Don was in the city yesterday and I was home. After I finished writing my post, I had the thought that I should do something that makes me happy. I’ve been battling  anxiety lately, as you know. If I did something that made me happy, I just might be able to dampen that anxiety down to a manageable level.

What makes me happy? Books and bookshops. So I got in the car and drove an hour in the rain to Oblong Books and Music, the shop in Rhinebeck that Don and I recently visited. The drive even made me happy. I listened to classical music, the rain was actually calming, and I found a good parking place. As soon as I entered, I felt like I had found a sort of refuge.

This time around, I noticed more details, one of which was this:

I must have walked past this the first time I was at the shop, but they have a display of the Very Short Introductions published by Oxford University Press. You might remember I first saw them at that wonderful independent bookshop in Las Vegas.

This is one of the differences between a chain and an independent bookstore. Chains, as a rule, would not stock these books. Independent Bookshops do.

Heavens, I like this shop.

In the Classics section, they had three different editions of To Kill a Mockingbird. Very impressive.

Of course, I purchased some books.

I had my eye on the latest volume of Alan Bennett’s memoir; I’d seen it on my first visit and hadn’t been able to forget it. I haven’t read the previous volumes, so it looks like I’ll be reading them in reverse order. I’m a huge fan.

I bought a book by Jane Gardam on my first visit – I’ve yet to read it – but this one was on sale for $5, so I snapped it up. I’ve heard nothing but good things about her novels.

I’ve been reading a lot about Melmoth  lately on Instagram and wanted to buy it, but I also haven’t read Perry’s first book, The Essex Serpent, so that’s why they’re here.

And Gaudy Night  was part of a wonderful display of Olive Editions by Harper Perennial – favorite books from their publishing past that are limited editions – $10 each. The display was right next to the Mystery section and all the books in the display were mysteries. They’re on the smallish side and the artwork/design is wonderful. I’m such a fan of mysteries, but for some reason, I’ve never read Gaudy Night.

My weaknesses are books, egg cups, McCoy and Roseville pottery, and miniatures. Books are a constant. The others ebb and flow.

Anyway. I’m glad I went. My anxiety level was reduced to nothing, I happily drove back home in the rain, stopped at the supermarket to pick up a few things, and I stayed calm the rest of the day. And I found some interesting books to read.

A side note: I’ve been reading Mo Hayder’s thrillers and I just got two from my local library, but I realized yesterday – right in the middle of reading one of them – that this wasn’t the best time to be reading them. They’re a bit too scary and bloody. So I’m returning them and I’ll read them sometime in the future.

Self-care is a good thing.

Happy Tuesday.