An Embarrassment of Riches

Bear with me, this really is about books...

We rise early on the weekends; we do the grocery shopping between 8 and 9am and then run out to do any other errands as close to 9:30 or 10am as may be possible. This way we avoid the crowds, and the sales people are rested and friendly. This morning's mission was to obtain new cushions for the living room rocker. (Thank heaven for the Web because, without a rapid search of the Internet, I would never have known that the retailers now refer to these as "chair pads" rather than cushions. As an aside, why would we change the terminology? They were cushions! Calling them anything else merely adds to the shopping population's general bewilderment and slows down the rapidity with which retailers make a sale. You'd think they could work it out. But I digress.)

Some forty-five minutes later, we came home with four white towels for the bathroom, found in the clearance bin, but no cushions. I was bummed out. (Even more bummed out when I realized that shipping and tax added $10.00 to the cost of the "chair pads" when ordered over the Web...But again, I digress.)

But then it was time to bring in the mail. Such an embarrassment of riches! Four packages *all* addressed to me! The three books from Persephone, ordered only last Saturday, which to my mind represents a good enough reason to order directly from Persephone in future rather than the roundabout method of Amazon. And Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear came, as a prize from the drawing over at A Reader's Journal. I can now "swank" about with everyone over at Mary's because I too own some of the lovely Persephone titles. And I got the added bonus of winning something (always a nice break from the routine).

SO my mood this Saturday afternoon is as bright as the sun outside. Spring is here and there is a reason to read and to blog! Many thanks to everyone at home (that's you, Cheya) and abroad whose efforts perked up my day today!