"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." -C.S. Lewis
Those words certainly ring true for me! My love for reading began when I was a child; listening to my mother read "Little House on the Prairie" or "Heidi"...and perusing our bookshelf of kid books, on my own. Engaging illustrations always attracted my attention before I knew how to read. Later, I found a certain cadence to the words, which seemed almost lyrical, and this quality endeared me to one book over another. Still later, I enjoyed picturing the story unfold as I read, when an author used good descriptive words to draw me into a story.
My love for reading has continued throughout my life. There are periods I read fiction as an escape, and am particularly partial to historical fiction, when it is well-researched and equally well-written. I appreciate the multi-faceted learning which takes place as I read non-fiction written on varied subjects.
And the best time spent reading generally includes a cup of tea alongside! When my older children were young, I sometimes made tea (or hot chocolate) before sitting down to read to them. They probably do not remember the cozy atmosphere I tried to create...but I do. And maybe buried in their subconscious minds, the memories exist, as I do notice them make themselves tea or hot cocoa, or even ice water, before sitting down to read sometimes.
It's finally Autumn here, in Kansas. The sky, even cloudless, looks different; Fall's blue is a grayer blue than the brilliant, jewel-like blue of summertime. Trees are not turning yet, of course, but squirrels are busy and acorns are falling. The presence of butterflies has mostly waned, and football is on TV every weekend. Parks have emptied during the daytime hours, of all but toddlers and preschoolers, and the public library shelves hold their full allotment of books once again, after the summer's busyness has ended.
Always drawn to the seasonal books, especially for children, I find myself pulling the "apple" books from our shelves, or filling a book basket with the books about squirrels. Next will be "pumpkin" books, followed by Thanksgiving books, and at last, we will end the year with books about Christmas and Christmastime...or snow themes.
Our book shelf holds books about the Middle Ages right now, as this is our current era of history we are learning about, for my elementary aged children. On my list, is to gather "baby" (board) books and place them in a basket or two, so that I remember to read to my baby boy (who actually enjoys it!).
