One of those Frankly-My-Dear mornings

Of which I get too few. I usually wake up with the weight of the world--or of things I have to do--staring me in the face. Today, who cares? If you wash the dishes or the cat or the clothes, it just encourages them to get dirty again.

The book signing and club meeting yesterday were fascinating, thanks to the Signer who stayed for the meeting, seeing as how her book is Ramey's choice for this month's reading selection. Between the first event and the second, some of us ate a quick lunch in the meeting room. (Sweet Susy made a run to Milo's for burgers.)

Teresa (T.K.) Thorne, in photographs, is a cute elf. In person, she is a truly beautiful woman. Makes you think of the word Levantine. Oriental and exotic. And "nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands" (e.e. cummings). Her book, Noah's Wife, is a winner. In October, she is going to travel over all the country she wrote about in that book. (An aside: She said she started out writing science fiction, and wanting to be an astronaut.)

Regarding Travel: After the meeting, Betty and I talked about the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She told me all the details, who to call, where-all they're going, etc. A few minutes into the discussion, I remembered that familiar feeling, "God, I wish I were at home!" So I know the trip is not for me.

I wore my "fish dress" on Friday, black wood-block print on beige linen, as a farewell tribute to the Gulf of Mexico. After I wash and iron it, I mean to donate it. I only remember wearing it once before, on the unhappy jaunt to the Amish community in Tennessee, where everyone else (except the Amish) wore jeans or cut-offs--much like yesterday, as far as how everyone was dressed.

Teresa wore ivory silk cropped pants, and Ramey was her fascinating self in a Jean-Mock-dressy top that put other T-shirts to shame. Might call it a Tea Shirt.

That's the fashion report. I notice in the photo at left, which I snapped during the book-signing, T.K. was wearing white long pants. She must have changed before the book club meeting. I remember the ivory silk crops, because she dripped Milo's sauce on them.

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Regarding books, Thursday night I read The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. It may be my favorite book of 2010. And I may be alone in that choice. Anyone who hasn't spent a lifetime reading everything, especially everything by L. Tolstoy, probably wouldn't appreciate it. I'm sorry I didn't read it before our book club meeting when that was the selection. Thanks, Barbara, for choosing that book, and for lending me your copy. BTW, Barbara didn't attend the events yesterday. Hope she's OK. Barbara is one of the few people in the book club, or in the world, for that matter, older than I am.

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P.S. I love that ocean-scene wall hanging in the library meeting room. Makes you feel like you're on the deck of a ship. I'm reading The Surgeon's Mate, by Patrick O'Brian. "I," as Mable told Ms. Thorne, "am a readah!"