Speaking of Maxfield Parrish, last night’s sunset had me running for the camera saying, “That’s a Maxfield Parrish sky.”

It’s as if the universe heard me oohing and aahing over Parrish this past week and decided to show me just where the inspiration for Mr. Parrish’s work came from.

You can’t beat Mother Nature, though Maxfield Parrish comes pretty darned close.

It’s Saturday. I lose track of what day it is in the midst of holidays and winter days and below zero wind chills. I routinely have to check the calendar when I get up. What’s the date? What day of the week is it?

Our Christmas Tree is still up.

Yes, it has been up over a month, it’s a real tree, but there’s been very little needle shedding. Every day, Don and I consider taking it down and then we turn to each other and say, “Naaah. Let’s wait a day.” Yesterday afternoon we decided it will be up through the weekend and Monday will be the day we take it down. But that could change. I do believe this is the longest we have ever had the tree up and that makes me very happy. I feel a bit rebellious! In the blogging world where everyone has their tree up and their house decorated to the max soon after Thanksgiving, I’ve opted for a Slow Christmas. Get it? There’s Slow Blogging (a term that’s been used more and more lately) and a few other “Slows” out there. I’m coining “Slow Christmas.”

Remember, you read it here first.

Marianne asked if I could list the book titles that are on the shelf behind the Parrish print. Let’s see what I can decipher, starting on the far left:

Very Good Jeeves – a vintage copy. Don loves Wodehouse and did a one-person show many years ago entitled, Jeeves Takes Charge. He was performing in it when we got married. He was brilliant. That’s another Jeeves just to the left of Very Good Jeeves, but I can’t make out the title. I got them on eBay.

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster – A childhood favorite. I found this vintage edition several years ago.

A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter – another childhood favorite. This is the same edition that my grandmother gave to me when I was a young girl. It disappeared over the years, so I had to find another one just like it.

Lyrics of Love – a vintage book I bought because of its beautiful design and impeccable condition. I wrote about it somewhere on this blog, but who knows where?

A Girl of the Limberlost – another edition – this one is very, very old, from 1909, the year it was published.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – a vintage edition sent to me by a friend.

Behind the Parrish is another section of books that I’ll share with you another time.

On the right:

Kiss Me Like a Stranger by Gene Wilder – Wilder’s autobiography. This is Don’s book. Shortly after we moved East, we got to see Gene Wilder act onstage at the Westport Country Playhouse. What a great treat that was!

Jack Be Nimble by Jack O’Brien – Jack is the well-known Tony Award winning director, who was also the Artistic Director of The Old Globe when I was working there, and part of the time Don was working there. Don has had a connection to that theater (he’s an Associate Artist there) since he was a young lad. Jack is brilliant, can use words like no one else I’ve ever known, and his autobiography (this is the first volume) doesn’t disappoint.

The Letters of Noel Coward by Noel Coward – I have always loved Noel Coward. I’ve read just about everything about and by him. I’ve acted in Blithe Spirit and Private Lives. I’ve coached his plays several times. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.

Not shown, but to the right of Coward:

The Collected Plays of Sean O’Casey – given to Don many years ago by the late, great actor Howard Da Silva and inscribed by him. Howard Da Silva was simply one of the best. He was also blacklisted for many years during the McCarthy era.

Josh by Josh Logan – the autobiography of one of the greatest directors ever. He directed so many great plays and musicals, among them, South Pacific. In Logan’s later years, Don worked with him in two plays. Again, inscribed from Logan to Don.

These are very precious books.

There you go. A guide to the books you can see on the shelf!

More Parrish-y sunset:

Happy Saturday.