking back into history, her stories were that much more interesting.

Go to her website for more info on A Fine Romance and go back through her blog to join her on her travels by boat (Queen Mary II, no less) to England.  Or join me at the book-signing and get your own copy to read and reread to your heart's content!

Obsessed with Books

That's me.  I have one in hand to read at home and one on pause in the car for the drive to work.  Heaven forbid they are similar.  Then I am mightily confused for a few minutes until the plot moves to the surface of my brain and I am fully engaged.  While I prefer reading words on paper, shifting the book slightly as I turn to the next page, there are times when a really good narrator can leave me breathless with suspense. 

I am not sure how I feel about technology offering a different, less tactile way to peruse words.  I can see the benefits of eReaders on a long plane trip.  It is compact and can hold a plethora of books.  I assess my stash when I travel, shelving heavy tomes in favor of several thinner ones which can slip in my bag.  As one is finished, it is left at the airport or on a train for another person to pick up.  That is part of the pleasure of books.

Just as I prefer not to 'smarten up' my phone, I am resistant to embrace yet another generation of computer-driven machines which move me away from my page turners and have me staring at an impersonal screen.  Sitting at a computer most of the workday, exploring the web occasionally at night is enough for me.  Not saying I might not give it a whirl someday when faced with an eight hour flight - I am just saying...


I just finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  It was riveting.  I took Friday off to work in the garden - such clear blue, fantastically bright summer days are a treasure and I don't waste one of them.  In between battles with tenacious weeds, I sat in the shade with a glass of Lady Gray iced tea and read.  I started it on Friday and finished it Sunday afternoon.  It was hard to put down.  You must give it a read.  It has made me more than ever aware of my blinders.  Sometimes I can be so unaware.  I want to know more - I want to learn about other cultures, other lives.

I applaud friendships which develop between unlikely partners.  I am saddened by the reserve I observe in those who prefer to limit their involvement - sometimes for the whole of their lives.  I abhor the injustice that man heaps upon man in the name of righteousness (and I don't mean the religious kind).  Our relationships are complex and are the result of the effort we put into them.

Blizzard Conditions

The snow is coming down in earnest outside.  I can feel the wind buffeting the house as it wraps icy fingers around the roof.  Snowplows have been going down the road several times an hour, more often than I would expect for our road.

I have been putting away leftover wrapping paper and ribbons, tucking gift bags into the sides of the box for next year.  The pile of magazines is a great deal smaller.  I seem to be on a quiet quest for calm and order, cleaning out clutter and organizing drawers.  Bob is watching football and I check in now and then for the highlights and scores.

It is cozy and warm up in my sitting room. Since I had finished one of my Christmas books from the library this afternoon, I started a new one tonight.  Set in London at the turn of the century, its plot is starting out in the seamier alleyways of the city and I wonder where the hopeful Christmasy-ness will come in. I poured some milk and nabbed a few spritz on my last trip downstairs.  Maybe they will help me get through the icky parts and on to the uplifting ones.

In between bursts of reading, I have been going through old floppy discs from Creative NeedleArts days, transferring the files I want to keep onto my computer.  Since computers don't come with floppy drives anymore, if I want something, I better save it now.  There were journal entries and copies of letters to friends overseas from the 90's which were nice to find.  I didn't save the files from CNA, though.  It is time to let that all go.  I have my printed books and patterns if I want to reminisce.

Christmas has a habit of making me feel nostalgic and the week between now and New Year's Day has always been my time to reflect and regroup.  It is interesting to look back at the events and people which have shaped my life into what it is.  Being ensconced in a warm room while gales of wind throw snow around makes the exploration even more fun.

Italian Dreams

Frances Mayes wrote a new book recently and I have been savoring it. Like her other books, Every Day in Tuscany gives me a glimpse into what it would be like to live in Italy. What bliss!  What food!  What wine!

I love to travel and Italy has a special place in my heart. A sense of dolce vita pervades my mind just thinking about sun-drenched hillsides and I am transported to a region of the world where family and relationships are more important than things. My connection with Italy is intimate. I feel it in my soul. I would move there in a heartbeat if I didn't need to make a living. What struck me as amazing as we poured over our photos from the last trip is that we have only been on Italian soil twice. Twice.

Then why does it feel like we have been there countless times?