Black History Month Reading Lists are a yearly tradition on the blog. Until now, I’ve featured mainly kids’ books, but this year, I want to share three titles for you, the adult, to read. I love good cover art, and two of the following titles have covers that are a treat for the eyes.
Have you ever had a period in time where your body wasn’t keeping up with your mind? You had ideas or dreams, but were too tired or unwell to chase them? Oh maybe it’s your mind that’s fatigued by the continual stress of living in the current world.
I’ve been feeling that way lately. My brain is full of inspiration, but I have very little energy to act on it. Some days, regardless of how much energy I have, my brain sad, unmotivated, and stressed.
Usually, slow-paced books make me want to saw my leg off. These books are not so much slow, though, as thoughtful. They make you want to take a breath and re-calibrate.
Last week was really terrible. My response to almost every situation was tears. I was miserable. One day, I went for a walk alone to the library and passed a house that had been decorated for Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras! The green, yellow, and purple decorations were festive and beautiful. Seeing it made me happy.
Over the weekend, things got better gradually. On Sunday night, I went out and bought supplies for Carnival masks. I thought to myself, that was it. I’m over (or through?) the pandemic wall. I’ve done enough grieving about not traveling this year. There’s no school this week. Things are going to be great. I’ll make a short to-do list and be kind to myself about it. I’ll be less stressed because I won’t be doing school with the kids in addition to feeding, supervising, and managing my household. Maybe I’ll want to craft again!
Did you read anything romantic for Valentine’s Day this year?
I don’t think much of Valentine’s Day as a holiday and didn’t plan anything at all – even our traditional candlelit dinner didn’t happen this year because pandemic apathy yawned and swallowed me whole. But last week, I read a few books that are appropriate for this time of year, and I want to share them with you.
I want to wear Victorian or Edwardian costume with the right silhouette, but I’m not feeling the frills of the time period. The imaginary event I’m thinking of as I plan this costume is an Anne of Green Gables-type outdoor picnic setting.
It still amazes me with costuming how much time is spent making underwear. Here’s a quick round-up of my progress for this era, which I’m counting as a twofer since with some modifications, the things I’m making should work for the later part of the 19th century into the beginning of the 20th.
