Isn’t this gorgeous?! A satiny, delicate pink rose atop a stem that seems almost too narrow to support this expanding beautiful blossom sitting on my kitchen window sill. I am grateful that it is once again blooming for me and its companion should be fully opening soon. The plant came close to withering away and dying soon after I got it, but I have been nurturing it, like a friendship, hoping that it would thrive beside my mostly sunny window.
I am also choosing to see this lovely bloom as a sign of hope, as a sign that I should never give up on my dreams. If dreams are nurtured, not neglected so that eventually they wither away, maybe they really can come true. – Maria
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I was used bookstore hopping last week and I bought this little gem, Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, an excellent writer, wrote this initially as a letter to a friend who had asked how she can raise her daughter a feminist. She was looking for advise and tips to raise her daughter to feel her power and not be afraid to embrace her life. I highly recommend Americanah by this author.
The other book I bought was Joan Didion‘s The White Album. I’ve read The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights but I’ve not read any of her essay collections.
Are you a fan of used bookstores? I love them. I rarely go in looking for anything specific but I always come away with a book or two that I’m excited about. One thing I have to say about used book stores is that they rarely have any good books about sewing but that may be because sewists like to keep their books and use their books, so they don’t end up in used book shops very often.
Tell us your favourite used book store recommendation. – Cris
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“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt. Then he wears it every day.”
Noelle – age 7
He’s wearing it because he has been reassured that, yes, it does suit him. It looks nice. But, of course, he is also wearing it because it has the stamp of approval of someone he cherishes and it reminds him of her.
The link among the photos is that they all contain items that I use regularly because I like them, but also, very importantly, because they were given to me by people I cherish. The placemats were made for me by my sister, Cris. She took the time, imagination, thought and care, knowing that green is my favourite colour. Also, they are reversible; we use the other side at Christmas. I love them. The scarf was a gift from my daughter, who knows I love them and who also knows that I like practical gifts rather than something that sits on a shelf, gathering dust. I also think of one of my brothers, who gave me the classic gold earrings I am wearing, every time I put them on. Almost all my scarves have a story or a cherished person connected to them. I love wearing and using these things because it is a practical, tangible way for me to hold all my loved ones close to my heart.
Is there anything you like to wear for sentimental reasons? – Maria
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These are becoming my favourite pens. Muji. .38 .5 and .7. They’re excellent for doodling and making to do lists! They write smooth and clear. No clots or drips or snags. Do you have a favourite pen? – Cris
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I saw the Leonard Cohen Exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario in early 2023. He was a poet and a singer, earnest, sexy, spiritual, a pacifist, and a philosopher.
“We are not mad. We are human. We want to love, and someone must forgive us for the paths we take to love, for the paths are many and dark, and we are ardent and cruel in our journey.”
“Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in.”
“We’re always experiencing joy or sadness. But there are lots of people who’ve closed down. And there are times in one’s life when one has to close down just to regroup.”
I think my favourite song is Anthem. Do you have a favourite Leonard Cohen song? – Cris
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