Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Today I am (belatedly) grateful for ... the beach and books

1. We live a 5 minute drive from the beach. We don't got as often as we should. This morning we went (to Swanbourne rather than our local beach) and had a lovely walk along the path to North Cottesloe. On the way back I realised Little E had fallen asleep in the pram which is quite unusual these days. It was a weird time of day for her to sleep as she'd only been up for about two hours, but was I complaining? Not when there was a lovely new cafe, the Naked Fig, to provide a cup of tea and a newspaper! Eonly slept for about 30 minutes but woke up happy, and despite not having brought bathers for either of us I decided it was such a beautiful day (and that given E had had such a strangely timed sleep that she should get completely tired out) that we would have a swim. So we sat in the shallows and played with water and sand and were both very happy. The weather lately has been such that if we get out at about 7:30 or 8:00 we have an hour or more before it gets too hot, so my resolution for the week is that we need to get to the beach more often.

2. Books. I couldn't survive without them. I mainly read fiction, although since I no longer work I do enjoy non-fiction more. I re-read my favourites compulsively, particularly childhood favourites. I can't really figure out why I do this, as there must be several dozen books that I have read literally hundreds if not thousands of times each. All I can say is that I find the process relaxing; the familiarity of the plot and characters allows my mind to switch off, wind down and go elsewhere. When I pick up a book I've read before I don't always read it from cover to cover, I often just dip into it and re-read bits I particularly liked, or sometimes just open it and randomly read chunks. I do also read new things, but they're certainly outweighed by the old.

This post is a late entry to Maxabella's Grateful Saturday, which I didn't get around to writing on the weekend.

4 comments:

A Farmer's Wife said...

I re-read lots too. I also find it comforting. I have tried to do this less as I think there are lots more "favourites" out there I need to discover.

Loving your pretty new blog look.

Maxabella said...

Beach and books are just about the most perfect combination after bacon and eggs! Although, these days it's more beach than books. I don't think I manage to get through one in a month. I miss that. x

_vTg_ said...

Yes, nice blog-reno!

So what's your most-read book? I'm not sure for mine- probably to 8y, Farmer Boy by Laura Ingals-Wilder, then 8-18, maybe Famous Five or Mallory Towers, then Pride and Prejudice? Though I must have racked up a thousand Goodnight Moons in the past 4 years!

Naturally Carol said...

I love both beach and books too..but these days it seems to be rain and blogs...the water and reading themes remain! I love your new look!

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