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December 5, 1998 |
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books, books, and more books |
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Copyright © 1998, Janet I. Egan |
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Not only do I have writer's block, I have simple-design-task block. Or something. I left until this morning creating gift certificates for tomorrow's holiday open house at the cat shelter. I've had since Monday night to do this, so did I start first thing Tuesday morning? Nope. Anyway, the idea is to let people sponsor a Purrfect Companion (a cat to be adopted by an elder) in the name of a loved one or friend as a holiday gift. At Monday night's meeting, the consensus appeared to be that I was "good with computers" and therefore should design the gift certificates. For some reason, this made me feel like I was supposed to come up with something spectacular and perfect and beyond reproach. I get this way around any graphics related task because: I can't draw. Anyway, I spent the morning designing something I really liked that looked simple and elegant in black and white and didn't require me to draw anything (I used clip art cats). Printing out 10 copies of the certificate plus a poster explaining it all pretty much used up the current printer cartridge, Fortunately, I have another one waiting. I dropped the certificates off at the shelter, and drove right back home to start the Christmas shopping. I'd given the 500-page book issue a lot of thought last night and came up with Pippi Longstocking. Called Kevin, inquired. Nope, she's already read it. Hmm. Off to Andover Bookstore with no clue what to buy but armed with a full frequent buyer card so I can get 10% off whatever I do buy. I ask the bookseller: "Where are your 500-page children's books?" She laughs and shows me the children's classics section. She immediately suggests Pippi Longstocking and Heidi. Nope, Already got those. Finally she comes up with two suggestions: Anne of Green Gables and the Oz books. And then I go wild on a book binge I'll have to get a job to pay off: Anne of Green Gables Except for The Best Spiritual Writing of 1998 these are all gorgeous hard bound books. I had one moment of panic that Andrea won't want to snuggle up with a hardcover book in bed because it's too heavy, but I let it pass. If I buy them any more books I'll have to buy them some bookcases. I haven't figured out how to divide up the books between Lizzy and Andrea yet, but I have some ideas. And I am very psyched about The Willows and Beyond. It's a sequel to Toad Triumphant, which I absolutely loved! Horwood makes Kenneth Grahame's characters live again and have more adventures in his trilogy of The Willows in Winter, Toad Triumphant, and The Willows and Beyond. I always wanted more of Mole, Ratty, and Toad. How could I pass up the final book in the trilogy with jacket copy telling me we're finding the loyal companions in the autumn of their lives? Mole and Ratty at mid-life! Toad at mid-life!?!?! Yikes. As if I hadn't had a bookish enough day, Nancy and I spent the evening reading to each other. She read me advent poems and riddles from her collections of Anglo-Saxon and Middle English poetry. I read her three long essays and a couple of short pieces from The Best Spiritual Writing of 1998. The Anglo-Saxon riddles were fiendishly misleading, trying to make you think the answer was something sexual, when it was really bread dough. Along those lines. Very funny. And we both liked the essays from The Best Spiritual Writing of 1998 so much that I decided tomorrow's priority was to buy another copy so I could keep this one and still have an unread one to give to Mom on Christmas. My favorite selections: Dog Bite Enlightenment by Natalie Goldberg And, the introduction discusses The Confessions of St. Augustine - you know I gotta own this book! |
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