Vacation Montage

On Vacation with 36 Books

I’m off on vacation this week!  I've been planning it for a long time. There are so many options. It’s always difficult to decide what to do.  At first I thought it would be great to visit all my friends.  I haven’t seen Rebecca in a long time, but I also wanted to see Frida, and Jane Eyre, or Agnes Grey. Let’s not forget Anne of Green Gables, or Silas Marner, or Ethan Frome.  Too many friends, too little time.  So then I considered spending Three Weeks with My Brother until I remembered that he’s overseas—A Year in Provence! What a life.  Must be nice.  

Well that got me to thinking—why not take a great, big, unforgettable vacation, too?  I could go Around the World in 80 Days.  So, I crunched the numbers and, whooo wheee. No can do.  I pared it back, Around the World in 72 Days.  Still too much! By that time it was already late into the Night; actually it was The Other Side of Midnight.  Time for bed. I decided to sleep on it.

The next morning I thought of other glamorous destinations.  I've always wanted to see The Glass Castle and have their famous Pomegranate Soup. I hear it’s to die for.  It really wakes up The 100 Secret Senses of your tongue. They were fully booked. Next I googled The Crystal Palace:  it burned down years ago.  Strike that. 

Finally, I settled on visiting the City of Thieves.  There’s a lot to do there.  The Night Circus will be there all summer. Critics are raving about it.  They’re lapping it up Like Water for Chocolate. Then there’s the local attraction of The Giant’s House. I’m also looking forward to strolling on the tree lined Main Street, which is really quaint with overflowing flower baskets.  There are tons of touristy shops where you can buy anything from Tea and Green Ribbons to the little snow globes.  Of course, I’ll have to buy something for each of my girls at The Persian Pickle Club.  Funny thing about vacations, you never seem to mind overpaying for things.  Back home I would never consider buying The $64 Tomato at Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand. They come Cheaper by the Dozen, you know.  But when you’re on vacation your senses and cares seem to leave you.  They’re just Gone with the Wind.     

Vacations are great.  The only sad thing about vacations is when they end.  Afterwards I sometimes feel A Void.  It’s difficult to return to the routine life of being A Reliable Wife and Keeping the House. I guess the best thing to do is plan and dream about my next vacation.  It’s what keeps me going—I call them my Dreams of Joy! Who knows, maybe next year I’ll win a vacation like one of The Weird Sisters did. She was The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. Won an all-paid vacation to Moloka’i sponsored by The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And don’t you know, that’s where she met and fell in love with that handsome magician, The Great Gatsby. Lucky!!

Happy reading!  Happy Vacationing!   Be back soon.

Annette