Country Mouse Musings

It's good to be home for awhile. Wisconsin soothes my worried soul.  Here, I have no need for busy city sidewalks, where my shoes are more important to the passerby than my character.

 I only need long walks on my favorite paths.

And I'd rather have the sound of Amish buggies clattering down the road, than sirens and trains at night, and I'll take soft sunsets and starry skies, over glaring lights and the buzzing crowds.

 I know, that someday I might be separated from this place because life never ceases to surprise a person. But right now, I'm going to breathe in my Wisconsin air and wear a pair of muddy boots, with no one but the cattle to judge me.

And even they don't mind my country mouse ways.

Photographs No. 1

 Tonight, I would just like to share some of my photography.
 Meandering about with camera in hand is one of my favorite pastimes and here are some shots that I'm especially happy with.They were taken in various cities and towns I've visited. Let me know which ones you like in the comment section!

Taken at the Boston Opera House

"I'll Walk the Line"

Taken in Brooklyn, NY

"Little Italy" Boston, MA

NYC

taken in New York City, NY

"The Inquisitor"

Wisconsin Summer Night

Sometimes, photographing the little things brings the most joy.

"Sunday Nap"

Claddagh

"Lonely One"

"The Stare Down"

January's Cry

January wants to be noticed. I sometimes forget to soak up the beauty surrounding me, but January yelled out to me a day ago and I heard her. The sky was burning red like an ocean of flame overhead and the oak trees standing hauntingly in silent, still rows. Out I went for a winter walk, and my camera came along.
January is waiting.
Don't overlook her.

Ramblings of a Bibliophile

Do you love the smell of musty old books? Do you drink it in like a new perfume? Would you rather spend an afternoon leafing through volumes of poetry and turning the crackling pages of worn novels, than sifting through racks of clothing in a mall? If so, my friend, you are most definitely a bibliophile, a lover of books. Now, don't get me wrong, I like shopping as much the next girl, but for some reason I'd rather sort through labels that say "History," "Fiction," and "Russian Literature" than ones saying Aeropostale, American Eagle, or Gap. I prefer used bookstores to new as well. For me,  there is something magical about volumes of books that have to be searched through, gingerly picked up, and lovingly cared for because they've already been passed through several other sets of hands. 

I recently made a visit to my favorite bookstore. Located inside of an old tobacco warehouse, the wooden floors are creaky, the musty book smell perfect, and it's shelves are full to the brim with every genre you could think of. It really is better than any mall.

Driftless Books

Perfection.

At the end of an hour of ecstatic exploration, I managed to come away spending under 20 dollars for a beautiful copy of Shakespeare's collected works and a book containing two of Steinbeck's novels. This bibliophile couldn't be happier.

homeward bound

    Home for me is Wisconsin. It's the land of cheese, feisty Packer fans, and plenty of beer. Wisconsiners are, for the most part, some of the most down-to-earth people you'll meet, and whether you need another batch of batter-fried cheese curds, or a helping hand when your car inevitably slides off a wintry road, a Wisconsiner won't fail you.
    More importantly, though, I'm returning to my home, to a beautiful house, at the top of what is, I'm sure, a dauntingly icy driveway, where a fat, old beagle and a sleepy cat await.

Honoria Glossup, my sassy cat.

Bertie, our fat and loveable beagle. 

 It's time to go home, hug my parents and siblings, hold babies, read books in front of a cozy wood stove, and just breathe in the delicious, familiar scents that come with a place well known to me. Goodbye New England, it's been grand. I'll be back in January, but for now, I'm homeward bound.