Like crows, we humans are attracted to the shiny, bright, and new.
I eagerly open the email from Netflix, for example, to see what new series or movie is upcoming, hoping it will be something that can divert me, entertain me, keep me occupied after another day of distressing news.
I am thrilled when I receive an email from the library telling me books I have placed on hold are ready for curbside pick-up, and I am even more delighted when I see that one of the books is not only new to me, but a newly published book by one of my favorite authors, Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin.
I am thrilled when I receive an email from the library telling me books I have placed on hold are ready for curbside pick-up, and I am even more delighted when I see that one of the books is not only new to me, but a newly published book by one of my favorite authors, Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin.
This desire for something new or different extends to my kitchen, as well. I tire of fixing the same old, same old, and browse through my recipe files and cookbooks and sometimes even online for a tempting dinner recipe. This past week, for example, I fixed a puff pastry vegetable tart, and it was delicious, and I was especially pleased the recipe called for basil, which grows abundantly in our garden.
When I walk in the neighborhood, varying my path as much as possible, I look for something I've not noticed before--lately, I have noticed treehouses, for example, and am surprised by how many there are in our neighborhood. I've also acquired a taste for walking in the alleys, peeking at backyards.
Sometimes, however, after listening to news or reading commentaries throughout the day, what I need to keep me balanced, grounded is the familiar. Sometimes I need what I know will enrich me and remind me not all is lost or hopeless.
Lately, my husband and I have been watching movies from our DVD collection--movies we have seen before, often more than once, like Miss Potter, which is about Beatrix Potter who wrote and illustrated the children's books, Peter Rabbit and so many others. We've been watching movies that have lifted our spirits, like Chocolat in which a person from outside the community is seen as suspicious and even a danger to the community and instead brings the community together. I've needed to immerse myself in stories that highlight beauty, love, and human connection.
These movies remind me that everything that matters will last.
An Invitation
What restores your soul? I would love to know.
Nan, Thanks. I always look at your book lists. I find I've read most but now will look for Godwin's new book. I just finished Peaches for Monsieur Le Pere'. I had no idea there were sequels to Chocolat. It was hiding on the bottom shelf of 50c books from the last library sale and I desperately needed a book! Now I have two Joanne Harris books on my Nook. We all need some magic realism now. And a little romance too. Recently I watched, maybe the third time, one of my favorite movies on Netflix - the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.
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