It’s another uncommon snow day in Arkansas. We’ve had another couple inches since I took the photo above earlier this morning, for a total of perhaps five inches on the ground, and it’s still falling! The schools are all closed, of course, so I’m sure there are a lot of happy children playing in the snow as I type this. It makes me nostalgic for when my own kids were little and impatient to build a snowman and throw snowballs on the rare occasion for them to do so.
As for myself, maybe I’ll bundle up later and take the camera for a walk. In the meantime, it’s a good day to work on my current book. Later, I’ll curl up by the fire with a hot drink and someone else’s story. Days like this are just made for a good book.
Since I posted last, my 88-year-old mother-in-law fell in her home and broke her femur. She had surgery to insert a “nail” into the bone, and is now in a rehab facility to get her back on her feet and home again. Aging can be a cruel process. Though her mind is as sharp as ever, as are her sight and hearing, my mother-in-law is stricken with arthritis and osteoporosis, which keep her pretty much home-bound these days, except for visiting the doctor and the beauty shop occasionally. She no longer drives, so even those trips are dependent on someone else to take her. Except for a hyperactive little poodle named Pierre, she insists on living alone in her home of more than thirty years. My husband visits every day to take care of a few things for her and the rest of us go by when we can, but her days can get a bit lonely there by herself — even though it’s her choice to maintain her independence for as long as she can. Her entertainment? The food channel on TV — and her books.
She reads avidly and almost constantly, going through several books a week. It’s all we can do to keep her stocked in reading material! When she runs out of something new to read, she rereads old favorites. Every room in her house has a supply of books. She particularly enjoys murder mysteries. Her favorites are the J.D. Robb books (written by Nora Roberts). She’s gotten so much pleasure from books, finding in them the travel and adventure limited in her own life now by the challenges of aging.
I’ve had several letters from senior readers who tell me they love to escape into their books. I used one of my favorite quotes in an earlier post: “At my age, 85 with 86 coming up soon, I can’t afford to miss a minute of pleasure. And I get most of my pleasure from my books – that’s where I figure my money is well spent. So give us another good story soon.”
Even though I’m still able to be as active as I like, I, too, love to escape into a good book, especially on days like today. My daughters, who are both young and athletic, always have a book close at hand, making reading a multi-generational pleasure in our family. I love knowing that my stories are giving other people a few hours of entertainment, no matter what their life circumstances!
So, this seems like a good time to remind you that my Silhouette Special Edition, PRIVATE PARTNERS, is available in stores and at eHarlequin now! I hope you’ll find a pleasant escape within its pages.
And don’t forget to enter the drawing for the March 1 giveaway book. Click the Enter to Win! tab above for details.
Gina Wilkins 