Books of a Lifetime ~ Little Women

This new series was inspired by John Scalzi’s blog, Whatever.  He recently wrote a series of posts, titled A Personal History of Music, and every day of June 2022 he picked a song and described why that song was important to him.  I thought that might be a fun thing to do, too.  Only with books.

As you might have guessed, I’ve been reading for a long time. And, naturally, there have been books and authors that have resonated with me at different times in my life for different reasons.

First up ~ Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I don’t remember how old I was but I’d guess eight or nine.  Around Christmas, my Girl Scout troop went to Boston to see a play based on the first chapter or two of the book.  I distinctly recall sitting in the dark theatre amid rows and rows of people (I think it was also my first live play), attention riveted to the stage where four poor girls made the best of the holidays.  A Christmas tree glowed in a corner of the theatre.  I was hooked!  I needed to see what else happened to those March girls.

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Things I Like Thursday – The Book Stephen King Sent Me

Wandering in the Christmas section of a mall store, probably in mid-November of 1983, I came across some really cute ornaments – sparkly spiders in a sparkly white web.  I bought two and sent one off to Stephen King.  I’d been reading his work since discovering Carrie in the New Book section at the Wilmington Public Library in the spring of 1974.  I loved everything he wrote and I thought that ornament would be a nice Thank You for all the hours of entertainment he’d given me.  I sent it off with a note and forgot about it.

A few weeks later, I got a notice to pick up a package that was too big for our P.O. Box.  When I saw the return address and postmark, I just couldn’t believe it.  Stephen King sent ME something??!! 

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Things I Like Thursday – Write Before Christmas

I wanted to see this movie on the recommendation of Racquel Henry, the owner of Writer’s Atelier, a group I belong to.  But I couldn’t find it streaming anywhere, so I ended up buying it.  Good decision!

As you’d expect of a Hallmark Christmas romance, it’s light and fun and full of romantic miscues but also has its share of orphans, loneliness and an adorable dog looking for his furrever home.  Here’s the story-Jessica, newly single again, takes Christmas cards intended for the guy who just broke up with her and sends them to five people with notes telling them how they have influenced her life for the better:

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Anniversary 42

Since the pandemic put the kibosh on travel, our anniversaries have been extremely low key.  In the Before Time, we at least took a weekend away and the five-year anniversaries were usually a little more special-the train from Williams, AZ to the Grand Canyon, a night at East Brother Light in San Rafael Bay.  We’d been planning our dream trip to Paris and Normandy for our 40th in 2020.  You know that ended up a non-starter…

Keeping it low key again this year, we’re off to Simi, CA, to take in the Secrets of WWII exhibit at the Reagan Library and spend a couple of nights in a favorite hotel.  With gas prices over $6 and Covid once again on the rise, we plan to stay close to the hotel, walking when we can, and keep as much to ourselves as possible while wearing masks at the Library.  But despite those travel drawbacks, we’ll have a good time learnin’ and relaxin’.

I thought I’d share some of our wedding pictures on the blog today, even though it’s a day early.  It was a bittersweet journey through the photo’s this year, since we won’t be getting an anniversary card from The Mom.  Also missing my grandparents, especially my grandfather, who walked me down the aisle.

SO!

42 YEARS!

Enjoy these photos from our Big Day.

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Things I Like Thursday – Leap of Faith

I’m not really into sculpture particularly but there was something about Thomas Blackshear’s Leap of Faith that struck me the first time I saw it in Virginia’s Gift Shop at Knott’s Berry Farm years ago.  I kept coming back to it, fascinated with both the detail of the piece itself and the effect it had on me.

The figure is balancing on his toes and it is literally the moment before he raises his wings and leaps into the unknown.  What a terrifying thrill!  And what a thrilling inspiration! 

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Leaps of Faith

You know I’m a signs and woo woo kind of girl, right? 

I’ve been working from home the past two years and three months, after four years of a long, stressful Southern California commute.  I decided that my sign to quit this job would be the call back to the office.  Since I’m over 65, I was considered an exception when the call back came earlier this year for most everyone else.  I thought I ‘d be safe until the pandemic is eventually downgraded.  So, I was a little surprised when I was told my accommodation is no longer being honored and I needed to come back at least two days a week.  True to my own word, I put in a month’s notice last week.

Me in 2004 with Thomas Blackshear’s Leap of Faith sculpture.  I’ve kept this picture in my wallet all this time!
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