Yes, it’s finally Friday and I’m so glad. I’ve had a busy week at work and now I can just put away the thoughts of reports and meetings aside.

This week I met with my friends with whom I was doing the Artist’s Way. What you forgot I was doing that? That’s okay, I sort of did too. It’s a good way to kick start your creativity but I already do a lot of the things the book suggests and to me this was just keeping me away from my own writing, my journal and all the other random things I do. So I’m glad I told my friends I was done with that. It was a relief.

Now its time for some weekend planning. Tonight, we are off to the theater to see The Enchanted April. That is one of my all time favorite books, and the movie was quite good as well, so I’m interested to see what the staged version will be like.

Other activities for the weekend include doing yoga, the requisite weekend trip to the bookstore and who knows, maybe I’ll even go see a film. Any suggestions?

Oh yes, and I’ve got a book group meeting coming up on Tuesday and the book is not currently on my nightstand. Must look through the shelves tonight and get with it.

Happy weekend everyone.

Six months now since she’d been sent away to London. Every morning before she opened her eyes she thought, If I were the wishing type, I know what I would wish. And then she opened her eyes and saw Chanu’s puffy face on the pillow next to her, his lips parted indignantly even as he slept.

Nazneen, the main character of Monica Ali’s novel Brick Lane, is struggling to come to terms with her fate. She is a Bangladeshi young woman whose parents have arranged her marriage to a man twice her age and a Bengali immigrant living in England.

The other book I’m reading is a first in a mystery series, Eight of Swords by David Skibbins. Throw in a protagonist who is a radical, a manic-depressive and a tarot card reader and you’ve got a fascinating sleuth. Go to the author’s web site and get a tarot card reading. You know you want to.

I’m several chapters into each book and both are proving to be very enjoyable reads.

Tonight’s poetry lines they come from America’s first published poet. Do you know who that is? Take a guess. I dedicate this one to my husband.

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay;
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever,
That when we live no more we may live ever.

To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet. Born in 1612, Bradstreet was one of the first poets to write English verse in the American colonies. For a recent biography of Anne Bradstreet check out this link.

You know what’s bad about devoting hours and hours to reading? Falling behind on laundry, cleaning, etc. I guess it doesn’t help that rather than catching up on those things here I am blogging instead. Ah well…..

I’ve got a couple of books going, both are proving very entertaining, but I’ll talk about those tomorrow. For now I leave you with some interesting tidbits I found.

Who wouldn’t want their own one-of-a-kind, signed book by Haruki Murakami. FYI – It’s not too early to start saving up for BookGirl’s birthday present – hee, hee.

Are you ready to give up television? This writer gave it up for 15 years. Just think of all the extra time for books! I watch some t.v. but try to limit my time.

How about book previews instead of book reviews? VidLit wants to bring stories to you via animated short excerpts narrated by the authors.

And, for tonight’s poetry section, here’s an assignment for you. Send a poetry ecard from the Poetry in Motion web site to your love, friend, or even to yourself. Just celebrate poetry.