Saturday, October 18, 2014

Midmorning update

It is a rainy, dreary day in southeastern Wisconsin, perfect for reading. I began the day at Panera, where my order (placed on-line just before I left home) hit the pick up rack as I walked in.

I've put a couple of pictures up on Twitter (@quiltbabe). It's too complicated to post from the Kindle Fire to the blog, and I didn't want to bring the laptop with me this morning.

First book up was Holley Gerth's What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days, the devotional I'm working through.

Moved on to Sadie Hudson's A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet, a charming, delightful set of stories about growing up in the South, or as the subtitle says, "Southern Stories of Faith, Family and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon". This would be a reread, but as wonderful as it is, I only made it through a few chapters. Not quite the right "feel" for the day, if you know what I mean.

Took a small break, and opened up Cottage Journal Seasons' Christmas edition, which landed on the Kindle early this week. Oh my, the eye candy (words, too - there are articles to read!). Such beautiful "cottages" decorated in creative and inspiring ways...well, inspired if you have the cash to buy the decorations and the time and decorator's eye to put them out. Still, I did get a few ideas, if only of what I can't do, given my space, current decorating style and budget. What I will take away from the magazine, though, is a wonderful recipe for chocolate and almond topped home made caramel squares. Yum. Too bad I can't whip them up for a snack for this afternoon.

Moved on to Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. Most years, I reread it about this time. It is, quite simply, the perfect read for a rainy October day.

"It seemed when the first stroke of nine banged from the big courthouse clock all the lights were on and business humming in the shops. But by the time the last stroke of nine shook everyone's fillings in his teeth, the barbers had yanked off the sheets, powdered the customer, trotted them forth; the druggist's fount had stopped fizzing like a nest of snakes, the insect neons everywhere had ceased buzzing, and the vast guttering acreage of the dime store with its ten billion metal, glass and paper oddments waiting to be fished over, suddenly blacked out. Shade slithered, doors boomed, keys rattled their bones in locks, people fled with hordes of torn newspaper mice nibbling their heels."

See what I mean?

Since no yardwork can be done in the rain, everyone else in the city decided to go to Panera to meet some friends for breakfast and coffee. That's wonderful - but the volume of talk rapidly increased to the point where reading was difficult, no matter how good I usually am at tuning out background noise (my favorite place to read is a fairly noisy coffee place). So I'm back home, since, judging by the parking lots, Starbucks is just as crowded. I didn't have the patience to try some of the independent places, and at the time, Barnes and Noble wasn't open yet.

I'm at the computer in the loft, on the too-messy-to-photograph desk, with a small snack and several hours before I need to start thinking about making lunch. If you want me, I'll be running with Jim and Will in Green Town, Illinois.

4 comments:

CaroG said...

Seems like you are doing great. Sorry about the noise, I usually stay at home for the Read-a-Thon to avoid distractions. Hope you are having fun. #TeamKing

Unknown said...

Hope your day reading isn't as dreary as the weather! You can do this :D

KaKiJoKoJa said...

Sounds like a good day! Hope you are continuing to enjoy your books!

Leann said...

I have never been to a Panera... one of these days! That is awesome that you can place your order online. I had special coffee at home and then spent about three hours at the Korean church... reading Korean and visiting with an Army Chaplain who is another assistant pastor where we attend on Sundays. His testimony is fantastic. I have not read much today... played online with the blog challenges and answered some e-mail. I want a morning like yours sometime... it sounds like it was lovely! :)