A cold last day of November...

It is the last day of November and Mid Winter is fast approaching...Christmas always seems to be at a pleasantly manageable distance  until it isn't. It's suddenly there, right in front of me, like a person who unexpectedly appears around a corner when you are bustling along preoccupied with life and you come to an abrupt stop in surprise. Rather silly to be surprised as it does the same thing each year. You'd think I'd know better by now... but no, I don't. There it is... right in my face once again. Well I suppose I can claim consistency.

Today is an in between day, not dreadfully cold, not especially frosty, the sun is not shining ..the sky is a flat, grey tinted, white and the snow is white but not sparkly white, the wind has blown the frost from the branches of the trees so it just looks rather stark and cold out there.

It is a day for Red wine or Hot tea and a good book by the wood stove. But I may have to settle for an audio book and the ironing before the epic pile avalanches from it's basket. I am not the World's best ironer ... actually I'm still a beginner  ..which is in it's self quite a skill considering how old I am (Oh let's be honest my ironing is only almost adequate and that's when the wind is in the right direction). I always used to avoid it.. but now I'm beginning to find it vaguely satisfying as I can spend time listening to a good book and have something to show for the time spent ..and to my surprise I soon may  reach the dizzy heights of OK.

The cats are dotted about the room curled up in favourite spots. The old cat has the prime spot on the warm tiles under the wood stove. She is a slim tabby with the look of an Egyptian cat in face and attitude. It's only in her old age that she has become less aloof and fond of company. She has taken the newcomer (Fluffy H) in her stride and is indifferent to challenges to her Queenly status..she just ignores them.  The Black Bombay is curled up in the cat bed with his chin resting on the side and his eyes squeezed shut and if you can agree that cats can smile then I can assure you he has a huge smile on his face.

Fluffy H is probably curled up on a folded rug on one of the girls beds. This is her favourite retreat. Tink our other cat (also fluffy but tortoiseshell and white) is curled up in the second cat bed, it's resting about four feet from the floor so she has height and the ability to keep an eye on the New Fluffy cat. She did not approve of her arrival and I'm sure has been keeping a notebook of all her movements . For the longest time when ever you spotted Fluffy H, you only had to look a little more to see Tink peering out from under a chair, or around a corner with such concentrated attention  that it was clear that evidence was being amassed. A few chase "games" have occurred but very few as if they do, then  the collie joins in (with glee) and both cats abandon play. I have seen no cat fights and have been very impressed by how mellow it has  been turning from a three cat household to a four.

Well I suppose I can't avoid the ironing any longer and I'd better put the pizza that's been proving by the stove into the oven and who knows a little later .. I might sneak off to the stove with a large mug of tea and my Library books (after a little delay the PD James Cath enjoyed has arrived and I picked it up today ..so I'll now be able to finish the story that I started reading online) and I'll just delay my Christmas panic until tomorrow.

Looking for a new author?

I have been playing with this site.....gosh is it easy to spend rather a lot of time without realizing it!

You just type in an author whose books you enjoy reading and it provides you with a map of authors who are also read by the readers of that author (I put that awkwardly hope it makes sense)

Here's a link to the site...   literature-map

and here is a snip of a sample of what I mean ...I typed in Dorothy L. Sayers and this was the result ..all authors are clickable and produce another web ..then you just look up authors that appear and check them out!

Musings on Book shops

There are many things I should be doing today and writing this post is not one of them . But darn it I feel like writing so I shall. Danielle at A Work in Progress wrote a lovely post about book shops, real bricks and mortar as opposed to Virtual stores and it made me remember many book shops that I have haunted in the past. The atmosphere and staff varied wildly. Some were home from homes, some meh Ok , some really untidy and disorganized and some home of the really eccentric. Thinking back a few stand out in my memory.

I remember a rather squashed store in Hanley (one of Arnold Bennett's Six towns) it appeared to be  physically squeezed between it's neighboring shop fronts and was full to over flowing with books. Overfull actually, one of those stores where you have to move books to see the shelves and squash and squeeze between the piles of books to navigate around. Strangely enough, I didn't find many books at this shop. Possibly they were too well hidden? but I did enjoy having long conversations with the ancient (and a little bit smelly) but never the less charming Labrador who filled in as a friendly customer service rep. His Owner was hidden behind a crowded desk, barricaded from the World (and his customers) by books. He wore glasses low on his nose and only occasionally did peer mildly quizzically in my direction and gave the impression of being surprised when a customer actually purchased a book and puzzled by the interruption to his peace and quiet.

Another bookshop that comes to mind is a delightful book store that lived on a street leading to the Quarry in Shrewsbury. This shop was a 'must visit' when ever I made it to town and always had more treasures on it's shelves than I could afford to buy. I used to search and ponder and puzzle over which delight to buy. The time spent sitting on the floor by the book shelves is indicated by a genuine request on what I'd like to drink at tea time and the arrival of a nice cup of tea! It was a shop of many shelves and mismatched carpets, sunlight and friendliness. Lovely.

Another favourite Shrewsbury bookstore that I haven't visited in many years is Candle Lane Books bookshop on Princess st. (and I think it's still going .I hope so!) I remember climbing winding stairs to find treasures which sit proudly on my shelves today,thousands of miles away from Shropshire but still loved.    This book shop always wrapped your purchased books crisp  brown paper and I would leave the shop with nice neat parcels under my arms and on especially good days when funds were spare..very large parcels. It was like a treasure hunt when searching for old friends you make new and have to find more shelf space at home.

Where else?  Barn Books, Pear tree Farm, Norbury in Shropshire.. situated down narrow country lanes that wiggled between small green fields. Open just few days a week, you parked your car in the farm yard, the book shop was a converted small barn or farm building.  Lots of books and a knowledgeable owner who was quite prepared to go on the hunt for books you were searching for! Still going in 2013 now ..I don't know ..again I hope so!

Well the World intrudes and I must curtail my reminiscences however delightful.  I wish you good book shops and a good read in a comfy spot.

Ducks in the Laundry .....

Well I  had to buy a bigger pen and rearrange things to make space for Winter quarters for the rapidly growing ducklings..they may be only a few weeks old but boy have they grown fast!

They are a very friendly pair, love a treat (Lettuce) and it's sounding like we have a least one duck (fingers crossed) as Quackers seems to be starting to Quack!