yesterday i went to the library. i hadn't been in over 10 years.
the library had always been a huge part of my life. as a child, some of my happiest memories were about going to the library and coming home with a pile of new books. in the summer i'd sit outside under our poplar tree and read all afternoon. in the winter i'd go to bed early with my books and fall into someone else's story. my first permanent full-time job, after leaving home at 17, was in a library. when i did my art education degree, my 2nd subject was library studies.
when i moved to corner brook at 25 - my young husband and i first lived in a cabin. some days that first summer he would come into town to teach and i would come with him - my belly swollen with my first child - and he'd leave me at the corner brook public library for the day and i'd settle in with my packed lunch and my books. it's in the tallest building in corner brook with a panoramic view of the city and out the bay at the blomidon mountains. when my children were little, with no local book store, the library was essential for all of us. i haven't been back for over 10 years.
when i started making craft for a living, i always had work to be doing. i'd sit down and pick up my sewing(rug hooking, knitting). so my reading was relegated to just before falling asleep at night. any books i needed i bought or borrowed from friends. any research i needed i did online.
this past year i've re-introduced reading to my life. setting aside time in the evening (usually long baths to stop me from picking up my knitting). and this year, i promised myself (after finishing little dorrit) that i'd get back to the library.
last week i read a wonderful blog entry by gina about giving yourself time to read. she mentioned a couple of books that i knew i would love. so yesterday, i wasn't able to get "the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society" in book form but got the audio version and in the afternoon i sat at my wheel and spun and was read to. on a cold snowy newfoundland afternoon, i was in heaven...
2 comments:
I have those wonderful memories of childhood visits to the library, also. I hope you enjoy your audio book; I adored the book, but then, I always love reading letters (like 84 Charing Cross, as your friend noted). I long ago gave up hope of having enough time to read all I want to read, so I have "allowed" myself to consider "reading" unabridged audio books a suitable substitute. It's a wonderful way to pass an afternoon while spinning, hooking, or whatever.
this is a perfect post.
i love how honest and open you are on your blog.
and i, too, enjoy a great book.
please share some of your favorite stories once you get back into reading again. i know us lurkers would love to chime in about them!
hug, laila
p.s. i never properly thanked you for the touching post about art that you shared on my blog comments and so THANK YOU. it really meant a lot to me. <3
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