1000 Fields of Roses

I have finally, after holding out as long as I could, succumbed to the call of the air conditioner. It took a while to figure out how to work the remote, and I only had it on long enough to chill the air for the fan to then circulate it, but…
worth it!

Another “not well” day, which is very annoying.
I’ve been doing so well, and even got back into a bit of an exercise routine.
Today – not so much.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but the last few weeks have felt like a bit of a rollercoaster. Not overtly. Just some sort of shift in the air. Part of this has been a lightening of expectation – both put on me from outside voices, and absorbed from my own self imposed schedules.
I have also been hearing a lot about the importance of being still.
Very refreshing 🙂

Outside, the heat has been draining.
The plovers have been squawking when we go near the backyard, but as long as we don’t venture past the washing line, we seem to be able to share.
We’re keeping an eye on a rogue tomato bush.

Who knows where it came from?
It pretty much just appeared, and is fruiting merrily, with abandon.
We shall see what we end up with, and what else in the garden likes tomatoes 😀

One of the things I have been feeling called to do in this season is to sort through my papers. Not so much “paperwork” papers (although that could do with a clean-up), but the random notepads. exercise books, and scraps of paper I have used over the years to write things down. I have transferred some scraps to books, but have also had a bad habit of forgetting what I’ve put where, and starting on another book.

Time to sail the ephemera seas, till I reach the safe harbour of documental organisation.

Or something…

Making some sense of (partially catalogued) chaos, is what I mean.

Another thing I’ve taken time for lately is reading library books. I get the cosies, and sometimes art/craft books, but also the ones that make me think.
This world, as it stands, makes me want to exercise my thinking ability.
Here’s what I’ve read lately.

And there’s more where that came from!!
(seriously – get to your local library. You never know what you’ll find.)

Books. Papers.
Who knows where my ship will land?

In the meantime, I will settle in my comfy chair, and broaden my mind.

Accompanied by a happy little unicorn.
❤

In 1971 the public library in Troy (USA) opened its doors. To celebrate, the librarian wrote to many famous people, asking them to write a letter to the children of Troy about their thoughts on books and the importance of libraries. You can find these online – letters from people such as Neil Armstrong, Isaac Asimov, or Dr Seuss!
I wonder what the response would be today? Books are easily accessible online (I have an extensive list of ebooks, which I haven’t quite got around to reading…), but there’s nothing quite like picking up a paperback and snuggling into bed on a cold day. Or walking into a secondhand bookstore, where there’s that faint smell of old books, faded leather, and possibly a whiff of the glue that holds the pages to the spine…
I’ve always loved the library. As a child I would ride my bike there on a Saturday, to return or take out my quota of books, or just to spend time surrounded by my literary friends, in the hush of the stacks, forgetting about the outside world for a time. In my mind I still have a clear snapshot of that library.
I love books!
Anyone who has walked through our door knows this to be true…

I can remember buying the latest Trixie Belden mystery with my pocket money, back when they were 50c, then 75c, then $1.50! I still have those books. And what about those brochures you got at school every so often, where you could order books, then get them in a package delivered some time later? What an adventure – such excitement when they arrived! I can’t remember if it was the Scholastic book club – it was a long time ago – but that’s what seems to be the school book club now.

During coronavirus lockdown, the libraries were closed. Even now, activities are restricted. We can get new books, but can’t stay in the library. Before the lockdown libraries had a full range of programmes, which included storytime, makerspace, and various tutorials. The library of today has had to diversify to survive, and that’s OK – it’s great to have so much choice. I’d hate to see the basis of the library concept lost in the mists of time, though – real, live paper books, that you can hold in your hand, and feel the weight of – there’s nothing else like it! 😀
Libraries as we know them – freely accessible public libraries – are still necessary. Not only do they provide a place for people who may not have the means to access a variety of books, or have a quiet place to study, but they are generally staffed by knowledgeable, enthusiastic and helpful people. If you don’t know where to look or what to look for, ask a librarian! They can point you in the right direction, or order the book you need if it’s not already available. I’ve got books reserved at the moment that I wouldn’t have been able to buy, I’ve asked for the library to order books that they didn’t have, and I’ve been able to “try out” books in a series, which I later bought because I knew I liked them.
Quite apart from anything else, without libraries, and library sales, I wouldn’t have all the books I have on my shelves!

Long live libraries, and all who read in them!

After such a big day yesterday I decided on a much quieter schedule today.
That included a morning at the library, where we all found our separate corners and got on with what we had to do.
I know I’ve said this before, but libraries are amazing! Obviously there’s books, and that would be enough to endear them to me forever 😉 There’s also DVDs, CDs, and various online resources you can access with your library card – your personal passport to imagination, knowledge and just plain fun!
Do you want to read a book, but can’t afford to buy it? Check your local library – often they’ll have it, or they can buy it for the shelves or order it from another library. As we have homeschooled for many years, it’s been an invaluable asset for us – just down the road and easily accessible. Libraries do seem to be downsizing, or even dying out, in a lot of places, though. To prevent that, we need to support our local libraries. Get your card, and get some books – you know you want to! 😀

The other reason we love to go to the library was the reason we went today. Sometimes being at home has its distractions when you want to study, or do any sort of intellectual or contemplative work. The library is generally quiet, and ours has free internet and lots of powerpoints to plug in wherever you need to. There are lots of carrels along the wall where you can set up and ignore everything around you. There are comfy chairs and sofas to laze around on and read, and there are big swivel chairs with wall-like sides facing the windows, where I whiled away the morning, blocking out the world behind me and concentrating on my List Of Things To Do. I found it soothing to be able to stare out at the rain whenever I wanted to…

This was my view – right in the corner, comfortable and secluded. I don’t know what that bird was. Some sort of corvid (crow or raven?) but it sat out there staring at me for quite a while.

I didn’t particularly need human companionship at the time, but I enjoyed sharing my contemplative space with a corvid friend…

We’ll be back.
Perhaps we’ll see you there!