Yesterday it rained buckets in London and the temperature dropped, making our official spring feel more like we’d sprung back to winter. It was the day we had the extravagance of riches in a borrowed car. The day we planned to visit some nurseries to buy soil, sand, and a concrete border to replace leftover wood floor pieces currently flanking flower beds in our garden.
Braving the cold, windy and wet weather, you would think we were shopping for elegant, sophisticated, and glamorous items for our home.
At one point on our excursion, H and I were huddled under a wooden gazebo that was for sale while waiting for the rain to slow down to a spit instead of gush. We were the only customers standing outside talking about our choices in shrubs while shivering.
This is not something I would have ever done at home in the US. Having a car at your disposal makes you do crazy things I tell you. But truthfully, have you ever thought about how you might get an ironing board home without a vehicle? Or a lamp?
I did walk through South Kensington with a mop once. That was in the early days of our move. I blamed that moment of insanity on culture shock.
Because we walk everywhere and use public transport to get around now, I am making different choices about a lot of things. For instance, I decide which purse I carry based on how long I’ll be sitting on the underground.
If I’m going to be sitting down for more than a few minutes, or even standing up in one place for that matter, I want to bring a book along because reading helps my soul to rest. I choose a purse based on the capacity to hold a book.
Bringing a book that will fit in my purse without being weighty is a goal and a challenge. So today, I thought I would share some small reads for small moments; for those times when you don’t have a lot of space to rest.
I asked my Instagram followers for some ideas as well. You can find that thread here if you are interested. Several of their suggestions have been added to my growing list of titles I plan to read while commuting.
Feel free to add your favorite small books or short reads that pack a punch in the comments. Happy Sabbath Friends!
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
The Awakening by Kate Chopin – Classic books are well, classic for good reason.
The Getaway Car by Ann Patchett – Her words on the craft and realities of writing are helpful and enlightening. Only available on Kindle for $2.47.
Solitude: Poems by Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets – Check out the series of pocket books from the great poets.
How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer –an all-time favorite book of unforgettable short stories.
Waiting on God by Andrew Murray – this book saved me while I was waiting to get to London.
A Diary of Private Prayer by John Bailie and edited by my friend Susanna Wright– this book isn’t small in size but wow, one page a day speaks in a big way.
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