Happy Neck-Romancing Day!

"Hearts" by Jamie Powell Sheppard

I’m kinda surprised I took the above photo, since I’m definitely not a hearts ‘n flowers girly-girl. However, the light was beautiful and I was delighted to discover the subtle pattern in the stair railing. I wondered how often people overlook it.

I’m not into most holidays since they’ve become such massive commercial orgies, and Valentine’s Day is near the very top of my dislike list. I know I know–I’m a disappointment to women the world over. But think of it this way, ladies–more chocolate for you!

I’ve been pretty down lately, and every day seems to be a struggle. Then today I remembered what is possibly my favorite passage from a book. Ever.

“The parlor chair and the washbasin were ruined. Imogene overruled Lutie’s protests and they were added to her bill. She replaced the broken looking glass herself, smuggling in the new one wrapped in a shawl, rather than face the same odd looks occasioned by the chair and the burnt basin. An hour’s scrubbing had gotten the worst of the soot off the ceiling above the washstand where the paintings had been burned.

Evelynne Bone, who had seen the paint-smeared chair and the charred basin, gossiped of it. One evening she made the mistake of cornering McMurphy while he waited in the parlor for his lesson. She told him what she had seen. ‘It smacks of necromancy,’ she whispered with satisfaction. For her pains, the old miner told her she might put it in her pocket and ride on it; he didn’t know what ‘neck-romancing’ was, but he’d bet the old bat had never had any herself.” -from Bittersweet by Nevada Barr.

I may still feel crappy physically, but I’ll have a smile on my face all day thanks to Nevada Barr.

I hope everyone has a happy Neck-Romancing Day!