Greece

ok. ok. So I'm reading a new book. I found this one on the shelf at the kids' school. It was situated convenient to Keeper of the Bees and a copy of The Crusaders, copyrighted circa 1910 (the latter piece had a pencil inscription congratulating the young owner of the book for his high marks in arithmetic). My book? My Family and Other Animals, by Gerald Durrell. The cover shows a small boy collecting a frog in a mayonnaise jar. Analysis: Location on the shelf? promising. Title? humorous. Cover photo? Sold.

When it was finally Protected Reading Time I took up my new book. I had scarcely begun the introduction when I had to call Sandy over to "listen to this." I had to call her over so regularly that in the end we read the introduction and first chapter together. I was laughing so hard I had to get up to find my inhaler. The author addresses the natural history of his family, the animals of the island of Corfu, and the local peasantry and gentry with the same light-filled, sun-drenched, childhood curiosity.

Suddenly I needed to visit Greece. Immediately. I needed to be in the too-hot-blinding-white-sand-but-the-water's-so-blue sun. I didn't just want to be there, I needed to be there.

It was 55 degrees at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. Strawberry season is almost over, the apples and plums probably only have another 4 weeks or so. Persimmons and pomegranates are in full swing. The wet season has finally begun--there are only two seasons here: wet and not as wet-- and that certainly signals the beginning of winter. Doesn't sound like November, but the calendar has no cause to lie. Surely I've had my fair share of sand and sun, yet I hope I will be granted still more.

Ah, Greece.

p.s. I stole this picture from planetware.com