Yesterday was far too nice a day to be indoors in front of a computer. We actually made it to 70F (21C)! It was the warmest day we’ve had since October 11, 2013. There should be a state law that says the first 70 degree day of spring is a holiday. But since there isn’t, I had to take advantage as best I could. I ate my lunch outdoors in the sunshine and instead of blogging when I got home I sat on my deck and wrote a few cards to mail. Of course today is not as warm and it will probably be another week before we reach 70 again. That’s spring in Minnesota. But enough about the weather.
I just found out there is going to be a ballet at the Royal Opera House in London during their 4014/15 season based on the life and works of Virginia Woolf! Does the Royal Ballet ever tour? I would so love to see a Virginia Woolf ballet. Please bring the show to Minneapolis!
For poetry month Tor (science fiction fantasy) has commissioned a number of authors to compose original poems for them. Jo Walton did one and is it ever good. Hades and Persephone turns the story from one of abduction and rape into one of love with Persephone bringing light and flowers into the darkness of Hell. It’s a poem about desire and how much light and darkness need each other.
Have you ever heard of Drop Everything and Read Day? It is celebrated on April 12th, Beverly Cleary’s birthday since she is the author of the book in which D.E.A.R first appeared. For whatever reason I was not a Cleary reader or Ramona fan when I was a kid. Nonetheless, I can certainly get behind a day of doing nothing but reading! Come Saturday I will try my hardest to drop everything and read. Household chores can wait another day, right?
Good for Beverly Cleary! I enjoyed a memoir by her a couple of
years ago—A Girl from Yamhill. I’ll try to DEAR on Saturday, too.
Thanks for the hint.
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booksandbuttons, kinda makes me wish I could go back in time and read the Ramona books when I was a kid. I hope you manage an enjoyable DEAR day!
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Once in a while the Royal Ballet will broadcast a performance in theaters throughout this country. Ditto for National Theater. Better yet, take a break, head over for the weekend.
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Richard, oh, I hope they broadcast the Woolf ballet. I am currently not allowed to leave the country. I accidentally shredded my passport and haven’t gotten around to replacing it. Long story.
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I think they use Edina Cinema but I’m not sure how far that is from you.
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Bookboxed, that is not far from me at all, about 15 minutes away. I will have to start paying attention to what is going on there!
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Who needs to dust and do laundry on a day that screams not to? I will try my hardest to drop everything and read tomorrow, too! 😉 We had a really nice day on Wednesday here, too. I sat outside for both breaks and my lunch and did my very best to soak up the sunshine and warmth. The nice weather will continue for a couple of days and then another cold front for Sunday–rain and rain and then back to cool weather. Still, cool in April is not at all like cool in January! If the Royal Ballet comes to Minneapolis, send them down here when they finish. Have a good weekend! 🙂
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Danielle, that’s right! Dust will always be there and you don;t need clean clothes to just sit around and read. 😉 You are very right that cool in April is nothing like cool in January!
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Drop everything and read day. Give it your best shot Stefanie. I have faith that you can manage it!
As for the weather, I reckon that’s spring everywhere – well, maybe not in SoCal – but our spring is erratic too. Summer seems to take so long to come. Enjoy the good times as they say.
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whisperinggums, I gave it my best but got a bit antsy so had to get up and have an exercise session, otherwise it was pretty good. Summer does seem to take forever and then when it arrives I always find myself wondering where spring went and why it was so short!
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Ah, the seasons. We are never happy are we?!
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Wish I could D.E.A.R. tomorrow but I’m afraid it will be quite the opposite. Heavy duty cleaning and yard work (that I’m actually pretty excited about.) Have a great weekend, whatever you do.
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Grad, yuck on the cleaning but yay on the yard work! Hope it went well!
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I’m retired and must admit to frequently dropping everything and reading. My husband is a dear, thank goodness, and never complains.
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Jenclair, lucky you on all accounts!
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Never heard about D.E.A.R. before but it sounds lovely. I’ve been celebrating this day without knowing throughout the years because it’s just great to take a day off and do nothing else. Even if you feel like you need a new pair of eyes by nightfall.
Have a lovely reading day, Stephanie!
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Delia, LOL, I love that feeling of reading so much you’d like a new pair of eyes. I hope you had a fantastic reading day!
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I had heard of D.E.A.R. but didn’t realize it was for one day. I knew a blogger who did a feature with it. At least now I know the origin and today I plan to do just that inasmuch as is possible. For me, it’s a little poetry from Raymond Carver and William Carlos Williams. Thanks for letting me know.
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Bryan, according to the website it is a week long celebration but the actual DEAR day is the 12th. Sounds like you celebrated in style!
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Ack, I missed drop everything and read day! Oh well, next year right? That is one long winter you guys have had. I know I complain a lot about the heat but I have to say the winters aren’t so bad. Glad you got to enjoy the outdoors!
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Iliana, you may have missed the official day, but I think any day can be a drop everything and read day! This has been an especially long winter, they usually aren’t this bad. We may or may not get some snow tonight which is not a happy thing but not out of the ordinary as it has snowed here as late as the second week of May before. Always an adventure!
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How can you shred your passport??? there’s a good anecdote there I’m sure. Yes the Royal Ballet does go on tour – the info should be on their website. if you love ballet have you read Mao’s Last Dancer which is a true story bout a boy in China who was picked by Mao’s wife to join a ballet school. It’s a really good book
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BookerTalk, it can happen! Word of advice, never put it anywhere near other papers you plan on shredding and never let your husband gather them all up and run them through the industrial shredder he has at work! I do like ballet, so thanks for the book suggestion! I will look to get my hands on a copy.
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