Saturday, December 22, 2012

Almost there, I'm almost there


Whew! I’m done. That’s what I thought as I drifted off last night. I did the mental list in my head—yep! A book for everyone. (And you can just guess what I’m giving myself.) Then, this morning after my walk and before I got to work, I checked out Amazon . Suddenly, I remembered my (hope my kids aren’t reading this) tradition of giving them The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Essays of the year. I’d totally forgotten, and I’d already bought them (they are all grown after all) ‘way too much. So I compromised and ordered copies of The Best American Nonrequired Reading of 2012. They both have enough things they have to do, and this sounds like fun. So I’m lurking around the front door waiting for the mail carrier—again. 
You'll never guess what's in every package!
            Now my big question. Do I dare go to Murder by the Book (one of the best indie bookstores I’ve ever set foot in) this Saturday for the Christmas Party? Surely, I can listen to good music, share some holiday goodie and not buy a book. (Has anyone read Louise Penny? I haven’t but I’ve been thinking. . .) Nope think I’ll stay home.
            I’ve wrapped all the books I have to give, and they’re under the Christmas poinsettia (no tree at the Pandos this year—we’re going to my daughter’s.) Time to bake and maybe make some decadent chocolate truffles. They’re as tempting as a new mystery.

BUT wait! I’m not through. I was book shopping again this morning. I got an appeal from one of my favorite local charities. Yes, I’m a soft-touch. It offers housing to families in transition. Translation—going from homeless to somewhere permanent. There are lots of these families in the big city of Houston. Besides offering temporary housing, they do all they can to make the children’s lives happy like kids’ lives ought to be. One thing they are developing is a library of children’s books, and yes, they need donations. Moreover, they want donations to give as Christmas books. What can I do?
            When we did the great book purge I told you about last spring, I gave away most of my kiddo books. So now, I’m off for books. I picked up three this morning when I bought gift wrap at the dollar store, but soon as I finish this, I’m off for Half-Price Books and maybe a couple of the nearby resale shops.
            See if there’s a project like this near you. There’s nothing like Christmas, a child and a book.
            Remember the wise Sherlock Holmes. “It is a great thing to start life with a small number of really good books which are your very own.”

Soon, someone's going to love each of these!

(Another version of this entry appears at http://storycirclenetwork.wordpress.com/)

Friday, December 21, 2012

No, no, no


No, no, no, no!

No, no, no, no! It hasn’t been almost a year!

Yes, yes, yes, yes! It has.

I’ll avoid the trite time flies and simply accept that I let other things get in the way. Blogging has been for me an ‘after I do this’ and ‘after I do that’ activity.

Supposing we live tomorrow after whatever it is that is supposed to happen tonight does or doesn’t happen, then there will be a new entry tomorrow and every two and maybe one weeks thereafter until the next apocalypse or something else comes up.

Sorta promise.