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A Worthy Woman
Don’t wish me happiness. I don’t expect to be happy all the time…Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor. I will need them all. ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh Many years ago,…
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A Book’s Summer Lullaby
When I heard that Carly Simon had written a children’s book, I had to take a peek. My first impression, which was wrong, was that it wasn’t that special. At the time, I…
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The Face Reflected
“Who sees the human face correctly? The mirror…or the artist”? ~ Picasso ~ And I would add, “or the one who loves you”? Mona has a secret in her smile. So do I. …
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Books for August
The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer…like the highest seat of a ferris wheel where it pauses just before it turns. ~Tuck Everlasting And here we are at…
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Just Before Bed
Long ago, I tripped upon a book while browsing in a bookshop on a dark wet December night. I was lucky my best babysitter was available to give me two blissful hours alone…
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Help from the Shelf
Long ago, I clipped a quote from an article about Joan Didion. She told the journalist that when she was small and upset by something that happened in school, her parents would tell…
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Bright April (or Fringed Placemats)
“It’s a book about Girl Scouts”, said the book dealer as I lightly turned the pages of Bright April, a children’s book by Marguerite de Angeli. “Actually, it’s a book about diversity”, I…
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Something about Heroes
This handsome chap is a friend’s grandfather. His picture received a lot of attention on my Instagram account. Knowing how much I love old photographs, even those of people I don’t know, my…
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Summer Skies and Lullabies
As we await the delivery of wedding photographs, we are reminiscing about our happy day. Sunday morning dawned with smokey fog but by noon, the skies peeled back to reveal a lovely Wedgewood…
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Just Beyond the Page
This is Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s painting, A Young Girl Reading, 1770. The reader is enraptured with her book but her mind is soaring with vivid imaginings born on the pages. I see her as a lass…
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On the Sixth Day of a Feminine Christmas
This illustration was taken from my copy of Tasha Tudor’s Christmas book, Take Joy, which is a charming compilation of traditional Christmas fables. This is Della from the O. Henry short story, The…
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A Day in November
Like Christmas, one of my favorite days of the year comes but once in twelve months. Yesterday was the day I made my annual trek to my favorite Boston book fair. This exhibit…
