The Library Girl Comes Home...

...to the library.

Though it made none of my "lists of things to do when I retire" I knew I wanted to renew my library card.  I think I visited the library three or four years ago -- to renew my card -- but promptly lost it and relied on book swaps and kindle for my reading material. This has worked only okay. I haven't read very much and I blamed it on a lack of concentration, and I'm sure that was a big part of it. The kindle was great to carry on the subway, where I did most of my book reading.

But I've missed being in a library. Starting with early trips with my mother I loved the library. Every summer of elementary school I joined the summer reading club and spent many hours reading books and magazines in our branch library. I was a fixture and when I turned sixteen the librarians offered me a job. They know I'd have good attendance, I was always there. I loved my nook at the library in college and had jobs in both the Mount Holyoke and Dartmouth libraries. I worked at the reserve desk and processed books and managed to memorize just about the entire Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress catalog systems. I planned to become a librarian, but through fate sent me in a different direction.

I hadn't realized how much I missed spending time in a library. I spent a wonderful afternoon in my branch library today. I wrote a blog post for tomorrow and caught up on reading I wanted to do and I looked at books. Once again I was the girl who loved being in a library and loved looking at books. I almost couldn't believe I could take books home the same day I got my card -- remembering the waiting period in Hartford in 1967 -- and came home with J.K. Rowling's "The Casual Vacancy," -- I've really been wanting to read it -- and Lauren Weisberger's "Revenge Wears Prada." I've spent the evening reading "Revenge," and expect to finish it in the next few days. No television, no computer, just reading. I may have overcome any lack of concentration. I 'm hoping that all I needed was an afternoon at the library.

I also discovered this surprise a block from the library...

I need to return "Revenge" between Pumpkin Pie and Fudge Brownie. It's a whole new way of keeping track of when my library books are due.

It was a glorious early autumn day today and it's definitely sweater weather. I've put my flip flops away and taken out my jacket. It's time to savor the fall.

Hope you're savoring the fall and enjoying this week. As always, thanks for visiting and take good care of yourself.