The Necklace

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  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

Auld Lang Syne (For The Sake of Old Times)

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 The Beatles captured perfectly the meaning of “auld Lang syne” in their obscure little song titled “The Two of Us”. This one stanza is at the heart:

“You and I have memories

That stretches out ahead”


Memories are precious, because over time, the bad ones fade away. You remember someone showing you a heart made with their hands in a backward look; a trip to the zoo or a park. Maybe an unexpected meeting of an old friend; meaningful conversation; music. Maybe decorating for the holidays or throwing a party, the humor of a private joke, a very expensive meal; a concert; a family reunion, a scent ...


Memories give hope when used properly. 


Books do both. They look back and look ahead. This is why I love the classics. A quote is one thing, an idea we like to carry forward, but reading the source material is another, looking back. 


Head into a blessed new year with good books. Make new memories! Look ahead with curiosity and interest! For the sake of old times, read a book. Always.


Happy New Year!



Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881). “Inaugural Address at Edinburgh.” Vol. 25, pp. 364-374 of The Harvard Classics

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