Found: Happy Things

These are some of the hardest days for me. These weeks when, although the days are supposedly getting longer, I feel like the sun is never far enough over the horizon and my bones are in a constant state of chill. 
To combat the dark I am on a constant search for pinpricks of light — a sprig of green, a sunny song, a hopeful laugh.

Here's a little roundup of some things I recently discovered.

BOOKS ~ This site — bookcrossing.com — where you can send your books out into the universe and track their journey. A version of the elementary school "Flat Stanley" project . . . . for grown-ups! (Thanks to Danni of Silo Hill Farm for telling me about the site.)

TV ~ This list of feel-good documentaries from PBS.

SOMETHING PRETTY ~ This dress from Mod Cloth. I don't wear dresses often, but this one is divine. Maybe I should plan a fancy Valentine's day dinner and get this dress for the occasion? Except, dang, one of my words for the year is "simplify." Buying a semi-pointless dress doesn't really work into that plan.

READING ~ This book. I'd never read it and decided it was high time.

ART ~ This french artist's blog and artwork. And this one too. There are so many talented people in the world, aren't there? 

MUSIC ~ This documentary on Tom Petty. (Again with the talent.)

HOOKY ~ For all the crochet-crazed out there — this free baby bootie pattern. I think I know what I'll be working on next!

And finally POETRY. This poem:

Winter-Time
Robert Louis Stevenson (from A Child’s Garden of Verses, 1885)


Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding-cake.

Wishing you a happy week. 

Oh - and don't forget to put your name in for a book drawing. I'll pick names on Wednesday (see previous post).

3 Books for cold nights

It's colder than heck here, but sunny and clear. The dogs keeping asking to be let out into the sunshine, but soon come knocking at the door when they realize they can't feel their noses.

As for me, I just don't go out unless it's an emergency — say, we're completely devoid of a single crumb to eat or if I've run out of Diet Coke.

However, it is the perfect weather for reading, and I've been doing a fair bit so I thought I'd pass along a few good titles. I loved all three of these (very different) books (click the titles to read the Amazon summaries):

~  The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. Enchanting settings, an engaging, mysterious plot, likeable characters. Definitely a cozy read. Plus this author seems really cool. She's a fan of Jane Eyre, Roald Dahl books and claims to have read stacks of Trixie Belden mysteries as a child (oh, how I loved those books), so how could I not like her?!

~ Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann. Wow, this guys can WRITE. Beautiful character sketches of ordinary people living in New York City in the 1970s. McCann touches on life's tragedies and triumphs, and shows us how our lives overlap and touch the lives of strangers. I plan to read more of this guy's work, for sure.

~ We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg. I've been a fan of Berg for many years. Her books feel like a little "homecoming" to me — easy, thoughtful, kind, warm and honest. I'm never disappointed. And although this wasn't my absolute favorite of hers (I loved Range of Motion, Pull of the Moon, Durable Goods, Joy School, and her book of short stories The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted) I still really enjoyed it.


Before the New Year, I would have crammed these books into my already bulging bookcases (you never know, I may want to read them again), but the new (simplifying) me is going to send them out into the world for others to enjoy. Colum McCann's book was a loan from a friend so that one is not mine to give away, but the other two are, so . . .

I'm announcing a little GIVEAWAY! If you would like to read either The Forgotten Garden or We Are All Welcome Here simply leave me a comment here with your name and which book you'd prefer (yes, you can say either or both). I'll do a random drawing and send the recipients their books sometime next week . . . let's say next Wednesday.


* congrats to Rebecca & Jean. Thanks for playing! *

                        

Ready, Set, Go!

{or Let's Get it Started}

It's 2013. I've taken down the tree and put away the ornaments. I've dusted and swept up about a gajillion pine needles. I'm ready.

For the past several years I've picked a Word of the Year, an area of focus for the days ahead. This year I think I'm going with two words: Simplify & Courage.

SIMPLIFY: declutter - my house, my brain, my life. Streamline. Get efficient. Eliminate excess and focus on fewer things.

COURAGE: Be brave. Take risks. I once read where someone said "In the end no one is going to thank you for not living your life." It hit me like a sack of bricks. I kinda think I'd been feeling proud of myself for making safe and responsible choices or for putting other people first all the time. Hearing the truth, that there's no reward for martyrdom, that you don't get a prize for never taking a crazy risk, made me realize if I have something I really want I need to GO FOR IT! Now. Cause time isn't going to wait for me to get brave. I just need to put on my big girl panties and start trying.

So here I go — I'm starting today (I already simplified by getting rid of five Christmas decorations that I've never liked. Yay me.).

Are you starting something new this year? Trying things differently? Anyone else out there have a "Word" for the year or a special goal? I'd love to hear what everyone's planning.

Happy New Year all!