"What a blessing it is to love books. Everybody must love something, and I know of no objects of love that give such substantial and unfailing returns as books and a garden."
Elizabeth Von Arnim, "The Solitary Summer"
My avatars this year reflect what's blooming in my garden. Holly bushes, at the moment.
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"I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.
Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you."
-- final lines of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself"
I am not always poetry's biggest fan, but something about "Song of Myself" really touched me. These final lines brought tears to my eyes.
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I love books, always have. Lately I've been trying to aim toward quality rather than quantity in my choices, but let me loose in the "new arrivals" section of the library and I'll end up with an armload. I just can't help myself...it's a sickness.
Other than reading, my interests include writing, genealogy, history, travel, and all things English and Irish. My husband (who does not like to read, poor thing -- he doesn't know what he's missing) is a fantastic cook and carpenter. Our 17-year-old daughter is another book lover, and we share our home with three dogs and three cats.
Books on CD are a fabulous invention, and kudos to our public library for investing in them. I spend up to 10 hours a week commuting, and can often squeeze in an extra book a week without ever leaving the car.
My rating system is completely arbitrary and I rate books within their own category or genre, which explains why both "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Velveteen Rabbit" have 5 stars: I adore them both.
1 star - a complete waste of time
2 stars - fair to middling
3 stars - liked it, but didn't love it
4 stars - very good, a recommended read
5 stars - a gem
If you'd like to be friends, drop me a note first to say hello. I rarely accept requests from strangers.
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