Mermaids and Other Things

When my daughter was little, she loved to pretend she was a mermaid when she was in the bathtub. We suspected there were often faeries and elves in the woods surrounding our house. She even made a series of drawings of faeries…. Crystal Faery, Shadow Faery, Rainbow Faery, etc. She loved a fantastical movie called The Last Unicorn.  Another favorite was The Sea Prince and The Fire Child which was based on the ancient Greek legend of Sirius.

We loved the sense of magic in the world. Together with my son, we went exploring for treasure and looked for rocks full of precious gems. We called it “Deer Walking.” I don’t know why. Always hoping we would see a deer, I suppose. We made enchanted princess tents in her room and she even had her own pair of red Ruby Slippers.

Did this belief in magic make her impractical? Full of whimsy? Not at all. If anything, she is the most no-nonsense and pragmatic of humans. She is good with money and wise beyond her years. Not only that, but brave, fearless, strong and true. The secret of believing in magic is that it shows you possibility…. sparks your creativity….gives you options… lets you know the world is never just black and white. My daughter explores every corner of her creativity. She never limits herself.

Magic doesn’t have to be mythical creatures or gossamer stories of legends. Magic can be the way sunlight hits the top of trees in the morning that takes your breath or how wind makes the underside of leaves turn silver. The perfect uncurling of a bud. It can be the softness of spring sun on your shoulders, the touch of a hand in comfort. The smell of a newborn. It can be the silence of just being.

Now my daughter has become a mother, I hope she will teach her children about unicorns. I suspect she will. She’s practical that way.

I choose to honor the magic in life. And I still believe in the possibility of mermaids.

                                   Artist: Toss Chandler

                                   A most magical human being

APRIL 2016 BOOK SELECTIONS- THE RAKE'S TALE & THE KILLING FLOOR

This month I took a break from my usual type of reading selection and struck out into new genre territory. I read The Rake’s Tale, an historical romance by Bettie Williams, and The Killing Floor, a thriller-crime-suspense novel by Lee Child. Why? For fun. And it proved to be great fun.

First, I chose The Rake’s Tale because I have met the author and found her to be charming and articulate. I could immediately see the Austen influence but also, surprisingly, the wonderfully-wicked, comedy timing of a well-done Shakespeare production. This is a racy, lusty, entertaining tale and the author has true skill in storytelling. This is definitely not my normal literary choice but I couldn't put it down. The printer made some editorial errors which is a shame in such a well-written book. Maybe these could be addressed in a second printing? Otherwise, well-done. I would read anything she writes. Recommend.

The Killing Floor was a dramatic departure from the first book. This is book one of the famous Jack Reacher novels. For the uninformed, Jack Reacher is the action hero who has attained mythic status. Handsome, tall, intelligent, resourceful and ruthless, he is every fan’s dream. I have to say that Lee Child can definitely spin a good tale. I found myself staying up until all hours just to finish one…more…chapter. While pulled along by Child’s storytelling skill, I found myself literally gasping at the horrific and somewhat casually depicted violence. If this doesn’t bother you, you will no doubt love this series of twenty books. From what I understand, although published later, The Enemy and The Affair predate the character’s life before the events in The Killing Floor. Kudos to Mr. Child for his successful series but I’m more of a James Bond fan in this genre. Still violent, certainly, but not quite so graphic.