All the trees in our neighborhood are blooming right now. This year it feels a little sad - it’s so nice, but the niceness will be over so soon. I think it’s because I’m just in a sad mood lately. Hopefully my mood doesn’t last too much longer than the magnolia blossoms.
What books have you read twice? Were they different the second or third time, were the important parts as important as you remembered? Are you one of those people who has a book they re-read every year? Is your job as fun as a video game? Do you think that’s too high a bar? Have you had Turkish delight?
Two bits of news:
Thanks so much to everyone who ordered shirts last week - there are a few left, if your size is available and you’d like one you can find them online at Commonwealth Press. These were screenprinted all in one batch so not every size is left, but they’re super nice shirts.
Tomorrow is my mom’s birthday, if you see her please give her a cookie or a nice compliment about the knitted bear she’s been working on. Don’t challenge her to a game of racquetball or a competition to see who can stay awake the longest, she will always win.
Thanks for being here - I hope your week is alright and full of beautiful things you’re seeing for the first or second or third time.
When I first read "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" the allegory went totally over my head and I loved the series. When I tried to re-read it as an adult, I was baffled that I missed that allegory and it completely ruined the book for me. I felt beat over the head with Jesus. (Little Women was another one that felt way too Christian-y as an adult.) One book that has held up as an adult is "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." That remains my favorite, no matter how many times I read it.
Another favorite is "The Long Winter," by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read it every year on the first real snow. Though I will say that it's a different experience as an adult. As a kid, I thought that bean broth sounded delightfully comforting. As an adult, all I can think of is poor Ma, trapped in a cold house with all those kids, all winter.
Speaking of moms... happy birthday, Brooke's mom! I hope you'll share her finished bear with us!
Brooke... I look forward to your newsletter each week.
It's become a highlight for me.
Sometimes I belly-laugh; other times my eyes leak as I miss my scruffy-dawg, Rosie - Kip reminds me of her (in all the best ways).
Thank you for being you.
Rusty 🥰