Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Reading, Sun, and Birds

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In the interest of truth here on the blog, I haven’t done any more quilting since Thursday. But, I will.

What I have done is a lot of reading. As you know, I finished Bewilderment – see yesterday’s post for my thoughts on that exquisite book. I’ve now tucked into another book from my TBR pile. This one is by Jane Gardam, perhaps her most famous – Old Filth.

I read Gardam’s Faith Fox  a few years back and that was my introduction to Gardam. It turns out that she is deeply loved. When I mentioned that book on IG, it was clear that many of my followers loved her writing. I found Faith Fox  at Oblong Books, purely by chance – one of those moments when you pull a book off a shelf, having never heard of the author, and you buy it. I instantly fell in love with her writing and the ease with which she told a story. You know you are in good hands.

Fast forward a couple of years. I had researched Gardam and knew that I should read Old Filth. I also spotted the third book in the trilogy in the On Sale bin at Oblong and snapped it up. After joining the TBR pile, both books sat there for two years. (I have yet to purchase the second book in the trilogy.)

And now, entranced yet again by Gardam’s amazing gift with words, I wonder why I denied myself this pleasure for so long? I’m nearly 100 pages in and I’m hooked.

By the way, Jane Gardam is British, has an OBE, and is 93 years old.

Shortly after we got up this morning, Don said “What bird is that I hear?” I had my ear buds in, so I had to take them out to identify the song – it was the Carolina wren. I looked out the window and saw one of them entering the birdhouse. As I hadn’t seen or heard from them in several days, I was getting fearful that they might have moved on to another nest. Happy sigh to see them again.

It’s sunny today, but still coolish. After yesterday’s rain, the sun is welcome. We have three days of rather heavy rain coming up midweek, so we’ll enjoy this sun-filled day.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

When a Work of Fiction Changes You

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I just finished reading Bewilderment  by Richard Powers. I’m shaken. This story will stay with me for a long, long time. I’ve mentioned before that Powers is a brilliant writer. His works are fiction and he somehow manages to tell a compelling, heart-filled story that is laced throughout with science or music or nature or the universe.

This book spoke of climate change and what we are doing to life on this planet. It spoke of the universe and planets and whether there might be life elsewhere, billions of light years away. Above all, it told the story of a widower and his young son – a child who is on the autism spectrum –  and their grief for the death of wife/mother, their deep bond. A love story.

Frankly, it’s all I can think about right now.

Powers has once again taken me by the hand and turned me inside out.

I can’t recommend it enough. But – it’s not passive reading material. You are challenged throughout, challenged to take in big ideas, to try to wrap your mind around concepts that, if you’re right-brained like me, might require a bit of slow, concentrated reading. It’s worth it.

I cannot praise this man enough.

So. It’s Sunday. We’re due for rain. Don is snoozing in the living room. I’m not sure what I’ll do today other than my Sunday washing of the bedding. Maybe paint? I’ll certainly start another book from my To Be Read pile.

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Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

There’s Much to be Done

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Sunny today, thankfully, but more rain tomorrow and three days of rain next week. Sigh.

If you want to sum up my days lately, you can file them under “Waiting for Spring.”

Lilac buds that are growing larger every day give me hope.

Birds singing give me hope.

The return of the peepers gives me hope.

But, boy, I am restless this year. I have to be careful about my back, and it’s so much better. Yet – I have to be cautious. The shed needs cleaning inside. The porch railings need cleaning. The siding needs cleaning. And the gardens have to be cleaned out – I always leave plants in place over the winter to supply food and shelter for the birds and I leave leaves there as well because they function as a good mulch. All of that has to be taken care of this month as well as a number of other things – like cleaning up the yard and raking debris.

I might venture out today to clean the porch railings. That would be a relatively easy start.

Sisters.

This may be the only sunny day for a while, so I’m determined to spend some time outside today.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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