Reading Journal #1 | 6.11.2023

“She placed a hand on his as he squeezed her shoulder. His touch was loaded with so many unspoken words she didn’t have the courage to reply, so she squeezed him back instead. They remained still, allowing their love to console them where syllables could not. Then he kissed her again and left the room.”

– from The Mermaid Garden by Santa Montefiore

Friday 6.9.2023

No reading today, just planning and starting to embroider a baseball cap that I plan on wearing to work every now and then. It hasn’t been a great week for me so this will bring some joy to the end of it.

Saturday | 6.10.2023

I spent the morning embroidering the last two flowers on my hat, and the afternoon doing what could only be described as “puttering” around my apartment. But I did get about an hour of reading done this evening.

The Mermaid Garden by Santa Montefiore is a book I picked up…last month? I already love the descriptions and setting, and the easy transitions into different character perspectives. The story began in 1966, and the current year is 2006, although to me it doesn’t feel like 2006. But I’m attributing this to the history built into the narrative; we’ll see if this changes.

I’m currently on page 59 (out of 418), and look forward to continuing the story.

Sunday | 6.11.2023

For the past month or so, Sunday night = pasta night. I block off basically the entire afternoon to prep, cook, and enjoy a recipe found during the week. This past week was a stressful, mentally dismal week so by Sunday afternoon I had little energy for this weekly ritual. But, I am desperately trying to create and maintain routines in my life so I made an easy butter, garlic, and cream sauce and only had to cook some pork in my fridge as well as the pasta (fettucine). I only read a couple more pages of The Mermaid Garden, and it was the almost-falling-asleep kind of reading (to the book’s credit, it’s nearly bedtime) so I’ll be going back to revisit those pages when I’m more alert.