City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

Today was the first day of my seven days of vacation, or holiday time. I am delighted that the bad cold that gripped me for the past couple of weeks does seem to have pretty much drifted into history. So...I will be able to enjoy these days of freedom. I am going to try to not give the shop another thought, although this will be difficult for me.

I knew that I would be enjoying this week on a budget, courtesy of the financial crisis which has not drifted away like my cold. In the deepest part of my soul/brain, where I hold my fears, I do fear that the financial recovery will take a long, long time, and think that all my decades of financial planning for my old age have been thrown out the window. Realizing that others are in even worse shape that I am does not really calm me.

Yet, I won't let those worries mess with my time off.

The major news of today is once again courtesy of Mother Nature. We might actually have an overnight snowstorm here in New York. So far we have been graced with dainty snows that really didn't even produce proper slush.

Tonight may offer the real thing.

And so, after a slow, relaxing start to my morning, with real breakfast and the Sunday New York Times, I ventured out to obtain the tradition item required for impending snow, or hurricane. The fresh quart of milk.

Once that was taken care of, I took a bus across the Park to the wonderful little library that provides me with all sorts of reading treats. I needed to return my copy of The White Tiger, having finally finished that novel. Rather than checking out another new book, I decided to venture into the many layers of Stacks. It is such fun to roam freely through these shelves, with a list in hand, but also being prepared to be sidelined by a sighting of a book you never saw before, or a book that you always hoped to see.

Today's official mission was to find Emma Smith's The Great Western Beach. Found it. Then back into the funny little cage of an elevator to explore some other stack levels. Found 84, Charing Cross Road, which inexplicably, I have never read. Back into the cage for another ride.

And that was where I found a real gem, a 1986 large print re-publication of the original 1942 collaboration of author H.E. Bates and illustrator C.F. Tunnicliffe, In the Heart of the Country. It is an amazing book, very much reflecting the war in the countryside, but beautifully championing the strength of the countryside.

For this dreamer, the book will be a delight to savor.

Then leaving the library, I caught a west bound bus to take me back across the Park, and on my walk back home down Amsterdam Avenue, stopped into a tiny flower shop to pick up some paintbox primroses to cheer up my apartment, as the snow watch commences.

I so hope that the predicted 12 inches of snow does accumulate. If so, I will be out early with my camera, and will be back here soon with some urban snow scenes.

Meanwhile, I wish you all sweet dreams as this brand new month begins.