Poetry! Stargazing! Rrrromance!

What a wonderful, eclectic mix here!

First: the poetry. I am enjoying both exercising my Spanish Language and Imagery vocabulary with this collection. The author's 'mission statement' particularly charmed me. A couple of songs made their way into my mental playlist on reading it.

Next: and I am sorry that I don't have an actual picture of the book jewelry (is place marking in another location). Here's my very poor artist's rendition. Anyway: it's a bauble depicting the late Spring/early Summer constellation Gemini chained to the traditional symbol of that horoscope sign. Something to look forward to as we pass from the Bleak Midwinter signs of Capricorn and Aquarius.

Finally: how the heck did my gift-giver know that I am sort of a Betty Neels fan? Romances, like mystery and other serial stories, is a sort of formulaic writing. Each author has their own outline that they follow, tweaking storylines and characters for subsequent versions. Neels's Thing was something she actually lived: a not too young, not standardly 'marriagable' English woman, usually a nurse, who ends up swept off her feet by a Dutch Professor of Medicine with dual appointments in England and Holland. "An Old Fashioned Girl" is the newest in my collection. Was a good bit of easy reading during a bout of insomnia.

Thank you so much for my gifts! They're perfect!