Monday Morning: Autumn Reading

"It is fall now. And life goes past in the wind."

J.F. RIORDAN

This early morning has me wanting to wrap my fingers around a steamy cup of coffee. The air is nippy as I sit here at my desk, the olive green fleece blanket around my shoulders. I look down at my feet shod in the sandals I flapped around in all summer and figure it's time to trade them in for the cozy sheep fleeced slippers waiting in the closet. I could turn the heat on, but then I'd have to close my window which is open a crack to allow the morning in. It's nearly six o'clock, and there is no sign of dawn yet. The desk lamp creates a circle of light, everything else in shadows. I sit quiet, happily musing what to write about today.

I think about the weekend. It was such a beautiful day yesterday. Sunshine and cloud-studded blue skies, the air an autumnal mix of warmth and crispness that is as delightful a sensation to my face as a still warm, crisp-around-the-edges chocolate chip cookie is inside my mouth. It was so good to be outside, to crunch in the leaves gathered in the gullies along the street, and to catch sight of dogs happy on their walks. 

 

" For as long as she could remember, she had thought that autumn air

went well with books, that the two both somehow belonged with blankets,

comfortable armchairs, and big cups of coffee or tea. "

KATARINA BIVALD, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

I had a couple of books due at the library, and while I was out doing that errand, I had such a hankering to visit Indigo Books in person (a place I haven't seen the inside of since March). It didn't take long to gather an armful of books. Haven't read Jane Austen's Emma in years, and I never did read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Except for Big Magic, which I'd just finished the library's copy and I desired my own to mark up, and the lovely autumn issue of Bella Grace magazine, the rest were at bargain prices at 3/$10, plus my plum card which had a 20% discount on top of that—well, as you can imagine, I came out a happy girl.

* * *

Just found a lovely new-to-me author J.F. Riordan the other day on Twitter. Someone had retweeted her blog post Pandemic Idyll. In it she beautifully explores her thoughts and feelings about these past few months, and it so resonated with me I had to share it with you; here's an excerpt....

"It was the most beautiful summer I can remember here. Day after golden day unfolded in rich, scented glory. The sun, the heat, the lushness of the woods and garden, the perfect refreshment of the lake were everything anyone could wish for. But it was an odd summer too: no picnics with friends, no Memorial Day, no parties at the lake, no baseball in May and June . . . no farmers market, no family reunion, no Labor Day end of summer celebrations. There were no markers, no points in time. Just the silent turning of the earth, the move toward the sun and then away from it, the days turning, too, from morning to afternoon to evening. The light lengthening, the light retreating, The restless sleep. Then morning again.

It's difficult to explain the dreamy quality of life these days. I tell myself it should be a time of joy and productivity, but somehow it isn't. It's not a happy dreaminess—I don't know how it could be—but it's not unhappy, either. It's a sense of unreality; as if time is over." 

After reading Ms Riordan's blog, I went in search of her books. She has written several novels (award-winning), but for this time of year when we draw close to the heart of our homes, I was drawn to her essays Reflections on a Life in Exile so I ordered it from Amazon (on sale for $5.00); two days later I had the paper book in my hand. She writes about her beloved dogs, walks in the woods, grieving her mom's death, writing, and all manner of other poignant or entertaining musings of life. She's thoughtful and gently humoured, and I really like the way she expresses herself. 

A neighbour's front garden as seen on my walk yesterday

" It was one of those perfect fall days when the air is cool

enough to wake you up but the sun is also kissing your face. "

ANITA DAIMANT, The Boston Girl

* * *

Wishing you a beautiful week.

Heart Hugs,

Brenda

xox