When my Christmas plans to be with family were changed because I came down with shingles, I was thrown for a loop. I had always travelled to BC to be with either my son or my daughter for Christmas. What would it be like to be here in Calgary? The first day the rash hit was just two days before my flight to Prince George. My doctor identified the rash as shingles and wrote a prescription for an anti-viral drug. She said I wouldn’t infect anyone who had had chicken-pox or the vaccine for it. Well, since my great-grandchildren hadn’t had either, I chose to stay here.
I went to the library and signed out three fictional novels. What a great way to overcome the blues and the boredom of being away from family at Christmas! I have now finished all three, and realized that I reached for a book instead of allowing myself to wallow in tears or resentment at my bad luck. The first book was ‘The Next Queen of Heaven’ by Gregory Maguire. I wrote about that one in my last post, and it kept me interested right up to the last 10 minutes before leaving for a Christmas dinner. My friends came through big time once they knew I was in town, and no longer contagious. Thanks to Carolyn Pogue and Bill Phipps, I shared Christmas dinner with a marvellous group, where the conversation and the love were as tasty as the meal.
The next book I read was ‘The Tenth Step’ by Jane Johnson. It tells two stories, one of a 17th century woman captured with others from Cornwall by pirates and taken to Morocco. The second story is of a modern woman who researches her story, and ends up in Morocco also. The two women are bound together by a love of embroidery, and their talents and attitudes help them survive. It’s a good read, and well worth taking out of the library.
The third book was ‘Twenties Girl’ by Sophie Kinsella. It was a totally different style, light, humorous, and fantastic. It tells the story of Lara, who is haunted by her great-aunt who dies at 105, and wants her necklace. The aunt appears as she was in her twenties, which was also the flapper era of 1920s. Her spunk, fashion sense, energy, and determination drive Lara to behave in new ways. This is a great romp of a read.
I discovered that reading these books waslike an addiction. They kept me from feeling the sadness I didn’t want to acknowledge. Is it still an addiction if you know what’s happening? Perhaps. I could put the books down, however, and go about my day. I still cleaned my house, did laundry, phoned friends, and checked emails. I also wrote on my novel, so felt quite prouctive. What a great way to cope!
