The Library

I went to the library today. I hadn’t been in quite a while and it felt really good. San Antonio is full of libraries. There is a branch just a block or so from Lefty’s office that I truly love – made even better by the playground in front of it. Oh, the hours The Kid and I spent there! I once saw a huge tarantula crawl across the sidewalk right next to the slide. But, it is closed for renovations so I headed to the Central Library, downtown.

I love libraries and have spent huge chunks of my life in them. Once the Kid came along, libraries took on a whole new meaning. Libraries became a lifeline, books to stay in touch with the grownup world, Story Times to get out of the house, to meet other moms, to see The Kid interact with other kids in the days before preschool. Libraries helped to keep me sane as a stay-at-home mom.

I like to drive downtown (parking downtown is a different matter). I love downtown San Antonio for all its touristy weirdness. I don’t go as often as I should, and when people visit us from out of town, they’re always somewhat shocked that we have difficulty finding a place to park or have lunch near the Alamo. We don’t make it down there very often.

The drive was nice, a cool breezy morning with the car windows down. Parking was easy and I found everything I was looking for. Yes, I’ll tell you what I got, give me a minute.

Going up to the third floor children’s section made me nostalgic for those simpler Story Time days with The Kid, when there was no place he would rather be than in my lap. Our relationship now is a tangle of clinging and letting go, mostly letting go. I found some cool books about computers for him today.

I should not complain. My sister’s oldest boy turns thirteen today. Happy Birthday Jonas!

I think sometimes that I’ve forgotten how to read – to sit and really read. For so long now, I’ve had to read in quick little breaks between naps, between work, in the spare minutes when some one or some thing did not need my attention. I think that I’ve forgotten how to sit still for a while and really get lost in a book. I’m hoping to relearn a little of that.

Here’s what I got:

Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook – There’s been quite a bit of buzz about slow cookers on a few of the knitting blogs I read. That plus, Mrs. G’s sangria recipe has inspired me.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – I’m way behind the curve on this book, but I love Barbara Kingsolver, not just as a writer but as a really great human being.

A collection of columns by Robert Hass

A book of poetry by Jenny Browne – I took a writing course from her last year and she is amazing.

Strong is Your Hold by one of my very favorite old guy poets.

What are you reading these days?