“Good morning ladies and gentlemen
in about fifteen minutes,
we’ll be having our children’s story time,”
the woman announces over the intercom.
Hubby and I are sitting in the magazine section of Barnes and Noble.
He is turning the pages of an Art and Design magazine
and I’m falling into a story
about a woman who visited Italy ten years ago
and decided to renovate an old home on the coast of someplace that escapes me now.
An older couple is sitting beside us.
they come often —
and they too are sipping coffee, skimming pages in silence.
They are alone. Together.
The woman on the intercom gives a five minute warning
and memories of when Markolee was younger springs to my mind.
He would order his chocolate milk and a ginger snap cookie.
Stand on his tippy toes and give the cashier the exact change he calculated at home.
He would sit and eat,
then bolt to the back for story time.
“Tomorrow is another day to read,”
I remind him when his light stays on way past bedtime.
“How many books did you bring?”
I asked when eight books tumbled out of his suitcase in Italy.
I look at the time — it’s 12:30 in the afternoon.
I’m not home, but I know where Markolee is.
He is in his room, reading.
I think of him as I close my magazine
walk to the back of the store
take a seat on a small chair
and listen as a woman reads to a little girl and her mother.
The woman turns the book towards us and written in large print,
these words touch deeply:
Only So Much Better.
May today be Only So Much Better than you ever imagined.
I LOVE CONNECTING WITH YOU
What is Only So Much Better than you imagined?
ON WRITING
A wise teacher once said, “If you cringe, cry, or laugh while you write, your readers will feel those same emotions.”
I cried while I wrote the last page of my manuscript.
And again as I printed out 134 pages of my words.
Also check out:
My new article, 6 Easy Ways to Notice Your Spouse, has been published on iMOM.
WHAT I’M READING
“The only cake I eat is Madeira.”
I read this sentence from The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams and paused.
I had a question:
I typed, What is Madeira cake? into Google and found two things:
First: Madeira is a sponge or butter cake — traditional British or Irish cookery.
Second: Madeira is an island in Portugal.
I gasped when I read the latter because my daughter Zuri had just recounted her trip to Portugal and told me of her plans to one day return to Lisbon.
Friends, this little adventure of searching beyond the pages is what I find exciting about reading.
One day, I hope to eat Madeira cake and sip Madeira wine in Maderiaaaaaaa.
POEM OF THE WEEK
The poem I’m reading this week is Do Not Ask Your Children to Strive by William Martin
Enjoy.
Thanks again my dear friends for sharing the poems that are near and dear to your hearts.
Keep sending me your favorite poems and I will record them in the upcoming weeks.
ART BY ONTONIO
Ontonio is truly a man of many talents. Alongside his graphics and web-designing, he is also an amazing photographer.
If you’d like to buy one of Ontonio’s paintings but your limited on space or funds, check out his merch page on Ontonio.com
Ontonio is also a graphic and web designer who created this beautiful blog for me. If you or someone you know would like a logo or website designed, please check him out at www.Happylifemediagroup.com.
THANK YOU
I’m super thankful for all your support, encouraging comments, your expressions of gratitude, and your financial contributions.
PLEASE SUPPORT ME BY:
Until Next Time, Enjoy Your Next Breath
Kadine Christie