Sunday Salon...April 14th

My library at night (the circular part on the second floor)

Weather: Cold, windy, and rainy, with occasional sunbreaks. I have purchased some plants but now don't feel like tromping around in the rain and cold to plant them.

Today: We have a full day ahead of us. After church I have a meeting to work on the "problem" of how we want to spend/invest/contribute our big pot of money for mission projects. "Problem" is tongue-in cheek for delight. Then we will race up to Seattle for a Brahms concert put on by the Seattle University Choirs. I'm promising myself a side trip to Elliott Bay Books.

Yesterday: Our women's group had a Spring focused brunch and a speaker from the WSU Master Gardener Association. Topic: perennials. I learned so much about our weird climate out here in the Pacific Northwest and why plant ratings about zones, and hardiness, and part shade/part sun don't mean a lot for our climes. I didn't learn much about particular perennials, but that was OK because everything else was so interesting.  If you are reading this, thank you Denise for organizing it.

This past week: I tried to figure out if my colleagues really think I'm a miracle worker or are playing me for a fool. On Monday a teacher asked me to put together a list of all the books I had from her list of authors.  I looked at it and thought I had about ten. All of the authors were Asian and she wanted every one of her 90 students to read three things by the author that they chose, including a full length novel.  She said she was fine if I could find any other Asian authors, but she didn't want Asian-American, Asian-Canadian authors.  I said I'd try but I didn't think I could do.  Then she added that the other teacher wanted to do the assignment at the same time, for another 60 students, and she wanted the books within a week. See what I mean? Miracle worker or fool? Well, I think am the miracle worker.  I set to work with the district-wide catalog and requested books from other schools and found lots of Asian authors I'd never heard of before or even realized I had in my library. I think by the time the classes come in on Wednesday I should have around 140 books to offer as their choices. It was a lot of work, but fun and rewarding at the same time. Fortunately our district allows interlibrary loans.

I'm irritated about: my "new" front loading washing machine (13 months old) because it no longer locks the door closed, rendering it nonfunctional   Of course, we are one month past the warranty.  The good news about this, we don't have to do laundry today since we are still waiting for the part and installation. Perhaps I'll be washing out my undies in the sink this week.  Ha!

Books I completed this week:

• The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh...I got really irritated with the main character toward the middle of the book and started wondering if I finally found a book I actually hated. But the ending redeemed it a bit. 
• Twenty Poems to Bless Your Marriage and One to Save It edited by Roger Housden...I slowed way down this week and only read one poetry book instead of three.  I'm still a fan of Housden and the way that he makes poetry so accessible. Don and I have found ourselves reciting poetry to each other quite often lately.
• Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell...a new favorite!!! Please, pretty please click the link and read my review. 

Currently reading: 

• The Paris Wife by Paula McLain...book club is Tuesday and I'm just a little over half finished.  Eek!  Ever have a week when you were supposed to read something but chose to read something else? That was this week for me. I read Eleanor and Park and back-burnered The Paris Wife. I'll pay for it today and Monday.
• Ten Poems to Open Your Heart by Roger Housden...the book most clearly about love in the 'Ten Poems' series, yet I am not enjoying it as much as the other books. Hmm.  What does that say about me?

From the kitchen: Homemade Italian meatballs. My husband was so pleased that he gushed, "We just made 'real' food."

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:24
“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
²⁵     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Spring in the yard: (Mainly noticed from car windows) Rhododendrons and Azaleas are getting ready to bloom. Usually azaleas are earlier than rhodies but I've noticed the opposite this year.  Today I drove past a gorgeous red rhody in full bloom.

Music fix of the week:

Josh Groban: I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)