Reading [is] my escape and my comfort, my consolation, my stimulant of choice: reading for the pure pleasure of it, for the beautiful stillness that surrounds you when you hear an author's words reverberating in your head. Paul Auster
There are a thousand thousand reasons to live this life, every one of them sufficient. Marilynne Robinson, Gilead
I am the poet of the Body and I am the poet of the Soul... Walt Whitman, from
Song of Myself (The talisman for my daughter, Breanne.)
As a woman with a deep love (alas, obsession!) for books and words, I spend many hours each day in the peace and contentment of my first
passion...reading. I am surrounded by thousands of books that I have collected over the years: NW literature, specific authors that I love, mysteries, books about books, reading and literary criticism, lots of poetry, fiction, memoirs, and romantic suspense, just to name a few. Children's books, with wonderful stories and illustrations, also represent a significant part of my collection. I use the library extensively, often to try books out before I indulge. Haunting the many used and new bookstores in my area is a frequent indulgence, yielding current publications and outstanding missed books for a fraction of their initial cost. Hence, my library grows steadily.
I connect frequently with many beloved friends that may or may not share my reading/book passion. While I spend significant time with others, enjoying good food, art, stimulating conversation, playing competitive Scrabble, and games in general, I crave
solitude. I'm addicted to gardening, and prefer the Oregon beach for a vacation (where I can read). I love to cook, especially ethnic food. I love putting fine jigsaw puzzles together. I love music, particularly classical (Mozart's
Requiem, my passion), Leonard Cohen, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson and k. d. lang, and
Les Miserables to name just a few. I enjoy watching British mysteries; my favorites, Midsomer Murders (to remind me of the three marvelous years I lived on the edge of the Cotswolds, near Oxford)and Rosemary and Thyme. Throughout the day I am entertained by the birds that visit and squabble over more than ten feeders I keep full. The squirrels and other wildlife also raid the seed and water containers.
My exceptional daughter,
Breanne, just graduated from Northwestern Medical School in Chicago, May 16, 2008, and got her Masters in Public Health, as well. The twelve of us who travelled to the windy city, watched emotionally, as she was hooded and got her diploma, and spent days celebrating. She will be staying there for her first three years of residency, moving from Northwestern to the University of Chicago. She plans on a specialty in pediatrics. Her young Yorkshire terrier, Humphrey, has grown and I got to spend plenty of time with him while Breanne partied with fellow graduates. We capped off our visit when the two of us were bowled over with the energy and music of
Jersey Boys which will now rate up there as a favorite musical. I miss her dreadfully, wish she were closer to home, and will have to visit more often. She continues to teach me and fill my life with abundance and joy.
Here are some personality descriptives enthusiastically contributed by friends and family: eccentric, passionate, weird (my daughter's favorite), flamboyant, curious, outrageous, intense, emotional (translate moody), fun, quiet (paradox), enthusiastic, and, best of all, I laugh loudly (Mom, they can hear you clear down the street.).
"My Shelf" contains both books I own and those I have read from the library, friends, or have traded. "My Reading List" contains those books that I am reading or will be soon. If I have rated a book 5*, it is without regard to genre, which I have, or will, read again.
PLEASE NOTE: I want my Shelfari friendships to have meaning, based on shared interests or experiences, and some similar book areas. I am interested in a friend having a bookshelf that stimulates my curiosity, to which I want to return. I appreciate someone who is active on the site, and will communicate with me about books, life and, perhaps, world issues. If you have shared your profile, shelved books (enough that I can determine your areas of passion), and you send me a note telling me what motivated you to request a friendship, I will consider accepting your request. I WILL NOT ACCEPT A FRIENDSHIP WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION.
I will not respond to any "Community Query" on whether or not you should read a book. I have no idea what you like to read, and there are plenty of places for one to go to see my review and those of others. You get to do the work, not me. Why one would rely on a yes/no answer to this kind of question is ludicrous.
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