Have two weeks really passed since my last post? Sometimes I think that people with nothing to do have it made. Surely they are bored each and every minute of their lives, making the days, months and years painfully slow. But, that's just not me. Of course, I have more than my share of lazy days, and frankly, that's why I didn't post last week. I simply had to catch up. The great cleaning and tossing extravaganza has begun here at LaDeDa. Last week I pitched four bags of useless space invaders from the office, and yet, I can't tell the difference. The file cabinets are still bulging, and the shelves are overflowing. Before Brendo moved to Madison on us, she pitched in with the purge. She was brilliant! She would get a crazed look on her face, and declare "Pitch that" in big bold tones, whenever I began feeling nostalgic about an invoice, magazine photo of a favorite movie star...she's great at defining nonsense, and keeping me focused on my goal to declutter.
That, Heart-A-Rama , and a few other odds and ends kept me from blogging. But...I did some interesting reading. Death at Bishop's Keep was suggested by a customer we affectionately call "The Mrs." She enjoys historical fiction, and this Robin Paige book is part of a Victorian mystery series. The main character writes what are called "penny dreadfuls' - cheesy little novels that don't get much respect, so Kathryn keeps her avocation a secret. Her need to supplement her income drops her right into the middle of an archaeological murder, and soon she is up to her elbows in material for her next "dreadful."
I also pulled Mrs. Mike off my home shelf. Benedict and Nancy Freedman's novel took me right back to my junior high days when I was moved in all directions by this book. It's a love story, but it's also filled with adventure, and human drama. My old copy has an inscription that reads "Very enjoyable, delightful reading, also educational. 1947." I'd have to agree.
On the same shelf, right next to Mrs. Mike, was another book I have been meaning to read for year - Seven Leagues to Paradise by Richard Tregaskis. Tregaskis, long-time writer for The Saturday Evening Post, travelled 48,000 miles in search of a modern day Eden...that would be 1948 modern, the year of publication. The author voyaged leisurely around the globe - to the East Indies, Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe. He even checked out California and New York. How times have changed. Here, he comments on an aspect of Bali that goes on his plus list : " Mason and I stared happily, feeling that in Bali one enjoys looking at handsome bosoms with the same unashamed indulgence that might be felt while standing on the corner of Fifth Avenue and watching the passing faces of attractive women." He goes on to suggest that it might be a good idea if women world wide became comfortable with publicly bare bosoms. He defines the re-education as a "pleasant process which couldn't possibly harem anyone except to brassiere industry." Just imagine contemporary travel essayist or tour book editor saying that!
Spring has arrived as you can see from the picture at the top. Those brilliant, tiny crocus flowers appear each year, live for a few days and then wither. Perhaps they are a gentle nudge for me to actually plan a garden, rather than just letting it happen. We'll see.
Last week, I received a nice email from a friend named Marlene. She told me she enjoys reading Fine Print each week. Every once in while I am reminded that people really read this thing, and I own them the respect of saying something minimally intelligent, and in a fashion that is marginally mechanically correct. Let me get through Heart-a-Rama and, I promise, I will be so profound, and polished you will think I have hired a ghost writer. Say, now there's an idea!
Thanks for stopping by.
