I've been included in a Minnesota anthology "Under Purple Skies", now available on Amazon!

My second chapbook, "The Second Book of Pearl: The Cats" is now available as either a paper chapbook or as a downloadable item. See below for the Pay Pal link or click on its cover just to the right of the newest blog post to download to your Kindle, iPad, or Nook. Just $3.99 for inspired tales of gin, gambling addiction and inter-feline betrayal.

My first chapbook, I Was Raised to be A Lert is in its third printing and is available both via the PayPal link below and on smashwords! Order one? Download one? It's all for you, baby!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

And You Can Set Them On Fire When It Gets Really Cold

The seasons are changing; and it’s been my experience that the severity of the upcoming winter can be judged by the observations and activities that precede it. This year? The acorns are bigger, the caterpillars are fuzzier, and I’ve collected enough garage-sale books to look smart for absolutely years.

I find great satisfaction in knowing these books are here. My idea of winter-heaven is for it to be far too cold to go out, for any reason, and me having had the presence of mind to have a week’s worth of food in the pantry and a stack of books next to a comfortable couch.

According to the stacks of books in my living room, TV room, and bedroom, I am predicting temperatures colder than usual.

But not much snow. Don’t ask me how I know that. I just know.

So what’s in the stack? Everything from Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” to “Heart of a Dog” to “When You Find Yourself Engulfed in Flames” to a collection of stories from O. Henry.

We Minnesotans like to think deep thoughts during the winter. It’s practically a requirement.



I feel a wool sweater coming on.

15 comments:

Lynn said...

Your winter plan sounds yummy!

anon said...

What? No true crime?

I love to hole-up with a book about bat-s**t crazy people. I know, right?

Ms Sparrow said...

"We Minnesotans like to think deep thoughts in the winter." Elsewhere that it's called brooding!

http://howtobecomeacatladywithoutthecats.blogspot.com said...

That's what I'm talkin' about! A cozy chair, a warm fuzzy blanket, a stack of books and a hot drink. My idea of a good time!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, there's something weirdly warming about the coming of winter Pearl! Books are a big part of it to. Maybe because we get so bored socialising in the summer months that the winter months become the only time that we can give our brains a proper, lonely and introspective work out!

ellen abbott said...

I'd go nuts if I had to live somewhere with long cold winters with snow. I'll gladly take a couple of months of brutal heat in lieu of months and months of cold and snow.

Unknown said...

O Henry and David Sedaris?
Hibernation time, don't come out until spring...

What? Can't you have liquor delivered?

Peace - Rene

Nicolasa said...

I, too, secretly love it when it is too cold to go anywhere. I love curling up by the fireplace with a good book. I don't know what I'll read next as right now I am working on Masters so pretty much any reading I'll do from now on will be "boring"!

the fly in the web said...

Winter afternoons are great..when I've finished the morning round of letting the chickens out, cutting wood, bringing it in, panicking at the level of fuel oil in the tank, going out to dig up leeks, covering the potatoes up again against the light,cooking down onions that have started to go a bit soft and then it's lunchtime...after that it's great to sit by the fire with a book and a cup of tea.

Pearl said...

Oh, and true crime. :-) I have a collection of true crime, FBI, and behavioral science books that should make me a "person of interest" in any strange crimes that occur in the city.

You're not the only one, powdergirl.

Kim said...

Can you make sure there is some snow in OH this winter? That's all it takes here to get a good day off from school for the kids and the parents to stay home!

Passion said...

Yeah, it gets cold here in southern Australia to...sometimes as cold as 7 cel(45F) LOL I'm not much for reading, there's too much else to do here.

Brandy Wilcoxen said...

I am so not looking forward to winter.

That Janie Girl said...

Love your plan, Peal!

@eloh said...

Yeah, winter is just around the corner...it hasn't been over 85 here for days.