A Word for Wednesday

"You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket."

~John Adams~

Who is your favorite poet?

A Word for Wednesday

"Fie, fie! unknit that threatening unkind brow,
And dart not scornful glances from those eyes,
To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor:
It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads,
Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds,
And in no sense is meet or amiable.
A woman moved is like a fountain troubled,
Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty;
And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty
Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.
Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee,
And for thy maintenance commits his body
To painful labour both by sea and land,
To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,
Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe;
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks and true obedience:
Too little payment for so great a debt.
Such duty as the subject owes the prince
Even such a woman oweth to her husband;
And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And not obedient to his honest will,
What is she but a foul contending rebel
And graceless traitor to her loving lord?
I am ashamed that women are so simple
To offer war where they should kneel for peace,
Or seek for rule, supremacy and sway,
When they are bound to serve, love and obey.
Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions and our hearts
Should well agree with our external parts?
Come, come, you froward and unable worms!
My mind hath been as big as one of yours,
My heart as great, my reason haply more,
To bandy word for word and frown for frown;
But now I see our lances are but straws,
Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,
That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.
Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,
And place your hands below your husband's foot:
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready; may it do him ease.

~Katharina's final speech in The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare~

Casual Fridays

Alright, listen. We're doing another Photo-Prompted Post today because, let's be honest, it's just easy. So sit back and enjoy the ride.

First of all, I got this e-mail yesterday, and oh my gosh I'm excited which is why it is the obvious choice for our first photo today. According to Robin's blog, this book releases November 25. So what does this mean?! That I'm getting the book prior to the release date?? If you'll remember, I was a tad distressed last year when my pre-ordered Christy book didn't show up until 2 days after the release date. I don't want to get my hopes up or anything, but if my book is on its way, it might be here in time for my birthday next week! I'll update you as soon as that Tracking Number goes active. Because I know this is just as important to you as it is to me, right?
**Update: Expected delivery is November 18th. That's this coming Friday! I'm freaking out over here!**

While we're on the topic of books, let me introduce you to my new favorite book in the whole world. (Yeah, I know, take that last statement with a grain of salt, whatever. Currently, it's my favorite book ever.) I alluded to my birthday in the last paragraph and my husband has already started spoiling me. He gave me this gorgeous collection of poems, songs, and lullabies selected by Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. It is illustrated with beautiful watercolor paintings by James McMullan, and it comes with a CD of Julie Andrews reading some of her favorite poems. I'm a bit of a poetry nut and when Cody let me open this present, I proceeded to sit, absolutely enthralled, for at least an hour flipping through the pages, reading Julie Andrews' introductions to each of the 9 sections, admiring the artwork, visiting with some old favorites, and discovering some new ones. I love it.

Speaking of Cody, he and I went to the Switchfoot/Relient K concert last Friday, and it was awesome. One of Cody's birthday presents this year was this VIP experience which included meeting Switchfoot and hanging with them during their sound check before the show. The event was at a very hipster courtyard type venue in downtown St. Pete and we stood for hours on Friday between waiting in line, the VIP stuff, and the actual show, and my legs were killing me for 3 straight days after, but it was totally worth it. The concert rocked hard.

Oh yes. Yes, I did. Pumpkin Spice Cheerios?! You know I snatched those off the shelf as soon as my eyes lighted on them. And you also know Cody does not like the pumpkin flavored things so these morsels of absolute delight have been mine all mine.

And since I mentioned my pumpkin spice obsession, I need to commemorate my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season provided by my BFF Danette. She dropped in the other day for a sweet visit bearing my favorite hot beverage. What a pal. We have another friend date planned for this weekend. Friends are the best (especially my friends).

Before we leave the topic of pumpkins altogether, check out our most recent accomplishment in the puzzle department. This may have been our most difficult puzzle yet even though it was only (note my use of the "sarcastic font") 700 pieces instead of 1000. Who knew there were so many subtly varying shades of orange?

And now for photos of my dogs because I mean, really, what is this blog even about? Books or my dogs? I'll let you figure that one out. I don't even really have anything to say about them today but just indulge me.

Moving on, let's wrap this post up with one last photo. We have been having open-all-the-windows weather lately, and I can't get enough of it. It's been beautiful outside, and it's fall, and I've been burning all the spicy-scented candles and drinking all the apple cider and eating things like honey-soaked cornbread for breakfast. I love Florida. Life is sweet.

What are you loving about life right now?

And the Library Keeps Growing...

So on Friday I mentioned that my husband bought me a stack of new books at a super-fun book shop in Brevard, NC. Want to know what I scored? You're in luck 'cause that's what we're talking about today.

First up, two Alexander books by Judith Viorst. Most people are probably familiar with Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day in which Alexander talks all about his rotten day and how he should probably just move to Australia. Especially since it recently inspired a major motion picture put out by Disney. (Which I wasn't particularly a fan of, but let's not get into that right now.) But did you know there are several other books about Alexander? In Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, Alexander recounts the mysterious way the dollar his grandparents gave him on Sunday disappears throughout the week. Judith Viorst is hilarious, and I can't get through any of the Alexander books without giggling at some point. I highly recommend adding them to your library. 

Next up is A Kiss Means I Love You by Kathryn Madeline Allen. I had never heard of this book before, but it practically jumped off the shelf and into my hands. I fell in love with it instantly as I turned page after page of beautiful photos of children who all look different from each other and fun, rhyming words that depict how children express their thoughts and feelings. It reminds me of Little Humans by Brandon Stanton which I am also a huge fan of. Definitely a keeper.

I've had my eye out for a good hardback edition of The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams for a long time, and I finally found it. It's a classic, and if you haven't had the pleasure of reading it, please go find a copy right now. It's a precious story about how toys can become Real with the transforming power of nursery magic. (Don't worry, it's not mystical or voodoo-y.) I can never read this story without getting a little choked up. I love it dearly.

Finally, we have Morning Song: Poems for New Parents edited by Susan Todd and Carol Purington. With sources ranging from the Bible, Sappho, and traditional songs to Dickinson, Yeats, Frost, and contemporary poets, this lovely collection celebrates the joy and wonder a new child brings to a family. It has thirteen different sections starting with "Beginnings" and ending with "To Arrive Where We Started". I'm a sucker for a good collection of poetry to begin with, and this sweet book captivated me. This would be a perfect gift for any new or expectant parents. 

So there you have it. Does my husband spoil me or what? Have you heard of or read any of these books?