I had planned to show you another amaryllis photo today. Those plans changed when I looked out the window this morning and saw the sky. I love y’all so much I went out on the deck barefoot to take this photo. My dedication to this blog knows no end.
Take notice of the beauty that’s all around you and enjoy your weekend, friends
It’s a link party this Thursday in more ways than one. There’s the usual place for you to add a link to your blog post of three things, of course. But my list this week . . . also links. Three of them. All to things I’ve found interesting/newsworthy/important.
And that’s my (short) post for this week. Don’t forget to add your link!
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!Click here to enter
I have another hand knit to show you today. It’s the Walk in the Woods scarf and I made it for my friend Rose and gave it to her for Christmas.
The pattern is extremely well written and easy to follow. Believe me when I say that while it may look complicated it’s actually pretty simple and you only work with one color at a time.
Speaking of color, the yarn is Woolen Rabbit Heron in Zelda and Midas Touch. They are richly saturated and compliment each other perfectly, providing great contrast.
I truly enjoyed making this one and, much like I felt when I gave Jo-Ann a scarf, I hope Rose thinks of it as a hug from me whenever she wears it.
In keeping with my new schedule, today I am sharing the books I read in the month of January, 2021.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After all, you apply ice to a joint after an awkward fall. Why not do the same to a life?
I’m a summer person and I tend to resent winter and the cold it brings and isolation it forces. This book has helped me to look at that attitude in a new way and consider the gifts of winter instead. I may not ever love the cold but I’m learning to appreciate the turning of the wheel of the year and accepting each season with gratitude.
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Edward is the only survivor of a plane crash, losing his entire family along with all of the other passengers. The narrative switches back and forth between Edward in the present and the events on the plane leading up to the crash. I enjoyed the book overall, but was left feeling like it could have been so much more. I think part of the problem is knowing that all the passengers on the plane (except for Edward) are going to die and because of that I didn’t really let myself become invested in those characters. I also felt detached from the other characters and had a hard time comprehending the freedom Edward was allowed by his aunt and uncle, wandering in the night, sleeping anywhere but in his own room and more. Overall I’d say it’s a good story but there’s a lack of emotion and genuine feeling to the whole thing.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.
This is one of those books that is best read without knowing much about it. I will tell you what I can to get you started, though. It’s a fantasy set in a series of rooms/halls/houses (think classical crumbling architecture) that are full of statues and flooded repeatedly by the sea. The story is narrated by the main character, Piranesi, as he catalogs and journals the contents of the houses and tries to understand the things he knows but cannot explain. It’s confusing at first but I encourage you to stick with it because it’s a gorgeous book with plenty of philosophy and a smidge of mystery.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
You might think this is a romance, given the description and the beginning of the story. I’m here to tell you that it’s not. It’s actually a poignant story of a lifelong friendship between two women but, because I was expecting a romance, I feel short changed. It’s a shame, really, because the book had great potential. But the characters are all beautiful and successful and there’s no real struggle or growth. If you’re looking for a quick diversion that manipulates all of your emotions, go for it.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Between life and death there is a library,’ she said. ‘And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be different if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?
Part fantasy, part self-help book, this novel is predictable and sentimental and yet I really enjoyed it. The possibility of infinite lives and the chance to experience them is makes for a captivating story. The ending is pretty much a rip-off of It’s A Wonderful Life, and you can totally see it coming, but there are some moments of enlightenment that make this a worthy read.
The Reason You’re Alive by Matthew Quick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The main character is a politically incorrect, gun toting, Vietnam vet suffering from PTSD. He distrusts the government, is violent and aggressive, is writing a first person narrative to justify just why he is the way he is. Sounds awful, right? It’s actually the opposite and I found myself cheering on this xenophobic narrator despite his attitude. The story is heart warming with a very satisfying ending, the asides will make you cringe as well as laugh, and as long as it’s not taken it too seriously I think it’s really enjoyable.
Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I approached this book about the first murder in Plymouth with some skepticism since I’m very familiar with it as I’m local to the area. I was pleasantly surprised to come away from this with a new perspective on that story as well as a fresh approach to the death of Dorothy Bradford, class structure in the colony, and the inclusion of the voices of women. The history they teach us in elementary school, that the Pilgrims were escaping religious persecution, that everyone on board the Mayflower had the same goals and reasons for moving here, is quite different from what actually happened. I recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about this time period in our history from a societal point of view.
January was a great month of reading!
I love when the first day of the month falls on a Monday, don’t you? It’s the perfect clean slate.
Today we welcome the possibility of February.
February is Black History Month, perhaps making is a time to reflect on our work with anti-racism.
February is American Heart Month, a time to wear read and maybe recommit to heart healthy movement and eating.
February brings us Valentine’s Day, an opportunity to celebrate all the ways love shows up for us every day, through partners, friends, neighbors, colleagues, family, pets, and more.
February, when extra kind, sometimes delivers the first signs of spring in the form of snow drops and crocus and other tender green things shooting up from the earth.
February gives those of us in the public sector a Monday holiday, a welcome respite.
February 1st is a chance to honor our pagan ancestors and celebrate imbolc, a time when the hardest part of the year was over and preparations for spring began. A time to burn candles in every room, keep the fire going all night long, and make space for new beginnings and possibilities. One popular feeling of the time was that bad weather on imbolc meant good weather in the summer. Given that we’re getting hit with a nor-easter today and tomorrow I’m embracing that omen whole heartedly.
What are you embracing this February?