Last summer, my best friend and I spent a weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. The goal of the trip was to eat as much good food as possible, which was easily achieved. As we were leaving our last food stop we spotted a used bookstore just down the street. It was a blisteringly hot day and … Continue reading Magic of Used Bookstores
I recently had the opportunity to catch up with an old family friend who I hadn’t seen in a few years. The conversation turned to her grandchildren, who I haven’t seen since they were itty bitty. A middle granddaughter, who my friend described as having been a shy, quiet child, has discovered the fine arts … Continue reading Theater for the Introverted
A few years ago, I had determined that I wanted to read more literary classics. I had picked up a copy of Erich Marie Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front at a used bookstore. I started reading it around Memorial Day but didn’t really get into it until closer to July. In my town … Continue reading The Book That Ruined Patriotism
A friend of mine every year goes to Jamaica for a week. She and her husband spend the week sitting on the beach. They read, they talk, they relax. And every year she talks about how much she can’t wait to go back. I’m happy for her that she’s found something that relaxes her (and … Continue reading I Don’t Do Beach Vacations
Every so often I’ll come across a song that for one reason or another annoys the snot out of me. And I’d like to share one such song with you today. The song in question is “I’m Coming Over” by Chris Young (you can listen to it here). It was released in 2015, as far … Continue reading That Was The Best Metaphor?
Science tells us that of all our senses, scent is the one that triggers memory the strongest. You walk into a room and the smell of butterscotch reminds you of your grandfather who kept a dish of Werthers on the coffee table. Or you walk into a salon in Chicago and are suddenly transported to … Continue reading The Sound of Memory
Have you ever done something stupid or embarrassing? Something that made you blush or left you feeling totally mortified? And did you lay in bed that night playing it back in your mind over and over, feeling that embarrassment all over again? Yeah, me too. I was in second grade at a small school, if … Continue reading The Persistence of Embarrassment
When my friend had booked the apartment, we had no idea that Benidorm, Spain was the favorite cheap holiday spot of the British. All we knew was that it was a half day’s journey from where we were living in Salamanca, that it was on the Mediterranean, it had beaches, and it was cheap. And … Continue reading St. Patrick was Scottish… Or Maybe Welsh
Okay, a disclaimer: I haven’t actually watched the hit Netflix show. But I have seen the memes and someone on Facebook relayed Marie’s advice to only keep three print books. And that hurt my heart. I have loved books since I was tiny. They were my first friends, the things that brought me comfort and … Continue reading My Books Do Spark Joy, Marie
Picture it! New Mexico, January 2013. I was driving back to Illinois from a visit with my best friend who lived in Phoenix. It was day two of the return trip and so far the entire trip had been on major interstates with truck stops every 20 miles. I had spent the night in a … Continue reading Running On Empty
KT Byrde Writes 