Sunny and Share

If you were in many parts of the Southeast yesterday, you received a gift: a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I spent much of the day in the car with the accompaniment of my favorite songs. Windows were down and there was only one traffic light where I was caught singing. It was the type of day where you felt happy even if you did not believe you were.

Reading was deferred until the next cloudy day.

Up, Up and Away

Fridays are the days I allow myself a little more caffeine than normal. I may try out a new shade of lipstick or add a little something unexpected and/or unorthodox to an ensemble. I have made a ritual of Fridays, and they have been celebrated for many years, originating I think with those first trips to Provence on Friday mornings in search of a croissant, a coffee, and eventually the dear friends I still have today.

And so I saved this title for a Friday: Encyclopedia of the Exquisite: An Anecdotal History of Elegant Delights. I received this book as a gift over the holidays by a dear friend and fellow book enthusiast. [Note: Forgive the website link included above. It's really not fantastic, however I did want you to get a good look at the cover. She/her publisher is a better writer than web content designer.] The book jacket cover is ivory and red with a spine and actual (again red) book cover that would make one proud to have it on their shelves. Secondarily, the content is pretty fun as well as interesting with the first item/chapter/section entitled "Aerostation: The art of hot-air ballooning" which began in France (like many good things) in 1783. If you have never ridden in a hot air balloon, you should.

As I turn through the pages, I read about "The Bob" (which I now associate as my breakfast here after years of Sunday brunch with my yogi friends) but was once a quite radical hairstyle for a lady. And finally, my favorite thus far is "Far Niente: Sweet Idleness" which seems appropriate for a Friday.

I hope this weekend brings you something exquisite.

Making Good Time

In 2011, I have made more time for reading. My schedule is not quite as regimented as it once was in the pre-blog/work/school/travel/move/change your life days but I have become a bit more focused. It has helped me cross over the 50% mark in Great Expectations. (I have either become a slower reader, my reading water/reading combination is off, or I did not remember this text to be as long.)

I am also back to the morning news, reading articles today about my smile courtesy of NYT and mushrooms via WSJ. Both stories make me want to make a return journey to France (and to explore whether I have a fixation on news agencies which can be abbreviated to three letters).

There will be however new journeys for 2011 - I just need to plan what they will be.

skinny latte, skinny jeans, skinny list

Earlier this month the category winners for the Costa Book Awards were announced. I was unfamiliar with most of the titles but a few of these will make my ever-growing Excel list of books.

The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Ferrell (novel)

Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai (first novel)

The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal (biography)

Of Mutability by Jo Shapcott (poetry)

Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace (children's)

The book of the year will be announced tomorrow on BBC Radio 4 which gives you just over a day to choose your favourite (with the additional "u" a nod to the Brits).

For those of you unfamiliar, Costa is a coffee house which appears in London as much or more than our green-labeled (now no name on the cup) friend here from the States. If you are lucky, you will get a bit of attitude served with your latte. Cheers.