Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Books from a Friend

What I found in my belated Christmas Gift Box!

Megan: "In explanation, my busiest season is Christmas, and this year was busier than ever, so this package isn't even getting to your door step by The Feast of the Epiphany, unless you are using some alternate calendar (see Epiphany wiki) that gives me til January 19th. This collection has been culled from my donations because each one has your name on it. I am compelled to put them in the proper home! Even if you enjoy thumbing thru each the minute they arrive and then hand them out to others, I count it a joy to share them with you and your friends!
With love, Megan
"

Kitti: The delightful box of books -- and the Halloween book sent separately -- arrived safely, and I love everything! So many good coincidences:

1. I have a couple of books in the Sweet Nellie Series by Pat Ross -- her Christmas book and one about Little Boys, but not With Love and Affection! This volume, with lot of vintage Valentines, looks lovely!


2. Likewise, I have a couple of Cynthia Hart's scrapbooks, but The Love of Lace will be a new addition, and perfect for this time of year!


3. When Ben & Sam were little, I bought Politically Correct Fairy Tales, but this is the first time I've seen Politically Correct Holiday Stories, undoubtedly very clever!

4. My friend Steven, who does community theatre in Minneapolis, is already planning to adapt L. Frank Baum's Life and Adventures of Santa Claus for their Christmas 2015 production and recommended that I read it, so I was totally thrilled to find this title among my surprises! How did you know?! In fact, I didn't even realize that Baum had branched out from the Wizard of Oz to write about Santa, so I am very curious to learn more!

5. The Victoria No Friend Like a Sister is really precious! It fits right in with some other slipcased poetry books I have, also very Victorian in style, one on Mothers, one on Christmas, one for each of the four seasons. So this one on Sisters is going to go right beside the others on the shelf -- after I read it, of course!

6. I concede, Skipping Christmas should be on everyone's holiday shelf, and I gave my copy away to my sister - in - law, so now, thanks to you, I have a replacement! See what I mean about so many good coincidences?!


I'm also really charmed by the way all these books* seems to go perfectly together in tone and appearance to create the perfect collection. Thanks so much for pulling them all together and thinking of me. That is a real gift of the heart.

Also, never fear, I am perfectly happy to celebrate The Epiphany on 19 January . . . and beyond! I have still not removed one single Christmas decoration and probably won't for a couple of weeks yet, so you are well within range! And you got your calendar, right? XO, K.

Megan: I love the fact that every one of those books had something special in it for you! I'm blown away how you have a millionaire day with so many while I have no idea many of them were series. Most of them attracted me simply because of their beauty and the Victorian style decor which is always the type of card that you are sending out. I love my new calendar and it has gone into the place where your others have lived for the years right by my kitchen sink where I use it everyday. I also keep it there so that the moons can greet each other because the moon sets outside that window as well. I can't believe your package got there that quickly I thought I had a few more days to take the picture of the calendar. This one isn't even the one I wanted to take. Was hoping for a sunset where it gets really pretty in there. Thank you for remembering me annually!


*More from Megan:

Advice to a Young Wife from an Old Mistress
Michael Drury

The Faithful Gardener
Clarissa Pinkola Estes
[remember Women Who Run With the Wolves]

Witness [a novel in poems]
Karen Hesse

A Token of Friendship
Barbara Milo Ohrbach

The Woman Who Lives in the Earth
Swain Wolfe

[And last but not least!]
The New Yorker Book of Cat Cartoons