Book & Bramble - May 2023

Image Description: Me, age 40, glorying in the beauty of the lilacs.

                            June 9, 2023

                Book & Bramble - May 2023

A Letter from Caitlyn Paxson
Dear Reader,

Greetings from an Island where it is maybe finally starting to feel like summer! I’ve delayed sending out May’s letter because today is my 40th birthday, and I wanted to celebrate it with all of you! 

Image Description: Me, age 40, glorying in the beauty of the lilacs.   
 I’ve written about four different paragraphs trying to put the things I learned in the last decade into words. Then I deleted all of them, because ultimately, I think the biggest thing I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older is that most of what I think I know, especially about myself, is eventually going to be subject to revision and change. So I don’t think I really have any wisdom to offer, other than to say that I’m excited to keep evolving, and I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to do so. I'm also grateful for these silly cats:

Image Description: Orange goofballs in the golden hour. The Contessa yawns. Monty and the Contessa.  

Reading

May was absolutely bananas with commitments, work, and things I was determined to get done, and I read much less than usual as a result. But not to worry, I still have recommendations, in the form of a NPR fantasy roundup that contains  some very excellent books! 
 I enjoyed all of these, but my favorite was definitely Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe. It’s a real mix of genres, and I especially loved the found-family of characters that coalesces by the end. I liked it so much, it was my pick for  most anticipated read of the summer! 

Image Description: Book with lilacs.   
 I also got to write a  full review of Warrior Girl Unearthed, a sort of sequel to the thriller Firekeeper’s Daughter, which I loved back when it came out in 2021. I definitely recommend starting with Firekeeper’s Daughter to get the most out of both books.
And I’ve been getting ready for our first Beaconsfield Book Club meeting and revisiting The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, which is just as delightful the second time around!

Image Description: The book displayed with an artifact telescope and magnifying glass at Beaconsfield House.   

Traveling
The beginning of May marks my wedding anniversary, and I celebrated seven years of marriage and seventeen years of being a couple with my darling husband Magill. We decided to go on a short trip across the water to Nova Scotia, and my goodness, what a gorgeous province! I’d never been before, and I feel in love with all the quaint little seaside towns we passed. 

Image Description: Mahone Bay view. Two lovebirds.  
We spent one night in the most amazing place – a renovated fire-watch tower at the edge of the ocean! It was like staying in an enchanted tree house, and it fulfilled all my Swiss Family Robinson childhood fantasies! 

Image Description: Magill and the tower. A peek at the inside and the view.    

Crafting
Spring has been late in coming this year. Last year on my birthday I took a photo with an embarrassment of lupines, and this year, I have yet to see one fully blooming! Fortunately, there were a few early flowers for wreath-making. 

Image Description: Me in a white flower crown. The raw materials.   

Gardening
This is that time of year where the garden is ready and the seedlings are ready and I’m ready, but the weather just isn’t cooperating. I’m really hoping to plant everything out this weekend, so pray for me that the gods of the weather give me a birthday present and warm things up around here! We also welcomed our summer chickens – rather than have our own flock, we rent one for the summer from a fabulous local organic farm, Barnyard Organics.

Image Description: The veggie garden, ready and waiting. Two of the girls!  

I will leave you with more lilacs, which are almost ready to bloom. 

Image Description: The lilac bush with the barn peeking out behind.  

Thank you for being here to celebrate my birthday with me! Until next time, wishing you the best books and the most berry-full brambles,
Caitlyn

I write this from the traditional unceded territory known as Mi’kma’ki. Two books by Indigenous authors that I really enjoyed recently are To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose and Saints of the Household by Ari Tison. 

(All opinions expressed in this newsletter are my own and do not represent my employer.)