I am retired, does that not mean life is one long break? Ho-ho no, where did that idea come from? Of course not.
This morning, I was again hit with a jolt of awareness about my attitude to my busy days. My days are full; is that my need to occupy my time with virtuous actions or is it just my reality? The jolt that triggered me off on this theme again, was daytime recreational reading.
In one of my first posts back in May, I rabbited on about this. About the indulgence of it all, the keyword being recreational – reading for the pure pleasure of it. What caused me to hear again this siren call? It rose from my gut, out of my mouth: “I want to read! Yes, for pity’s sake give me a break!”
It is a call to sanity – do they still call that a mental health break? What with pitching my novel (yet to be published), getting ready for the Camino (a deep dive there), house (major repair happening for our underfloor heating systems that involve many $$), cooking (hubby and I do need a good supper at least), church (I am soon to be a Camino-pilgrim), Tai Chi and walking-group (investment in my well-being), family and grandkiddies (bless their little cotton socks), keeping up with friends and trying not to get swamped with emails and software generally – ouff – where is the time for decadent reading? Apparently now.
A novel has led me here. I do hope that one day a person will feel the same about my novel ‘Pardon my Camino’. Thank you to the Edmonton Public Library where I have a virtual future-reads basket. When I hear or see a review of a book I can look it up, and for future reading, I pop it into my EPL basket. Yes, dear reader, you have guessed. I usually gaze at a title and ask myself where did that come from? But that is part of the fun, I can then ask for a hold on a book and it will be waiting for me at my local branch. What a treat, what a great use of my municipal taxes.
This morning, after Tai Chi, I went to the library and there waiting for me on the holds shelf was:
The three Weissmanns of Westport , by Cathleen Schine. The picture on the cover is of a sea-front beach, with an easy chair, a lamp and a seagull. The book is about a Manhattan woman (are novels set in Manhattan a whole genre unto themselves?) and her two adult daughters, they are managing the news that the 78-year-old man of the family wants a divorce for ‘irreconcilable differences. As our heroine asks: what has that to do with divorce after 48 years? Of course, there is another woman. Oh-ho, the wife is a snappy heroine of a certain age, love it!
I have already read chapter one and have taken the resolution that this looked like just what I needed in the ‘Give me a break’ department: a relaxing, fun, entertaining read. So I have my permission for a decadent interlude, be it day or night.
This is just a short blog as I have to go and read